IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

IttlllM III 2.5

" m 2.2

■" m 2.0
nil 1 ft

I.I

1.25

1.4

1—
1.6

y).

W %

^l.

Photographic

Sciences
Corporatioii

•^

"9>

i\>

4^1

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WIIBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4'.03

CIHM/ICMH

Microfiche

Series.

CIHM/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques

The Institute has attempted to obtain the best
original copy available for filming. Features of this
copy which may be bibliographically unique,
which may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checked below.

D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D

Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur

Covers damaged/
Couverture endommagee

Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaur^e et/ou pellicul^e

Cover title missing/

Le litre de couverture manque

Coloured maps/

Cartes geographiques en couleur

Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire)

Coloured plates and/or illustrations/
Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur

Bound with other material/
Relie avec d'autres documents

Tight binding may cause shadows oi distortion
along interior margin/

La reliure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge int^rieure

Blank leaves added during restoration may
app'iar within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes
lors dune restauration apparaissent dans le texte,
mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas ete filmees.

I I Co

Additional comments:/

mmentaires supplementaires;

L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire
qu'il lui a St6 possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-etre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage
sont indiques ci-dessous.

□

□
D
D

Coloured pages/
Pages de couleur

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagees

Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages restaurees et/ou pelliculees

Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
Pages decolorees, tachetees ou piquees

Pages detached/
Pages detachees

Showthrough/
Transparence

Quality of print varies/
Qualite inegale de I'impression

Includes supplementary material/
Comprend du materiel supplementaire

Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible

Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totalement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure,
etc., ont 6t6 filmees ci nouveau de facon ^
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

This item is film ad at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document est filme au taux de reduction indiqu^ ci-dessous.

10X 14X 18X 22X

26X

SOX

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

32X

The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks
to the generosity of:

Mills IVIemorial Library
McMaster University

L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grace d la
g^n^rosit^ de:

Mills Memorial Library
McMaster University

The images appearing here are the best quality
possible considering the condition and legibility
of the original copy and in keeping with the
filming contract specifications.

Les images suivantej; ont 6t6 reproduites avec le
plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et
de la nettet6 de l'exemplaire film6, et en
conformity avec les conditions du contrat de
filmage.

Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed
beginning with the front cover and ending on
the last page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All
other original copies are filmed beginning on the
first page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, and ending on tl e last page with a printed
or illustrated impression.

Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en
papier est imprim6e sont film6s en commenqant
par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
derni6re page qui comporte une emprainte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires
originaux sont film6s en commenpant par la
premiere page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par
la derni^re page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.

The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain the symbol — ♦■ (meaning "CON-
TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning "END "),
whichever applies.

Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la
derni^re image de cheque microfiche, selon le
cas: le symbole — •► signifie "A SUIVRE ", le
symbole V signifie "FIN".

Maps, ;3lates, charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely included in one exposure are filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right and top to bottom, as many frames as
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:

Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent etre
film6s d des taux de reduction diff6rents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour etre
reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir
de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche d droite,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre
d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants
illustrent la m^thode.

THE

AMERICAN INDIAN

(UH-XISH-IX-XA-BA).

The Whole Subject Complete in One Volume

Illustrated with Numerous Appropriate Engravings.

By ELIJAH M. HAINES.

CHICAGO;

THE MAS-SIX-XA'AIAX COMPANY,

1888.

^«?s

Ijitori'il aicdrilirji; I" Ail ol' Congress, ill tliu ye:ir ISSS,

V.v ICM.IAII M. IFAINra,

In llie (MI'ud lit' till' Liliiaviiiii of Coiigres-^, :il Wasliiiiglon, |i. C.

I
f

7i
■ii-

ALU RIGHTS RESERVED.

Type ('Dinposiliuii by

Bra 111! I- KY ItuiiT II K Its,

7fl-H2 Fitlh Avenne.

KlceH'otypiiif,' liy

I'liuAGi) Kr.KcTiioTvi'r, .t Sri;iiEOTYi'R('o.,

I',i6-HIH C'liiik Street.

rritititij; mill Itimliii); liy

Il.I.INills I'llINTINii .(.- ItlNtitNli Co.,

L'-.'C,-L';iii Lake .■^Ireel.

PREFACE.

The subject of the Americuu Iiulifin has evor been one of pecu-
liiir interest to the ethnologist and student of Instory. but at no time
since the discovery of America has it attrac^ted so much attention as is
being given to it at the present day. Volumes upon volumes liave
been written c(Micerning it in its varied relations, but still it is not
exhausted; and indeed the changing circumstances of the American
race present at this day a phase of this subject, calling for its renewed
presentation in more complete and comprehensive form.

Amidst the vast numlier of b.joks published concerning this
mysterious people since the discovery of America, there seems to be
none now in print presenting their history in a succinct classified
form, at the same time reaching out and taking in every phase of the
Indian subject, to the satisfaction of tlie general reader.

This book has therefore been prepared with reference to this long
felt want, and is such a work as the public mind and student of history
now seem to demand. As the title indicates, it comprises the whol.>
Indian subject in complete and comprehensive form. In oth(>r words,
it is a sort of cyclopaedia on the subject of the American Indian in all
its phases and'bearings as shown by the table of contents following;
grouping together in c.nidensed form, and within such limited space
as the subject will admit of, the varied information comprised in that
vast field of research in American history, not to be found in any
single work of this kind heretofore published, containing many special
features, whidi are highly interesting and valuable to tlie general

reader.

Amongst other special features added, is that of Indian local
names in the United States, with their definitions, sm-h as nam(>s of
states, rivers, cities, towns, mountains and the like, borrowed from the

(vU)

VUl

ritEFACE.

various Indain Iniiguages and dialects of the continent, the signifi-
cation of Aviiich lias at this day lieconie a matter of interesting
incjuiry. This is the first attempt ever made to give to tlie pul)lic the
signification of Indian geographical names througliout tlie I'nited
States. Tliis feature ah)ne renders it one of the most valuable works
ever published in connection with the Indian sul)ject.

The j)ractice of liorrowing geogra[)hical names, or those designa-
ting localities, from other countries, is becoming stale in the truly
American mind, and there is a growing inclination in the selection of
such names to resort more tt> our oavu American nomenclature. This
is giving increased interest to the subject of the Indian languages,
and a more general desire amcmg intelligent people to learn the defini-
tions of the multitude of Indian names, which are applied to localities
throughout our vast country.

Reference is made in this work to an order or secret society now
becoming numerous in the Uniteel States and called the Order of
Eed Men; and a cha[)ter is added, devoted to a brief history of this
society, being the oldest of all the American secret societies, and which
is rapidly increasing in numbers and popularity. Whilst it is a society
C)rganized upon the plan of nmtual benefits and protection to its mem-
bers, it is eventually to become the repository of Indian history and
traditions. The organization, ritual Jind procedure of this society are
marked by aboriginal terms, traditions and customs, leading to a
study of the true character and tribal relations of the Indians.
The rajiid inci'ease of this order is giving a renewed interest and
additional desire for further information concerning this people.
This work is peculiarly adapted to a study of the native Red man
from the standpoint of this truly American fraternal society.
Waukegan, III. THE AUTHOR.

Table of Contents.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTOBY.

"The Proper study of Maukiuil is Man" -First Reliable luformation— The Jesuit
Missionaries— LuHontau, Hennepin ami Others-Niagara Falls-The Long
River- Capt. John Smith-Pocahontas— Sir Walter Raleitrh—Characteristics of
the Indians— History at Fault -Testimonies ox Winslow, Trumbull and Others-
Later Developments -The Race Fast Fading Away -The Indian Mentally
The Indian and His Country-Occupation of Kame by the Whites— What the
Indian Might Have Been— His Natural Abilities— Progress— Prospects. '28

CHAPTER II.

OHIGIN.

Speculation of Ethnologists- Lost Tribes of Israel— Resemblance Between the
Indians and People of Asia— Language of Northeastern Asia Similar to American
Languages— Comparison of Words in Indian and Asiatic Languages -Wreck of
Japanese Junk on Northwest Coast- Conclusions Therefrom— Similar Customs
with the Ancient Jews— The Bow and Arrow— Like those Found in Asia - The
Indian has in all Ages Reproduced Himself— Ancient Rnius— Ancient Mounds—
Ancient Pottery- Same Made by Modern Tribes— Indian Languages Reveal
History— Testimony of Humbolt-Capt. Jonathan Carver— Spanish AuthoritH>s—
Tradition of the Mexicans Former Spanish Occupation -Opinions of Numerous
Authors— Uniform Characteristics among the Indian Tribes— Intelligence of the
Native Indian— A Descendant of the Most Ancient Population— His Primitive
Condition not Evidence to the Contrary. gg

CHAPTER III.

INDIAN TRADITIONS.

Oral Traditions— Preserving History by Hieroglyphics— Belts of Wampum— Mode of
Transmitting Historical Events— Had their Homers and their ^sops— Traditions
Vague and Shadowy— Serve, however, Some Puri)ose— Traditions of a Deluge—
Traditicms of tiie Origin of tiieir Race— The Maiidans— Traditions of a Flood—
Representati(m of the Ark Ceremonies Commemorating the Flood— Pottawat-
tamie Tradition— Creek Indians— Tradition of Their Origin— Tradition of the
Ojibways— Of Their Origin— Nanahbozhoo— Mysterious Power— Origin of Indian

I'-'j

Tin; AMKltlCAN INDIAN.

Siiiiiinor — Sliawtit'o Tniilitioii — Forciuii < )riyin -Mi)ii|pziini!i — ^Cortcz— New En-
f,'laii(l Iiuliiiiis Tnuliliuii -Sauk Iinliaii Tradition — 'rrailition of tlin Cliicka-
Baws Tradition of tlio ()Hai,'i'H Tradition of tii(« SenccaH (iri'at Hill People
InxiiioiH Nation -Hiawatha — Mysterious I'ower HIh MiraeiilouH Disappear-
imce — Tradition of tho ArrapaliooH— Tradition of the Bluckfeet — The Bouacks
Their Tradition. 76

LTlArTKK FV.

AFFINITY WITH Till: .IKWS.

Opinion of JiiineHAdnir-ThoIiidiiiiis Descended from the Peoploof lHrnel--Ho AfsfiiKiis
Twenty-three Artrnn.eiits lor this Opinion Similarity Between the LantruaKes
Comparison of Words and Sentences— Ojiiuion of llov. Judidiah Morse — Hinii-
hirity of Heligious CliiHtomH — Dr. Boudiiiol Favors this Theory -liev. Ethan
Sinitli Evidence in Favor of this Tlieory— The Indians Aekiiowledye but ()n..>
(treat Spirit like the Jews Father Charlevoix Presents Evidence in Hni)port of
tliis Theory — Indians Were Never Known to Worship Iniatft'S — Evidence of
William I'eiiu Features of the Face like tlu^ Hebrews- And so with Dress.
Trinkets and Ornaments — Their Fasts and Feasts, like the Jews They Beckon
by Moons and Count Time like the He))rews — Have their I'rophets— Abstain from
Unclean Things Salute the Dawn of Moriiint,' by Dcn'otional Ceroinony — In
their Ludjie Tales and Traditions Twelve Brothers are .Spoken of — Custom in
Mourniii},' for the ])(>ad, like the Jews — Have a Custom of Burnt Otl'eriiij;s — Had
a Custom like the Jews of Annointint,' the Head — The Indian Medicine Lodjje
Corres|ionded to the Jewish Syiiat,'ot,'ue Had a Secret Order Kesemblint,' that of
the .Tews Their Medicine I\bin Correspond(>d to the "Wise Men," Matthew
II, 1 The Bow and Arrow was Common to the Jews— The Indian Tent was like
that of the Jews— Lived in Tribes like the .Tews. 98

CHAPTER V.

LINOUISTlC (IKOUPS.

Classification of Groups and Tribes — Groups Were the Subject ol' Division into
Tribes — Had a Location — Classitieil According,' to Lan(,'uaj,'e — (irrou|)S ] )esif,'nated
by this Mode — Number of these Groups — Excludiutf the Esciuimaiix Slock —
Names of Groujis Alyon.inins, Iroquois, Appalachian, Dakota and Shoshonee —
Al^'ollcluius Most Numerous Groups Compi sed of Tribes of Same Lauguatre —
Location of Each Group — Definitions and Names of Groups. ll'i

CHAPTER VI.

INDIAN TIUIiES.

Names of Tribes, how Acquired - Si^'nificatifm of Names of Various Tribes —
Location of Tribes — Chauying Location Extinct Tribes -Migration — Indian
Tribes are Great Families— Confederacies for Purposes of Government — Uiii(m
for Purposes of Defense— Names of Various Tribes luhabitintr the Original
Country of the United States. Til

CHAPTER VII.

TOTKMS.

Signification of Word Totem— A Symbolic Designation— Origin of Totem— Distin-
guishes the Band— A Kind of Coat of Arms— P^xplauation— Universal among
the Indians- Unlawful to Marry in the Same Totem— Similar Custom in the
Old World. 172

-Now Hii-
le Chickii-
1 P«'.)|.lf
I)isa|>|ii'iir-

BoUllcliH

•Ho AssiKUs
anyuiiKCH
ur.se — Siiiii-
iev. Elliiiii
,'e but On.'
Hnpiiort of
jvidoupo of
,vith Dress.
Iiey Kci'koii
hstiiiii fioiii
roiuotiy — In
-Ciistoni iu
ring's — Hull
icine L()ili,'e
liu^' that of
," Mattliew
ent WU8 like
98

ivision into
1 1)esij,maleil
;mx Stock —
■ihosboni'c —
Limguage —
IIG

iR Tribes —
tiou — Indian
nout — Union
the Oii^'iual

tern — Distin-

ersal amoiii,'

istom iu the

172

T.VItlJ', ()!•' CONTKNTS.

CHAPTER Vril.

OOVKHNSIKNT.

Erronoons Opinion of tlip American Iiulian as to liis Govoriniu'iit Same kind of
(lovcriiincnt Prevailed anions All the Tribes Not aOovernnu'iit of Force -One
of Aci|iiiesc(>nce- (ieneral I'liiforniity— Union of Tribes Lea(,'ne of (lie Iro-
quois I'riiici|)les on wliicli a Cliief (ioverns Accordiiit: to Will of the Tribe —
Councils Orwanizinj,' and C'ondnotint,' Chiefs Hank SuocosBion -Equality
Criminal Code -Opinion of Dr. Franklin Caleb Atwater's Description of an
Indian Council -Authority of Chiefs. 177

CHAPTER IX.

INDIAN IjANOUAOES.

Each Group had a DifTerent liaiifjuaffc— Each Tribe Si)oke tlie Lanpnntjp of the
(rronp— Varyint,' in Dialect aiiionj,' Themselves Indian Ijant,'uaf,'es not n
Jarifon-Uicli in Verbs and (iranimatical Forms ]\Iarked for Method and Reyu-
lanty — Uniformity in Construction over tlio Continent Iiaiit,n]at:e of (lie
Aljjonquins The Prevailing,' LaiiffuaKe— Word Buildiuy- Grammatical Con
Btriictiou -Examples— Dakotus- Iroquois— Cherokee -Chinook. 184

CHAPTER X.

INDIAN SIGN LANOI'ACIE.

Sitfii Lnngnaf,'© nmonff all the American Tribes One System Universal— Most Trilies
Understood Each Other Practical Instance Cited — Manner of Alludin;,' to (he
Great Spirit- Practical Il]us(rati<ms— Use of Sifrn LanK'uaKe— Interpre(atioii of
Sentences— Definition of Various Si},'us— Signals— Fire— Smoke — Use of Pony-
Blanket— lUuatratiou. 213

CHAPTER XI.

INDIAN CIIAKACTEK.

Type of Character— Native Characteristics— Attachment to his Tribe— Integrity and
Fidelity— Peaceable, Sociable, Obliging and Hospitable ara(mg Themselves—
0|)inion of Columbus— Love their Neighbors as Themselves— Due Resjiect to
the Rights of Others Vices Ac(iuired from the White Man— Hcmorable Char-
acter of (he Inxjuois— Opini(m of the Novelist Cooper Opinions of Indian
Traders— The Crow Indians-Opinion of Mr. Catliu— Testimony of Captain
Carver— Treatment of Captives. ' '2'2'.i

CHAPTER XII.

PHYSICAL CHARAOTERISTirS.

Argument for Race Unity— Uniformity in Physical Characteristics— Influenced by
Climate and Surroundings— Cranial Structure— Genend Description— Com-
plexion— Stature Muscular Strength— Facial Outline -Eyes Teeth J5eard,
Disputed Point Mixed Blood Utt^s-Choctaws—Shawnees—Kawas— California
Indians— Shoshonees— Hair of the North American Indian. iilil

CHAPTER XIII.

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

General Uniformity in Primitive Condition— Best Sources of Tnformatifm— Testimony
of Mary Jemison, "White Woman of the Genesee"— Testimony of John Brick-
ell, a Captive Exemplary Character in their Home Intercourse— Precejjt and

Tin; AMI'.IIICAN INDIAN.

Example -HoiiPHty, Urnvory an<l Hospitality Hclntioii Hctwoon tlic S»'Xos —
Strict Conduct — Nt'ar JowiHli Hitcs m Trailitionul IJuIck— Mcdieint' Ijod^e—
TnliiTuacIo of tlio Jt^ws— (!ustoiii of rndiaii Womoii — I'oliti'iu'Hs in ConvtTHation
— IIoHpitality to StraiiifcrH — Uoteiitivt' Memory — Crimo of Murder— I )i'atii
Penalty No 'J'itied Persoiiat^es— l)reHsiiiK and I'aintini,' — FlahitH - No I'dlers
anion),' Wouumi — Traininj,' Roys an HuiiterH — Making PreKentH— SliaviuK the
Head— Scalp Lock— Cultivation of the Hair — Native lugemiity — Treutnieut of
Prinoners — Burnin),' at the Stai",\ 288

CHAPTER XIV.

DANCKS.

The luHtitution of Dances— Tha!iksf,'iviii>,' Ceremonial — Acceptable to the Oreat
Spirit— Taught to (Jonsider it a Divine Art — DeHi(,'ned hy the Great Spirit for their
Pleasure and Hi.s Worship —A Mode of Social Intercourst'—Arousinj,' Patriotic
Excitement- Strengthens Poimlar Enthusiasm— Inspires Indian Youth— Tlio
IroiiuoJH had Thirty-two Distinct l^ances— Different Kinds of Dances among
DitTereiit Nations and Tribes— Sun Dance of tlio Sioux— Declared by Indian
Agents I5arl)arous and Forbidden— Corai)arison with the White Man's Pugilielic
Exhibitions— Other Barbarous Practices of the White Man. 250

CHAPTER XV.

AMD9EMENTS AND (lAMES OF CHANCE.

Irr'-ins are Fond of Amusement— Deli^jht in (lames of Chance — Ball Playing —
. of La Crosso — Addicted to Practical Joking — Various Modes of Gambling'
• Various Devices for Aniusemeut Game of the Plum Stone— Card playing.

■Mi

CHAPTER XVI.

FOOD AND SUBSISTENCE.

Legend of Indian Corn- Facts Concerning Same- Uses of Corn— Meat and Other
Articles— No Regular Time for Meals Eat when they are Hungry — Mode of
Cooking Women do the Work of Cooking- Mode of Preserving Meat — The Zea
Maize— Mode, Use and Manner of Cooking— Wild Rice Vegetables and Fruits
— Fondness for Sugar — Sugar Making— A Grand Indian Carnival— Mode of
Proceeding in Making Sugar — Mokuks, or Birch Bark Boxes, 271

CHAPTER XVIL

MARIUAOE AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.

Marriage Institution — Simplicity of the Marriage Ceremony— Observations of Rev.
Isaac McCoy and Others— Pleasure Trips— The Mother had Custody of Children
- Rights Property— Marriage and Divorce -Wifi^'s Attention to the Husband
on Return from Hunting — Testimony of Mary Jemison— Her Experience as an
Indian Wife— Her Labor not Severe Continued Sameness in Domestic Duties—
Her Task not Harder than White Women who are Brought up to Work-
Polygamy Tolerated — Not much Practiced. 284

CHAPTER XVIII.

PARENTAL AND FILIAL AFFECTION.

Unfounded Prejudices against the Indian— Redeeming Characteristics in his Parental
and Filial Affection— Striking Incidents Related— A Daughter's Attachment to
her Aged Father— Pathetic Anecdote — A Father's Affection Manifested for his

TAIlI,i: OF ((tNTI'.NTS.

i;j

10 Sl'X('8 —

f Liid^'e--
(iiversation
lor— IViitli
No IiUorK
having tlie
eutiiu'iil of

Sou— Ri'iimrkahlo rustimco— A Fathor's Choorfiil Doatli tn Follow t ho H\>\rU of
hiHCiiililto tho Lmi.l of Souls -Kospoct for Olil A«o — Foud o/ tlioir Cliililron
—A .Mothoj'H AtUiiitioii. -'•'-

CHAPTEU XIX.

INDIAN IIAIIITATIONS.

Siniplii'ity of tlio Indian Hul)itatioii or WiKwam— Term Wi«wam, from wlionco
|»orivoil— Modo of CloiiHtnu'tinK' lIal)itatiouH anioUK DitTorent Nations— AmoiiK
tlio Aluoniiuin Tr'l>o"— Anions Trihos of tlio Hioiix Stock— Ainon^' tlio
MandiwiH— AmoiiK 11"' Indians of tlio I'lains in (louoral— Amoin; tlio T;#1)oh of
the Shoslionoo Stock— AmoiiK tlio Nootkans— Aiuouft the TrilK•^ of the Iroijuois
Stock— lusido Arrauk'oniout mid Construction. , 2!)7

the Oreut
rit for their
iij; Patriotic
k'outh-Tho
ices amoiijf
1 by Indian
's Putfilislic
250

11 Playing—
jf Gambling

pi ay inn.

:()1

CHAPTER XX.

THE INDIAN I'ANOK.

The Word Cnnoc— From whence Derived- Anions what People First Soon by
Europeans- How JIado—lJecame a Universal Word among the Whites— ludis-
pensal)le to the Indian— Used by War Parties — DitTorent Stylos of Canoes—
Among DifForont Tribes and Nations— Canoe of tli(> Maudans and Wostorn
Tribes— Canoes of the Caribbeos— Bark Canoes— CanoeH of Light iUatorial for
Convenience of Portage - Mo^lo of Constructing CanoeH— Various Sizes-
Selecting Trees for a Canoe— 'J'riio of Slrii)ping Bark for Canoe— Quotation
from Longfellow. ■^•*''">

CHAITER XXL

■^ P PONS AND UTKNoIIiS.

Weapons of tho Primitive Indian— The Bow and Arrow— War Club— Spear— Hatchet
—Flint Arrow Heads— Stone Hatc't ■ ts Utensils for Various Purijoses— Flint
Knives (training Tools -Aw' ; Fi-,h Speara— Nets— Implements for I'roducing
Firo— Utensils I'or Cooking — Clay Pots. HIH

and Other
Mode of
at— The Zea
and Fruits
Mode of
271

;ums of Itev.

of Children

he Husband

>rience as an

itic Duties—

to Work—

284

his Parental
ttachment to
sted for his

CHAI'TER XXII.

NAMES OF PERSONS.

Application of Names to Designate Persons— Imitation of .Tewish Custom — Names
have Signiticatiou— Male and Female Names — No Surnames— Dnplicrite Names
—From whence Names of Persons are Derived — Baby Names — Naming Children
— "There is Something in a Name "— ilu.stom of the Dakotas— Custom in
Changing Name — Nicknames — Objection to Speaking their Own Name — Hnsbautl
and Wife do not Mention Each Other's Names — Exami)les of Indian Names. I5Lllt

{;hapter XXIII.

INDIAN LOCAL NAMES.

Indian Names Applied to Localities — Popular Idea— Signification— Classifi'-ation of
Groups in Determining Names— Tracing Origin of Names — Algonquin Nam^s
Prevail — Phrases Reduced to One Word— Contraction of Words— Ign^raiice of
Origin and Moaning— Indian Names of States and Territories- Names Cu.ning
from the French and Other Languages — Same Word in DitTorent Languages
and Dialects, Differing in Meaning- Names Coining Through Illiterate Persons
— The Word Penobscot— Rendered by the French in Sixty Different Ways — The
Word Calumet— Not an Indian Word as Sup|)08ed— Words of French Orthog-
ra)ihy — Corruption of Indian Names — Examples of Corruption of Indian Words
—Inappropriate Signification of Words. IW'.t

THK A.MEKU'AN INDIAN.

CHAPTER XXIV.

DBESS.

Simplicity in Style— Supffostive of Convenience — General Uniformity among the
Tribes — Different Styles — J3ress Accordiuj,' to Weathei r.ml Season— Description
of tlio Imliau Dress— Material Skins of Animals— ^NloccasiiiH for the Feet —
Dress of tlie Indian Woman— Its (Convenience- According to Notions of Strict
Propriety — Indians of the Pacific Coast— Criticism of the White Man on Fantas-
tic Indiiin Dress- The White Woman's Fantawtic Dress Com])ared — The Indian
Paints his Face, so Does the White Woman — The Indian War Boiniet— Not a
Fantastic Disjilay, but a Superstitions Notitm— Buffalo Horns as a Badtre of
Bravery — The Indian Dress is Symbolic, rather than one of Fantastic Display-
Tbe Indian Dude — Indian Dress of the Mountains and the Plains. •i-^"

CHAPTER XXV.

KELIOION.

Man Naturally a Religious Being— A Characteristic Prominent among the Indians-
Religion Similar to the Jews — ]5elief in One (ireat Spirit — Belief in a Bad
Spirit — Subordniate (tood S|)irits Like the .lews they had Fasts and Feasts
Observed with Religious Devotion- Traditiims of the Flood— Houses of Worship
of Civilized People — Indian Medicine Lodge— Abiding Faith in a Future Exist-
ence—Land of the Blessed or Country of Souls— The Passage of the Soul to the
Everlasting . bode— Belief in Dilliculties on the Way — iJelief that the Soul
Tarries a Time Near the Body — Passage Over a Stream on the Way to the Lanil
of Souls — Like the River Styx of the Oreeks— Perils in Passing Over this Myth-
ical River— DescriptKm of the Land of the Blessed — Indian Religion a Subject
of Criticism— What tlie Indian Thinks of the Religion of the White Man— Tim
Indian Priebt- The Indian Highly Devotional— Smoking, a Devotional Act -
Believed in Souls of Animals- Belief of the Iroquois. ■'4"i

CHAPTER XXVI.

INDIAN SUPERSTITION.

Multitude of Spirits — Manifested in Mysterious Ways — Omens among the Stars and
Clouds — Flight of Birds — Superstition about the Robin— Thunder (lod of the
Ojib ways— Superstition of the Ojibwaya— (h-eek Indians had Sacred Plants-
Buffalo Blood — Magic Properties--Superstitions of the War Bonnet — Largi'
Animals Objects of Superstition — White Animals Objects of Worship — Large
Animals Believed to Possess Powerful Spirits — Spiritualism an Old Story amom;
the Dakotas — Tendency to Believt> Everything is Inhidiited by Spirits- -Legeuii
of a Mythical Bird Singing at Evenings — Sacred Character of Fire — Dreams
Believed in — Superstitious of the Indian and the White Man do not Essentially
Differ. -VC'

CHAPTER XXVII.

WITCHCRAFT.

Pagan Character of the Indian Marked by His Belief in Witchcraft — The Civilized
White Man and I'agan Indian Compared in this Regard— The Indian's Fear of
Pupernatural Agencies — Belief in Witclicraft was Universal— Ktfeet ui>im tlirir
Prosperity and Population Among the Irocpiois League — Wizards, a Secri't
Association — Meeting at Night— Tradition among the Onondiigas Indian Pov-
wows — Conjurers and Medicine Men Witches Wizards— Their Powers anJ
Characteristics— Wit(^hes in the Shape of Animals— The Puritan Idea of Witche.-

TALLE OF CONTKNTS.

Ity iimong the
Q—Descnptioii
Di- the Feet—
;)tionH()f Strict
klan 1)11 Fiiutas-
iil— The Iniliiin
Bonnet— Not »
s iis !i Badwe of
iistic Display -
:}H7

ifj the Indians—
ielief in a Bad
sts and Feasts
uses of Worsliip
I a Future I^xisl-
f tlieSoul to tilt'
■f that the Soul
Way to the Land
; Over this Mytli-
^Ijirjou a Subject
White Man— The
Devotional Act—
34r)

ons the Stars and

luder (tod of the

Sacred Wants—

• Bonnet— Lar^'c

Worship— Lar^'o

Old Story anioni;

Spirits- Letxeiui

of Fire— Dreaiiif

do not Essentially

aft— The Civili/ed
le Indian's Fear of
-HtTcct upon tlitir
Wizards, ii Secn't
iit;as Indian Po'^-
riieir Towers ais'l
1 Idea of Witelie.-

Itrnorance Chartjed upon the Indian for his Belief in Witches— Reference to the
Learned Sir Matiiew Hale — Who Tried and Convicted Two Old Women for .he
Crime of Being Witches. 362

CHAPTER XXYIII.

FASTS AND FEASTS.

The American Tribes had a Custom of Fasts and Feasts — Custom of Fasts Not
Fretpient— Custom of Feasis Quite Freiiuent— Feasts a Favorite Source of Ex-
citement— DitTereut Kinds of Feasts nuKmg Dift'erent Nations — Feasts of the
White Dotr Universal— (leueral Resemblance of Feasts amonij All — The Man
who Gave Many Feasts a Great Favorite with his Tribe — F<>asts amonj,' the
Ojil)ways— Medicine Feast— Feasts for Dreams— Feast of Givinsr Names— War
Feast— The Groat Feast— Wabeuo Feast— Feast for the Dead— Feast for His
Medicine- Boys' Feast — Rot;nlar Feasts of the Iroquois — Maple Feast — Planting
Festival— Strawberry Festival — Grei'u Corn Festival— Harvest Festival — New
Year's Festival — Fasts Strictly a Religious Custom. 'MM

CHAPTER XXIX.

DEATH AWD ITS IXCIDENTS.

Coincidences with Nations of the Old World— No Fear of Death — Ceremonies Much
Like the Jews — Relatives of the Deceased put (m Coarse (rarmeiits- Women as
•' Hired Mourners."— Offering Made During Time of Mourning— Ojibways -
Custom— Attended with Much Interest— Offering Food to the Deail— Cremation
among Some Tribes— Instance Related— Mourning Cradle of Child— Custo;n
Never to 3Iention Name of the Di^ceased— Bury Body East and West — Reasons
Therefor— No Enduring Monuments. 377

CHAPTER XXX.

MEDICINE MEN.

Term ^ledicine — Three Distinct Professions- The Doctor of jNIedicine- The
I\[agician The Prophet — Popular Idea-])ress Medicine Bag — Its Contents-
Its Ccmstruction Claims of Sui)ernatural Influence— .\iiimal Magnetism
Trials of Power — A Remarkable Instance- Proiihetic Gifts— Mental Telegraphy
-Holy Garments- Robes of Myht(>ry- Robes of State— .ludicial Ermine 01)s(>r-
vances in Regard to Medicine Men— In Regard to Smoking — Tetotalism and
Chastity of Women. 38G

CHAPTER XXXL

INDIAN rUOPUECIES.

The Indian Prophet— An Important Functionary— .\s with the Ancient Jews— Was th©
Oracle of "All Mystery"— Fi.l so Prophets— Chiefs had Their Prophets— Fore-
telling Events— Remarkable Instance Related— Capt. Carver Relates an Instance
Account from an Indian Captive— Singular Instanc(> of Foretelling the ]''uture- ■
Fulfilled in the Escape of Three Captives- Father Charlevoix's Experience —
Peter Jones Gives Instance of Indian Prophecy. 896

CHAPTER XXXII.

ANATOMY AND MI'.DICAI, KNOWLEIKIE.

Knowledge, how Acquired— Comparison ot the Indian and the White Man— Knowl-
edge of the Functional Organs of the Boily — Which Their Language Indicates

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

—Their Knowledge Comparative— Patlioloj^y — Want of Knowledge through
Scientific Experiments— Limited Knowledge of Circulation of the Blood — Knowl-
edge Derived from the Wliites— Incantations — By Sacrificial Rites — Pretentious
of [udiau Knowledge Compared with the Pretentions of tlie Medical White Man
— Originally, Indians liad but Few Diseases- Causes of Diseases— Simplicity of
Diet— Administer Sinii)le Remedies — Sacrifices t(i Propitiate Si)irits — A Practice
Like the Jews — Fracture or Breaking of a Bone -Understand Nature of Poison'
ous Plants— Knew Nothing of Paralysis -Ideas of Blood Letting. 408

CHAPTER XXXIII.

DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE SICK.

Originally but Two Fatal Diseases among Them -Consumption Destroyed Many in
Later Times— "The Indian Student's Lament"— Diseases among the Ojibways--
What La Houtau Says of Diseases among the Indians -Small-pox Very Fatal -
Indi:m Ideas of Sickness —Fear Pain and Long Duration of Illness More than
Death — Physician or Doctor of Medicine — Various Remedies —Sweat Lodge
Miinner of Constructing -Vai)or Baths not a Matter of Luxury— Cbickasaws -
Doctor Attending the Sick. ■llJi

CHAPTER XXXIV.

ASTRONOillCAL AND aEOGRAPHICAIj KNOWLEDGE.

Knowledge from Observation -North Star — Star that Never Moves -Guides Them
by Night —Solar Walk or Milky Way Indian Opinion Coincidence with A.n-
cient Belief of the White Man -Have Names for Particular Stars -Seven Stars -
The Great Bear -Pleiades -Do not Pretend to More Knowledge than They
Possess —Stars for VVhich They Have Names -Comets Superstitions Belief -
Eclipses —Indian Theory -Earthquakes Moving of a Great Tortoise -Knowl-
edge of Geography —Draw Mai)S Correctly -Course of Streams. 419

CHAPTER XXXV.

MODE OF COMPUTING TIME.

Intuitive Mode of Reckoning Time — Cardinal Divisions — Days and Months — Reckon
Days by Suns— Months by Mtxms— Four Fixed Pouits in tlie Day— Rismg and
Setting of the Sun— Noon and Night— Some Idea of a Solar Year — Spring -
Summer — Autunm — Winter — Year Begins With Spring — Putting Out of the
Leaves- I'lanting Season— Reckon Ages by Winters Commemorate Events-
No Division of Days into Hours -Recall Time of Year by Past Events — How
Mothers Keej) Ages of Children— Took no Note of Time— Names for DitTereiit
Moons — Names of the Four Seasons — Lost Moon — Examples of Names of Moons
among Different Tribes. 4'2'i

CHAPTER XXXVL

NHMERATjS AND USE OF NUMRERS.

Perfect System of Cotinting— Uniform Decimal System— Why Decimal System was
Adopted — Use of Sticks and Other Objects in Counting — Explanation of Mode
of Counting— Mode among DitTerent Tribes— List of Indian Numerals among
Various Tribes. 4:5.'!

CHAPTER XXXVII.

HUNTING AND FISHING.

North American Indians Excel in Hunting— Superstition — Use of ChnrmB— 3ili-

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Ige through
3od — Kuowl-
-Freteutious
1 Whito :Miiu
iimplicity of
—A Practice
re of Poison-
408

jyed Many in
e Ojibways- -
Very Fatal
jss More than
veat Loilge -
Chickasaws -

-Gnides Them
lence with A.U-
Sevcn Stars -
lj;e than They
itious Belief -
toise Kuowl-
419

gence— Snow Shoe Region— Thanks to the Great Spirit— The Buffalo— The
Beaver— Habits of the Beaver — Beaver Dams — Beaver Houses— Mode of Taking
Beavers— Hunting the ^3ear— Singular Custom— Longfellow's Description The
Dog— His Faithfulness— The Horse— Origin among the Indians Comanches
Excel in Horsemanship — Mode of Capturing the Wild Horse— General Himt —
Hunting Deer — Traps — Prairie Fires— Seasims for Hunting— Assistance of the
Women -Iroquois — Dakotas— Fishing— Mode of Taking Fish— Irocjuois are
Expert Fishermen. 452

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE INDIAN AND THE BUFFALO.

Range of the Buffalo -The Word Buffalo— Whence Derived— Formidable Object of
Hunter Prowess— Description of the Butt'alo— Mode of Taking the Buifalo
Described— rinterestiug Description by Mr. Catlin — Inforniatiiin on this Point
From (tov. Sibley — An Interesting Account— Indian Buffalo Chase — Mr. Catliu's
Thrilling Descripticm — His Eloquent Reflecticm on the Disappearance of the
Indian and the Buffalo— The National Park— First Suggested. 407

CHAPTER XXXIX.

PICTURE WHITING.

Original Mode of Suggesting Thought— Picture Writing among the American
Tribes — In Practice as auKmg Ancient People of the Old World — Material Used
for Picture Writing— Characters Engraved on Rocks and Stones — The Piasa —
Man Devouring Bird — Description by Marquette— Descriijtiou by Prof. John
Russell — Picture Writing on Robes Pipe Stone Quarry — Instance Noted by
Jonathan Carver— Illustration from La Hontan — System of Picture Writing —
The Primitive Mind — Anecdote of President Lincoln's Father — Description
Quoted From Longfellow — Dightou Rock — Rocks at Kelley's Island — Caricatures
— Indian Idea— Anecdote of the Shawnee Indian and White Man. 477

mtha— Reckon
■Rismg and
ear- Spring -
a Out of the
)rate Events-
Events— How
for Different
ames of Moons
42:i

CHAPTER XL.

THE PIPE OF PEACE.

Generally Called Calumet— Not an Indian Word— Not Strictly an Apprapriate Term
— A Norman French Word—Its Signification — Description of th(! Pipe of Peace —
Its Sacred Character — Other Classes of Pipes— Mode of Use -Notices by the
Early French— Secured Them a Friendly Reception — Custom of Smoking—
Mysterious Seal of Religion— Custom the Same among all the Tribes— Cere-
monies of Smoking— Mode of Making Peace— A Symlwl in Ratification of
Treaties— Tobacco a Gift of the Great Spirit— From Stone of the Pipe Stone
Quarry — Legend of this Mysterious (Quarry — Description from Longfellow. 48C

ml System was
lation of Mode
umerals among

4:?:!

CbnrmB- 3ili-

CHAPTER XLL

WAMPUM.

Meaning of Word Wampum — Massachusetts Dialect— As Described by Palfrey —
Kinds of Wampum— Description of Making — Not Originally Used in Commorcin'
Transactions- Who". First Used as Such -Value— Worn as an Ornatnent — Asa
Sym\)()l in Preserving Memory of Events — As a Ratification of Treaties — Pledge
of FrieuOship — Not Common among Some Tribes. 4M3

THE AMElilC.VN INDIAN.

CHAPTER XLII.

INDIAN ELOQUENCE.

Indian Eloquence a Native Talent —Not Acquired by Book Education— Retort of Red
Jacket — "I was Born an Orator"— Power of Indian EUxiuonce— Indian Elo-
quence Superior to the White Man -Simile.s and Metaphors Drawn from Nature
— Speech of the Indian Chief Logan- Elements of Indian Ehxiueuce-Iiulian
Ideas Gathered from Surroundinf,'s- The Tempests— The Woods— The Water-
falls -The Sky FujuRtice to the Indian Lan^juages -Adapted to Elo(iui'nt.
Expre-i.si(ms--Enthusiastic Description by Caleb Atwator-His Experience —
Indian Eloquence in Council -No Violent Gesticulations — No Overwrought
Enthusiasm -The Voice is Loud, Clear, Distinct and Commanding Exalted
Opinion from a Public .Tournalist- Some of the Great Indian Orators Enum-
erated Speech of Capt. Pipe, a Delaware Chief, at Detroit, in ISOl— Speet^h of
Graiigula, the Iroquois Chief — As Reported by La Hontan— Examples of Indian
Elo(iuenco. 4:98

CHAPTER XLIII.

INDIAN METAniORS.

Indians are Fond of Metaphors— Were Like Ornaments to their Person — Powerful
Similes ])rawu from Nature— Added a Charm to their Speeches— Appropriated
by English Writers -Metaphorical Expressiims in Common Uoo Borrowed from
the Indians "Rivers Run With Blood" -"To Bury the Hatchet" "You Keep
Me in the Dark"— "Singing Birds"— "I Will Place Ytm Under ]\[y Wings "—
"Suffer no Grass to Grow on the War Path" — Are of Indian Origin — Examples
of Indian Metaphorical Expressions. 518

CHAPTER XLIV.

INDIAN MUSIC AND POETBY.

Origin of Music — Vocal and Instrumental— Indians are Naturally Musicians — Sing
on Devotional Occasions— Like the White Man — Songs of Praise to Diety Like
the Jews — Songs Consisted of Few Words — Short Phrases — Many Times
Repeated — Language of Excitement- -Expression of Compassiim — Absence of
Measure or Rhyme- -Voices Often Fine- -Words Preserved by Picture Writing —
Indian Music Noted for its Simplicity — Scale of Music Limited — The Chorus in
High Strain of Voice — Have Various Instruments of Music — Some Instruments
Like those of the White Man —The Drum— Gourd Shell — Rattling 'Sounds —
Description of Indian Implements of Music- -Longfellow's Hiawatha an Imita-
tion of Indian Poetry— White Man's Old FashioTied Songs— Robert Kidd —
Coincidence with Indian Songs--Saniples of Indian Music — Dog Dance of the
Dakotas and others. 526

CH.\PTER XLV.

SECUET SOCIETIES.

Two Institutions among the N<irth American Indians— From the Atlantic to the
Pacitic— From the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean — Medawin — Jeesukawin —
Art of Medical Magic— Mystery -Prophecy — Ancient Origin — The Term Meda —
Necromantic luHuences Exerted in Secret— Medawininne, a Magician— Meda-
win, the Art of Magic -Formed into Societies or Associations -Admitting Candi-
dates—Who May be Admitted— Ceremony of Admission -Art of Prophecy-
Ceremonies of the Wabeno— Medawin, Deftuition. 535

^■1

;ort of Bed
Klian Elo-
jui Niitnn-
ce--IiHliiiu
rbo Water-
, EloiiUfut,
sperii'uce —
vorwrous^ht
ig Exalted
tors Ennm-
— Speech of
e of Indian
4'.»8

n — Powerful
Appropriated
(rrowed from
"You Keep
ly WiuKs" —
11— Examples
518

siciatis— Sing
o Diety Like
Many Times
— Absence of
ire Writing-
be Chorus in
Instruments
niR 'Bounds —
ha an Imita-
obert Kidd—
Dance of the
525

tlantio to the

-.Teesukawiu—

Term Meda—

^ician— Meda-

initting Caudi-

f Trophecy—

535

TABLE OF CONTENTS. lU

CHAPTER XLVI.

INDIAN TREATIES.

Popular Idea of nn Indian Treaty — Tlie Notion of the Spanish Invaders— The
English Idea — The Puritans— Treaty with Massasoit— William Peun— Treaties
of United States— At Fort Pitt— Oreenville— Chicago— Prairie du Chien-
Broken Covenants— Proverbial Deception— Black Hawk War. 54.T

CHAPTER XLVII.

STATfS OF TUE INDIAN.

The Position the Indian Occupies- The Object of the Spaniards Right of Dis-
covery-Early Colonists— Idea of Eliot Recognition by Unitod States Oovorn-
rnent— Chief Justice Taney's View — "State of Puiiilago"— Winnebago Indians—
Ponca Indians — The Negro Race as Compared with the Indian— The Conclusion.

CHAPTER XLYIII.

INDIAN nil ^HAI'HY.

How Indians Attained Prominence among their People— Civil and Military Affairs
ill Separate Departments — Illustrious Men — Road to Fame Oix-ii to All — Tlie
Word Sachem— Prominent Indians Since the Settlement of the Continent — Brief
Biography of Noted Chiefs. 570

CHAPTER XLIX.

ELIOT's INDIAN BIBLE.

Remarkable Literary Production- Consisted of the Old and Now Testament — Trans-
lated ii-lo the New England Dialects — Indians under Ueligious Instructions at
Martha's Vineyard " Praying Indians " -Numlier — Curious Circumstances Lead-
ing to Conversion of Indians -Questions Asked by Indians Concerning Eliot's
Religious Teachings— Difficulties Ho Encountered in Trauslatiug — Death of
Eliot. 598

CHAPTER L.

INDIAN CIVILIZAI^ON.

Reduced Possessions — Insignificant Proporti(ms — Tlie Indian Question — Preliminary
Agencies to Civilization --Extinction, or Civilization What is Civilization A
Matter of Opinion Various Forms of Civilization The European Form Which
the Indian is Expected to Adopt -Work of the Puritans Rev. John Eliot m
New England -Missionary Work Civilizing Influence of Whiskey— Discordant
Examples of Puritans Distrust of the White Man's R(>ligion -Extermination of
the New England Tribes Example of the Brothertowns The Iroipiois Six
Nations— Their Progress in Our Civilization -Influence of William Penii--Good
Work of Quakers Agricultural Instruction -The Five Civilized I'nbes of the
Indian Territory To Become Civilized the Indian Must Become a White ^laii -
The Indian Disappearing by Am, igamiition Reports of Indian Agents to that
Effect— The Indian Problem -The White Man Prob'eiu. (5(14

CHAPTER LL

INDIAN rorCLATION.

Population Overrated-Exaggorntions of the Early Explorers Report of the Com-
missioner of Indian Affairs— Number ot Indians in the United States at the Pres-

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

ent Time — Effect of Contusions Diseases— Destruction of Game — Semi-State
of Starvation -Grndual Decrease —Cause of Decrease Becoming Removed How
Indian Population Became Overestimated -Exayfjeration of Poi>ulation in New
England— The Iroquois Nation— Exaggeration of Numbers— The West Indies -
Numbers Overestimated — And so in Virginia— How a Small Number of Indiana
Appear Large— Indians of Kentucky -No Permanent Indians there. Oil

CHAPTER LIT.

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

Anecdotes Illustrating Indian Character — Lost Confidence — The Good Man, and the
Bad Man— Honor among Indians - Illustration —The Indian's View of the
Trinity -More Room— Indian Mendacity— Indian Gratitude and Wit — Head
Work— Indian Fidelity Indian Chief Pontiac —Selling Lands to the Whites-
Example of Nature Giving the Missionary a Cold Shoulder— Indian Opinion of
the White Man — A Singnlar Instance of a Thing Found— Indian Incredulity —
Sample of Indian Justice -An Indian's Reply to a Challenge. (SIH

CHAPTER LIIL

WAItS AND MASSACRES.

Prejudice of White Man — Want of Correct Information— History Misunderstood
and Exaggerated— Methods of Declaring War— On the Warpath —Their En-
campments — Engagements — Prisoners — Running the Gauntlet — Adoption of
Prisoners— Spanish Invaders Committed First Murder — Outrages by DeSoto
and D'Allyou— Indians Retaliate — Attack and Bloodshed in New England by
the Whites- Fear and Suspicion Aroused among the Indians — Indian Attach-
ment to Their Lands— Their Efforts to Retain Them —Indians Aroused by the
British Against the Colonists— Indian Massacres Stimulated and Led on by the
Whites— One Faction against the Other — The So-Called Wyoming Massacre —
True History of the Same— Burning of Joan of Arc — Other Instances of Man's
Inhumanity to Man — History Misunderstood. 630

CHAPTER LIV.

THE OKDEU OF RED MEN.

Society Formed at Philadelphia — Before the American Revolution — Admirers of
Indian Character— Adopting the Examples of Tammanend, a Delaware Chief —
Sometimes Called Tammany— Character of this Chief as Described by Hecke-
welder— Account of Preparation for Meeting — May 4, 1772, Old Styb — Account
of Meeting, Mo. day, May 11, 1772— Toasts Drank at this Meetiiig — Patriotic
Spirit of the Society— Yearly Festivals— First of May, Old Style, now May 12th—
Members Marched in Procession Through the Streets — Hats Adorned with
Buck's Tails— This Association the Origin of the Later Order of Red Men —
Otlier Societies Formed— In New York under the Name of Tammany — Place of
Meeting called Wigwam— Oject of Order of Red Men — Social, Fraternal and
Benevolent — Founded on Customs, Traditions and History of the Aborigines-
Three Phases of this Organization— First, Prior to Revolution— Second, from the
Time of Peace to War of 1812 -Third, from 1813 at Fort Mifflin to the Present
Time— Name Improved Order of Red Men Adopted March 4, 1835— Charter of
Great Council Granted by Maryland — Great Council of the United States
Organized March, 1847. 657

-Semi-State
[loveJ How
tion iu New
est Indies —
>r of Indiana
fill

Man, and the
"View of tlie
1 Wit -Head
the Whites^
^u Opinion ot
Incredulity -
618

TABLE OF CONTKNTS. 21

CHAPTER LV.

VOCAnULAKIES.

Indian Dialects— Ojibway— Dakota - Comanche — Miami— Menominee— Shawnee-
Oneida— Onondaga- Blackfeet — Tnscarora — Mohawk — Cayuga — MuHCogee —
Zuni— Delaware— Mandan— Arapahoe— Sheyenue Osage— Nootkian—Comi)ari-
K(m of Dialects— Comparison of Pronouns— Woyds and Phrases— Catalogue of
Trees and Phmts- Catalogue of Animals. (XiS

CHAPTER LVI.

INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

Definition of Indian Local Names— Names of States— Counties— Cities— Towns-
Rivers— Streams— Lakes — Mountsins — Ranges. 7i)4

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

yiisunderstood
th -Their En-
-Adoption of
es by DeSoto
w England by
Indian Attach-
\.rou8ed by the
Led on by the
ug Massacre —
inces of Man's
636

1 — Admirers of
ilaware Chief—
ibed by Hecke-
Styk— Account
3ti'jg— Patriotic
low May 12th—

Adorned with

ot Red Men-
many— Place ot
., Fraternal and
Aborigines-
Second, from the

to the Present
a35— Charter ot

United States
657

Pane.

Indian Head - -- 23

Falls of Niagara 32

Map of Long River 33

Captain John Smith -- 37

Pocahontas --- 41

I'erils of the Missionary 50

Christopher Columbus... 58

Ruins of Chichen 66

Ruins of Uxmal 66

Falls of Minnehaha 76

Jewish Priest iu his Robes 98

Tents of Ancient Israelites 115

Group of Indians... 116

Fort Winnebago in lasi 121

Scene in Country of the Arap^Loes. 135
Yellowstone Park, Country of the

Crows 142

Scene iu Pennsylvania, Home of the

Delawares 144

Scene in Western Montana, Home of

theFlatheads 146

Scene on the St. Lawrence, Border-
ing on Country of Hurons 148

Northern Wisconsin, Country of the

Mt nominees 152

Northern Minnesota, Country of the

Ojibways.. 155

Scene iu Northern Michigan, Country

of theOttawaa 157

Scene on Fox Lake, Illinois, Country

of the Pottawattamies 159

Maiden's Rock, Upper Mississippi,

Country of the Sioux 1C3

I'a-e.
Scene in Alaska, Home of the Sitka

Tribes 105

Country of the Shoshonees, Moun-
tain Trail 1(38

Among the Rockies, Country of the

Utes 170

Mount Joliet, Country of the Illi-

niwug 171

The Beaver 172

Totems. 173

Eagle's Nest 177

Collection of Flowers 184

Signal of Peace 213

"Who Are You?" 215

Smoke Signal 218

Blanket Signal 220

Sign Illustrations 221

Sign Illustrations _. 222

Indian Character 223

Indian with Bow and Arrow. - 231

A Lesson in Archery 238

Gardeau, Home of the Captive White

Woman 240

First Lesson in Hunting... 246

Instrument for Making Fire 248

Pleasures and Cares ot the White

Man 249

Buffalo Dance 250

War Whoop.. 253

Scalp Dance _ 260

Indian Women Playing at Plum

Stone 261

Indian Game of Ball 264

y-'

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PiiKf.

Amusements 270

ProN'ctiiif,' Comliehls 271

ludiiiu Wonu'ii Giithering Wild Rico 281

Imliau Criidlos '?.Hi

Modern Miirriayo Ceremony 2!)1

Piiicntid Affection 2i»2

( )jil)\vay VilliiKO 2!)''

Ciirib House _,. 2!>8

Esiiuimanx Snow House 2i)9

Iroiiuois Bark Hdusb 800

Movable Wittwams 1501

Coiuauebe Wigwam 802

Successor to Indian Habitaticm 304

Canoe Porta>,'e ;}().5

InKpiois Bark Cano<'_ _ 808

Indian Head and Im|)le»u>uts 818

Weapons and Utensils _.. 817

"Clear Sky" 820

Oluopehelle. _ 820

Ideal Indian Maiden 887

Bh'ckfoot Chief 81:0

Trinee of Wales 840

Seneca Maiden 842

Younw Seneca Warrior 843

Dawn of Perpetual Peace -.. 345

"Flight of Birds" 855

The (treat Head - 8(i2

White Man's Witch 3Go

White Man's Witch-Finder 36()

Harvest Festival 8(17

Mandan Cemetery 877

Printed Grave Post 883

Knistenanx Medicine Man.. 888

Indian Head 886

Warnings of the Great Spirit 305

Indian Doctor 408

Indian Medicine Man 413

"Wisdom Dwells with Contempla-

ti(m" 41!)

V Eisiu),' Sun 428

'Bundle of Sticks 433

Deer .- 452

Iroijuois Hunters 455

" Looking Down from a High Place" 458

Catching Wild Horses.. 4G0

Hunting in Disguise. 4()2

The Indian's Successor 4()4

Deer . 4(i6

BtilTalo ---- 4()7

Hunting Buffalo in Deep Snow 474

Indian Picture Writing 477

Supposed Form of Piasa Bird 478

Pagr.

Indian Hieroglyphics 482

Pipe of Peace 48f)

Piecre of Wampum 493

Use of Wami)um Belt.. 490

Strings of Wampiun 497

Speaking to the Council 49H

Singing Birds 518

Black Chmds.. 519

"Under My Wing" 521

Iro(|Uois Drum 525

She-sbe-quoy 527

The Silent Forest 535

Initiation of Medawin o3S

Medicine Ceremonies 540

William Peim's Treaty 548

"Cast Off" "... 5G2

Pontiiic. 570

Black Ha-vk 574

Corn Planter 577

Ellskwatawa 578

Little Turtle 581

Metea 583

Osceola 585

Red Jacket 590

Shabonee - 591

Joseph Brant 595

Eliot Preaching to Indians..- 598

Renmant of Fort Dearliorn 604

"Inevitable Destiny" 611

"Come to Stay" 617

Indian Wigwam 618

Pawnee Warrior C3(!

On the War Path. 641

Cruelties of the Spaniards... 640

Burnnig of Joan of Arc 658

Fort Dearborn in 1838 _ 65(;

In Council 657

Indian Lore GfiS

GIol)e 704

Lake Chantaucpui 71()

Chicago in 1820 719

Lake Gogebic ..- 730

First State House at Kaskaskia 73(i

Scene near Merrimac, Wis 749

Scene on Lake Minnetonka 752

Waukegau 79(1

Waukesha 79S

Scene on Lake Winnebago 801

View in Yosemite Valley 805

Scene on Devil's Lake 811

Scene on Lake Geneva 813

Page.

4H2

48ti

49H

4i)<>

497
. 4l)H
. 51H
. 5Ut
. 521
. 52.")
. 527
. 5:5.".
. o3H
.. 54(t
.. 548
.. 502
.. 570
.. 574
... 577
. 578
._ 581

._ 58;^

.. 585
.. 590
... 591
... 595
... 598
... 604
... 611
... 617
... 618
... 63r.
... 641
... 64(1
.... 65;»
.... 65(1
.... 657

668

.... 704
.... 71(1
.--. 719
..-- 7:5i)

.... 749

752

7911

79S

801

... 80."i
811

.... 8iy

CHAPTEll I.
INTRODUCTORY.

"The Proper Study ot Manldud is Mau" First Reliable luformaliou The Jesuit
Missiouarii's LaHdiitiiii, Heuiu pin ami Others -Niagara Falls -1 he Lon^;
River -Capt. Joliii Hiiiith PcK-aliontas—Sir Walter Raleigh— Characteristics of
the TuJians -History at Fault Testimonies of Wiusiow, Trumbull aud Others-
Later Developments The Race Fast Fading Away -The Indian Mentally -
The Indian and His Couutry Occupation ot Same by the Whites— What the
Indian Might Have Been -His Natural Abilities— Progress— Prospects.

WfF, as has been said, "the proper study of
|i mankind is man," then there has been
4 1 much neglect on the part of ethnologists
■^^ and students of history, concerning the
aborigines of America, to win )se possessions we
have succeeded. Nearly fcnir centuries have
passed since the white man's first intrusion
upon the native inhabitants of the country,
now comprised within the United States,
whose i;ndis[)uted possessions of that day,
covering a vast continent, have at length been reiluced by the unceasing
march of civilization to the most insignificant pro[)ortions, accom-
plished in the raain through the deceptive means of civilized diplomacy,
aided by aggressive warfare ; and the average citizen can now scarcely
realize that witliin the memory of the living, tlie native red man held
sway over nearly all that vast region of country, extending from the
Pacific Ocean on the west to the Alleghany mountains on the east.

A hundred years ago the study of Indian character and history
was one attracting the attention of historians and philantliro[)ists to a
considerable extent; but after the decline of Indian supremacy in this
country, from the time of the decisive victory of Gen. Wayne over tlie
allied tribes of the Northwest, less attention for a season was given to
this subject. But in later times, since the complication of what is

(2;i)

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

termed the Iiulinn question, iimler pressure C)f the nvnricious white
man, in his desi^nis u[)()u tlio last remnant of the Indian domain,
fostered l)y the exterminating^ policy of our national <^overnment, there
has arisen a new interest in the wards of the nation, so called, and as
if to make amends for the past, philanthropists and historians are
beginniniif a^ain to give attention to the history and character of this
injured and lon<^ sutferinj,' people; and quite a general desire is mani-
fest on the part of reading and thinking people, to learn something
more concerning the native red man, than has heretofore been brought
to light.

When America was discovered by Columbus, it was believed by
him and his contemporaries to be a part of that region vaguely termed
India, beyond the Ganges, and the newly discovered lands were styled
Indies, afterwards West Indies, whereby the native inhabitants of this
country became known as Indians, a term by which they have continued
to be known to the present day.

In approaching this subject, we must bear in mind that the
American Indian of to-day, wherever he may be found, or under what-
ever circumstances, is not the Indian as found in his primitive condi-
tion at the time of the discovery of this country : and in tracing his
character, his manners and customs, it requires no small degree of
discrimination to distinguish the character of the Indian, as it has
become changed under the influence of the white man's civilization,
from what it was in his more primitive condition.

The manners and customs of a people denote their character.
Long continued contact of the whites with the Indian has necessarily
had its effect upon his character and in many respects affected his
manners and customs ; so that in the study of the Indian in this regard,
if we would view him correctly, we must rely for sources of information
upon the earliest impartial and most experienced writers; and then,
too, in studying this question properly, we must have in view climate
in connection with the topography of the country; we must separate
the tribes of the forest, the plains, and the mountains. AVe must con-
sider that the nomadic tribes of the great western plains, and the arid
regions of the Southwest, became vastly different from force of circum-
stances, ill their character, and varied much in their manners and cus-
toms from the Indians of the forest or country where streams and
inland bodies of Avater abound, and so too of the Indians in the
country bordering upon the Atlantic Ocean. And in estimating Indian
character in later times, we mxist have in view their contact with the
whites under the varied circumstances naturally following the first
meeting of the races.

^
^

fii

ciil

tJi
til

mi
til
M
frc

INTBODUCTuHY.

US white
domain,
ut, there
I, and as
inns are
r o£ thiB
is niani-
^mothing
1 brought

lieved by
ily termed
ere styled
its of this
continued

I that the
luler what-
tive condi-
racing his
degree of
as it has
dvilization,

character,
necessarily
iffected his
this regard,
information
and then,
iew climate
ist separate
e must con-
and the arid
e of circura-
ers and cus-
streams and
ilians in the
ating Indian
tiict with the
ins the first

The Spanisli invasion of tlie country was founded upon a tliirst of
avarice, and soardi for precious metals or mines of gold and silver.
De Soto, with his military force, in his wanderings through 1' lorida and
the Mississippi valley, scimus to have had in view no other ohj(H't tiuin
this, whidi the Spaniards had an idea Avas to l)e found in abundaiu'e
all over the newly discovered country; and his iiihuman treatment
of the natives throughout his wanderings was in consequence of the
belief tiiat they were withholding from him information concerning
the gold and silver mines believed to exist in their ccmntry.

Our earliest and most reliable information concerning the Indians
of North America, however, is derived from the Frencli, and this largely
throui;!! their Jesuit missionaries. It was natural that this should bo
so, from the fact that these devoted people were necessarily re<[uired,
in ])rosecuting their work, to become well infm-ined on this subject.
To accomplish tiiis, they were especially recjuired to study Indian
character, to search out the various tribes, tcj learn their dialects, ami
to study their manners and customs anil general mode of life.

As the Spaniards came solely as adventurers, with no fixed design
of remaining in the country, they gave little or no attention to these
various su])jects, and hence have left to us scarcely anything of import-
ance in this regard. Bat little more can be saiil of the English wjio
first landed upcm the Virginia coast. In their first settlement at
Jamestown they had but little else in view than that which pertained
to themselves and their own welfare, their attention becomin<r at once
engaged in the direction of defending themselves against the luitives,
wiiose ill-will they early incurred by their imprudent conduct towards
them. The like may be said of the Puritans and other pioneer immi-
grants in New England, and whatever is left to us by those early
immigrants of that locality concerning the primitive Indians comes to
us in the mt)st part as incident to their own general history in the
first settlement of that portion of the country. But in w4iat is recorded,
however, concerning the missionary labors of the Rev. John Eliot,
in the early settlement of New England, we find that which affords
some idea of native Indian character, and their primitive manners and
customs. Much valuable information in this respect is also given us
through Roger Williams, from his experience as a missionary, among
the more southern New England tribes.

The Indians were, at the start, treated by the English colonists
more as a people having no rights which they were binintl to respect,
than otherwise. According to the evidence of the noted Cotton
Mather, the Puritans considered the natives as Pagans and outlaws
from human society, hence they could not be expected to become very

Tin; AMEUU'A.N INDIAN.

zeulously t'ii>,'(i;,'i'(l in tlin pursuit of knowliHlge concoiniiif; thcni, and
it is not surprising tlmt tliay liiivo proservecl to us so littlo of viiluo
roliiting to this bonightod people, us they considered them.

lint the course of tiie French niissioniiries towards this people
was far ditforent, being more liuniano, and more iu harmony with the
81)irit of the religion which they brought with them, and souglit to
impart. They tn^ited the aborigines more as human beings, wanting
only, in their opinion, that light which the Christian nOigion atVorded
to make tluuu ecjuals in their society.

Father LeC'lcnHp speaking of the great work of the early French
missionaries, (borrowing from u learmnl author) euliigizing tiie
religious state, says: "There was nothing greater or more glorious
thiui the conversion of the New World, which, after the grace of the
Lord, must 1)6 attributed in all its parts to the Ajjostolic labors of
religious in general, but es^)ecially to the untiring zeal of the Order of
St. Francis, who have the iionor of having been the pioneers in this
high and glorious enterprise." He further adds that the year 1(515
must be acknowledged as the time of the establishment of the faith ii
Canada, when, as he says, the hearts of the recoUet missionaries, in
their extreme desire of gaining to Christ all the savages of the New
AV'orld, became by inclination as great as all of Canada; grace there
producing the same effect as in that of St. Paul, which became by zeal
and charity as great as the universe.

In missionary work in North America, to the French Jesuits is
given the credit of being amt)ng the lirst, commencing in Eastern
Canada, and extending at an early day throughout what afterwards
became knc :ni as the Northwest Territory, covering a greater portion
of the country of the tribes of the Algoncjuin group; but at what date
these devoted missionaries reached the Northwest, so called, is
unknown, and about which there is considerable dispute.

An enthusiastic writer on this subject says, the Jesuit father was,
no doubt, the first white man who paddled his light canoe over those
inland seas, extending from the St. Lawrence to the further limits of
Lake Superior; and long before civilization or emi)ire had extended
their star westward, he had unfurled the banner of the cross on the
shores of Lfd ^s Huron, Michigan and Superior; and the missions of
St. Francois Xavier at Green Bay, of St. Ignace at Mackina, of St.
Mary at the straits, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, show
C(mclusively with what zeal and ardor these heralds of the cross pushed
their "tabernacles in the wilderness," and made known to these wan-
dering Arabs of the prairies the symbol of the Christian's faith and
the mysteries of their holy religion. But it was not simply as sta-

thorn, find
[ti of viiluc

his people
ly with the
Bought to
;8, wnntiii<^
)!! iitVoi'tleil

rly French
gizing i\w
re gh)rious
nice of tlie
L', hiboi's of
lie Order of
jers in thia
year 1()15
the faith iii
iionaries, in
)f the New
^race there
uuo by zeal

Jesuits is

ill Easti>rii

afterwards

iter portion

t what date

called, is

father Avas,
over tliose
>iv limits of
d extended
ross on the
nissions of
ina, of St.
itury, show
■oss pushed
these Avan-
5 faith and
iply as sta-

INTHOUL'CTOUY.

tioned pri'acliers, that these good and great men nttoniptcd the con-
version of the innumerable multitude who then swarnu'd the shores of
the lakes, and s|>read fron) Lake Erie to the Ohio— from the ^liamito
tlie l-'ather of Waters. They followed the Jiidian to his hunting-
ground, threaded forests, swam rivers, bivouacked with tlnMr troupe in
the iiumenso natural meadows which abound in that region ; endured
hunger, thirst, cold, suU'ering, disease and death.

