[Endorsed: "Capt. Brants Speech to Capt. Clous Agent of Indian Affrs for and on behalf of the Five Nations inhabiting the Grand River. 22 October 1796"] Niagara 22^d October 1796. Brother: I Harken to what I am now going to say. I am happy in seeing you at this Council fire in the office you now hold as Agent of Indian Affairs. At this Council fire we have ever met the English to transact business that related to our mutual interest. I now hope business will again be regularly conducted, as it has been rather at a stand for some time past, and the affairs of the Indians not been so regularly attended [to] as they might have been. I therefore hope as you are the person now set over us, and to whom we look up to for justice, that you'll take the earliest opportunity of making known to the Head Men of this Province our Grievances. Brother, The business I am now about to speak of is of a long standing, and may take up much time as I mean to be particular in giving a true Relation of sundry Facts. I must therefore request your attention patiently as I shall endeavour to make the matter as short as the Situation of our affairs will admit of. As this is the last time I shall say any thing more to the Head Men here on the present subject, having often spoken to them on the business and never been able to obtain any thing like a plain, satisfactory, determined answer. Brother: First I have to say it concerning our Lands on the Grand River, and which has been the source of great uneasiness to us. Brother: At the close of the late American war we applied to General Haldimand to [undecipherable] Lands that we might call our own as Indians. [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] properly that we might call our own as Indians, be it. Gen. Haldin and without hesitation accordingly, granted us the Grant and we instantly upon obtaining that from [Possession?]. His words gave us great satisfaction, [agreeable?] [reporting?] that the Chiefs [undecipherable] it was given for [safety?], and that he would give us a [undecipherable] in the King's name for the same, which he indeed [undecipherable] and this document we now have in our Possession; and with which we were fully satisfied. Now we understand from your White People that this Grant does not entitle us to manage those Lands on our own. In consequence of this we applied to Governor Simcoe for a new Grant. He having promised on his arrival [undecipherable] to this [undecipherable] agreeable to our wishes, he had a deed made out but which did not entitle us to do any thing with the Lands neither to sell, lease, or give away, of course we could not take it. Gen. Haldimand being in our opinion the first Grant and a circumstance was when we first obtained the Grant to make use of the whole of the tract granted us, either by cultivating or leasing it in such way as to be able to raise ourselves a certain annual Revenue to support us in case of our hunting failing. Before our referring to Governor Simcoe, [he?] was much displeased saying we were only Allies and could not possibly have [undecipherable] but title to our Lands, that should we be determined to sell, we ought to sell to the highest bidder and put the money to interest for the [undecipherable] of the Indians and the Grand River. Upon this we said, at least [undecipherable] us we had been [undecipherable] was our intention [undecipherable] of [undecipherable]. When this arrived to the knowledge of the Governor, he was much enraged [undecipherable]. I made use of [very?] unofficially [undecipherable]. I [undecipherable] upon this [undecipherable] to Lord Dorchester making known our disagreeable Situation and received every satisfaction we could wish for, and then we confirmed those sales as has forth, made previous thereto. Before Governor Simcoe left this Province we came forward, and was extremely happy to find that he then consented to the sales we had made and the business referred to Mr. White, his Majesty's Attorney General [undecipherable] White, to have prepared the Grants; but being at a loss for the boundary[?] Surveyors were then sent out to ascertain the same, who after laying out the Townships made their Reports. I then remained here at least a week in expectation of the Grants being completed, but to my astonishment I was obliged to return home without them. The survey of the whole of the South part made sale of are [now?] completed, and also the Head Men here seem to start innumerable difficulties respecting our Grant to us. Brother: We are at a loss to know what to think of these Head Men, changing their minds so often and being so unsteady and undetermined. The causes of [undecipherable] curious conduct of theirs has put their attention towards us for what we [undecipherable] put our Governor Simcoe's [undecipherable] which is the [privileges?] [undecipherable], the fall it [now?] come and nothing more done. By the time when he first came to this Province, it appears that they are determined to continue trifling with us for what good end I know not. Brother: As you are the Person we are to look up to, that you'll use your [undecipherable] to obtain for us a final answer for us, as assuredly this is the last time we shall again say any thing to them on this subject. Let them say plainly that their Lands on the Grand River are our Lands are not ours, what must we then think of Gen. Haldimand's great and friendly promises, & must we look upon them as false? must we entertain the same opinion of Lord Dorchester's personal [appearance?]