Chapter 142: [Heading to California]

Although several tribes did not agree immediately.

But four tribes, including the Plains Tribe, had agreed, and that was enough.

So a few days later on a sunny day, Ma Shao held a public meeting in the square and officially announced the news.

"...After discussions among several great chiefs, we decided to merge the four tribes of the Plains, Chiricahua, Jicarilla, and Mescalero to form a new, special tribe." Ma Shao said in the center of the square.

This isn't a party, there's no need to make room for a show.

So the square could gather more people, and a total of two to three thousand people were crowded here.

Although there was no show, the atmosphere was as lively as the party a few days ago.

After all, the news of the merger of the four tribes had already spread in the city long before this public meeting.

Over the past two years, Ma Shao and Rainy Day have been working tirelessly to instill the concept of uniting the Apaches and all indigenous peoples.

So after hearing the news, many people were excited and talked about it.

"The news turned out to be true. The four tribes are really going to merge!"

"Are these three tribes also going to move to Sleeping Bear City?"

"should be."

"In this case, the population of slepping bear city is estimated to exceed 20,000... 20,000 people is really an unimaginable number."

"This is a good thing. There is strength in numbers!"

The horse whistle did not make people quiet down, but instead increased the volume itself.

He continued, "The new tribe is called the 'Apache Tribe'. As the chief of this new tribe, I will continue to unite all Apaches, all indigenous peoples, and even all those who aspire to civilization!"

"Long live the Apache!" he shouted.

"Long live Apache!" the crowd responded with waves of cheers.

Then some people shouted other slogans.

"The Holy Light lasts forever!"

"For the tribe!"

"Long live the Great Chief!"

After a round of slogans, Ma Shao signaled everyone to be quiet and then announced other news.

"The Apache Tribe is officially established today. The three former great chiefs are now tribal councillors and lifetime honorary councillors. We thank them for their contributions to uniting the Apache."

After that, he took the lead in applauding and thanking the three chiefs: "Pa pa pa——"

"Clap, clap, clap——" people followed suit and clapped.

There was thunderous applause.

The three chiefs were a little uncomfortable with this kind of scene, but they couldn't help but smile.

Ma Shao continued, "After the Apache tribe is established, the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, and Mescalero tribes will move to Sleeping Bear City in batches."

"Soldiers and shamans will be sent from Sleeping Bear City to assist them in the relocation and preparations before the relocation."

The three tribes together have a population of nearly 10,000.

It is obviously impossible to move so many people here at once.

If the population doubles in a short period of time, the food supply will definitely not be able to cope with it.

Moreover, the three tribes themselves are not centralized organizations. If one wants to relocate all the tribal populations, one must start with the lower-level clans.

In fact, Ma Shao's plan was to complete the concentration of the population of the three tribes within one year.

During this year, he will send soldiers and shamans to provide advance management for the incoming Apaches and assist in their relocation.

This is a big project.

After all, slepping bear city has been absorbing population rapidly, and now three more tribes have joined together. One can imagine how fast the population of slepping bear city will grow in the next year.

Therefore, Ma Shao had to make detailed arrangements, including food, arable land, sanitation, public security, housing...all kinds of issues had to be arranged properly.

Fortunately, these three tribes are all Apaches, so the cost of assimilation is very low, and at least there is no language barrier.

A few days later, Ma Shao developed a specific relocation plan for the three tribes, and then sent some soldiers and shamans to follow the three chiefs to leave slepping bear city and go to their respective tribes.

He then began working on another important task.

The focus of the Mexican-American War gradually shifted to southern Mexico. Before the end of this war, Sleeping Bear City would not face the risk of a large-scale US military attack.

The winter, which made travel difficult, was over, and he felt it was time to head to California.

In the chieftain's hall.

"Members of Parliament, Sleeping Bear City is now almost the largest city in the Midwest," Ma Shao said at a meeting. "It's time for us to start building a second city."

"Do you have any plans?" Rainy Day asked.

Ma Shao nodded: "I plan to go to California to build a new city."

"California?" Some congressmen who had not received much education had never even heard of the name.

For a long time, the Indians' macro-geographical concept has basically been east, west, south and north. Except for the places they are more familiar with, places that are slightly farther away are often directly called East and West.

Correspondingly, the people living there are Easterners and Westerners.

For example, the Maidu people are considered Westerners, or "people from the west" in the eyes of most Apaches.

California is such a faraway place that in many people's worldview it is naturally the "Far West". There is no specific concept of it, and some people don't even know its name.

"It's the westernmost part of the American continent." Ma Shao explained to the people, "Further west of California is the vast ocean."

"Why do we have to go so far to build a new city?" people couldn't help but ask.

"For the ocean," Ma Shao replied. "Those of you who have taken math and physics classes or advanced classes should all know the value of the ocean."

"The ocean means greater exchanges of civilizations. A nation without the ocean is doomed to have difficulty rising."

Heading to California, Ma Shao's primary goal was undoubtedly the gold mine.

The gold mine near Sacramento is the only important mineral deposit he knows the location of. And according to the original timeline, the gold mine will be discovered next year. He definitely cannot miss it.

More importantly, once the gold mines are discovered by white people, it will directly trigger a westward migration boom, with a large number of white gold prospectors moving from the East to the West, especially California.

The influx of a large number of white people into the West was undoubtedly extremely unfavorable to the development of the Apache.

Therefore, Ma Shao also hoped to use the interception of California gold mines to delay the climax of the westward movement and gain more space for the development of Apache.

In addition to gold mines, the ocean is also a target. And in the long run, the ocean is much more important than the gold mines.

Kansas is inland, and the deepest inland in the United States. No matter how much it develops, it will just be a big farm.

Only by relying on the ocean can Apache have a brighter future.

If Ma Shao wants to rely on the ocean, his best choice is California. He can't go to the eastern United States.