Not a cape was turned, nor a river entered, Imt a Jesuit led the
way. From the time wht'ii Charles Fiaymbault and Isaac Jogues ac-
cepted the invitation of the Ojibways to visit them at Sault St. Marie
in 1041, down to the middle of the eighteenth century, there seems to
have been a succession of missions, not only along the borders of the
great lakes, but at St. Joseph, now Vincennes. on the Wabash, among
the tribes of that locality; at Peoria, among the Illinois: at Cahokia,
ainoni' the Taniaroas orCahokias; atlvaskaskia, and along the shores of
the Mississippi; from the mouth of the Wiscimsin to the mouth of the
Ohio; and down the whole valley of the Mississippi to the Arkansas
and the Natchez.

In U\')i\ twenty years before Marquette and Joliet went on their
voyage to the "River Meclia8i})pi," Father Jean Dequerre, Jesuit, went
from the mission on Lake Su[)erior to the Illinois; .. id, it is said,
established a missiim where Peoria is now situated, visited various
Indian nations in the vicinity of the Mississippi, and was slain in the
midst of his labors in 1()(')1.

In lt'),")T. Father Jean Charles Drocoux, Jesuit, went to the Illinois
and returned to Quebec in the same year. In 1070 Hugues Pinet,
Jesuit, went also to the Illinois, and established a mission among the
Taniaroas or Cahokias, at or near the present village of Cahokia, on
the Mississippi river, where he remained until 108(), and was at tiiat
mission when Marquette and Joliet went down that river. In the
same year M. Bergier, priest of the seminary of (Quebec, succeeded
him in his mission aforesaid, where he remair.Ml until he died, July
loth, 1701, at the age of 7'.».

In 1003, Father Claude Jean Allouez was appointed Yicar General
of the North and West, incUnling Illinois. He labored among the
Pottawattamies and Mianiis about Green Bay. He returned to (Quebec
in 1005, and went to Illinois in 10()S, wiioro he visited the missions of
the Mississippi. M. Augustine Meulan de Circe, priest of the semi-
nary of Quebec, went to Illinois in 1070. He left his mission there in
1075, and returned to France.

Thus it will ap[)ear upon what is considered reliable authority,
that for twenty years, that is from 1053 to 1073, and before the dis-

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

covery of Marquette and Joliet, there was a succession of missions iu
tho Illinois country and tlie Northwest. The authorities aforesaid,
from which this information is derived, are principally from the
memorials of these missions, preserved in the seminary at Quebec.

Among the principal books upon which historians, during the
past two hundred years, mainly rely for information in general con-
cerning the American Indian in his primitive condition, are the works
of Father Louis Hennepin, Baron La Hontan and Father Charlevoix.

Hennepin accompanied La Salle as a sort of chaplain and his-
torian, in his expedition to the country of the Illinois, in the year 1079.
La Hontan was at the head of a military expedition iinder the French
government in 1087, sent out to visit the various tribes through the
country west of Lake Michigan, called by him the Illiiicse Lake, and
require of them submission to the French King. The book of
Father Charlevoix is comprised of a series of letters to the Duchess
of Lesdiguieres. giving an account of a voyage to Canada, and travels
through that vast country, and Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico,
undertaken by order of the King of France, during the years 1720
and 1721.

The work of Hennepin has been the subject of some unfavorable
criticism from many writers. Indeed, each subsequent writer inclined
to such criticism, noticing his work, seems to strive to outdo the other
in the severity of condemnation and uncomplimentary style of review.
The work of La Hontan has shared the like and even worse fate, and
the unti'uthfulness of his narrative in some respects, in the absence of
explanation, has been shown up so completely, that his book has
passed into obscurity, and no one has pretended to defend it, on the
points of his alleged fabrications.

As for the work of Hennepin, whilst fabrication has been so
freely charged, as to some portions of his narrative, and a strenuous
attempt has been made to discredit the whole work, but little else, if
anything, has really been accomplished beyond that of throwing a
suspicion upon certain portions of it, as to its correctness.

Among those writers of later times, who have attacked the
veracity of Hennepin, is Mr. Francis Parkman, in his book on La
Salle and the discovery of the Great West, who, not content with
statements and charges to this end in his text, and epithets of a most
damaging import, entirely uncalled for in the opinion of many, not to
say out of place, displays in the headings to one of the chapters of
his book, the following: "Hennepin an Imposter."

Let it here be said of this man, out of respect to his calling,
if nothing more. Hennepin was not an imposter; but a bona JiAv man,

INTRODUCTORY.

ions in
)resaicl,
)m the
bee.

ing tlie
ral con-
e works
irlevoix.
nd his-
ar 1079.

French
•ugh the
ake, and
book of
Duchess
d travels

Mexico,
ars 1720

favorable

inclined

the other

f review.

fate, and

bsence of

book has

t, on the

been so
drenuous
IU> else, if
rowing a

Icked the
^k on La
tent with
|f a most
ly, not to
[apters of

|s calling,
fide man,

historian and chronicler of events, who rendered much valuable
service to succeeding generations.

The principal point made by Mr. Parkraan against Hennepin's
narrative is, that Hennepin never went down the Mississippi river
below the moutli of the Illinois, as he claims. Mr. Parkuian concedes,
liowevor. that he may have gone up the Mississippi and been captured
by the Dakotas, as he states.

Let it be conceded that Father Hennepin has exaggerated facts,
as Mr. Parkman charges, any intelligent student of history, especially
oiie liaviiig a fair degree of knowledge of the western country over
wiiich Hennepin traveled, can easily discriminate between that which
is correct and that upon which it is claimed he exaggerates. It is
perfectly immaterial for the purposes of history wliether he went
down the Mississippi or not; even if he did, nothing of importance
wliatever is alleged to have resulted from that journey, either to the
detriment or advantage of any one. Admitting all that is charged by
Mr. Parkman, that the object of Hennepin's fabrication was "to make
himself, instead of La Salle and his companions, the hero of the
exploit.'' it was but a harmless ambition on the part of Hennepin,
which in no way affected La Salle in whatever credit ho was entitled
to, during his career as an adventurer and explorer in the Mississippi
valley.

That Hennepin made up his narrative, to some extent, from the
journal of Father Zenobe Merabre, on his descent of the Mississippi in
1681, in company with La Salle, or from other sources, as claimed by
Mr. Parkman, is no very serious charge against him. A reiteration of
historic facts, originally penned by some other writer, is no great
moral or literary offense. Even Mr. Parkman himself would have
fv)and it very difficult to have completed his valuable history of
La Salle's ox[)edition, without availing himself of what is writtcni by
Fatlii^r Hennepin concerning it; and it would seem to ill-become him
to call in question the very authority which has been so useful to him
in making up his history. When Mr. Parkinan says '" The records of
literary piracy may be searched in vain for an act of depredation
miu'e recklessly impudent," and adds in the same connection, '"Such
being the case, wi.at faith can we put in the rest of Hennepin's story?"
he in effect charges, not only without proof, but rather against it, as
he tacitly admits, that Hennepin Avas a man not to be believed under
any circumstances. He charitably further adds, however. " Fortunately,
there are tests by which the earlier part of his book can be tried; and,
on the whole, they square exceedingly well with contemporary records
of undoubted authenticity. Bating his exaggerations respecting the

:5()

THK AMEItlCAN INDIAN.

Falls of Niagara, his local description, and ovon his estimate of
distances are generally accurate," and '"till he reaches the Mississippi,
there can be no doubt that in the main he tells the truth. As for his
ascent of that river to the country of the Sioux, the general statement
is fully confirmed by La Salle, Tonty and contemporary writers."

Here Mr. Parkmau falls into a very strange inconsistency. He
first condemns the accused as '' an imposter," guilty of " literary
piracy," and that having fabricated as to his journey down the Mis-
sissi[)pi, as he alleges, he gives us to understand that in his opinion
no faith can be put "in the rest of Hennepin's story," and yet in the
next breath he declares that with the exception of his exaggerations
respecting the Falls of Niagara, '"the rest of Hennepin's story squares
exceedingly Avell with contemporary records of undoubted authenticity,"
and is "confirmed by La Salle, Tonty and contemporary writer.s."
Now, if Hennepin is thus well supported by this array of evidence
furnished by the accuser himself, on what rests the evidence for thus
unreservedly branding him "an imposter," and for the innuendo that
no faith can be })ut in "the rest of Hennepin's story?"

Mr. Parkman seems to make a special point of Avhat he calls
" Hennepin's exaggerations respecting the Falls of Niagara," as if it
were something material as affecting his veracity. But he contents
himself with but a general allegation on this point, giving no particu-
lars or specifications admitting of a traverse of his charge. Let us,
therefore, turn to what Hennepin has said on this subject and see if we
can detect these exaggerations com[)lained of. The matter in question
is f(mnd in Chapter VII of Hennepin's book, and is in the following
words :

" Betwixt the Lakes Ontario and Erie, there is a vast and pro-
digious Cadence of AVater which falls down after a surprising and
Jistonishing manner, insomuch that the Universe does not afford its
Parallel. 'Tis true, Italy and Suedeland boasts of some such Things;
but we may well say they are but Patterns when comjjared to this of
which we now speak. A.t the foot of this horrible Precipice we meet
with the river Niagara, which is not above half a quarter of a League
broad, but is wonderfully deep in some [)laces. It is so rapid above
this Descent that it violently hurries down the Wild Beasts while
endeavoring to pass it to feed on the other side; they not being able to
withstand the force of its Current, which inevitably calls them down
headlong above Six hundred foot.

"This wonderful Downfall is compounded of two great Cross-
streams of Water, and two Falls, with the Isle sloping along the mid-
dle of it. The Waters which fall from this great height do foam and

shcl

stal

"cj

ace

nial

in J

sen]
teni
thef

oatti
ns

INTRODUCTORY.

inmte o£

ls for his
itiitciueut

^rs."

ncy.

" literary

the Mis-

s opinion

yet in the

iro-erations
ry squares
lieiiticity."
I writers."
)£ evidence
ice for thus
luendo that

lat he calls
ira," as if it
he contents
r no particu-
iTp Let us,
uul see if we
V in question
he following

ist and pro-
prising and
>t afford its
such Things;
a to this of
)ice we meet
r of a Leagui^
rapid abovo
Beasts while
being able to
Is them down

>rroiit Cross-
lUnig the mid-
t do foam and

l)oil after the most liideous manner imaginable, making an outrageous
Noise, more terrible than that of Thunder; for when the Wind blows
from off the South, their dismal roaring may be heard above fifteen
Leaj^ues off."

if is submitted wlu.ther this is not a fair description of tliis wonder-
ful cataract, as it would a{)pear to an observer in this wiUl, unknown
country of that day. AVhat fancy the mind might take on in viewing
this ''vast and prodigious Cadence of Water," iinder the circum-
stances, no one who has not had experience in wild scenery of this
kind is prepared to imagine. Hennepin's statement of distances and
measurements were at best mere guess work, nor does he j)retend to
anything more accurate. It would be the height of unfairness to call
in question as an exaggeration that which a man attempts to give as
his supposition under casual circumstances, which is all that Hennepin
si'ems here to have attempted or pretended. As well might Mr.
Parkman call in (juestion the veracity of all the early explorers avIio
i.! good faith have given us those hideous maps of the early Northwest,
such as those by Marquette, Franquelin and others.

If Hennepin's narrative contained exaggerations or errors, either
from ilesign or misconception, they certainly are of that character that
they harm no one. and in no event do they call for the unfavorable
criticisms in which Mr. Parkman has, for some cause, seen fit to
indulge. The work of Hennej)in is valuable, amongst other things,
for the information it gives us concerning the various Indian tribes he
visited, and his account of their manners, customs, and general charac-
teristics, which is regarded as reliable as that of any of the early
writers, and we are greatly indebted to him for his valuable contribu-
tion to history in this regard.

Since Mr. Parkntan has set out in his book the map of Franquelin,
showing the colony of La Salle, mostly comprised of Avhat is now the
state of Illinois, and gives it his endorsement as correct, or at least as
"composed of atithentic data," perhaps his own work in regard to
; accuracy may be called in question equally with that of Hennepin. The
map which Mr. Parkman calls the great map of La Salle's discoveries,
by Jean Baptiste Franqttelin, finished in lOcS-l, whilst it gives the
general course of the Illinois river quite correctly, it is sadly at fault
in most other respects. On this map the Desplaines river is repre-
sented as something over five miles wide, whilst the Fox river, or as he
terms it " /i*. Pc^fckou >/,''' which is much the most important stream of
the two, is put down as a stream of no great conse(|uence, antl is iiuli-
cated by only a very light mark. The rivers Chvk(((jou, represented
as entering the Desplaines river just above the Kankakee and the

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

(1.
»

til
III
SOI
COl

va
SUiJ

INTRODUCTOliy.

:};}

'l:.

■s.

■T.
<

Chassaf/aach and the river drs malufjofnia, entering the Illinois river
fnim the west, just below the great Illinois town, opposite Starved
Eook, have no place upon the maps of this day. There is also desig-
nated upon this map by Franquelin, a range of mountains on each side
of the Illinois river, below Peoria Lake or L. <le Pimitcdii, which
would appear as laid down of equal importance with the llocky
Mountains, as generally shown upon the maps of the country. These
mountains, as laid down by Franquelin, find no place in fact, nor upon
the maps of the present day, and however authentic some of tiie data,
from which this map is made, may have been, these two ranges of
mountains, and the other features pointed out, are exaggerations,
which seem to have entirely escaped Mr. Parknian's observations in
giving us his endorsement as to the correctness of the same.

There are various Indian villages or cantonment? also indicated
on this map. with the number of warriors belonging to each, the aggre-
gate of which, as Mr. Parkman says, corresponds very nearly with that
of La Salle's report to the minister. From the representations on this
map it would appear that there was at the time referred to, when the
country was first visited by La Salle, within a district of something
like a hundred miles square, an Indian population furnishing "near
3,.S00 warriors."

These figures were mere conjecture, and as compared with
estimates thereafter made, were an exaggeration of the facts, entirely
unsupported by any subsequent evidence, and, indeed, unsupported in
anv respect by anything further than the mere random estimate of
those who may have furnished Franquelin with this information.
There are no evidences which can be afforded us at this day that this
small district of country in Illinois could ever have furnished, among
its population, that number of warriors. This would indicate a ])o{)u-
lation of not less than 20.000, which certainly could not haA'e existed
at that or any subsequent perio I within that limited district of country
referred to.

The work of Baron La Hontan, before mentioned, is comprised of
a series of letters written to a friend, and like that of Hennepin is
A'aluablo for the information it contains concerning the native tribes of
that day. His account of the habits, manners and customs of the
Indians, it will be noticed, is generally adopted by later writers as a
source of original information concerning tiiis people in their native
condition, and even among writers of the present day it is regardeil as
valuable authority in referring to that period, notwithstamling the
suspicions which have been cast upon his work in some particulars.

The principal point upon which La Hontan's book has been con-

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

demned, is that of giving nii ucicount Ol his journey in going u[) wliat
he calls the Long river, which he descril)e8 as flowing into the Mis-
sissippi horn tlie west, some six or eight ihiys' journey by canoes,
above the nioutli of the Wisconsin. The incidents which occurred in
passing up this river, for a distance wliich he makes out to l)e several
hundrt'd miles, he describes very minutely, and with so much particu-
larity as to impress the mind with the correctness of his statements:
but since that day, as the country through which he locates this Long
river has become better known, there is no river found that satisfacto-
rih' answers to -his description of this Long river; hence his book
has been ccmdemned, and he, like Hennepin, has been branded amt)ng
later historians as a falsifier.

The truth t)f this matter, however, which nobody seems to have
discovered, is sim])ly this: Baron La Hontan, like many other historians
and travelers, gathered a large part of tiie material for his narrative
from the natives or other travelers, and instead of relating the facts
as to the manner of ol)taining this information, he has simply claimed
it as original in his own experience and discovery. The Long river
which he speaks of is simply the Platte river, and which stream he
well describes in some respects. The information concerning it, the
country about, and the natives he claims to have visited, he derived
from the tribes of Indians he visited on the eastward, whoever they
might have been. His map which he presents with his work shows
that he had no knowledge of the Missouri river as being one of any
inportance whatever; and especially had he no knowledge of the fact
that this river came from the north, whereby his Long river would be
intercepted in its course towards the Mississippi. The information
which he derived seems to have led him to the conclusion that this
Long river emjjtied into the Mississippi, which was then said to
be the great river of the west, as its name indicates.

To La Hontan, although discredited as he is, must be given the
credit of being the first writer to mention the Rocky Mountains, and
the great Salt Lake, the former of which he notes on his map, showing
the locality of his famous Lt)ng river.

After La Hontan had gone up this Long river to the highest
point of his journey, designated on his map, as he claims, he says he
proceeded to obtain information cf the country beyond that, which he
gives in his narrative, and says it is derived from some slaves foxind
among the people at that point, and whom he calls the Mozeemleck
Nation. He says:

"The Mozeemleck Nation is numerous and puissant. The four
Slaves of that co mtry inform'd me that at the distance o£ 150 Leagues

ug up wlmt
ito tlie Mis-
r by canoes,
occurred in
o be several
iich particu-
statenients:
!8 this Lon,ij
it satisfacto-
ce liis book
udeil among

jins to have
er historians
lis narrative
ing the facts
iply claimed
3 Long river
;h stream he
irning it, the
, he derived
vhoever they

work shows
■r one of any
e of the fact
ver would be

information
on that this
lieu said to

be given the
luntains, and
nap, showing

the highest
IS, he says he
lat, which he

slaves found
) Mozeemleck

it. The four
150 Leagues

7%4Xkmlhna Houi"** af-tiu TAliU CI, AUK., wx^kmr^ <?,» ptictc tn. Utxifhth

k^hJ^K

V^\^<\(\AM

iyjyy

^^^t^hkk^m.\

wii

IMwthMi

d ■ of

lOi

iiiiifiji.^-

p 1

^^^Hfi'i.'

•III 1

1 1

||||; ;':

''!*'iiiil<i<lii;i 1 1
, : !Myiilil:l iiii " IB 1

ili 1

''iiiiiiii

1 ^H |waMW|| iiiiy ii

ii y iH 1

III

1 1

HL^

Iv;:'!!!!

9wi 1 mi Mi'i

B in iSfl

rA^ Veil

v'fn

^S^candn

tnt «r kn»n>\'L^ttitXiJv of ^j!pCu*j tmMrk 'Jmtt. ly/>»tntMnf tm
^ra/^d.ao'* plactj tfy h4Avnj ikmtan* JriM^ r cavf'tffi0td*^ t».

■Km, tMWvty /ir/i r»t.*i> d fnrtn «m a e^mpuatU^n of 4 d t fi i tne */

HI A Map cfy Long Hivj
ItArf^afl into that /nutJlpa
jofMiiTi/ipi i*^Ji u kin

\f%» fnuiU pnekj thtit art r%m I
' h^uJt. tott hy Anatktr ^tm>/ u J

\y-fUitj tkitt J ^tap i at unJi at
1 "fh* Crvfij i^jhni- y Land tar

KAO-HtMILK OF V rPBW s OLh M

1 r I,i. Honl.tn. In lPH9,in which Ib shown hi«f«iiiau» U>nK River, the inforraatioi) caiTnii.K whi

of havinK It empty Intothe Mi»«iHHippi l""'"'' '>' «l'e Mioso-ri Her, ,.f wl.i.l

iM- no kii<.wlf.l».'i",fs IH evldt Jrchi his

irwttLd tkty artjuch ajjcrna^y Mo« eemlek ptapU Jrew to mc upon j Barks (

^l^catxitny to fnv camputatum ftu:fi a Ve/jH mxt^ ^ tjaj^cf lanj jh,m tht prow to th^ rttrn

■I

INTI!()r>r(T<)I!Y.

IVoiii tlio riiu'*^ wlier*^ I tlit'ii wfis. tlit'ir jiiiiu'i|iiil llivor eniptifs itsrlf
into a Salt Lakt^ <>t' tlircti liuiidred Lt>a<;ut's in Circuinteroiici", (lie
iiumtli of whit'h i8 alumt two Lca^Mios bmad: That tlio lowf^r jiait of
tliat Kivtu- is nilonitnl with hIx ii(»1)1(> C'itit'.s. siiin>mi(lo(l witli ntoiK*
ci'iiuMiti'tl with fat Earth: Tliat tho Houses of tlicso Cities have no
Hoofs, but are open like a Phitfonu, as you wee 'em in the map; Tiiat
besides the above mentioird Cities, theie were above an Hundred
Towns, f,M'eat and small, round that sort of sea, upon whicii they mivi-
LHited with such boats as you see drawn in the Map: Tinit tho Peoplt*
of tiiat Country made Stull's, Copper Axes, and several other Manu-
faetures, which tlie Outa^famies and my other Inter[)reter8 could not
f^ive me to understand, as being altogether unac([uainted witii such
things: That their Crovernment was despotick, and lodged in the hands
of one great Head, to wiiom th<^ rest paid a trembling submission:
That the People upon that J^ake called themselves Tahuglauk, and are
numerous ns the Leaves of Trees (such is the Ex[)ression that tiio
Savages use for an Hy[)erbole | : That the Mozeendeck People supply
tlio Cities or Towns of the Tahuglauk with great numbers of Little
Calves, which thoy take upon the above mentioned Mountains: and.
That the Tahuglauk make use of these Calves for several ends, for
they not only eat their Flesh, but bring 'era up to Labour, and make
Cloatlies, Boots, Sec, of their skins. They added. That 'twas their
Misfortune to be took Prisoners by the Gnacsitares in the War which
had lasteil for eighteen Years; but. that they hoped a Peace would be
8[)eedily concluded, upon which the Prisoners would be exchanged,
pursuant to the usual ciistom. They glor'd in the possession of a
greater measxire of Reason than tho (hiacsitnres ccmld [u-etend ti>, to
whom they allow no more than the Figure of a Man; for thoy hiok
upon 'em as Beasts otherwise. To my mind, their Notion upon this
Head is not so very extravagant; for I observ'd so much Honor and
Politeness in the Convei'sation of these four Slaves, that I thought I
had to do with Europeans: But, after all, I must confess that the
Gnacsitares are the most tractable Nation I met with among all the
Savages. One of the four Mozeemleck Slaves had a reddish sort of a
Co{)per-Medal hanging upon his Neck, the figure of which is roj)re-
sented in the Map. I had it melted by Mr. de Ponti.s, Gunsmith, who
understood something of Mettals, but it became thereupon heavier
and deeper colour'd, and withal somewhat tractable. I desired the
Slaves to give me a circumstantial Account of these Medals; and
accordingly they gave me to iinderstand, that they are made by
the Tahuglauk, who are excellent Artisans, and put a great value upon
such Medals. I could pump nothing farther out of 'em, with relation

Tin: AMKUICAN INDIAN.

to tlio Cimntry, Coiumercf>, ami ("uHtoins of that romoto Nntiou. All
tlu'v t'ould Hiiy was, tiiat tiio givat Kivcu" of that Nation nuiH all alon<^
Westward, and that tlie Salt liako into which it falls is threo hundrnd
Lt'd'Mins in circiMnftMiMicc, and tliirtv in ltr(>adtli. its Month strotcliinj'
n j^'niat way to the Sonfiiward. 1 would fain iiave satistiod my cnriosity
in l)oin<^ an eye-witness of the Manners and Customs of the Tahui^lauk;
but tiiat btnn<^ iminacticablo, I was forc'd to be instructed at second
hand by these Mozeendeck Slaves: wiio assur'd me, upon the faith of
n Savage that the Tnliuf^JMuk wear their Mtiards two Fingers breadth
long: That their garments readi down to tiieir Knees; that they cover
their head with a shar[) pointed Cap; that they always wear a long
stick or cane in their hands which is tipp'd not unlike what we use in
Europe; that they wear a sort of Boots u[)oii their Legs, which reach
to the Knee; that their Women never show tiiemstilvos, whicii perhaps
proceeds from the same Principle that prevails in Italy and Spain;
and, in fine, that this Peo{)]e are always at war with the puissant
Natitms that are seated in the neighborhood of the Lake; but, withal,
that they never disquiet the strowling Nations that fall in their way,
by re' son of tiieir AVenkness: An admirable Lesson for some Princes
in the World, who are so much intent upon the making use of the
strongest hand."

The foregoing reference to the distant country spoken of very
well describes the country of I'tah and New Mexico in many respects,
and the whole goes to strengthen the theory that La Hontan's whole
story in regard to the Long river and country beyond, and not a part
of it, as he says, was gathered from natives coming from the distant
"West, and instead of being discredited should rather be accepteil, and
credit given to him therefor, for Avhat it is worth, upon this theory.

The work of Chaj'levoix has been universally accepted as a
faithful narrative of his travels, and a correct description of every-
thing coming to his knowledge and observation. It is very full and
satisfactory on the subject of the Indian tribes he visited or obtained
knowledjre of, their habits, manners and customs, and general char-
acteristics, to wdiich later travelei's and observers have been unable
tt) add apything new. This work may therefore be received as
standard authority upon the native American Indian in respect
aforesaid.

But Hennepin and La Hontan are not the only travelers and
adventurers who have been charged with exaggerations in the contri-
butions they have given to early American history. The truthfulness
of the writings of Capt. John Smith, of early Virginia fame, has in
later times been called in question in some material respects. Indeed,

INTIlODl'CTUllY.

,. All

uiulrtMl

itcliiiig
iritmity
ii<;limk ;

fiiitli oi

broiuUh

)y cover

a long

\isti ill
ill riMKih

perliaps

1 Spain;
puissant
t, withal,
lieir way,
^ Trincos
se of the

I of very
respects,
ill's whole
not a part
lie distant
iptecl, and
,hoory.
|)ted as a
|of every-
fuU and
obtained
iral char-
n unafcle
Iceived as
n respect

[elers and
[le contri-
ithfulness
le, has in
Indeed,

CAI'T. JOHN SUITII,

it is now -luito freely admitted that tlio stories of Sniitii concerning
his experience as a captain aim.n;,' the Indians of Virginia, contain
exaggerations or d«^|)artures from tlie triitli, carrying, upon closo
cxanrination, evidences that th.^ de8crii)tion of tiio natives, anil
pspt^cially their manners and customs, which ho gives, are borrowed
from tlin Turks, and impressed upon liis mind during his captivity
and experience among tliat pt'i)[)Ie.

He speaks of the ^'niut cliief I'ow-
hiitaii as dwelling in state at numerous
residences among his peoplt^; that he
was ordinarily attended by a body
j^'iiard of about forty or fifty of the
tallest men of his country, and a strict
militarv discii)line environed his dwell-
ing i)laco with guards ihiy and night,
who regularly relieved each otiier, ami
whose neglect of duty, or in case of
sluml)er while on duty, on their
watches, were at the peril of a basti-
nado, ''not unlike Jiat of the Turkish
in its severity."

The American Indians in their primitive condition had no such
custom as here related; especially that of the Ixtslluddo. This is
purely an Oriental custom, evidently im[)ressed upon Smith's nun<l by
his experience among the Turks. He had had long experience among
Turks and Tartars of that day, and their manners, customs and traits
of (iharacter were necessarily strongly impressed \ipou his mind. On
coming to America these impressions roraainetl, and in referring to
the Indians of Virginia, wherein their manners, customs and traits of
charactei were brought in cjuestion, (with Avhich he could not have
been very familiar, from his limited experience among them) it is
very natural that he should draw much from the Asiatic character-
istics, which, from the force of circumstances, had become impressed
upon his mind.

The first thing that attracts our attention in Smith's narrative,
leading us to doubt its accuracy, after the mention of his being taken
captive by the Virginia Indians, is his mention of a handsome young
woman, "the Queen of Appamatucks" whom he states is commanded
to bring him water in which to wash his hands, while another stands
by with a bunch of feathers as a substitute for a towel, with which he
dries his hands. This is, more properly also, an Oriental custom.
The American Indian had no such custom as would admit of a pro-

THK AMRItlCAX IXDIAN.

ceeding of this kind. The Indians were hospitable to strangers, but
the act of compelling a stranger to wash his hands was not within
their acfs of hospitality. The Indians are not in the habit of washing
even tiielr own hands. It is true they Avere friendly to water, but
whenever they had recourse to that element it was for the purpose of
bathing the whole body, in whicii they indulged (jaite frequently.

Insignificant as this single instance might appear, it is a straw
showing that the story of Smith, in regard to his experience among
the Indians on the occasion of his captivity, is to be taken with many
grains of allowance.

His story of rescue by the ideal Indian maiden, Pocahontas, has
been entirely exploded by writers of later times, among whom is Dr.
AV. F. Poole, who lately reviewed this i)art of Smith's story in a com-
munication to the Di((l, a literary journal published by A. C. McClurg
& Co., of Chicago, Vol. 5, No. 00.

Smith arrived in Virginia in 1()()7, and in the latter part of that
year was, as generally conceded, taken a [)risoner by the Indians of
that country, but was released, so that his detention was merely tem-
porary. In lt)08 he wrote his first book called "True Relation,"
which was published the same year in London. In it he told the story
of his capture and detention among the Indians, and related the
various incidents attending, which were then fresh in his mind; how
he was ctu'dially received by the natives, and in a most fiiendly manner
sent back to Jamestown with four guides; but in which no mention is
made of his miraculous esca[)e from death by the timely interference
of Pocahontas. He mentions her in the same book as "a child teiine
veartisold," wlio was sent to Jamestown ])v Powhatan in Mav, KJOS. t.)
make incjuiry why certain Indians were detained as prisoners. Dr.
Poole, in his article afor.'saHl, says:

"Smith's first account of his capture and release was. doubtless,
the true one. In October. KKlll. he returned to England and never
went back to Virginia. He kept on. however, writing books about
Virginia. In llil'i ap[)eared his 'Map of Virginia;' in lOld his
' Description of New Englanc' :' iii Hi'JO his 'New England Trials,' a
second part of which appeared in Ki'i'J. in these books he told his
old stories over again, and there was a good deal of repetition; but t!i(»
Pocahontas story had not yet apjieared. In ltl'J-1 his 'Ifeneral His-
toric' was published, which was a summary of his earlier lH)oks, with
some additions, among which was the Pocahontas story."

The following is the Pocahontas story of KVJ4 as stated in tlic
aforesaid ''General Historic:"

"Having feasted iiim after the best barl)annis manner they could,

INTUODUCTOUY.

;ers, but
it within
wiisliing
ator, but
irpose o£
itly.

!i straw
t> iunoiig
ith nuiiiy

utivs, bus
)m is Dr.
in a c<nii-
McCluig

:t of that
luUaiis of
irely toni-
Piolation,"
It lie story
platotl the
liiitl; how
ly iiminier
noutioii is
n-ference
lild tenne
K'.OS. t.)
n-B. Dr.

.ubtless.

1(1 iiovt>r

ks aboxit
KUC) his
I'lials,' a
' told his

I but the
leral His-
)oks. with

mI in the
Ik'v could,

a lou" consultation was held, but the conclusion was. two jj^reat stones
were broui,'lit l)efore Powhatan; then as many as cuukl laid hands on
him, dra<'-ged him to them, and thereou laid his head, and being ready
with their clubs to beat out his brains, Pocahontas, the King's dearest
dau'diter, when no entreaty could prevail, got his head in her arms,
and laid her own ujwn his to save liim from death ; whereat the
I'^mperor Avas contented that he should live to make him hatchets, and
her bells, lieads and copper; for they thought him as well of all occu-
pations as themselves."

■•Thereupon," as Dr. Poole remarks, "Smith made hatchets, bells,
beads and copper for the space of two days, antl tlien was sent back to
Jamestown with an escort of twelve guiiles. Smith's • True Pielation '
of lt)()S had none of this tragic, sentimental fiction."

Smith, in his first published book, speaking of the occasion of his
captivity, says of Powhatan: "He kindly welcomed me with good
wordes, and great plattm-s of sundrie victuals, assurijig me of his
fri('ndshi[). and my libertie within foure days." And he says that
Powhatan having, with all kindness he could devise, scmght to content
him. sent him home with four n)en. two of whom were loaded with
bread.

Daring the time from KlOS to 1010, various persons wrote on the
subject of Virginia, giving the progress of the colony at that time, and
various incidents occurring, in which no mention is made whatever of
tlu> alleged remarkable occurrence of saving the life of Smith at the
interference of Po^nhimtas.

Dr. Pook-. in reviewing this subject, in conclusion says:

"The weak spot in Smiths character was his [jcrsoiud vanity and
hoastfulness. He invented the Pocahontas story sixteen years after he
alleged it to have occurred, in order to gratify his love of notoriety.
Since he had left Virginia Pocahontas had married John Rolfe, an
Englishman. In lOltishe had visited England, and had been received
at court and in society as a royal princess. In the next book he wrote
on Virginia, Smith could not resist the temptation to connect her name
with Ills, and he would do it ii> a manner creditable to both. How
could it bettor be done Mian by her sc 'iig his life in iCiOvi':' She was
de.id and could not deny it. Other v \ i sses who might bo (]uestioned
were dead or were inaccessible. The only trouble was that he had
never toli? the story before-. But tliis coiii.l be arranged. He would
write a letter of similar import to Queen Anne (who was also dead),
giving the date of ICiKl. and would print it with the story itself. The
.sciieme was a success, for it has given the legend plausibilitv."

But the story of Smith, relating to his sentence of tleatli and

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

rescue by the chiefs daughter Pocaliontns, carries upon its fac<i its
own evidence of untrutlifulness. The s".ying that '' liars should have
good memories'" suggests further to those who would exaggerate upon
facts or contemporaneous events, that their statements are open to the
review and criticisujs of a long continued future; like the case of La
Hontan, in so accurately mapj)ing out his Lv)ng river, entering the
Mississip[)i, as he descril)es it. from ' le west. He seems to have had
no idea that fut'" 'e explorers would discover the fact that I'.is account
of tliis river was a fahrlcntion. So '.> !ien John Smith describes so
minutely the manner of his '.ontemplated execution of the death
sentence which had been pronounced on him, he did not seem to un-
derstand the fact that the Indians who were thus dealing with him. as
he alleges, had no sucli custom amimg them as putting a prisoner to
death in the mode he describes; that their custom of executing the
d''at!i sentence of prisoners was by burning at the stake. No such
custom of putting a [)risoner to death as he describes was [U'acticed by
the Indians whom he had fallen amongst. Doc ipitation, whicl.' he
seems to have had in view, was an Oriental ctisior:, wiiich was iiii-
pressed upon his mind by his experience anion'; tlie Tuks andXartai's,
and he simply tvansffrred this custom to the peo-ilo he had fallen
amongst in the New A^V)rhl, with no knowledge wliatever of what the
Indian custom was in such cases; and even in England al that day the
death sentence was executed, in the case of persons of rank, bv decapi-
tation, and it was abcmt this time that Sir Walter I-lfdeigh was be-
headed in England U[)on a trumped up charge by James I.

If Smith had luen tak«!n captive among the Indians, as he relates,
and had l)een condemned to death, the sentence would have been that
he l)e burned at the stake, and in giving an account of it he could not
truthfully have described the mode of execution otherwise; but the
mode of [U'oposed execution as he describes was doubtless an inven-
tioii of his own. He seems to attempt to describe the moii- of the
pro|)Osed execixtion according to the custom in countries witii which lie
was familiar. The Indians having no sharp-edged implomen!- with
which to sever the head from tiie body, they were driven to hu i>x
{)edient of substituting their war clubs. About just the etfect tJi' se
clubs were expected to have, or precisely how death was intended to be
produced by the use of them, we are left somewhat in doubt. "Whilst
an Indian might slay an enemy in battle and leave his mutilated body
on the field, he had no such custom of [mtting a pri.soner to death as
would leave on his hands a mangled corpse. Their manner of i)uttiiig
prisoners to death was by such mode an would leave ''c trace of tiie
body behind. The fate of i)risoners decreed to be piu i death, says

•■<'■

11,'TUODUCTOIIY.

face its

ilcl liave

iite iipdu

Ml to the

se of La

ring the

have had

i account

cribos SI)

he death

3rn to nu-
ll him, as

fisouer to

uting tae
Ni) such

acticed l)y

which he

h was iiu-

iid Tartars,

had fallen

,t' what the

lal day the
)V decapi-
1 was be-
lie relates,

o l)een that
G could not

to; but the
an iiiven-
oci. of the
h ^vhich he
„r,\ with

t(. ho OK

>tfect tl.'.-.e
ended to be
i)t. Whilst
jlated boily
to death as
of putting
Irace of the
ih^ath. says

POCAHONTAS, DArOHTER OF POWHATAN.
(From to old EnuraviDR, after a PainUug takun from Life.)

•*

amm

4-2

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

Charlevoix, "is nhvays to be buineil;"' such also is the testimony of
Henuepin, niul, iiuUuHl, all other authorities. This was especially true
in regard to the custom of the Indians of tlie Algonquin stock, which
comprised the tribes of Viiginia, whom Smith had fallen amongst.

In what is here said concerning the story of Capt. Smith, there is
no disposition to call in question that portion of his narrative which
bears upon its face the semblance of truth. Like many other early
atlventurers in the New World, he was liable to be mistaken in many
things; but that he has exaggerated and colored the truth in some
respects cannot be denied, the same as many others of the early ad-
venturers in this country have dcme; but, as Poole remarks, his exag-
gerations or coloring of facts are in the main harndess, and arose from
no evil intention, but rather from a desire to make himself appear as
a hero of occasions to which he refers.

He publ'shed the account of his first voyages to Virginia, and
his own adventures, which is almost the only authority we have to
;'esort to for the early history of that country, and for which he is
entitled to all due credit. He died in London in HVdi, in the 52ud
year of his age.

The history of the noted Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan, as
it comes to us from Smith and other historians, is no doubt in the
main correct, with the exception of the fact of saving the life of
Smith in the manner which he relates. This was added by Smith for
a [)urpo8e of his own, contributing to his personal glory as a hero
during his adventures in America; and had he stated all of these re-
nmrkal)le instaiu"es so ai to coincide with Indian customs and surround-
ing circumstances, his exaggerations or coloring of facts might not
have been called in (juestion. That Pocahontas was a remarkable
young woman, and rendered valuable services to the English, tiiere is
no dispute. Iler conversion to the Christian faith, and the readiness
with which she adopted the habits of white civilization, mark tlu'
general character of her race, and show how easily this people may ix-
led to conform t(i our mode and habits of life.

V hilst this work will doul)tless be looked upon as a defense of the
Indian, us he stands before the world in his history as written by the
white man, such is not the primary intention of the writer. The design
hero is to present the true character and corrtH't history of tiu> Indian:
to present his character as it is, and his history, especially that [)ai t
which relates to his contact with the invading race, precisely as facts
and events have occurred, gathered from authentic sources. When
this is done faithfully and properly, it will amount to a defense of
the Indian against the ])rejudices and false charges v Inch have from

■■»•■

INTIIODITTOHY.

4;{

.timony of
ciully trut)
oc'k, wliicL

th, there is
five which
ither early
Ml in many
h in sonii'
) early ad-
i, his exn^f-
arose from
' appear as

rginia, and
we have to
'hich he is
II the Tylnd

'owhatan, as
nibt in tlif
the life of
y Sniitii for
as a liero
these re-
surrounil-
niii^ht not
roniiirkabli'
ish, there is
readiness
mark tlio
)[)le may 1)''

iMise of the
•itten by the

The design

the Indian :
ly that part
sely as facts
ces. When
defense of

1 have from

the earliest time became engendered or brought against him; and the
object in the course of this work is to correct tlie errors of history
wliich have occurred either by design or inailvertence, that, so far
as the efforts of the writer of this book is concerned, the excuse for
our false [)reju(lices may no longer exist tiiwards this fading race.

/ The popular idea is that the Indian is born a vagabond, a
wanderer UDon the face of the earth, witli no d'^finite occupation
or fixed abiding ])lace. accpiiring his means of subsistence by hunting
and tisiiin<f. which he engages in, however, rather as an indolent
pastime tjian otherwise; that he is warlike in his instincts and uidike
people of tiie white race, and destructive in his nature/ As Mr.
McCoy, a devoted missionary among the Northwestern tribes in
the earlv part of the present century, before referred to in the forepart
of tiiis chaptin'. well remarks: "A greater mistake than this could
hardlv be conceived. Fea iess of successful contradiction we aver,
that the supposition is vii! philosophical, and at variance with facts.''

Indian voutlis. he says, it is true, receive impressions which
incline them to tiie pursuits of the chase; but these im[)ressions are
made by the hunting habits of the people with whom they mingle,
and are not innate. To illustrate, he says, the son of a blacksmith on
Ijecoming able to lift a hammer, might choose to use it because it was
the business of his father, and one the operation of which he had
witnessed from his first recolh>ction; but who ever heard of a race of
men avIio came into the world, with so strong a propensity to work in
iron that it was almost or quite impracticable to follow other trades?
And he l)rands as an absiirdity the supposition that an Indian
child was born with an inveterate predisposition to hunting or war.

This is ])roven by the fa *t that Indian children when taken into
our schools before they have received impressions from the habits of
tlieir kindred, manifest no mo..^' fondness for tlie bow than white
children with whom they mingle. They ado[)t the same amusements
witli etjnal facility; and so also white youtlis, taken captive bv the
Indians, easily ado[)t the habits of their captors and become
assimilated to them; all admitting the fact that there is naturally no
difference between the propensities of the white and the red man.
IJotli are more or less creatures of circumstances in I'egard to their
conduct, ]m)])ensities and mode of life. More will ])e found on this
subject ill tln^ cha[)ter of this work relating to " Wars and Massacres."

How few there are among our race who in their denunciation of
the Indian for his outrages upon the whites, since their landing uj)on
the shores of the continent, who stop to consider the circumstances
leading to such conduct, and as to whether some course could not have

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

been adopted by which these outrages of which we complain could
have been prevented, at least averted, to a greater or less extent.

The outrages committed by De Soto in the country of the Appa-
lachians so embittered the people in that portion of the continent ,
that their hostility to the white race never thereafter censed. Bui
little else can be said concerning the conduct of the first settlers of
Virginia. But the most forcible examples, or incidents of Indian
outrages upt)n the whites, are afforded us in the history of New-
England, which seems to lie at the foundation of our prejudices
against the Indian, and in which our blindness to the truth of history
seems to be the most extreme. All authorities concur that the
Puritans and other early settlers of New England were received
ht)spitably, and in a spirit of kindness, by the Indians of that
country. Edward Winslow says:

"We have found the Indians very faithful in their covenant of
peace with us. We often go tt) them, and they come to us. Some of
us have been fifty miles by land in the country with them. Yea, it
Indh })leased God so to [jossess the Indians with the fear of us, and
love unto us, that not only the greatest King amongst them, called
Massasoit, but also the princes and people round about us, have either
made suit unto us. or been glad of any occasion to make peace with
us; so that seven of them, at once, have sent their messengers unto
us to that end. Yea, an isle of the sea, which we never saw. hatli
also, together with the former (?), yielded willingly to be under
protection and subject to our Sovereign Lord. King James, so that
there is now great peace among the Indians themselves, which was
not formerly, neither would have been but for us; and Ave, for our
pai'ts, walk as peaceably and safely in the wood as in the highway in
England. We entertain them familiarly in our houses, and they are
friendly in bestowing their venison upon us. They are a people
without any religion, yet very trusty, quick of apprehension, ripe-
witted, just.*'

Another early writer says the Indians " were never known to in-
jure an Englishman, either in person or property." Trumbull, the
historian of Connecticut, says:\ " When the English or their children
were L,st in the woods, and were in danger of perishing Avith cold or
hunger, they conducted them to their wigwams, fed them and restored
them to their family and parents.X By selling them corn when pinched
with famine, they relieved their distresses and prevented them from
perishing in a strange land, and uncultivated wilderness." A writer
referring to this subject remarks, that when we consider the weakness
of the first settlements in New England, and observe that they were

#■

INTKODUCTOIU.

I plain couli!
jxtent.
£ the Appn-
e continent,
eased. But
,t settlers of
i of Indian
ory of Now
: prejudices
li of history
ur that the
?re receive! 1
ans of thai

covenant of

s. Some of

em. Yea, it

ir of us, and

them, called

. have eitlier

:e peace with

ientrers unto

^r saw, hath

to be luider

unes, HO that

which was

Ave, for our

highway in

anil they are

ire a peojtle

ension, ripe-

nown to in-
•nmbull, the
leir children

ith cold or

and restored

lien pinched

them from
' A writer
he weakness
t they were

on several occasions almost perished by famine and sickness, it is evi-
<lence tliat the Indian must have been {)eaceably disposed towards the
inhabitants, as there were several periods durinj,' which they could
with ease have exterminated all the Colonists, and adds, if ever
kindness, honesty and forbearance were practiced with scrupulous
fidelity in the face of strong temptation inciting to an o])posite course
of conduct, these virtues were displayed by the Indians on this
occasion.

But how poorly were these unsuspecting natives repaid for their
generous hospitality to the Puritans! Their numbers constantly in-
creased, and their intrusion upon the country of the natives con-
tinued, pressing them step by step farther into the interior, commit-
ting various acts of cruelty upon individual Indians who violated their
laws, (H' dared to corae upon the ground which the Puritans themselves
had acquired by acts of trespass upon the natives, in which the
re([uots were driven to rebellion; and witiun two years after the
fanune before alluded to, we are informed by Trumbull that a party
under Captain Stoughton surrounded a body of Peipiots in a swamp.
"They took eighty captives. Thirty Avere men, the rest wore women
and children. Tiie Sachems promised to conduct the English to
Sassacus, and for that [lurpose were spared for tlie present."'

The reader Avill dou 'tless feel some curiosity to know what was
done with the women ant children who were saved by those who had
massacred in cold blood thirty men, save two taken prisoners in liattle.
The same historian thus details the secjuel: '"The Poquot women and
clnldren who had been captured were divided among the troops. Some
were carrieil to Connecticut, others to Mas.sachusetts. The people of
Massachusetts sent a number of the wonu n and boys to the West
Indies, and sold them as slaves. It is supposed that about st'ven
hundred Pequots were destroyed."

The Puritan historian, alluding to the rebellion of the natives,
Avhicii was thus terminated, says: " This happy event gave gn^at jov to
the Colonists, a day of public thanksgiving was appointed, and in all the
churches of New England devout and animated praises were ad v^.•es8ed
to Him who j^'iveth His peojde the victory and causeth them to dwell
in safety. But the Puritans, it seems, were not satisfied with the fate
of the rebellious natives, but seemed to glory in their acts of barbar-
ism — a remorseless spirit not credible to a people professing so much
Godliness and Christian devotion."

In Gookin's history of the praying Indians, the author consoles
himself on account of the atrocities praetic(>d against the Indians, by
the comforting reflection that " doubtless one great end God aimed at

TIIK AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

wns the punisliment and clestrnctiou of many of tlie wicked lieatheiis
whose iniquities were now full."

One of the most reliable sources of information wo have ever had
concerning Indian character is that which comes to us tiirough whiti
captives, or persons taken captive from our frontier settlements by tin
Indians. The narratives of these captives, which are numerous in our
literature, (juite generally concur on the principal points of Indian
life and character, and all go to prove that wiiilst the Indian does not
differ essentially from the white man in liis natural instincts, and
whilst it nniy be true, as generally alleged, that the Indian is revenge-
ful and unrelenting in retaliating upon an enemy in return iov in-
juries, he is faithful and reliable to the last in his friendships, and
that in his general character, uncontaininated by the vices of civiliza-
tion, and virtues, he is far above the average of mankind.

The truth of what is here claimed for the native Indian is [U'oven
by the fact that among the large number of captives which have been
taken and iletained among the In<lians since the first settlement of our
country, es])ecially when captured young, in general they have left
tiieir Indian friends, wlmn released from ca[itivity \)\ treaty or other-
wise, with great reluctance, and many of tiiem refusing to leave theni,
as in the case of Mary Jemison, the noted white wonmn of the Gene-
see. Also in the case of Francis Slocum, or the white woman of the
Wabash, taken when ab(mt seven years old, who spent her life among
the Mianiis of that country, when discovered in her Indian life ])y
her relatives, no persuasion could induce her to leave her Indian sur
roundings.

In many instances where captives have returned to their friends
in civilized life, they have found it difficult to reconcile themselves to,
or be contented in that condition of life, but have returned again to
their Indian friends, showing that primitive life, such as that
whic^h the Indian lived, naturally ])ossesses a charm in the human
mind.

A noted instance in the history of Indian captives is that of
John Brickell. who was taken prisoner in Western Pennsylvaina in
early days by a party of Delaware Indians. When about ten yeius
old he was taken to Ohio, where he was detained among that peojile
in the vicinitv of the Maumee river for about four years, when he was
released and returned to his friends in Pennsylvania. He says tliat
while living among the Indians he had every opportunity of observing
their umnners and customs and religion, as well as of becoming nn
expert hunter. He says: "I lived as comfortal)ly wiih them as the
circumstances of the nation would admit; they treated me very kindly,

'*;

— i^^

INTllODrcTOIiV,

1 lientheiis

ve ever had
lugli whiti
eiits by til'
3rou8 in oui-
i of Iiulinii
nn does iidt
istiucts. ninl
I is revoiij^^e-
turn for iii-
(Isliips, and
i of civiliza-

nii is proven
Ai have been
ement of our
oy have left
aty or other-
o leave them,
of the Geue-
omaii of the
sr life amon",'
lulian life by
r Iiulian sur

their friends
leniselves to,

•ned again to
uch as thiit

n the liumau

es is that of
nnsylvania in
Dut ten years
; that people
when he was
He says that
y of observinij
becoming nn
h them as the
le very kindly,

and in everv way as one of tlieniselves." He gives an aecount of the
scene on taking leave of his Indian father, who had adoj)ted him into
his family as liis son, which is truly affecting. His Indian father
informed him of the making of the treaty with Generul Wayne,
whereby he was at liberty to return to his white friends, in whicli.
however. Jio expresses the liope that he may remain with him and his
adopted Indian friends. He notes how tlie Indian children hung
around him. crying and imploring him not to leave them. His Iiulian
father said to him: " Now reflect on it and take your choice and tell
nu? as soon as you nuiko up your mind." '• I was silent a few nnnutes.
in which time it seemed as if I thought of almost everything. I
tliou'dit oi the children I had just left crying; I thought of tlie
Indians I was attached to, and 1 thought of my people whicli I
ri'inembered ; and this latter thought predominated, and 1 said: • I
will L'o with my kin.' The old man then said: 'I havn raised vou; J
have learncul you to hunt. You are a good hunter: you have been
better to me than my own sons. I am now getting old and I can not
hunt. I thought you would be a su[iport to my age. I leaned on you
as on a staif. Now it is broken. You are going to leave ine and I
havt! no right to say a word, ])ut I am ruined.' He then sank back in
tears to his seat. I heartily joined him in his tears, parted with him.
and have never seen or heard of him since."

Mr. Brickell was ado[)tod into the tribe as an Indian through an
established custom called running the gauntlet, the ceremony of wiiich
he thus describes: "The ceremony commenced with a great whoop
or veil. We were then met by all sorts of Indians from the town, old
and young, men and women. We there called a halt, and they formed
two lines alxmt twelve feet apart, in the direction of the rivcsr. They
made signs to me to run between the lines towards the river. I knew
nothing of what tliey wanted, and started: but I had no chaiu-e. for
they fell to beating me so that I was knocked down, and everythiie'
that could get at me beat me, until I Avas l)ruised from head to foot.
At this juncture a very l)ig Indian came up, and threw the company
otf me, and took me by the arm, and led me along through the lines
with such rapidity that I scarcely touched the ground, and was not
once struck after he took me until I got to the river. Then the very
ones who Ijeat me the wcn-st were now the most kind and oflicious in
washing me off, feeding me, etc., and did their utmost to cure me. I
Avas nearly killed, and did not get over it for two months."

Among the later noted cases of Indian captivity is that of Mrs.
Fanny Kelly, who was captured l)y a band of the Sioux Indians ot the
upper Missouri country, whilst journeying with her husband and a

^^MHi

4«

THE AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

smnll train of emigrnntH to Montaim in 1S()4, and iunon<^ whom siio
WIV8 detained six months. H(U' ciiptivit) was sliort, and her trials
necessarily, under the circumstances, rather severe; bat she says that
durinj^ all of the time she was treated in every way with the utmost
respect and kindness by the Indians. She s^^ys: "True, during the
last few weeks of my captivity the Indians had done all in their i)ower
for mo— all their circumstances and conditions would allow, and the
women were very kind; but their people were not my people, and
I was detained a captive far from home and friends and civilization."

The wild Indian is already a being of the past. When another
generation t-hall have gone, the whole Indian population of the
United States Avill have adopted the ways of our own civilization oi'
mode of life, and it is but a question of time when the race Avill
become extinct by assimilation or amalgamation with our own.

There is now in AVisconsin a people called Brotliertown Indians
(of which more will be said in a subsequent chapter) who are tht^
descendants of several New England tribes, who have adopted tlie
ways of our civilization, have become citizens of that state, and avIio
are speaking the English language solely, having abandoned their
own dialects ovi^r fifty years ago. They are essentially white men in
all respects. They are but an example of what the whole Indian race
of this (country will soon become within a short sjjaco of time, and this
will be accomplished more rapidly if the Indians are left to themselves,
than if effort is put forth by the white man to the end of hurrying on
that condition of things.

In this regard the Cherokee nation affords a striking illustration.
This people who, at the beginning of the present century, ranked
among the savage wild tribes, and who soon thereafter were abandoned
by the United States authorities to the then wild Indian territory of
the AVest, have come out of their primitive condition by their own
efforts, nt)t only unaided, but rather having had obstacles constantly
thrown in the way of their ])rogress, and may now justly claim to be
as enlightened, or at least will show as good a condition of society, as
the Avliite people in the neighboring states around them. An instance
of native talent has been developed among them, which may be taken
as an indication of the genius which it is fair to presume rests in
every native tribe, wanting only in ojiportunity for like development.
This example shows that the native Indian possesses a talent which
circumstances may at any time unfold, even unaided by extraneous
influences, in like manner as development of talent or genius may
have occurred among our own race. Evidences in this respect con-
stantly occurring, show that the American Indian race is not an

INTHODL'CTOUY.

4{»

ivlioin she
lier trials
5 saya that
he utmost
Lluriug the
hoir power
kv, iiiul the
eople, and
iilization."
leii another
on of the
ilization or
e race will
wn.

isn Indians
'ho are the
idopted the
te, and who
loned their
liite men in
Indian mco
ne, and this
themselves,
lurrying on

lustration.
XY\, ranked
abandimed
;orritory of
their own
constantly
claim to be
society, as
\n instance
IV be taken
ne rests in
evelopment.
alent which
extraneous
senius mav
espect con-
is not an

inferior one by any means; but that the Indian is susceptible of self-
development, as circumstances may arise. Tlie example liere referred
to is tiiat of a Ciierokee Indian, whose Indian name was tSequoyah,
called l)y the whites Guess.

The first school among these Indians, for purposes of instruction,
was established by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions in 1N17. Sequoyah, then a youth, received insti iis t\)r

a short time at this school. The English alphabet was found ill-
adapted to the Cherokee language, in that it failed to properly convey
to the mind the sounds in this language, and this attracted the atten-
tion of this Indian youth. After making limited progress in his
studies, it was noticed that ho had absented himself from further
attendance, and it was further noticed by his nKjther that he was away,
spending much of his time alone. After a time he presented the work
ill which he had been engaged, that of tnaking an alphabet adapted to
the Cherokee language. His work was announced and came to tiie
attention of the missionaries about 1824. by whom it was examined
and found to be a syllabical system and pronounced well adapted to the
Cherokee language; whereupon it was immediately adopted, and has
since been taught to all classes conjointly with the English.

The Indian mind, which among all nations had been trained to
the expression of ideas by their rude picture writing, it would seem
was well adapted to conceive and understand an invention of this kind,
and it can readily be understood how the Indian genius conceived this
plan for an al[)h;ibet. Nearly all the words of the vocabulary end in
a vowel; each vowel is preceded by thirteen combinations of the con-
sonant, making sixty-four syllables, and to this scheme there are
added tw(4ve characters to represent double consonants. Mr. School-
craft avers that no other American language, with which he is
ac(piaiiited, could be written by such a simple scheme. He savs it
can not bo applied in the dialect of the Algonquin, the Inxpiois, the
Dakota, the Appalachian or the Shoshonee, and consecj^uently its apjili-
cation is limited. It provides for the expression only of sach sounds
as occur in the Cherokee language, and still its utility in that language
has been highly appreciated, and remain;' as a striking phenomenon iu
the history of American philology. Exar'nles of the Cherokee alpha-
bet will be found iu Chapter IX of + '> -vork, relating to Imlian
languages.

The proportion of readers who have investigated the Indian
subject, with reference to determining the truth and justice of his
cause, is very s; cdl ; but the proportion who are ready to jump at con-
clusions, and unhesitatingly declare against him, is exceedingly large.

Mh.

THE AMKHICAN INDIAN.

hnri(
eiiti
Gov
JmcI

pin,

pro I

UJioi

PEHILb OF THE MISSIONAHY.

INTltoniCTOltY.

TluH. Iiowi'ver. (It)i's iKit urirto (ilt(><?«'-'"'"'r f''<"" '^ fint (tf injuHtico. Imt
ratlier fioiii iniitti'iition t'roiii luindrt not j,Mvt'ii to ivfleetiou, following
or iinit(itiii<,' iiiconKidorato t'xiiiii|ilt'H of others.

It is impossible, in tlie iiiitnro of tliiii<,'s. tlmt tlie Iinliiui ciiii l)e
cliiir<'i'iil»l(' with t'verythiiif,' bud that tlie piiblii- mind has I'oiitinuiilly
ht'H|K'<l upon Inm. Tlio t'ountry of wliicli <>ur race found him in
possosHion btdon;,'fd to him. and of it wo were invaders, in tiie li<rht
of justice ho is not guilty of alt tin* eahimities whieii befell us from
liis resistance to our invasion. We can not miy, in this connection,
that we procured liis consent to the occupation of his ctmntry by
trciilv, for there is no liistory of treaty transiictioiiB extant but what
reveals the fact tliat all such treaties were niad(^ un(h>r some kind of
compulsion. There is no instance on record where an Jndian. or any
iiatioM of Indians, voluntarily appealed to the white nnin, and otl'ered
to surrender to him his country. Individual trnnsnctions. for the
(•(inveyaiice of particular parcels of land, wei'e unknown in Indian
custom. Commercial transactions anion<^ them wei'e contined exclu-
sivelv to per.sonal property. 31oreover, the Indian [)o[)u!ation of the
whole North American continent scarcely exceeded, if it oven reached,
that of a million iidiabitants. Certainly this limited population,
scattered as it was over a vast continent, was not cajmbleof conunittin<^
outrai^es. to any very j^'riat extent. U])on the lar<j^o population of whites
which, even in the tii'st few years of the invasion, v.-ere found upon this
continent: so that our inijuiry, with reference to the wron<fs of the
parties, should rather be directed towai'ds consideration for the Indian
than that of the white umn. who entered upon the Indian's country
on no other princi]il(> than that of <'oii(]U(^st: and it certainly do(>s not
lie with liim to charge upon the concjuered party that he has been
wroni,'(Hl by his retreatinj^^ adversary.

The first vij,'orous presentation of tin- wronj^s of the Indian, at the
hands of the white man in this country, is in a book lately published,
entitled '"A century of dishonor." l)ein^ a sketch of the Tnited States
Govi'rnnient dealin<^s with some of the Indian tribes, bv Helen Hunt
Jackson, an authoress of distinction, and since deceased, which has
pro(hiced a marked ett'ect U[)on the jmblic ndnd. and which has
proliably caused more reflection in the minds of intelliirent people,
uj)on the Indian subject, than any wm'k Avrittt^n liefore concernin<r it

It is true that it has been set up in our defense, for our course in
pursuing and dispossessing the Indian ot his country, that he was not
using it to the best advantage, arrogating to ourselves the position that
we were the superior race, skilled in the arts and sciences, and that as
a consequence "the earth and the fullness thereof" of ri-'ht belouired

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

to US. This argument simply goes upon tho theory that " might makes
righ^' " There is no dispositioTi to take issuo with those who thus
summarily dispose of the Indian question; it simply presents ]!<■
argument upon a basis of justice, nor scarcely a plausible one upon
the face of the facts. The American Indian was mentally and
physically the equal of the race who Jiave succeeded him. He culti-
vated the soil; he maintained a system of society and civil government,
which challenged Iho admiration of the philanthropist, and he had
made such progress in the arts as the simplicity of his life
demanded.

Tins subject has been f()rcil)ly called to our attention by Mr.
Lewis H. Morgan, in an article on Indian migration, published in tlu'
North American lleview some twenty years ago, in wliich he notes thi
fact that at the period of the discovery of America, whilst the Indian.-
were ignorant of the use of iron, and consetjuently of the arts which
recjuii'ed this metal, they had undoubtedly made great progress, as
compared with their [iriuiitive state, and ho classifies them as existing
at that time iu tw(j dissimilar conditions. First, are the roving Indians,
depending for subsistence upon fish and game ; second, the village In-
dians, depending chietly u{)on agriculture; and between these two, and
connecting the extremes, as he stylos them, by accessible gradation,
he derives what may be called a third condition in a class, which he
designates partially roving and partially village Indians.

The first class had developed many useful arts. They possessed
the art of st ilvj'ig fire, nuddng a bow with a string of sinew, and the
arrowhead pointed \.",th fiiiit and bone: making vessels and utensils of
pottery; curing and tinning skins; making moccasins for the feet, and
wearing apparel in gmieral; together with various implements and
utensils of stone, wood and bone; of rope and net making from
filai'ients of bark; finger weaving with warp and woof, or working the
same material into sashes, burden straps, and other useful fabrics:
bisket making with osier, cane and splints; making canoes from the
skins of animals, birch bark and the trunks of trees, by digging out
with iheir rude implements, assisted by boring with fire; constructing
timber frame lodges, and tents covered with skins, bark or nnitting;
shaping stone malls, hammers and utensils; and of making fish-spears,
nets and bone hooks, implement.-* for athletic game,-*, musical instru-
mer.ts, such as t!ie fiute and drum, wea[)ons and persomd ornaments of
shell, bone and sti'ne.

Tliev had also invented the art of picture writing, and had like-
wi:*o developed a laiiguagoof signs, which became a medivim of com-
munication between nations speaking different languages. They pos-

INTP.onUCTOKY.

;ht makes
who thus
jseuts IK '
one upon
tally ivinl
He culti-
vernment,
id he hail
■ his life

m by Mr.

.hed in tlu'
3 notes tl't
le Inelian.-
ai'ts which
rogresH, as
as existing
iiij Indians,
village In-
'so two, and
gradation,
s, which he

y possessed
w, and thf
utensils of
le feet, and
nionts and
king from
crking the
ul fabrics;
s from the
igging out
)nstructing
ir matting:
tisli-s\)ears.
lioal instru-
namonts of

ll had like-
|im of com-
They pos

c)(>s;ied a form of government, and clearly defined domestic institutions,
which served to regulate their domestic and political affairs.

But whilst Mr. Morgan has thus classified the aborigines in ref-
erence to the exter.t of their development in the useful arts, he con-
cedes, in conclusion, that the difference between those of his two classi-
fications will be found much less in degree than would naturally bo
sup|)osed. The fact is that the classification whicli Mr. Morgan makes,
so far as development in the arts is concerned, will scarcely admit of
a distinction in this regard which he attempts to establish; for all
classe?, whether they were roving Indians, depending for subsistence
upon fish and game, or whether living in a more settled state, had
arrived at about the same point in their development nud progress in
the useful arts.

There were scarcely any tribes of Indians, although they may
have been called roving Indians, but that had their villages, to which
they resorted at certain seasons of the year; and there were none wlio
nii-'ht bo styled village Indians but that were given to this same spirit
of roving to a greater or less degree, or possessed a spirit of adventur> ,
the same as that Avhich. to a certain extent, characterizes the white

race.
'§, III speaking of the progress which had been made by the aborig-

ines in the arts at the time of the discovery, we rather assume that
tliev had advanced from a uKU'e primitive condition ; and in discussing
this subject most writers further assume that the Anu-rican Indian,
in his occu[)ation of this country, was preceded by a race who were
iiinch in advance of them in civilization, and who belonged to an
entirely different stock from the aborigint>s of later times. This
ancient peo[)le, l)y some, were styled the Moniid-bnilders; to whom
were attributed the erection of the numerous mounds or tamuli, which
} are found scattered over the continent, largely within the limits of
■m wiiat is styled the Mississip]n Valley, many of which are f(miid by
« enthusiasts on this subject to be in the form of fortifications for pur-
% poses of d(>fense.

I Conceding all that is claimed for ther,c numnds, and the people

it wiio constructed them, they fail to mark a knowleilge of the arts of a
I very extraordinary or superior character; no matter for what jiurpose
f they may have been made, there is nothing abmit them in respect to
J art to disprove, what may be a very reasonable presumption, that they
■1 were the same stock oT people, and but the ancestors of those whom
we call the aborigines or American Indians. That these mimnds or
tumuli may have been erected for various purpof 3s would seem to be
true, but the evidences afforded us show that they were generally

THE AMERICAN IXDIAK.

erected for purposes of burial. On opening them the remains of hu-
man bodies are found, deposited with utensils and implements, in con-
nection with the boily, in imitation of the same custom which pre-
vailed among the more modern aborigines.

That class of mounds found so numerous in Wisconsin, called
totem mounds, carry their own evidence of the modern Indian idea,
that of totems or syndiols designating a band or tribe.

Many Avho have written on this subject, in their enthusiasm to
work out the chosen theory that they were the work of a superior and
very ancient race, have seized upon very uncertain evidences in suj)-
port of tills theory, and have been led to contend tiiat many of these
mounds were artificial, hich, upon furtlier examination, have been
proven to be merely natural tumuli, as in the case of Mount Joliet,
so called, a mound situat-'d near Desplaines River, some ten miles
above its contluenco with the K .ikakee. in Illinois. This, n[)on its
first discovery, and for one hundred and fifty years thereafter, was an
object of attraction to all travelers, from its regular formatit)n, pre-
senting all the appearance of artificial work; but later iiivestigation
sliows it to bi! a natural mound, and not the work of human hands.
Mr. Drake, who seems to have given this subject much attention in his
history of the North American Indian, reaches abcmt the same con-
clusion in regard to these mounds.