? But Governor Simcoe's innumerable promises, is he to be looked upon in a similar light with those first two great men? Can we possibly [undecipherable] believe any thing your Head Men may say to us? Brother: As we at many of your Head Men here who have large Tracts of Land who [undecipherable] to them what do they intend to do, those Lands? Do they mean to let these [undecipherable] would not make most of them? Should they say yes, then we might be some day it is not think so hard of our situation. Suppose a present made to one of your Head Men and the terms [assuring?] was to be as a condition that should deprive of making any advantages of the present work, [could?] this not be rather an [undecipherable] practice, and could any person of common sense believe it be given with an intention of its being for the interest of the persons to whom presented? Brother: I am flattered to think that I can with safety say every man of the Five Nations now inhabiting the Lands on the Grand River are to a Man steadily attached to the British Government & the Interest of that Nation. We are still the same in sentiment that we were during the American War. Brother: Suppose we should be disappointed in attaining our Grant agreeable to our wish, from your Head Men, our feelings no doubt must be hurt, and I should be fearful that it would be a wound that we could not easily forget. Brother: As I understand from one of your Head Men that Gen. Haldimand when he made us the Grant did not know the value of the Lands granted — Gen. Haldimand knew well the value of the Lands granted. We also knew our loyalty and firm attachment to the British Government. He knew that the Lands on the Mohawk River from which we came, was of at least equal value to any he could give us in this country. And it was well known likewise that we did not wish to reside in any other Government than that of the English with whom we were resolved to live or die. Brother: I have been informed that Gen. Haldimand did [undecipherable] the value of the Lands he gave us. I must therefore beg leave to observe that I imagine your Head Men who are now starting such numerous difficulties, do not know the value of them, nor the best interest of this new country. Time will correct this. I cannot help proudly saying that we highly entertain a bad opinion of your Great People. They govern their Policy in many respects by their division and distribution in landed matters. Gen. Haldimand never gave those Lands to Yankee Land Jobbers, as he has since this time been the case, and which has been the means of destroying the Hunting around the Grand River so that unless we are enabled to sell and lease the Lands granted us there are much many of us suffer through much want. Brother: I cannot help remarking that it appears to me certain characters here who stood behind the Curtain during the last War, and who we know nothing about, are now dictating to your Head Men in respect to our Lands. I should wish to know what property these officious Persons left behind them in their own country, or whether through their Loyalty they lost any thing? I doubt it much and it is well known that scarcely a Man amongst us but what sacrificed more or less property by leaving our Homes. I again repeat that if these officious Persons have made the smallest sacrifice of property, then I think they may in some measure be allowed to interfere. Although it may be well known that Personal interest prompts them to it, not the good of the Public. Brother: I again repeat that this is the last request of this kind we shall make. That you must not suppress (should we not be successful) that it would wean our affections from the British. No, it shall not. I shall go over men to England and there try any success. The ill treatment we may meet from individuals shall not making good faith with the Government who has sent them here as Persons. These individuals are doing what to them may appear best and most for the Interest of their Nation at large. Brother: I am sorry that what I have said should be so lengthy, but our Situation demands our being Candid. You must therefore excuse me for taking up so much of your time, and [undecipherable] no ways interesting to you, but truly so to us Indians and our Posterity. I must again beg that you'll obtain for us a final answer from these Head Men so that our long anxiety may be at an end. I am in behalf of the Five Nations residing on the Grand River Jos. Brant Jos. Brant