Black Hawk notes that the tribe was getting more alcohol from the forts. He wanted to prevent “drunkenness” but could not. As settlements came closer to their village, the Sauk were unhappy. The Sauk men would sell their furs to white traders for whiskey. In Spring, they returned to the village destitute. Black Hawk lost two of his children and moved away from the village with his family to mourn. He gave away all his belongings and fasted for two years.

Upon his return, Black Hawk saw white settlement was advancing. Conflicts followed between the white colonists and the Sauk, as the white colonists would mistreat the tribe claiming goods as their own. When the agent arrived in Rock Island, he informed Black Hawk the Sauk must move west of the Mississippi as it would be hard for them to coexist with the white settlers. The agent convinced Ke-o-kuck to leave with his followers, while Black Hawk refused to leave and became the leader of the group that opposed removal. He suggested to Ke-o-kuck that they exchange another part of land and preserve their small village. Ke-o-kuck agreed, while Black Hawk still had hope and went hunting.