Rev. Isaac McCoy. ^\lio gave much attention to this subject,
empiiatically dis[)utes the fact that tliest^ mounds atford any evidenct;
of their being constructed by a people advanced in civilization and the
arts, and reminds us that we never heard of a skeleton bt'^g found in
one of these ancient niDunds with which was connected any marks of
civilized nnm, and adds:

"Ancient mounds, fortifications and other indications of the resi-
dence of humiin ])eings, made probably centuries before the sprouting
of our oldest oaks, sliow that they were made by savage, and not by civil-
ized men. Hewn stones are not f(mnd; l)ut stone, when used, is as it
was taken from the ])rook or loose quarry. In their c<mstruction tlier-
is not a nean>r approximation to order in arrangement than would sug-
gest itself to a savage jiiind. Indians erect their huts in their villages
witiiout regard to the order which would proiluce streets. They arc
placed promiscuously, as leaves fall from tlie trees, and tliey never
plant their corn or other vegetables in rows. Similar indic^ation of in-
difference t^; order characterize the anciiMit works to which we have
alluded. AM wliich prove that our modern Indians are really tlie
al)original race, and tiiat they never had been more civilized than they
were when wo first became ac(£uainted with them."

IXTRODl'CTOHV.

ns of hu
ts, in con-
hich pre-

in, called
liiin idea,

Aisiasm to
)erior ami
3s in snp-
if of these
luive been
int Joliet,
) ten miles
s, upon its
ter, was an
ation, pre-
vestif^ation
iian hands,
ntion in his
same con-

lis subject,
y evidence
ion and the
i>r found in
V marks of

if the resl-
sproutin^f
lot by civil-
■d, is as it
action thev-

would 8Ui.r

n'ir villages
'fhey art'
they never
•ation of in-
ch we have
really tlir
hI than thev

And to the like eifect is the conclusion of Dr. Peck. Referring
to this subject in his gazetteer of Illinois, he says: "Of one thing
the writer is satisfied, that very imperfect and incorrect data have been
relied ujjou, and very erroneous conclusions drawn upon Western
antitjuities. Whoever has time and patience, and is in other respects
(lualified to explore this field of science, and will use his spade and
eyes together, and restrain his imagination from running riot amongst
mounds, fortifications, horse-shoes, medals, anclAvliole cabinets of I'elics
of the 'olden time,' will find very little more than the indications of
rude savages, the ancestors of the present race of Indians."

We have taken occasion in another part of tliis work incidentally
to remark that the Indian has never yet written his own history.
From the force of circumstances the field of Indian history became
earlv monopolized by the white man. and although some faint attempts
have been made within a few years past on the part of the native
Indian to bring into our literature, for the informaticm of later genera-
tions, something concerning this mysterious pe()[)le from their own
native stand[>oint, yet, comparatively speaking, the Indian has never
obtained a hearing in the white man's court of general pul)lic opinion.

Some seven or eight years ago, a small work of some two hundred
pages was published, entitled '"The legtmds, traditions, and laws of the
Iro([Uois or Six Nations," by Elias Johnson, a native Tuscarorn chief,
evidently a man of good English education. In the inti'oductory
chajiter of his book he puts forth a brief but spirited defense of Indian
character, and arraigns the white man in words of stirring elociuence
for his acts of barbarism committed upon the Indian race. Addressinir
his language to tiie white man, he says;

"If individuals should have come among you to expose the bar-
barities of savage white men the deeds they relate would quite ec^ual
anything known of Indian cruelty. The picture an Indian gives of
civilized Ixirbarism leaves the revolting custom of the wilderness ipiite
in the background. You experienced tiieir revenge when vou ha<l put
tlieir souls and bodies at a stake, with your fire-water that nmddened
tiieir brains. There was a pure and beautiful s()iritualitv in their
fate, and their conduct was much more infiuenced by it, as are any
people. Christian or Pagan."'

In citing instances of barbai'ism on the part of whiti^ men towards
the Indians, in the early history of the continent, Mr. .lolmson thus
refers to tiie destruction of the Pecjuots by the pious Puritans of Xi^v
England:

'•b thei'e anything more barbaric in the annals of Indian warfare
Mum the narrative of the Pcquod Indians':' In one place we read of

THK AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

the surprise of nn Iiulinn fort by niglit, wlien the inmates were slum-
bering, ui;consoious of any danger. "When they awoke they Avero
wrapped in tiames, and when they attempiod to Hee, were shot down
like beasts. From village to village, from wigwam to Avigwam, the
murderers proceeded, 'being resolved,' as your historian piously
remarks, 'by God's assistance, to make a final destruction of them,'
until finally a small but gallant band took refuge in a swamp.
Burning with indignation, and made sullen by des[)air, with hearts
bursting with grief at the destructiim of their nation, and spirits
galled >'nd sore at the fancied ignominy of their defeat, they refused
to ask life at the hands of an insulting foe, and preferred death to sub-
mission. As the night drew cm, they were surrounded in their disiuiil
retreat, volleys of musketry poured into their midst, until nearly all
were killed or buried in the mire.

''There is nothing in the character of Alexander of Macedon, who
'conquered the world and wept that he had no more to conquer.' to
compare with the noble (pialities of King Philip of Mt. Ho})e, and
among his Avarriors are a long list of brave men unrivalled in deeds of
heroism by any of ancient or modern story. But in what country, and
by Avliom were they hunted, tortured, and slain, and Avho was it tlidt
met together to rejoice and give thanks at every species of cruelty
inflicted upon those who Avere fighting for their AviA'es, their children,
their homes, their altars, and their God? Wlien it is recorded that
'men, Avomen and children, indiscriminately, were hewn down and lay
in heaps upon the snow,' it is spoken of as doing God's service,
because they Avere nominally heathen. ' Before the fight Avas finished
the AvigAvams AA'ere set on fire, and into those hundreds of innocent
women and children h.id crowded themselves, and perisheil in the
general conflagration,' And for those thanksgiA-ings Avere sent up to
lieaA'en, the head of Philip is strung upon a pole and ex[)osed to tlie
public. But this Avas not done by savage warriors, and the croAvd tluit
huzzaed at the revolting spectacle assembled on the Sabbath day, in a
Puritan chi:rch, to listen to the Gospel that proclaims pence and love
to all men. His body Avas literally cut in slices to be distri'outed
among the concpienu's, and a Christian city rings Avith acclamation."

Continuing this subject, Mr. Johnson further reminds us of a
special instance of l)arl)arism Avhich peculiarly attracts our attention.
'• Avhore, by the Governor of JamestoAvn, a hand Avas seA'ered from tin'
arm of a peaceful, aiofi'ending Indian, that he might be sent back a
ternn- to his peo[)le.'' And, Mr. Johnson observes, it AA-as through tin'
magnaiiimity of a daughter and King of that same ])eople that tlio
English colony at JamestoAvn Avas saved from destruction, and that it

TNTUODUCTORY.

ere slum-
they were
ihot down
(rwnm, the
\\ piously

of them,'
a swamp.
dth hearts
iiul spirits
lev refused
nth to sub-
:ieir dismal

nearly all

.cedon, who
'oiiquer.' to
Hope, and
in deeds of
•ountry, and
was it that
\ of cruelty
ir children,
corded that
>wn and lay
id's servioe,
was finished
of innocent
4ied in the
sent up t(i
Kised to the
:> crowd thiit
ith day, in a
ice and love
distributed
•laination."
ids us of n
nr attention,
i-cd from til''
sent back a
throuf^h till'
^\^.^ that the
and that it

was tlirough their love anil trust alone that Powhatan and Pocahontas
lost their forest dominions.

In conclusion on this subject, Mr. Johnson says: "1 hav- writ-
ten in somewhat of the spirit which will characterize a history by an
Indian, yet it does not deserve to be called Indian paitiality, but only
justice and the spirit of humanity; or, if I may be aUowed to say it,
the siiirit with which any C'hrir.tian should In able to consiih'r the
character and deeds of his foe. I would not detract from the virtues
of vour forefather.s. They were at that time nnrivalled. but bigotry
and superstition of the dark ages still lingered among them, and
their own perils blinded them to the wickedness and cruelty of the
meajl^• they took for defense.

" Four, and perhaps two centuries hence, I doubt not some of
your dogmas will seem unchristian, as flio Indians seem to you, and i
trulv hope, ere then, all wars will seem as barbarous, and the fantastic
dress of the soldier as ridiculous, as you have been in the habit of
reni-esenting the wars and the wild drapery of the Indians of the

forest.

"How long were the Saxon and Celt in becoming a civilized and
Christian peojile? How long since the helmet, the coat of mail and
the battle ax were laid aside?"'

And Mr. Johnson might well have observed that Avhilst the coat of
mail and tlio battle ax of our ancestors have been laid aside, there has
been substituted in place of the before mentioned implements of war-
fare, through the ingenuity of the refined and civili/ed white man,
implements and engines of destruction in civilized warfare still more
terrible; and marking more prominently a latent spirit of V)arbarism
than the battle ax or other primitive implements of sanguinary con-
test of the age to which Mr. Johnson refers, and affording a strange
anaiuoly in the elements of our boasted modern civilization.

But the Indian has contended against fate; his power is broken,
and the charm of his ancient glory is among those things which are
past, and his country, with its limpid streams, enchanting forests and
majestic mountains, inherited from his fathers, shall know him no
more. Pursued in his retreating footsteps by the onward march of
civilized man, to the final extinction of h's race, under the crushing
decrees of inevitable destiny. The murmuring streams of the vallev,
the requiem winds of the surviving forests, but tell us of his wrongs,
and seemingly unite in tones of n.ournful concord, in condt^mnation of
his unjust fate; and how fitting are the sympathizing words of the
poet, "Lo, the poor Indian."

.«i#

CHAPTER IT.
ORIGIN.

Speculation of Ethnologists— Lost Tribes of Isrnol — Roscmblanco Botwoon tlic
Indiaus and People of Asia — Language of Northeastern Asia Similar to Amerieati
Languages — Comparison of Words in Indian and Asiatic Languages— Wreck of
Japanese Junk on Northwest Coast -Conclusiona Therefrom — Similar Customs
with the Ancient Jt>ws The ]?ow and Arrow — Like those found in Asia— Tln'
Indian has in all Ages Reproduced Himself Ancient Ruins — Ancient jMounds-
Ancient I'ottery— Same Made by Modern Tribes— Indian Languages Eeveiil
History -Testimony of Humboldt — Capt. Jonatlian Carver — Si)anish Authorities-
Tradition of the Mexicans Former Spanish Occupation —Opinions of Numerous
Authors— Uniform Characteristics anumg the Indian Tribes — Intelligence of the
Native Indian — A Descendant of tht* Most Ancient Population — His Primitive
Condition not Evidence to the Contrary.

\W^r:^/HEEE has been muoli specu-
'Hj; icA latiou aiiiong eiiinolo<ri:,ts
•^jif concerinug the origin of tiie
^ people, or aboriginal inlial)-
itants, found upon the continent of
the Western Heniispliere, now called
North and South America, at the
time of the discovery by Europeans:
and as tinit; rolls on tiiere wiunns tn
be an increasing interest manifest
among lis, concerning this peoph".
and especially as to the subject of
their origin.

Some have endeavored to derive
tlieir origin fnmi the Mongols, others
from the Malays; -whilst those mIid
rely upon the account coming to us from the Jews, as to tlie Iteginning
and progress of tht» Avorld and remarkable events in its history, aic
inclined to adopt tlie theory that the aboi-iginal inhabitants of tliis
country are descendants from what is known as the Lost Tribes of
Israel, or those ten tribes spoken of in Jewish history, concernini^-
whose descendants no acccmnt is given us.

It is not the object here to combat any theory that may have been
advanced ui)on this subject, for, so far as the means of proof can he

IJ8

CIIIUSTOPUER COH'MBUS.
(From .ut olj riiiiitinif )

OlilOIN.

Botwoon llu'
■ to Aineric'iUi
es— Wreck of
lilar Customs
in Asia— Tin-
;nt INIounds- -
,ia>;*^« Ri'vt'iil
Autboritiw-
of Nmiiorous
litjeueo ot tlu'
His Priiuitivi'

nnch speeu-
elu?volojr':its
[•igiu ot: tilt'
riiuil iiilmb-
iontiueut of
now cuUihI
It'll, at the
iiiropt^ins :
e aoeins to
st uiHiiit'est
lis people,
subject of

fed to derive
i>fols, others
^t those who
e ])e<:jiiuuiiij;
history, ure
(lilts of this
(,i Tribes of
couceruiii^

y have been
roof can be

attained, all must remain ecjually unsupported by anythinff like satis-
factory evidence ; but in passing over this (question, it maybe suggested
that, when we have examineil all theories, and exhausted all research
in this regard, we have but to content ourselves with accepting things
as we find them.

liiquirv into the origin of the aboriginal inhabitants of this
ct)untrv, anil their past history, is as unsatisfactory and mysterious to
lis as the inquiry concerning the origin of matter itself, and as to
evervthing having a material existence. We simply know that the
land [)()rtion of the earth's surface, including the islands of the stui. are
alike inhabited by the race of mankind, with such physical structures
and characteristics of conduct as demonstrate the fact of their coming
oriirinallv from ime common source.

The fact that portions of the human family ai"e found inhabiting
remote islands of the sea. it would seem, can lie accounted for in no
other way tiian that, at some very distant period in the world's history,
the earth was traversed and the waters navigated to the extent and
with the like facility of the present day, from which the inhabitants of
the earth became scattered over its surface as we now find tliein; and
that at some time the art of navigation was lost or fell into ilisuse,
whereby this communication was interrupted and ceased longer to
e.vist. until restoreil in modern times; and, for aught we know, the in-
habitants of the earth may at some time have navigated the air with
complete success, as is l)eing attempted in modern times.

If we accept as true the Jewish account of the Hood, or general
inundation of the earth's surface, wherebv the race of mankind was
totally destroyed, with the exception of those who were gathei-ed into
the Ark of Noah, and that upon the diHap})earance of the waters this
ark rested ujion Mount Ararat, and from those who were saved therein
sprang or descended all the present inhabitants of the earth, then we
may accept as rational the theory that the original inhabitants of this
country, found here at the discovery by Europeans, came from Asia
across that narrow strait on the northwest coast, as has been very
generally contended for.

Whoever has given this subject any considerable attention has
not failed to find a marked resemblance between the aboriirines of
America and the people of Asia. But discarding the Jewish account
of the flood, it would be just as correct and eij^ually as consistent for us
to suppose that the people of Asia are descendants from the aboriginal
people of the American continent, as to sup[)ose that the people of the
latter are descendants from the people of the former continent.

Among those who have given the result of their investigation

(50

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Concerning the origin of the American Inilinn, Mr. Jefferson, in his
" Notes on Virginia," presents a very consistent and plausible theory.
He says, "that if the two continents of Asia and America be separated
at all, it is oidy by a narrow strait; so that from this side also inhab-
itants may have passed into America, and tlie resemblance between
the Indians of America anil the eastern inhabitants of Asia wonld
induce us to conjecture that the former were the descendants of the
I'ltter, or the latter of the former, excepting, indeed, the Escjuimeaux,
wiio from the same circumstance of resem])lance, and from identity of
language, must be derived from the Greenlanders, and these probably
from some of the northern parts of the old continent." Mr. Jefferson,
alsfi, like many others, puts great reliance in the test of language as
indicating sources of origin.

In the theory of Mr. Jefferson, the Esquimaux, it will be seen,
who inhabit the frozen regions, are not included in the common stock
of the American race, but are of European descent, coming through
the Greenlanders from some of the northern parts of the old continent.
Concerning the origin of the American Indians, Mr. John Mcin-
tosh, in his comprehensive work on the No, \ American Indian, in
giving his conclui'jions as to the result of his investigation, advances
the opinion that the aborigines of North America, found here at the
time of the discovery, with the exception of the Esipiimaux, came
from nortlieastern Asia. The Es(|uimaux, he concludes, were a stock
which came from northwestern Europe, thus pursuing the theory ad-
vanced by Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Mcintosh says: "Asia, no doubt, con-
tributed, at diffei'ent periods, to the peopling of America with tribes of
a different degree of civilization. The Tartars, Siberians and
Kamschadales are, of all the Asiatic nations with whom travelers are
ac(juainted, those who bear the greatest resemblance to the North
American Indians, not only in their manners and customs, but also in
their features and complexions. The Tartars have always l)een known
as a race whose dis()osition led them to rove and wantler in quest of
coiupu'st anil {)lunder.

" Whilst the pn^sent Indians can be identified as the descendants
of the Tartars or Siberians, and when it can be proved beyond a doubt
that America was inhabited by a more civilized people than the present,
it may fairly be conjectured tliat the original or more civilized inhabit-
ants were exterminated by some great revolution, which had probably
l)een affected by a Tartar invasion similar to that which, under Genghis
Khan, devastateil the Chinese empire, and to that also which over-
whelmed the Roman empire."

The writer then proceeds to show how far the persons, features

..jsiw

OIlIOIX.

♦51

n, in his
le tlioory.
sepnratod
Iso inhiib-
) between
iia would
nts of the
|uinie(iux,
dentity of
) probably
Jefferson.

nifunj'e ais

II be seen,
imon stock
g through
. continent,
ohn Mc'In-
IndifUi, in
1, tidvances
lere at the
laux, came
re a stock
theory ad-
onbt, con-
h tribes t)f
nans and
ivelers are
the North
)ut also in
een known
in (jiiest of

escendants
lul a doubt
le present,
I inhabit-
probably
;r Genghis
ich over-

s. features

and complexions of some of the Asiatic tribes coincide with tliose of
the North American Indians. '• We are assured," says Mr. Mclntosli,
"bv all tiiose travelers who made any in<iuirie8 after the nature and
construction of the languages or dialects spoken in the northeast of
Asia, that they partake in an i.minent degree of the idioms of the
American languages."' Mr. Mcintosh then proceeds to make a critical
c()mi)arison between the Nortii American Indians and the tribes of
northeastern Asia, and proves to his own satisfaction that they are
identically the same stock, with the exception of the Escpiimaux.

In further establishing his theory he siiys: "By the discoveries of
Capt. Cook in his last voyage, it has been established without a doubt,
that at Kamschatka, in latitude (U) deg. north, the continents of Asia
and America are separated by a strait only eighteen miles wide, and
that the inhabitants (Ui each ccmtinent are similar, and frecjuently pass
and repass in their canoes from one continent to the other. It is also
certain that, during the winter S(>ason, liehring's strait is frozen from
one side to the other. Capt. Williams(m, who was lieutenant to Cook
in tiiose voyages, has also asserted that from the middle of the channel
betw' ■^n Kamschatka and America, he discovered land on either side.
This siiort distance, therefore, he says, should account for t\w peopling
of America from the northeast parts of Asia. The same author further
asserts that there is a cluster if islands interspersed between the two
continents, and that he frequently saw canoes passing from one island
to the other. From these circumstances we may fairly conclude that
America was peopled fiom the northeast parts of Asia, and during our
in([uirv we sliall endeavor t(/ point t)ut facts which tend to prove the
particular tribe in Asia from whom the Nortli American Indians are
directly descejuled. The Esquinmux, on the east of Labrador, are
evidently a separate s])ecies of nu^n, distinct from all the naticms of the
American continent in language, disposition, and habits of life, and in
all these respects they bear a near resemblance to the Northern Euro-
peans. Their beards are so thick and large that it is with dilHculty
the features of their face can be discovered, while all the other tribes
of America are particularly distinguished for the want of beards."

"Whilst the language of a people may be adopted as a test of
common origin to a certain extent, yet it must be conceded that tiiis is
not in all respects the most reliable proof that may be adduced to this
end. The manners and customs of a [)eople ara stronger evidence in
establishing race unitv. These are more fixed and atford strcmjrer in-
dications of character than mere language em[)h)yed in communication
between individuals.

But whilst words iu a language may become so far changed that

|R'

-f/t

-ft

THi: AMERICAN INDIAN.

tlifi orififiiml is succeeded l)y other and entirely ditTerent words, yet the
general construction of ii lnn^un<^e may rt'nmin tiie Hume, imd in tiiis
respect language may be reganled as furnishing evidence of as endur-
ing a nature as manners and customs; and it is noted that the Ameri-
can languages throughout both Nortli and South America are marked
by the saiin^ pecnliar construction, and it is lilunvise noticed tliat tlin
manners and customs of the aborigines, especially of North America,
are in most respects essentially the same from the Atlantic to th Pa-
cific, and from the frozen North to the (lulf of Mexico. These relate
to their religion, their fasts, their feasts, their miule of traveling, their
domestic relations, and their mode of life in general.

Among other things Mr. !McIntf)sh makes a comparison of lan-
guages, showing a similarity between the languages ot the American
Indian and some of the Asiatic communities, from which some exami)le8
are here subjoined:

ASIATIC.

INDIAN.

Lenni Lennpe- -A'/Zxc/* imanitto.

• roiiuois A'/o/(.
Kikkiipoos Kinliek.
NarriiKansettB - Kccsli iik.
Chippewiis yooKiirli, housoIi,
Dnrieu IndiauK Taiituh.
PocouehiH Tut.
Curibbees Baba,

Pottiiwatamies- -iV'fH « ft.
Darien Indians— AVrxi/if/i.

Pottawatamies — Ncowdli.

Indians * Penobscot and St. Jobns-
Kcctoii.

GOD.

KaniHcliadalos — /Lo/t'/N((/( tiiul Kitchi

MtllKKl.

Senioyads Ni>ob a nil Xioh.

Tartars— A'ocA'.

Honioyadfi — Koosoek.

KaniRcliadali's y<iem'ck.

Oloni'tza or Fins Taiito.

W.'illac'hianH — Tut.

Tartars on the Jenisea— i3a/»«.

MOTUEU.

Tartars of Orenburg — Anna,
T<)()8hetti — A\/ )()(«.

WIFE.

Senioynds — AVoo.
;>osE.

Tongusi — Kuitoii,

Chileses— A''t'.

Indians of Pennsylvania — Uakdlii.

Cbippewas — />/.s',s/.s, JJascy.

Pottawatamics — In doicn.

Lenni Lenape — Nalih.

Cbippewas — Weas.

Cbippewas — Mickewali.

Chi PI )e was — A'c.v ix, K inch is.
Mackicanni— A'('t'.sor//t.

EYES.

Tcberkessi— AV.

FOREUEAI).

Tooshot ti — Haka.
HAin.

Koriaks — JJ-fncii.

MOrXH.

Koriaks — Andoon.

HAND.

Akaehini — Nak.

FLESH.

Koriaks— H Vosi.

HEART.

Tongusi- Michewan.

Sl'N.

Koriaks — Kccdnvli i.s.
Knrascbadales— A'eo.w n.

omoiN.

INDIAN.

Miarais— /i(7.si"(-
Diikotns— Oircc/i.

Shiiwnees— .l/ai/Mrt.

Cliippfwas- Mittic.
Cliprokees Attoh,

ASIATIC.

MOON.

Kftmscbii.liiles— A'<«>/sou'«/i.

Tartars- -fJic. .Ice.

STAli.

Kamscliadalt's — l,<iirkw<th.
wool).

HenioyadH — Mfitc.
Tartars — (>ln<>li\

Leuui Lenape— r((H(/('M',

(Ilit'iDkoes — Ki'eni.
J)iirieu Indians — Txi

Leuui Lenapc— /cAvf
Cliippewas— ll'o////.

Cliippewas — A'ec.
Miaiiiis — .Vcc.
Wvandnts — Dec.

FUtE.

Somoyads — Tuu.
ooa.

Tobioebouski— /\'»r/(j.
Piimyocolli — Tzcr.

THERE.

Kartaliui Kckn, Hvk.
Koriaks — \\'(i<i<ilcli.

THE FiusT rKRsoxAii PiioxoiN I (E^oin Latin).

Kamsc'liadalos Xieali,
Koriaks — Xi'dli.
L('s>,'his Ih'c.

Mr. Nathaniel J. "SVyetli, who spent a number of years in the
ailventurous Indian trade west of the Kooky Mountains, and who be-
tween 1882 and 1830 was an n<^ent or factor of the Hudson Bay Coni-
jinny, was led to consider the subject of the origin of the American
Indian. Ho says in the winter of 18;5;? lie saw two Japanese who liad
l»een wrecked in a junk near the entrance to the straits of Fuca. and
that if they had been dressed in the same manner and placed with the
Chiuook slaves, whose heads are not flattened, he could not have dis-
covered the difference between the two. This instance is but one in
the long chain of proof which has been brought forward from numer-
ous sources, leading to the irresistible conclusion that the American
Indian is of Mongolian or Asiatic stock.

Peter Jones, an educated Indian of the Ojibway nation, wlio iip-
[tears to have been a man of remarkable intelligence, and who gave
much attention to the history and traditions of his race, says:

'•Iain inclined to the opinion that the aborigines of America
came originally from the northern parts of Asia, and that they crossed
over at Behring's straits. I think this su[){)osition may account for
the prevailing opinion among almost all the tribes, that their fore-
fathers were first placed somewhere in the West, whence they took
their journey toward the sun-rising. The notion they entertain of
the souls of the dead returning to a good coiiiitry toward the sun-set-
ting, may be derived from a faint remembrance of their having come
from that direction, and the love they still feel for the better land they
left behind."

0^4

THE AMEIUC.VN INDIAN.

Miiiiy writoi'H nml otliiuil()<,'i.sts Imvo found in tlio niitivo tribes ni
Amoricii various traits and cuKtouis lii<o thoso of the Jtnvs, some of
whii'li are idtMitically tiie same, presenting coincidoncos in this regard
whicii it wouhl seem could not exist, except upon the tlieory tliat thiy
sprang from, or were at some tin\e connected with, tlie hitter peophv
And so in reganl to imphMuents in use by the natives of Ncrtii America
at the time of the discovery, whicli were identical in many r;ispects
with those in use by the inhabitants of A.iiii. The liow and arrow
found in use by the natives of North America were essentially the
sanu^ iinplenu'nts used by the Tartars and otlier inha])itiints of the
Asiatic continent, including the ancient .lews. The stone ax in use
by the aboriginal inhabitants of Ntjrth America was, in its form, not
uidikci impleiUiMits of the kind in use l)y the inhabitants of the Old
World; and many samples of these have been found which are of the
.same gt>neral ])atter!i as the modern steel ax of the present (hiy.

Among otiier evidenctis that go to prove race unity, or that the
American linlinns of North and South Americ;i are of one stock, is
tiiat whicli is called their totems or 8ym1)ols, which mark the identity
of a tribe, band or family. This characteristic was found among all
the tribes, it would appear, from the Arctic region to Cape Horn.

On the subject of race unity, Dr. Williams, in his history of
Vermont, published manv vears ago, in referring to the aborigines of
this country, says: "They hail spread over the whole continent from
the iJOth degree of north latitude to the southern extremity of Caj)e
Horn, and these men everywhere appear to be the same race, and tht>
same [)eo[)le in every part of the continent. The Indians are marked
with a similarity of color, features and every circumstance of external
appearance. Pedro De Cicca De Leon, one of the conquerors of
Peru, who had traveled through many provinces of America, says of
the Indians: 'The people, nuMi and womeTi, althougli there are such
multitude of tribes or nations, in sucli diversities of climates, appear
nevertheless like the children of one father and mother.' "

In all ages of Indian history, from the light atf(n-ded us, they
have revealed the same general physical characteristics. They have
reproduceil themselves through succeeding generations without change.
The black straight hair, the black glo.ssv i yi Mi" coHin-shaped face,
produced l)y prominent cheek b ^s le peculiar red color, among
others, have been recognized ;<
ology and type of the Araeri
remarks, fullness or laidviiess ol < -;cle. ' ight or shortness of stature,
and weakness or vigor in body, may be C' isidered as the effects of food
or climate, but the traits that preside over and give character to the

1 1 characteristics in the physi-
indian. As . Schoolcraft well

'it

ribes nf

SOUH> of

liat till y
■ jicojtlo.
Ameru'ii

i\»spt'rts
111 arrow
iiilly tlio
ts of tlu'
X in tise
form, not

the 01.1

TB of tllf

ay.

that t\w

stock, is

B iiltMitity

imoii^ all

lorn.

listory of
rij^ines of
iient from
of CaiH'
and tlif
marked
external
nerors of
, says of
are such
3s, appear

us, tliey
hey have
ut i'han<^e.
ped faee.
n\ among
the i)hysi-
craft well

f stature,
ts of food
ter to the

<f.

oiiiaiN.

iiiiiscular mass rihow theiuaelves m clearly in the well fed (3rtH<,'P and
Dakota and the stately Algonipiin, as in the tish and rahhit fed Gens
de terre (Muskego) on the confines of Canada, or the root-eatin*,'
Shoshonee of the Hocky Mountains.

•• Thus it is," says Dr. Horton, "the American Indian from the
s<mthern extremity of the continent to the northern limits of his
ran<'e. is the same exterior man. With somewhat variable stature and
I'oiiiplexion. his distinctive features, thou^'h variously modified, are
never etl'aced; and he stands isolated from the rest of mankind,
identified at a «;lance in every locality, and under every variety of
circumstances; and even his desiccated remains, which have withstood
the destroying hand of time, preserve the primeval type of liis race,
excepting only when art has inter[)08ed to [irevent it."

In this connection it is pro[)er to note, that among the primitive
Indians, j)hvsical deformity of person was seldom, if ever, known — a
condition of things that would naturally follow from regular habits
iind simplicity of life.

In tracing race origin or coincidences among races tending to
show common origin, we are struck with the marked similarity in the
ancient ruins found in some latitudes in both the Old and the New
World, and this more especially in that dry and peculiar climate in
tli(> latitude of Egypt and Central America. The ]>yraniids and
pe<'uliar style of buildings, or other superstructures, hiiu'oglyphics,
and all, might well be taken us evidence that they were tiie work of a
peo[)le at some time having communiccition with each other, and,
indeed, such is the theory of Mr. Donnelly, advanced in his spirited
and interesting Avork, entitled "Atlantis."

That there are not more of these ancient ruins fimml in the more
northern latitudes of this continent, marking a higher civilization at
some earlier period, is Jio doubt due to the peculiar climate in this
latitudi\ in which it is found that the most enduring stone dissolves
or decomposes within a limited time. It is not so in Egypt or other
(•(luiitries of like climate, where these ancient monuments or marks of
civilization are found at thi.-. day in a good state of preservation.

There is no doubt whatever, and nmny evidences have from time
to time been brought to light to show, that the country of the "Western
H<'mis[)here was, at some time, inhabited by people existing in a
higher state of civilization than that of the native population found
here at the time of the discovery. This is esjjecially proven by the
meager ruins Avhich have been discovered in Mexico and Central
America. But notwithstanding this disadvantage in the want of
physical evidence, there is history in the language, manners and

l^r*"!

(SO

THE AMr.lUCAN INDIAN.

KCIN8 OF CHI-CHEN OR CHI-CHENITZA.
An ancient city of Mexico, In the Interior of the State, and Poninsula of Yucatan, Central America.

KflN.H AT rXMAIi IIY MOONLIOHT.

These ruins ntand on a p'ain In the renlnsula of Yucatan. When llrBt illBcovered, they were covered
with a thick forest. The most remarliable edlflceH lie in a Kroiip, and consist of ps-ramlds, coated with strnt
and cuiadianKular stone edifloes and tcrraceH. One of these jiyninilds Is l!iO feet In height, sntiporting R
temple oi] the same. On one nf the facades of the temple ire four human tlKures, slmiUar to Caryatldea,
cut In the stone with i;reat exactness and elegance. Their hands arc crossed upon the breast, their heads are
enveloped In gomethlni; like a casque.

OUIGIN.

•;7

America,

'e covered
li'il with fltrni
iHUiipnrtlni; i>.
lo raryatldes,
Tieir liea(l8 ar<>

customs of tlie iip.live population here, wliioli, if pursued mid iiivesti-
irdted ])r.)|)erly and with diligence, leads to certain results in detei'-
niiiiii;" the past, certainly as unerring as the crumbling monnnient:-
and tlini inscriptions remaining to us in portions of the Old World.

in oi.'.uiing the numerous mounds found in various localities
thrnuiihout the Mississijijji valley, ancient ])ottery of various patterns
and sliillfnl r.^anufacture is found, l-ailing us to conclude that it was
tlie work of a people in a civiliziHl condition of life, the art of making
wbich was not possessed by the natives who were found here at the
linie of tlie discovery ; lu'ither did these natives hav(v any tradition,
it is said, as to the people who were the nnmufacturers of these
utensils. Tlieir utensils, for the like pur[)ose, what few tlnn' had.
were made of bark or wood, or something of the kind: l)ut if we will
take tli'3 trouble to inquire into the language of the people found hen^
at the discovery, especially those of the Algonciuin group, we will
lind evidence of some connection between these people and those v lio
wer'! the manufacturers of this ancient pottery, leading us to the con-
clusion that the same is the A\ork of thoir ancestors, ami that the term
prehistoric, as applied to this pottery, is a hiisnomer.

Two hundred years ago, or at the first appearance of the white
man. if an Ojibway Indian v/ere shown an ir(ni kettle, and wliose
utensils for tlie like purpose were made of bark, and who had never
seen an iron kettle, and ho should be asked whar he called it. he wouhl
sav ■• A-kcck," that is, a tiling made of earth, in other words cdrllirn
irarc, from (i-ki'(\ earth, and (t-kcck, a thing nnide of earth: which
would appear to be some evidence, from th(^ language of this peo[>le,
showing that they were the descendants of those who manufactured
this pottery; and that whilst the art is lost to the present descen<lants
iif those who manufactured it. yet the historical fact in tiuestion is
preserved in the language of their descendants of the piesent day.

Tt seems to bt^ a prevailing feature in tiie writings of all pcisons
who have discussed the subject of the origin of the American Indian,
that this people came from some other continent. There are some,
however, like the distinguished ethnologist Morton, and his disciples,
Knott and (Hidden, who boldly strike out upon a ditl'erent theory, and
claiiii for the .\nHU'ican a distinct origin: one. as they say, as indige-
nous to the continent itself as its fiiiimt and Jlora.

The American race, says Dr. Morton, differs esst ntially from all
others, not excepting the Mongolians; nor do the feelilc analogi(>s of
the language, and the more obvi(ms ones of civil and religions insti-
tutions and arts, denote anything beyond a casual communication
with the Asiatic nation: an, I evn these analogies may periiaps bo

THE AMEIUCAX INDIAN.

accouiitoil for, as Humboldt has suggested, in the mere coincidences
arising from the wants and impulses in nations inhabiting similar
latitudes.

Even Prichai'd, whose views in regard to the human race differ
materially from those of Morton and hia school of ethnology,
acknowledges that, comparing the American Indian tribes with each
other, we find reasons to believe that they must at some time have
existed as a separate department of people in the earliest ages of
the world.

Hence, in adopting theories of this class, we can not expect, in
tracing the relations i:etween the American Iiulians and the rest of
mankind, to discover proofs of their derivation from any })articular
tribe or nation in the old continent.

In the classification by the eminent ethnologist Blumsnbach, the
American Indians are treated ;:.-; a distinct variety (»f tiie human ram,
whilst in the threefold divisions of mankind, laid down by Dr.
Latham, they all rank among the Mongolaide. Other ethnologists of
acknowledged learning also regard them as a branch of the great
Mvnigolian family, which at a remote period of the world's history
found tiieir way from Asif- to the Ain<>rican continent, and there
nunained for thousands of years, separate from tiie res' of mankind,
[)assing meanwhile through various alternations of barbarism and
civilization.

It is admitted, however, that among all the various American
tribes, from the Arctic ocean to Cape Horn, there is greater uni
f>)rmity of [)liysical structure and personal characteristics than is seen
in any other (piarter of the globe. There are varieties of them, it is
true, and these are sometinms of a very striking kind. Tlie native
tribt!s of red men in tlie tcn-ritory of tlie country nortli of the latitudes
of tlie (rulf of Mexico differ in many respects from tl.e native inliab
itants of South America, but all exliibit evidences of belonging to the
same great branch of the human family.

Tlie testimony of Humboldt on this point is, that the Indians of
New S{)ain bear a general resemblance to those who iiihal)it Canada,
Floridfi, Peru and Brazil; and that from Ca|)e Horn to tiie river St.
jjawrence ami lieliring's strait, we are struck at the first glancci with
the general resemblance of the features of the aboriginal inhabitants
of the two continents, and perceive them all to be descendants of the
same stock, notwithstanding the great diversity of their languages.

Capt. Jonathan Carver, who, during the mithllo oF tin* last century,
traveled (juite extensively through the country west and northwest of
Lake Michigan, and who afterwards published a book giving an account

ORIGIN.

clences
■iiuiilur

e differ
iiology,
th each
lie have
ages of

pect, in

rest of

irticiilar

ach, the

lau Jiico,

by Dr.

jirists of

he great
\ history
u\ there
luaiikiiul.
ism ami

Vmeriean
iter uni
11 is seen
u'lii, it is
10 nativi-'
^ hititude
e iiihai)
ig to tht-

liuliaiis ot

Canada,

river St.

Imce witli

habitants

Its of the

liages.

century,
[thwi^st ol
III account

-St

of his travels and experience among the native Indians of the country
tliroU''h which he passed, has appended to his journal or narrative
of Ids travels quite an exhaustive disquisition on the subject of the
ori<dii of the American Indians, in which is collected the views and
i^iiecnlations of some of the most eminent writers and ethnologists,
wlio have neld to the opinion that the natives of North America
oiiginally came from some other continent. From this narrative the
following extracts will be found interesting:

" Mt)st of the historians or travelers who have treated on the
American aborigines disagree in their sentiments relative to them.
Many of the ancients are supposed to have known that this quarter of
tlie I'lobe not t^nly existed, but also that it was inhabited. Plato in
his TiniiGus lias asserted that beyond the Island which he calls
Atalantis, and which, according to his description, was situated in the
Wostern ocean, there Avere a great number of other islands, and behind
those a vast continent.

"Oviedo, a celebrated Spanish author of a much later date, has
made no scruple to aflirni that the Antilles are the famous Hesperides
so often mentioned by the [loets; which are at lengtii restoretl to
the Kings of Spain, the desceiuhmts of King Hesperus, who lived
upwards of three uiousand years ago, and fi'oin whom these islands
received their names.

' Two other Spaniards, the one, Father Gregorio Garcia, a
Doininicaii, the other, Fatiier Joseph De Acosta. a Jesuit, have written
on tht> origin of tiie .Vniericans.

"The former, who had i)een employed in thc^ missions of Mexico
ami Peru, endeavored to prove from the traditions of the Mexicans.
I't'rnvians and others, which he received on the spot, and from the
vfiriety of characters, customs, languagt^s, and religion o1)servable in the
(liltVrent countries of the New World, that dilfertsiit nations had con-
tributed to the peopling of it.

"The latter. Father De Acosta, in his examination of the means
hy which the first [ndians of ,\merica might have found a passage to
that continent, discredits tlu> conclusions of those who have supposed
it to i)e by sea, liecause no ancitMit author has made mention of tiie
lapass; and concludeK that it must be either by the north of Asia
11(1 Europe, whicii adjoin to <;ach otlier, or by those regions which
lie to V\i} southward of the Straits of Magellan. He also rejects
the (issertion of such as have advanced that it was peopled by the
llel)rews.

"John De Fjael, a Flemish writer, has controverted tlm opinions
of these Spanish fathers, ami of many others who havi^ written on the

en
I

THE AMKUICAX INDIAN.

anme subject. The liypothesis he endeavors to establish is. that
America was certainly peopled by the Scythians or Tartars: and tliat
the transmigration of these people happened soon after the dispersion
of Noah's grandsons. He undertakes to show that the most northern
Americans have a greater resemblance, not only in the features of their
countenances, but also in their com[)lexion and manner of living, to
the Scythians, Tartars ami Sameoides, than to any other nations.

"In answer to Grotius, who had asserted that some of the Nor-
wegians passed into Amtn'ica by way of Greeidand, and over n vast
continent, he says, tiiat it is well known that Greenland was not
discovered till the year 9()4r; and both Gomel a and Herrera inform us
that the Chichimevpies were settled on tiie Laiie of Mexico in 721. He
adds, that these savages, according to the uniform tradition of the
Mexicans Avho dis[)ossessed them, came from the country since called
New Mexico, and from the neighborhood of California; consequently
North America must have becMi inhabited many ages before it could
receive any iniiabitants from Norway by way of Greenland.

" It is no less certain, he observt^s, that the real Mexicans
founded their empire in '.(02, after having subdued the Chichinieques,
the Otomias and other Iwrbarous nations, who had taken possession of
the country around the Lake of Mexico, and each of wliom si)oko a
language peculiar to thiMnselves. The real Mexicans are likewise sup-
posed to come from some of the countries that lie near California, and
that tht^y performed their journey for the most part by land; of course
they could not come from Norway.

"De Laet further adds, that though some of the inhabitants of
North America may have entered it from the northwest, yet, as it is
related by Pliny and some other writtu's, that on many of the isrlands
near the western coast of Africa, particularly on the Canaries, soum
an''ient edifices were seen, it is highly probable from their being now
deserted, that the inhabitants may have passed over to America; the
passage being neither long nor ditHcult. This migration, according to
the calculation of those authors, must have happened more than twn
hundred years ago, at a time when the Spaniards were much troubled
by the Carthaginians; from whom, liaving obtained a knowledge of
navigation and the construction of ships, they might have retired to the
Antilles by the way of the western isles, which were exactly half way
on tlnMr voyage.

"Ho thinks also that Great Britain, Ireland and the Orcades were
extremely proper to admit of a similar conjecture. As a proof he in-
serts the following passage from the history of Wales, written l)y Dr.
Daviil Powol, in the year 1170:

OUIGIN.

fe, that
lul that

cn-theni
of their
ring, to

18.

he Nor-
: a vast
n-as not
torin us
721. Ho
L of the
?.Q caUod
squeutly
it could

Mexicans
inieques,
lession of

Bpoke a
tviso sup-
rnia, and

)f course

)itiints of
as it is
B ish\nds
ies, soiiKi
eing !io\v
a-ica ; the
ording to
than two
ti'oubh'd
dodgo of
Ml to the
half way

lules were
of ho iti-
Mi by Dr.

• This historian says that Madoc. one of the sons of Prince Owen
Orwvnnith, being disgusted at tlib civil wars wiiich broke out between
his brothers after tlie death of their father, fitted out several vessels,
!ind having proviiled them with eve.'ything necessary for a long voy-
ii-rp, went in quest of new lands to the westward of Ireland; there he
discovered very fertile countries, but destitute of inhabitants. AVhen
landin" part of his peo[)le he returned to Britain, where he raised new
levi>-s and afterwards transported them to his colony.

"The Flemish author then returns to the Scythians, between whom
and the Americans he draws a parallel. He observes that several
nations of them to the north of the Caspian Sea led a wandering life,
which, as well as many other of their customs and ways of living,
agree in many circumstances with the Indians of America, and though
tlie resemblances are not absolutely perfect, yet the emigrants, even
before they left their own country, differed from each other, and went
not 1)v the same name. Their change of abode effected what re-
mained.

•• He further says, that a similar likeness exists between several
American nations and the Samoiodes, who are settled, accortliug to the
Russian accounts, on the great river Oby. And it is more natural,
continues he, to suppose that colonies of their nations passed over to
America by crossing the icy sea on their sledges, than for the Nor-
wegians to travel all the wav Grotius has marked out for them

'• This writer makes many other remarks that are ecjually sensi-
ble, and which appear to be just: but he intermixes witii these some
that are not so well founded.

"Emanuel Do Moraez, a Portugese, in his history of Brazil,
asserts that America has been wholly peo[)led by the Carthaginians
and Israelites. Ho brings as a proof of this asserti(ni the discoveries
the former are known to have made at a great distance beyond the
coast of Africa. The progress of which, being put n stop to by the
senate of Carthage, th<ise who happened to be then iji the newly dis-
covered countries, being cut off' from all communication with their
countrymen, and destitute of many necessaries of life, fell into a state
of barbarism. As to the Israelites, this author thinks tiiat nothing
Imt circumcision is wanted in order to constitute a perfect resemblance
between them and the Brazilians.

"George Do Huron, a learned Dutchman, has likewi.se written on
tlie subj(>ct. He sets out with declaring tliat he does not believe it
possible America could have been peopled before the flood, consider-
ing the short jpace of time which ela[)sed between the creation of the
world and that memoraV)le event. In the next place he lays it down

THE AMEIUC.W INDIAN.

(IS ;i, principle, tliat after the deluge men ami other terrestrial animals
penetrated into that country both by the sea and by land; some through
accident and some from a f(U'med design; that birds got thither by
flight: which they were able to do by resting on the rocks and islands
that art> scattered about in the ocean.

" Ho further observes that wild boasts may have found a free
passage by land; and that if we do not moot with horses or cattle
(to wliich he might have athlod elephants, camels, rhinoceros, ami
beasts of many other kinds) it is because those nations tliat passed
tiiither were either not ac(piainted witli tiieir use or iiad no convenience
to supjiort them.

"Having totally excluded many nations that others have admitted
as the probalile first settlors of America, for which he gives substantial
reasons, h(* supposes that it began to bo peopled by the north; ami
maintains rhat the [yriniitive colonies spread themselves by the means
of the Isthmus of Panama, tlirough the whole extent of the continent.

" He believes that the first founders of the Indian colonies were
Scythians; tiiat the Plueiiicians and Carthaginians afterwards '^ot
footin<x iu America across the Atlantic Ocean, and the Chinese bv wav of
tlio Pacific; and that other nations inight from time to time have landed
there by one or other of these ways, or might possil)ly have been
thrown on the coast by tem[)ests. since, throiig\ the whole extent of
that continent, l)oth in its northern and southern parts, wo meet with
undoubted marks of a mixture of the novtli(>rn nations with those who
have come from other places. And lastly, that some Jews and Chris-
tians might hfive been curried there by such like events, but that this
must have happened at a time wIkmi the whole of the \ew World was
already peo[)led.

" After all. he acknowltMlges that great dilHculties attend the de-
terminatit)U of the question. Tlu.'se, he says, are occasioned in the
first place by the imj)orfect knowledge wo have of the extremities of
the globe towards the north and south polos; and in the next [)lace to
the havoc which the Spaniards, the first discoveiers of the New World,
made among its most ancient monuments; as witness the gnvit double
road betwixt (^uito and Cuzco, an undertaking .so stupi^idous that even
the most magnificent of those executed by the Romans cannot be com-
pared to it.

" He supposes also another migration of tlie Phoenicinns. tlinii
those already mentioned, to have taken place: and this was during ii
three years' voyage made by the Tvrian tleet in the service of King
Solomon. Ho asserts on the authority of .Toso])hus that tho port at
which this (Mnbarkation was made lav in the Mfnliterranean. The

ue h

givi'

e\cii

(litr.

larit_

clian

same

of Wj

the
previi

ORIGIN.

iiniuiiils

througli

ther by

islands

I ii freo

n- cattle

jros, aiul

t passed

venienci'

admitted

ibstaiitial

n-th; and

lo means

I'oiitinent.

>nies were

vards got

bv way of

ive landed

hiivi'- been

a extent ol'

meet with

those who

'/\

iind Chris-

'■.-

it that this

World was

nd the de-

i(h1 in the

;

•(Muities of

\t phu'G to
lew AVorld.

•(>;it double

IS tliatevtMi

Kit be coni-

■TTj

cians. thiui

s durini,' a

' j'U

•0 of Kxwc

he J)
niean.

ort at
The

fleet, lie adds, went in quest of elephants' teeth and peaeooks. Xu tlie
western coast of Africa, wliich is Tarshish; then to Ophir for gold,
Avhich is Haite, or the Island of the Hispaniola: and in the latter
opinion lie is supported by Columbus, who, when he discovered that
island, thought that he could trace the furnaces in Avhioli the gold was
refined."''

It is dithcult to understand how it is that iia^uiry is so continu-
ously being made into the origin of the American Indian, to the
exclusion of inipiiry as to the primitive inhabitants of other portions
of the globe. For some reason, ethnologists seem to have directed
their attention more especially, in this regard, to the American linlian.
If attention should be directed to the j)riniitive natives of other
piu'tions of the globe, with the like force and diligence as to the
Aniericaii Indian, perliap.? we might be aided more in our investigations
concerning tlie latter people.

If we are to acccnint for the origin of the, aborigines of America,
we would be called upon to account for the <n-igin of the peojde of the
Sandwich Islands and other islands of the sea. All these people may
as well be classed as being as indigenous to the country as are tiie
inliiibitants of Africa, the subject of whose origin seems to have
remained one of passive inditference beyond a kind of general
assumption that they were indigenous to the country wherein they
live, a conclusion which may with equal propriety be acquiesced iu
concerning tlie native inhabitants of America.

In doing this, however, we are compelled to discard tlie Jewish
account of the flood, or ge>iHral inundation of the earths surface, mul
tlie destruction of the race '1 mankind at that period. As to the
common origin of the native inhabitants of both North and South
America, to which reference has heretofore been made, the best
authorities, as already mentioned, concur that the characteristics
and language of this jieople go to establish this fact.

As to the aboriginal inhabitants of North America, the evidences
we have, as to a common origin, are a[»[)arent to every one who has
given attention to this subject, and are cjuitn conclusive on this point,
even as to those tribes and nations whoso languages are radically
ditl'eveiit. and in comparison with each other have not the h-ast simi-
larity, at least in words, and are found to possess certain uniform
charju'teristics, manners and customs, and habits. They mII have the
same, or essentially the same, religion; th(>y all have the same mode
of warfare; they all possess the same general character ; they all have
tlu' like feasts, fasts and dances. The weapon of the bow and arrow
prevailed among all the tribes and nations; the flint arrowhead was

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

fouTid nmontr all the tiibes from tlio Atliuitic to the Paeiflc, nnd so
likewise was the stone ax used aiuoii<^ them of a uniform pattern.

In their feasts, that of the sacrifice of the white dog was oljserved
in the same manner and for the like purpose among all the tribes and
nations. The dance called striking the post, which was a species of
war dance, each })ledging to engage in some contemplated invasion oi'
resistance to an enemy, manifest by striking a post around which tlic
warriors gathered, and the custtmi of scalping an enemy slain in battl(>
were also the same among all the tribes of North America. All of
these manners, customs and traits have been taken as conclusive
evidence of a common origin of all these native inhabitants.

We frequently speak, from conjecture, of a prehistoric race in
America, that is, of a supposed race existing before the native red man,
entirely different from him. and living in a higher state of civilization,
a nation who cultivated the soil, built and lived in permanent dwellijigs,
and understood the arts and sciences. AVhilst this higher state of
civilization spoken of miglit iiave existed on the Western Hemisphere
at some period in the earth's existence may not be denied, yet there
is no proof, or even fair })resuniption. that such a [jeople. if they ever
existed, were not the ancestors of the aborigines found here at the
time of the discovery. The native Indian possessed as high an order
of intellect as the white invaders of his country. The common notion
is, that a high order of intellect among mankind can only exist among
people highly developed in civilization and tiie arts and sciences.
This popular error has led to many false conclusions. The familiar
saying that nations grow weaker and wiser is a maxim <>f much force
and trutii.

The beginning of ci^'ilization is but the beginning of vice and cor-
ruption, and the history of tiie world goes to prove that it is but a
(question of time when vice and corruption will prevail, and when human
society will relapse into its original condition, from the overgrowth of
what we call civilization. The human mind is not necessarily strength-
ened by influences of this kind. This is shown in tracing and com-
paring the character of the American aborigines with that of the first
European invaders. The 8[)aniards, in point of intellect, were not
superior to the race they sul)jugated, and this is shown in the marked
character of the peo[)le of Mexico, coming down to the present day.

A high order of intellect (U)es not necessarily imply the ingenuity
to construct steamboats, railroads and telegra|)hs, nor does it imply
the industry and skill necessary to erect lofty edifices and commodi<ms
dwelling houses. This is a mere question of individual skill and
enterpiise. There is such a thing as inferiority and sui)eriority of

■'f

OH 10 IN.

c, and so
;L'rn.

ol)8erve(l
ribes mill
species of
vtision or
yhirh the
1 ill battle
. All of
onclusive

ic race iu
> reil man.
vilizatioii.
Iwelliiigs,
!!• state of
Biuispliore
yet there
they ever
lere at the
1 an order
ion notion
:ist aiuoug
sciences,
fiiniiliar
ncli force

races with reference to the native capacity of mind, whilst both may
continue to live in a native condition of society, neither rising to what
we term civilization.

The native Indian and the native African, at the period of the dis-
covery of America, were l)oth living in the like simplicity of life, yet
one race was superior to the other, so that superiority in native capac-
ity does not necessarily imply a condition of civilization, or a want of
it. This is a question oi circumstances. We speak of the savage
races (which is understood to imply a condition where the hand of
every man is raised against another with destructive intent, their
whole lives teeming with barliarous acts towards each other), whilst
the truth is that in regurd to barbarous deeds among mankind, the
civilized people, or those who have passed for such, frequently far
excel in barbarism those people of the earth whom we have styled
liarbarous.

The native condition of society presents nn example in general of
the true ty^m of fraternal life, whilst a condition of civilization presents
a condition of inconsistency, strife and destruction. The most inhu-
man wars, the most ai)palling destructions among maukiud, are those
examples afforded us through civilized nations.

;e and cor-
is but a
Ml huniaii
Ljrowtli of
strengtli-
and com-
f the first
wore not
le marketl
nt day.
ingenuity
< it inqily
mmodious
skill and
eriority of

CHAPTEU rri.

INDIAN TRADITIONS.

Jral Trnditions— FreserviuK History by HioroK'lyphii's— Belts of Wampum — Mode of

'rnmsiiiittiiitr Ilistoriciil Events— Had tlieir Hoiaers and tlieir /EsopH — Traditions
Vaj,'iu> and Hliadowy — Serve, however, Some Purpose — Traditions of a Dehijie —
Traditions of the Origin of their Race— The Mnuihum — Traditions of a Fiood—
liepresenlation of the Ark Ceremonies Commemoratintf tlie Flood —Pottawat-
tamie Tradition— Creek Indians— Tradition of Their Origin— Tradition of the
()jil)wayH Of Their ()rij,'in—Nauahl)ozhoo ^lystcrioiis Power — Ori^'in of Indian
Summer— Shawnee Tradition— Forei>,'n Oritfin-^Iontezuma— Cortez— New Kn-
Kland Indians Tradition -Sauk Indian Tradition— Tradition of the ('hicka-
SHWs Tradition of the Osa^es Tradition of the Scneeas (xreat Hill People
Irociuois Nation -Iliawalha— Mysterious Power His Mrniculous Disappear-
ance—Tradition of the A rrapahoes— Tradition of the Blaokfeet— The Bouncks —
Tlieir Tradition.

HE American Iiulian. unlike
the more civiliztHl niiti<nis nt'

yj If the Old World, possessed no
^"•^ perfected art whereby lie

could perjietnate and transmit his
history down through succeeding gen-
erations, further than by oral tradi-
ticms. His mode of communication
was bv words spoken, using signs in
the mtinner of deaf mutes, between
persons speaking different languages.
He had, however, a system of hiero-
glyphics and symbols which he in-
scribed upon the bark of trees,
dressed skins, and other nniterial of
like perishable nature. He had no
mode of inscription upon prepared
stone or other like enduring material.
Hence, his meager history, so far as
he has any, has been preserved
through family or tribtd trailitions, assisted to some extent by liis
art of preserving the recollection of isolated events through

FALLS OF MINNKHAHV.

■•!>

•I

■^''•;»

■il

INDIAN TUAUrnoNS.

-Mode of
Triiilitioim
. Delude—
a Flood—
-Pottawiil-
ioii of tilt'
I of Indian
-New Kn-
le ('hicka-
1 People
Pisn|)i>«'iir-
liouiick:-—

II, unlike
lations of
jessed i><>
reby lie
isiiiit his
iliiig<j;eii-
iil tradi-
uiiiciition
sitriis ill
between
nonages,
lit' liiero-
•h he iii-
)f trees,
iterial of
had no
prepared
material,
so far as
ireserved
it by his
through

belts of wampum, BO coiiinion among the Indians in primitive life,
as also an article or medium of exciiange in commercial transactions.
These belts, which will be further noticed in another part of this work,
were of various classes, (me of which was manufactured specially for
use in treaty negotiations between tril)e8 or nations, and were so wrought
as to preserve or serve as a reminder of treaty stipulations.

The Indian mode for preserving their history by oral traditions,
proves that thev were a people of method and intelligence. Several
liiiiiilies. and sometimes the families of an entire village, would
assemble together at night in their council house or some capacious
wi<'wam, where some older member of the tribe, which perhaps would
be some noted cliief who had be<'oiiii' the repository of historic; events
of his tribe, would recite to the assi'inbled listeners, young and old, an
account of their history from the earliest times, as pre.served in their
traditions from generation to generation, including the time of his own
life. The rule was that all [iresent, and especially the young, should
take note and bear in mind during their lives the information thus iui-
iiarted to them. In this manner every youth was instructed ie the
history of his tribe. Their general rule was that history could be
prestMved with accuracy for the period of seven lives. That which
rea<'hed back beyond this periixl was not relied upon as being accurate
bevoiul dispute.

.1. 1). Walker, of Arizona Territory, says that the Pima Indians,
dwelling in that locality, select several promising youths of their tribe
from time to time for repositories of their traditions, and they are care-
fuUv instructed in the historical legends pertaining t<i their tribe.
Iwiiig recpiired to commit them faithfully to memoi'y. They, in turn,
instruct their successors, and thus preserve the traditions in the exact
language recited by their ancestors of many years ago. They have
knowledge of the tribe that built the old Casa Gi'aude and other vast
buildings, whose ruins now excite such curiosity.

The Indians not only liatl their Homers, but they had their .l^sop.s.
Some trilies had regular story tellers, men who had devoted a great
deal of time to learning the myths and stories of their peo{)le, and who
possessed in addition to a good memory a vivitl imagination. Tim in-
(hilgent Indian mother would fretpiently send for one of these, and
having prepared a feast for him she and. her children would await the
fairy stories of the dreamer who. after his feast and smoke, would en-
tertain them for hours with his fanciful sketches and mythical visions,
which were interesting and beautiful in their rich imagery, and which,
like many similar productions of the ancient Greeks, have at times
been given erroneous positions in history and ethnological data.

THE AMEIIICAN INDIAN.

Although thf'so ludiiiii triulitioiiH at times apiM'ur a) ho vague and
shadowy, we can scarcely resist the inipressiou in many instances that
they may have sprung originally from substantial sources, or servf as
some slight iiidicatinn pointing towards real I'acts. In this c(tnn('ctioii
it is iuti'rcsting to notejiow curiously these traditions l)ear rest-inhlancf
to our own and those of other nations, and many insist tliat tiiey atl'i)ni
us stmie aid in unraveling the mystery which surrouiuls this [leople
conceriiiiii' tiieir ori<rin.

We learn from yiv. Catlin, who. among other tribes, spent some
time among the ("hoctaws. that they have always had a tradition of a
great tleluge, iu descrii)iiig which they say there was total darkness
for a great time over the whole of the eartli. Tin* Choctaw doctors,
or mvsterv men. looked out for davli''ht lor a lont; tinu), until they
at last despaired of ever seeing it, ai\d the whole nation was verv
uidiappy. At last a light was discovered in the north, when there
was great rejoicing, until the light was found to be a great uioun-
tain of water rolling on. and wiiicii destroyeil them all except a few
families who had expected it and built a great raft on which they were
saved.

From the same source we are iid'ormed that the C'hoctaws have a
band amongst them called le Crawfish l)and. They have a tradition
that this band at a very remote period in the past lived under ground.
They were a species of crawfish and used to come np out of the mud,
and wenton their hands and feet, living in a large cave deep under the
ground, where tiiere was no ligiit for several miles. They neither
spoke nor could they understand any languagt^ at all. The entrance to
their cave was through the mud. The Choctaws used to lie and wait
for them to come out to the sun, when they would try to talk to them
and cultivate an ac(inaintance. One day several of them W(>re r>in
upon so suddenly by the Choctaws that they had no time to go through
the mud back to their caves, but were driven in at another entrance
through the rocks. The Choctaws then tried a long time to smoke
them out, and at last succeedeil. They treated them kindly, taught
them the Choctaw language, taught them to walk on two legs, made
them cut otf their ti>e nails, and pluck the hair from their body, after
which they ado[)ted them into their natitm, and the remainder of them
are living under the ground to this day.

The AVinnebngoes also have traditions of a flood or genera]
inundation of the earth's surface, but. says Mr. Fletcher, their govern-
ment agent fifty years ago, it is impossible to determine what was the
character of their traditions of this event, previcnis to their first
interview with the whites. It is not impossible that the traditions of

INDIAN TUAUITION8.

7»

no nnd
*H thai
■rvt' iiH
uH'tiou

iblnlK'f

,• nlViU'il

j)t'nj)!(>

it sollli'
oil 1)1' n
iirkiu'SH
doctors,
til tlu'V
us very
n theiT
t in<mu-
pt H few
ley weic

s hiivc M
triuUtiou
irronn.l.
he luuil,
luler the
neither
raiice tt)
mil wait
to thtMii
Ivere run
tliron^'h
ontrmire
() smoke
f. taught
rs, made
(ly. al'ttT
of them

general

irovern-

was the

lieir first

litious of

♦ lie (liliige for this trihe were based in part on tlie scriptural account
communicated to tlieni by white peoplt^

Humboldt, wiio visited South America in tin' forepart of the
present century, found u tradition of the Hood among tlie unreolainn'd
tiil>(>s of tlie Cordilleras of the Andes. '•Such tradition,"' says Mr.
.Scho<»lcraft, "in which heroic traits are ascril)ed to the suivi.tirs of ii
universal deluge, existed in the wild cosniogonies of the thin tribes
of the |irairie and forest grou[)s, of a western origin of the I'nited
States and Mritisli Anu'rica."

Mr. Catlin informs us that the Mandans had a tradition of a
creat flood, which at .sonm period visit<'d tlu» earth, which event they
comniemoiate every year at their annual religious ceremony of four
(lavs. First among the objects of these annual religious (x-casioiis is
a celi'i)ration of the event of the subsiding of this flood, which they
(•idled Mee-nee-ro-ka-ha-sha, (sinking down or settling of the waters).

[n tin' cindre of the Mandan village was an open circular area of
one liundred and fifty feet in diameter, kept always clear as n public
ground; iu the middle of which was n curb, somewhat like a large
hogshead, standing on the end. made of planks and bound with i;oo[ts.
sonu' eight or inne feet high, which the Mandans rtdigiously preserved
and protected from year to year free from mark or scratch, and which
they called the /*/// canoe. It appears to have been a symbolic repre-
sentation of a part of their traditionary history of the flood, which
thev had in sonn; way received, and were thus endeavoring to perpetuate
in the minds of the whole nation.

The ceremonies in (juestion are not assigned to any particular
d;iv in the year, as these pt^ople do not keep a record of days or weeks;
Init it occurs at a particular season which is designated by the full
(>\pjinsion of the willow leaves under the bank of the river; foi',
according to their tradition, the twig that the bird brought home was
a willow bough ami had full grown leaves on it. and the bird to which
they looked was the mourning or turth* dove, often seen to bo feeding
(111 tiio sides of the earth-covered lodges, being, as they call it, n
nit'dicine liird, which is not to be harmed by any one; and e^en their
(logs are instructed not to do it injury.

The ccn-emony described by Mr. Catlin commenced in the morning,
when groups of Avomen and children were gathereil on the to[)S «)f
tiieir earth-covered wigwams. They then all commenced screaming,
the dogs began to howl, and all eyes were directed t(> the prairies on
tlie west, where was beheld, a mile distant, a solitary individual
descending the bluff and making his wav towards the villajre. The
whole community joined in general expression of alarm, as if they

!:=!ai

^"^m

8ti

llir. AMKIUCAN INDIAN.

were ill (l(u»«^fM" of instiiiit dt'istrurtioii; l)(>\vs wert' strung-, tlit'ir horses
Wfiv I'iiiiijlit u|)i)ii tilt' ju'dirio and run into tiio villaijc. warriors
blai'ktMH'd tlu'ir faeces, ami cvcrv prcpjiratioii niadti as if for instant
coinl>at. Till' tisjfiirt' disruvcM-cd on tlic prairiti continued to approach
witli dii,'nititMl step in direct lino towards tlio villaj^c. All cvrs wim-c
upon liiiii, and lie at lon<;tli camn in and proc(>nded towards the ceiitri'
of the vilhii^e where all the chiefs and i)ravei stood ready, and rectMved
him in a cordial manner. reco<^iiiziiu,' him as an old uccjunintance.
pronouncing his name Nu-inohk-muck-a-iiah. I first or onlv man I.

The l)ody of this strange personage, which was nearly nak(>d. was
painted with white clay, so as to reseinhle at a little distance a white
man. He wore a rohe of four white wolves' skins falling l)ack ovt
his slioulders. On his head he had a sjdendid head-dress. ni;ide of
two ravel. "s <|iiills. and in lii>-. left hand he carried a large pipe, wliicli
lu' set'ined to watch and giiai'd as something ol gi'cat im|)Oi'tance.
After |)assing the chiefs anil braves he appi'oached the medicine Indyr,
which he had the means of dpening. and wli'ch had been ndigioush
closed during the yeai'. except through tin* perfoinianci* of the religious
rites of that day.

Having enten>d the Imlge, he appointed four men to put it in
readiness for the ctM'emonies, by sweeping and strewing a profusion nf
grecMi willow boughs over tho floor, and decorating the sides likewix
with willow boughs. While thes(* preparations were going on. ainl
during the whole day. this |iersonage went through tlie villai,'e. stopping
in front of every lodge and crying until the owner caint! out and asked
him who he was and what was the matter. To this he replied bv
relating the sad catastropht* which had liap|>ened on the earth's surface
bv the ovei'tlowiiig of the waters, saying tiiat he was the only |.ersoii
sa\'ed from tliis unusual calamity: tlial lie laiKied his big caiioe on tlif
high mountain in the west, where he tlnn resided; that he had com.
to o|)eii the medicine lodge, which must needs I'eceive a nresent "(
some edged tool from the owner of the wigwam, that it iniLrht be
sacriticed to the water. If this were not done, he assured them tliei'
would be another !!ood and none of them \m uld be saved, as it w.is
with such tools that the big canoe was :Ma<l.'. This being complied
with, the implements received were deposited in the medicine lod<,rr.
.\fler the last da\ of tin* ceremony, in the presence of llit» whole peopir
of the village, they were thrown into tiie river in a deep p!ac<>. from
whence tliev can nevei' b(> recovered, and are thus saciificed to tin
Spirit of tin- waters.

