2-20 Four Horses

Herd of Running Spirit Horses - by: Deirdre McCay

Dear Readers,

Because the horses of the Black Hawk Conflict played such an important role in the next portion of this journey, I am taking a brief side trip to honor the spirit of the horse, for its contributions to and sacrifices for the people it chooses to serve.

In 1519 Cortes and his Conquistadors brought 15 horses to Mexico, reintroducing a species that had gone extinct on the continent between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago.  Within one hundred years, the population of horses numbered in the millions.

It is believed that Native Indians (Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans) adopted horses as allies almost immediately upon being introduced to them in battle.  The Spanish, with their superior speed, stronger weapons (Spanish Steel was much stronger than anything being used by the Native Americans), and hounds of war (Mastiffs and Great Danes trained to kill), were able to overwhelm much larger numbers of Native Indians.  Prior to this time, native people used llamas as pack animals and for transportation, but the horses were a clearly superior animal, and it was not long before escaped and stolen horses found their way into Native Society.


Horses impacted Native American culture in three important ways:

1. With horses, the Indians were now able to hunt buffalo much more successfully.  As a result, the Indian diet and culture changed.
2. Horses were an important source of wealth and status, and became a highly valuable trade good item.  Tribes with many horses were highly esteemed and feared by those without.
3. Horses were strong and fast, which enabled the migratory Indians to range further between winter and summer lodges, effectively increasing their territory.

By the early 1800s, horses had become an inseparable part of Native Indian culture.  They had become a living standard of currency, while simultaneously being indispensable as a means of travel.  To the Sauk and Meskwaki, whose familiar territory ranged from Texas to Canada, horses were an integral part of life itself.  It was because of their horses that Black Hawk and his warriors were able to stage raids so far away from the main host of their band, baffling their pursuers as to their whereabouts and direction of travel.

Wild Spirits Horse - by: Marianne Caroselli

I wanted to take some time to honor the spirit of the horse for a lifetime of service and friendship to the Native American people.  The horses of the Black Hawk Conflict suffered nearly as much as their riders, being ridden to exhaustion and sometimes, as in the case of the soldier's mounts, to death.

In his Autobiography, during the description of the Battle of Wisconsin Heights, Black Hawk mentions his horse twice. “I was mounted on a fine horse…”; “My horse, having been wounded twice during this engagement…”  The white soldiers even described the horse in their recollections; “Their commander … was on a white pony on the top of a mountain…”  How remarkable must this animal have been, if amid all the fighting and terror, both sides of the conflict pay homage to the memorable presence of Black Hawk's horse?

Between the Battle of Wisconsin Heights and the Bad Axe Massacre, the soldiers describe finding the carcasses of several horses in the Indian encampments.  These horses had given their lives aiding and protecting their riders, and at the end gave even of their flesh.

Breaking Dawn Indian War Horse - by: Marcia Baldwin

• A horse is a living spirit, like people are living spirits.

• Horses need to be recognized, honored and remembered for their contributions and sacrifices.

• Today, we pay tribute to the spirit of the horse, for being a friend to Native Indians.

• Horse spirits give of themselves, to help and serve people.

• A horse is a thinking being that chooses to give help – that chooses to offer itself in life and death – that chooses to love The People it cares for and serves.

Spirit Horse - by: Dawn M. Becker

I am going to share with you an event that in a very real way has influenced my spiritual journey.  I include it here, though the deeper meaning may be lost to some readers.

Last fall, I had a dream in which I was visited by an Indian spirit named Morning Star and her horse. She told me that the horse would help lead me through my journey.  I remember that her spirit horse was cream color, with brownish markings, had a thick neck, and a great barrel chest.

In mid-December, I wrote to my friend Joni, telling her about my dream.  She had been talking about my journey with a friend of hers, named Jean, who owns horses.  Joni wrote back to me saying that her friend has four horses, by the names of Jewel, River, Lily and Canyon.   One in particular, Lily, has a shape and markings similar to the horse I had seen in my dream.  Through Joni, Jean let me know that she had spoken to her horses and encouraged them to visit my dreams and guide my journey.

A Dream of Four Horses

The next night I had another dream in which I was visited by Four Horses, each with a different message. They did not speak to me with words, but rather through dream language, without speech.

Majestic Horse - by: Marcia Baldwin

The First Horse told me that The People would like to go home down the Great River (which I understood to mean the Mississippi), not by the path they had come on. That path is filled with sorrow and hopelessness.  The People say, “We want to follow the Great River to our home, so we can have fun and laugh.  You will take us home by the Great River”. 

