Kishshinottisthee Quotes


See them coming into our towns with their rum! See them offering it to us with persuasive kindness. Hear them cry, “Drink! Drink!” and when we are drunk, and act like the crazed, behold these good white, these man of a benevolent race, standing by, laughing among themselves, and saying, “Oh, what fools! What great fools the Shawanese are!” But who made them fools? Who are the cause of their madness?


Citations

Hard Man, ~1730-~1779, [Kishanositee], Shawnee Indian War Chief (Pontiac’s War), 1773

Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations

Related Quotes

At the time, the traders were mostly French who traded all kinds of goods and especially alcohol—usually rum—for fur animal pelts. Many of the Indians were partial to the French and French oriented traders who did not covet their land and would provide the Indians with alcohol and guns, lead and powder while English traders sometimes tried to restrict these items. Many tribes of American Indians are genetically very susceptible to alcohol—both in terms of immediate impairment—getting drunk and in developing a dependency on having alcohol—addiction or alcoholism.


He was describing the way that the Colonial America, Native American communities coped with the adverse consequence of violence brought about by liquor which had been given to the Indians by white traders for the purpose of impairing the Indians’ judgment so that they would trade more easily and on better terms. Since then and into the 21st century, business people have entertained’ potential customers with alcohol for the same general purposes.


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  • Born:
  • Nationality: Shawnee
  • Profession: Tribal Leader