On the second day tliis my.sterious personage continues the
corenioiiies of the occasitui. Having smoked his jiieilicine pipe, aiid

out

iak(

pla(

llie

clii'

Ml i^
:('

''••on

that
iiiiiri

fiy^^f^-l

■■^^.tss

INDIAN TRADITIONS.

iiistiiiit
pproJich
'fs weri'

rocoivod
lintaiico.
\u).

kod. was
> a white
ack ovr
, ina(l»^ t>f
[i(>. wliirli
j)i)rtniK't'.
[no Idiln''.
Mi!j;ii>\isl\
- rtiligi'His

) |)iit it ill
•ol'usion "f
>s likmvisi
iir on, ami
Htoppini;
11(1 aski'il
|.litMl li\

S SlU't'il*!'
Iv |,l'ISi>II

(ic on till'
hilt! coni''
n'l'St'iit ol
iniu'ht 111'

fWl thtT'
MS it WilS

(•iiini)li''l
■iiie hidili'

\(llll |)(MI|lll'

>!act\ i'l'oni

llM'tl to till'

ilinnt's till'

lilt

addressed a short speecli to the people, stimulating them to put their
trust in tlie Great Spirit, he calls into the lodge an old raetlicine or
mystery man, whose body is painted yellow, and whom he appoints
master of ceremonies of the occasion. After tliis Nu-raohk-muck-a-nah
shaktjs hands and takes leave of him, by saying that he is going back
to tlie mountain in the west, from whence he will return in just a year
from tliat time to open tlie lodge again ; whereupon ho leaves the village
and tlisappears over tlie bluffs from whevice he came, and no more is
seen of this surprising ciiaracter during the occasion, as was understood ;
the fact being, however, tlmt he reappeared in another garb, and took
part in the remaining ceremonies with others of the village.

Mr. Catlin furtlier informs us that lie learned from a distinguisiied
Knistenaux on the uppe: Mississippi, that the aforesaid trilxi had a
tradition of a great freslu'f and Hood, wliich took placid many centuries
lM>fore and destroyed all the nations of the earth, wiiidi event it seems
they connect with the formation of the gi'eat Pipe Stone (^nari'v in
what is now the state of Minnesota. Their tradition is that all tlie
liiltes of the red men assembled on the Coteau du Prairie to get out
of tilt way of the waters: and after they jiad all gathered here from all
parts, the waters continued to rise until at length it C(»vered them all
in a mass, and their flesli was converted into red pipe stone. Tins
legend, so firmly bc'lcvcd in by many tribes, is assigned as a rea.soii
why this pipe stone ([uarry was so generally hehl among the Indians in
such sacred esiiMMii.

The Maiidans say of their origii that they were originally shut
out from the light of heaven, and dwelt together near a subterranean
lake. A grape vino which extended its roots far into the earth to tlii>
place wlitM-e they were, gave them the first intimation of the light upon
llii> faci^ of the earth. Hy means of this vine, one-half of the tiibe
clinilied up to the surface and were delightthl with its light and air,
Its .M I fruits and game. The otlit>r half were left in their dark
•>ris. 1: house, owing to the bulk and weight of an old woman, who by
,er corpulency tore down the vine and proventetl any more of the tribe
t'-om ascending.

Tl'.e Navajoes, in regard to thi>ir origin, like the Mandans. claim
that they caini> out of the twiitii. Tradition would indicatt* that tiiey
aiigrated from th(> northeast.

Tlit^ Pottawattapiie" bcli;v'^ in two spit'fs. symbolizing good and
evil. One they call Kitcheuianito ( (»reat Spirit) ; the other, IMatche-
iiniiiito I Evil Spiri'.). The;, say that when Kitchemanito first made
tlll^ world, he filled it with a class of beings who only looked like men,
hut who wore perverse, ungi atoful, wicked dogs, wlu) never raised their

THK AMI'.lilCAN INDIAN.

oyeK from tJie gvownil to tlinnk liin: for anytliiii^'. Sociii;;- this, the
Clreat S[)irit plunged tliciii, witli tin' world its(>lt', into ii i^Mcjit laUf find
drowntnl tlieni all. Ho tlit^n wi'.hdrew tiio earth from the water, ami
made a man. a very handsome young man, l)nt ho being vei'v lonesonii'
anil sad. Kitrhemanito took pity on him and scmt him a sister to eiieer
him in his loneliness.

After many years the young in.i:i liad a di'eani. whicli he told his
sister. "Five young men,"" said lie, '• will conm to your lodge dodr
tliis night to visit you. The (ri'eat Spirit forhids you to answer oi-
even look up and smihi at the first I'oui': Imt when t!ie tUtii comes, yini
may speak and laugh and show that you are pleased. Slie acted
accordingly. Tin^ ti 'st of the five strangers that caUed was I'sama, oi-
tolmt'co, aiul having heen repid.sed, iu* fell down and died. The
second. Wapako, or u pumpkin, shared tin* same fate: the third.
Eshkossimin. in- melon, and tin' fourtii, Kokees. or the bean, met tin'
s.'ime f.u'. But when Damin or Mondamin. which is mai/e. presi-nted
tumseif. slie ojn'ned the skin tapestry door of her lodge, laughed \i'\\
heartily, and gave him a friendly reception. They were immedialely
married, ami from this union the Indian sprung. Damin forthwith
buried the four unsuicossful suitors, and from their ''raves there irrew
tol)acco, melons of all sorts, and beans; and in this mant' "■ *iie (ireat
Spirit pi'oviiled that the race which he had made rliontii have
S(»mething to otb r him as a gift in their feasts and ceremonies.
and also Komething to put in their akeeks or kettles along with
their meat.

The ('re<Oc Indians have a tradition that they sprung fioni the
ground between the Catawba and .Uabanni rivers: that the * ii'eat Spirit
brought them out. and that they were the sole rigiiltul possessois of
tlm soil. They bebevt^ that lad'ore the creation there existed a great
l)ody of water upon the earth. Two pigeons were sent forth in search
of land, but found nothing. On going forth tlu* second tim(>. they
pmcured a blade of grass, after w ; icli tin* waters Hui)sided and tlie
land iippeared. They have no traditnm of their peojile living elsewhere
than in North Anu'riea, and have no tradition of this country ever
being oc('U|(ied i)efore them by a more civili/ed peoplt> than them-
selves. They have ii vague tradition that the eouidry was occupieil
before them by a people of whom they have n<i definite knowledge.
'I'lie nann* tlii'y have* for America is the " Land of the Indians," or
"Lnn.lof the Ked Teople."

According to Peter Jones, the educated Ojibway. the people of
thnt nation s ly that thercMvertM-reated by Kitchemanito ( (Ireat Spirit ),
or K6zhumuiiedo (Merciful or Benevolent Spirit), and placed on tlie

INDIAN TltAPITIOXS.

is. thr
kt! tunl
'I', anil

lOSOIlK'

) chft'i-
oil I liis

re lloKl"

wcr t>v

n's, you
' acti'<l
aiiui, or
I. Tlu-
y tliirtl.
met tilt'

I'CSlMltol

t'tl VI' rv
KMliaii'ly
Di-tliwitli
wo <^w\\
lie (ircat
!iL liavo
omoiii''s.
)iiU witli

roll! tilt'

111 Sjiirit

lessors ol

I II rri'cilt

II St'Ml'l'll

|mt>. tlit'V

and tilt'

Isi'vvln I'l'

try tivcr

n tlit'iii-

loc'cnpii'il

lowlt'tL't'.

tans,

Itt'oplo of
It Spirit).
ll on tlu'

continent of America: that every nation speakinj^a different lan>,'na<,'e
is a separate creation: that wlien the Great Spi/it ;,'av.^ them their rr-
li.rion he told them how to act. ar.d they think it would he wrong to
forsake the old ways of their forefathers.

The Ojilnvays have n traditit>n that before the f,'eneral deluge

there lived two enormous creatures, each possessed of vast power.

One was an animal with a gr^-at horn on ins ht>ad. the other was a

hn"-e toatl. The latter hati the whole management of the waters,

keening them secure in its own body, and emitting only a certain

quantitv for the watering of the earth. Between these two creatures

there arose a quarrel, which terminated in a fight. Tli;^ toad in vain

tried to swidlow its antagonist, hut the latter rushed upon >'.. and with

his horn pierced a hole in its side, out of which the wattM' gushed in

floods, and soon overllowed the face of the earth. At this time Nan-

ahhozlioo was living on the earth, niid. ohsei'ving the water rising

hi'dier and higher, he tletl to the loftie-^t mountuin for refuge. Per-

ceivin" that even this retreat would soon lie inundated, he selected a

Inrt'e cedar tree on which to ascend if the waters should rise up to

Shim. Before they reached him he caught a number of animals and

;fowls and put them into his bosom. I''iii!ill\ the water covered the

imttiintain. Me then ascended the cedar tree, and as he went up he

Ipluckeil its branches and stuck them in the belt around his waist. The

"Wtrei^ grew and kept pace with the water for a longtime. .\t length he

Ati biHiiloned tiie idea of remiiining any longer on the tree, and took the

sraiiclies he had plucked and with them constructed a raft, on which

^lic phiced himself with the animals and fowls. On this raft he flouted

i^ilibout for a long time, till all the mountaiiis were covered ami all the

"^Piisls of the earth and fowls of the air perished except thoi-'' he had

^villi liiiii.

-* \\ length Naiiahl)ozhoo thought of forming a new world, but did

!ot know how to accom|ilish it without any materials, unlil the idea
ecurii'd to him that if he could only obtain some of the earth which
'Hs then under the water, lie might succeeil. Iit> accordingly emploved
lie ditVereiit animals he had with him that were accustoiueil to diving,
'irsl. he ser.t the loon down into the water in tu'der to bring up some
f the old earth: but it was not able to n»ach the bottom, and after
Bmaining in the water som»< time <'amv' up dead. Nanahbo/hoo then
ic.ok it. blew upon it. and it came to lit'** again. Hi> next sent the
ftter, which also failed to reach the bott<im and vnuw up dead, but was
Bflt.ired to life in the same manner as the loon. He then tried the
'jkill of the beaver, but without success. These diving animals having
wilt'il. lie took the muskriit. who was gon(> a long time and came up

THE AMKKU'AN INDIAN.

(lead. On taking it up Nannhbozhoo found, to his great joy, that it
had readied the earth, ami had retained some of tlie soil in each i
its paw.s and mouth. He then blew upon it and bi'ought it to 1 , ic
again, at the same time pronouncing many blessings upon it, sayi :>r
that as long as tlie world he was about to make should exist, the miihk-
rat should never become extinct.

Tliis prediction of Nanahbozhoo is still spoken of by the Indiims
when referrijig to the rapid increase of the muskrat. Nanahbozliio
then took the eartli so brought him, and having rubbed it with iii.s
hands to fiia dust, lie placed it on the waters and blew uj)on it, wii-ii
it began to grow larger and larger, until it was b(»yond the reatdi nf
his eye. In order to ascertain the size of the world and the pro;fr( >s
of its growth and expansion, he sent a wolf to run to the end of it,
measuring its extent by the time consumed in the journey. Tlie liist
jtmrney he performed in one day. the sectmd took him five days, tlie
third ten, the fourth a moiitli, tlien a year, five year.s, and so on, until
the world was so large that \aiialil)ozlioo then said tliat tlu> world \\iis
large enough, and commanded it to cease growing. After this Naiinh-
bozhoo took a journey to view the new world he had made; as In
traveled he created various tribes of Iiuliaiis and ])laced tliem in ditlVr-
ent i)arts of the earth, giving them various religions, customs ainl

manners

This Nanalibozhoo now sits at the north pole, overlooking all tin
transactions and ail'airs of the peo|)le he has placed on the earth. 'I'ln
northern tribes say tliat Naiialil)ozhoo always sh'eps during the wiiiti'i.
but previous to his falling asleep fills his great pipe and smokes Im
several days, and that it is the siimke arising from the mouth and |ji|ri
of Nanahbozhoo wiiicli produced what is called *' [ndian summer."

This Nanahbozhoo JnM-e referred to is the same character tin

poet Longfellow adopts in Jiis celebrated poem of Ojibway Indifiii

legends, which he styles Hiawatha, lieiiig the naiiui of a siniiln:

character noted in the traditions of the Inxpiois nation, and winch

name is a word in the Iroijuois language; and the mode of produciin'

the Indian summer, above alluded to, is referred to by Longfellow ii

his poem in the following lines:

" From Ills iiipo tlit> Hiiioko iloBCoiuliiiK'
Fillod the wky with liHZt> aiul vapor,
FHUmI (lie air with ilrcaniv Hoftiiesa,
(lave a twinkle to tin- water,
Toiidioil tijc ruKk'wl liilJH with Biiioothnoss,
IJrou^lit tlw ti>mU>r ludian snmiiier."

We are informed by Col. James Smith, for several years ])otw(

(Ml

l"')o and lTot> a captive among the Indians of Northern Olii(\ timt

INDIAN TRADITIONS.

,-, tllHt It

, each f
it to liiV
it, »ayi ;;;
the muhk-

le Iiulii' IS
iahl)o/Ji 1(1

with ills
1 it, wli-ii
) reach <>f
e pro;iri >s

end of It.

Tlie liist

• daya. tlic

•■,0 on, until

world \\a>
his NaiNih-
ade; an In-
ui in dill' 1-
iistonis iiml

ing all till

th. Th..

lit' willtiT

nukes I 111
and iii|ii
nnuu'.'"
iracter tin
ay Indiiii,
(I similar
lUlll wlnrl,
)roduiMn.'
njftellow ii.

ar« betwi'iM.
Ohio, that

tiie Wyandota have a tradition of a remarkable squaw of their tribe,
wiio was found when an infant in the water, in a canoe made of bull-
rushes. She bet-me a j^jreat prophetess and did many wonderful
tiiiiK's. She turned water into dry land, and at length made this
cdiitinent, which was at that time only a very small island, and but a
few Indians on it; but even these few had not sufficient room to hunt,
11 nd so this squaw went to the water side and prayed that this island
nii'dit be enlarged. The (Ireat Si)irit heard her prayer and sent
liii-o'e numbers of water tortoises and muskrats, who bnmght with
tiiem mud and other materials for enlarging the island, and by which
means they say it was increased to its present size. Therefore the
white people ought not to encroach upon them, because their great
grandmother made it.

Tiiev say abcmt this time the angels, or heavenly inhabitants, as
tlii'v called them, frequently visited their forefathers, and instructed
tliem to offer sacrifice, burn tobacco, buffalo and deer bones, but that
lliey were not to burn bears or raccoon bones in sacrifice. Tlie
Ottawas, who were a cognate tribe of tiie Pottawattamies. Jiad the like
tradition of the latter people.

Sir Alexander McKenzie informs us that the Chipeyans, a tribe
of the Athapasca or Athabasca stock, have a tradition that they
iiriginally came from another country, inhabited by a very weak
iicople, and had traversed a lake which was narrow and shallow, and
u here they had suffered great misery, it being always winter with ice
and snow. According to the tradition of the Athapasca family, to
wiiich this tribe belonged, this people came from Siberia, agreeing in
lircss and manners with the ])eople now found upon the coast of Asia.
Tlio Shawnees have a tradition that they are of foreign origin; that
their ancestors came from across the sea, and that they formerly maJj
vftarlv sacrifices for their safe arrival in this country.

The following tradition is from the letter book of the United
States. St. Louis Superintendency, Misstmri, recorded May Mh, ISl'J,
im heing received fnmi the lips of a Shawnee, named Louis Kogers:

"It is many years ago since the numbers of the Shawnees were
very great. They were on an important occasi(>;i encarai)ed together
(III 11 prairie. At night one-half of theia fell asleep; the others
HMuained awake. Those who kept awake abandoned the sleepers
iMifore morning, and betook themselves to the course where the sun
ri, ,s. The others gradually pursued their route in the direction
where the sun sets. This was tli<* origin of the two nations, tlie first
of whicli was called S'.awnee, and the <itlnr Kickapoo.

'• Prior to this separation, these nations were consid red one, and

THK AMKltlCAX INDIAN.

were blessed with tlio bounties <if heaven above any blessings wliii li
arc now enjoyed by any deseription of mankind. And they ascnim
their ju-esent depressed condition and tlio withdrawal of the favors nf
Providence, to tlio anger of the Great IJeiiig at their se[)aratiou.

'•Among tlie many tokens of divine favor, which they formei y
enjoyed, was tlu! art of walking on t\w surface of tiie oceiiii, by Avhii ii
they crossed from tiie east tt> America without vessels; also the art
of restoring life to the dead, by the use of lue^dical arts continiuid inv
the Spaeth of six hours. Witchcraft and ])ro}theey were with them ;it
their inghest state, and were practiced without feigning; and, in fini'.
such were the gifts of heaven to them, that nothing fell short of tin ir
inconceivable power to perform. And after the Shawnees have
wandered to the remotest west, and returned eastward to the origin.il
place of separation, the world will have finished its career. It is
believed by the Shawnees, that the consummation of this prophecy is
not far distant, because they have, in fulfillment of the ])roplier\.
reached the c .-me western point, and are now retrograding on
their steps."

]\b)iitezuma told Corfez of a foreign connection between tiic
Aztec, race and the natives «)f the Old World. His words coming Id
us throu<,'li Spanish sources, are to the following etVecl : His speecii is
this — "i would have you to understand before you begin your di.s-
course, that we are nc*^ ignorant, or stand in need of your persuasions,
to believe that the great prince you obey is descended from our
ancient (^uetzalcoatl. Lord of the Seven Caves of the Navatla<|U('s,
and lawful king of those seven nations which gave bi^ginning to our
Mexii-an (Mupire. JJy one of his pro[ihecies, which wo receive as an
iid'allible truth, and by a tradition of many ages, preserve<l in oui
annals, we know that he departed from these counti'ies, to con<|U('i
new regions in the East, leaving a ))romise, that in process of tini".
his descendants should return to model our laws and mend (un
governmtuit."

Cotton Mathei', the noted Puritan divine, says of the Massacliu-
setts Induins; "They l)elieve that their chief god Kamantowit madi'
ft nmn and wonnin of stone, which, upon disUke, In* broke to pieces,
and made another man and woman of a tree, which wert* the fountaius
of all mankind; and that we all have in us immortal souls, which, il
we ar»! godly, shall go to a splendid enteii inment vvitli Kanuuitowit,
but, otherwise, must wander about in restless horrors forever."

.\ccording to Kev. Jedidiah Morse, in his report to the Secretiiiv
of War on Indian affairs in l^'i'J, the Sauk [mlians had a traditiin
that the lireat Spirit, in th' tiist [)lace. created from the dirt of tin'

■'«

■**'wsr4(

msBsa

INDIAN TllADITIOXS.

gs whit li

y iis(M'ili('

I'tivort? .if

UMl.

formerly

by whit li

o the lilt

imiod iui-

li tliom at

(1, in iiiH'.

•t of thi ir

leoH hiivi'

H original

er. It is

rophepy is

prophiHv.

riuliiig on

tweou till'

coining til

s s|)ci3ch is

Your (lis-

M'SUMsiollS.

from our

iviitia<|Ui's.

ing to our

I'ivci lis an

(mI in our

o con<nu'r

ss of tini".

niciul our !

Massacini- #

Lo\\ it niiiiii' %

to pieces, ^j

' fountains :|

-, whicli. if %
aiaantowit, /

IT."'

» S»»crotarv j.

11 irutlitii'H 1
lirt of till- i5

rjl

■i

eartli two men; hut, finding that these alone wouhl not answer his|mr-
i)ose, be took t'rom oacii miin a ril) and made two women; from these
four sprung nil red men; tluit ihey were all one nation until they
heiiaved so badlv the CJreat Spirit came among them and talked dif-
ferent languages to them, which caused them to separate and form
ditlerent nations.

Mr. Fletcher, United States Indian agent for the Winneliagoea
.some llftv years ago, gives tlie following tradition then current among
tiiat people, from Siio-go-nick-kaw ( Ijittle Hill ). a chief of that tribe:

'• Tiie (Ireat Spirit first waked up as from a dream, and found
himself sitting on a chair. On finding himself alone, betook a piece
of his bodv, near his heart, and a jiiece of earth, and from them made
!i man. He then procet'ded to mak<» three other men. After talking
ii while with the nu'n he bad created, the Great Spirit made a woman,
who was tliis earth, and is the grandmother of the Indians. The
four men which wei'e first created are the four winds, east, west, north
and soulli. Tiie earth, after it was cr(>ated, rocked about: and the
Ciieat Spirit made four l)easts and four snakes, and put them under
the earth to steady and support it. But when the vinds blew the
lieasts and snakes could not keep the earth steady, and the (ii'eat
Spirit made a great butl'alo and put him umler the earth; this buffalo
is tht* land which keeps the earth steady. After the earth became
steadv. the (IreaL Spirit took a j)iece of bis heart and nuub^ a man,
and then took a piece of bis flt^sh and made a woman. The man knew
a great deal, but the woman knew but little. The Great Spirit then
took some tobacco and tobacco seed and gave them to the man. and
gav(^ to the woman om; seed of every kind of grain, and showed her
every herb and root that was good for food.

"The roots and herbs w»'ro made mIhmi the earth was made.
When the Great Spirit gave tobacco to the man. he told him that when
lie wanted to speak to the winds or the beasts to ])ut tobacco in the
tire and they Mould bear him, and that the Gi'eat Spirit would answer
him. After the Great Spirit gave these things to the man and woman,
lie told them to look down; and they looked down, and saw a child
standing between them. The Great Spirit tobl them that thev must
take care of fhtMduldren. The (ireat Spirit then created one man
and one woman of evcu'y trilx* and tongue on the (>arth, and told them
ill Winnebago that tlitn' would live on the ci^nfre of the earth. The
Gi-eat Spirit then made the beasts and birds for fh(> use of man. He
then looked down U[)ou his children and saw that they were happv.
The Great Spirit made the fire nnd tobacco f(»r the Winnebagoes. and
all the other Indians got their fire ami tobacco fiom them; and this

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

is the rensou v, liy all the other tribes cull tlie Winnebaj^o their dear
brother.

" After the Great Spirit had made ail these things, he ilid uot
look down on the earth again for one hundred and eighteen years. He
then looked down and saw the old men and women coming out of their
wigwams, gray-hoadtnl and stooping, and that they fell to pieces. Tht;
Great Si)irit then thought that he had made the Indians to live too
long, and that they increased too fast. He thencluuiged his plan, and
sent four thunilers down to tell the Indians that tliev must fijrht.
and they did fight and kill each other. After that the Indians did not
increase so fast. Tiie Good Spirit took tiie good Indians who were
killed in battle to himself; but the bad Indians who were kilhul went
to the west. After awhile a bad spirit waked up and saw what the
Good Spirit had done, and thought he could do as much ; so he set to
work and tried to make an Indian, and made a negro. He then tried
to make a black bear, and made a grizzly bear. Ho tiien made some
snakes, but they were all venomous. The bad spirit maile all the
worthless trees, the thistles and useless weeds that grow on the earth.
He also made a fire, but it was not so good as the fire that the Good
Spirit made ami gave to the Indian.

"The bad s[)irit tem[)ted tlie Indians to steal, and murder, and
lie; and when the Indians who conimitteil those crimes died, they went
to the bad spirit. The Good Si)irit commanded the Indians to be
good, and they were so until the bad spirit tempted them to do wrong."

Tlio early traditions of all the Now England and Atlantic coast
tribes point to a migration from the southwest. Such were the tradi-
tions of the Massachusetts group of small tribes, the Narragansetts or
Wampanoags of the Mohicans, and the maritime tribes. The Lenni
Lenapo of Pennsylvania told a tradition to the Moravian missionaries,
detailing the crossing of the Mississippi by that people long after the
pas.sage of the Irtxpiois and the Allegaiis.

The stmthern Indians represent themselves as having come orig-
inally from the west; and, after crossing the Missi8si[)pi at higher or
lower points (at eras more or less remote), as having conquered tiie
original Florida tribes, and taken their places. Like early accounts
of migration are given by the Chickat.aws, Choctaws, Crooks and
Cheiokoes. Tiie Creeks proceeded eastward across Florida to the
Ocmulgee branch of the Aitamaiia, tiioir oldest town and pormanent
resting place. The old tribes against whom they fought were the
YamacrawB, Ogechees, Wapoos, Santees, Uches, Yamasees, Utinas.
Paticas, and Icosans-terms, some of which only linger in tiieir verbal
traditions.

INDIAN TIIADITIONS.

to bo

lerod tlio
lUToants
;ekH aiul
a ti) tho
•niHinMit

UtillHS,

if verbal

Whon the old tribes west of tlie Mississippi nre nsked the diroction
tlipv came from, they {X)int south. Thoy caiuo up over tho fertile, level
iilains and hilly uplands of tho forbidding' and inipassaiilo peaks of
tlio llockv Mountains. Such is the account of the t^uappas ( Kapahas
of Do Soto's day), Cedrons, Kansas, and tho generality of the great
prairie or Dakota group west of tho Mississip[)i, and of the lowas,
Sioux, and Winnebagoes who had crossed the stream at and below St.
Anthonv's Falls, and above the junction of the Missouri.

Mr. Heckewelder says the Indians consider the earth as their
universal mother. Their traditions teach them that tlu^y were created
witiiin its bo.soni, where for a long time they had their abode, before
tliev came to live on its surface; that the (treat Spirit undoubtedly
intended at a proper time to put them in the enjoyment of the good
tilings ho had prepared on earth, but ordained that their first stage of
existence should be within it. Mr. Heckewelder remarks that, 'this
fabulous account of the creation of man coincides renmrkably with the
ancient Egvptians and tl e Urahmins of India."

The traditions of the Cliickasaws say that the white |teoph< were
the favorites of the (rreat Spirit; that he taught them to communicate
with each other without talking; that no matter how far they are put
apart, they can make each other understand; and that he also taught
the wliite people to live without hunting, and instructed them to make
anything that they want; but he oidy taught tiie Indians how to
hunt, and that they had to get their living by hunting or perish, and
the white people have no right to hunt. They say they got the first
corn just after the fiood, from a raven which tiew over them and
ilr()|>ped a part of an ear; they were told by the (treat Spirit to plant
it. and it grew up; that they worked in the soil around it with their
fingers. They never had any kind of tools; but when they wanted
lo-^'s or poles a certain length they had to burn them; and that thev
made heads for their arrows out of a white kind of Hint rock.

Tiie Chickasaws, by their traditions, say that they came from the

west, and part of their tribe remained there. When about to start

eastward, they were provided with a large dog as a guard, and a pole

as a guide. Tho dog would give them notice whenever an enemy was

near at hand, and thus enablo them to prepare for defense. Tlie polo

they would plant in the ground every night, and the next morning

tht y would look at it ami go in the diroction it leaned. They continued

their journey in this way until they crossed the great Mississippi river,

iand proceeded to the Alabama river in the country whore Huntsville

[in that state now is. There the pole was unsettled for several davs,

[but finally it settled and {)ointed in a southwest direction. They then

TlIK A.MI.lilCAN INDIAN.

stfirtc'd on that roTuse. pliiiitiii;,' ilio |m>1<< every iii<;lit until they ^nt In
wluit is oilled the CMiickasfiw Old Fieldrt. where the pole stoixl jiert'eetiv
ereet. All then caint' ti> tiie conclusion that tiiis was tiie |ironiisi .1
land, and there the main l>ody of them accordiii^dy remaim i
until they migrated west of the state of Arkansas, in the yeais
isHTand'as.

The I'ot-to-yan-te tribe, of the refjions of California, under.stooil
to lie one of the trihes or hands of tin' Honaks or Hoot |)i','^'ers. lia\.'
the following,' tradition concernin<,' their ori<:jin and existence, as <xiv( u
liy an Indian chief of that trii)e:

••Tiie first Indians that lived were Coyotes. AVlien oiif of their
nundier died, tlw body l)ecame full of little animals, -ir spirits, as Ih'
thou<,dit them. After crawliiii,' over the body for a time, they took all
manner of sha[)es; sonn' that of the deer, others that of the elk. tlir
antelope, etc. It was discovered, however, that i,'reat nund)ers avciv
takin*; wind's, and for a wiiihs tiiey sailed about in the air; but
eventually they would tly olf to the moon. The old Coyotes (or
Indians) foarin<^ that tht^ earth mi<;ht become depopulated in tiiK
way. concluded to stop it at once; and ordt>red that when any of llnii
people died, the body must l>e burnt. Ever after they continued \<<
burn the Ixidy of deceased persons. Then the Indians l)e>^an tn
n.ssume the shape of a man; but at first they were very imperfect in
all their parts. At first they walkeil on all fours, then they be<ran tn
have some meni!»ei's of tli(> iiuman fi'ame — one finifei". on<^ toe, one eve.
one eai'. etc. After a time they iiad two tinijers. two toes, two eve^,
two ears. etc. In all theii' lindis and joints they were yet very imper
feet, but pi'o<,'reHsed fi'oni period to |)(>riod, until tiiey becanu^ ])erfei't
men and women. In the course of their transition from tiie Coyote tn
Ininian liein^'s. they not in the habit of siltin<,' upri<,'ht, and lost tlmir
tails. This is with many of tliem a .source of re<,'ret to this day, ;i-
they considei' a tail (piite an ornament; and in decorating' themseivi^
for a dance or other festive occasions, a portion of tiiem alwa\~
decorate tliemselves witli tails."

Tiie following' ti'adition is taken from the otlic'al reconlsof tlieSt,
Louis Indian Superintenih'ncy :

••The ()sa<,'«'s believe tliat the first nnin of their nation came out
of a shell, and that this man wiien waikini,' on eartli met witli tin
(treat Spirit, who asked him where! he resitled and what he ate. Tip
Osaj^e luiswered that he had no place of residence, jind that he uli
nothin'^. The Great Hpirit jj^ave him a bow and arrow and told him tn
^o a huntin<(. So soon as the Great Spirit left him lie killed a dem
The Great Spirit <,'ave him tire and told him to cook his meat, and in

as ffivt II

of tlll'il

rits, IIS 111'

V took 111!

n V\\i. tlH'

bers vfiv
> air; I'n'
)Vot«'s ('ir
ul in tlii>
ly of tlitir
iitiinu>il tci
b('^-iui til
|iilit'i'l'*'«'t ill

V l)i'jj;aii til
one i'_vi\

two tiVf^.
rv iiiiiKT
w, jjt'rt't'ft
('(.yoto til
lost tlii'ir
is liny. ii>
licmsi'l ve-
in alwuy-

-(,f tilt' St.

II ('nuu> mit
I't with tin-
at<'. 'I'll'-

at Ik' fit'

tdld liiin til

l(>il a (li''i

cat. ami tn

INDIAN TKADirioNS.

itl

eat. Ho also toKl him to tako the skin and covor hinisolf witii it, n\u\
also till' skins of other animals that he wo -id kill.

"Dno dav, as the Osago v.as huntin<,', Im cann' to a small river to
drink. He saw in the river a l)eaver hut. on whicii was sittinj^ Iho
ihief of the family. He asked the Osage what ho was lookinj,' for, so
near his lod<,'(>. The Osage answered that being thirsty he was forced
to come and drink at that place. The beaver then aske<l him who he
was and from whence he came. The Osage answered that ho had
come from hunting, and that he had no |ilaco of residence. •Well,
then.' said the beaver, "you appear to be a reasonablt> man. I wisii
vou to come and live with nu;. 1 have a huge family, consisting of
manv daughters, and if any of them should bi^ agreeable to you, yoii
inav marrv.' The Osage accepted tin* offer, and some time after nnii'-
ricd one of the beaver's daughters, with whom lH^ had many children.
Those children have formed tho Osngo people. This marriage of the
Osage with the beaver has been the cause that the Osages do not kill
the beaver. They always sup[>osed that by killing the beaver they
were killing the Osages."

The tradition of the Seneeas in regard to their origin is that they
broke out of tho earth from a large mountain at tho head of Can.m-
daii^nia lake, which mountain they still venerate as the place of their
birth, which they call (leuundewah, or gri;at hill, and from which this
people are known among themselves and cognat(* tribes as (la-nun-do-o-
no. "Tho Great Hill People." Tho Seneeas, they say, were in a fort
on tho top of this hill, which became surrounded by a monstrous ser-
pi'ut, wlii»s(* head and tail camo togt^ther. It lay there a long time,
confounding the people with its breath. At length they attempted to
make their escape, but in marching out of tho fort they walked down
the throat of the serp»'nt.

Two orphan children, who had escaped this general destructi<m
by Iteing left on this side of tho fort, were informed by an oracle of
the mt^aiis by which they could get rid of their formidable enemy by
taking a small bow and a {)oisoned arrow, made of a kind of wiUow,
and with that shooting the seri)ent under its scales. This tiiey did, and
the arrow proved effectual, for, on its penetrating tho skin the serpent
became sick, and exttMuling itself rolled down the hill, destroving all
tlii> timher that was in its way, in tln^ nu'antime disgorging. At every
motion a human head was discharged and rolled down the hill into th«
lake, where they all remained in a petrified state, having the hardnesw
and appearance of stones.

Down to lati^ date the Indians were accustomed to visit that sacr^d
place to mourn tho fate of their people ami celebrate some pe( uliar

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

/ho

W.r

1.0

I.I

1.25

ilM ilM

ilM

iJO

1 2.2
2.0

IIIIM

1-4 111.6

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTfeR.N.Y 14580

(716; 37?V--,03

.-c^

-f>

y M^<

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

rites. To the knowledge of Avhite people there has been no timber on
the great hill since it was first discovered by them, though it lay ap-
parently in a state of nature for a great number of years without culti-
vation. It is asserted that stones in the shape of Indians' heads may
be seen lying in the lake in great plenty in the vicinity of the great
hill, which, tradition says, are the same that were deposited there at
the death of the sei'pent.

The Seuecas have also a tradition, that previous to, and for some
time after, their origin at GenundeAvah, the country, especially about
the lakes, was thickly inhabited by a race of civil, enterprising and in-
dustrious people, who were totally destroyed by the great serpent that
afterwards surrounded the great hill fort, with the assistance of others
of the same species, and that the Senecas went into possession of the
improvements that were left.

The Senecas say that in those days the Indians throughout the
whole country spoke one language ; but the great serpent, by an un-
known influence, confounded their languages so that they could not
understand each other, and this was the cause of their division into
nations. At that time, however, the Senecas retained the original
language and continued to occupy their mother hill, on Avhich they
fortified themselves against their enemies and lived peaceably until,
having offended the great serpent, they were cut off as before
related.

The Onondagas have a legend that they sprang out of the ground
on the banks of the Oswego river.

The Iroquois nation have a somewhat curious tradition as to the
circumstances through which their national league of the original five
tribes was first formed. This tradition alleges that a remarkable
person grew up among them, originally known as Tarenyawago, who is
represented as a person of great wisdom and who taught this people
arts and knowledge. He possessed supernatural powers and hnd a
canoe which would move without paddles, being propelled by his will,
in which he ascended the streams and traversed the lakes. He taught
the people hoA/ to raise corn and beans, removed obstructions from the
water courses, and made their fishing grounds clear. He helped them
to get the mastery over the great monsters which overran the country,
and thus prepared the forests for their hunters. The people listened
to him with admiration and followed his advice. He excelled in all
things. He excelled their good hunters, brave warriors and eloquent
orators. Having given his people instructions for observing the laws
and maxims of the Great Spirit, he laid aside the high powers of his
public mission to set thera an example of how they should live, where-

INDIAN TRADITIONS.

upon he erected a lodge for his dwelliug, pinnted corn, kept near him
his magic canoe and selected a wife.

In relinquishing his former position as a subordinate to the Great
Spirit, lie also dropped his original name, and at the instance of his
people torik that of Hir.watha. He chose to become a member of the
Onondaga tribe, and took up his residence in their fruitful valley,
which was the central point of their government. Suddeidy there
was an invasion of a ferocious band of warriors coming fr<mi the north
of the great lakes. A ' thev advanced there was made an indiscrimi-
nate slaughter of men, Avoraen and children, and the public alarm was
extreme. Hiawatha advised his people to call a general council of all
the tribes that couid be gathered together from the east to the west,
appointing a meeting to be held at a suitable place indicated, on the
banks of Onondaga Lake. All the chief men accordingly assend)led
at this place, as Avell as a vast multitude of men, women and children,
in expectation, of deliverance.

Hiawitha, for some reason, delayed his attendance; messengers
were sent for hin, who found him in a pensive mooil, and to whom he
expressed the foreboding that evil might come from his attendance.
But these presentiments were overcome by the representations of the
messengers, and thereupon he put his wonderful canoe again into the
watery element and set out for the council, taking with him his only
daughter; proceeding up the current of the Seneca river, he soon
appeared among his people at the great council.

As he walked up the ascent from the lake to the council ground, a
loud sound was heard in the air above as if caused by some rushing
current of wind. A spot of matter was discovered descending rapidly,
and every instant enlarging in its size and velocity. Hiawatha, as
soon as he had gained the eminence, stood still, and caused his daugh-
ter to do the same, considering it cowardly to tiy and impossible to
avert the designs of the Great Spirit,

The descending object disclosed the shape of a large white bird,
with wide, extended and pointed wings, coming doAvn upon the ground
swifter and swifter, and with a powerful swoop crushed the daughter
of Hiawatha to the earth. Not a muscle moved in the face of
Hiawatha. His daughter lay dead before him, but the great and mys-
terious white bird was also killed in the shock. This bird was cov-
ered with beautiful plumes of snow-white shining feathers, one of
which was plucked by each warrior, with which lie decorated himself;
and, hence, it became a custom among this people to assume this kind
of feathers on the war path. Subsecjuent generations, it is said, sub-
stituted the plumes of the white heron, which led this bird to be

THE AMEllICAN INDIAN.

greatly esteemed. But still greater wonder followed, for on removing
the carcass of the bird not a trace of the daughter could be discovered ;
she had completely vanished. At this the father was greatly atfectetl
and l)ecame disconsolate, but he aroused himself and [miceeded to the
head of the council with dignified air, covered with his simple robe of
wolf skin, taking his seat among the chiefs, warriors and counselors
assembled. On the second day of the council Hiawatha arose and
proceeded to give to his people his advice as to how they should best
provide for their future welfare. He said:

'•My friends and brothers: You are members of many tribes,
and have come from a great distance. We have met to promote the
common interest and our mutual safety. How shall it be accomplished?
To oppose these northern hordes in tribes singly, while we are at vari-
ance often with each other, is impossible. By uniting in a common
band of brotherhood Ave may hope to succeed. Let this be done, and
we shall drive the enemy from our land. Listen to me by tribes."
Whereupon he proceeded to assign positions to each one of the five
tribes of the nation their respective position in their newly constituted
league, addressing each separately. To the Mohawks he assigned the
country on the Mohawk river, next to the Hudson, as the first in the
nation, because they were warlike and mighty. The Oneidas he assigned
next in position on the west, as the second nation, because they always
gave wise counsel. To the Onondagas, Avhose habitation was at the
foot of the great hill, he assigned the third in the jiation, because
they were all greatly gifted in speech. To the Senecas, whose dwell-
ing was in the dark forest, and whose home was everywhere, he assigned
to be the fourth nation, because of their superior cunning in hunting ;
and the Cayugas, the people living in the o])en country, possessing
much wisdom, he assigned as the fifth nation, because they understood
better the art of raising corn and beans and making houses.

On the next day Hiawatha's advice was concurred in by the great
council, and the five tribes were united in a bond of union, since called
the League of the Iroquois. After this Hiawatha took leave of the
council, announcing his withdrawal to the skies, whereupon he went
down to the water, seated himself in his mysterious canoe, when sweet
music was heard in the air above, and his mystical vessel, in which he re-
mained seated, Avas lifted gently from the surface of the Avater, ascend-
ing higher and higher till it vanished from sight and disappeared in
the celestial regions of the Owayneo (Great Spirit) and his hosts.

It seems that this mythical personage tlie poet LongfelloAv took
and l)lended into various OjibAvay legends, forming that masterly pro-
duction styled the " Song of Hiawatha," Avhich added so much to his

INDIAN TItADITIONS.

1)5

literniy fame. Whilst the Ojibways had a similar supernatural per-
sonage in their traditions called by thorn Xdiidhhozhuu, yet he does
not seem to have served so fully to bring (nit what the poet desired to
present in this net-work of Ojibway legends.

The marvellous power of Hiawatha, given him in the foregoing
Iroquois legend, in propelling and guiding his niystieal boat, is
carried by the poet Longfellow into his Ojibway legend iu the follow-
ing lines:

"Paddles none had Hiawatha,

Paddlos nono lie Lad or needed,

For Ids thoughts as paddles served him,

And his wiahcs served to guide him;

Swift or slov/ at will ho glidt^d.

Veered to right or left at pleasure."

It is observed that this mythical story of Hiawatha, as the ancient
law giver of the Irotjuois, and his miraculous disappearance from
among his people, singularly corresponds with that historical occur-
rence, or that given us as such, concerning the ancient B[)Hrtan law
giver Lycurgus, who, after preparing a complete code of laws for the
Spartans, and giving them advice as to the future, mysteriously dis-
appeared forever.

It also possessed a similar feature to that given us in the
account of the great law giver of Israel, who, after his mission had
been accom2)lished, in like manner was not allowed to continue
longer among them, and of whom it is written: "And the Lord
said unto him: This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto
Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed; I have
caused thee to see it with thine eyes, bui, thou shale not go over
thither. So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of
Moab, accoi'ding to the word of the Lord. And he buried him iu a
valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man
kuoweth of his se{)ulclire unto this day."

The Arapahoes had a tradition, that before there were any
animals on earth it was covered with water, except one mountain on
which was seated an Arapahoe crying, and who was poor and iu dis-
tress. The gods looked upon him with pity, and created three ducks
and sent them to him. The Arapahoe commanded the ducks to dive
down in the water and bring up f^omo dirt. One of them obeyed.
After a long time he came up, but had failed to find any dirt. The
second duck went down and was gone still longer than the first. He
also came up without finding dirt. Then the third duck went down
and was gone likewise a long time, but when he arose to the surface
he had a little dirt in his mouth. Directly the waters disappeared,

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

and left the Arapahoe the sole possessor of the land. Thereupon the
Arapahoe made the rivers and the woodland, placing the latter near
the streams. He then created a Spaniar'i and a beaver, and from
their union came all the people of tlie earth. The whites he made
beyond the ocean. He then created all the animals that are on earth,
all the birds of the air, fishes of the streams, the grasses and all
things that grow on the earth. He made a pipe and gave it to the
people. He sliowed them how to make bows and arrows, how to make
fire by rubbing two sticks, how to talk with their hands, and how to
live. He also instructed all the surrounding tribes to live at peafie
with the Arapahoes. All these tribes came to the Arapr<]ioes, who
gave them their goods and ponies. The Arapahoes never let their
hearts get tired Avitli giving, and all the tribes loved them.

The Blackfeet have a tradition or myth, that an old man, who
lived far in the north, made the earth and all tilings upon it; that
there is a great river in the north where this old man played; that
there are there two huge rocks, which he used to play with as boys
play with pebbles, and that these rocks have worn a deep trail in the
solid rock.

Captain Clark, in his book on Indian sign language, says that a
chief of the Bonack tribe, at the Fort Hall agency, gave him the fol-
lowing tradition in regard to the creation, as told him by his grand-
father: He said that they had a great father who made them. In
what shape this father was at the present day they did not know, but
perhaps in that of a cloud, the snow, or a storm, but it was the Big
Grey Wolf who was the father of the Bonacks, and the Coyote was the
father of the Shoshonees. The Grey Wolf was a God, and when the
Bonacks died they went to where he lived. This wolf formerly lived
ill a rock near Win-ne-mucka, in a huge hollow rock. The trail made
by this wolf in going in and out, they say, is still visible, and his foot-
prints are in the solid rocks and can be seen to-day. His grandfather
told him that the earth was once covered with water, except the high-
est peaks, and the Avind blew so hard that the water washed out the
deep ravines, which are now seen, but this was before any people were
made. The Shoshonees have a tradition or myth of the creation much
like that of the Bonacks, showing an intimate relation between the two
tribes.

Capt. Clark gives the following tradition among the Crow Indians
as related to him by an old chief: "Long ago there was a great flood,
and only one man was left, whom we call 'The Old Man' because it
happened so long ago, and because we have talked about him so much.
This god saw a duck and said to aim, • come here, my brother. Go

INDIAN TRADITIONS.

down and y;et some dirt and I will see what I can do with if The
duck dived and was gone a long time. Coming to the surfaco, he had a
small bit of mud. The god said he would make something with it, and
added, 'We are here by ourselves, it is bad!' Holding the mud in his
haml till it dried, then blowing it in different directions, there was dry
land all about. The duck and the god and the ground were all that
existed. He then made the creeks and mountains, and after that they
asked each other to do certain things, llie duck asked the god to
make certain things, among the rest, Indians on the prairie. The god
took some dirt in his hand, blew it out, and there stood a man and a
woman. A great many Crows sprang up at once from this dirt, but
they were blind. The first nmn created pulled open one eye and saw
the streams and mountains, and then the other and cried out that tin?
country was fine. The first woman created did the same, and they
told the rest to do the same, and to this day the peculiar marks about
the eyes show the manner of opening them. The first two then asked
the god for sonething to hide their nakedness. The god told the
woman and explained to the man how to perpetuate their species."

From investigation it would ai)pear that nearly every tribe, if not
all of them, without exception, had its legends of origin not unlike
those which are here given. Late ex[)lorations and more intinmte ac-
quaintanc'i with the Indians of Alaska, to the most northern limit,
shows this same class of legends concerning their origin, all going to
still further strsngthen the theory of a common stock among all
American tribes. One of these legends is given by Lieut. C. E. K.
Wood, who visited Alaska in 1877, and styled by him the T'link(!t
legend of Mount Edgecundje, and which was given him by Tah-ah-nah-
klick, one of his Indian guides.

CHAPTER IV.
AFFINITY WITH THE JEWS.

OpinioDof James Adair-Tho Indians Descemletl from tlie People of Israel-He Assisns
Twenty-three Arf,'iuuouls lor this Opinion — Similarity Between the Langnatjes —
Comparison of Words and Sentences — Opinion of liev. Jedidiah Morse — Simi-
larity of Kclitrions Customs— Dr. Boudinot Favors this Tlieory Rev. Etiian
Smith— Evidence in Favor of this Theory — The Indians Acknowledge bnt One
Great Spirit like the Jews Father Charlevoix Presents Evideuee in Support of
this Theory — Indians Were Never Known to Worship Images— Evidence of
William Penu -Features of the Face like the Hebrews — And so with Dress^
Trinkets and Ornaments— Their Fasts and Feasts, like the Jews - They Reckon
by Moons and ('omit Time like th(> Hebrews — Have their Prophets — Abstain from
Unclean Thiu^s -Salute the Dawn of Mornin;,' by Devotional Ceremony — In
their Lodf,'e Tales and Traditions Twelve Brothers are Spoken of— Custom in
Mournint,' for the Dead, like the Jews- Have a Custom of Burnt Ot!'eriuKS — Had
B Custom like the Jews of Annointinff the Head— The Indian Medicine Lodge
Corresponded to the .Jewish Synagogue— Had a Secret Order lleseml)ling that of
the Jews— Their Medicine Man Corresponded to the " Wise Men." Matthew
II, 1 — The Bow and Arrow was (Common to the .Tews— The Indian Tent was like
that of the Jews — Lived in Tribes like the .Jews.

jKwisM Hicat riiiEST IN ins

UOPKS

ANY writers have <;iven special atten-
^\^ / \ / \;' tion to an inquiry into the subject of
the American aborigines, with refer-
ence to di.scovering an afiinity of tliis
people with the Jews, or people of Israel.

Among the class of writers aforesaid is Mr.
James Adair, who resided forty years among the
American tril)es, and who wrote a book on the
subject, Avhich was pid)lis]ied about the year
1775, in which he, without hesitation, declares
that the American aborigines are descendants
from the Israelites, and so complete is his con-
viction on tliis head, that he declares he finds a
perfect and undisputable similitude in each. He
says: "From the most accurate observations I
could make, in the long time I traded among
the Indians of America, I was forced to believe
them lineally descended from the tribes of
Israel."

i9S)

\FF1NITY WITH TllK ,lj;\VS.

01)

AmoiiiT the enrlv nntlioritios oitod, to show that tlio Ainorionn
Indinns are desceinlniits from thi- Isrnelites. Mr. Adair seems to ho tlio
principal one, and since his time, all writers who have favored liis
views, refer with unreserved confidence to the evid(Mice furnished l)y
hira to this end.

One of the earnest writers in support of this theory in lattM- times, is
Hex. Etlian Smith, of Poultney, A^t., as shown in liis bookentith'd •• N'iew
of tlie Hebrew, or tlie Tribes of Israel in America." published in iSlio,
wlier(>in he undertakes to prove, citinij Mr. Adair and otlu-rs. tliat the
American Indians are descendants from tlio Lost Trib(>s of Israel.

Mr. Smith sums up the ar<;unients of Mr. Adair that the natives
of tliis continent are of tlu^ ten tribes of Israel, to the following effect:
1. Their division into tribes. 2. Tlieir worslii[) of Jehovah. ;5.
Their notions of a tlumcracy. 4. Their belief in the administration of
nngels. 5. Their language and dialects. 0. Their manner of counting
time. 7. Tlieir prophets and higli priests. 8. Their festivals, fasts
and religious rites. '.). Tlu'ir daily sacrifice. 10. Tlieir ablution-;
and anointings. 11. Tlieir laws of unclcanliness. 12. Their absti-
nence from unclean things. !'•). Their marriage, divorces and punish-
ments of adultery. 11. Tlieir several punishments. 15. Their cities
of refuge. 1(5. Their purifications and preparatory ceremonies. 17.
Their m-naments. Is. Their manner of curing the sick. lit. Their
burial of the dead. 20. Their mourning for the dead, 21. Their
raising seed to a deceased brother. 22. Their change of names adapted
to their circumstances and times. 2i3. Their own traditions; tiio
account of English writers; and the testimonies given by S[)aniards
and other Avriters of the primitive inhabitants of Mexico and Peru.

Many of those who contend for Jewish origin of the American
Indian insist that evidence of this fact is found in the languages of
the Indians, whicli appear clearly to have been derived from the
Hebrew. This is the opinion expressed by Mr. Adair, in which Dr.
Edwai'ds h.'iving a gcHxl knowledge of some of the Indian languages,
concurs and gives his reasons for believing this people to have been
originally Hel)rew.

Tiie languages of the Indians and of the Hebrews, he remarks,
are both found without prepositions, and are formed -with prefixes and
Buffixes, a thing not C(minn)n to other languages; and he says that
not only the Avords, but the construction of phrases in both are
essentially the same. Tlie Indian pronoun, as well as other nouns, he
remarks, are manifestly from the Hebrews. The Indian laconic, bold,
and commanding figures of s[>eech, Mr. Adair notes as exactly
agreeing with the genius of the Hebrew language.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY LIBRAfOt

100

THE AMEUICAN' INDIAN.

Kclfitivo to tlio H(!l)rnisin of tlieir fi^urn, Mr. Adnir <riv(>B the
following iiistaiico from an uddross of a cai)taiii to lii.s warriors, ou
going to buttlo: "I know that your guns are burning in your hands;
your tomahawks aro tliirsting to drink tho blood of your enomies;
your trusty arrows aru impatient to be upon the wing; and lest delay
should burn your hearts any longer, I give you the cool refrosiung
words: .lain llic iiolij ark; •iid (iifdij lo cut off the dcrolcd ntcniij.''''

A table of words and [)hrases is furnished by Dr. Boudinot,
Adair and others, to show the similarity, in some of tlie Indian lan-
guages, to tho Hebrew, and that the former must have been derived
from the latter. The following is an exaini)le atl'ord(>(l from the
sources quoted:

AVOItDS.

KNOLISH.

INDIAN.

HEnUEW, OR rnALDAK

Ji'lioviih.

Yohewah.

Jehovah.

(J()(l.

Ale.

Ale, Aleiiu.

Jab.

Yaii or Wah.

.Tail.

Shiloh.

fShilii.

Shiloh.

Huavous,

Chemim.

Shemiu.

FatlKT.

Abba.

Abba

Man.

Isb, Ishie.

Ish.

Woman.

Ishto.

\\ih\

Awah.

Eweh, Eve.

Thon.

Keah.

Ka.

His wife.

Liani.

Liheue.

Tliis man.

Uwoh.

Huah.

Nose.

Niebiri.

Nelieri.

Roof of a house.

Taubaua-ora.

Debouaoim.

Winter.

Kora.

Korah.

Canaan.

Caiiaai.

Canaan.

To pray.

Phah>.

Phalae.

Now.

Na.

Hind part.

Ke.'fh.

Kish.

Do.

Jennais.

-Taiinon.

Tol)I.)w.

Phaubae.

Phanhe.

linsliinj,' wind.

Rowah.

Riiach.

Ararat, or biyh luouu^.

Ararat.

AsKomt)ly,

Knrbet.

Grabit.

My skin.

Nora.

Ourni.

Man of God.

Aslito Alio.

Ishda Alloa.

Waiter of the biyh priest

Sayan.
PARTS OF SENTENCES.

Sagau.

ENGLISH.

INDIAN.

HEBREW.

Very hot.

Hern liara or hala.

Hara hara.

Praise to the first cause.

Halleluwah.

Hallelujah.

Give me food.

Natl ni bonian.

Natoni bamen.

Go thy way.

J3ayoii boorkaa.

Bona bonak.

(^Tood be with yon.

Halea tibon.

Ye hali ettonboa.

My ueekhico.

Yeue kali.

Vouyali.

I am sick.

Nana guale.

Nance heti.

Rev. Jedidiah Morse, in his tour among the Western Indians, says
of the Indians' language: "It is highly metaphorical; and in this and
other resjiects they resemble the Hebrew." "This resemblance in
their language" he adds, "and the similarity of many of their

Ul'INITV WITH TlIK IKWH.

Kll

reli<;ions custoius to those of tlie Hobrows, cortainly give plnusiMlity
to tlio ingenious theory of Dr. Boudinot. cxliihited in his iiiterostiii"^
work, llir Shu- in llic West."'

Dr. Boudinot spoaiis of Koiiie liidiuns iit a phice c/iIKmI (lohocks,
wiio culk'd tlio higli iiioiiiitaiii !it the west Aranit. He says that the
Penobscot Indians caUed a hij^li mountain by tiie same name; that
he himself attended an Indian relijjfious danco. conceniiug which he
remarks:

"Tliey (hmce one round: and tiien a stn-ond. siii<,nng lial-lial-hal,
till they finished the round. They then gave us a third round, strik-
ing up the words le-le-le. On tlie next round it was the words,
lu-lu-lu, dancing with all their might. ])uring the fifth round was
yah-yah-yah. Then all joined in a lively and joyful chorus, and
sung halleluyah; dwelling on each syllable with a very long bnuith,
in a most pleasing manner." And he says, "there could bo no decep-
tion in all this. Their pronunciation was very gutteral and sonorous,
but distinct and clear."

Rev. Ethan Smith, in his book before mentioned, remarking on
this circumstance, says: "How could it be possible that the wild
native Americans, in different parts of the continent, should l)e f(mnd
singing tliis phrase of praise to the Great First Cause, or to Jaii —
cxcliisirclii TTchrcir, without having l)rougiit it down by traditicm from
ancient Israel ? Tiie positive testimonies of such men as Boudinot
and Adair are not to be dis[)ensed with nor doubted. They testify
what they have seen and heard. And I can conceive of no rational
way to account for this Indian song, Imt that they l)r()ught it down
from ancient Israel, tiieir ancestors."

Dr. Boudinot furtiier says of the Indians: "Their languages in
their roots, idioms and particular construction, appear to have tiie
whole genius of the Hebrew; and what is very remarkable have
most of tiie peculiarities of that language, especially those in which
it differs from most other languages."

It is also insisted by many, as further evidence showing the
Jewish origin of the American Indian, that they have had their
imitation of the ark of the covenant in ancient Israel. Rev. Ethan
Smith says, that different travelers, and from different regions, unite
ill this, and refers to the fact that Mr. Adair is full in his account of
it. He describes it as a small stpiare box, made convenient to carry
on the back; that the Indians never set it on the ground, l)ut on rocks
in low ground Avliere stones were not to l)e had, and on stones where
they are to be found. Mr. Adair, in reference to this matter, says:

"It is worthy of notice that they never place the ark on the

Id:

THE AMEIIICAN INDIAN.

grouiitl, nor set it on the Imro enrth when i\n'y ait> ciinyinf^ it ngiiiuHt
111! eut'niy. On hilly ground, where stones lire plenty, they place it ou
tlit'ni. But in level Inml, upon sliort lo^s, nlwiiys resting themselves
(i. e. the carriers of the ark) <>n the same materials. They have also
as strong a faith of the power and holiness of tiieir ark as ever the
Israelites retaiiKul of theirs. Tiie Indian ark is de<- ,id so saered
and dangerous to touch, either l)y tlieir own sanctitied warriors, or the
spoiling enemy, <liat neitiiei of tlieni dare meddh^ with it on any
account. It is not to bo handled by any except the chieftaii; and his
waiter, under [H'ualty of incurring great evil; nor would the most
inveterate enemy dare to touch it. The leader virtually acts the part
of a jiriest of war. jiro fciiiporr. in imitation of the Israelites fighting
under till' divine military banner/''

It is said that among all the al)original trilu's niid nations of both
Noith and South America, whatever may have been said by the Span-
iards to the I'ontrary, tlit>y acknowledged one, and only one Ciod, and
this again is taken by tiH> ailvocates of the Jewish origin of the
AnuM'ican Iiidians as further ])ror, +liat this people are descendants of
the Jew.s. Dr. Boudinot says of t'l ' Indians, that they were never
known, whatevi'r mercenary ^.tanian''- may have written to the con-
trarv, to pay the least adoration to image's or dead per.sons, to celestial
luminaries, to evil spirits or to any created beings whatever; in which
Mr. Adair concurs, adding that none of the numerous tribes and na-
tions, from Hudson Bay to the Mississippi, have ever been known to
atttMupt tli(^ formation of any image of (lod. On this subject Ilev.
Ethan Smith says:

" ])u Prat/ was very intimate with the chief of those Imlinns
calletl * The Guardians of the Temple,' near the Mississip[)i. He in-
(juired of them the nature of their worship. The chief informed him
that they worsliipi)ed the great and most perfect Spirit, and said: ' He
is so great and powerful, that in comparison with him all others are
as nothing. He made all things that we see. and all things that we
cannot see.' The chief went on to s[)eak of (lod as having made
little spirits, cnlUnl free scriydils. who always .stand before the Great
Spirit, ready to do his Mill. That 'the air is filled with spirits, scmie
good, some bad, and that the bad have a chief who is more
wicked than the rest.' Here, it seems, is their traditional notion of
good and bad angels, and of Beelzebub, the chief of the latter. This
chief, being asked how God made man, replied that '.God kneach^d
some clay, made it into a little man, and, finding it was well formed,
he blew on his work, ami the man had life and grew up.' Being
asked of the creation of the woman, he said that ' their ancient speech

AFIIMTY WITH TIIK .IKWS.

103

iimde no mention ol any ditftM-eiict*, only tlmt tlio mnn was nmdo first.
Mosos' (U'countof tlio I'ornmtioii of tlio wonmii, it sponis, liinlbntin lost.' "

CMiiirlt'voix, Kpt'iikiiij^ of tlin Indian traits and roli^'ious iMistonis,
and in icftTiMicii to tiu-ir icst'ndilin^ tlin .lows, says:

" Tlio greatt^st Part of tln'i?" Fcusts. tlinir Sonj,'s and tb(ur Dances,
appear to nie to liave had their Kise from Religion, and still to pre-
serve some Traces of it; bnt one mnst have good eyes, or rather ii
very lively inuigination, to perceive in them all that sonn^ travelers
liave pretended to discover. I Jnive met with some who conld not
help thinking that our savages were descended t'roni the Jews, and
found in everything some ntlinity between those barbarians and the
peo[)le of God. There is, indeed, a resendjlanco in some things, as
not to use knives in certain nn-als, and not to break the bones of the
beast they ate at those times, and the separation of the women during
the time of their usual infirmities. S^ t ■ persons, they say, have
heard them, or thought they heard them, p ounce the word Hallelu-
jah in their songs. But who can believe f hi. t when they pierce their
ears and noses they do it in pursuan't of tli'' law ! circumcision?
On the other hand, don', we know thai the custom of circumcision is
n ore ancient than the law that w:is given to A braham nnd his poster-
ity. The feast they niaile at the return u£ Uie hunters, and of which
they must leave nothing, has also beeji taken for a kind of burnt offer-
ing, or for a remain of the passover of the Israelites; and rather, they
.say, because when any one cannot compass his [)ortion, he may get the
assistance of his neighbors, as was practictnl l>y the people of God,
when a family was not sufficient to eat the whole Paschal Lamb."

Kev. Ethan Smith, in his book before mentioned, refers to a letter
from Mr. Calvin Cushnian, missionary among the Choctaws, to a friend
in Plainfield, Mass., in 1S2-4. in which ho says:

" By information received from Father Hoyt respecting the formei*
traditions, rites and ceremonies of the Indians of this region, I think
there is much reason to believe they are descendants of Abra-
ham. They have had cities of refuge, feasts of first fruits, sacrifices
of the firstlings of the flock, w Inch had to be jjerfect, without blemish
or deformity, a bone of which must not be broken. They were never
known to worshij) images, nor to offer sacrifices to any God made with
hands. They all have some idea and belief of the Great Spirit. Their
feasts, holy days, etc., were regulaled by scrciis, as to time, i. e., seven
sleeps, seven m»)ons, seven years, etc They had a kind of box contain-
ing some kind of substance which was considered sacred, and kejit an
entire secret from the commoi/ people. Said box was borne by a num-
ber of men who were considered pure or holy (if I mistake not, such

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

a box was kept by the Cherokees). And wlienever they went to war
with another tribe they carried this box; and such was its purity in
their view that notlung would justify its being rested on the ground.
A clean rock or scaffold of timber only was considered sufficiently pure
for a resting place for this sacred coffer. And such was the venera-
tion of all of the tribes for it, that whenever the party retaining it
was defeated and obliged to leave it on the field of battle, the con-
querors would by no means toucli it."

The celebrated AVilliam Penn, who saw the Indians of tlie eastern
shore of the continent before they had been affected by the ill-treat-
ment of the white people, in a letter to a friend in England concern-
ing this people, says:

"I found them with like countenances with the Hebrew race;
and their ciiildren of so lively a resemblance to them that a man would
think himself in Duke's place, or Barry street, in London, when he
sees them." Here, without the least previous idea of those natives
being Israelites, that shrewd man was struck with their perfect resem-
blance of them, and with other things which will be noted. He speaks
of their dress and trinkets as notable like those of ancient Israel ;
their earrings, nose jewels, bracelets on their arms and legs (such as
they were), on their fingers, necklaces made of polished shells found
in their rivers and on their coasts, bands, shells and feathers orna-
menting the lieads of females, and various strings of beads adorning
several parts of tlie body.

Mr. Penn further adds that the worship of this people consists
in two parts, sacrifices and cantos (songs). The first is with thuir
first fruits, and the first buck they kill goes to the fire ; and that all
who go to this feast must take a piece of money, which is made o': the
bone of a fish. (" None shall appear before me empty.") He speaks
of the agreement of their rites with those of the Jews, and adds:

"They reckon by moons; they offer their first ripe f'-nits; they
have a kind of feast of tabernacles; they are said to lay their altars
with tAvelve stones; they mourn a year; they have their separation of
women; with many other things that do not now occur." Here is a
most artless testimony given by that notable man, drawn from his own
observations and accounts given by him, while tlie thought of this
p80{)le's being actually Hebrew was probably most distant from his
mind.

Mr. Adair says that the southern Indians have a tradition tliat
their ancestors once had a sanctified rod, whicli budded in one night's
time, which is hehl by some to be a tradition of Aaron's rod. Some
tribes of Indians, it is said, had, among their numerous feasts, one

AFFINITY WITH THE JEWS.

105

whicli they called the hunter's fenst, answering, it is daimeil l)y some,
to the Pentecost in ancient Israel, and which is described as follows:

"They choose twelve men, - ho provide twelve deer. Each of the
twelve men cuts a sapling ; with these they form a tent, covered with
blankets. They then choose twelve stcnies for an altar of sacrifice.
Some tribes, he observes, choose but ten men, ten poles, and ten
stones. Here seems an evident allusion to the twelve tribes, and also
to some idea of the ten separate tribes of Israel. Upon the stones of
their altar they suffered no tool to pass. No tool might pass upon a
certain altar in Israel."

In their feasts of first ri{)e fruits, or green corn, the custom of the
Ii.dians is to eat none of their corn or first fruit till a part is given to
God. In the Indian feasts they had their sacred songs and dances,
singing Hallelujah, Yohewa, in syllables which compose the words, and
it is asked what other nation besides the Hebrews and Indians ever at-
tempted tiie worship of Jehovah.

Mr. Adair, in further su{)port of his theory, says: "As the nation
had its particular symbol, so each tribe has the badge from which it is
denominated. The sachem of each tribe is a necessary party in con-
veyances and treaties, to which he afiixes the mark of his tribe. If
we go from nation to nation among them Ave shall not find one who
doth not lineally distinguish himself by his respective family. Tiie
genealogical names which they assume are derived either from the
names of those animals whereof tiie cherubim are said in revelation to
be compounded, or from such creatures as are most familiar to them.
They call some of their tribes by the names of cherubimical figures
that were carried on four principal standards of Israel."