This surprised me, because it was my intention to walk their path from the Wisconsin River back to Saukenuk, a trip that I had already started.  This caused me to reconsider what the Spirits wanted, rather than thinking only about what I wanted to do.

Spirit of a Horse - by: Marcia Baldwin

The Second Horse said, ‘But first, You must travel the path of The People, from Saukenuk to the Bad Axe River. You must learn Their story.  “You must know us and tell our story to others, so we will be remembered."'

This was when I knew that my journey must follow a different path than I thought it would.  Until then, I thought my journey would go from the Battle of Wisconsin Heights back to Saukenuk.  Now I knew I must travel Their path, in the correct direction, from beginning to end.  Only then could I follow the meandering turns of the Great River, to take The People home.

Spirit Eye Indian War Horse - by: Marcia Baldwin

The Third Horse spoke in a soft whisper, like leaves that rustle in a gentle wind.  This was a Spirit Horse.  It did not speak to my mind, it spoke to my soul.  It said I shouldn't worry or feel uncertain about the path I must take.  This horse told me that it will guide my spirit when my mind can’t hear.  It will help me follow the right path when others won’t or can’t help me. When I am lost or uncertain, I should be still and listen to the whispers of my soul.

Encounter with a Spirit Horse - by: Deidre McCay

The Fourth Horse did not speak.  Even so, I understood a message:  "I will speak when you have finished walking the path of The People, learned Their story, and shared what you have learned with others.  Then, I will travel with you to take The People home."

I awakened with the words of these Four Horses filling my mind, as clear to me as though they had spoken them aloud.  Everything about the path I needed to travel had changed, and I was suddenly filled with joy and excitement.  With absolute certainty, I knew that I was ready to begin the final preparations for my journey.  I now had a clear starting point and destination.  I now had a clear purpose.  It was time to begin.

Spirit Horse

Spirit Horses – many times I have called upon you for help and clarity.  Many times you have responded and given me your wisdom and guidance, but never more clearly than when you have spoken to me in my dreams.  I was going to walk Their path backwards, because it was easier for me, but you corrected me.  Thank you for guiding my steps and for opening the hearts of people who can teach me the proper ways.  I was going to start and stop my journey in the wrong places.  You told me what was right.  I was uncertain of myself and worried that I didn't know the right path to follow.  You told me to listen to my soul, and you would whisper to me, telling me where to go.  You set my mind at ease and helped me to feel the right way, both in my mind and in my heart.

Spirit Horses - I call to you still.  I ask for your continued guidance.  I ask you to visit my dreams once again, when the first part of my journey is complete, and I am ready to take The People home.  My heart is open, my mind is ready, and my soul is waiting.
Ah-ho.

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Wild Horses - by: Sainasan

(Key Terms: Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak, Black Sparrow Hawk, Black Hawk, 1767, Saukenuk, Pyesa, Rock Island, Black Hawk’s Watch Tower, Black Hawk State Historic Site, Hauberg Museum, Sauk, Sac, Meskwaki, Fox, Rock River, Sinnissippi River, Mississippi River, War of 1812, British Band, Great Britain, Treaty of 1804, Treaties, Ceded Land, William Henry Harrison, Quashquame, Keokuk, Fort Armstrong, Samuel Whiteside, Black Hawk War of 1832, Black Hawk Conflict, Scalp, Great Sauk Trail, Black Hawk Trail, Prophetstown, Wabokieshiek, White Cloud, The Winnebago Prophet, Ne-o-po-pe, Dixon’s Ferry, Isaiah Stillman, The Battle of Stillman’s Run, Old Man’s Creek, Sycamore Creek, Abraham Lincoln, Chief Shabbona, Felix St. Vrain, Lake Koshkonong, Fort Koshkonong, Fort Atkinson, Henry Atkinson, Andrew Jackson, Lewis Cass, Winfield Scott, Chief Black Wolf, Henry Dodge, James Henry, White Crow, Rock River Rapids, The Four Lakes, Battle of Wisconsin Heights, Benjamin Franklin Smith, Wisconsin River, Kickapoo River, Soldier’s Grove, Steamboat Warrior, Steamship Warrior, Fort Crawford, Battle of Bad Axe, Bad Axe Massacre, Joseph M. Street, Antoine LeClaire, Native American, Indian, Michigan Territory, Indiana Territory, Louisiana Territory, Osage, Souix, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Ottawa, Ho-Chunk)