Pontiac's "Speech At Detroit"

Journal # 22
Posted By: Melissa Veum
12-08-09
Engl 48A

"My children, you have forgotten the customs and traditions of your forefathers. Why do you not clothe yourselves in skins, as they did, and use the bow and arrows, and the stone-pointed lances, which they used? You have bought guns, knives, kettles, and blankets, from the white men, until you can no longer do without them; and, what is worse, you have drunk the poison fire-water, which turns you into fools (Pontiac, 440)."

"It is important for us, my brothers, that we exterminate from our lands this nation which seeks only to destroy us. You see as well as I that we can no longer supply our needs, as we have done from our brothers, the French.... Therefore, my brothers, we must all swear their destruction and wait no longer. Nothing prevents us; they are few in numbers, and we can accomplish it (Pontiac, wikipedia.com)."

In this passage, a Delaware Indian, goes on a search for The Great Spirit and finds him. He is traveling with all of the supplies he needs; a gun, kettle, clothing, etc. and after going down a very-well cut out path, finds a woman who tells him to disarm himself and take off all his clothes and treacherously climb a mountain, by means of his body only, in which after doing so he finds what he thinks is The Great Spirit. This Great Spirit says this passage to him and appears to be very disappointed in this Indian for referring to the "white-man's" ways. He wants to know how he can live with this and asks him why he came with all of this stuff not native to his ancestors. This Great Spirit knows the Indians way very well and is acting ashamed of this Indian, in order to meet with him The Great Spirit makes this Indian disrobe everything he came with in order to find The Great Spirit and talk with him.

Indian tribal ways and the ways of their ancestors were very important to the Ottawa tribes and still are to this day. For this Delawarean Indian to forget where came from and not pass on any of these virtues probably feels like a slap in the face to The Great Spirit. I liked this passage because it outlines some of the many differences between the white-man and the Indians. I feel that the white-man believes in overtaking and not giving back at all. The Great Spirit felt as though this Indian had betrayed his ancestors and thought that he was more like the white-man now with all his "ammo" and man-made things. It is good that The Great Spirit also talked about the "poison fire-water", probably meaning alcohol, that the Indian's were drinking because this still today tends to be a problem for many Indians and white-men alike. It should be called the "poison fire-water" and then maybe it wouldn't ruin so many lives or for that matter cover up the ruined lives of many.