The Indians count time after the manner oi the Hebrews. They
divide the year into spring, summer, autumn and winter. They
number their years from any of those four periods, for they have no
name for a year, and they subdivide these and count the year by lunar
months, like the Israelites who ccmnted by moons. They begin a year
at the first appearance of the first new moon of the vernal equinox, ac-
cording to the ecclesiastical year of Moses. Till the so-called captivity
the Israelites had only numeral names for the solar and lunar months
except Al)ib and Ethamin; the former signifying a green ear of corn,
and the latter robust or valiant, and by the first of these the Indians
(as an explictive) term their passover, which the trading people call
the green corn dance.

In conformity to, or after the manner of the Jews, the Indians of
America have their prophets, high priests and others of a religious
order. As the Jews had a sanctum sanctorum (holy of holies), so in

106

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

general have all the Indian nations. There they deposit their conse-
crated vessels, none of the laity daring to approach that sacred place.
Indian tradition says that their fathers were possessed of an extraordi-
nary divine spirit, by which they foretold future things and controlled
the common course of nature; and this power they transmitted to their
offspring, provided they obeyetl the sacred laws annexed pertaining
thereto.

Mr. Adair, it must be remembered, in referring to words in the
Indian languages, has reference to tliose tribes which at that day were
living in the southern colonies, classed by ethnologists as the Appa-
lachians, and who were the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, Senii-
noles and Muscogees. In speaking with reference to these Indians he
says, Ishtoallo is the name of their priestly order, and their pontifical
office descends by inheritance to the eldest. There are some traces of
agreement, though chietly lost, in their |)ontifical dress. Before the
Indian Archimagus olHciates in making the supposed holy fire for the
yearly atonement for sin, theSagan (waiter of the high priest) clothed
him with a white ephod, which is a waistcoat without sleeves. In re-
semblance of the Urim and Thummim, the American Archimagus
wears a breast plate maile of a white conch shell with two holes bored
in the middle of it. througli which he puts the ends of an otter skin
stra[) and fastens a buck-horn white button to the outside of each, as if
in imitati<m of tiie precious stones of the I'rim.

In this statement. Rev. Ethan Smith tliinks Mr. Adair exhibits
evidence of which lie himself seems unconscious, saying that the
general name of all their priestly order is Ishtoallo, and the name of
the high priest waiter is Sagan. It is thought by some that the former
word is a corruption of Isli-da-elvah, a man of God; see 2 Kings, iv,
21, 22, 25, 27, 40, and other places. That the latter word Sagan is
the very nanu> by which the Hel)re\vs called the de^mty of the high
priest, who supplied his olHce, and performed the functions of it in
the absence of the high priest.

The ceremonies of the Indians, in their religious worship, says
Mr. Adair, were more after the Mosaic institutions than of Pagan
imitation; which could not be if a majority of the old nations were
of heathenish descent. They were ntter strangers to all the gestures
practiced by the Pagans in their religious rites.

Mr. Adair further speaks of the saci-ed adjuration of the Indians
by the great and awful name of God; the question being asked, and
the answer given. Yah, with a profound reverence in a bowing posture
of body immediately before the invocation of Yo-he-wali; this he
considers tt) be Hebrew, adjuring their Avitnesses to give true evidence.

AFFINITY WITH THE JEWS.

101

He says it seems exactly to coincide with tlie conduct of the Hebrew
witnesses even now on like occasions.

Mr. Adair, in likening the Indians to the Jews on account of
their abstinence from unclean things, says that eagles of every kind
are esteemed an unclean food, likewise ravens, crows, bats, buzzards,
swallows and every species of owl. This he considers as precisely
Hebrew, as also their purifications of their priests, and purification
for having touched a dead body or any other unclean thing. He
further says that before going to war, the Indians have many prepar-
atory ceremonies of purification and fasting, like what is recorded of
the Israelites.

Rev. Mr. Chapman, missionary of the United States Foreign
Missionary Society, at the Union Mission, in a letter of March 2-4tii,
l.S'23, gives an account of some of the manners and customs of the
Osage Indians, which would seem to have some bearing on the question
under consideration. He went with a large company of these Indians,
whose object was to form a treaty of peace with the Cherokees, to
Fort Smith. Tlie evening l)eforo they arrived on a hill, tlu^ chiefs
announced that in the morning they must make their customary [)eace
medicine (a religious ceremony previous to a treaty) for the purpose
of cleansing their hearts and securing their sincerity of thinking and
acting. Ten of the principal warriors, including the priest of the
Atmosphere, (a name of one of their clans) were selected and sent
beneath a ledge, to dream or learn whether any error had been com-
mitted thus far, or (as they express it) to "watch the back track."
In proceeding to describe their ceremonies, prayers, sacred painting,
annointings, etc , Mr. Chapman says: " About two feet in advance, and
in a line with our path, were three bunches of grass, which had been
cut and piled about three feet apart, as an emblem of him whom they
worsi. ;)ped.

"Here the priest stood with his attendants, and [)rayed at great
length. Having finished his prayer, he again ordered the march on
foot. The Indians from the right and left entereel the path with great
regularity, and, on wheeling forward, every individual was compelled
to step ui)on each bunch of the grass. The company proceeded about
forty rods, then halted and formed as before. The priest now ordered
his senior attendant to form a circle of grass about four feet in diameter,
and to fix a handsome pile in the centre. By this he made another
long prayer. Then stepping on the circle, and followed in this by his
attendants, they passed on."

Mr. ChajHuan further says: "It is a universal practice of these
Indians to salute the dawn every moining with their devotion." This

108

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

custom, it may be remarked, seems to be universal among all the
American tribes. In regard to the ceremonies which Mr. Chapman
describes, he adds: "Perhaps the curious may imagine that some
faint allusion to the lost ten tribes of Israel may be discovered in the
select number of dreamers (they being ten), to the Trinity in Unity
in the bunches (and the circle ) of grass, to the Jewish annointings and
purifications in their repeated paintings, to the sacred rite of the
sanctuary in their secret consultations, and to the prophetic office in
the office of their dreamers."

A religious custom is related by Maj. Long, Avhich some think
goes to piove that the Omaha Indians are of Israel. He relates that
from the ago of between five or ten years their little sons are obliged
to ascend a hill fasting once or twice a week, during the months of
March and April, to pray aloud to Wahconda. When this seascm of
the year arrives, the mother informs the little son that the "ice is
breaking up in the river, the ducks and geese are migrating, and it is
time for you to prepare to go in clay."' The little worshipper then
rubs himself over with whitish clay, and at sunrise sets off for the top
of a hill, instructed by the mother what to say to the Master of Life,
From his elevated position he cried aloud to Wahconda, humming a
melancholy tune, and calling on him to have pity on him and make
him a great hunter, warrior, etc.

This, it is urged by some, has more the appearance of descending
from Hebrew tradition than from any other nation in the earth;
teaching their children to fast in clay as "in dust and ashes," and to
cry to Jah for pity and [>rotection.

In part second of Mr. Schoolcraft's genei-al work on the Indian
tribes of the United States, p. 135, is an article written by Mr. Wm.
W. Warren, on the oral traditions respecting the histcny of the Ojib-
way nation. Mr. Warren, as Mr. Schoolcraft remarks, was a descendant,
on his mother's side, of one of the most respectable Indian families
at the ancient capital of this natitm.

In this communication, Mr. Warren is inclined to the opinion,
from the information derived from the manners and customs of the
Ojibways, that the red race of America are descendants of the lost
tribes of Israel, and he asserts that this is the belief of some eminent
men and writers, and mentions this belief to say that he has noted
much in the course of his inquiries thai woiild induce him to fall into
the same belief, besides the general reasons that are adduced to prove
the fact. Referring to the Ojibways, he says:

"I have noticed that in all their principal and oldest traditions
and lodge tales, twelve brothers are spoken of that are the sons of

AFFINITY WITH THE .TKWS.

lOU

Getube, n. name nearly similar to J.'fob. The oldest of these brothers
is called Mudjekeewis, and the youngest Wa-jeeg-e-wa-kon-ay, the
name for his coat of fishers' skins, with which ho resisted the machina-
tions of evil spirits. He was the beloved of his father and the Great
Spirit; the Avisest and most powerful of his twelve brothers."

Tlie tradition in which also originated Ke-na-big-wusk, or snake-
root, which forms one of the four main branches of the Me-da-win, is
similar in character to the brazen sevpent of Moses that saved the
lives of the afflicted Israelites. In the Indian tradition, the serpent is
made to show to man a root which saved the lives of the people of a
great town, which was being depopulated by pestilence. Not oidy in
these instances is the similitude of the Ojibway oral traditions and
the written historv of the Hebrews evident and most striking, but in
part first of Mr. Schoolcraft's work afoi-esaid, page 259, is some in-
formation by Mr. Thomas Fitzpatrick, a government agent of the
higher Platte and Arkansas. In this, reference is made to the fact of
a resemblance in the manners, customs and habits of the Indians with
that of the Jews or Israelites, in which he says: "In regard to the
manners, customs, habits, etc., of the wild tribes of tlie western terri-
tory, a true and more correct type than any I have ever seen may be
found in the ancient history of the Jews or Israelites after tlieir
liberation from Egyptian bondage. The medicine lodge of the Indian
may be compared to the place of worship or tabernacle of the Jews,
and the sacrifices, offerings, purifications and annointings may be all
foimd amongst and practiced by those people."

It is to be noted, however, that Mr. Fitzpatricii is not inclined to
adopt these evidences as proof that the Indians are descended from
the Jews, but considers them as mere coincidences, liable to occur
among the natives of any portion of the globe.

In an interview which the writer hail several years ago with Rev.
John Johnston, a native educated Ottawa Indian, and a minister of the
gospel of the Episcopal Church among the Ojibways at White Earth
Agency, Minn., he expressed his belief quite firmly that the aborigines
were descendants from the Jews, and cited instances of their manners,
customs and habits in su[)port of this opinion.

There is a marked similarity between the customs of the Indians
and the Jews in their mourning for the dead. Like the Jews, the
Indians had a time or season for mourning for the dead. A custom
among the Jews of loud lamentation over the dead was also a i)eculiar
custom of the American tribes. In Gen. xxxii, 34, it is said that
•■ Jacob rent his clothes, anil put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned
for his son many days." This is suggestive of a like custom among

110

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

tlie Anioricnn Indians. Amoiif^ the Iiidinns the friends oi the deceased
visited tlie graves of their dt!|)arted rehttives and there resumed their
custom of weeping and slirieking. This was also a prominent custom
nmonj; the Jews, as noticed in John xi, ;U: "She goeth out to the
grave to weep there." The custom of engaging women to mourn over
the bodies of tlie dead, which [)revailed among the American tribes,
was also a custom among the Jews, as mentioned in Jer. ix, 17: "Thus
saith tlie Lord of Hosts, consider ye, and call for the mourning women
that they may come."

Among the Indians it was a custom for the bridegroom to make
presents to the father or parents of the b'"ide as a consideration in the
transaction. This custom also prevailed among the Jews; Jacob
gave a term of service as a consideration for Rachel. Gen. xxix, 20.

Among the Jews, parents negotiated marriage between sons and
daughters. Hagar chose a wife for Ishmaiil. Gen. xxi, 21. Judah
selected a wife for Er. Gen. xxxviii. (>. The like custom prevailed
amon<r the American Indians.

The marriage ceremony among the American tribes was much the
same as with the Jews. In Gen. xxiv, (IT, it is said "Ii.aac brouglit
her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became
his wife." Rev. James Freeman, in his book entitled "Manners and
Customs." says there is no evidence of any special religious forms in
these primitive marriages. The niarriage ceremony consisted of the
removal of the britle from the father's house to that of the l>ridegroom,
or that of his father. The marriage ceremony among the American
tribes Avas of like simplicity, and ver\- much the same.

The Indians, like the Jews, had a custom of burnt otl'erings. as
that of the burning of tobacco, as an ottering to the (.ireat Spirit.
They had also a custom like that of the meat offering of the Jews.
See Lev. vi, 14. They also, like the Jews, hat" a sacrifice of animals.
Num. xix, 2. Instead of the red heifer without a spot, as with the
Jews, it was a white tlog without a spot or blemisli.

Like the Jews, they had their feasts for various occasions.
Amongst others was a feast of first fruits, such as the strawberry feast
of the Iroquois. The harvest feast was universal witli all tribes who
raised the Indian corn or zea maize. This corresponded to the like cus-
tom among the Jews. Ex. xxiii, 1(1.

Dancing on various occasions was a custom practiced among the
American Indians as with the Jews, althoiigh not precisely in the same
form. Dancing was performed at first among the Jews on sacred oc-
casions only. Among the Hebrews it was joined Avith sacred songs
and was usually particii)ated in by the women only. When the men

AFFINITY WITH THE JEWS.

Ill

danced it was in comj)any separate from the women. When Jeptlia
returned from his cont^iuest over the Ammonites, his daughter came
out to meet him with timbrels and with dances. When the men of
Benjamin surprised the (biughters of Shiloh, the latter were dancing
at a feast of the Lord. Judges, xxi, 10-21. A corresponding custom
of dances among the Hebrews, as given in scripture, is found among
all the American tribes, the occasion for many of which is [)rocise]y
the same.

The Israelites used the mortar for beating their manna. Num.
xi, S. It was by this means that tiio Indians of America from time
immemorial beat their corn and thus prepared it for use.

The custom prevailing among the Jews of annointing the head,
and in using oils on other parts of the body, also prevailed among the
American tribes.

Sign language, so common among the American tribes, is also
marked as a mode of communication among the Jews. In Proverbs, vi,
18, it is said "Hespeaketh with his feet; he teacheth with his fingers.''

The Indians, at the close of their speeches in council, used a word
of like significati<in as the word Amen, common among the Jews as
stated in 1 Chronicles, xvi, ;3(). "All the peo[)le said Amen, and
praised the Lord." Amen literally means firm, from Anion, to prop,
to sujjport. Its figurative meaning is faithful ; its use is designated as
affirmatory response, and the custt)m is very ancient among the Jtnvs.
See Num. v. 22. Deut. xxvii, lo-lt). The Iro([Uois, in closing their
speeches, used the word Hiro, of the like import of the Jewish word
Amen. The Pottawattamies, a tribe of the Algonquin group, used the
word Hoa.

The Indian medicine lodge or counc'l-house corresponds mucii to
the ancient Jewish synagogues, which were originally places of in-
struction rather than of worsliip, and wherein, it is said, the Jews read
and expounded the law. We find Christ puVdicly speaking in the syn-
agogues, and so also the Apostles in their missionary travels address-
ing the pet)ple in tlie synagogues.

The secret order of medicine men and prophets of the Indians hail
a corresponding institution among the Jews called "sons of the
prophets," forming a peculiar order, whose mission seems to have been
to assist the prophets in their duties, and in time to succeed them.
2 Kings, ii, .'5-12; vi, 1.

A personage corresjionding to tiie Indian medicine man is found
in the "wise men" or Magi of the Jews, spoken of in Mathew. ii, 1.
We find in the Old Testament several references to the Magi. In Jer.
xxxix, 3, 13, Nergal-sharezer is said to have been the Rah-nuaj, that is,

112

THE AMEBICAN INDIAN.

the chief of the Magi. In Daniel's time the Magi were very promi-
nent in Babylon. In Dan. ii, 2, "magicians," "astrologers," "sorcer-
ers," and "Chaldeans" are mentioned, wliile in the twenty-seventh
verse of the cliapter "soothsayers" are named.

Some tribes of Indians had a custom of making images or a kind
of idols, not as an object of worship, but to imitate or personate some
particular spirit or god, to whom they paid some kind of adoration. A
like custom seems to have prevailed among the Jews, mentioned in
1 Samuel, vi, 5.

A custom prevailed among western Indian tribes, who lived in vil-
lages of dirt houses, of assembling on the tops of their dwellings on
festive or public occasions; this was likewise a custom among the
Jews. See Judges, xvi, 27. wherein it is said, "there were upon the
roof about three thousand men and women, tliat beheld while Samson
made sport."

The Indians felt that menial service was degrading. Service of
this kind among them was performed by the women. The same idea
prevailed among the Jews, who considered it a degradation to be
hewers of wood and drawers of water. Josh, ix, 21.

The bow and arrow, the common and efficient weapon with the
])rimitive Americfin Indian, was also in common use among the ancient
Jew.s. See 2 Kings, xiii, 15.

The nncient Israelites lived in tents in the style of the most of the
American tribes.

In notions of dress there was a striking similarity between the
American Indians and the Jews, especially In regard to the outer gar-
ment thrown over the shoulders or wrapped around the body. The
Indian medicine man or prominent chief possessed a peculiar vanity in
regard to their diess, which was frequently gaudy and fantastic, and so
with the high priests among the Jews where display in dress was a
peculiar feature in Jewish custom among those high in authoritj'. It
was a custom among tlie Jews to sleep in their garments, Deut. xxiv,
12-13, and so with the American Indians.

The name Dorcas, Acts, ix, 3(5, it is said, means (iniclope or (jazclh:
According to some writers tlie Jews had a custom of giving to their
daughters poetic names, or names significant of beauty or beautiful
objects. This was a marked custom with the American Indians.

According to Mr. Freeman, it was an ancient custom among the
Jews to give names to families from animals. This found a corre-
s[)onding custom among the Indians, in adopting their totems to mark
their families, as the bear, the deer, the elk, and the like. The
custom is continued among the Israelites down to the present time,

AFFINITY WITH THE JEWS.

113

as found in the name of Wolf, Bear, Lion and other names from
animals.

It was a custom among the Jews to give names to persons that
have some special signification, as Ilenben, " See a 8on." This cus-
tom likewise prevailed among other eastern nations. This was a
universal custom among the American Indians, as Sheeshebauee
(Ojibway), "little duck."

The change of names of persons in after life on particular
occasions was a custom of the Jews. 2 Chron. xxxvi, 4; Gen. xxxii,
28 ; XXXV, 10. It was also a custom among the American Indians.

By an ancient mode of declaring war, practiced amongst the Jews,
a herald came to the confines of the enemy's territory, and, after ol)-
serving certain solemnities, cried with a loud voice, " I wage war
against you," at the same time giving reasons therefor. He then shot
an arrow or threw a s[iear into tlie enemy's country, which was signifi-
cant of warlike intentions. The custom among the Indians, in de-
claring Avar, Avas to send a bundle of arrows to some representative
chief of the enemy.

The Indian practice of lying in ambush to surprise an enemy, it
seems, Avas also a practice to some extent among tlie Jcavs. In Judges,
V, 11, is the folloAving: "They that are deliA'ered from the noise of
archers in the places of drawing Avater, there shall they rehearse the
righteous acts of the Lord." This, it is said, refers to the practice of
lying in ambush near Avells and springs for the jmrjiose of seizing
flocks and herds Avhen brought thither for Avater.

When a Avar party of Indians returned to their villages after the
A'ictory. it Avas customary for the Avonien and children, Avith the old
men remaining behind, to assemble and express their great joy by
singing, shouting and other demonstrations. This Avas likeAvise a cus-
tom among the Jcavs, as appears 1st Sam. xA'iii, 0: "It came to pass
as they came, Avhen David Avas returned from the slaughter of the
Philistine, that the Avomen came out of all the cities of Israel, singing
and dancing, to meet King Saul Avith tabrets, Avith joy, and Avith
instruments of music." See also Ex. xa', 20. Judges, xi, ;34.

The AA'ar club and other Aveapons of the Indians Avere like those of
the JeAvs. Jer. li, 20. AVith the JeAvs, the same as Avith the Indians,
these Aveapons Avere buried Avith the dead. Ezek. xxxii, 27.

The custom of Avearing buffalo horns by distinguished Avarriors,
attached to their head dress, seems ta have existed also among the
JeAA'S. In 1st Kings, xxii, 11, it is said "the false prophet Zedekiah
made him horns of iron." antl in Ps. Ixxv, 5: " Lift not your horns on
high; speak not Avith a stifT neck."

THE AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

Ri'v. Peter Jones, nn ednoatod Ojibway Indian, in tlio appendix to
his hook, entitled " History of tlie Ojibway Indians,'" (luotos approv-
in<,'ly the ftdlowin;^ from a recent publication which he considers ^'ood
authority, and wherein is summed uj) in general terms the most striking
analogies betAveen the American trilies and the ancient Israelites:

"They (the Indians) are living in tribes, with heads of tribes;
tiiej- all have a family likeness, though covering thousi.nds of leagues
of land, and have a tradition prevailing universally that they connect
that country at the northwest corner. They are a very religious peo-
ple, and yet have entirely escaped the idolatry of the Old Woi-ld. They
acknowledge one (lod, the Great Spirit, -who created all things seen
and unseen. The name by which this beinj; is known to them is Ale,
the old Helirew name of God; he is also called Yehowah. sometimes
Yah, and also Abba; for this great being they possess a high rever-
ence, calling him the head of their community, and themselves his
favorite people. They believe that he was more favorable to them in
old times tiian he is now; that their fathers were in covenant -with
him, that he talked with them, and favored them. They are tlistinctly
heard to sing, with their religious dances, Halleluja}i and praise to
Y'ah; other remarkable 6(mnds go cmt of their mouth as shilu yo, shilu
he ale yo he-wah, yohewah, but tliey profess not to know the meaning
of these words, only that they learned to use them on sacred occasions.
They acknowledge the government of a Providence overruling all
things, and exjiress n willing submission to whatever takes place.
They koe[) annual feasts, which resemble those of the Mosaic ritual:
a feast of first fruits, which they do not permit themselves to taste
until they have made an olferinjj of them to God ; also an eveuin<r
festival, in which no bone of the animal that is eaten may be broken ;
and if one family be not large enough to ct)nsume the whole of it, a
neighboring family is called in to assist; the whole of it is consumed,
and the relics of it are burned before the rising of the next day's sun.
There is one part of the animal which they never eat, the hollow of
the thigh. They eat bitter vegetables, and observe severe feasts, for
the purpose of cleansing themselves from sin; they also have n feast
of harvest, when their fruits are gathering in ; a daily sacrifice and a
feast of love. Their forefathers practiced the rites of circumcision,
but not knowing why so strange a practice was continued, ami not ap-
proving of it, they gave it up. There is a sort of jubilee kept by
some of them. They have cities of refuge, to which a guilty man, and
even a murderer, may fly and be safe."

Rev. Jabez B. Hyde, a minister of the gospel, of prominence in
Western New York, and of considerable experience among the Seneca

AFFINITY WITH TIIK JEWS.

IiidiuiiH, writing in 1S25 concerning his infornmtion derived from the
aforesiiiil pe()[)lo on the Bubjt>ct of their inimners and cuHtonis, Hays
tliat of the meaning of words they nsed in their thiiices and divine
songs, they were wliolly ignorant. They used the words Y-0-H(i-Wah
and Hal-le-hi-yali as represented of other Indians. Speaking furtlier
in regard to tiieir apjmrent atHnity with the Jews, he says: " In all
their rites whicii I have learned from them, tliere is certainly a most
striking similitude to the Mosaic rituals; tiieir feast of tirst fruits;
feasts of ingathering; day of atonement; [)eace otferings; sacriticets.
They build an altar of stones before a tent covered with blankets;
within the tent they burn tobacco for incense, with tire taken from the
altar of burnt otfering." Mr. Hyde further r3marks that these In-
dians had formerly places like cities ot refuge existing among them,
and tiiat an ohl chief had shown liini the boundaries of one of them.

On this subject the testimony of Mr. George Catlin may be con-
sidered as important, he having spent eight years amongst the wildest
and most remarkable tribes then existing in North America, commencing
in the year lSi{2, as an artist and student of Indian history and manners
and customs. He describes at length and in detail the manners and
customs of these tribes, in concluding which, he says:

"Amongst the list of their customs, howevc r, we meet a number
which had their origin, it would seem, in the Jewish ceremonial code,
and which are so very peculiar in tiieir forms, that it would seem (juito
improbable, and almost impossible, that two different people should
ever have hit upon them alike, witlumt some knowledge of each other.
These I consider go farther than anything else as evidence, and carry
in mind conclusive proof that these people are tinctured with Jewish
blood."

TENTS or THE ANCIENT YSBAELITES.

CHAPTER V.
LINGUISTIC GROUPS.

ClasHittnntioii of OmupH aiul Tril)»>s— ftroiips wcrt' the Subject of Division into
Trilu'H— Hadii liocation -ClasKitiinl AceoriliuK <o IjimjfUHK'i'— (tronpH DcHiunalcd
hy thin Modo NiiiiiIht of those (IroupH Exchuhutf the Esiiuirninix Stock —
Names of (h-oiiiiK AlKoniiuiiiH, Iroiniois, Ap|iulachian. Dakota and Shoshonoc—
Alj^oininins IMost NiiiucroiiH (iroupH Conjposed of Triln's of Same LauKiiane —
Location of Eacli (Iroup— Dctiuitious and Names of (Iroijps.

liig his

^^"y IfiHlL.ST all evidences lend-
ii)g to the origin of the

i/ji-if ■^'"''*'i^''"i Indian and all
vA^o "J satisfactory proof concern-
connection with other races
of the earth are lost in ol)sciirity,
there is a vast amount of information
relating to this people, we can ac-
<juiro from evidences at hand through
the slightest attention to the subject.
That which is most important
in setting out upon an inquiry into
this interesting subject, and which
seems to bo the least understood,
is the classification of the various
nations, groups and tribes who
origin.'dly inhabited the North Amer-
ican continent, or more especiall}-
that portion comprised within the
United States. This, to the general
observer, is a subject exceedingly
confused, and to most people remains
a sort of sealed book which few have
attempted to open, and of which a
less number still seem inclined to the undertaking. First of all, it
must be understood that the Indian in his general characteristics does
not differ essentially from the race of mankind in general.

(116)

r
f

a
e
I

tl
tl

cc
as

MNdllSTIC (iltori'S.

117

As 11 poople, tho nl)ori<j;iiies of tliis (•(Hiiitry \v<>ro tlio Hubjfot of
division into nations, trilx^s imd liii^uisti»i <,'rou|)8, t\w Hiinu> iis peoplo
inimhitiiii' wliiit is known iis tlin Old World, luid tlifso in "'ont'iid liiid
ft locution of distinct country wiiich they inlmhitod, that lu'ciinie en-
l(ir;;od, contracttid or abandonod for souio other locality, acconlinj^ to
inclination or the fato of wars.

Ethnologists who havo <,'ivt'n this subject attention have classified,
(ir attempted loclassify, th»* Indian trilxisof North America into ^'roups,
accordin;ti[ to tho lan^ua<^es and dialects spoken by each, takintf this as
ft basis of ethnolo<.;ical designation. Hut this attempt of classification
for this {)urposo has boon far from satisfactory. It has been found
that these lani'ua<'es and dialects have become so radicallv cluuii'ed
under varied circumstances, us to become very niisleadiii;; in reachinj;
correct conclusions. There have been found instances where one
whole tribe of an ethnological group would pass over to a tribe of
n (tlier grou[) and adopt their language and completely abandon their
owji. Therefore the most that can be said in this I'espect is. that
whilst hmguage is some ethnological indication in the dassitication of
these groups, it is far from being conclusive; so that no very accuratf
or satisfactory classification can be made of the North American tribes
into linguistic groups.

Tlie most rational classification marks this peo[)le l)y about five
groups of this kind, from which is excluded the people of the E.vcpiimau
stock of the frozen regions, who, it is generally considered, are more
ii tirantely connected with the people of nortliern Europe, whilst
nil others may be traced to the Asiatic race. These five linguistic
groups are tJie Algonquins. Iroquois. Appalachians, Dakotas and
Shoshonees.

The most numerous of these grou[)s was that coin[)osed of the
people who became known as the Algon([uins, whose country extended
from the Ili)anoke river on the south to Hudson's Bay on the north,
and westward from the Atlantic coast to the Mississi[)pi river, with the
exception of a limited portion of country on the north and south r)f
Lake Ontario, Avhicli was inhabited by a people avIio became known ns
the Iroquois, known also as the Five Nations, and after the addition of
the Tuscaroras, as the Six Nations.

On the south of the Algoncj^uir.s, and oast of the Mississippi river,
was a people which have been called the Appalachians. On the west
of the Algonquins were the Dakotas, or the great Sioux nation, so
called by the French. To the westward of them were a stock of people
covering n wide extent of country, classed, according to Mr. Schoolcraft,
as the Shoshonee group.

118

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

These are the five linguistic or generic groups who were found,
at the invasion of the white man, inhabiting wliat is now comprised
within the territory of the United States. Some have extended the
classification of these groups to seven in number, some contend for a
still larger number, whilst others insist that the classification may
properly be comprised in three generic, linguistic groups, the Algon-
quins, the Iroquois and the Dakotas. In this last threefold classifi-
cation, the Appalachians would be assigned to the Iroquois, and the
Shosliimees to the Dakotas.

Each group was comprised of various tribes, all speaking a
common language of the group to which they belonged, varying more
or less in dialect. The Algonquins, although not as powerful in war
as the Iroquois, for want of skill and natural sagacity in the concentra-
tion of their forces, yet in numbers and intelligence were considered
the ruling people of the continent. Their language, to a greater or less
extent, was adopted as the court language of the surrounding nations,
and there is some evidence extant that theirs was at some time the
universal language of the continent; and it is from this, among other
evidences, that ethnologists contend for a common origin of the
aborigines of America.

The Algonquins were the people encountered by the adventurer,
Capt. John Smith, at tne first settlement of Virginia, and who hailed
the first vessel sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1585. It was the
same people who received the Pilgrims on the coast of New England,
and who were found by the French, in 1(508, scattered along the St.
Lawrence from the site of Quebec westward, and who were found at
successive periods at Lake Nepissing on the head waters of the Ottawa
river, and dwelling around the basins of Lakes Superior, Huron,
Michigan and a part of Erie, and it was the same people who welcomed
Marquette to the valley of the Des Moines and accepted his religious
teachings in the country of the Illinois.

Algonquin, a word in the language of that group, is a contraction
of the term Algomeequin, signifying "people of the opposite shore,"
or "peo[)le who live across the water."

This was a name at first given by tribes on the north to a single
tribe living on the south of the St. Lawrence river, who spoke the
same language as themselves. At the coming of the French, the
Algonquins, then so called, appear to have been a numerous tribe, and
their language was among the first of the native languages to which
the French gave attention. From this circumstance the term Algonquin
was given by them to all the tribes wherever found, speaking the same
language.

LINGUISTIC GROUPS.

119

Marq^uette acquired a knowledge of tliis language before leaving
Montreal on his western exi)loring expedition, and thereby communi-
cated with all the tril)e8 on his route to the valley of the Des Moines.

The tribes properly classed in the Algonquin group will hereafter
appear in Chapter VI, entitled, "Indian Tribes."

In 1()0(), when Hendrick Hudson ascended the river which now
bears his name, the Iroquois, inhabiting the country on the west, were
becoming, in war, a powerful people. They were then a confederation
comprised of five tribes, located upon the soutli of Lake Ontario, to
which was afterwards added another tribe, called the Tuscaroras. The
original five tribes were the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas,
and the Senecas. The Hurons on the north of Lake Ontario were a
tribe speaking a dialect of the same language, and classed in the same
linguistic group, Vmt were not a part of the Iroquois confederation,
and it is a singular fact not accounted for, the Hurons and the confed-
erated tribes of the Iro(;[Uois were not on terms of friendship, but
were generally at war with each other.

Tlie French gave to the Five Nations and Hurons the name
"Hiro-quais," from hiro, a word used in closing their speeches, like
the dixi ot the Latin; and koui, a ci'y of warning or alarm, peculiar
to this people wher, guarding their councils from intrusion, or other
like occasions.

The Aj)palachians were the people encountered by De Soto in
his march to the Mississippi river. They were the Choctaws, Cliicka-
saws, Muscogees and Seminoles, including some minor tribes now
extinct, and lo which, by s(jme, the Cherokees are likewise assigned.
But the indications of language would assign the Cherokees to the
Iro(^uois group. The Delawares called this people Mengwe, from
which comes the word Mingo. In later times, however, the word
Mingo became apiilied more particularly to the Cayagas. The cele-
brated Indian chief, Logan, who was of the Cayuga tribe, was famil-
iarly known as the Mingo chief. The Mohegans, dwelling on the
east of the Hudson river, calied the Iroquois nation, Maqua, (Bear).
Tho tribes of this group were in general further advanced in agricul-
tural pursuits, and depended less upon hunting and fishing for
subsistence than other nations of the continent.

The Dakotas or Sioux, whose country extencied over the great
American plains west of the Mississippi river, were a nomadic people,
made so from tiio nature of the country which they inhabited, depending
almost exclusively upon the fihase for subsistence.

The word Sioux is a uane given to the Dakota tribes by the
French. It is derived from tho terminal sound in the word Nauda-

120

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

2.
3.
4.

5.
(>.
7.

wissou, an Algonquin word signifying "enemy," n name given by the
Ojil)ways and other tribes of the Algonquin group on the east, to the
people of the Dakota stock. The French adopted this word to
designate the Dakotas by giving only the terminal sound Sioii.r, so
that the Avord Sioux or S(m by itself signifies nothing. The word
Dakota Avas that by which this people designated themselves, and
signifies "leagued" or "united people."

Tiie Dakotas sometimes speak of themselves as the Oceti sakowin,
meaning scrcn council Jircs. This nation being composed of seven
princi[)al bands as follows:

1. Tlie Mdewakantonwans — Village of the Spirit Lake.

The Wahpekutes — Leaf Shooters.

The Wahpetonwans — Village in the Leaves.

The Sisitonwans — Village of the Marsh.

The Ihanktonwanna — One of the End Villng(i Bands.

The liianktonwans — Village at the End.

The Titonwans — Village of the Prairie.
The Dakota group, as indicated by language, embraced the
following detached tribes: The (^uappas, Kansas, lowas, Osages,
Pawnees, Otoes. Missourias, Onnvhaws, Aurickarees, Minnitaics,
Mandans. Winnebagoes, and many others formerly occupying the
■wide space of country between the foot of the Rocky Mountains and
the Mississippi.

The Shoshonees, the fifth group, dwelt in the country of the Rocky
Mountains, extending to the Pacific cojist. As a means of subsistence
they depended upon hunting, fishing and root digging. They were of
a lower order of character than the Dakotas, both of which were in
some respects inferior to either of the three great groups on the east
of the Mississippi.

There is a separate tribe of Indians known as the Shoshonees,
which will be noticed in that chapter of this work relating to Indian
tribes, from whom this linguistic grouj) derived its name in like manner
as the Algon<juin grou[> have derived their name from that tribe
originally known as the Algoncjuins. The meaning of the word
Slioslioiicc, it is said, is "inland India.is," having reference to peo|)Ie
who lived inland or away from the sea coast. The tribes properly
classed in this group will be noted in the list of tribes hereafter given
in Chapter VI.

CHAPTER VI.

rol'.T WINNKIiAOO 1S31.

(Country of the Wiuiicbagoes).

INDIAN TRIBES.

Names of Tribes, how Acquired — Sife'iiifieat ion of Names of Various Tribes —
Location of Tiibes—Cbnngiiiff Location Extinct Tribes -Mi>,'ration— Indian
Tribes are Q-eat Families -Confederacies tor Purposes of Governmeut—Union
for Purposes of Defense— Names of Various Tribes lubabitiu),' the Original
Country of the United States.

'NDIAN tribes were simply
great families, luiicli like the
tribes of the ancient Jews,
'"'^^ and this again is nrgetl as
showinij that the nbori<;ines of
America sprung from that peo-
ple. There were, also, subdivis-
ions of tribes, calleil bunds or
gens, characterized by some par-
ticular totem or symbolic designation, represented by some animal.
Whilst each band had a totem by which it was distinguished, so
each tribe had a name by which it was known ; but it is i singular fact
that there are few, if any, tribes who are known to us by their original
names, that is, the names by which they designated themselves, or
adopted as their correct names. In general, the jiames by which they
have become known to us, and by which th(>y have been compelled to
enter into negotiations with the Ignited States government, were names
given them by other tribes, or by the whites, and often in derision,
growing out of some attentlant circumstances.

The tribe first known to the French as the Algonqiiins, was called
by the Mohawks, Adirondacks, meaning "bark eaters," from the cir-
cumstance, it ia said, of their eating the bark of trees, supposed to be
the bark of the slippery elm.

The Mohegans, an Algontpiin word, pronounced also ]\b>hicans
and Mohiugans, meaning ''wolves,"' was a name given them, it is sup-
posed, by some other tribe of the Algompiin stock, as descriptive of
their savage nature.

122

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Ojibway or Chippeway, as commonly spoken, was a name given
this people by some neighboriujj tribe, meaning "puckered shoes." or
"people who wear puckered shoes or moccasins gathered about the
instep."

Ottawa is a name given by some other tribe, signifying " traders."

Menominee, also a tribe of the Algonquin group, and a name
given by some neighboring tribe, signifies "pec^ile who eat wild rice."

Winnebago or Winnebeego, the name of a tribe of the Dakota
stock, is a word in the Algonquin language, given by some neighbor-
ing tribe, signifying "people of the dirty waters."

An Indian tribe was, in the nature of its existence, what we would
call under our customs a kind of corporation, having a sort of political
existence, with certain implied functions. A band or gens was a sub-
division or separate division of a tribe. There was anotlier rank of
Indian families of this kind, sometimes called sub-tribes, which were
those living in a more independent manner than a mere band of a
trilje, and who took upon themselves or ac(juired a name and a place
independent from the name of the tribe, as in the case of the Kicka-
poos, who were originally a band of the Shawnees, but who after a
time became recognized as a distinct tribe.

All these customs have tended to considerable confusion in desig-
nating the Indian tribes of the continent, which has added to the dif-
ficulty of deriving a correct knowledge of the Indians in their early
history after the arrival of Europeans, and has withheld from us much
important information as to the real facts of Indian tribes upon the
continent at the time of the discovery. Much of our history of this
people in thio regard is, at most, but mere conjecture. The country
where this difficulty and want of correct information has mostly arisen
is along the Atlantic coast, among the tribes of the Algonquin stock,
from North Carolina to Labrador, also on the Pacific coast, from the
Gulf of California to Alaska. In other portions of the continent cir-
cumstances have been more favorable towards deriving correct infor-
mation concerning the aboriginal tribes.

There were no well defined boundaries marking the limits of the
country inhabited by 4iese tribes, nor the groujjs or leagues to which
they may have belonged. Their possessions were more or less in tlis-
pute, and their territory was continually being invaded by each other
to a greater or less extent, which, as with civilized nations, became an
ol)ject of contention, and, ao with us, led to hostilities, aggression and
AS'ars.

Kev. Jedidiah Morse says that in 1708 there lived in North Caro-
lina, near the settlements, the following Indian tribes, of which he

INDIAN TRIBES.

123

gives the number of warriors in each, and from which he estimates the
whole number of the same as follows:

Tuscarora warriors, in fifteen towns, 1,200; Waccou, in two towns,
120; Maramiskeet, 80; Bear Iliver, (iO; Hatteras, 10; Neus, in two
towns, 15; Pamlico, 15; Meherring, 50; Chowan, 15; Pasquotank, 10;
Poteskeet (Currituck), 30; Nottaway, 30; Connamox, two towns, 25;
Jaupin, 2 ; total warriors, 1,()08. Admit that there are five persons for
each warrior, the whole number of souls would be 8,0-40.

Mr. Jefferson, in his '• Notes on Virginia," gives the following in-
formation concerning tlie Indian tribes of that state when they first
became known to the whites: '" When the first effectual settlement of
our colony was made, which was in 1<)07, the country from the sea coast
to the mountains, and from the Potomac to the most southern waters
of James river was occupied by upwards of forty different tribes of
Indians. Of those, the Powhatans, the Mannahoacs and Monacans
were the most powerful. Those between the sea coast and falls of the
river were in amity with one another, and attached to the Powhatans
as their link of union. Those between the falls of the rivers and the
mountains were divided into two confederacies; the tribes iidiabiting
the head waters of Potomac and Kappahannock being attached to the
Mannahoacs; and those on the upper parts of James river to the
Monacans. But the Monacans and their friends were in amity with
the Mannahoacs and their friends, and waged joint and perpetual war
against the Powhatans. We are told that the Powhatans, Mannahoacs
and Monacans spoke languages so radically different, that interpreters
were necessary when they transacted business. Hence, we conjecture,
that this was not the case between all the tribes, and probably that
each spoke the language of the nation to which it was attached, which
we know to have been the case in many particular instances. Very
possibly there may have been anciently three different stocks, each of
which, multiplying in a long course of time, had separated into so
many little societies. This practice results from the circumstance of
their having never submitted themselves to any laws, any coercive
power, any shadow of government. Thoir only controls are their
manners and that moral sense of right and wrong which, like the
senses of tasting and feeling in every man, make a part of his nature.

" An offense against these is punished by contempt, by exclusion
from society, or, where the case is serious, as that of murder, by the
individual whom it concerns. Imperfect as this species of coercion
may seem, crimes are very rare among them, insomuch that were it
made a question, whether no law, as among the savage Americans, or
too much law as among tiie civilized Europeans, submits man to the

124

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

greatest evil, one who has seen both conditions of existence would
2)ronouuce it to be the last; and that the sheep are happier of them-
selves than uiuler the care of the wolves. It will be said that ^reat
societies cannot exist without government. The savages, therefore,
break tliem into small ones.

•• The territories of the Powhatan confederacy south of the* Poto-
mac C(nuprehended about eight thousand square miles, thirty tribes
and two thousand four liundretl warriors. Captain Smith tells us that
within sixty miles of Jamestown were five thousand people, of whom
one thousand five hundred were warriors. From this we find the pro-
portion of their warriors to their whole inhabitants was as three to ten.
Tiie Powhatan confederacy, then, would consist of about eight thou-
sand inhabitants, Avhich was one for every square mile, being about the
twentieth part of our present population in the same territory, and the
hundredtli of that of tlie British islands.

" Besides these were the Nottoways, living on Nottoway river, the
Meherrins and Tuteloes on Meherrin river, who were ctuinected with
the Indians of Carolina, probably with the Chowanoes."

In connection with the foregoing, Mr. Jefferson adds the accom-
panying table, giving a statement of the tribes of that state, more in
detail according to their confederacies and geographical situation,
witli tiieir numbers when the whites first became acquainted with
them, where the same could be ascertained. (See page 125),

How accurate this information may be we have now no means of
determining, or how far the names of tribes which Mr. Jefferson gives
are correct, or how far they have become changetl by misunderstanding
or mispronunciation l)y the whites, is something which we have no
means of learning at this time, or whether all these that he mentions
as tribes ranked as such, or whether they were not mere bands of tribes.
Suffice it to say, that most of the names which he gives as the names
of tribes have long since disappeared in our enumeration of tlie Indian
tribes of tlie continent; evidences of the existence of some of them,
however, remain in their names which have been applied to localities,
coming down to the present day; as the Rappahanocs, Pamunkies,
Chickalioiiiinies, Powhatans, Appamattocs, Chesapeakes, Accoraacks,
and the like.

As for the tribes who inhabited the country of Maryland, we have
little that is definite concerning them. Mention, however, is nuule at
an early date of the tribe of Susquehannocks or Sasocpiahannocks as
living in that [)art of the country, Mr. John Ogilbt, an English writer
on American iiistory, writing about the year 1071, says of the natives
ut Maryland: " There are atj many distinct nations among them as

^H«M

INDIAN TUIBKS.

125

'i^ Ia,m.?A between York n^};«"i;- Between P.low.nnc auJ
oC James* „,„! .laii.os. l''''""">"« w „

Carolina

and York.

Kappaliannoc.

so'

5<U. >T3 •>< 7 V. - R -- --, -: ^ - n- n-lt' T, ■£

T T 2

n s « ^ c I

r 3 M M i5 Li -• :

-fe;x2;r2.^s:?;55i^

3 5
c e

g 2 o

a: 2

; re S re :: =

S S "' = '5' '^' o' - 5' - B S.

" § I io o I ????•?"

^ fi <

!1. -1 (T)

IB V

3 ii - = " ^

" i' .-H *1 * »

-1 3

C -I

: r-o

~ r- :; ? s K *! > >

;i c = p -3

0-5 :

» r

is.

o c 6 o =;

12(5

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

tliore are Iiulian towns (which are like oountry villages in England,
but not so good houses), dispersed throughout the {)rovince. Each
town hath its king (by them termed Werwance), and every forty or
fifty miles distance differs much from its neighbors in speecli and dis-
position. The Susquehannocks, though but few in number, they much
exceed the rest in valor and fidelity to the English."

The country of Pennsylvania and New Jersey was inhabited, it
would seem, at least in the vicinity of the Atlantic coast, by the Lenni
Lenapes, or people afterwards called Delawares.

According to Thatcher: "The clearest, if not the conipletest,
classification of New England Indians, at the date of the settlement of
Plymouth, includes five principal confederacies, each occupying their
own territory, and governed by their own chiefs. The Pequots in-
habited the eastern part of Connecticut. East of them were the Nar-
ragnnsetts, within whose limits Ehode Island, and various smaller
islands in tiie vicinity, were comprised. The Pawtucket tribes were
situated chiefly in the southern section of New Hampshire; the Mas-
sachusetts tribes around the bay of their own name; and between these
ujjon the north and the Narragansetts upon the south, the Pokanokets
claimed a tract of what is now Bristol county (Ehode Island), bounded
laterally by Taunton and Pawtucket rivers for some distance, together
with large parts of Plymouth and Barnstable.

" This confederacy exercised some dominion over the Indians of
Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and over several of the nearest
Massachusetts and Nipmuck tribes, the later name designating an
interior territory, now mostly within the boundaries of Worcester
county. Of the Pakanokets, there were nine separate cantons or tribes,
each governed by its own petty sagamore or squaw, but all subject to
one grand-sachem, who was also the particular chief of the Wampanoag
canton, living about Montaup.

"This celebrated eminence (frequently called, by corruption of
the Indian name, Mount Hope), is a mile or two east of the village of
Bristol. It is very steep on all sides, and terminates in n large rock,
having the appearance, to a distant spectator, of an immense dome."

The foregoing classification L,f the New England Indians is
doubtless far from being perfect, as it makes no mention of the tribes
iidmbiting Maine, and fails also to include a number of the less
im{)ortant clans, which were scattered here and there over the other
New England States.

According to other authorities, the natives of New England, at the
time of the settlement of the country, were divided into some twenty
tribes, extending from Maine to New York, ranging under their chiefs

INDIAN TRIBES.

127

or sagamores, counting in fighting men from twenty to some hundreds
eacli. The principal of thepo were the Taratines about the Kennebec,
tlie Wampanoags in Massachusetts, the Narragansetts, the Mohegans,
and Pequots on Long Island Sound.

Mr. Drake, in his book of Indian Biography, says: "Some
knowledge of the Indians eastward of the Massachusetts was very early
obtained by Capt. John Smith, which, however, was very general ; as
that they were divided into several tribes, each of which had its own
sachem or, as these more northern Indians pronounced that word,
Sdchouo, which the English understood as s(ui(imorc; and yet all the
sachemos acknowledged subjection to one still greater, which they
called hasliaha. Of the dominion of the basluibd, writers differ much
in respect to their extent. Some suppose that this authority did not
extend this side the Piscataqua, but it is evident that it did, from
Captain Smith's account."

Captain Smith, in his aforesaid account, says: "The principal
habitations I saw at northward, were Penobscot, who are in wars with
the Taratines, their next northerly neighbors. Southerly, up the
rivers and along the coast, we found Mecadacut, Segocket, Pemniaquid,
Nusconcus, Sagadahock, Satquin, Anmaugheawgen and Kenabeca. To
those belong the countries and people of Segotago, Pauhunlamuck,
Pocopassum, Taughtanakagnet, Wabigganus, Nassaque, Masheros-
queck, Wawrigwick, Moshoquen, Waccogo. Pasharanack, etc. To those
are allied in confederacy the countries of Ancocisco, Accorainticus,
Passataquak, Augawoam and Naemkeck, all these, for anything I
could perceive, differ little in language or anything; though most of
them be sagamos and lords of themselves, yet they hold the bashabes
of Penobscot the chief and greatest amongst them."

The word hashabd, before mentioned as the title of a princi[)al
chief, does not seem to be an Indian word. It is doubtless a word
borrowed by Smith from the title of a high officer among the Turks,
called bdsltaw, from the Persian baslia or pasha, governor of a
province, contraction and corruption of badshah or padshah, sovereign,
king, great lord, from j^ad, one y,-hu preserves, powerful : and sJiali,
king. A title of honor in the Turkish dominions; appropriately the
title of the prime vizier, but given to viceroys or governors of provinces,
and to generals and other men of distinction. Now usually written
pasha.

The names before given by Captain Smith to Indian tribes in the
locality of which he speaks, have mostly disappeared, indeed, if they
ever in fact existed. But all these various accounts, uncertain and
vague as they necessarily are, from the meager means of information

128

Tin: AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

nt that time, go to confirm the suggestion that all iiit'ormatioii as to New
England tribes rests ui)on an uncertain and not very satisfactory basis.

The following is given as the names of tribes of Indians inhabit-
ing Avhat is now the state of Maine, with the probable original
nund)ers, from the Rev. Jedidiah Morse in his report to the Secretary
of War in 1822:

''St. Jolin''s Indians. These are the remnants of a tribe of Es-
quimau Indians of mixed blood. They live mingled with about two
hundred French families, in a village of about thirty wigwams, or
lodges, at Meductic Point, on the junction of Mattavvascah river with
the St. John's, N. Lat. 47 deg., 15 min., about twenty-five miles west
of the dividing line between Maine and New Brunswick. Of these
Indians we know very little. They have been under the care of the
Catholics, and have seldom been visited by our missionaries.

'■ P(ti^s(inni(] noddies. These Indians, in number three hundred
and seventy-nine souls, including some ;jcattored families, (250 to 270
dwell together), have about fifty wigwams; h.ive one hundred acres of
excellent land, bordering on the Schodic river, open to the markets of
Eastport, Lubec, and St. Andrews, from four to seven miles from these
places, in a corner of the township of Perry.

"■ Penobscot s. In ISll the niimber of their families, by enumera-
tion, was fifty-seven, and of souls two hundred and forty-one.

"After considerable pains and inquiry the best information I can
obtain as to the aborigines in this state (Maine) is concisely this:

Probable original numl)ers about the year 161G:

1. The Newichwannncks, on the Piscataqua;

2. The Ossipee tribes, on the river of the same name, emptying
into a7iu filming the Saco; total number, 1,000.

3. The Pigwaokets, whose principal town, a resting place, was
the present Fryburgh. above the Ossipee; total, 400.

i. The Amariscoggins, at the head of Casco bay. These In-
dians, as far east as the Kennebec, were generally called by the gen-
eric name of " Abenaquies ;" total, 500.

5. The Norridgewock tribe, whose ancient town or headquarters
was the present town oi Norridgewock, thirty miles above Hallowell,
<in the Kennebec. Of all the tribes above mentioned, a few only, say
twenty souls, of the latter remain; originally, 000.

0. The Peraa<;[uids. This was a powerful tribe, probably at the
head of the Tarranteens till the great and mortal sickness among the
natives along the whole coast from the Penobscot to the Narragansett,
A. D. 1017. The seat of the Pemaquids was at Bristol, in the county
of Lincoln, fifteen miles east of Bath; total, GOO.

INDIAN TlilBES.

12U

7. Tlie Penobscots iiuinljer 1, )}()().

H. The PHHsanuujuniUlies mimlxn- t'tOO.

Total imiuber in tril)es aforesaid, ItUtJ, 5,000.

"Tlio probable number of natives in tiio territory, constitutinpr the
present state of Maine two centuries ago, was 5,000 or ('),000 souls.
The white population in 1T()0 was estimated at li{,(M)() souls. It
probably was not half that number in 1712, at the treaty of Utrecht.
The Indians were more tlian a match for the settlers at that time, even
after th(3 numbers of the natives, during the preceding century, had
been greatly reduced."

The following, from reliable authority, is a list of Indian tribes
originally found in southwestern Texas:

Comanches, Caddoes, lonies, Ah-nau-dah-kas, Wacos, Towaconies,
Witchetaws, I3(jlixes, Kechies, and Qua[)as.

The tribes of the Pacific ct)ast, comparatively speaking, were in-
numerable, that is, counting in those small bandsor subdivisions which
generally .ank as tribes. Mr. Schoolcraft, some forty years ago, gave
the following list of tribes as existing at that time on the Pacific coast:

INDI.\N TRIBES OF THE PACIFIC COAST.

TRADERS NAMES OF
TRIBES.

Nass ludiaus.

Cbinisyans.

Skeeua Indians.

INDIANS NAMES OF
TRIBES.

Kit ha tceu.

Kit a lion.
I Ke toon oli ahelk.
1^ Kin a wa lax.

Kis pii cba laidy.
Kit liin.
Keo dies.
Ki'oii atli toix.
Kit will coifs.
Kitch a clfiltL.
Kel at sail.
Ken clieu Kiej,'.
Ket iin don.
Ket wilk ci pa.

^ Kee chum n kar lo.
) Ket se lai so.

OENERALLY RRSIOE

"] Niiss river, from
I entrance upwards
] in the order they
J iire put down.

Chatham's sound
from Portland
canal to Port Es-
siiijiton (into which
Skeena river dis-
c ha ryes), both
ni a i n 1 a n d a n d
neit^hborinK isl-
ands.

I Lower part
\ Skeena river,

I Keek heat hi- .Canal de Principe.
Kil oa tah. -Entrance of Gardner's Canal.
Sabassas Indians. <J Kit ta maat.. North arm of Gardner's Canal.
I Kit lope..Sonth arm of Gardner's Canal.
t^ Nees Ions.. Canal tl'la Reido.

'' Onie le toch.
Weitle toch. { Milbank Sound.

Kok wai y toch.
Ees tey toch.
Kui much qui toch.
Bella boo la.

Milbank

Sound

Indians.

Gua shil la.
Nalal se moih.
_ Wee ko moch.

Cascade Canal.
Deans Canal.
Ent. Solomon river
of Sir A. M'Kenzie.
Rivers Canal.
Smith's Inlet.
Calvert's Island.

LANQUACE.

Chimsyau.

Ha eelb zuk

or
Baloballa.

»^ ||i W ^l|^« jmlUl ■ •.^;. ..■ .JH.Wg^tft ^ r, ^l l: >.i J ^ ^;j_^ i ^J^ , fc

100

Tin: AMEUICAN INDIAN.

INDIAN TIUnKH OK TFIK l'A("IFI<1 COAHT.

TUAUKUs NAMES OK
TIllBKS.

Qnceu Cimrlotte
Sound, iiiul
Nt'i^'liliorliooil.

IXIHANS NAMKS OK
TIUIIES.

Nil weo top.

(^llll coltll.

()ilt'c liii l)iin colt.

Miir lua lilii calla.

Clow el HUH.

Mur til par.
N'iiii kinii.
Wi> wai'k ka.
Wo wark kuin.
(Mai hi o is
Cum lino kis.
Tiaok i|iio lil> In.
("lo Huso.
Soi it inn.
(^iiiok silt i nut.
.\ (|na iiiisli.
Clo li Kit te.
Nar Udok tan.
Qua i iin.
Kxe iii until.
Tt> nuokt tail.
Oi Clo la.
No onl ta.
Quio lia Ne cub ta.
Co inonx.

Sua no
cle nu.
Quat siuu.
Ku.sko inn.

(IKNEItALLY KEHIDE. LANOUAOK.

About (,)uoon
!■ Charlotto's

Hounil.

Chilcat, soveral

tribes.

Cross Sound Ind.

Alike.

Tnko, Snmdan and
Sitku Indianp.

HootFin(M).

Hauaga.

Kake.

Clhlcat.

Huna cow.
Auko.

Stikeen Indians.

Pt. Stuart Indians.
Tongass Indians.

\ Tako. Hamdan and
? Hitka.

Hootsinoo.

Hanaga.

Kake.

f Siok naa butty.
I Ta oo too tan.
I Kaas ka qua toe.
J Kook a too.
I Naa nee a a ghee.

Till <iua toe.
I Kiok sa too.
[ Kaadg ott oo.

Abo alt.

Keo tab lion neet.

Cape Fox Indians. Lugb so lo.

Ky Gargey.

Yon ah iioe.

Cliet nes.
ui a ban less,
ow a guan.

Show a gan.

Chat cbee nie.

Stikeen river.

Port Stuart.

S. Ent. Clarence

straits.
Cape Fox.

S. side of Prince
of Wales
Archipelago.

Quncoltb.

All Ot i,.iORO

tribes are
said to s[)eak
the s a ni t>
liujguago. or
only a pro-
vincial dif-
foronco.

Johnston's Straits.

•' Ent.
" " soatb.

Capo Scott.
Scott's Island.
South of Capo Scott.
Outside Vaucouvtrs Is.

Lynn's Canal.

Cross Sound.

N. of Ent. Tako river.

Tako and Sitka rivers
and S. of it on main land.

Hood's Bav.

Klen ee kate.

Hai dai.

INDIAN Tnil.KH.

I'U

INDIAN THIHEH of THK PAriFIC COAST.

TKADEHs' NAMES OP
WnKH.

rHliiiidH [ndiiius.

INDIANh' NAMK8 OF
THIHEH.

Lii Ian nil.
Ni«h Ian.
MuHHt'tta.
No coon.
.\ HO K'laiij,'.
Skitt lie niiU^.
Ciitn film wiiH.
Hkco (lauH,
Qiioe (ill.
(Moo.

KIhIi a win.
Kow Welti),

TlK).

OENEHALLY ItEHIDE. LANdt'AOE.

OiU'cii Cliarlott«''H

iKlandH, ln^iiininK

I at North iHlanil,

'" north Olid, ami

pasHinK lonud by

tlio eastward.

Hai dai.

To the foregoing, Mr. Sclioolcraft a.lds the following list of
tribes of Oregon and Washington Territories:

TRIBES OF OBEQON TERRITOIJY.

TRIBES.

CliinookH,

ClfltHOpH.

Tillaniooks.
Clackamas.
CallipoovaH.
MollallcH.
Umpquas.

Tototiu-f of Port Orfoid District, viz:
Nasoniali.
Chocreleatou.
Quatomali.
Cosnthentum.
Enqnachee.
Yalisbute.
Chetlessentnu.
Wifihtenjitin.
Choaftee.
Tototin.
Maekauotin.
8hi8tac(.ostoe.
Rogue River Indians,
Klamaths.
Wascopams.
Des Chutes,
Cascades.
Wascos.
Utillas.
Cayusee.
Walla-wallaa.
Saaptins, or Nez Peroes.
Sboshones, viz:

Lewis River Snakes.

Bonacks.

Root Diggers,

POSITION.

Near Mouth of Columbia.

Clackamas River.
Willemette Valley.

Umpqua River, W. Valley.

Pacific Shore.

Rogue River Valley.
Klamath Lake and' vicinity.

Falls River.

Mission ludiaus.

Utilla River.

John Day's River.

Walla-walla Riv«r

Salmon and Clearwater Rivers.

Lewis River, etc.

132

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

TKIBES OF WASHINGTON TER., WEST OF THE fASCADE MOUNTAINS.

NAMES OF TUini'.S AND BANDS.

Uppor Cliinooks, five hands, not inclml-

iiilL,' tlio CiiHCiulo baud.
Lower Chinooks —
' 'hinook l)aiid.
Four other.s, (estimate^.
Cliilialis.

do.
(4)\vlitz and Upper Chihalis.
Tai-tin-a-pa;u.
Quiii-aitle, etc.
^lakuiis.
S'Klallains.
Kahtai.
Ka-i|niiitli.
Htelil-lmn.
All others.
Cliiiuii-kiim
To-an-liooeli.
8lio-k<)-inisli.
Qnak-K'n-a-niisli.
S'lfotle-iiia-iniHli.
Ha-lieli-wa-mish.
.Sa-wa-niisl)
S(puii-aitl.
Steli-clia-sa-nnsli.
Noo-.'^eli-cliatl.
Siitialli-iiii-inisli, (i hands.

Steila-cooin-a-inish.
Payanup-ii-iuisli.
T'ciua-ipia-niisli.
Hii-iimi-mish.

S'llo-iiia-iiiisli.
Dwa-niiHli.

Sa-ina-nrsli.
S'ke-telil-inish.
Srnel-ka-Miisli.
Skopt'-ah-iniHl).
Mt-ka-niisli.
>Siii-a-ho-iiii.sh.
N'lpiiitl-iiiM-niisli.
Sky-wlia-iiiisli.
Hk-tali-lc-jiim.
Hno-(pial-mook.
Slo huli-wa-iuisli.
Kikialiis.
.Skajrit.

N'(inn-clia-inish.
Hnia-leli-lui.
Mis-kai-xvhii.
Sa-kii-iiit'-hn.
.Siini-na-iniHli,
!Swo-d!i-inish.
Hin-a-ali-mish.
Hainish.
Nook-saak.
Ijuinnii.
Sliiin i-ah-ruDo.

WHEKE LOCATED.

Columbia River, above the Cowlitz.

Colnnibia River, below the Cowlitz.

iSiioalwator Bay.

(iray's Harbor, and Lower Chihalis River.

Northern Forks of Chiiialis River.

On fowlitz River and the Chihalis. above

Base of Mts. on ( owlitz, etc. [the .Satsop.

Coast from Gray s Harbor northward.

Cape Flattery and vicinity.

Straits of p'lica.

Port Townsend.

Pijrt Discovery.

New l)iiUf,'eue.s.s.

False DiiujLfeneKs. etc., westward.

I^ort 'l.'ownsend.

Hood's < anal.

Hood's Canal, uj)per end.

Case's Inlet, etc.

(Parr's Inlet, etc.

Hatnnierslv's Inlet, etc.

Totten's Iiilet, etc.

Kid's Inlet, etc.

hildd's Inlet, etc.

South Bay.

Nisipialiy River and vicinity

Steil-a-cooni Creek and vicinity.

Mouth of I'uyallop River, etc.

Heads of Puyallop River, etc.

Peninsula between Hood's Canal and Ad-

Vashon's Island. [luiralty Inlet.

Lake F,)rk, Dwamish River.

Dwaniish Lake, etc.

Hea.l of White River.

Head of Oreen River.

Main White River.

South end Whitby's I'd., Hiu-a-homisli R.

Up|)er branches, north siile

South Fork Sin-a-homish River.
Stohuihwamish River, etc.
Kikiiillis River and Whitby'.s Island.
Skayit Riv(>r .and Penn's Cove.

Branches of Hkai,'it River.

North End Wliitby's Ishmd, canoe pas-
Bajife, and Siu-a-mish River.

Samish River and Bellinjjham Bay.
South Fork Lnnnni River.
Lummi River and Peninsnla.
Between Luinuii I'oiut and Frazier's Riv.

INDIAN TRIBES.

133

TKIBES OF WA8HIN0T0N TER., EAST OF THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS.

NAMES OF TRIBES,

Fliitheads.

Cootena.VH ami Fiatljoys.

IVuil (I'Oreillps of Upper Lake.

I'oml (VOreilles of Lower Lake.

('(Pur il'.Alenes.

Spokiines.

N(>z Purees.

Pelonses.

Cayusep

Walla-wallas.

Dalles Bands.

Cascades.

Klikatats.

Yakainas.

PisqiiouKe and Okinakanes.

Sehwo-Yelpi or Colville.

OBSERVATIONS.

Undoubtedly, a larpe majority of the
Nez Perces are in Washinj^rton Territory,
but the major part of tlie Caynses, Wal-
la-\vallns and the Dalles Indians are in
Oregon.

TKIBES OK WASHINGTON TERRITORY AROUND I'UGET SOUND.

NAMES OF TRIBES.

LOCATED.

Between Olympia and Na-wau-knni
Kiver.

fetak-ta-mish.

So.nak-s'na-mish.

Se-heh-wa-mish.

Kt{uaUi a-inish.

Pu-yal-lnp-a-niish.

S'ho-ma-niish.

Su-iina-niish.

Sin-a-ho-mish.

Sno-qiial-mook.

Sina-ah-mish.

Nook-lum-ini.

Genenil list of Iiulini) tribes in North Aiiiericu from the most
authentic sources that can be obtained, in addition to those liereto-
fore specially mentioned:

Abekas, probably Muskoj^ees, under French at Tombeckbee. 1750.

Abenaki, Wapanachki, Eastern Indians. A generic term first
given by Europeans to the Indians of New England, Eastern Canada
and Nova Scotia, understood to include the following tribes: Micmacs,
S()uri(|Uois, Anieriscoggins, Etchimins and Penobscots. The Abenakis
proper lived on tlio Kennebec river; their princ "-iid place was Nan-
rantsouak (Noi*ridgewock). Numbere 1 in lt)y ' i tout 200, in ITSO
about 150. AlgoiKjuin stock. See Dolawares.

Absoroka, or Crow Indians, upper Missouri rivei". See Crows.

Accokesaw. west side of the Colorado, in 1)S05. (Drake).

Accomacs, Aconiacks, on eastei-n shore of Virginia, Alg. stock.

Adirondacks, on St. Lawrence, in I7S(> about 100. Alg. stock.

Affagoula, small chi;i in 1783 on lower Mississippi. ( Drake).

Agawam ( Wanipanoags). i>t Samlwich, Mass ; others at Ipswich
in 1020. Algon([uin stock. (Drake).

Aglemutes, Agolegmutcs. In li ussi:in America, at the iuouth of

184

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

the rivers Nascliagak and Naknek. They belong to the Esquimaux
(Tchouktchi Americans of Baibi). (Trubner).

Ahwahaway ( Miuetaro ) , southwest Missouri 1820, abovo the
Mandans; 200 in 1805. (Drake).

Ajoues, see lowas. Dakota stock.

Alansar (Fall), head branches south fr. \ SasVashawan. (Drake. )

Aleutans, in islands between Alaska and Kamscliatka.

Aliatan, three tribes in 1805 on heads Platte. (Drrike).

Aliclie, near Nacogdoches in 1805, spoke Caddo. (Drake).

