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THE CHRONICLES OF OKLAHOMA
Bringing a parcell of Boards fixed together [a wagon or ship] with such
deep Loading [of goods].... I was glad I could Shew them to my Coun-
try Men so deeply Loaded, for I am sure that the King of England
would not have sent Stones such a Long way to deceive us. But I am
Glad the Goods are Come for there can be no excuse.... [The English]
have said they have all things in greater abundance than the French,
so I expect my people will receive presents in greater abundance, and if
we do not, it must proceed from want of affection in their Father....Ido
not Speak for myself but for my Warriours, their Wives & their
Children, whom I cannot Cloathe, or keep in order without presents
[emphasis added]. 15
Translated, Nassuba's rhetoric essentially told the English to
"put up or shut up." The suggestion by Nassuba that he was unable
to control his warriors without presents was a further warning,
couched in non-confrontational rhetoric, that force backed up Choc-
taw rhetoric. Cholko Oulachta had a similarly camouflaged warn-
ing for the English:
Cholko Oulachta of Ayanabe Great Medal Chief Is glad to See his Fa-
ther The Superintendent, thought he was dead, hopes he has brought,
a great many Presents to Supply their Wants, and that he will carry
none away, and expects that all their Horses will return Loaded, ob-
serves That Red mens poverty is owing to their Ignorance, Desires
That Good Traders under proper regulations may be sent amongst
them, rejoyces to see the Superintendent altho' he never Fixed any
time for meeting or Calling them to a Congress neither Two years,
Four Years, or Seven years, yet finds he at last recollected he had
Children,Children who have been long absent from a Father, are apt to
be Importunate ... [emphasis added].16
The warnings of the Choctaw leaders were not idle threats. When
denied presents, Choctaw warriors frequently assaulted and robbed
English traders and also defaulted on their "debts."" But although
most English officials among the Choctaws feared a general "upris-
ing," higher-ranking officials refused to alter the terms of their rela-
tionship with the Choctaws until the 1770s brought revolution to
North America and a renewed English need for Indian allies.
The American Revolution offered the rebirth of the Choctaw
play-off system, that time between the English and the Spanish-
American alliance. The English, hoping to keep the Choctaws
"loyal," began to hold annual Indian congresses to disburse lavish
gifts among the Choctaws. They also provided supplemental pres-
ents and provisions for those Choctaws who provided military ser-
vice to the English. Nevertheless, the English had continued con-
cerns about the defection of the Choctaws to the Spanish-American
alliance and with good reason. Spanish relations with the Choctaws
304