Algonquins. Once a powerful tribe of the northern shores of the
lakes and the St. Lawrence. This became a generic term applied gen-
erally to all the tribes of the continent as a linquistic group of the
same stock. The word conies to us from the missionaries and historical
writers of New France, and meant originally " people of the other
side," in contradistinction to the Iroquois tribes; name invented l)y
the French from Indian roots for the wide-spreading stock of Indian
tribes, M^liose migration extended over so long a line of the continent,
referred to by early French writers as Montagues.

AUakaweali, heads Big Horn river; 2,300 in 1805. (Drake).

Alleghans, known also as AUegewi and Talligewi, originally Alii
or Alley, lived in the Oluo valley, along its contiueut streams. Now
extinct, or l(.)st by amalgamation with other tribes. Algonquin stock.

Allibama (Creek), removed to Red river ITH-l. (Drake).

Amalistes, formerly on the St. Lawrence; alxmt 500 in 17150.

Anasaguntakook, sources Androscoggin till 1750. Algonquin
stock. (Drake).

Andastes, once on south shore Lake Erie. (Drake).

A[)aches. They roamed over the triangular s[)ace included be-
tween the pueblos of New Mexico, the river Colorado and the Gila;
they extend also into the state of Chihuhua, and even farther south.
They are related to the great Atha[)ascan family. The Navajos and
Tinalenos b(>long to this stock. They origiirited, it is said, about two
or three hundred years ago, from the outcasts of other trilies, from the
Navajos, the Mocjues and Umas. In addition to this, they Iiave an
admixture of the blood of Mexican renegades. Tliere are several
branches of the Apaches. Tiie Mescallaros, who derive their name
from mescal, a ]ilant from which an intoxicant is made by the Mexi-
cans; the otiier tribes are the Coyeteros (foxes), which is the largest;
the Tontos (fools) and the Gilas, who are named from their proximity
to the Gila river.

Api)alachicolas, on the river of that name in Florida; in 1835
about 310. Removeil to lied river in 17r)4.

INDIAN TltlBES.

135

Appnlousa, aboriginal in country of their name. (Drake).

Acquanuschioni, name tlie Iroquois called themselves. (Drake).

Arivapais, Indians of Arizona, resided at Grant resarvation.

Armouchicjuois, New Brunswick. Alg. stock. . (Drake).

Avapahoes. Arrapahas,
Arrapahays. The wo-d is
said to mean "tattooed peo-
ple." The northern Arapa-
hoes call themselves by a
word which they claim means
"good," or "strong heart."
The soiithern bands claim the
word simply means "man"
or "men." or "the people."
Tradition locates this tribe,
several hundred years ago, in
"Western Minnesota. Their
language is said to be en-
tirely ditt'erent from any
oth<!r, having a rich voca-
bulary. Tiiey are a part of
the Atsina or Fall Indians of
the Blackfoot stock; they
occupied the country about
the sources of the Platte and
Arkansas rivers. Their num-
ber was estimated by Mr.
Morse in l>i'2<' at 1(),(K)();
twenty-five years lat n* it was
estijuated at 14-, Odd.

Arrenamuse, on St. Antonio river, in Texas; 120 in ISLS. (Drake).
\rricaree, Arricaras, Eiccaras. The indications are that these
Indians u*'o an offshoot from the Foxes, from whom tliey have l)een
.se[)arated lon^^or ago than ti'adition reaches. Their old villages were
on the Missouri river, about half way between tlie Great Bend and the
Mandan village, from which tliey removed some di-l-ince west towards
Cannon Ball river. Their number is given by Mr. Morse in 1820 at
3,500.

Assinaboines, Assinipoils, Assinibules, Stone Indians, A word, it
is said, signifying "stone roasters." froni the mode of cooking their
meat on heated tlat stones, (U' boiling it in water, heated by means of
hot Btoues thrown in. Other authorities say it signifies " Stone

SCENE IN THE COUNTRY OF THE AUA-
PAHOES— COIiOUADO.

I ;:

130

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

Sioux," perlmps Rocky Mountain Sioux. Tlieir country was nortn
of the British line, between lied river and Lake Superior. There are
t^\•o divisions of the tribe, one of which is of the Sioux stock, and the
other Al;^onquiii. They are said to be a separate tribe of the Sioux.
Formerly they Avere called Issati. See Stone Indians.

Atenas, with Faculli in 1S3(), west of Rocky Mts. (Drake )

Athapasca, Athabasca, Tinne,Dtinne. A generic term, in which is
comprised several tribes, the Chepewyans (having no relation to the
term Ojibway or Chipeway), Tahkals, Kutchin, Susse, Dogrib, Tlat-
skanas, and Umpquas. The Navajas and Ticorillas seem to belong to
the same stock, to which the Kenaize are nearly related. They are
frequently spoken of as the great Athajiascan family, and occupied
the most norther i portion of North America, before reaching the
country of the Esv_ .■■"• ' . Their number is said to be about 13,000.

Atnah, or Kir.i t ' .ns Cliin Indians (Shouslnvap, Flatheads),
on the Caledonia river, \, .„ of the Rocky Mountains.

Attakapas, Otakapa. Ii.ulians of Lcniisiana.

Attapulgas (Syminoles;, Oloklikana river; 220 in 1.S20. (Drake.)

Attikamegues, in north Canada; destroyed by disease in ItJTO.

Aucocisco (Abenaki), Saco river, in 1(130. Alg. stock. (Drake).

Aughquagas, east branch Susquehanna river; 150 in 17(')8.

Ayutans, south of Missouri, near Rocky Mts.; 8,000 in 1820,

Bannacks, T'ley occupied a part of the territory of Utah.
Shoshonee stock, and usually speak that language. They claim that
this word came from Pan-ah-ki, a name given them by Slioshonees.
The manufacture of the bow and arrow was the only thing of art
found anaong them. They seem to have de[)ended mostly upon roots
and other natural products of the earth for subsistence.

Batem-da-kai-ee Indians, of the northwestern part of California.

Bayagoula, west bank of Mississipiji, im[)ortant in 16{)'J. (Drake).

Beaver Indians, m the Hudson Bay territory.

Bethuck. ancient tribe of Indixns, Alg. stock. Northeast coast.

Bedies, mentioned in the histi y of the Caddoes, formerly on
Trinity river, in Louisiana, about sixty miles south of Nacogdoches;
numbered 100 souls in 180"). They speak the mother Caddo language.

Belantse-Eteas. A name for the Minnetaries of the Upper Mis-
souri. Tliey are also called (rros Ventres by the French. They
belong ap[)arently to the Ujjsaroka (Crow) family; roughly estimated
in the forepart of the pi'esent century at 2,500.

Big Devil Indians, Yanktons of the Plains, on the head waters of
the Red River of the North, estimated in the forepart of the present
centurv at 2.500.

INDIAN TRIBES.

137

Blnckfeet, Satsiknn, Pieds noirs. Blood or Paegan Indians. Some
words in their dialect indicate that they are of the Algonquin stock.
On the sources of the Missouri river they are divided into: 1. Satiskan,
or Blackfeet pro})er. 2. Kahna, or Blood Indians, "Indians du
Sang.'' ;}. Pickans, Paegans, Picaneux. 4. Small Robes. Esti-
mated in 1S84 at 30,000.

Blanche Indians. A term bestowed in the earliest period of the
history of New France on a tribe living on one of the south branches
of the Missouri. Hence, the apocryphal story of White Indians.
Estimated in 1"»)0 at 1,500.

Blood Indians, bands of the Blackfeet Indians, living about the
falls of Saskatchewine river, Hudson's Bay. (See Blackfeet).

Blue Mud. west and near Rocky Mountains, in 1820. (Drake).

BolixicH, Biloxis, a tribe who, in 10()0, and during the first settle-
ment of that province, lived on the bay of Bolixi, on the Gulf of
Mexico; believed to have Ijeen of the Choctaw stock. In 180-1, a few
were still living on Red river, Avhither ti)ey had migrated.

Bow Wood Indians (Arkansaw), from Arc, French, and Kaiixan;
a tribe. A part of the Kansas appear to have been so designated in
the early days of western history. They lived on the Arkansas river,
and are believed to have given its present name to that stream.

Boukfuka, in Choctaw history, a tribe or band of Indians formerly
living on the waters of the Pearl river, Louisiana.

Brothertons, or Broth ertowns. A tribe or band formed by the
consolidation of the remnants of the Mohegans, Nanticokes, Pequots,
and other New England tribes, in the latter part of the last century,
Algonquin stock. The Oneidas granted theni a township of land south
of Utica, to which they migrated, where they settled and assumed the
habits of civilization, from whence they removed about 1830 to Wis-
consin and settled on the east side of Winnebago lake, where tiiey still
remain. They abandoned the use of their several dialects, and
assumed the English language alone. For over fifty years past they
have spoken and known no other language but the English. They were
admitted to ciiizeiishi[) in 18;}('), and live in the same manner as other
civilized people, numbering about 350 persons.

Brule, a band of the Sioux Indians, at Rose Bud agency and at
Lower Brule; the latter on the Missouri river about fourteen miles
from Fort Hall, Dakota Territory.

Caddoes, Cadodaquious ; in 1770 a powerful nation on the Red
River of the South. Captain Marcey, in his ro[)ort of liis exploration
of this river in 1S52, says the Caddoes are considered as the motiier
nation of the country, and have a general superintendence over all the

138

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

tribes in tlieir vicinity, except the Choctaws, between whom and the
Caddoes tliere is great jealousy. Captain Clark, in his Sign Language,
referring to the Caddoes, says they are the same as the Nez Perces ;
number about H.jO.

Cadodache. ( Nacogdochet), on Angelina river; GO in 1S20.

Caliokia, Cohakies, one of the Illinois tribes, on the east side of
the Mississippi. Mostly destroyed by the Sacs and Foxes in the time
of Pontiac. AlgoiKjuin stock.

Cahuillos, Ca-wi-os. California Indians, residing near the Pacific.

Caiwas, near the head of the Arkansas.

Calapooians, Callapuyans, Indians of Oregon.

Caliisthoole, on tlie Pacific, in Oregon; 200 in 11S20. (Drake).

Callimix, on the Pacific, in Oregon; 1,200 in 1.S20. (Drake).

Canarsee, on Long Island, in 1010. (Drake).

Canibas, (Abenaki), numerous in 1007, on Kennebec river.

Carankoua. on peninsula on Bay of St. Barnard; 1,500 in 180e5,

CarantonitUiiis, a tribe on the Susqi;ehaniia, allies of the Hurons.

Caree. between Nuances and Bio del Norte; 2,(500 in 1817.

Carriers, ^T, 'eot fains ), in Caledonia, British America. (Drake).

Ca^tah■nla, sources of Padouca fork; 5,000 in 1S05. (Drake).

Cataki. on Chien river; alxnit i5.000 in iSOi. (Drake).

Catald)a-Nutaldca. Catawba river; had 150 warriors in 1704.

Catiilacumups, Colundiia river; 450 1111820. (Drake).

Cathlakahikit. rai)ids of the Columbia; 000 in 1S20. (Drake).

Cathlakamaps, on Columbia river; 700 in 1820. (^ Drake).

Catlilamat, on the Pacific, south of Columbia river; (500 in 1820.

Cathlaiiamenamen, mouth of Wallaumet river; 400 in 1820.

Catlilanacpiiah (Wappatoo), Wappatoo Island; 400 in 1820.

Catlilapootle. on Columbia river; 1,100 in 1820. (Drake).

Cathlapooya, on the Wallaumet river; SOU in 1820. (Drake).

Cathlascons, on the Columbia river; related to Chinooks.

Cathlath, on the Wallaumet river; 500 in 1820. (Drake).

Cathlathla. on Columbia river; 900 in 1820. (Drake).

Cattanahaw, between Saskaolur-an and Missouri rivers in 1805.

Caughnewagas, a band of the Mohawks, on St. Lawrence river.

Cayas, found by De Soto east of Mississip[)i, same as Kansas.

Cayugas, Gogoyans, Queugues, Gwe-u-gweh, "at the mucky land,"
or G .;-u-gweh-o-no, *' peo])le at the mucky laud," tribe of Iroquois,
one of original five nations.

Chactoo, on Red river, indigenous; in 1805 but 100. (Drake).

Chaouanons, see Shawnees.

Chehaws, small tribe on Flint rivei', destroyed in 1817. (Drake).

INDIAN TRIBES.

139

Chemolinevis, n band of Pah-utahs. Shoshonee family.

Cherokee, Chilake, it the beginning ox tliis century still lived
south of the Ohio river, in sixty-four towns or villages, divided into
Ottare (Mountain Clierokees), and Ayrate fCherokees of the Valley).
They are now Avest of Arkansas, in the ^udian territory, have adopted
civilization and are called one of the civii?zed tribes. A large band of
the Clierokees still remain in North Carolina. Appear to be of the
Iroquois stock.

Chepeyan, claim from Lat. sixty to sixty-five degrees, Lon. IDO
to 110 degrees: 7.500 in 1N12. (Drake).

Cheskitalowa ( Seminoles ), west side Chattahoochee; 580 in 1820.

Chetimacha, Indians of Louisiana.

Cheyeunes, Cliiens or Chawas, once lived on a tributary of the
Red River of the North, from whence they crossed the Missouri to
the head waters of the Nebraska. They speak an entirely different
dialect from the nations surrounding them; estimated in 1820 at 3.250.

Chickamaugas. a band who broke from the Clierokees in Ten-
nessee, ill the fore[)art of the present century, under the chief Drago-
mono.

Chickasaws, Chickassas. Cliikf !sas, formerly in Alabama, on the
Mobile river, now in the Indian Territory, ami are called one of the
civilized tribes of that territory.

Chicoreans, appear to have been the ancient Uchees, who are now
merged as an inconsiderable element in the great Xluscogee family,
but who still preserve [)roud notions of their ancieit courage, fame
and glory.

Chilieeleesh. north ot Columbia river; 1,400 in 1820. (Drake).

Chickahominies, on the Metapony river, in Virginia in 1(')()1.

Chillatos, on the Pacific, north of Columbia river; 150 in 1820.

Chillukittetiuaus, at Narrows of the Columbia; 1,-100 in 18137.

Chiltz, on Columbia river; next north of the Killaxthicies.

Chimehuevas, Indians of Arizona, on the Colorado river.

Chinnapum, on Lewis river, north of the Columbia; 1,800 in 1827.

Chinook, Chinuk, Indians of Oregon, on the right bank of the
Columbia river; 400 in 28 lodges, in 1837.

Chippeway, properly Ojibway, a numerous tribe of the Algonquin
group, extending from the Red River of the North, along the southern
shore of Lake Superior to Quebec, the most powerful of all Algoncpiin
tribes, were many bands, passing under various names.

Chippewyans. Chippeyans, inhabiting country north of Lake
Superior. Mr. Gallatin and others rank them among the Athapascan
family of languages. Many confound this name, ami the people bear-

140

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

ing it, with Cliippeway, which is erronemis, ns they are an entirely dif.
forent stock; moreover, the wonl Chi[){)ewHy is a corruption from
Ojibway, wiiich is the correct name of the hitter tribe.

Cliitimicha. on the west bank Missi8sij)[)i river, in 1722. (Drake).

Choctaw, Cluihtali, Chacta, a numerous tribe, formerly living in
the country between Alabama and tiio Mis8is8i{)j)i rivers, estimated, in
lsr2, at r),000; now living in the Indian Territt)ry, having adopted
tiie habits of civilization, and are called one of the five civilized tribes
of that territory. Jedidiah Morse, in 1820, classed among this nation
the following: Apalaches, Alibamas, Abecas, Cawittaws, Coushacks,
Coosas. Chacsihoomas. Natchez. Oakraulgees, Oconees, Okohoys, Paka-
nas, Taensas, Tallepoosas, Weektumkas, and estimates the population
of the whole, in 1780, at 17,280. Mr. Mcintosh says they were also
called Flatheads, from a custom of flattening the head of the males in
childhood.

Chopunnishes, on Kooshooskee, on Lewis and Columbia rivers;
2,300 in 180().

Choweshak, Northwestern California, head of Eel river.

Chowans, in N. Carolina; tiO joined the Tuscaroras in 1720.

Clahelellah, on Columbia river; 700 in 1820. (Drake).

Clakstars, beyond Eocky Mountains ; 1.200 in twenty-eight lodges.

Clamoctomicii, on the Pacific, N. of the Chiltz; 200 in 1820.

Clanimatas, W. side of Wappatoo Island; 200 in 1820. (Drake).

Clannarminimuus, S. W. side of Wappatoo Island; 280 in 1820_

Clarkames, on a river of that name, flowing into the Wallaumut;
1,800 in 1,S20. (Drake).

Clatsops, below mouth of Columbia river; 200 in 14 lodges.

Cneis, on river flowing into Sabine Lake, 1090; the Coenis of
Hennepin, probably.

Cocomaricopas, Indians of Sonora, near river Gila.

Cochimi, Indians of Upper California, near the Mission St.
Xaverio. Related to the Laymons. (Trubner).

Colapissas, (m E. bank of Mississippi in 1720, opposite head t)f
Lake Ponchartrain. (Drake).

Comanches, Comanche, Indians of Texas, belonging to the
great Shoshonee family. They ranged from the sources of the
Brazos and Colorado rivers of Texas, over the great prairies of
that country, to the waters of the Arkansas, and the mountains
of Eio Grande. They are also called Hietans, Jetans and Paducas.
Mr. Fitzpatrick, an agent of this tribe in 1874, says they are
divided into three different and distinct bands, all speaking the
Shoshonee language, of which were the Yampatickara, Cools-on-tick-

INDIAN TRIIiES.

141

HVn, Penoi-in-tickHid; all of which lire Shoshonee words, and heiiig
trniislated into Eii<^lish, mean Root-enters, Bntfalo-euters. Su<^ar or
Honey-enters. Mr. Burnett, of Texas, writing concerning those
same Indians at n Inter day, says they are divided into three
principal bands, to-wit: the Comanche, the Ynmparack and the
Teiiawa.

Conchattas, came to Appalousas in 1794, from east the Missouri;
in liSOl on the Sabine. (Drake ).

Congarees, on the Congaree river in South Carolina.

Conoies, Conoys, Conois, Canais, Canawuys, Canav ese, Kaidiowoys,
near the south branch of the Susquehanna; about forty in 1780.
The proj^er name is said to be Canai.

Cookkoo-oose, on coast of Pacific, south of the Columbia; l.oOO
in 1800. (Drake).

Coopspeller, on branch of Colund)ia; l,tU)() in 180(3. (Drake).

Coosadas (Creeks ), once resided near river Tallapoosie. (Drake").

Copeh. Indians of Northwestern California. (Trubner).

Copper Indians, about Coi)i)ernune river. (Am. Pioneer).

C'ora. Indians of New Mexico, near the Missions of Najnrit.
Their language resembles very much the Mexican. (Trubnerj.

Corees, a tribe of North Carolina. (Am. Pioneer).

Coronkawa, on St. Jacintlio river; i5oO in 1820. (Drake).

Costanos. California Indians on the Bay of San Francisco, and
formerly under the Mission Dolores. There were five tribes: Ah wasli-
tes, Ol-hones (called by the S|)aniards Costanos, or Indians of the
coast), Al-tah-mos, Pio- mo-nans and Tu-lo-mos. A few other small
tribes around the bay speak the same language. (Trubner).

Cowlitsick, on the Columbia; 2,400 in 1820. (Drake).

Creeks. See Muscogee.

Crees, north of the Missouri, and west of the Mississippi. See
Knistenaux. Algonc^uin stock.

Crows, Up-sa-ro-ka. Corneilles. Indians of the Upper Mississippi,
extending into Oregon. They are divided into three different bamls,
speaking different dialects, viz. : 1. Kikatsa, or Crow proper, on the
banks of the Yellowstone. 2. Ahimhaways, or Ahwahaways (Bhick-
slioes, (3r " Souliers noirs," ) between the Mandans and Minetarees,
and 3. AllakaAveah, or Paunch Indians ( " Indieus ventrus," on the
Snake river).

Cushina. A California tribe on the mountains of the South Yuba.
Their language is common to most of the tribes inhabiting the upper
portion of the Sacramento valley.

Cutsahnin, on Columbia river; 1,200 in 1820. (Drake).

142

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

YELLOWSTONE PARK— COUNTRY OF TUB CROWS.

INDIAN TltiUES.

148

Ddlikdtali, Dakota, Sioux, Nadowossies. A nuuH'rous nation
})etween tlio Missouri and Mississippi. Heckewolder tliinks tiiey aro
Iroquois, but Cass claims them as a se[)arutB nation. This woid, it is
said, means "leagued" or "allied." They sometimes speak of them-
selves as the Oceti sokowin, "seven council fires," referring to i,
seven principal bands wliich comjjose this nation, viz. : 1. The Mde-
wakantonwans, village of the spirit lake. 2. Tlu> \Vah[)ekutes, leaf
shooters. v5. The Wahpetonwans, village in the leaves; probably
obtained their name from the fact timt formerly they lived <mly in the
Woods. 4. The Sisitonwans, village of the marsh. ">. The Ihankton-
wanna, one of the end village bands. The Ihanktonwanna are divided
into the Hunkpatidans, the Panaske, cut-heads; the Wazikute, pine-
shooters; and the Kiyucka, dividers or breakers of law. (!. The
Ihanktonwans, village at the end. 7. The Titonwans, village of the
prairie. The Titonwans are divided into seven bands or clans, viz.:
The Sicangu, Burnt-Thighs, the Oohenunpa, Two-boilings, and the
Oglahi and Hunkpapa.

Delaware, Lenape, Leuni-Lena[)e. Algonquin stock. The fol-
lowing are mentioned as the three original tribes: 1. The Unami, or
Wanami (turtle tribe), 2. The Unalachtgo, (turkey tribe). 3.
Minsi, Ministi, or Muuseyi, (wolf tribe). They formerly lived on the
Delaware river, and were the tribe who made the famous treaty Avith
William Penn in 1()82. The Iroquois called this people Sag-a-na-ga.

Dinondadies, tribe of the Iroquois, same as the Tsononthouans of
the French Senecas,

Doegs, small tribe on south side Potomac, in 1()75. (Drake).

Dogs, the Chiens of the French. (See Cliien), (Drake).

Dogribs. Indians of the northern part of North America, be-
tween Martin's Lake and the Coppermine river. They called themselves
Thing-e-ha-dtinne, and belong to the Dtinne or Athapaslcan stock.
The "Mausais Monde" and Slave Indians are tribes belonifinij to them.

Dotame, about the head of Chien river; 120 in ISO-"). (Drake).

Echemins, (Canoe-Men), on a river of that name flowing into St,
Lawrence on east side.

Edistoes, in South Carolina in lOTO. (Drak- '

Emusas, (Seniinoles), V\ side of the Chattahoochee: 20 in 1820,

Eneshures, at Great Narrows of the Columbia; 1,200 in 18i55.

Eries, on the east side of the lake of that name, exterminated by
the Irocjuois, Usually re' .rred to as the ancient Eries or Cats, which
this word is supposed to mean,

Esaws, on river Pedee, S. C, in 1701 ; probably Catawbas. ( Drake ).

Eskelen, Eslenes. California Indians, east of Monterey, The

■

144

THE AMEIHOAN INDIAN.

SCENE IN PENNSYIiVAITIA— HOME OF THE DELAWAUES.

INDIAN TlilBES.

U.-)

I'ikkloiniK'heH nro Haul to In- n trihi- of tlio Eskolon, anil to speak tin-
richest idiom of all the (!iilifoniiiiii liidiuiis

Eskimo, Ewiuimiiux. North of (JO (h>^. northoni lutitiiijc. Thi'
three priiiciixil (liiilfcts of tli(> Eskimo arc those of: 1. The Karnlis,
Greenhimlers. 2. The Eskimo proper, on the shores of Lahrndor.
ii. The Western Eskimos.

Eiichees, a branch of the Creek or Muscogee Indians.

Etohussewakkes. ( Seni. i. on ('hattahoochee; lOOin lS2l». I Drake).

Eacullies, on Stuart's Lake, ^^'. R(H-ky Mts. ; 100 in IS'JO. I Drake).

Ealls, so called from their residence at the falls of the Koush-
kooshkeo. ( See Alansars). (Drake).

Five Nations, Mohawks, Henecas, Cayugas. Onomlagns, and
Onei(his. ( Drake).

Fhitheads, Solisli. ( Atnah, Shouschwapi. Indians of the Rocky
Mountains; divided into many trilxjs, of whicli the Salish, Ponderays,
and Spokein or Spokane Indians are the most im[)ortant.

Folles Avoines, the French so called the Monomonios.

Fon du Lac. Roam from Snake river to the Sandy lakes. ( Drake).

Fowl-Towns, (Sem. ). E. of Fort Scott; HOO in 1S20. (Drake).

Foxes, Ottagamies, Otagami> , Mispuakies ( Red Eartli |, formerly
lived on tlie Fox. river in Wisconsin, afterwards united with the Sacs.
Algonquin stock, and speak the Sac dialect ; 1500 in ISTO. The Fox
tribe is called by the Cliip-pe-was, Ot-tah-gah-mie; by the Sacs. Mus-
buah-kie; by the Sioux, Mich-en-dick-er ; by the Winnebagoes, 0-sher-
a-cu, and by the French, Ilenard.

Fox Island, Russian America; continuation of the Aleutans.

Fuca Straits, between AVashiugtou Ter. and south part of Van-
couver's Island.

Ganawese, on the heads of Potomac river; probably Kanhaways.

Gay Head Indians, on Martha's Vineyard; probably AVampauo-
ags; 200 in 1800. Algonquin stock. (Drake).

Grand River, north side Lake Ontario, remnant of Iroquois.

Gros Ventres, upper Missouri valley, west of the Dakotas.

Haeeltzuk, Hailtsa. Naas Indians of the northwest coast, from
504 degrees to 534 degrees, northern latitude. Dialects of the Ian-
guage are spoken by the Billechoola, and the inhabitants of Macken-
zie's Friendly Village.

Haidah. Indians of Queen Charlotte's Island. A branch of this
tribe, the Kyganies ( Kigarnies), live in the southern part of the
Archipel of the Prince of Wales, nortliwost coast.

Hare-Foot, next south of Esquimaux, always in war with them.

Hallibees, a tribe of the Creeks, destroyed in 1813.

lit)

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

SCENE IN WESTEIvN MONTANA— HOME OF THII FLATHEADS.

INDIAN TKIBEH.

147

Hannakallas, on the ColuiuMa, next to liuckkarso; CidO in IS'iO.

Hassananiesits, tribe of Nipnmks, eiabi-aoed Christianity in l()()().

Herring Pond Indians. Wanipanoags. Mass. ; about 40. ( Drake i.

Hietans, see Comanches.

Hiiii (CadodacheK on Angelina river; 200 in 1S20. >'Drako).

Hitchittees, a braneli of tlm Creeks, on Ciiattahoocliee and Flint.

Hoc'liolaya. An extinct tribe of Canada, Sjieaking the dialect of
the Mohawks. Montreal is situated on the place Avhero this tribe
i"orniei;:ly resided. (Trulmer).

Hohilpos (Tushepahas), on Clark's river; 300 in 1S20. (Drake).

H(H>pah. Indian tribe of the lower part of Trinity river, in
Northwestern Calif ornia. (Trubnerl.

Hunias (Onnias), '"Eed Nation," in Louisiana in 1S05.

Hurons, Wyandots, Gayandot, a numerous and formidable tribe
of the Iroquois, formerly ou the great lake of that name, consisting
of four bands, the Attignawantan, tlie Attignee-uonguac-hac, tius
Arendal-'ronons and the Scanonaerat. In Vol. 1 of Le Clerq's first
establishment of the faith in New France, by Shea, p. (it), note, is a
mention of the Ochat-e-guins, a name giv^Mi for the Hurons. Si'e
Wyandots.

lakon. Lower Killamuks. Indians of Oregon, north of the
Umpcjua river.

Illinois, Illiin, plural lUiniwug. Algoncjuin stock. There were
several tribes in Avhat became known as the Illinois country, mostly on
the east side of the ]Mississi[)pi river, extending over on the west side
in tlie viciiuty of the Des Moines river, winch became known as tli(>
Illinois tribes. They were tlie Cahokins, Kaskaskias a?id Peorias;
there were two otiier branches of thesis Indians, the Tamai'oas ami
Michigamies, which some insist were se[)arate tribes, but better
authority assigns them as branclu's merely from the other three tribes,
the Tamaroas being considered a part of the Cahoki".:j and the Michi-
tramies as belonging to the Peorias.

Inies, or Tachies (Texas), on a branch of the Sabine; eighty men
in 180(5; speak Caihlo. (Drake).

Inkuluchluate, Kangjulit, in Russian America.

lowas, Ajoues, Dakota sto-'k, aililiated with the Otoes. Missourias.
Winnelmgoes, Kansas, Osages, (^uapaws, Omahas and Poncas. Tln^y
{(U-merly lived in the country comprising the state of tl^l^ nann>; now
scattered among other tribes of the west; nund)er LlOO in lSi<5.

Isatis, Isati, Isanti, scMnetimes the name of the Sioux before IT-j-j.

Ithkyemamits, north .si<hi Columbia; 000 in lS-0. i Diake).

Jeliin, one of the tribes of Comanche^, Urazos. Del Norte.

^ —

148

TIIK AMKRICAN INDIAN.

Jicarilla. bi'nnch of the f^retit Apftohe. nation in tlie southwest.
Kfulapans, a tribe in Nortii Carolina in 170". ( Drake).
Kaimnkles, 400 in iN'iO, W. liocky Mountains, abode iinknow.i.
Kaloosas, a tribe found early in Florida, extinet. (Drake).
Kanenavish, one of the Padoucas Platte; 400 in 1805. (Drake).

SCENE OS THE ST. LAWRENCE—BORDEniNO ON THE COONTIJY OF THE HCRONH.

Kaidmwas, Gannwese or Canhaways, on Kanhawa, formerly.

Kaiiinnvisi'hoH, KaninaviHii, wanderers in the Yellowstone cmmtry.

Kansiis. Kon/.a, Kanze, Canees, a tribe of the Dakota stock, on the
northern banks of the Kansas river. Mr. Catllu says this tribe has
undoubtedly sprunj^ from the Osages, as their persoual appearance,
language and tradition dearly prove, llev. Isaac McCoy gives the

■■-wiass:-!

INDIAN TlilI.ES.

I4t»

word Kansas as Kditzaii. The Kansas tribe are frequently called Kaws
or Kauz, which would indicate an abbreviation of the word as given l)y
Ml ?tcCoy.

Kaskaskius. mini: ^oO in 17'.*7. iL'rake).

Kaskayas. Kaskias or Bad Hearts, arounil the lumd waters of Platte
rivt.r, beyond the Kites. Col. Long speaks of seeing them upon a
tributary of the Red River of the South.

Kapahas. formerly lived on the Mississippi about the St Francis,
encountered by De Soto under tliat name; said to l)e identical with
Quai)pas.

Katteka (Padoucns), not located. See Padoucas. (Drake).

Kawitschen, north of Fraser's river, on the northwest coast, and
oil the opposite shores of Vancouver's Island. Their language bears
affinity to that of the Haeeltzuk.

Keekatsa (Crows), botli sides Yellowstone: H.-jOO in 1805.

Keyche, E. branch Trinity river in ISdC); 'iC.O in 1S20. (Drake),

Kiawas, on Padouca river; l.(MH) in iSOli. (Drake).

Kichais, Keechies, Keyes, Indians of the Great Prairies, related
to the Pawnees, on the Canadian river. (Trubner).

Kigenes. coast of Pacific, under Skittegates in 1821.

Kikapoos, Kikkajm, Ukahipu, a branch of the Shnwauoe or
Shawnee tribe, now west of the ]Mississi])[)i. Algonquin stock.

Killamuks, branch of Clatsops, coast of Pacific; about 1,()0().

Killawats, in a largo town southeast of the Luktons.

Killaxthocles, mcutli of Columbia river, N. side; 10(1 in 1820.

Kimoenims, band of Cliopunnish, on Lewis river; 800, in S'ii clans.

Kinai. Kenai, Kenaize, Ttynai, Indians of Russian America, at
Cook's inlet and the Lakes of Iliamna and Kisshick. Their language
belongs to the great Athapascan (orTinne) family. They call them-
selves "Tnaina" men. Sagoskin distinguislies four dialects of the
Kinai language, among which are the Inkilik, lukalit and Ingelmut.

Kiowas, Kiawas, Kioways, roving Indians of Texas.

Kiskakons, of ^Micliilimakinak in lOSO; u Huron tribe, i Drake).

Kites. See Staitans.

Knistenaux. Kristenaux, abbreviated liy the French Clin's.
(Creel; called also Killisteno. nortiiernmost tribe of tln^ Algon(]uin
stock, between the Rocky Mountains and Hudson's Bay. Kindred
dialects are spoken Ity the Nehethawa. Monsomk. Xenawehk, Abl)itibl)e.
and were spoken by tiie Attikameg. who have entirely disappeare<l.
Their name is derived from tliti Algonquin adverb. Kenisa, or verb,
Nisau, '-to kill." 3.000 in ls:M.

Koltschanes. Galzanes, Russian .\mt>rica, north of (he river Atna.

150

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

Kolusches, in Russian America, at Sitka Bay and Norfolk Sound.

Konages, Konagens, inhabitants of the Island of Kadjak, in Rus-
sian America. They belong to the Es(juimaux stock, and speak a
language similar to that of the Tschugazzi.

Kookkoo-oose, on coast of Pacific; about 1,500. (Drake).

Koutenay, now located on the Flat Head reservation in Montana.
They migrated from north of the British line, and made peace with
the Flatheads about eighty years since.

Kula-Napo, one of Clear Lake bands in northwestern California.

Kuskurawaoks, east shore of Chesapeake in 10O7. (Tuscaroras).

Knshkokwimes, Tclnvagmjutes, Kuskutschewak, or Kushkukch-
wakmutes. tribe of Russian America, between the rivers Nushagak,
Ilgajak, Chulitna and Kuskokwii..i, on the sea shore.

Kutnae, Kutani, Kitunaha, or Kutneha, Coutanies, Flatbows, In-
dian tribes near the sources of Mary river, west of Rocky Mountains.

Kutchin, Loucheux Indians of northwestern America, on the
banks of the Yukon or Kutchi-Kutchi. They belong to the Athapascan
family.

Lahaona. on the Columbia, above Clark's river; 2,000 in 1820.

Lapanne. See Apache. (^ Drake).

Lartielo, at falls of Lastau river; 000 in 1820. (Drake).

Laymons. of California, near Lo 'etto, related to Cotchimi.

Leech River Indians, near Sandy Lake; about 300 in 1820.

Lenape, or Lenni Lena[)e. former name of the Delawares, which
eee. The Lenni Lenape or Delawares were called by some other In-
dians Wapanachki. which the European corrupted into Apenaki.
Oi)enagi. Abenaquis and Abenjikis, which means people at the rising
of the sun, or, more briefly, Eastlamlers. They were acknowledged
by al)out forty tribes as being their grandfathers. All these nations
derived from the .same stock recognized each other as AVapanachki,
which among tliem was a generic term.

Lii)anis. Rio Grande to interior of Texas; light hair; SOO in INK).

Loucheux. See Kutchin.

Lukawis. on the coast of the Pacific; S(l() in 1,S20.

liukkarso, coast of Pacific, south of the Colundjia; 1,200 in 1820.

Luktons, on coast of Pacific; twenty in 1N20.

Lutuami, Clamets. also Tlamatl, Indians of southwestern Oregon.

^lacliapungas, in North Carolina in ITCO; practiced civ. imcision.

Maha-Omaha, on t\u\ junction of the Platte and Omaha I'ivers
and the Misscmri. They belong to the Sioux-Osage family. The
Ponclias I Poncars. Puncaws), speak a kindred dialect. Now on the
Elkhorn, near ("ouncil Bluffs.

INDIAN TIUBKS.

151

Mauahoiiks, formerly u great nation of Yirgiiiin, now extinct.

Mimdans, Wnlitani Indians of Unper Missouri, nearly extinct.

Manhattan, settlements mixed with Mohengans. Algonquin stock.

Ma<[uas, said to be an extinct tribe of the Iroiuoii^. (Drake).
The better authority is that this is the name by which the Moheagaus
called the Inupiois.

Marachites. See Armoucliitjuois.

Marsapeagues, once on Long Island, now extinct. ( Drake).

Marsh nees, mixed remnant of Wampanoags. in Massachusetts.
In IX'iVl numbered HI').

Mascoutins. The early French travelers and missionaries men-
tion a tril)e of Indians calletl the Mascoutins, as located at various
points in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, but concerning
which they seem to have little or no information. They are generally
spoken of as being at a distance, and seldom, if ever, visited. A people
which seem, in their mention of them, to be always on the move, and
seldom, if ever, overtaken. Tlio better opinion is that there never was,
in fact, any such distinct tribe of li.dians. Muscoda, Mascoda, Mus-
cooda, Muscatine, Mascoutah, are words in various dialects of the Al-
goncpiin group, meaning pruirie. or meadow country. So that when
Indians, of whatever tribe, migrated from the prairie or meadow
country, further north, they were spoken of as Mascoutias, or people
from the prairies, which conveyed to the mind of travelers, for want of
complete infm-mation, the idea that this was their tribal name, the
same as that tribe now known as Shawnees or Shawanoes, meaning
"southerners."' or "people from the south," which was finally adojjted
as their real name. But not so with the Mascoutins. It would seem
that no particular tribe was ever found upon which this name had
become fixed as their recognized tribal name.

Massachusetts Indians, (Xatick). Algonquin stock — were form-
erly verv numtn'ous, but now much reduced. The Montajjuartls and
Skoffi, west of Hudson's Bay, are said to be related to them.

Massawomies, according to tradition, was a Avarlike band somii-
where on the borders of what is now New Mexico.

Mathlanobs, on an island at mouth of the AValnut river; 500 in
1820. ( Drake).

Mayes, St. Gabriel's creek, Louisiana; t'>00 in 1805. (Drake).

Menomonees, Algonquin stock, north of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Drake says once on Illinois river.

Messassagnes. (See Mississauga).

Miami, formerly in Ohio and Indiana.

Michigamies, an Indian term a[)plied by tiie French to several

■P

102

THE AMERICAN INniAN.

XOHTUEUN WISCONSIN COUXTUi' Ol' THE MENOMINEKS.

INDIAN TlilBES.

153

tribes and bands of Indians (if the Al^^onqnin lineage, who clnstered
around the borders of Lake Michigan, signifying great water.

Mikasaulvies, (Seniinoles), very warlike; about 1, ()()<) in IS'Jl.

MikmacB, Micinacs — French name for the inhabitants of Acadia,
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Maine. Algoncjuin stock. The fol-
lowing are considered dialects of the Mikniak: 1. Nova Scotia. 2.
Tcrro neuvG island. ;}. Tiie Miramichi of New Brunswick. They are
closely related to the Etchemins and Souriquois. Drake says the
Suriijiiois of the French.

Miksuksealton, (Tushepaha"), Clark's river; 300 in 1820.

\'ilicite, Indians of New Brunswick, of the Huron stock.

Minetares, on Knife river. Their language has three dialects,
viz.: 1. The Minetare proper, called also "Grosventre,'' Bigbellies,
Ehatsar. 2. The Alasar, or Fall Indians. 3. The Kattanahaws; a
type of the Crow Indians.

Mindawarcartoji. in ISOo, on both sides Mississippi, from St.
Peter's u[)wards. (Drake).

Mingoes. The Cayugas residing upon the Sciotn were so called.

Minsi, Munsee, tribe of the Delaware or Leuni Lenape.

Mississauga. or Messasagnes, "people of the wide mouth stream,"'
a branch of the Ojibways, on the east of Lake Huron; 2.000 in 1704.

Missouries, once on that river just below Grand river, in 1820.

Mol)ilian, iidiabited Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and
Loi;isiana. This nation includes various tribes.

Mohavi, Moyave. Indian tribe occupying the country on both
sides of the river Mohave, in southeastern California.

Mohawk, a tribe of the Iroquois, now in Canada. The C'ochne-
wagoes, or Coclinawaga, a smaller tribe, belonged to them.

Mohawks. They call themselves Gah-ne-a-ga, "possessors of the
flint." or Ga-ne-o-ga-o-no, "people possessors of the tlint." They
were usually called by the French. Agniers. By some early writers
the name of this tribe is given as Ka-jin-ga-ha-ga, Cbm-nie-ge-ha-ga,
Ga-nin-ge-ha-ga. This last termination was sometimes changed to
roiion, and the tribe was called Gan- nie-ge-ro-non. The Algon([uins
understood that the name by which this tribe called themselves meant
hear, so they translanttnl it into their dialects, Macjwaas. Ma([Uoa,
Mahakwa, from which the Dutch and Englisii wrote it Moli(nrh\ which
is said io be the origin of this word, and a name by which this tribe
became universally called.

Moheakunnuks. formerly between the Hudion and Delware rivers.
Same as Moheagans.

Moheagaus were also called Mahicani. by the Dutch, Mahikanders,

154

THE AMKIUCAN INDIAN.

1)v till' Frencli. Moriguns mid ]Mnhiii<:fnnH, by tlifi Kii<^lisli, Mohircnns.
MulnuM'aiis, Molit'fii^aiis. ^luhlit't'kanew; also Sl)atik(H)k.s ( Hivtn- In-
dians). Al<j.)n(|uin stock, on tlio HudsDn rivt'r, from Esopiis to
Albany. Th(!y woro divided into MiU'li(|nan]i (J3oar tribo), Mech-
cliHooli (Wolf tribo) and Toon-paooh (Turtlo).

Monacans, located above the falls of the leadin<r Vir<fiiiia river,
were called Tuscaroras in the early period of yir<,nnia. Mr. Jetferson
reveals the fact that the Erit^s, called by him Erigas, who had
formerly occupied the Ohio valley, and Avere then by inference in
Vii'ginia and North Carolina, east of the Rocky Mountains, wei'e also
of kindred language, and had belonged to the stock of the Five Na-
tions, or. as tlui Five Nations were called by the Virginia Indians, Mas-
sawaniack.

Mongoulatches, on west side of the Mississij)pi. See Bayagoulns.

Montagnass or Mountaineer. This people occupied the country
on the head wattu'sof the river Sajfueiiav, on the north shore of the St.
Lawrence, below (Quebec, reaching to the Laln-ador coast. Alg. stock.

Montauks, formerlv on Lon<' Island: heail of thirteen tribes of
that island. Algoncjuin stock. ( Drake |.

Moratoks, in Lancaster and Richmond counties, Virginia; eighty
in KiOT; fm-ty in hW.K (Drake).

Multnomahs. ( Waj)[)atoo ), Multnomah river: N(M) in 1S20.

Muskogee (Creek). The mo.st numerous tribe of the Creek con-
federation, in the northern i)arts of Florida. Now west of the Mis-
sissippi, in the Indian Territory.

Naass, Indians of English, Northwestern America, on and above
Millbaidi Sound. They com[)iise the following tribes, viz. : the Hailtsa,
Haeeltzuk, IJilleclioola and Chinnuesyan.

Nabadaches ( Caddo ), on branch of Sabine: 4(t() in ISO."). (Drake ).

Nandakoes, on tln> Sabine (Caddo); 120 in iNOo. (Drake).

Nanticokes, Nantico, tribe of the Algonquin stock, formerly on the
Susquehannah.

Nai'cotali. name by which tiie Sioux knt)\v themselves. (Drake).

Narraganset, New England Indians, Wampanoags. The re(][Uods,
Kavasumsenk and (^uintikuk belong to this stock.

Naslmays iNipmuks), in M:i-isacliusetts. .V.lgon([uin stock.

Natches. Lower Mississi[)i)i, nearly extinct; first known in 1701.

Natchitoches, once at tiiat place, now u^ion Red river; 100 in l604.

Natiks (Nipmuks), in Massachusetts. See Massachusetts.

Navajos. Navahoes. a powerful tribe of the Apache family, related
to the great Athapascan stock, residing on the tributaries of the river
tSan .luan. west of the Rio (rrande and east of the C'olorado. in New

INDIAN THIBRS.

lo5

lot;

TIIK AMKIIICAN INDIAN.

Moxico. l)ft\v('t'ii till' thirty-fifth mid thirty-soventii paiallel of northern
hititiKli'. Thu Spaiiiiinls cull tiiciii Aixichrs dc Sahttjim. (TruhiiBr).

NtH'h(ici>ivt' I Wfippatiio I, south si(h! ('oluinliifi; 1(10 in LS'iO.

Neckeotoo, on the Pacitii'; T!M> in IS'JO. i Dralvt'i.

Nomahpiimii'r (^\Vai)[)atoo ), AValhmniot river; 'JdO in iS'iO.

Newfoundland. Island on the coast of Labrador, Its inhaljitnnts
beloiij,' to tiit^ Eastern Alj^onquins. The Milioite and Mikuiaks are a
j)art of theni. The liethuck are extinct. (Truhneri.

Nez-Perces. Sah-Aptin. They possessed the country on the Lewis
or Snake river, from the Petoose to Wapticaciaes, about 100 miles;
they resemble in many points the Missouri Indians. They are con-
sidered su[)erior in intellect to the other Ore<fon tribes.

Ninntiks. a tribe of the Narraj^'ansetts. Alifoiujuin stock.

Nicariagas, about Michiliniakinak; joined the Ircujuois in lT2i{.

Nii)issin<.j. Alj^oiKiuin stock. Lake of the Two Mouutaius, near
Montreal. About 400 in 17C)4.

Nipmuchks. interior of Massachusetts, extinct. Al<,^ stock.

Norridirewoks ( Abenakiesi, on Penobscot river. Alj;. stock.

Nottoways (Chei'ohakahj, Iroquois tribe of Virginia, nearly
extinct.

Nusdaluni. the northwest coast Hood's Channel. (Trubner^.

Nutka (Xootka), Wakash Indians of Vancouver's Island. (Their
proper name is YhchiiH). (Trubner).

Nyacks (Mohicans I, or Manhattans, New York.

Ockmulgess (Muscogee), east of Flint river; 200 in 1834.

Ocameches, in Virgiuin, in 1007. (Drake).

Ochee. See Vchees; perhaps Ochesos; 200 in Florida in 182t).

Oconas (Creeks). (Drake).

Ogalla, or Ogallalla. l)and of the Sioux. There are several stories
told of the manner in which this powerful branch of the Sioux family
received its name. The nu)st reliable is that two chiefs disagreed on
some subject imder discussion, wiien one told the other that if he ])er-
sisted he would throw some dirt or ashes in his face. Holding to and
still expressing his views, the dirt or ashes were thrown, and his fol-
lowers were ever after called " those who had dirt or ashes thrown in
their faces," frequently simply, " bad faces." The word means throw-
ing at or into.

Ojibways (Chippewas), about the great lakes and north of them;
30,000 in 1830. Algonquin stock. See Chipjjeway. (Drake).

Okatiokinans (^Seminoles). near I'ort Gaines; uSO in 1820.

Oneida, 0-na-yote-ka, "granite," or 0-no-yote-ka-o-no, "granite
people," one of the Irocjuois natitm; chief seat near Oneida Lake.

INlJlAN IIMItKS.

l."

Oiioiiilaj^ii, ()-iiiiii-(luli-^a. '•(»ii tlio liill ;" or ()-iiiiii-(l(ili-<,'ii-()-ii().
" [>0()[)lo oil till' liillb;'" )i nation ot the lro(juois. I'onnerly in Ntnv
York; 3(I0 in 1S40.

Ootlaslioots. tribo of thn Tuskojms, on Chuk's livcr, west of tin'
Rocky ^lountains.

()sa<^(\ Dukotfi stock, calleil also "NVawaii, Hu/.za\v, Osawscs.
Waslms oi' Oils; about ArkaiisaH and Osnije rivi-rs. Tlicv nro dividtil
into the Cliamers (Arkansas, Clermont), Great and LittU* Osii^'os.
Tills term !:> of French oriijfin. and j)roi)al)ly derived from the

SCENK IN NDUlilUHN MICHIUAN— COUNTRY OF THE OTT.WVAS.

Al<^onquln, Assi<^unai>^s or Bone Indians. The tribe called themselves
Wabasha, and attribute their origin to an allegorical tale of a snail on
a beaver.

Otagamies, near Lake of the AVoods, Algonquin stock; 800 in ITSO.

Oto, called also Otoes, Othouez. Oktolaktos, Wahtohtana, Wahtok-
tak, on the left banks of the Platte river; ccmfederated with the
Missourias.

Ottawas, Algoiu^uin stock, in Michigan and Ohio.

Ouiatauous, formerlv on the Wabash.

L58

Till', AMK'JU'AN INDIAN.

OniMHs. E. liiiiik of Missis8i)'j)i rivov iit IT'J'i, in two villii;,'<'H.
Owdssissus ( SciiiiiKilcs I, on St. Murk's rivt'r; KM) in IS'JO.
Ozds, iihoiit lied river; iil)()ilt 'i.OtIO in IToO.
Ozlniics, E. slion^ of Miirylaml iiiid Nir^'inia in lOOT. i Driikci.

icanfis, on (.^iit'l(|UiH!lioso nvci', J^ii

:5(»

nion in

l8o:

I) nil.

Ki' I.

I'luloucart, Houtli of tiio MisHouri anil west of tlie Mississippi.

I'a.l

owaL'as,

S.M

it'cas wcro so caluM

1; nnrcrtain. ( Drako

illlSll, ()

n tlif racific. N. of ('olunii)ia; 'JUO in 1S2(). ( Drakf i.

I'alaclnss, a tril)n found early in Flori<la ; extinct. (Drake).
I'alailini, Palaiks. On'iron, on nortliein i'ronticr. CalifoniiN.

I'and

K'o, a

l)()ut Painliro Sound; extiiu-t; l)ut iiftecn in \H)S.

l'ain[)tieoui;li, trilx* of Nortli (.'arolina. now extinct.

Pancas. StH> Poncas.

Panis, Panneis (Tonicas ). 40 villai,res in IT-'O. S. hrancli Missouri;
70 villai,'es on lied river, 1755. ( hrake).

Panneli. See Allakaweali ; '2,;50(> in ls()5, on Leads Bi^ Horn river.

Pascataways, a triho on Maryland side of Potomac river. ( Drake i.

Pasca^roulas, on Pied r. ; from Floi'idii ; li") men in l^iO."). ( Draiu- ).

Passamanuoddies, Tarratines, on Schoodie river, about 37U.

Pnwistucieneinuk, small tribe in Missouri; 500 in 1S20. ( Drake).

Pawnee, Panis, Pani, on the banks of the river Platte and Kansas;
also on U(>d river. Mr. John P. l)unl)ar, in the Mai,'azino of Ameri-
can History for April, ISSO, says tiiat tlie Pawnees, in history and
languaifo, seem to constitute a distinct group. The members of the
family ari> the Pawnees. Arihcaras, the Tawacoiues, and the Pawnee
Pic'ts or Witchitas. The last five may be desi<fnated as the Southern
or Red river l)ranche.s.

I'awtuckets, a confederacy of Indian tribes in the early lii.?torv
of New Euifland, under their jjrand sachem Passacouawav. Aliron-
(juin stock.

Pea^^ans. See Plackfeet.

Pelloat[)allah ( C'hopunnislO, on Kooshkooshkee; 1.(100 in 1S20.

Penacook, Pennacooks or Pawtuckets, New Hi.m[)shire.

Pen d'Oieille, AVashington Territory. Band of Flath. Is.

Penobscot, Abenaki, in Maine, on Penobscot river stock.

Pennakeeks ( Ni|)muks ), along Merrimac river. Al; linstock.

Peorias, on Current river; !)7 in iN'iO. Alg. stock. ' Make'^

Peijuakets (Abenakies), Saco river; destroyed by English in 1 "25.

Pequots, of Connecticut. Algonijuin stock. The Nipmuks were
tributary to them. Algonquin stock. Nearly destroyed by the New
England coloni.sts.

Phillimees ( Seminoles), near Suaiue river, Florida, in 1M7.

IMMAN IIIII.ES.

lo'J

rimilicsliiiws, oil Wiilmsli river. Al-^'oiKiiiin stock : in 17^0 hut •.»."().

riimkutdiik, ill Vir;,Miiia wlion first sfttlt'd. (Dniko).

Pium. Iiitliaii imtinii of Now Mexico, vvliero tlio country inhal).
iteil liy them is called Piiuoiia, mid divided into Alta and Baja.

riiialeiios. alw) called Piiion, Lanos. Pinoles, Pinal Leiio, Apaclie
tribe, raiiijfiii",' over an extensive circuit l)et\ve('n tlu* Sierre Pinal and
tlie Sierra JJlaiica, near tlie Tpper San rraiicisco river, north of the
Gila, in New Mexico.

PinoHhow (Sioux), on the St. Peter's; loO in 1820. ( Drake),

Piro, Indians of Now Mexico, near El Paso.

Pish(iuit[)alis, Musclosholl ra[)ids; about "J,*)!)!) in Isl."). (Drake).

SCENE ON FOX LAKE, NOIITHEUN ILLINOIS -COUNTUY OF THE POTTAWATTAMIES.

Polcanokets, formerly dwelt about Mount Hope, in llliodo Island,
in Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and on Cape Cod. Al<,^)n(|uin stock.

Ponci's, Pancas, on the west of the Missouri river, formerly
about the mouth of Quiecoano ( [ironounced Ke-koi-no, running river),
a southwestern Ijranch of the Missouri. The Poncas claim that the
Omahas, Osages, Kaws, and two or three other tribes, a hnig time ago,
lived with them and spoke the same vocal language. Sitting Bull, t)ne
of the head men, said his grandfather told him that in olden times,
when the above mentioned tribe were with them, they lived near the
Atlantic ocean, and in their westward migration became separated.

160

THK AMERICAN INDIAN.

They started on this luovement from uoar Wasliitigton, District of
C'ohimbid; tl;o Kfiws tincl Osagos coming across tiio Kansas, and the
Poncas and Omahas going further north, to northeastern Nebraska.
They claim that the Poncas were ,it one time where the present city of
St. Louis now stands. Tiiese peveral tril)cs have about the same cus-
toms, manners and habits, and differ but slightly from the Pawnees.

Potoash, Pacific coast, north of the Columbia; 200 in I'S'iO.

Potijyante, a tribe in the region of California, and is understood
to be one of the tribes under the name of Bonak or Root Di<rtrors.

Pottawattamie, Pouteotamies. Algoncjuin stock; once on the west,
south and east of Lake Michign^', rxtending to Detroit river and Lake
Erie; were alli'.'s of the Ojibways and Ottawas.

Powhatans, once a powerful nation, which occupied the whole
tract of country now called Virginia, between tiie sea-shore and the
falls of the rivers; the nation consisted of thirty tiibes, and tlic chief
sachcni was called Powhatan. AlgoiKpiin stock.

Puans ( Winnebagoes), so-called by tiie French. Dakota stock.

Pueblo Indians (Zuni, Keres), " Village Indians," of New
Mexico. The tribes living at Santo Domingo nnd the neighl)oring
Pueblos are called Kcvrs, or by the Spaniards, Qiicrcs. All the
Pueblo Indians are called Mexicans, who make tlu^ striped blaidiet.

(^uaba<)gs (Nipmuks ), place of that name. Alg. stock. (Drake).

(^ua[)ina, said to be identical with the Pawnees.

Quappns, Indians on the banks of the Arkansas river. We
recognize in these the renmins of an ancient people, the Kapahas of
De SotoV; day. Thoy then lived on the Upper Mississippi, near the
site oi! the present town of Madrid.

Quathlalii)ohtle8, on the Colundna.

(^uatoghies, formerly ori the south of Lake Michigan.

Quieotsos, north of Columbia river; 250 in ls20.

(^uiiineduirts. nortli of Cohimbia r. ; about 2,00(» in 1S20. ( Drake).

(,)uiniiUs, nortli of Colunil)ia river; 2.")0 ^n 1S20.

C^uinnepissa, called Layagoulas by the Chevalier Tonti. (^ Drake).

t^uodilies. See Pnssannupioddies.

llaj)id!i, on prairies, towards sources of Missouri.

lied (Irounds ( Seniinoles ), on Chattahoochee river; 100 in iS20.

Led Knife, from tlieir copper knives; near Slave Lake. ( Drake).

lled-Stick (Semiiioles ). the Baton liouijc of the French. (Drake).

lied- Wing (Sioux), Lake Pepin, under chief of that name; 100
in 1820. (Drake).

lliccarties. See Arickaree.

llivor ( Moheagans), on lower Hudson. Algonquin stock. (Drake).

INDIAN TItI13i:s.

Eomidluntls (Hurons";, oast side Lake Superior; 2,r)()() in ITlVl.

llumaeii i llnmsit'iies ), iiei<rlil)()i'luH)(l of Monterey, California.

iiyawas, r.'ulouca fork of the Missouri ; 'MIO in 1S2(). (Drake).

Sacliilagnj^lis, perhaps the true name of the Powliatans. ( Drake i.

Sacramento Indians, the Indians livin>^ on the Ui)per Sacramento
river, in California, wn"0 visited by James 1). Dana, attaclied to the
United States exph)rin<^ expedition; Dana could not, iiowever, learn
the name of the tribe. The Pujuni, Si;kumme and Tsaniak live on
the western banks

St. John's Indiana, Etchemuis. A tribe of th(> Etchemins, speak-
ing the sanii^ language as the Passania([uoddies. Algnnnuin stock.

Saki, Saukees, Sacs, Sakewi, Sawkis or Saques, merged with the
OnthagamioK, TTtagami and Foxes. This branch of the Algon«piin
family, known as the Sacs and Foxes, formerly occu{)ieil the central
and eastern portions of WisconsMi. They are of Algon([uin stock.
Tliey were forced to the soutiiwes'^ by their enemies; tliey occn|iied
tlie Piock liiver valley until lNO-4, wlien tliey cedi'd that co\intry, it is
claimed, to the United States by treaty, but with the proviso that they
could use it for hunting grtmnds until it was needed by white settlers.
It was to regain possession of this valley that t!ie Plackluiwk war of
LSHli was undertaken, tlie validity of tiiis treaty being disputed l)y
Blackiiawk.

Sankikani, Algonquin stock, once on eastern banks of tlie Hudson.

Santa Barbara. Indians of California; Mission of S. IJarliara.

Santees, N. Carolina in 1701. on river of that name. ( Drake.)

Saponies (Wanamies), Saj)ona river in 17<H); joined Tuscanmis
1720. (Drake).

Sasts, Silastics. Indians of southwest Oregon.

Satanas, a name given the Shawuees by the Irocpiois. (Drake).

Saultena.ix, SanttMies. a liand of the (Jjil)way tribe, living on the
Sault Ste. Marie, outlet of Lake Superior, meaning "peoph' of tiie
Sault." Algoiupiin stock.

Savannahs, on river of that name; perhaps Yamasees. (Drake).

Scattakooks, New York; went from New England lt)72. Alg. 8t.)ck.

Seminoles, or Isty-semole, "wild men," or "wanderers.'" Tribe
of the Creek confederacy in Florida. Spt>ak the Muskoghee dialect.
The nation, known by the name of Seminoles, is comp(!sed of scn-en
tribes, which bear tlie names of Latchione, Okleouaha, Chokecluiitta.
Pyadekaha, Fatehonyahn, Topkelako, and one otiitu'. There are,
besides, some remains of ancient tiibes, known iiy the names of Out-
cliis, Chias. Caiift ake, but they consist of only a few stiaggling fami-
lies. There was, also, ou the frontier of Georgia, another tribe, culled

1M2

THK AMFItlCAN INDIAN.

Lfihouita, wliicli raised one humlrod or one hundred nnd fifty warriors,
under Mackintosh.

Senekas, Nun-da-wnh, "great hill," or Nun-dn-wah-o-no, "great
hill people." Tribe of the Iro(piois, formerly in Western New York.

Sepones, in V'a.. in 1775; a remnant. See Saponie.s. (Drake).

Serraunes, Serrana, in Carolina, nearly destroyed by the Westoes.

Sovernvskia, Severnovzer, or "Northerners." North of liodega
bay. They call themselves Chicacluniidjct.

Sewees, small tribe in N. C, mentioned by Lawson in 1710.
(Drake).

Sliaiia.ahs, Shallalali, on Columbia river; 2.S()().

Sliallattoos, on Columbia river; 100 in 1S20. (Drake).

Shanwappone, head of Cataract nnd Taptul rivers; 4(10 in 1820.
(Drake).

Sliawanee.se, Shawanoe, formerly of Pennsylvania. Ohio, and
K(M)tuoky, afterwards in Indiana and Illinois; now west of Missouri.
'J'liey Avere divided into the tribes Pi([ua, Mequachake, Kiskapocoke,
and Chillicothe. Algoncjuin stock. They came from West Florida
Mid the adjacent country. Tiu^y f(jrmerly resided on Suwaney river,
in Florida, near the sea. Their chief, Black Hoof, who was born tluu-e,
rememberb ivithing in the salt water when a boy. "Suwaney" river
was doubtless named after tiie Shawaneese, "Suwaney" being a cor-
ruptiou of Shawaneese. The people of this nation have a tradition
that their ancestors crossed the sea. They are the only tribe who refer
to a foreign origin.

SlitNistukle. on the Pacific, south of the Columbia; '.tOO in 1820.
(Drake).

Shinicooks, Montauk. Indians of Long Island, neighbors of the
Unsehagogs ajid Montauks, who spoke kinilred dialects. Algoncjuin
stock.

Shi>sho'.et's, Siioshonese. Also Snake Indians, Scrjx'iis. Indians
of the liockv Mt)untains, on the sources of the Mis.souri and Columbia
rivers. They are divided into the Shoshonees proper and the Gens de
Pitie. or Radigeurs. { Uoot-diggers, by the Spaiiiards called Maradicos ).
It is uiu'i'rtain wliy the term Snakes were given to this tribe by the
whites. l)ut [)rol»ably, it is saiil, because of their tact of leading pursuit,
l)y crawling otT in the long grass, or diving in the water. Tliis was
formerly a very numerous tribe. When speaking of their numbers
they would say that it is the sanie as the stars in the sky.

Slmto. ( Wappatoo), on Colund)ia riv(!r; 4t)0 in 1S20. (Drake).
Sicannis. Sikauni. related to the Tacullies, New Caledonia.
Sicaunies, spurs of the Rocky Mountains; 1,000 in ls20.

INDIAN TlilliKS.

If.:}

maiden's bock, on rpPER MisrsissirPl-

CODNTUY OF THE SIOVX.

Sioux, ( seo DnlikotnliK on St. Peter's. Mississippi and Missonri.
Capt. Clark, in his Sign Language, title '"Sioux." says, that ai'conling
to some the common stock o£ tlie
Sioux nation embraced the foUow-
ing tribes: AVinnebago, Osage.
Kaw and Quapfias, Iowa, Otoe,
Missouri, Omaha, Ponca, Man-
dans. Hidatse, and Crow, and that
in the Sioux language there are
four dialects, Santee, Yankton,
Assiniboiiie and Teton.

Sissatones, near L. Winnei.cg and St. Peter's, in 1820. (Drake).

Sitimache, See Chitimicha.

Sitka. Sitka proper is but a name for King George Ill's Archi-
pi'l, inhabited by Kolusches. In general, the name Sifkd is a])plied to
the language of some ten tribes, who live between the fiftieth and fifty-
fifth degrees of north l.ititude.

Skaddals, en Catarrct river; '20(1 in IS'JO. ( Drake V

Sketapushoish, Sheshatapoosh. Also Mountaineers I Montag-
nards), or Skoffies (Escopies). Indian tribes west of Labrador
speaking a language closely related to the Kiiistenaux. (Trubner).

Skeetsomish, on a river of tiieir name; 2,(KI() in lS20. ( Drake ).

Skilloots, on Columbia ri.er; 2,500 in 1820. (Drake).

Skunnemoke, or Tuckapas, on Vermilion river, I^a. I Drake i.

Smokeshops, on the Columbia; SOO in ls20. in 24 clans. (Drake ).

Sokokies, anciently upon Saco river, now extinct.

Sokulks, on the Columbia, .ihove Lewis river; 2,400 in 120 lodges.

S(mri(juois, Acadians. Algonquin stock; at the Bay of Fundy,
Nova Scotia. They are sometimes called Micmacs. (Trubner).

Souties, the name by which some know tlio Ottaways; whicii h-ce.

Sovennoms, on east folk Lewis river; 400 in l\'-\ villages in 1^20.

Scpiallyamish, Indians at Puget Sound, related to tho Haeeltzuk
and the Indians of Nootka Sound.

Staitans, or Kite Indians, Tiiese, ."iOO in number, roved between
the head waters of the Platte river and tiie llocky Mountains. (Morse ).

Stockbridge. originally from New England, now in Wisconsin,
near Winnebago Ijake; a small remnant. Algon(juin stock.

Stone Indians, otherwise called Assineboines, Assinipoils, (see
Assineboine ) . A numerous tribe, who iidmbited tiie mid-country from
between tlui Missouri and Assineboine rivers, from within fifty miles
of Red river, westward to the sources of On' Ap|)ellt> river, about the
source of the Elbono, or north branch of tiie Assineboine river, and

■

Tin: A.MKKUAN INDIAN.

from thence to the lied Dihts' river, Sfiskutchowiui, To Swniii^i
(Irouiid Stoiu^ liidifiiis. liviiijj; close to tlie llocky Mountains, near tlie
source of the lied J)('crs' river. Saskatcliewan. Tlie Iro(|nois, Mo-
hawks, and HuroMs ar.) mentioned of the same class of iangua>;es.
The |ilace of the Ston(t Tndian is more equivocal; altliouj^h fxenei'ally
separated hyinost authors from the Mohawks (or Iro(|uois ) tongues, it
has, hy some, been connected with that ^'rouji.

S[iokane, S[)okain, on sources of Lewis river. ( Drake).

S([aannaroo, on Cataract river; I'JO in IS'iO. (Drake).

Sus(pieiiannok. on uest shore of that river, in ^laryland. in It'iOT.
Algon([mu sh)ck. ( Drake i.

Sussee, Sursee. on the Saskatclunvan ; tribe of the CMiip[)ewayans.

Taensa, a tribe spoken of by J^e C'lercj, who says tbey dwelt around
a little lake, formed in the laud by the river Mississippi, who had
ei>fht villa','es, a|ipareiitly in what is now tlie Sta o of Tennessee.
From this mav come the word Tennessee, l)v addiiij; the word luissrc,
"Town." meauiii",' Taeiisatown.

Tacullies, Carrieis, Naijaih-r. Indians of Nortwestern Amei'ica.
on the sources of F/ .izer"s I'iver. The Sicaiiiues are related to them.
Mackenzie calls tiiem Xagailer and ("arrit>r Iiulians.

Tah-le-wuh, California tribe, on the Klamath river.

Tahsaj^roudie. about l)i>troit in 172:5. (I.'rake).

Taliucana, on river Jb'azos; i? tribes; 1,2<M) iu IS'Jd. ( Drake i.

Talatni. on Kassima river, tributary of Sacramento, in Califorr.ia.

Tallahass(M> ( Seiuinoles ), betw(>en Oloklikana and Mikasauhie.
(Drake 1.

Tallewlieana ( Heminoles ), on east side of Flint river. ( Drake i.

Tamaroras, a tribe of the Illinois. Al^^oiKpiin stock. (Drake,.

Tamatles ( Seminoles ), above the Ocheeses; 2'J() in iMJO. ( Drake ).

Tarratines, east of Pascatacjua river. AI<^on([uin stock. (Drake).

Tattowlieliallys ( Seminol(»s ). DJOiii 1S20; since scattered. ( Drake i.

Taukaways, siuirces of Trinity, Urazosand (Nilorado rs. ( Drake).

TawakiMioe, "Tliree Canes.'" west sith* JJrazos r,, ISOb (Drake;.

Tawaws (Hurons), on the Manmeo in ITSO, ne.ir Lake Erie.
( Drake). This must be a mistake; evidently should be Ottawas, who
were not ilurous, but Alj^oiaiuin.

Tcho-ko-y(>m, Lnlian band in northwestern California.

'Irlmocresse ( Semiu<iles |, Chattahoochee; KM) in ls20. (Drake).

Tenisaw, once on that river; went to lied river in IT*''"). (Drake).

Tetons, piratical band of Sioux, between ^Ii[;si«sip[)i andMissouri rs.

Ticorillas. Apache Indians of western New Mexico. Their Ian-
gunge shows atlinity with tiiti great Atlia|tascan stock.

INDIAN TRinES.

ir,5

160

THE AMKIUCAX INDIAN.

Tiluex, Tcguns, Kiwoiui. Pueblo Indians, belong to the Keres
family, rbsiiliug at the Pueblo of Santo Domingo, in New Mexico.

Timuaca, Timui(iuana, Timuicana. Florida Indians, in the neigh-
borhood of South Augustine.

Tioncmtaties, or Dinomladies, a tribe of Hurons. (Drake).

Tlatskanai, Kwalliioc^ua. Indians of the Athapascan stock and
the Tactmllie-UmjKjua fanuly of northwest America, speaking different
dialects of one language.

Tockwoghs, on tlio Chesapeake in IHOT. (Drake).

Tonica.s, on the Mississippi; 20 warriors in 1Tn4. (Drake).

Toiikahans, tribe of Texas, said to b(> cannil)als. (Drake ).

Toiikawa, erratic, about Bay St. Bernardo: TOO in IS'JO. (Drake).

Toteros, on mountains in North Carolina in ITOO. (Drake).

Totuskeys. See Moratoks.

Towacanno, or Towoash. on the Brazos. See Tahuacana. (Drake ).

Tsclmgatschi. They oc('U2>y the northwestern part of llussian
Asia, and tlu* opposte .shores of jiorthwest America. A part of them
are settled in Asia, and call themselves Namollo. They are undoubt-
edly Es([uimaux. The, Wild, or Eei deer, Tchuktchi, call them.selves
Tchouktschee, T<'lu'kto, and have been invaders, possibly, of the
Korjake nation. Only the settled Tchuktchi belong to the American
ccmtinent.

Tsononthimans, tribe of the Iroquois, so called by the early
French. Hennepin thus nanit>d tlH> Sen(>cas. By Cox tiiey are called
Sonnoiitovans.

Tukabatche. on Talla[)oosa river in 177"}. (Drake).

Tunghase. Indians of the southeastern part of Prince of Wales
Archipelago. Their language is closely related to that of Sitka.

Tunica (Mobilian i, on Red river; thirty in 1S2(). (Drake).

Tunxis (Moheagans ), once in Farniington, Conn. ( J)rake).

Tuscarora. Dus-ga-o-weh-o-no, "shirt-wearing people," Indians
formerly of North Carolina. They joined afterwards (A. D. llli)
the Five Nations, or Iroquois, and are now in the State of New York.

Tnshepahs, on Clark's river in sumnuu' and Missouri in winter ; 4)50.

Tuteloes, ancient nation between the Chesapeake and Delaware.

Tutsiiewa, on a branch of the Columbia. (Drake).

Twightwees, the Inxpiois name for the Miamis.

Uchee (Creek Indians), east of rivers Coosa and Chattahoochee.

Ufallah. (Seminoles), on Ciiattahoochee; (570 in 1820. (Drake).

Uiralenzi. Indians of Russian Ameri.'a. west of Cape St. Elias,
and near the Island of Kadjak. Tlieir language seems to be a dialect
of the Koloschian.

INDIAN JliiliKS.

it;7

IJ^iiljacliimitzi, a trilio iihout Priiico Williain"s Sound. ( Drake).

riscalis. on tlio coast of tlio Pacific ocean; about l."j() in IS'JO.

Uinp(|ua. Indians of Oregon, of the Athapascan stock.

Unalaclitgo, once belonging to the Lenni Lennpe ( Drake ).

Unaniies. tlie head tribe of the Lenni Lenape. ( Drake i.

Unca[>a[)a, a band of the Sioux. It appears tliat liiis l)aiid of tlie
Teton-Sioux Mas named from tlio position tliey occupied in tlu^ cam[)S.
The word, uccording to thii Indians, was derived from. or. nioie prop-
erly speaking, is a corruption from Hun-ka-pia, which means imuI or
ov.tlet.

I'nciiagogs. a tribe anciently on Long Island. i Drake).

U[)saroka (Minetare), comnioidy called Crows. Se(> Ci'ows.

Ute. I'tah. The Uto Indians have, as far back as hi-tory and
tradition go, roamed over the mountains and small vall(M s of the
country between [)arallels ;57th and -list, north latitude, and the lO-'jth
and 1 I'Mh meridians. They are of tin; Shoshonet^ stock.

Waakicum, Columbia river, 4<H) in l^'i\(\. (Drake).

Wabinga. Wabigna ( Inujuois i, between the Delawan* and Hudson.

AVacoes. Nuecos, Indians of the Great Prairies. ])elonging to the
Pawnee stock. I'esiding bi'tweiMi the Washita and Red riv(>rs. in about
US dejr. ;J0 mill.. \V. long. Thev are closelv relattnl to their ueiijh-
l)ors, the AVitchitas.

Wahowimms. on Columbia river: TOO in lMJt'». (Drake).

AVahpatono (Sioux), in country M. W. St. Peter's. (Drake).

AVahpacoota (Sioux?). S. AV. St. Peter's, in ISO.'). ( Drake).

AVaiilatpu. Alolele, Indians of western Oregon, south of the Co-
lumbia river. Thi^ Waiilatpu proper are called also Willetpoos, Canuse.
Their languages bear sonu> attinity to the Sahaptin or Nez-Pt>rc(i lan-

Waikur. Gnaicur. Alonqui Indians of Lower California. The
Cora and Aripe speak ilialects of their own languag(\

Wamesits (Oipmuks), once on Alerrimac river. (Drake),

AVampanoag, ptuhaps tlio third nation in importanct^ in Nru
England, when seltled by the English. Algomjuin stock, (i)rake).

AVanainies, in New Jersey, from the Karitan lo the sea.

Wappatoos, L5 tribt^s. on the Cobnnbia; about r),0()0.

AVa[)[)ings. at and about Esopiis in 17")S; also acro.ss thr Hudson
to the Minsi. Algonnuin stock. (Drake).

Warananconguins. supposed to be sann' as AVappings. i Drake).

Washaws. on JJarrataria Island in lOSO; in ISO." nt IJav St, p'osh;
5 only. ( Drak(^ i.

Watanoiis. or Weas. See OuiatanouK.

168

THE AMEllICAN INDIAN.

H
u:

n
m

INIiIAN TUIBKS.

l»',9

Wiitorcos, oiioe on river of that name; oxtinct. ( Drako).

Watepaiieto, fork of Platte; iUK) in 1«2(). (Drake.)

Wawenoks ( Abenakies), once in Maine. Alg. stock. (Drake).

Waxsaw, onco in 8. Carolina, (Drake).

Weas, or "NVaiis (Kikapoos). See Oniatanons. (Drake)

Wee-yot, Indian hand on the mouth of Eel river, and near Hum-
boldt Bay, in northwestern California. (Eel river is calleil Wee-yot,
by the Indians residing on it),

Weits-Pek, Indians of northwestern California.

Wekisa (Seminoles), Chattahoochee; '2oO in iS'iO. (Drake),

Welsh Indians, on Bouthern branch of the Missouri, ( Drake ).

Westoes, once powerful tribe in S, C. ; nearly destroyed in KiTO.

Wetepahato. with the Kiawas; 7() lodges in 1S()5. (Drake).

Wheelpo, on Clark's river; 2,500 in 1S20. (Drake).

Whirlpools ( Chickamaugas), so called from residence. (Drake),

White. W. of the Mississippi; mentioned by travelers. (Drake).

AVighcocoraos, one of the six tribes in Va, in 1(107, (Drake).

AVillewalis, ( ChopunnisU), on Willewali river; 500 in 1820.

Winnebagoes, Nipiiegon. Called by the Trench, Puans or Otoh-
ngras; by the Omahas, Horoje; and by themselves, Hochungorah.
Indians of the Sioux stock, formerly on Fox anil Ilock rivers, Wiscon-
sin. (Trubner).

Wish-Osk, Indians of N. W. Cal., on Humboldt Bay and Mad river.

Witchitas, Indians of Northern Texas, near the Red river.

Wokkons, Waccoa, formerly of North Carolina, now extinct.
Their language was related to that of the Catuwbas. Tliey were
neighbors of the Tuscaroras in North Carolina,

Wolf Indians, tribe of Pawnees, commonly called Pawnee Loups.

Wollawollahs, on the Columbia from above Muscleshell Rapids,

Wyandots, Guyandots, called by the French, Hurons. Their
name for themselves, it is said, was A-hon-an-dote. See Hurons.

Wycomes, a tribe on the Susipiehannah, in ItUS; about 250,

Wyniawaws, a small tribe in N, Carolina in 1701, (Drake).

Yunnicraw, near Savannah in 1732; about 1+0 men. ( Drake i.

Yamasee, S. border of S. C. ; nearly destroyed in 1715 by English.

Yamkallie, Kallapuiali, Oregon Indians of ]>lains of the A\'ilLi-
niette, speaking a language related to that of Cathlascons and
Haeeltzuk. ( Trubner).

Yamoisees, Yamassee, S, C, ; nearly destroyed by the whites.

Yamperack, (Comanches), about sources Brazos; I.S17, 30,000.

Yanktons, Yanktonans or Yanktoauans, Sioux tribe, between the
Red river and the Missouri.

170

THE AMKKRAN INDIAN.

AMONG TtIB "hookies"— COUNTUY OF THE V'VEH.

INDIAN TUIUKS.

171

Ynttasies, hrnncli of IIimI riv»'r; 100 in ISI'J; bimmiIc ('iidiln.

Yazuos, <iiico irroiit tritu' <if Li)iiisiaiiJi, now lostainoii<^ ('liickiisftws.

Vi'HlitontuniH's, fornH'ily iicfir tlai njoutli <it' tlio Walxisli.

Yflt'tpos, on river wliii'li falls into Ltnvib' abovo Kooskooskoo; 250.

Vonikkonos, on tlio Pai'ilic, const; tiliout TOO.

Yo-st'-me-tv. A tribo of Indians in California, from \vlit)m is
derived tlio naino of a rcmurkahlt? valli-y in that state, coniinonly
written )'iisciiiH(:

Youitts, on tho coust of tho Pacific ocean; ahmit 150.

Yukai Indians, on Russian river in nortlnvestoru California.

Y'unias Indians, of tho southwestern part of California, on the Rio
Colorado, down to its ontraiico in tlindulfof California. They are
divided into live tril)es, of which tho Cuchans aro tho most imiMirtant.
Tlie others are tho Ma-lm-os, Hah-wal-(!oes, Y'am-pai-o ami Co-co-pahs.
The Camoyes or Puemaja, aro u triho of tho Cuchaus.

MOUNT .TOLIF.T— COUNTUV OF THE ILLINIWCU.

CHAPTER VII.

TOTEMS.

SikTiiitication of Word Totem— \ Syiubolio Di'Hi^fnatioii ()rij,'iii of Totora— Distiii-
Kiiislh's the Uaiul— A Kiml of Coat of Armn— E.\|)laiiatiiiii— I'lmtTHal aiuou^
the IiiiliauH— Uuluwful to JNIurry iu tbe 8aiu« Totem Similar CuHtoru in tho
OM Woiia.

TUB UEAVKU.

^R. WEliSTER ilpfines

the word lolcni to l)e

-J) M.--,» ' K "■ rudo i)U'ture, as of

-rt^c^f-- ft bird, lu'iiHt, f)r the

like; used bv the North Aiiieri-

can Indians as a synd)()lit' name

ordosi^niatioii of a family, etc.."

but ho dot's not givn the origin

or etymolo«;y of the word in

tluH form. Peter Jones, the educated Ojibway Indian, gives the word

as liioddiiii, l)nt the word in general use is totfiri.

A totem among tlie Indians is a symbolic designatit)n in tiie
inuige of sonit* animal, used to distinguish or mark n particular tribe
or band, as a sululivision of n tribe. Peter Jones says of the Indians
in relation to this subject, that ''their belief concerning their division
into tribes is, that many years ago, tho Great Si)irit gave his Red
children their toodaims or tribes in order that they might nev(>r forgot
that tht\v were all relatt^l to eacii other, and that in time of distress
or war they wore bound to help each other."

According to general custom among the Indians, the totem was
properly used only to distinguish some {)articnlar band, gens or com-
mon family of a tribe. Tho princi{)al tribe or nation to which these
bands belonged was distinguished by some design of a ditferent class;
wliat we would call a coat of arms. Baron LaHontan, in his book of
"Voyages to North America," in connection with tho subject of
Indian totems, which he stvles Hcvdldni or Coiils of ^iniis, ffives
eight crude illustrations of them which are here reproiluced, and
which he thus describes:

(172)

TOTKMS.

17R

//;,• ,1, in, .'f i/if Oiilitj/:n>\ii in/fy

TVie arms 9 ft/it Oiitifiijjuuej a/t'ai
Jauttuv*

f/if.iiitu a/lArfeiirei'fi'rinit .-.7// /

ie fll-rni j/" tAf Ciirrtnnj It

I f\f amu .^f 1^ ^'^iif.ipufit f iintici

7y.

'J^h^ fffmy cf §/,

I AC-SIMILE FilOU LA UONTAN— 17(Ki

17+

THK AMEHlr.VN INDIAN.

"Tlie five Otddonasc Nations liave a Sinoplf or (Irooii Kii'ltl. witli
four Elks in Sal)lo (^iiitouM ami lMokiii<,' to the fo'ir i-oniers of tliii
Esc'utcln'oii, there luMug a lifaj* of sand in tlif niidillo.

"Tlie Illincsc Itear ii lifocli leaf with a ImtterHy ari^ent.

"The Xtnioiu'sxis or Sioii.r have a S(iuirrel (liilcs, j^niawinj; a
citron.

" Tlie ffitronn Ix'ar a heaver sable, set squat upon a heaver kennel
ar^'ent, tlie niivlst of a jmol or lake.

••'riie OnliKiniiiiix hear a meadow Sinople. crossed hy a windinj,'
river pale, with two foxes (Jules at tlie two extremities of the Iliver,
in Ciiief and I'oint.

••'riie roiilconhDiiis caUM Puants hear a Doij in ari;ent. sleepin<»
upon a Mai d" Or. Tliesu L'eople oh.serve the Uulos of iJlazoiiin^f less
than the other Nations.

"The Oiniiiniiix have a honr srvblo pulling down with his two paws
a tree Sinople mossy, and laid among tho oseutchecm."

"'riie ()iic(ihli»)iii-!<, eaird Sniitfiin^, have an Eaglo Sable, perching
u[)on the top of ii Hock .Vrgent. and devouring an Owl diilcs."

Dr. James, the editor of John Tanner's Narrative, in referring to
the svHtom of totems among the Indians, doubts if tho North .Vmerican
Indians, except those of the AlgoiKjuin family, have these peculiar
geiieological marks; but nioie tliorougli investigation into this subject
shows tliat he was incorrect in this. The general custom m tiic use
of svnd)ols of this kind seems to have !)een a characteristic ainon;; all
tho prijuitivo American nations from all tinu>. Sucii is the opinion
expressed by M. . Sciii>olcraft, after th(U'ougij investigation into tho
sul)jeet. In this he ref(>rs to the totemic traits in the monumental
remains of America, tlie curious and the hitherto unexplained low and
iniitativo mounds of Wisctmsin, v.Iiicli nssuine their proper place in
historv. and which are but toti inic mounds erected to elans or chiefs.
In regard to e\|)loration8 iu Central America, he says;

'• in the sculptures and glyphs of Chichen Itza. as given iiy Mr.
Stephens, a distinclivt* portion uf each compartment of figures is
clearlv made up of the totemic insignia and lu>norri of the respective
chiefs and rulers, under whose sway th«>se now dilapidated structures
may be siip|)osrtd to have been built. They ch'arly exhibit evidences
of this early pictorial and .symboli» art. We observi> tln^ same system
on the walls of l*aleii(|ue." ("oiiti:iuing this subject. Mr. Sriioolciaft
furth(>r adds: "This tie of ancient family and tribal allinities enters
also largely into their system of inscriptions on scrolls of tlu^ western
papyrus, or hark tissue, and is frei|iiently observed in |)assing through
till Indian countrv on their blazed tri'cs. iiark letters, hieiatic tablets.

TOT K.MS.

175

and innz/iii!il)iks. or pai'itcd mcks. It nw<y Ix' cxpfctt'd to luivc liiul
II wider d('veli)|)meiit on tlic iiioiiiiiin'iits of tlio stmtli. Maiico Cu|i!ic
iiiid .Moll",' liotii iiisrrilu'd a H^'un* of tin* sun as tlif t-vidciici' of their
ffiiiiilv di'sct'ut. Tilts son of I'licMs- placed a water-fowl fc)r his sij^na-
ture. IJraiit sealed with the triiiiu! l»adi,'e of a liear. turtle and wolf."

This ifeiicral system of totems aiiioii;j the Amerii-aii triiies is
furthei" cited \\y many as evidence of race unity, and as |(oinlin;.; t>> a
coiniiion orii^'in. The ijenei-al ■ r-toni was that no man was allowed to
chaiijjje the totem under which li.' was horn, and this distinctive mark
descended to all liis children as well as to nil prisoners he mi^'ht take
and adopt It was synonymous with and e.xisted upon tlm like princi-
ple of our institution of surnames.

It was considered unlawful for parties of the same totem to inter-
marry, like the prohihition of the ancient -lews as to interiuarria^'e
amoii^' relatives. Tiie Indians considered it lii^'hly ciiminal lor u man
to marry a woman whose totem was the same as his own. and youn-.;
men have suffered the penalty of death, at the instance of their rela-
tives, for a violation d" this I'ule.

Their rule also was that those liavini; tl- > same totem were liound.
uiuhn" whatever circumstances, when tliev met. even tlnui'jh thev should
l)e of ditFerent and hostile baiuls. to treat eiu'li otlier iu)t only as friends,
hut hrethreii and relatives of the same family. In this re^'iird, thti
ohli<;iitioiis under this toteiuic riystem heai's a resemhlance to the pres-
ent institution of I-' ree masonry, claimed to have heen ori;,niially hor-
rowed from 1 e ancient .lews.

Th.' hands or suhdivisious of th" Ojihway !;ation amon;; their
tot "iih iiad the followmjf: The ea<^le. reindeer, otter, hear. hutValo.
heaver, callisli and pike. .M i Mov^'iin. in his " Lea^fiuHif the I roipiois."
says that in each nation of that people then* were ei;rlit trihi's. which
wert> arran;,'etl in two divisions and named as follows: Wolf. Hear.
Beaver. Turtle. Deer. Snipe. Keron, Hawk.

There is a remarkahle coincidence in this to' 'iiiic custom of the
native trihes of .\iiieric,; witli that amoiij; nations of the Old World,
where, tliroii^'lioul the whole, the like custom prevailed, tinus out of
mind, of hla/.oniiij; or inscrihini,' in appro|iriati> technical terms, coats
of arms, Imdjjfes, or otiier heraldic and armorial insii,Miia. The eae;le
was tins emhlem of Persia and Imperial IJoiiie; the ov of ll;,'ypt : tiie
owl of .\tliens: and the drii^jon served iis the national Hyinholof China
and .lajian. from the most ancient period.

Itlr. I'lllis, ill his work entitled the " Ued Man and the White
Man." notices the Htniii<;e and unexplained iitHiiity hetweeii these forest
totem svmliols and some of the proud esi'utcluMm-lHmrin^'s of uioiiarchH

IVtl

Tin: a.mi;kii\n imh.vn.

an I iiohlt^s. stntos and I'liipiivs, of tlif old rivili/iul world, uiid reiuiirks
tliiit a Hiniplfi |iri'iii<lict' ov liahit of association of 'Mir owi! race iiiakcri

c.s ridicule in tlu' >.i\(!!^ii w

hat

Hwo.s or

Hatt

I'rs us aino!!^ \vliit<> int'n;

aiK; furtln'r ol)sorvi'> thai wliilst tlioso iMuhh'ins of the Indian were
rudi'lv ski'tciicd and <,'rott'S(|ti('. tin' di'si<.'n ami purpose of tin'ui wcro
exartlv the same as the similar devices ani(Ui<^ proud Christian nations.
He <;ives for evaiuple Kii^'lnnd's unicorn and lion, the bear of Ilnssia.

ind the double headed i'a<de of Ausirif;, and sav:

dioi

Uil

I'oIIdw tjie comparisons down throu<;h the shields, the armorial bear-
in^rs, the escutcheons and coats of arms of iiulihs and pi'ivate I'anulies.
with all their al)surd devices and ti<,'urini;s. perhaps Indian piide and
inireniiity i!ii<,'lit find nmn < (.untenance."

In concludinj,' this subject, as suL^uested by Mr. ICllis. it seems

remarkfible tlmt ethnoloi,'ists in traciu'' evidenc

of relationship

between the [leopie of Ijie Old World and tin- New. so little I'eco^r-
nition has been ^riv(>ii to the alllidty Ix twoen these Indian totems and
the heraldrv or coats of arms anion'r the nations of the < )ld World.

CH.VrTKIl VTII.

GOVERNMENT.

Erronoons Opinion of tlii> Aincriciin fnilian as to his ( lovornnionl- Sanii' iiirnl of
Oovi>rnni«'nl rrcviiilcii iiinoiit,' All the TrilH-s Not a (rovt>rnnii'iit of l''orci'--( )nt'
of Ai'iiuiesconi't' (Icncrai L'Mitorniity— Union of Triix-s licatrud of tiic Im-
(juois l*rini'i|ilt'8 on which a Cli'of (lOVomH AoconlinK' to Will of th<> Trilic
( 'ouncils Oruiinizin)^ anil Condnctiiii; Chii-fs KanU Siu'cfSRion Ki|naiily
Criininai (loilc Opinion of Dr. I'ranklin ("aid) Atwati'i-'n Dcwriplion of an

In.i

i.in Conni'il Authority of Chii'fs

fC-i

111! coiniiiiiii iiloii
a III DM"' civilizt'ii

iiii; im (iiin III
tliiil of :i h

|H'tl|)l(' !|!IS hi'I'll.

that tlio Aiiit'iifaii
linliaii i^ an irrt'S]M>iisil)lt'.
\vaii(l<M'iiij; vaj^alioiitl. linv-

1 lit'<> lu'Vcllil
SIlltsiHtt'IU't".

witlmiit iiiural t'crliiij,' (ir
rules tor tlif <;ovt'niiiiiMit
of Ills civil (• iiiiliict. Mild
w I lose colli lit ion of socictv,
if siicli it ma\ lie callcil.
is chaos ninl anarcliy ; wiiicli Imt illiistratos oiir own iijimraiK c .if tlic
tvno character of the linliaii in tips rej^'anl.

The institution of civil oov,.iiini('iit itrevaildl aiiioiii,' the Aineri-

in
far as iiiliiiiteil to their wants and conditions in

can trilies throiij^hoiit the two continents, as |iei-fect and coinpleti
fori

III and iiniiciiile, so

life, as anion;,' the more enlightened nations. I!nt tln'ir mode of life
heiii;^ simple, their wants \veri» few and their plan of ;xov(>riiment was
adapted to this simplo and priiiiiliv(< condition. I'lieir ;^overnnieiit

was not a <rovernmeiit

fon

was not maintained niioii luiiKM

pies of this kind. Imt was ralliei one of aci|uiesci>nce mi the part of
the ^foverned. It was. ill form, patriarchal, after the manner of the
ancieiit.s. Tin v liml no sucli thin<.( as rulers or otVicers appointed to
tMifiiri't^ laws and opproBH iiiilividuals; so t lull tlioir goynrnment was not

(ITT)

ITS

Tin; A.Mi:i;u'AN indiw.

olio of o|)|nvsHii>ii, bat oiit> in wliicli all felt ai> oijiml rosponsihilitv,
and clict'il'iilly ««'(jni('sct'il in all nicasuri's pri'Si-rilu'il or (.•oni-uncil in
for their giMicral good.

A Now Englantl iiistorian. on lliis sul>ji'ct. says tlioir governniont
was *' ratlit'r a |iatriarclial state; for the Saela'ni conrlmlcd no inijiort-
ant tilings — wai's, laws or snl)sidi»'s- to wliicli the |ii'o|)l(' were

ilei'itlediv adverse

As nmnlers. roMicries, ailnlteri

es and siu-n

lik

eoininon * aino

iiir the En;;lisli," wen* nctt eoninion with them, the iliit

H's

ot the Sai'iieni were light. So that even Indian history shows how
criiiu'H are nearly all oll'enses against property, and grow out ol" that
luinger for wealth; every man wanting to get. or to keep, more than
his siiare."

Tliere was i> 'MMieral iiniformitv in tiie form of <Mvernmeiit
K's and iKitioiis of North America, difl'ei'ing.

throui'hout

tril

however, in details more or less, aecording to location and ciici

im-

ic ises ( I

■'ov-

staiices. Kach triiic was a kind of iiody politic, for pni|

eminent and civil polity, autl, in general, the powers of j.^ovi rnnn-nt

were exercised liy a trilte.

Sometimes several tiihes were allied together for certain purposes,
ns that of protection against invasion, each tribe still retaining its
sovereignty for purposes of local civil government. Of this kind
wi're thi> i)akotas, who, whilst the trilies of this stock were very
numerous, had a union of t-even trihes. wiio wert» unitetl for purposes
of defense. In the same manner the Ojiliways. I'ottawattamit's and
Ottawas were united for tim like |>urpose, with an agreenu'iit that no
part of tht^ territory they s(>verally o<-cupied should lie open to the
occupation of other nations without the consent of all.

The Inxpiois were n confederation of several tlihes. called the

jtMiiruc* o

f the Iroijuois." iiotoiily for tiie purp

.f .l.'t

ense

liiii

Ido for the purpose of civil government, the powers of which were
vested in the leay.u* or I'onfederation, each triln' at Hit* same tii

having and tetainiiig a separate local government, or government of

its own fi

local

l»uri>ose

Eacli trilte had its chiefs or head

among whom there was a ranking or superioi' e

lii'f.

w lio was tin

men,

prin-

cipal ministerial functionary in their government. 'Iriltes were
generallv divided into Itands. each Iwind having also its chief or head

man

riie Indian mind is not sensible either of civil or militarv snl»-
ordimition. Kach entertaiuH a high opinion of his own individual
eonse(|uence, and is exceedingly tenaciouu of his liberty. All indica-
tions that earry with them the appearance of a positive command from
Huothor lire i jecftd with scorn and indignation. Theii' leaders are

(KiVKHNMKNT,

1711

vi!v cautious about j^iviu^ out onlcrs in pcrfuiptory style. A siiiiplf
liiiit from a diicf miiciTuiiiir tliiiii,'s that in liis opinion shuuM lie
ilonc, or lucasurcs that shouhl lit' I'ari'iod out. aroust's t-niuhition anmiiLT

10 inferior ranks, and his sni,'^'i'stion is iinuifdiatt'ly <,mv('1i attfiitioii;
but tlm Indian iiKh'pi'iuh'nri" is .such tliat he acknowh'dj^^'s im superior
ill civil <roveniiiieiit nr domestic all'airs. and leco^'iiizes no one as ha\-
iii^' the ri;,'lit to exercise authority over him. fii short, he admits of
no such distinction as nia<,'istratn and sul)ject.

The principle upon wliicli a chief <xoverns or I'e^ulates the atl'airs
of his tiiiie is ratlier i)y way of advice tiiaii in words of command.
A man rises io the position of chief, or is promoti'd to hold that station,
from tlie conlidi'iice reposed in him by the tribe. Tlu» ciiief i^overns
more by pi'rsuasioii tiian by coeicion. His intlueiict* aiuon^' his trilto
de[)en<ls u|ion jiis estal)lislied character foi' wisdom, iiravery and lios-

wmild lie a successful h-ader and

oitaiitv.

t is important, if

i^overnor. that he should excel in everything' pertainiiij,' to the chaiac-

ter and di;,Miilv <

if the chieftain. Whenever his conduct cientes

le chiefs of encii

dissatisfaction amoiij^ tlie tribe his power ceases. T
trilx" settle all disputes arising,' amon^' their peo|(le. watch over the
territorv tlie\ occiipv. regulate tiie order of their marches, and appoint
the time for their ^'eiieral ii'iidezvoits aid movements. Tliev havo
no written code of laws, but the people of the tribes are fau^dit Ity
their child's and wise men to observe ji certain line of conduct, biicii
as to be irood hunters, brave in war, and kind and hotjpitable to
strangers.

In <^eneral. everxthiiiir i^ intended to be done in

I accordance witti

the will of the tribe as expres-ed or implii-d. 'I'he will of tlie tribe,
concerning measures to I.e pursued. :., as<'ertained throu^di the action
of a couiu'il, wliicli is constituted in diU'ereiit forms, according,' to cus-

tom.

Wit

I maii\ .

til

e council IS coiMltoset

d of t he chief-

and

l>rinci|ial

men. if the subject of consideration i^^ one of iniporiaiice. in which
all the tribe should be consulted, the conclusion arrived at b\ the
council of the chiefs ami principal men is then submitted to the wlioh)
tribe, assembled for lh.it piiipose.

Ill addition to coiiii

of t Ih' tribe, there are a!

so i^eiierai coun-

cils, w hell' it is desii'cd to t.iki' into consideration matters winch con-

cerned seveial

trib

'I'hi' head chief of the tiibe. in w ':ose terrilor

the council in cniivem'd. ;fenerally takes the lei.d. The first tl
in onler is to kindle the council fire. This is called II

llll^r

le uiicoveiiii;;

of til" Hlumi>eriii;^ embers of lh<' former council, and the elor.in<,' of
tiie council tire is called the covtulnif of the fire. [•"lom the lire thus
kindled they li>,'lit their pipt>s. The council then pioi d.-- to th >

IftO

TilK A.MKIUCAN INDIAN.

coroinoiiy of sinnkinj^ tli<' pipe of pe/ieo. 'I'liis tli('\ do in token of
frioiulship imd •,'oo(l will to nil.

At councils of this latter kind, tiic li'adin;^' cliicts of ilio, diircrtMit
tribes rise in succt'ssioii <ind deliver their talk, during which tho strict-
est attention is jmid Ity all present, who now nnd then uttor tlio usual
words of respoiiso in caso of a[)|)rovnl. Thoro is also an a[)propriatt!
expression in caso of disapproval. Tlieso responses for and against
am taken as tho sense of th« trihe or council, U|)on propositions
advanced ]>y chiefs in their speeches. In other words, this is the gen-
eral Indian mode of voting in their assend)lies.

According to Indian cnstoni in their councils, they have no such
rule, as carrying a nieasun! by a majority vote, or majority of the
assendtly; unless carried by unanir is assent, the measure is con
sidcred iiot atlo[)ted. Tiiis, as we are informed Ity Mr. Schoolcraft in
his ''Notes on tho Irotjuois," 's especially the rule among that [K'ople.
Ill these siiii[)le councils of tho red man, no speaker is ever inter-
rupted in the midst of his discourse, and tlien^ are no <piestions of
<trder thrust upon any one. as is so often found to be mn-essary in the
|)ul)lic assendilages of tli' white man.

When a measure is found to lie unpopulai'. by expressions from
th'i.se present, it is generally drop|)ed; hence, there are selilom any
warm discnssioiis in tht>se native Indian councils. It has been sug--
gestod that if tlie same freedom of speech had been indulged in at
these couiu'ils as is often witnessed in tlit* legislative halls of the white
man. th(> scalping knife and tomahawk woulil be seen glittering in
true lynch style over the heads of these rude Indian law makers.

'i'lie olliee of ciiief was, in general, hereditary, the rule of descent
varying according to tlie custom of the, trilte. When the line of suc-
ces.^ioM failed, th«i vacancy was tilled by nomination <if the surviving
<'hit?fs in council, and the (piestion of selecting the person so named
was left to the voice of tiie whole tribe, called togetln'i' in council lor
that purpose.

riu'ic wei'e. in general, war chiefs, asitle from civil chiefs. Such
chiefs were not hereditary, but the selection was niatle by the council
of the triiie. the person being chosen with reft>renee to his acknowl-
edged bravery ami wisdom. In such councils, although the and>itioii
if individuals might be involved, where sharp competitiiui might be
e.;pected, the greatest harmony prevailed, and th •■•• was a cheerful
acijuiesceiice in tiie result. The Jiulian had no, reached that point
attaineii in the wliiti* man's civilization, of ballot-box stufling and
ilieating at tiie primaries, unler the rule ilial the end justilies the
MH'tin^.

flow vastly (lilTtTt'iit «•••!••> tlicso poacfful councils of tlio [(iiniitivo
It'll man lidni tlioso latter coin[)ulsoiy occasions, convoiicd under tlif
j^'uiis of soni(( frontier inilitai y jmst, for the |iur|>oso of further »>xten(|-
in<^r tiie domain of the uiiitc^ man over the Indinii possessions, to
appease tho avaricious spirit <if the civiliztul speciilatorl

'riin principle of e(|iiality was carried into these coinu ii>. where
all were e([ual. They had no presidin<^ ollicer or moderator. .Mr.
t'alel) Atwater, who was u dost; oliserver of Jmlian customs, says that
"like the Court of liar's Hill, at Athens, the Indian council ^'enerally
sits at nii^dit, when the nation is asleep."

.As the Indian possessed little projierty. he iiad little or no i<leaof
its value; hence, laws relatin>^ to offenses in this rei^'ard wei'e not s(»
necessary. But the crime 4if murder was prominently noticed in their
criiiiiMid coih'. in the penalty of which they i'(.ll,(wrd the .d'wish code,
"hlood fur Itlood:" esjiecially if the lelatives of the hip ilcrcd man
retpiii-ed that the life of the murderer should he taken. J ii ^'eiieial.
the accused was awarded n trial, in which tin* chiefs and principal men
met in council, at which the parties concerinMl ucie picseiit. and if the
tjuilt of the accusi'd was prosed, the head clilid' pi i )iii lUiicrd sentence
of death. Tiie executioni'r was the nearest of kin to the peisou niur-
ilered. Tiie mode of ex<'cutini; t he sentiMice \»as either l>y siiootini,'.
tomahawkiu"^ or stalthiny; sometimes tin* «leath seidenct* was coni-
muti'd io some kind of pecuniary consideration, to lie ijivcn to tiie next
of kill or reiati\es of tlie deceased, as miijlit lie atljudi^ed, and «-on-
sistiiii; of clothiiiij. skins, or other I''.'ian piopeity.

Tiie finest e\ample of Indian ^'overniiM'nt was found amoiii; the
lro(piois, liist known as the Five Nations, hut in later times known as
tiie Six Nations. ori;,Mnally composed of the Mojiawks. Oneidas. Onon-
da<xas, Cavu-.^ns. and Senecas. to whicli. in 1 i I ll. tiie Tnscaroras were
added. 'J'lu'Se several tribes WiTe united f'lf |iurp()ses of civil i,'o\ern
nn-nt under a compact called "riie J,ea;,'ue of the Iro(|Uois."' as liefore
nu'iitioned.

it is observed b\ Mr. Mor>,'an. in reirard to Hii> people, that tlie
central e^o\(>rnment was or;;aiiiz<Ml and administered upon tlie same
principles wliieh rej^ulated that of each nation in its separate eapacitv,
the nations sustaining' nearly the saint* relation to the lea^jiu' tiiat the
.Vnmrican States bear to the I'nion. Indeed, it is u sini^ndar coinci-
dence, that the aiwient •^'overnnnuit of tho primitive Jro(|uois people
.\as foiuitled ami rested uiioii tie sann< principle of tho Stale ami I'ed-
eral ^fovernment t>f the Annuican I iiion of this day. Tlie national
capitol was at Onmidaira. where the <,'reat coiincil comprised of dele
^ates fi'oni tlit> sevei'al nations before meutionecl was held, ami where

1H2

Tin; AMr.iiicA', Indian.

tho iiatioiml couiicil lini wms (■(nitiiuially huniiii*,', (is lUMunhlciii iiuirkiii<;
tilt' cDiitiiiiicil t'xisttMK'H of tlu'ir national ;.^>v('rniMi'iit.

Dr. Franklin, who, during liiu litV of litt'iarv work, <;avt' consitltT-
al)le atttMition to tlio stuily of Iiitlian charat'ttT and lii.storv, r.oncfniin^
Indian ^'ovcrnnifiit, says that "'all thoir ^'ovcniun'iit in l)y tlu* counsel
or advici' of the sa<^t's; then) is no force; thero ai'e no prisoners; no
olliccrs to coni[)el obiulieiico or inflict |niiiisiinients; hence, they ^Gen-
erally study oratory, the hest speaker having,' the most intlneiice." lie
furtlier adds, that having; freipienl occasitm to hold piihlic councils
tlicy lia\e aiMjiiii-ed <^!'eat older and d;'cency in coiiductiii<; them. The
old men sit in tin; foremost ranks, tlie warriors in tho imxt, timl the
women and children, if then' are any present, in the rear.

Calel) Atwater, who was one of (In' commissioners on the pait of
the liiiteil Siati's <;o\ernment to negotiate a treaty with the Indians at
Prairie dn Cliien. in i^'l'.K tints desciihes the council held Ky flie
llidiniisat that |)lace with the a^'ents of t lie Inited States ^roveniiiu lit :

■•Tiie commissioners sat on a raised hench, facing tlie Indian
chiefs: on each side of them stood tiit* otlicers of the army in full
dress, while the soldiers, in theii' hest attire, appi'ared in lirii^dit array
on the sides of the cnimcil shade. The ladies l)elon;'in<' t' the ollicers'
families, and the best families in the |)rairie, were seated directlv
liehihd tiie commissioners; Itehind the principal Indian chiefs sat the
coniniiiu jieople. first the men. then the women and chihlren to the
mniil)!'!' of tlioiisaiid^. who listened in hieatldess and tleathlike silence
to e\-ery word that was uttered. The spectacle was ;,Mand and niorallv
sulilime in the hii,fhesl di'^^^iee to tin nation of tiie led iiien w |io were
present."

In his early l>o\ hood, in .^Ui,Mist. l^:!i>. the writer saw the last
Imlian council held in t'hica:.i;o with the a<^feiits of the I'nited States
^'ovei'umeiit. and in llii^^ the like older and airan^^'inent was ohserved
as described l)y Mr. .Vl water on tiie occasion he mentions, and ho can
bear witness to the decorum and perfect order which pievailed in the
assemblv of .several thousand Indians throu<,'liout the whole |iroceedin<,'.

Tr.iveleis and writers of later times, in speaking' of the Indians of
the plains and aloni,' the I'acilic coast, refer to their v-iiiefs in some
instances as possessing' and exercisin<x (piite arbitrary authority. This
must have ^M'own into practice from their association with the whites,
after a loiij; <'ontinued period of time, orsucli ciiHtom may iiave prevailed
anioiij^ particular tribes to a limited extent, urowinj; out of locality oi'
peculiar circuni^lances. Such exercise of authority was certainly not in
accordance with ;,;eneral Indian character.

The earlv adventurers and exploreif^ in this country, like that of

(il)\ T.ltN.MKNT.

l^;{

C'lpt. John Smith and others, with limited knowh^dj^o iirf to themnniifis
tiiid customs tit' tliti iiativn tlilu's. iiavf s|i()kt'M of tht^ head cliit'l's aiiioii;^
tlifin as kings, cmpfrors, aiul tlie like, terms a|([)lical)lo in <j(>vern-
ments oi" enlightened nations; whieh has givt-ii us tho erron«'ous
impression that tin' Indians had among tliem rulers oi' this kind, pos-
st'ssing arbitrary powers. On the suiiject of these high functionaries,
Ml'. Ellis, in his hook, the •• lli-d Man and the White Man,'' remarks,
■•tiiese the whites called kings, chieftains, sachems, counselors, whih)
tiie otheis were called sui)jects;" hut it is doul)tful, he well says,
whether this had previously been tin- state of things among the pi'imi-
tive trihes. Peter Jones, referring to tids suliject, speaking of the
great Ojiliway nation, says, ••Although the Ojihway nation of Indians
is scattered o\er a vast section of country, there is no person among
them recognized as king."

** DEVKl.nl'INti ri!K IXhIAN' CtMNTUV.

('HAITI: II IX.

INDIAN LANGUAGES.

Encli (trniiji li.'id n llifTiTcnl l.im(,'ii:

I'.jicli 'I'rilH' Spoke till' Tjiiii^'iiairt' of tlio

(•roup Varying in Diiilcct iiiiioii^' 'riu'insflvrs liuliaii Ijaii^'iiaKi'H not li
.larjruii— Ricli in Vt'rim and Ornniinatica! Fttrnis Mnrkcd for iVIctliod and Hctrn-
larifv - Uniformity in ConHtrnction over tlio Continent rjimtruau'e of ilip
AlK'onipiiuH Tlio I'revailiiiK LanniiaKt'— Word JJiiildinj,' (JiHiiiniatical Con-
Btniclion — ExanipIoB Dakolas— Inxiuois— Clioruki't' Chinook.

^ 1 1 V) idtii lias pii'Vdil-
t'll jiinnnir iii'diilc in
[•^f fj;tMu'riil, Hint t'licli

iii

"t*""'* tril)t^ of riuliiiiis had
a si'|)afnti^ laiii^iia^i'. and
tliat tin' iinniln'i- (.1' lan-
L,'Uii<.,'t'B of tlio contiiit'iit was
n'<rnlatt'd l)V thn ninnhnr of
distinct and st'|iafatn triln's.
Tliis is not in accordani't'
with the facts. I'lach lin-
(piistic of <,'ciicric <^ron|) of
tril)os Inid its common lan-
<;na^c. JCach tiMl)o s|iol<(' a
dialect of this common lan-
f^ua;,'*', ditVcrin^' niorc or less, accoidinir to circumstances, from that of
the other Iriin's of the coiiinioii stock: in like manner as dialeets of
the common laii^nuii,'o are fonnd to exist amon<,' comnumities of the
Old W'oi'ld. as. for instance, in the connti<'s or sliircB of Mnj,dand.

Tiie <lialects of the several nations of the lro(|nois did not ditfor
essoiitially from eai'li otiier: and the same may he said of the |)akotas
to H certain ixteiil : Init with tiie trilies of the .Vl;,'on(|iiin. .V|i|)alacliinn
and Slioshonee stock it was otherwise. Annnij^ these there would
often occur such a wide ditference in dialect, that the aid of inter-
preters WHS fre(|ueiitly ;'e(|uired for iiurjtoses of communication,
botween tribes of the same stock.

Another popidar error has existed much to the prejudice of the

INDIAN I.ANni'AOKS.

IS.-)

(ihori^iiios. that tln'ir laiiiriuim* wmh of a low order, ami far iiift'iior to
our own; lit'iici". slioiild not lu' coiinttMianccd as tlm mt'diiini of coni-
iniinifation in our t'lTorts to Itrinj^ the ri'ninant of this j)fo|)h> into our
condition of civilization. As an «'xani|)lc in this rt'j,'ard, a jironiincnt
olliccr of tiie Tnitcd States army, stationed in the Indian country,
tool; occasion recently to ventiiat(» his views on the Indian i[uestion
tlirouj^h (I conininnication to a leadinj,' ne\vs|ia|»er of tlie day. and in
addin<,' sonns advice, as to the policy in his opinion tin* <,'overninent
should |mrsne towards the Indians in its etTorts to reclaim them to
civilization, he says: '"'ihe fiist steji should l»e to al)olish, as far as
jioHsiblo, tho Indian jarj^on, and teach them ti) rend, write and speak
the Mnj^dish lani,'un^'e."

\Vho(>ver styles the Indian lanj,'ua;^e of the lin«,Miistic <,'roups
mentioned a jai'^on, simply exposes his i^noranc*! on this suliject. and
is in iio sense prepared to ^'ive iidvice as to the policv which shouiii
l>e puisueil in rcLjard to this people,

Mr. |)u Ponceau, an eminent philoloi^ist of his time, wiio ^-ave
lunch attention to the native lan<rua''es of America, and took occasion
to investi;jate them extensively, states and illustratr's thi'ee ^'i n^ral
propositions concernin<,' these lnn<.Mia^fes;

First — That the American lan<,nia<,'es. in i;eneral, are rich in
words and ^I'nmmatical forms, and that in their complicated construc-
tion the ^M'eate^t order, method and rei^ularity prevails.

Second — That these complicated forms, which lie calls poly-
synthetic, ajjpear to exist in all tliosi^ lan;,'ua<,'es from (ireeidand to
Cape Horn.

Third— That these I' irnis appear tt) dill'er essentially from those
of the ancient and modern lan^niai^es of the old hemisphere.

OpiiUiuis ti> the same etVect have been expressed iiy numei'ous
other learned writerB, who liavti had occasion to iiivcsti^'ate this
subject.

When we speak of the completeness of the American lanj^ua<fe.
we do not, in <,'eneral, include the dialects of those iionualic. deijener-
at» tribes of the arid re<,'ions, borilerin<,' upon the country of Mexico,
wliich are necessarily impoverished in jiroportioii to their deL,naded
condition. These are but n peopl(> who have de<renerated fi'nm a
lii^'her condition of native life. 'i'hey are not at this day a fair
specimen of the niitivo American Indian.

The (piestion arises in this connection, whethei' it is strictly
correct to style our lan;,'ua<,'e the Kurdish lan;,Mnii,fe. The most we
can hay of it is, that it is a lanj^uajjn spoken by tiie I'-n^lish people
and their descendants, tin' root of which coum'S fi'om one of the most

^^-^

V>^^> ^ nQ.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

...^ 4?^

^'^

(/.

1.0

I.I

"■ IIIM

iil 4

IIM

2.0

1.8

1.25

1.4

1.6

-« 6" —

►

Photographic

Sciences
Corpordtion

^ .A ♦

-^1.^

j3 WEST MA»N STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 145G0

(716) 872-4503

,<° mPji

i^..

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

poverty strickoii, ill CDiistnu'ted Inugujigos nmoiig (ill the civilized
iiiitiiins of the earth, augniiniteil by ucertitions, pilfered indiscrimin-
ately from the Ifiiigiiage.s of nearly evt^ry jn'oplo and nation -with
which onr restless Saxon spirit has brought us in contact, }iot except-
ing that of the poor Indian himself. Perhaps, however, it is not
askiiiiT too much of the Indian, that he learn the laiiifuaire we are
8i)eakin;r as a matter of c(nivenience to himself, in studviui; this vices
we !ire teaching him, as a means of harmonizing in his mind the
principle of th(>ir existence, under our boasted high order of
civilization.

If we would com[)el the Indian to abandon Ins own language, and
learn tliat which Ave are spi aking, will we attlio same time abandon or
give back to him those words we have borrowetl from his language, to
designate various aiunmls, plants and vegetables so common with usV
If so. what names will we give in lieu thereof for the present Indian
names for moose, mink, raccoon, o[)ossum, skunk, musk-uks, and the
prefix to mus(j-rat, which latter the Indian calls iiiiis<iii<ish/ What
names will we give to those forest trees called hackmatack, tamarack,
[law paw and mahogany: And what names will we a[)[)ly in cookery
to those palatable dishes for the table called samp, succotasii and
hominy? And what names will we 8ul)stitute for tobacco, tomato,
Sfjiiash, pecan and persimmon?

Tiiere might, however, be no objection to giving back to him a
class of outlandish words we are ever prone to catch u}» from whatever
source, like the Pequot word Skccziiks. or the Chinook word Hijdsic-
ciitiiK, commonly spok(Mi Gyastecutus.

And, in this connection, we may be called u[)on to disfigures the
map of th country by cancelling u[)on it all those Indian ge()gra[)hical
names he has left to us. to niaik the fact that it was once iidiabited bv
him as his exclusive domain, the origin and meaning of which is be-
coming a subject of inten^sting iiujuiry.

Tin; AI.(iONQnN LANGUAGE.

The language of the Algt)n(juin group was the prevailing tongue,
and by some is believed to have been at some time the current lan-
guage of the continent; the same as all the ])eople of the aboriginal
tribi-s resemble each otiier in their physical structure and general
characteristics. From the best authority attainable, the Algonquin
language, as spoken by the Ojibways, has nbimt ten thousand words.

It has been called the court language of the continent, because
it is said it was a general custom of tribes among whom this language
was not spoken, to have some of their number acquire a knowledge of it

INDIAN I,.VN(il .UilS.

Is"

for couveuiinioo of fDinnniiiii'Htioii, a t-ustoia s^iokeii of hy Hoiun'piii,
who says: "Tliey nsi'd to send oiin of tluMi- niHu to each of their allies,
to Inani tiicir laii>fuai,'(> and remain wilii them as their resident, and
take eare ol their eonct^rns.''

Of this hui'Mia>re, the dialect as spoken anionif the Oiihwavs was
considered the standard. Tiie lanj^iiage of the Algonquins, indeed,
like that of most other Indian languages, was deficient in its phonetics
elemeiil; or |)(^rha[)s, mort? [)roperly speaking, the organs of speech of
the Indian raceAvere defective, or so far deficient that they were unahle
to utter many of the scmnds which occur iii what is adf)pted as the En-
glish alphabet. Fo" instance, it is said that among all the Algonquin
trihes but four of them, the Delawares or Lenni Lena[)e8, the Sacs and
Foxes and Shawiiees. were able to pronounce the letter /. l)ut used the
lettei' II instead.

According to tlie leariunl missionary. Rev. Edward F. Wilson,
who mastered this language as s[)oken by tlie Ojil)ways, tiui alphabet
necessary in writing this language consists of only nineteen letters,
the sounds not used being expressed in the letters c, f, h, 1, r, v and x.
In this connection Mr. Wilson remarks, that there are a few points
in the characti'r of this language which would seem to indicate a
relationshi[) witii the Hebrew. Thus it is a language of verbs,
roots and stems, to wliich [)articles are aflixed or prefixed, to modify
the meaning of the word, whicii he illustrates by quite significant
exampli's.

Somi^ authorities insist that tins nunil)er of letters in writin-r
this language is [)roi)erly reduced tt) 17, as all that are retjuired to
write correctly and plainly all the words in this language. There are
four vowel sounds, a, e, i, o. It has [)roperly no u. The sound of x
is founil in the Delaware diidect, as in the word Hhokamoxen. and the
old Mohegan, of the Hudson valley, as in the word Coxackie.

In the aforesaid estimate of prinniry sounds, the letters c, (p y,
as representing vowel sounds, are entirely rejected. The soft of c is
8, the hard sound, k. The sound of g is always that of k. Therefore,
in determining the source or language from which Indian words, and
(!si)ecial!v local names, are derived, a reference to the foreiroinir rules
will aiil in showing from whence any particular word is derive<l.
Thus, in the word Milwaukee, if it is conceded to be an Indian word
in that form, the letter / would indicate that it did not come from any
of the Algomiuiii dialects of tin* tribes, who were originally known to
have inhabited the country in that vicinity; but as no tribe was ever
known to inhabit that country in whose dialect was fcmnd the letter /,
this sound in that form, woidd on general principles be rejected as a

ISS

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

corruption, and the letter siibstitntetl in the plaoo of it should properly
bo n.

In this, ns in other languages, there are nine parts of s])ihh'1i,
article, noun, adjective, pronoun, adverb, proposition, conjunction,
interjection, and vorl).

The following points will illustrate some of the peculiarities of
this language: first, it divides all objects into two great classes, animate
and inanimate, and this applies not only to the noun, but also to the
article, adjective, pronoun and verb.

Three fliird jxtsous are distinguished, and distinct endings
employed to designate them. Thus, in the sentence, James sees John's
mother; James is the first, John the socoiul. inotlier the third person.

Tiro Jlrst jx'rsoiis jiliiral are distinguished; wc, excluding the
party addressed, and ir<\ including the party.

The pnr1ici]>lc tills an important part, supplying the want of the
relative jn'onoun. and answering for both noun and adjective.

The olijcclirc case of iltc 2><'i'>^<»i<il jn'oiioiiti is expressed l)y a
change in the verb.

The iicfidtire of the verb, in addition to krdi or kdlurccn, (not)
prefixed, recpiires the introduction of a second participle .sv; besides,
in some of the inflections, a change in the ending of the verl) is neces-
sary.

A doubtful sense may be given to one's word by the use of the
duhitot ire form of the verb.

Tim only other peculiarity that will be mentioned here is the use
of the participle hiiu, which. Avhether with nouns, adjectives, or verbs,
has generally the signification of gime by, past, deceased, out of
date, etc.

Xoinis. Animate nouns not onlv include creatures that have life,
but also other objects, as stone, clay, the sun, the stars, a drum, a pi[)e,
or Avatch. So in the inani'nate class, besides strictly inanimate things,
are found many of the principal trees, parts of the body, etc. Tliis
distinction between aninmte and inanimate objects is very important,
for by it are affected the pronoun, adjective and verl), as well as the
number and case of the noun. An animate noun must be used with
an animate verb, and an inanimate noun with an inanimate verb,
thus: I see a man, iicwalil)iini<ili cncncj I see a box, iirivdltbinidaiin
itiiilikiik.

In this language the above distinction between animate and inani-
mate objects takes the place of gender. The sexes are thus distin-
guished, inddxi or cncnc. conjoined with the noun for male, and noo-.lia.
or i'<iu(i iov female. Usually, however, in speaking of animals, the

INDIAN" LANGU.VGKS.

1S1»

male (gender is understood; the desigiuition of the sexes, therefore, is.
in general, necessary oidy in speaking of the female.

The plural endings of animate nouns are //, n;/, ig, [ov ('(';i). (xxj.
wug, yiifi, JKj. The plnra! endings of inanimate nouns are n, iin, in, (or
cfii), ooii, intii. Tims, animate: Eiictir, a man, pi. oicncint!/. Ali-
hciinojc, a child, pi. (thlwnoojccjimj. HJici'fihcch, a duck, pi. t^liccsliccliKj/.
Inanimate: Jfiilikiilc. a bf)X, pi. niiilikiikooii. ClicoiKdiii, a canoe,
pi. ehrcnininiint. H(iiii(li(jnk, something difficult, [)1. s<iniilt</iihi'ii.

Nouns, properly, have no case in this language. Of, with a noun,
is expressed by the use of the possessive pronoun, thus: "The man's
hat," (Or '"the hat of the man"), oioic o-ircindiqxdiin, literally, "the
man, his hat." o, or od, taking the same place in this language as 's in
English. But here, again, the distinction must be noted between ani-
mate and inanimate nouns. If the second noun bo animate, it must
have II, ill, ini, noii, or ncjin affixed as well as o before it, thus, "the
man's pig." oii'h cncnc o-kookdosliiiii. Of, again in some cases, is
expressed by (IhIizIic, a participle signifying "the place where," thus:
" A man of Canada," Caiia diilizlic cni'iic.

To, from, ill, witli iiioniiiuifc nouns, maybe expressed by the affix
-?(r/, thus: Miilikiik. a box, iiiiilikiikooiifi. in the box; the alteration of
the end svllable beiiiij ruled bv the plural of the word.

To, from, in, with fiiiimatr nouns ((U' pronouns) can only be
expressed by the verb, thus: omonaun, "he gives it to him." od-oilc-
sfinii. "he comes to him." Xiiincmcciiik oirli Jolni, "John gave it to
me."

The vocative case singular atfects only proper names and terms
of relationship. Thus, a woman named Xaliiccgcczlicnookird, would
be called Xiiliin-gci'zln'jiook. A'orw, "iiy father;" iiiiijjiris, " "uy s(m,"
and a few other such terms take an a in the vocative singular, thus:
Xoosd! Xiiigirissd! In tiie [)lural. iraloog is the termintttion, which
maybe more liberally employed, thus: Uiiisliciidlihairciloof/, "O Indian!"
Ogcmdhircddog, "O chief!" Ahhcnoo-jccircdoog, "children!" Pt-zlickc-
U'cdoog, "O cattle!"

In this language the noun has. properly, no objective case, but a
curious distinction is observed between the third persons that occur in
a sentence. Thus, in the sentence, "I see a man," iiidii undergoes no
change; but in "He sees a man," it does, and in the sentence, "He
sees the man's wife," vifr beijig the third third person in the sentence,
undergoes a still further change. Thus: "A man," ciicnc. "I see a
man," iicirdhhiimdh ciinu'. "He sees n mixu,^'' o-n'dldiiinidiiii ciiciicirini.
"He sees a man's wife," o-irdlibninaiiii niniciniii o-ircdcgdiiidligiiiiciir.

Another sentence: "Joseph took the young child and his mother,

I'.IO

THE AMEKICAN INDIAN.

etc.," Jotx'ph o(i(jc-(>(Udi[)('n(nin ciirirh (ilihriioojciiini kuliija ciicirh
CjfcciK'. Here there are three third persons, (1) Joseph > [2) the chikl,
(-ifHii)', (3) the chiliVs mother, {-ciic).

For the second tliird person in n sentence the ending, wliether
singular or plural, is )i, in, kii, ooii, vcjiii according to the {)lural
ending of the word.

Diniiiiiih'rc Endinii. A noun, whether animate or inanimate, is
made diminutive by affixing -/;s (pronounced nearly as nee in prince)
thiis: shccshcch, "a duck,"' sliccsliccbdiix, "a little duck or duckling;"
viidikiik, " a 1k)x,'' i)iiiliki(kooiis, a little box. These endint's are either
-lis, -ims, -ins, or ouiis, according to the plural, and their plural is
always -»//, animate, and nil, inanimate.

Dcrojidlirc Eiidnif/. A noun, whether animate or inanimate, may
have a derogative, contemptible sense given to it by affixing sli, thus:
iiliiicinoosli, ''a dog,'' itlnirmoosliis]!, "a bad dog;" VdJif/dlikinid, ''.an
ax," irdJKjdhkinidoosli, "an old worn-out ax."

These endings are either s/r, -ish, -oosli or -irish. according to the
plural, and their plural is always iitj, animate, kii. inanimate.

The different sorts of nouns are thus classified:

Simple Xoiiiis are such as ciiciic. man: kookoosJi. pig: cJiccmdiin,
canoe.

Nouns ending in iriii usually express a state, condition or action,
and are formed from neuter verbs, by adding iriii to those ending iu
ah, a, e, o; and ooiriii to those ending in inn and in, thus: nrhdiiicin,
"sleep," from nchcih, '"he sleeps:" ckcdooirin, '-a saying," from rkcilo,
"he says;" ciidndnniodnirin, "thought," from cncndniii "he thinks;"
fn^jirisJicnooicin, "arrival," from iiiligirishin, "he arrives." Among
this class are nouns ending in -dirin, -ooirin, and -dcirin; these end-
ings express respectively ijiring, receiving, and mutual action, thus:
nieegcirdivin, means a gift given; meeiiegooirin, a gift received; iiieene-
ileirin, a mutual gift. KekeiivnJiuidlKjdivin, instruction given ; kckenon-
nidtfoicin, instruction received; kekenoiimddewin, mutual or general
instruction. Of these nouns, those ending in -divin are formed from
neuter verbs of the second paradigm by adding irin; those ending in
-ooirin, from the first person singular of the passive voice of transi-
tive verbs by adding (/•/;( and dropping the pronominal prefix. Those
ending in -deirin from the reciprocal modification of the transitive
verb, by changing </< iiiin into deirin, and dropping the pronominal
prefix, thus: (1), slidlnrdiijend, "he is merciful." shdliirdiijejidirin,
"mercy given." (2), ninshdhirdnenieiioo, "I am treated with mercy,"
sh(diirdiieinegooirin, "mercy received;" (ii), keshdhirdiiindeniin, "we
treat each other kindly," shahimnindcwiii, "mutual kindness."

INDIAN LANGUAGES.

101

NdiiiiH emliiij^ in -{lini are readily fonned from neuter verbs, of
the second paradigm ending ill r/r^ Tlius: jicmrpoojcfiini. •* a plougli."
from pi-iiii i)<)()jc<i((, "lie ploughs;" p(nixlik(-Jic(iini. '• n gun."' from
jxnixlikczliriid, '"he Hhoots."

rdrtlcijiidl Xoinis are properly the participles of the verb. They
are either positive or negative, thus: (untlniicatuU "n (.'liristinn"

(literally "he who prays"

<ni(H),

k('('<K "a Avorker."^ (literally "he

who works"); ii'dlidooh-dlinttd, "a helper,"' (literally " he who helijs"" ).

Nouns inseparable from the possessive pronoun are terms of
relationshii) and parts of the liody. Thas: my. tiiy or his father,
iioos, /iV>o.s', (»iini. My, thy or his son, lu'iKjiris, kfijirls, <>(iin'ssiiii. My,
thy or his hand, iicninj, ki-niiij, oiiinj. My. thy or his foot, iic'.iil.
kczid, ozid. My, thy or liis body, iici/oir, kcijoir. ircii<iir. Separate
from the pronoun, these objects have only a generic name, as irccij-
oivinttdh, "the body."

XoKiix llidl j)<>sst'ss ('0))i))Osition ■pdrh'clcs. This is n peculiarity
of the language. Thus: Earth as a separate noun is ulike, but in
composition it is kiinniiin, e. g. "beneath tlie earth."' idnidininili-
kiniiDn'ij: ''on the surface of the earth," o(icd('ki()it>iii(i.

TvdHsfoviiKdloH of (I noun into o. rcrh. Every noun in this
laniTuajre can be transformed into a vi>r]). Thus, the word cdrtlr. bv
a slight change we can express, "he is earth." " he has earth,"' "he
makes earth," "there is earth," etc. Tims:

(1). He is earth.- — The noun is formed into a neuter verb by
adding ire, thus: tiJdxC, earth, iihkccirc, he is earth.

(2), He has earth, — Tiie noun is formed into a neuter verli by
prefixing o- or od- and adding c, in<\ or o. Thus: dshknn. a horn,
odashkunc, he is horned; u'cdif/dhkn'ml, an ax, oicdlif/dlikn'iido. he
has an ax; pczhckc, a cow, ojiczlickenic. lie has a cow.

(8). He makes earth. — The noun is formed into a neuter verl)
by adding -kd, ckd or ookd, thus, nidxik, u kettle, ulikikookd, he
makes kettles.

Adjcctin'S. Whilst the adjective is given as a part of sjieech in
this language, yet, properly s[)eaking, it was no ailjective in the form
of other lanjruatres. The words that are used as such mav lie classed
as follows: (1) Particles; (2) Nouns with adjectival ending; (8)
Partici[>les (or adjective verbs).

Particles used as adjectives are the following: kcchc, big;
i»r»«, good; 'H//a//'r, bad; ooshkc, new; Av//f(. old; and some few others.
With nouns these particles are used adjectively, and with v>irbs adverb-
ially. Thus with a mmn. k('rch<'-cncnt\ "a great man;" with a verb,
kcclir sdldjccwd, "he loves greatly."

192

THE AMEKUJAN INDIAN.

Nouns with adjectival eii(liii>,' an^ foniicd In' simply addiiii^ r, riii',
or o, to the noun. Thus: inilihcjiini, clay; icitlihcuinir-oiKdiniin, a clay
platter. Sliooiiciidli, silver; tili()()ii(\ii<ili-irciic-<)}>ir<ili(jini, a silver pipe;
inctiij, a log; iiicHj/o-cIu'ciikiiiii, a log canoo.

Participles used as adjectives is the common mode in this lan-
guage of expressing ([uality. Thus: "It is high," /,s///>a/;, part, (that
which is high), islijxmn; hence a high building, /.s//^;^/*// inilikuhctjini.
So in the same way, (ii/fdindiKj, small, part, of }ilii/(ilis(tlt, it is small;
kdnirdin/, long, fro'n kiiiwdh, it is 1 )ng. WnlujdhbishkdiKj, white,
from icdiihishkdii, it is white. Wasuhwdiui, yellow, from osiihicdlt, it
is yellow.

There are no projjer degrees of comparison in this language. The
comparative tlegree can only be exi)ressed by the use of the ailverbs, )tiili-
inij. or aJuodhshcmd, "more." And the superlative degree is imper-
fectly rendered l)y kdclic or iiliijdiipfchc, "very, very much," or by midt-
ijdlniinliiC(\ ••c\w,Ay.''' Tims: "prettier," niilnniij qitiilnidiij; "falter."
nnhicitj wdlinenooil. "He loves me more than you," nuhiviij ncsdlKjrik
keen ditshwccn. The most powerful, owh mulujdJnnuhwe iiiKshkiihivc-
z'ul. Ashkum denotes, more and more, increasingly. Thus: Ashkiim
(ihkoosc, "he is getting worse," (more sick). Aslikum lOdhbishka,
"it is getting whiter."

Vcvhtd use of ddjcciircs. Participial adjectives can be used
verbally, thus: mi(shkulnv(di, "it is strong;" o-mnsld\uhwdioon, "he
makes it strong;" kinircdi, "it is long;" o-kinw(ddoon, "he makes it
long."

Tlw })ronoun. In this language there are five kinds of pronouns:
personal, possessive, demonstrative, indefinite and interrogative. There
is.no relative pronoun, its place being supplied by the participle of the
verb, thus: "God who is merciful," owh Kczhd-muhncdoo shaivdn-
Jci/dd. "I who am writing," ni'cn indzlicbccgdijdtiii. " The box that is
open," civil ninhknk p(d:dhkoon('(]d}idd(].

The personal pronouns standing alone pre nccn, I or me; keen,
thou or thee; ircciu he, she, or him, her; nrnuhwind, we or us (not
including the party addressed) ; /i6'«»t//(r'/»f/, we or us (inclmling the
party addressed) ; kcnidiirdh, you; lociinhirdli, they or them. In con-
joining with the verl) for the nominative case, there is prefixed ;/(', inn,
or /(/(((/, I or we (excluding the party addressed) ; kf, or kid, thou, we
(inch), you, with the proper terminal inflection of the verb. The third
person, in the neuter verbs, has no prefix. Thus: "I walk," niiipc-
inootid; "thou v,'a\kest,''' kcppiiioosd; "he (or she) walks," priuoosd :
we (excl. ) walk, iicfwinoosdiniu; we (including party addressed) walk.
kepciiioosdiiiiii; you walk, kcpemoosdm; they walk, pcmoosdwiuj.

INDIAN LANGUAGES.

11 13

The objective case of the personal pronoun is expressed \t\ a
change in the verb. Thus: "I see him" (or "her"), ncwdlihnmaini.
"He (or she) sees me,''' nrwahbumik. "You see it," kcwdldmtuUiHu.

The possessive pronouns are my, nc, nin, niiid; thy, h;k{<l; his
(or her) o, -od: our (excl. ), ne, nind, -naun; our (incl. ), kc, kid, -imitii .•
your, k<\ kid, -Wdli; their, o, od, -tcnh.

Thus: "My canoe," »tmo/tr'f'mrf»,»; "our (incl. ) canoe," kcchrr-
mauncminn. The distinction, however, between animate and inaniuiatc
objects must be strictly observed. Animate objects rocjuire an ti in-ut-
iindion to the third person, both singular and plural, as well as o or od,
prefixed. The plural also must (as in nouns) end with <f for animate
objects, with n for inanimate ones.

The demonstrative pronoun is thus expressed:

This (animate) mahbali, {)1. mahmig ; 2d, 'M per. maiimin.

wah-owh, pi. oogoo; 2d, ildper, enewh.
(inanimate) maunduh, pi.

oo-oo pi. oonoo.

That (or the) (animate) owh. pi. egewh; 2d, 3d per. enewh.
(inanimate) ewh, pi. enewh.

Thus: "This man," malibah, or mdwivli rnciic. "He gave it to
that man," odcmccnditn enciih encncwitn. "This box," oo-oo witlikiik.
"Those boxes there," enewh evade mnhkukoon.

The indefinite pronouns are one, they, people, etc., expressed in
the ijifiection of the verb, thus: ekedoom, "they say," "it is said."

Whoever, ahivacjican. Somel)ody or anybody, ahweyuh. Both,
nuhyozh. Each, papazhicj. Each of us, papazhecjooyuna.

The interrogative pronouns are: Who? ohirotHin? AVhat? irnr/oo-
ncin (diiieen?

Adverbs. This part of speech may be classed as follows: adverbs
proper, adverb particles, adverbs of affirmation and consent, adverbs
of denial, adverbs of doubt, adverbs of interrogation, adverbs used
imperatively, adverbs of quantity, adverbs of comparison, adverbial
expressions.

Adverbs proper may be used with a vei-b, but separately, as:
U'anepuzh, easily; keemooj, secretly; pahbe(ja, suddenly; nuhagnuj,
gently; suhguknj, orderly, etc. Also, such words as: oj/eduhkiimmifj.
"on the surface of the earth;" ogedebeeg, "on the surface of the
water;" neegaxm, "in front;" ishqnayaung, "behind;" ogidfuhyeee,
"above;" nhnaimmnhyeee, "below;" pinjeenhyeee, "within;" mag-
icauhyeee, "among;" pechcenng, "just, now oidy."

Adverb particles are such as are prefixed to the verb, as: keirr-
iuh-, around; pahpah-, about; peme-, through or by; pe-, approach-

!:)

194

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

iiig; we-, inteiuling; nlnw-, proceeding; uhwe-, going to do; oovjc-y
proceeding from. Thus: peme-czhdli, he passes througli; jxilipdhiic-
mooHd, he walks about; pc-kuluj('(iua, he comes preaching.

Adverbs of aftimmtion anil consent, as: yes, «, (i)ron. as in at,
air) ; certainly, kmjdi; assuredly, (thhcddkummiij; let it be, ludluwo,
or nic-cjd-iinf; it is so, siili, (in contradistinction to niih/' is it soVj^
of course, indeed, gooshdh.

Adverbs of denial, as: no, kah, kahicecn; not, kdh, kdhwccnsc.
Thus: "he dues ui'l, walk." k hirrcii pcinoosase; " by no means," A-ff/i-
wasH//; "not at all," kdh kiilinnlujd.

Adverbs of doubt, as: perhaps, iiuiungcshuh, kooncmah ; probably,
kiilinuhhiij ; I don't know, dudulujican; I don't know where he or it is,
ichc, tchc-cdoogj I don't know who, dhwdgwdn, diucdgivdiicdootjj I
don't know how, ntihmuujcdoog.

Adverbs of interrogation, as: Is it? -nuh? Thus: Is it a man?
Encne nuh? Does he speak? Keckcdo nuh? Is he hungry? Pnlikuh
-da nuh? Why? Wdgooimn oonjc? When? Alnwcu uli})ee9 How?
Ahncen ezlw? Where? Ahnindc? How much? Ahnccn minik?
W^hence? Ahnindc ooiije?

Advei'bs used imperatively, as: Come! Umba! CoruJ here, ooti'
dausj be quick, ivdweeb. Stop! Pdkah! Don't, kago.

Adverbs of quantity, as: "It is enough," me menik; much, nebe-
niih; very, keclie, ahpechv; more, nuhwvj uhivatishema; more and
more, dshkum; little, pungcj almost, kdgahj so much, etch menik; to»
much, osdum nebcicnh.

Adverbs of comparison: thus, ezhe; too, also, kiihya; as much as,.
tebishko menik; as, like, tebishko; more, nuhwiij; less, nuhwuj punge.

Adverbial expressions, as: "It is wonderful," or "wonderful
indeed!" inahmuhkaltdnhkiimruig; it is horrible, kuhgwdhnesuhgukum-
mig; it is nice, pleasant, minwdnddhgwukummig.

There is nothing in this language equivalent to our preposition
with. The only substitute is tiie participle weej, which is prefixed ta
the verb, and implies going with, accompanying; thus: He goes with
him, o-weej-eicdun; he works with him, o-iveej-nhnookemaun. When
we want to render such a sentence as "he killed him with his knife,"
we have to introduce the verb uhyoon, "to use," (or ahivauii, anim. ),
thus: Oge-nesaun o-mookomaun ke-uhyood, (literally, "his knife
using"). Again, "he met him with joy," oge-nuhgishkuhwaun emuh
moojegezewening, (in joy) ; or, kemoojcgezekenuhgishkuhwaud, "h»
rejoiced that he met him."

From. This is expressed by oonje, (usually joined with thfr
verb) and ng affixed to the noun. Thus: "He comes from town,"

INDIAN LANOU.VdES.

1<.»5

Odanaung pe-oniijehah. Ho started from Toronto, Toronio-iny
kr-oonjci>i<ilij(ilt.

To, in, on, at, are oxproHH(Ml hy ->i(f afUxtul to tho noun, and ^on-
ernlly by a voi-b denoting tho motion. Thus: "Iii the box,'' mtikiik-
notKj; he goes to Toronto, Toronio-huj czhdh.

Among, tiKKjifd. Thus: Among his friends, rnddwawcrjckncnipin.

For, for tlio sake of, an account of, oonji: As: oonjc oirh Jesus
Christ, for Jesus Christ's sake. Acting or iloing for is expressed by
the accommodative modification of the verb, thus: nebo, he dies; o-)ie-
botuhtrdiiii, ho dies for him.

By, near, chijf. As: Chiij ishkoota, "by the fire;" clii<i ish-
qudutnlum, "near tlio door."

Tin' Interjection. Men express their emotion one way, women
another. Thus, men, for oil! oh dear! alas! will exclaim, ali-tuliijali!
ivcwd! whereas women will cry, neeijah! nceijo! ninjjo! nimja! pro-
longing, always into a sort of wail, or howl, tho last syllable.

Other forms of exclamation are, mill, nnslika.' lo, hark! ii'dff-
u'dhfje! look! see! «,'o;tt'^««.' gone! disapi)eared! islifd! ah, ah yes!
pdl<dh! stop!

Tlie Verl). In this language the verb is very complox and im-
portant, and, indeed, is the most intricate part of speech, all the other
parts of speech depending on it; and nearly all others are capable of
being put into a verbal form. The importance of this part of speech
in this language is shown from the fact that in forming a sentence it
is a rule to employ a verb wherever possible. Thus, the sentence in
English, "ho was there at our last meeting," would be rendered in
this language, " he was there when we last met."

Rev. Edward F. Wilson, in his " Manual of tho Ojil)way Lan-
guage," well remarks that it seems a marvelous thing, indeed, that
"those poor, ignorant Indians," with no knowledge of literature or
the general principles upon which languages are based, should have
handed down so complex a dialect as the one before us. with all its
niultitudinal inflections, afiixes and prefixes, from one generation to
another.

Mr. Wilson, in his work aforesaid, classifies the verb into the
verb neuter, and the verb transitive. Tho neuter verb is compara-
tively simple and easy of acquirement, but the transitive verb presents
an enormous amount of matter in which it will require the greatest
patience and a considerable effort of memory to grapple with; tho
reason being that within its voluminous inflections are included all the
persons, singular and plural, of the objective case of the pronoun,
being introduced sometimes as afiixes, sometimes as prefixes, sometimes

l!tC.

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

I\V H completo cluui<ite in the body of tho vt'i-b. Thus, in h^iirniii;;,' the
noutor verb, we hiivo, I <r^>, thou ^oest, he <foos; we go, yuu go, they
go — and have (lone; l)nt when we coinnience the trnnsitive verb wt>
soon tind ourselves in ii maze of, I wee you, you see me, lie sees me, lie
sees us, they see me, they see tlieni, he sees it, it sees him, lie sees lus
brother, his brother sees me — (in, on to bewilderment.

Among other rules in this language that are to be particularly
noted, is that, in construetiiig words, a consonant shouio prt'ctHUi or
folKnv a vowel, exei>})t in dissyllables, wherein two consonants are
sounded in juxtaposition, as in iiiitlilcKk, a box, and tisslii, n stone The
utterance in these cases is contlufnt; but in longer comjiounds this
juxtaposition is generally avoided by throwing in a vowel for purposes
of eupliony. as in the term ((sr^iiia hoiii, the (i in which serves as a mere
connective and properly beh)ngs hero only for that purpose; the
word being a com-pound of two words, (tst^in and hwoin, stone roasters.

Nor is it allowable, in general, for vowels to follow each other in
syllabication, that is, in forming words of two or more syllables, tAvo
vowel sounds are not pr()i)erly allowed to come together, but a consonant
sound is thrown in lietween them for eujiliony, as in the case of niiiino,
good, and (iitkcc or (ikcr, earth. \> ' .i these tw(J words are combined
to form "good earth."' the rule wouk' be to insert the letter t« between
the two vowels, thus— -Minno' ulu^e, i in the case of Manilo-tnik,
"spirit tr(V," it would be thus expref.ied, Manitojrauk.

Mr. Schoolcraft, in : i erriiii; to this lan<;ua<;e, savs that a leadin<j
feature in it is concentration; that the pronoun, adjective, adverb and
preposition, in certain cases, are chietiy useful as furnishing materials
for the 8i)eaker to be worke(i into a couinlicative texture of the verb
and the substantive; and he remarks that nothing, in fact, can be
more unlike than the language viewed in its original elementary state,
in a vocabulary of its primitive words, and the same language as held
under its oral amalgamated form ; that its transposition may be likened
to n picture in which the copal, the carmine and the white lead are no
longer recognized as distinct substances, but each of which has con-
tributed its share towards the general effe. '• in which one element has
been curtailed, another augmented, and all, however seemingly
discordant, made to coalesce.

LORD S PRAYEK IN ALGONQUIN

Noo-se-non
Our Father

ke-de-zhe-ue-kah-ze-wiu.
be thy name.

-OJIliWAY DIALECT.

ish-pe-miug-a-yah-yan ; tuh-ge-che-e-uain-dah-gwud

in heaven who art, supremely adored

Ke-doo-iie-mah-we-win-tuh-be-tuh-<rive

Thy kingdom

let

INDIAN LANQUAUi'.S.

v.n

k»M)-/lio-guk

iili-kci'iif4 tuli-o-
ou oiirtli h't

o-wc-clo-ish-pe-rniiig
yuiider in licavtMi.
k!i-(>-l)uli-(ni(i-/,lit'-
tliiit whicli will

slK'-iioo-nniii-gud. A-iuiin-diili-muii o-niiih

foiiia Tliy will lion*

zhu-cho-<i;(iiiii, ti^-bo-slikiio go ii-zho-uli-yof,'
it 1)0 clone, hm it is

Mcoii-zho-Hlio-noiii iioong-coin

(live ua this day

gun-e-mc-yoiig. Kiili-yii-\vn-l.,' ,.uli-iunli-\vo-8lie-noiu-e-iie\vli niiu-
be our brend. Anil forgive us

bah-tah-o-zhe-wa-be-ze-we-lu'-luili-nin, a-slic ko wa-he-nuh-niuh-

our sins as \vt> for-

wung-o-(lwah e-ge\vli nia-jiMloo-duh-we-yuli-min-gii-jig. Ka-go

give tlieni who Imve done us evil. Do not

ween kuh-ya uh-ne-e-ziie-we-he-she-kong-ain e-iuali zhoo-be-ze-
(and) load us into ten][)ta-

win-ing; mah-noo suli go ke-(lo-skeo-we-ne-sli«>-noin. Keen
tion; but do thou deliver us from evil. For

mall ween ke-de-bain-don mvh o-go umh-we-win, kuh-ya ewh
thine is the kingdom, and the

kuh-shke-a-we-ze-win, kuh-ya ewh pe-she-gain-dah-go-ze-win,

power and fli>

kuli-ge-nig kuli-ya kau-ge-nig
forever and forever.

Amen.

jlory,

LANGUAGE OF THE DAKOTAS.

The language of tlie Dakota stock, or, as they are commonly
called, the Sioux, is more extensive and complex in many respects, and
more difficult to acquire than any among the severil linguistic groups.
It differs somewhat in its construction and sounds from the language
of the Algonquins, showing in its general features that it has origii'-
ated among a people possessing force of character and imaginative
powers of mind. It is a stronger and more copious language, in many
respects, than the Algoncjuin, but perhaps wanting to some extent
as atTording the means of that elegance and figurative mode of expres-
sion which characterizes the Algonquin language, in ct)nsequence of
its peculiar construction and extensive and varied use of the verb.

It is practically inq)ossible to give, in the limited space which
can be here allotted to this subject, anything beyond the general rules
of orthogi-aphy and etymology of this language, which, however, will
serve, it is believed, to give a sufficient idea of the language for
general purposes. In view of the limited space which must neces-

198

THE AMEniCAN INDIAN.

sarily be here allotted to this subject, the rules of syntax governing
its construction are considered of minor importance.

The voiccls used in this language are a, e, i, o, u, and each has
one uniform sou: d, except when followed by the nasal "??," which
sometimes modifies.

a, has the sound of English a in father.

e, has the sound of English e in thcij, or of a in face.

i, has the sound of / in marine or of e in me.

o, has the sound of English o in yo, note.

u, has the sound of English /( in rule, or of oo in food.

The coiisoiKitits are twenty-four in number, exclusive of the sound
represented by the apostrophe (').

In the use of the English ali)habet, in this language, the conso-
nants, not being in number sufficient, have been extended by peculiar
marks, added or attached to letters, indicating the change of sounds
according to the fact. The apostrophe (') is used to mark a hiatus,
as in s'a.

Sijllablcs, in the Dakota language, terminate in a pure or nasal-
ized vowel, as maka, the earth. To this rule there are some excep-
tions.

In this language all the syllables are enunciated plainly and fully;
but every word that is not a monosyllable has in it one or more
accented syllables, which, as a general thing, are easily distinguished
from such as are not accented. The importance of observing the
accent is seen in the fact that the meaning of a word often depends
upon it; as mn'ija, a field; ma(ja\ a goose; o'kiyu, to aid; oki'ya,
to speak to.

Hiijjlrcs do not appear to have any effect upon the accent; but a
syllable prefixed or inserted before the accented syllable draws the
accent back, so that it still retains the same position with respect to
the beginning of the word; as nape', hand; miud'jy, my hand;
iniksd'. to cut off with a knife; hawa'ksa, I cut off; vidaslia', tlat; can-
nula' ska, boards; nia'ija, a field; mita'maga, my field.

^1 or an final in verbs, adjectives, and some adverbs, is
changed to o when followed by auxiliary verbs or by certain con-
junctions or adverbs.

According to Mr. Riggs, the Dakota language has eight parts of
speech, the pronoun, verb, noun, adjective, adverb, preposition, con-
junction and interjection.

Pronouns may bo classed as personal (simple and compound),
interrogative, relative an I demonstrative, together with the definite
and indefinite pronouns or articles.

INDIAN LANGUAGES.

199

To personal pronouns belong person, number and CRse.

There are three persons, the first, second and third.

There are three numbers, the singular, dual and plural. The
dual is only of the first person. Like the Algonquin, it includes the
p3rson speaking and tht person 8[)oken to, and has the form of the
first person plural, but without the termination j)i.

Pronouns have three cases, nominative, objective and possessive.

The simple pronoun is divided into scpardir and incorporated;
that is, those which form separate words and those which are prefixed
and inserted into verbs, adjectives and nouns. The separate pronouns
are, singular, mis, I; nis, thou; is, he. The plural is designated by
unkis, for the first person; nis, for the second person, and is, for
the third, adding pi at the end of the last principal word in the
phrase. Dual, unkis (I and thou) we two.

The intorjKjrated pronouns are used to denote the subject or
object of an action or possessor of the thing.

Nominative pronouns, or those which denote the subject of the
action, are singular, wa, I; ya, thou; Dual, rni, (I and thou) we two;
Plur., nnpi, we; yapi, ye. The plural tevm /)» is attached to the
end of the verb.

The objective pronoun, or those which dp •'^^e the object of the
action, are, Sing., ma, me^ ni, thee; Plur., ntijyi, us, and nipi, you.

The possessive pronouns are. Sing., mi or nia, my; ni, thy; Dual,
■UH, fray and thy) our; Plur., unpi, our; nipi, your.

The pronouns of the first and second persons prefixed to nouns,
signifying a relationship, are singular /Hi", my; ni, thy; dual, unki (my
and thy) our; plur. unkipi, our; nipi, your, as miciiica, my child;
nidrksi, thy uncle; nisiinka, thy younger brother; unkicincapi, our
children.

Mita, nita, and ia, singular; unkiia, dual; and unkita-pi,
and ta-pi, plural, are used to express property in things, as, mita-
onspe, my ax; nitasunke, thy dog; they say also miiahoksidan, my
boy. These pronouns are also used with koda, a particular friend,
as mUakoda, my friend; nitakoda, thv friend; iakodaku, his friend;
and with kicutcn, comrade; as iiitakicuwa, thy comrade.

The reflexive pronouns are used when the agent and patient are
the same person, as: wasicicidaka, he loves himself; wast('nicid(d<u,
thou lovest thyself; wasicmicidaka, I love myself.

The relative pronouns are: iiiwc, who, and tahu, what; inu-ekasta
and ti,w(i kakcs, whosoever or any one; iaku kasia &nd taku kakea,
whatsoever or anything.

Interrogative pronouns are: tnwe, who? with its plural tuwepi;

200

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

1(tku, wliat? which is used with the plural signification, both with aucl
without the termination pt; tukte, which V hikicn, where? tuwe,
iawa, whose? iona, tonaka, and tonakeca, how many?

Demonstrative pronouns are: dc, this, and he, that, with their
plurals, dena, these, and liena, those ; also ka, that, and kana, those,
or so many. From these are formed: denaka and danakeca, these
many ; hcnaka and heiiakcca, those many ; and kanaka, and kanakeca,
so many as those.

Also kon partakes of the nature of a demonstrative pronoun
when it refers to some person or thing mentioned before; as: wicasta
kon, that man.

When a or an of the preceding word is changed into e, kon
becomes cikon, as : tuwe wanmdake cikon, that person whom I saw, or,
the person I saw.

A Hide. There are, properly speaking, only two articles, the
definite and indefinite.

The definite article: is kin, the; as wicasta kin, the man; maka
kin, the earth.

The demonstrative kon approaches very nearly to the nature
of the article and may often be rendered accordingly.

The indefinite article is; wan, n or an, probably a contraction
of the numeral wanzi, one; as wicasta wan, a man.

Verbal Roots. The Dakota language contains many verbal roots,
which are used as verbs only with certain prefixes, and which form

participles by means of certain additions,
the more common verbal roots:

The foUowins; is a list of

Bazu, smootb.
Ga, open out.
(tan, open out.
Gapa, open out.

Gata, spread.
Guka, spread out.
Hinta, brush off.
Hmun, twist.

Hna, fall off.
Hnayan, deceive.
Hubnza shake.
Hca, open out, expand.

Verbs Formed btj Prefixes. The syllables ba, bo, ka, na, pa,
ija, and yu, are prefixed to verbal roots, adjective, and some neuter
verbs, making of them active transitive verbs, and usually indicating
the mode and instrument of the action.

Compound V^'.rbs. There are several classes of verbs which are
compounded of two verbs.

Kiifa and ya, or yan, when used with other verbs, impart to them
a causative signification, and are usually joined witii them in the same
word, as: nazin, he stands; nazinkiya, he causes to stand. The first-
verb is sometimes contracted, as: uanyatia, he sees; wanyaykiya, he
causes to see.

Conjugation. Dakota verbs are comprehended in three conjuga-

" *' l ! ^ it W B*I W

INDIAN LANGUAGES.

201

tions, distinguished by the form of the pronouns in the first and
second persons singular, which denote the ngent.

In the first conjugation the nominative singular pronouns are:
wa or ICC, and ya or tjc.

The second conjugation embraces verbs in /y?/, ija, and ijo, which
form the first and second persons singular by changing the if into md
and (I.

Neuter and adjective verbs form the third conjugation, known by
taking what are more properly the objective pronouns, ma and ni.

Most Dakota verbs may assume a frequentative form, that is, a
form which conveys the idea of frequency of action. It consists in
doubling a syllable, generally the last, as: haksa, to ciit off witii a
knife; fxiksfiksa, to cut off in several places. This form is conjugated
in all respects, as is the verb before reduplication.

Person. Dakota verbs have three persons, the Jirst, second and
third. The third person is represented by the verb in its simple form,
and the second and first person by the addition of the personal pro-
nouns.

Mood. There are three moods belonging to Dakota verbs: tlie
indicative, imperative and indefinite.

Tense. Dakota verbs have two tenses, the aorist or indefinite,
and the future.

Puriiciples. The addition of han to the third person singular of
some verbs makes an active participle, as: in, to speak; inhan, spenk-
ing; nazin, to stand; nazinhan, standing; moni, to walk; ni(niili(iii,
walking. The verbs that admit of this formation do not appear to be
numerous.

Persomd forms. Active verbs are frequently used impersonally
in the plural number, and take the objective pronouns to indicate tlie
person or persons acted u[)on, in which case they may be commonly
translated by the English passive; as kns'kapi (they-bound-him ), he
is bound; nic'ns'kapi (they-bound-thee), thou art bound; makas'kapi
(they-bound-me), I am bound; «'(ca/iTes'fcaj)t (they-bound-them), tliey
are bound.

Neiilcr and adjective verbs. Neuter and adjective verbs set-m
likewise to be used impersonally, and are varied by means of the same
pronouns; as ta (it-dies-him), he dies; nita (it-dies-thee), thou diest;
mato, I die; tapi, they die, etc.; iras'fj (good), he is good; iiiirns'fe
(thee-good), thou art good, etc.

Double verbs. These are formed of two verbs compounded
together. They usually have the pronouns proper to both verbs, though
sometimes the pronoun of the Ifist verb is omitted; as hdiijontanka

202

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

{hdi and lyontanka) to come home and sit down ; wahdimdoianka, I
come home and sit down ; also say wahdiyonianka.

Irrc()idar and defective verbs. Eya, to say, with its compounds
heya and keya, are conjugated irregularly, h and p taking tlie place of
y in tlie second and first persons singular.

Nouns. Dakota nouns may be divided into two classes, primitive
and derivative.

Primitive nouns are those whose origin cannot be deduced from
any other word; as maka, earth; peta, fire; pa, head; ista, eye; ate,
father; ina, mother.

Derivative nouns are those which are formed in various ways
frouj other words, chieily from verbs, adjectives and other nouns.

Diminutives dan, or na, is suffixed to nouns, pronouns, adjectives
and verbc, and has sometimes a diminutive and sometimes a restrictive
signification.

Dan is often joined to adjectives and verbs, as the last principal
word in the clause, although it properly belongs to the noun ; as ^siik-
tanka wan waste-dan (horse a good-little), a good little horse, not a
horse a little good; ni'cinksi ce'ye-dan (thy-son-cries-little), thy little
son cries.

Gender. Gender is sometimes distinguished by different names
for the masculine and feminine; as wi'ca'sta, man; winohin'ca, woman;
iatanka, buffalo bull; pfc, buffalo cow; hehaka, the male elk; iijyan,
the female elk.

Number. To nouns belong two numbers, the singular and
plural.

Case. Dakota nouns may be said to have two principal cases, the
nominative and objective.

Possession. The relation of two nouns to each other, as posses-
sor and possessed, is sometimes indicated by placing them in juxtapo-
sition, the name of the possessor coming first; as wahukeza ihnpa,
spear-handle; tipi tiyopa, house-door; ivi'ca'sta oie, man's word.

But the relation is pointed out more definitely by adding to the
last term a possessive pronoun.

Adjectives. Most adjectives in Dakota may be conoidered as
primitive; as ska, white; tanka, large; wa'ste, good.

Number. Adjectives have three numbers, the singular, dual and
plural.

The dual is formed from the singular by prefixing or inserting un,
the pronoun of the first person plural ; as ksapa, wise ; wi'ca'sta tin-
ksajm, we two wise men ; waonsida, merciful ; waonsiunda, we two mer-
ciful ones.

INDIAN LANGUAGES.

203

The plural is formed by the addition of pt to the singular ; as
wa'ste, good ; wi' casta wa'sicpi, good men.

Comimrison. Adjectives are not inflec'-yj to denote degrees of
comparison, but are increased or diminished in signification by means
of adverbs.

Adverbs. There are some adverbs in very common use, whose
derivation from other parts of speech is not now apparent, and which
may therefore be considered as primitives; as ehn, ^^her^ ; kuya and
Jam, under, below; kiianna, a little, not much; ?im«and hinca, very;
ohinni, always; sanpa, more; innkan, without, out of doors; wanna,
now, etc.

Prepositions. This part of speech may be divided into separate
and incorporated.

The separate prepositions in Dakota folic v the nouns which they
govern, and hence might properly be called postpositions; as ''can
akan naicazin (wood upon I-stand), I stand upon wood; he maza on
kacjapi (that iron of is-made), that is made of iron. The following
are the principal separate prepositions, viz. :

ahna, with,
akan, on or upon,
ako, beyond,
ebna, amongst,
etka, at, to.
en, in.
etanLiau, from.

etkiya, towards,
etu, at.

kahda, by, near to.
kici, with,
mahen, within,
ohna, in.
obomui, around.

om, with.

on, of, or from, with, for.

opta, through.

sanpa, beyond.

tanhan, from.

y-ata, at.

Incorporated prepositions are suffixed to nouns, prefixed to or
inserted into verbs, and prefixed to adverbs.

The prepositions suffixed to nouns are ta and atn, or yaia, at or
on; as tinta, prairie; tintafa, at or on the prairie; maga, a field; ma-
gata, at the field; can, wood or woods; canyata, at the woods The
preposition en, in, contracted, is suffixed to a few nouns ; as //, a house ;
tin, in the house. These formations may in some cases ba regarded
as adverbs; as he, a hill or ridge; heyata, at the hill, or back from.

The prepositions a, e, i, o, instead of being suffixed to the noun,
are prefixed to the verb.

The preposition i is prefixed to a class of adverbs, giving them
the force of prepositions. In these cases it expresses relation to or
connection with the preceding noun; as iehan, far; itehan, far from
any time or place; heyata, behind; ihcyata, back of something.

Conjunctions in Dakota, as in other languages, are used to con-
nect woids and sentences; as icaste ka ksapa, good and wise; wicasta
siceca koya, men and children: ^'Unkan Wakanianka Ozanzan Jita,
eyax: unkan ozanzan.'''' And God said, 'Let light be:' and light was.

Interjections. It is very difficult to translate, or even to classify

204

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Dakota interjections. Tliose in common nae may be arranged under
the following heads, according to the emotion they express:

Pain: yiin! irhisiri! ah! oh!

Rejrret: hehc! hclichc! linnlicl luinhunhc! oh! alas!

Surprise: hopklan! hopidanniye! hopidansni! iiiah! inama!
inyun! iijanaka! wonderful! surprising! astonishing! truly! indeed!

Attention: a! e! hcs! Iiiivo! iho! mah! ioko! wan! hark! look!
see! behold! halloo!

Self-praise: ihdafan! ihilntanh! boast!

Affirmation: iicahe! icxis! ecaes! ecs! ehaes! ehtakaes! cifakes!
nnkas! indeed! truly! yes!

Disbelief: ezc! lies! hinte! ho! hoecah! oho! fie! fudfje! you
don't say so!

According to Mr. Biggs, the Dakotas used in their language
over 12,000 words. Something of an idea of the construction of the
Dakota language may be gained from the following example of the
Lord's prayer, rendered in both the Dakota Pud English languages:

THE LOUD S PRAVEU IN THE DAKOTA LANGUAGE.

Ateunyanpi
Father-we-have
wakandapi kte;
holy-regarded shall ;
ekta token nitawacin
in how thy-will
econpi nunwe.
done may-it be.
ka waunhtanipi
and our-trespasses
tona ecinsniyan

as-may-as wrongly
kicicazu'/upi kin.
the

Itancan tawocekiye kin
Lord his prayer the.
malipiya ekta nanke

heaven in
Nitokiconze
thy-kingdom
econpi 1

cm;
thou-art the

kin u
the come
kin maka

ukte.
shall,
akan
upon

is done the earth

Anpetu kin de taku-yutapi
Day the this food

kin unkicicazuzu-po unkis

Nicaze kin,
Thy name the,
Mahpiya
Heaven
hecen
so
unkpo;
us give ;
iyecen

we- forgive
sni-po, ka taku
not and what
wowas ake kin,
strength the,
nunwe. Amen,
may-be. Amen.

the ease-for-us
unkokicihanynnpi
have-done-to-us
AVowawiyutanye kin
Temptation
sica etanhau
bad from
wowitan kin,
glory the,

we
hena iyecen
those even-as

like-as

wicun-

them-

lyaye unyanpi
to go US-cause

he en

the that into

eunhdaku-po. Wokiconze kin

US-deliver. Kingdom, the

henakiya owihanke wanin nitawa.

all-these and none thine

INDIAN' LANGUAGES.

205

IIIOQUOIS LANGUAGE.

Mr. Lewis H. Morgan, in spenking of this language, considers it
imperfect in its construction, anil says that it scarcely admits of com-
paris(Mi, except on general principles, with those which have been
lystemized and perfected; hut in this remark Mr. Morgan evidently
does injustice to the language of this people, and liis want of proper
estimation of it, no doubt, arises from the lack of a more thorougii
knowledge concerning it. His assumption that a language is neces-
sarily imperfect because it is unwritten, is scarcely warrantable. The
language of the Iroquois was as nearly perfect and philosophical in
its construction as the other leading native Aujerican languages.

It was marked by six dialects, in use by the six nations of this
group. The same general principle of construction prevailed among
them all, the dialects differing among themselves, for the most part,
in the mere use of words. Accortling to Mr. Morgan, the alphabet
common to the six dialects consists of nineteen letters, a, c, d, e, g, 1j,
i, j, k, n, o, q, r, s, t, u, w, x, y, in addition to which there are several
elementary sounds formed by a combination of letters. The Senacas
occasionally use the sound of x, which, however, is so closely allied
with the sound of s, as not to be distinguishable, except by careful
observation. Tiie Mohawks and Oneidas used the lic^uid /, and the
Tuscaroras occasionally used the sound of /. The Mohawk language
is destitute of labials, having no words in the pronunciation of which
the li{)s are required to be closed. In this respect it is believed to be
different from any other language.

Careful investigation into this language discloses but twenty-
tliree elementary sounds. Nouns of one syllable seldom occur in
either of the dialects mentioned, and those of two syllables are not
very numerous; but those of three and four syllables embrace the
greater part of words which belong to this part of speech. The fol-
lowing specimens are given as examples:

NOUNS OF TWO SYLLABLES.

Au-da',

Day.

So-a',

Night.

Gh-o'.

Wind.

Gu8-no',

Rark.

Ah-wa'-o,

Rose.

O-gis'-ta,

Fire.

O-we'-za,

Ice.

O-dus'-hote,

A spoou.

Gii-hn'-da,

Forest.

O-eke'-ta,

Thistle.

N0DN8 OF THREE SYI.LABLES

Ga-ee',

Tree.

Ha-ace',

Panther.

Je-yeh',

Dow.

Geu-joh',

Fish.

s.
O-o'-za,

Basswood

O-aue-da,

Shrub.

O-na'-ta,

Leaf.

Ga-ha'-ueh,

Summer.

O-gas'-ab,

Evening.

Ga-o'-wo,

Canoe.

206

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

NOtms OF Foun syllables.

O-na-gn'-nose,

Ga-a-nun'-da,

Ga-gwe-dake'-neh,

Hn-da'-che'-rab,

Ga-a-o'-da,

Water.

Mountain.

Spring.

Morning.

Gun.

Ong-wa-o'-weh,
Ga-ga-nens'-heh,
O-gwen-nis'-lia,
Ah-ta-gwen'-da,

Indian.
Knife.
Copi)er
Flint.

NOUNS OF FIVE

SYLLABLES.

Sa-da'-wa-Bun-teh,

O-wis'-ta-no-o,

An-da'-ka-ga-gWH,

Midnight.

Silver.

Snn.

So-a'-ka-ga-gwa.
Ga-ne-o'-us-beh,
O-da'-wa-an-do,

Moon.

Iron.

Otter.

The plural of nouns is formed in several ways, by inflection, of
wliich the following are examples:

SINGULAR.

PLDRAL.

O-on'-dote,

A tree.

O-on-do'-do,

Trees.

Ga-uo'-sote,

A house.

Gano-so'-do,

Houses.

Ga-ne-o'-wa-o,

A brook.

Ga-ne-o-wa-o'-neo,

Brooks.

Je-da'-o,

A bird.

Je-da-o'-suh-ub,

Birds.

O-au'-iinh,

A pole.

O-iin'-nuh-suh,

Poles.

Ga-hnn'-da,

A creek.

Ga-bun-da'-ueo,

Creeks.

Nouns in this language have three genders, which are indicated
in general by prefixing words which signify male and female. The
several dialects have the adjective, on which so much of the beauty of
a language depends, to express quality in objects. The comparison,
of which they have the three degrees, is effected by adding another
word, and not by an inflection of the word itself, in the following
manner:

POSITIVE.

Great, Go-wa ua',
Good, We-yo',
Sweet, 0-ga-uh'.
Small, Ne-wa-ab',

COMPABATIVB.

Ah-gwus'-go-wa-na,
Ah-gwus'-we-yo,
Ab-gwus'-o-ga-uh,
Ab-gwus'-ne-wa-ab,

SDPERLATIVE.

Ha-yo-go-sote '-go- wa-na.
Ha-yo-go-sote'-we-yo.
Hn-yo-go-sote'-o-ga-ub.
Ha-yo-go-Bote'-ne-wa ab.

But in connecting the adjective with the noun, the two words
usually used enter into combination, and lose one or more syllables,
and this principle of construction is observed throughout the language.
The following examples serve to illustrate tlie manner of com[)ounding
the adjective with the substantive, the words being according to the
Seneca dialect: O-ya, irnit; 0-ga-uli', Bweet; 0-?/rt'-f7a-»/t, sweet fruit;
O, the first syllable of sweet, being dropped. Again, E'-ijose, a
blanket; Ga-gch-ant, white; Vosc-a-yeh'-ani, white blanket; Ga-no'-
soie, a house; IVc-yo', good; Ga-no'-se-yo, a good house; literally,
fruit sweet, blanket white, and house good, illustrative of that natural
impulse in man which leads him to place the object before the quality.
In other instances the adjective is divided, and one part prefixed and
the other suffixed to the noun, thus: Ga-nun'-da-yeh, a village; Ne-
iL'a-nh, small; Ne-ga-nun-da'-ah, a small village; Ah-ia' -qua' -o-weh, a
moccasin ; Nc-wa' -ia-qua-ah, a small moccasin. The adjective is alsa

INDIAN LANGUAGES.

207

frequently used uncompounded with the uoun, ns Ga-na' -dike-do
E'-yosa, a green blanket.

The indefinite article a or an does not exist in this language; but
there are numerous particles which, without significance in themselves
separately, are employed for euphony and to connect words. This
language has also the adverbs, of which the following are examples:
Nakc-ho', here; O-na, now; Td-da, yesterday; Skfi-uo', well.

The preposition is a part of speech, the most perfectly developed
in this language. The following are examples of simple prepositions,
as: Da-ga'-o, across; No'-ga, after; Na-ho, at; O'-an-do, before;
Dose-ga' -o, near, etc.

In the declensions through which the substantives are passed,
pronouns as well as prepositions, are interwoven by inflection. These
declensions are not reducible to regular forms, but admit of great
diversities, rendering the language somewhat intricate in its inflections.
The following are examples of the ordinary variations of the nouns:

Ga-no'-8ote,

Ho-no'-8ote,

Ha-to-no'-sote,

Ho-ne'-su-go,

A-Bo'-gwa-ta,

Ho-8o'-gwa-ta,

Na-no-so'-gwa-ta,

Ho-so'-gwa-ta-go,

O-on-dote',

Ho-ou-(la',

Ha-to-de-OD-dote,

O-ya',

Ho-ya',

Ho-da-ya,

\Vanis'-heh-da,

Dwen-nis'-heh-dake,

Dwen-uis'-heb-deh,

Sa-wen nis'-bat,

Wa-sun'-da-da,

Dwa-8un'-da-dake,

Dwa-snn '-da-da,

Sa-wa-sun'-dart,

A bouse.

His house.

Of, to, fro, or at his house.

In bis house.

A pipe.

His pipe.

Of his pipe.

lu hie pipe

A tree.

His tree.

Of, to, from, or at his tree.

Fruit.

His fruit.

Of, to, fro, or at his fruit.

Day.

At a day past.

At a day future.

With the day.

Night.

At a night past.

At a night future.

With the night.

The following are examples of the pronoun: E signifies I, we, me,
and us; Ese, thou, ye or you, and thee. He and they are wanting,
except as expressed in the verb by its inflection. The possessive pro-
nouns make the possessive case very regularly, thus: Ah-ga-iceh',
mine; Sa-weh', thine; Ho-weh\ his; Go-iveh', hers; Ung-gwa-icch',
ours; Swa-weh\ yours; Ho-nau-weh' , theirs. Similar variations can
be made on some of the relative pronouns.

Interjections are numerous and well adapted to the broad field of
passions. This language has also the ordinary conjunctions.

The Iroquois verbs are conjugated by the variations throughout
the verb itself, thus: Che-wa-ge-'ya-go, 1 had shot; A-wa-ge-'ya-go, I

2U8

THE AMEllICAN INDIAN.

hIuUI have shot. In this manner the conjugation not only dispensed
witii tht', pronouns I, thou, and he, witli their plurals, but also with the
au.xiliary verbs, which have introduced no much prolixity into modern
languages. The Inxjuois verbs are conjugated with great regularity
and [)reci8ion, making the active and passive voices, all the moods,
except the infinitive, and all the tenses, numbers, and persons ct)mmon
to the English verb. But the participles are wanting. A sulistantive
for the infinitive mood is found in the present tense of the subjunctive
mood, together with a pronoun, as in the following passage: "Direct
that He' -no may come and give us rain," instead of saying, '"Direct
He' -no to come and give us rain."

In the active voice of Iroquois verbs,-tlie dual nund)er is well
distinguished; but in the passive voice the dual and the plural are the
same.

This language has the substantive or neuter verb e-nch-(fci, I am.
Impersonal verbs are also very numerous, as O-yeon-de-o, it snows;
O-iKi-iioxc-tloii-dc-o, it hails; Ga-ic(i-iio-(l(is, it thunders.

To illustrate tlie manner in which words are made up in this lan-
guage, Mr. Morgan gives the following example:

Nun-da-iva-o, the radix of the name of the Senecas as styled by
themselves, which signifies " a great hill;" by suffixing o-»o, which
conveys the idea of " jjeople at," Xittt-dn-ica-o-)io results literally
" the people at the great hill." Next, by adding the particle ya, itself
without significance, but when conjoined conveying the idea of "place"
or " territory," it gives the compound Nim-da-wa-o-no-yit, " the terri-
tory of the people at the great hill."

The number of words in use by the Iroquois in their language
from the best authority attainalile was about ten thousand.

A more perfect specimen of this language Avill be found in the
Lord's Prayer, here given in the Seneca dialect, with a liberal transla-
tion accompanying the same:

Gwa-nee che-de-oh ga-o-ya-geh, ga-sa-nub,

Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name,

ese sa-nuk-ta-ga-oh, ese sne-go-eh ne-ya-weh yo an-ja-geh

thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth

ha ne-de-o-deh ga-o-ya-geh. Dun-da-gwa-e-wa-sa-gwus ong-wa-
as it is in Heaven. Forgive us our debts

yeh-his-heh da-ya-ke-a-wa-sa-gwus-seh ho-yeh-his. Da-ge-oh ne
as we forgive our debtors. Give us

na-ge)i wen-nis-lieh-deh e na-ha-da-wen-nis-heh-geh o-a-qwa.

this day our daily bread.

INDIAN LANOUAGES.

2l)'.«

Ha-squa-ah e sa-iio

Load us uot

uake no wa-ato-keh,
from us evil,

iia ga-hus-tes-lieh, na-kuh ila-ga-a-Ka-oh.
the power, and tl

ha wa-ato-ki'h,
into temptation
ua-soh-eh nees
for tliine

na-gwa

lie gh)ry.

da-g\va-ya-(hiii-

but dclivt'i'

o-uuk-ta, na-kuli

is the kingdom, and

Na-huh se-ya-weh.

THE CHEROKEE LANGUAGE.

Mention has been maile in a former chapter of this work, see ante
page 49, of the Clierokee alpliabet, invented by a native Indian, an
example of which is here given, showing a degree of inventive genius
in the Indian mind trulj- wonderful. It is a syllabical alphal)et con-
sisting of eighty-tivo characters, each rc[)reseiiting a single scmnd in
the language, and is considered the most perfect alphabet over in-
vented for any language.

In forming these characters, the inventor used, as far as they
went, those which he found in an English spelling book, although he
knew no language but his own. Sequoyah was what Christians call
a Pagan Inilian, not having adopted the Christian religion, and it is
said he regretted his invention when he found it used for purposes of
spreading the Christian religion among his people.

CHEROKEE ALPHABET.

The letters and syllables subjoined in italics at the right of each
character, indicate the sound of the character with which it is con-
nected.

In this dialect there are no labials except m, and that appears to
be modern, w having been formerly used instead. The sound of j and
cli are not expressed, as or ts being used instead. B is not used by
the majority of Cherokees, thougii a rolling r seems to have been the
original sound of /. Those who use /• do uot use /, except as dialects
are confounded. T' is not used, nor z, but w and ,s instead. The
nixmber of consonant sounds is not great.

The examples which have been given in this chapter concerning
the Algonquin, Dakota and Iroquois languages, will serve well to
illustrate the construction and general features of the languages spoken
by other linguistic groups of the continent; for, as it has been here-
inbefore observed, there is a similarity in construction throughout all
the American languages.

210

TUK AMKltlCAN INDIAN.

^ — . — ■

(£l)iTiihr(

'%{^\hM.

(fto

o i.

1 JKa' t)/'/

%■

.^;

A /A.

tJ///

Eh>

•fc

T/w

J//

\/>/t

(triiv

Iwa

C/..

I'j.

C/.

M/.

^Iv

^ /////

(Jl////'

3/"t>

\Jf//7 VM/iiif\ji'iw/c

./\v.

Ily//

fAna

I/''//

\\i(/llfl

tDyw

^/ui

Oqiiv

Hi// tiJj'

4^.r.

\ysi

"Cfcy

€?//

Rsv

l»«'/^/ Wv/

cl^/-" l>/'

Jkr/iJik

A./.

S/^/

(Ta.

^ff/a 1 i y./

\llfc'

Vj///:

W^y

^^.

Ptiv

0/j"/7

%.a

IlV,v-

IV-ijY/

J/J//

vy*lsv

\ M «»

dS.,r

vy//?'

i)n7/

6wv'

•

U^/'/''

73!/'/

^lo

VJT///

.SOUNDS KEPUESENTED BY VOWELS.

a as a in father, or short as a in rival, o, as aio in laio, or short as o in not.
e, as a in hate, or short as e in met. //, as oo in fool, or short as it in pull,

i, as i in pique, or short as i in pit. '; as u in but; nasalized.

CONSONANT SOUNDS.

g nearly as in English, but approaching to k. — d nearly as in English, but
approaching to t. — //, k, I, m, n, q, s, t, w.y, as in English. Syllables beginning
unth g, except f, have sometimes the power of k. A, S, 6. are sometimes sounded
to, tu, tv, and Syllables loritten with tl, except C, sometimes vary to dl.

INDIAN I.ANCilAdES.

•Jll

rillNOOK lAIKlON.

It is found tlint tlii> Iiidiiiii laii<;un<^t's of tin' continent hnvc coii-
stantly Ix'cii un(lfri^oiM<,' clinn^jt's to )i greater or less extent tiDni
iissociation and intei'niixing of the tril)es. This has h'd to tiieehanges
which are found in tlie several stock languages growing into varioUH
dialects. One of the curious instances in this regard is that vvhicli is
called the Chinook jorjion. the origin of wiiicii has heen vaiiuusly
stated.

The Chinoolvs were a family of Indian tribes on tlio norihwest
coast of North Ann ricn, who formerly iidiahited hoth hanks of the
Coluinhiu river, from its mouth to the (irand Dalles. !)r()ken u|) into
numerous hands. The t'hinooks proper are on the north side, and tin*
Clatsops on the south and along the coast. The language varied as
the tribes extended into the interior. In all its dialects it is very
comi)licated and ditllcult to pronounce. This led the traders of that
country, in early days, to form and introduce a dialect called the
' Chinook jargon,"" for use among all the various tribes and bands, as
1' was found diiticult and almost impossible to trade among a people
having such a diversity oi dialects as were found existing in that
locality.

This movement was started and the jargon introduced about the
year IS25, audit was at once adopted for coni.iiuincation. ('S[)ecially in
commercial transactions among all the tribes of that locality. In
this jargon, of the ancient language of the C'linooks, onlj sonn'thii\g
like two hundered words are used, the remainder being derived from
Yakima, AVasco, Nez Perce and the coast tril/cs, with words from the
French, English and Spanish. At this day, however, the progressive
English, it is said, is forcing its way even into the lodges of the nn)8t
savage tribes of that country, and many of the original dialects of the
coast, of which Chinook Avas the most important, have disappeared
entirely with the nations or tribes that spoke them. The following
example of words will serve to show the peculiarity of this jargon:

Above.

Atruo.

All! (Admiration). Wah!

Almighty (the).

American.

Amusement.

Apple.

Arrest.

Arrow.

As if.

Awl.

Had.

(•The word to-loosh occurs in llie dialect of the OJibways, nml in the B.amc scnsi' liorc used).

Sah -a-le.

Baj,'.

Le-sae.

Cole-Kick.

Bark.

8tick-skin.

Wah!

Basket.

C)-j)ek-wau.

Sab-ale-ty-eo.

Bed.

Boston man.

BoKone.

Klat-a-wa.

Ile-ho.

Bell.

Tin-tin.

Le-ptmie

Bin.

Hy-as.

Miim-ook-banl.

Boar.

Mail oo-sbo.

Stick kli-a-tan.

Boots.

Stick Shoes.

Kah-kwa-spose.

Bov.

T(>n-aR man.

Klioe-keep-woot.

Break.

Kok-sbut.

K\ll-tU8.

Breast,

To-toosb.*

212

THK AMEUICAN INDIAN.

Broom.

Buffalo.

Butter.

Calf.

Capsize.

Cat.

Cattle.

Cliair.

Chief.

Chilly.

Christmas-ilav,

Cloek.

Cloiuls.

("ord,

Crow.

])i<>t.

Deity (the).

Doctor.

Door.

Drink (to).

Early.

East.

Earth.

Eat (to).

En^rlish. /

Eiiylishmau. )

Evt>s.

Fi'ither.

Feet.

Female.

Fever.

Fine

Food.

Bloom.

Fortiiiwht.

Mox Sunday.

Moos-moos.*

Freeziuw.

Hy-as cole.

To-toosh-Klt'Ose.

Gale.

Slioo-kum winit.

Ten-as moos-moos.

Gift.

Kui-tus pol-hitch.

Keel-a-pie.

Give (to).

Pot-latch.

I'uBs-pnsH.

God.

8ah-a-le ty-ee.

Moos-moos.

Good.

Kloshe.

La-shase.

Grief.

Cly tum-muni.

Ty-ee.

Head.

La tate.

Ten-as eole.

Healthy.

Wake Kick.

Hy-as Siinilay.

Hole.

Kla-whop.

Hy-as watch.

Home.

Mi-ka house.

Smoke.

Indian.

Si-wash.

Teu-as-lope.

Intoxicates.

Chah-co-dlunk.

("nw-eaw.t

Immensi>.

Hv-as.

I\Inck-a-niuck.

Kiss (to).

Ba-l)ay.

Sah-a-lety-ee.

Kitten.

Ten-as puss-puss.

Doct iu-keel-al-ly.

Lartre.

Hy-as.

La-pote.

Ijautjh.

He-he.

I\[uck-a-muck chnck

Medicine.

liO nies-sen.

Ten-as-sun.

Milk.

To-toosh.J

Sun cliah-co.

Mother.

ISIa-ma.

Ill-a-be.

Mountain.

La moii-ta.

JMnck-a-uuK'l:.

Ocean.

Hy-as salt chuck.

Kiiijf ( teorf,'e.

Old.

Ole-man.

Kiv.T.

Chuck.

See-ow-ist. Shell money (the Hy-kwa.

l'ai)-pah. lart,'ei.

La pe-a. Shell money (the Coops-coops al-le-ka-

Klooch-man. small). cheek.

Waum sick. Talk. Wa-wa.

Kloshe. Tall. Hy-as,

Muck-a-muck.

Whether the ex!iin[)les in the foregoing list of the same words
occurring in otlier dialects is a mere coincidence of sounds, is not cer-
tain ; but occurrences of this kinc,! are very frequent in languages and
dialects; of peojile remote from each other, and many of those who
have inv'-^rttigated the subject set it down as an evidence of race unity
amon<r the North American tribes, and of a more intimate commiuir-
ling at some remote period, which these remaining evidences, in their
opinion, fully establish.

The tendency in the construction of this jargon, as will be
noticed, is that of the free use of what is termed shnu/, which, per-
haps, has been introduced from two causes: first, the work being com-
mitted to persons wanting in culture and refinement; secondly, because
this style of language is easier taken up and retained than one more
refined in the use of words. The jargon, it is noticed from the afore-
said example, is marked also by (|uit(! a free use of French words, or
such as are derived from the French.

(•The Willi) mwiN (Kcurs in lliu Al);<iii(|iiin laiiKiii<^<'. .iikI ^^•'>s Die ii.Tme wliich Unit pcopU' k.ivo to
till' saiiii' aiiiiiKil, whlcll we call inodsc).

( ri'lie wiiril lor crow in the Ojibway ilialcet, anil many ulliera of tlie Algonquin laiiyuage is A'li/i-
kiili-l;r)

(i'llie word (or luilk iu the OJibway dialect is To-ioosh-waie-bo),

CHAPTER X.

INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

Si{?n Latifjiiagp nmonff nil the Amprioaii Tribos—Ono System Univprsal— Most Tribes
UmlerstcMMl Eat-b Other— rraetieal lustaiico Cited— Manner of AUuilinp to the
Great Spirit— Practical IllustrationR — Use of Si^u Lans^nafje— Interpretation of
Sentences— Definition of Various Signs— Si^niiila — Fire— Smoke — Use of Pony —
Blanket — Illnstration.

^1|P^!ICtN language, so-oalled.
c-jXix^ is n inoile or means of
j^yjj coniimuncating desires,
'v"" ideas and thouglits hc-
tween individuals in aid of, or
taking tlie place of, vocal lan-
guage. This may be by means
of gestures or other manifesta-
tions of the person. This will
be recognized as an intuitive
mode of communication, anil
was apparently the original
m ed i u m of communicating
thoughts and desires l)etweeu
man and num.

This mode of communica-
tion was also aided by various
mcchanic.'il devices, in Avhich
the use of firt^ appears to have
been among the tirst. Among
the American Indians, a regular
system of sign language appears
to have prevailed throughout
all the tribes, and was every-
where common in use. This
seems to have arisen from a
peculiar condition of things existing in regard to a great diversity
of dialects among the various tribes, showing that changes or dopart-

(■213)

'■lUNAL OK I'EAl K.

214

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

ures from the germ, or stock language, wore constantly going on in
their midst.

Mr. Kt)hl, in his book entitled "Wanderings around Lake Super-
ior," says, "It is a curious fact, though Indian dialects differ so greatly,
their language of signs is the same for enormous distances. All trav-
elefs who have crossed the prairies told me that there was only one
sign language, which all the Indians comprehended, and any one
who had learnt it could travel with it from one end of America to the
other."

Mr. Ellis, in his work on the "Red Man and the White Man," on
this subject also observes, that Indians of mt)st widely separated tribes
could understand and amuse each other bv means of the sjijn lanifuajfe,
in perfect silence without tlie utterance of a single word.

Mr. Heckewelder also remarks that by this means the Indians
make themselves understood to those nations of Indians whose lan-
guages they are not accpiainted with, "for all the Indian nations
understand each other in this Avay." He further remarks: "It is also
in many cases a saving of words, which the Indians are much intent on,
believinj: tliat too much talkin<r disirraces a man."

As an instanct! showing conversation witii the voice was aided by
sign language among tlie Indians, Mr. Caleb Atwater relates the fol-
lowing circumstances which occurred in iS'it). at Prairie du Chien,
where he was a commissioner in negotiating a treaty with several
tribes of Indians. He says:

"If a Winnebago wished me to walk aside and converse with him
by ourselves, as Xawkaw often did, his only way of communicating his
wish to me was to [;oiiit to his own breast first, then to me next, and
finally to that part of tii(> prairie (in which we happened to be stand-
ing) where he wished me togo; he uniforndy said ''Mditiicc'''' (walk),
and that was the only word which was uttered until we had retired to
the [)lace pointed out and thus designated. When arrived at the spot
the conversation was carried on between us with as few words as pos-
sible, using signs for ol)jects, by pointing to them. With his pipe
stem or a stick he would draw in the sand the lines of ilemarkation,
when the limits of the lands to l)0 purchased of his {)eople were in dis-
cussion between us, and a stick was stuck in the ground to indicate a
corner in the plat. If he approved of my proposition " Oali " (yes) was
nil he said in reply, and I answered him in the same way. If the
proposition pleased either of us very much ti)e reply was uttered with
jrreat vehemence, otherwise faintlv."

Mr. Kohl, in tlescribing the mode of using the sign language
among the Indians, for example, says: When speaking of the Great

INDIAN SKIN J^ANtiVfOK.

215

blGNAL,— " WUO AKE YOU?" ANS.—" PAWNEE."

210

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Spirit they usually direct a reverential or timid glauce upwards but
gently, to the sky.

When alluding to the sun or time of the day, which is thcL only
clock or mode of marking time, and indicating the spot at ,vhich the
sun stood when the event to which they are alluding oc( arred, they
point fixedly to that spot and hold their arm in that position a sufficient
time to impress the fact upon the mind.

When speaking of a day's time, they pabs the extended finger
slowly over the head along the sky from the east to the west, com-
mencing at the east and terminating at the west. This is the sign for
"one day."

If the shot of a gun is mentioned in an occurrence being narrated,
they usually strike the palm of the left hand with the back of the right,
so as to produce a sharp sound.

If describing a journey on horseback, the first two fingers of the
right hand are placed astride of the forefinger of the left hand, thereby
representing the galloping movement of a horse. If it is a foot
journey, they wave the two fingers several times through the air.

In counting by signs the fingers of the hand are used, ns would
naturally be suggested, and the number intended is represented by
holding up the number of fingers corresponding to the number in
question. This mode of expressing numbers is common among our
own race in aid of oral conversation, and it is also used by the Indians
in like manner, as well as in the use of sign language for purposes
generally.

following

example will further illustrate the use of

sign

The
language:

Suppose an Indian wished to convey to another the information
that he had ridden for tiiree days over the prairie. In doing tins, he
commences by pointing to himself, which will indicate "I;" he then
makes the sign of riding on horseback, as before explaijied, which says
"I traveled on horseback;" he next passes his hand with forefinger
extended once over his head athwart the sky, which means a "day,"
and finally holds up tiiree fingers to the person he is communicating
with, to show he spent "three" days in his journey.

To further illustiate the mode of communicating by this means,
and show the manner in which sentences are constructed, the follow-
ing examples are given by Capt. W. P. Clark, of the United States
army, in his book on the Indian Sign Language, showing how sen-
tences, in conveying information, would be construed when communi-
cated in the sign language:

"I arrived hero to-day to make a treaty — my one hundred lodges

INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

217

are camped beyoud the Blnck Hills, near the Yellowstone river. You
are a great chief — pity me, I am poor, my five children are sick and
have nothing to eat. The snow is deep and the weather intensely
cold. Perhaps God sees me. I am going. In one month I shall
reach my camp." In signs this, literally translated, would read: "I-
arrive here-to-day to mnke treaty — My-hundred-loilge-camp-beyoiul
Hills-Black-near-river-called-Elk-you-chief-great-pity-I-poor-my-tive-
child-sick-food-all gone (or wiped out) -snow-deep-brave or strong.
Perhaps-Great chief (Great Mystery) above-see-me-I-go-Moon-die-I-
arrive there-my canip."

It will be noticed that those parts of speech called articles, con-
junctions and prepositions are omitted, and that adjectives follow the
nouns which they qualify. Verbs are used iu the present tense;
nouns and verbs are used in the singular number; the idea of plu-
rality being expressed in some other mode. Abbreviating is constantly
practiced.

The mode of making signs for purposes of this language are in
general simple, and such as would naturally be suggested to the
human mind as conveying the idea intended. For instance, the sign
for earth is by pointing with the right forefinger to the grounii.
The sign for afternoon or latter half of the day, by indicating the
position of the sun westward of the zenith, with the incomplete circle
of thumb and forefinger of the right hand, the other fingers of the
hand closed, held to the right and above the head, and following the
path of the sun in the heavens. For braid (of the hair) carry both
'\ands to the right side of the head, and make motion as though grasp-
ing hair and braiding it. For brain, touch the forehead with the tips
of the extended first and second fingers. As the passing of the hand
from the eastern to the western horizon marks the day, so the her.d
reclining on the hand denotes a night. The palm of the hand [lassed
smoothly down the face and body denotes a woman. The forefinger
raised to the ear means, "I have heard," or "I ap[)rove." The back
of the hand })laced on the ear means, "I did not hear," or "I do not
believe." Tiie hand laid flat on the lips and then raised, means a
prayer or an oath.

In addition to sign language by gestures or motions of the person,
the Indian had also a mode of conveying information by other means,
through the use of objects, as that of smoke, fire, blanket, arrows, and,
in modern times, by a pony, mirror, flint, steel, etc. The signal by
display of fire or rising smoke is very ancient. We are informed that
it was by this means, under divine direction, that the children of
Israel were guided on their journey to the promised land. Signals by

21S

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

fire unci siuoko were miieli in use among the Indians in the mountains
or hilly portions of the country. Signals by this means were used
in various ways for various purposes. The common mode of announc-
ing the success of a war party was to build two fires a short distance
apart, and tlierefrom send up two parallel columns of smoke. Two
columns signified good luck.

THE SMOKE SIGNAL.

A marked manner of attracting attention or giving signals by
smoke was by having it suddenly ap[)ear and as suddenly disappear,
this being a sure way of attracting attention. For the purjjose of
producing this effect, a small fire was built of dry wood, without the
bark, thus making but little smoke. Then some brushy grass or ever-
greens were thrown on the fire, and a blanket was held over it and
removed at intervals. This would send up great puffs of smoke, and

INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

21'.»

by proper use of the blanket in this manner it could bo sent up forcibly
and suddenly or more slowly, as desired, according to the way the
blanket was used, which would convey information according to the
effect produced. This mode of signals could be enlarged U[)o'. by
additional fires, when necessary to convey information more fully,
which might not so well be done by a single fire. Tims a given num-
ber of tires would be a signal to convey some particular information,
which the number would denote.

Signals by the use of a pony or horse were quite universal among
the tribes west of the Mississippi, where horses were in general use
and considered indispensable, especially among those tribes of the
great western plains. Signals by this means are fully explained by
Ca[)t. Clark, in his book on Indian Sign LangUMgi>. The principle of
which, l)rieliy stated, is to this effect:

Considered st^parately, we have first the pony, used to attract
attention to denote danger, indicate presence of enemy, game, etc.
For this pur[)ose, however, there is but one general, well defined sig-
nal, which is by riiling in a small circle or backwards and forwards.
With some the size of the circle or distance ridden up and down
behind the crest of a hill, determines the size of a party, concerning
which infornnition is given, (U- the quantity of game discovered. This
attracts attention, gives warning, and is intended to concentrate or
scatter the party to whom the information is given. If a hunting
party is out, and one of tiie party discovers game, or if one of the
scouting party discovers the enemy, this signal is useil. Indians can
easily tell whether it is intended to give information or warning of
the enemy or as to game, by the care taken by the rider to conceal the
movements of his pony and himself, as well as the circumstances of
the partic ;' .r case. If nothing is discovered, the Indian in advance
rides up ou the crest of a hill or eminence, and usually dismounts,
but the riding on the top of an eminence in full view is sufficient.

The rapid movement in riding backwards and forwards, or around
in a circle, determines the importance or necessity for immediate
action. Very fast riding would call for desperate or extraordinary
exertion, and violent efforts to reach the rider as soon as possible.
Should an Indian advance, after riding rapidly in a circle, suddenly
secrete himself, those with whom he is communicating will do the
same, thus indicating that the enemy is near and too numerous for
them to attack. Before the Indians had ponies, like movements were
made by men on foot, in giving signals and conveying infornmtion.

Another method of signals, especially among the Indians of the
plains and the mountains, is by the means of a blanket, or article

220

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

.serving the like purpose. For instance, in case of the discovery of
buffalo, the wutclier stands erect on a lull or eminence, with his face
toward the camp, or in the direction of the party with which he is
connected, holding his blanket with an end in each hand, his arms
being stretched out (right and left) on a line with shoulders.

Encdiiip. When it is intended to encamp, a blanket is elevated
upon a pole so as to be visible to all the individuals of a moving party.

Come! To beckon io a person. Hold out the lower edge of the
robe or blanket, then wave it into the legs. This is made when there
is a desire to avoid general observation.

THE BLANKET SIGNAL— BUFFALO DISCOVEKED.

Come back! Gather or grasp the left side of the unbuttoned
coat (or blanket) with the right han.., and, either standing or sitting
in position so that the signal can be seen, wave it to the left and right
as often as may be necessary for the sign to be recognized. When
made standing, the person should not move his body.

The following illustration of the use of sign language is from
Major Powell's Annual Rejjort of the Bureau of Ethnology, ISTO-SO.
It is obtained from Tce-caq-a-daq-a-qidG (Lean Wolf), chief of

INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

221

tlie Hiclntsa IiuUans, of Dakota Territory, who visited Washiugtou in
188U, in tlie following words:

"■Four years cii/o flic American people agreed to befrieit<ls with
us, hut they lied. That is a//."

(1.) Place the closed
hand, with tlm thumb rosting
over the middle of the index,
on the left side of the forehead,
palmer side down, then draw
the thumb across the forehead
to the right, a short distance
beyond the head — while man,
American.

(2.) Place the naturally ex-
tended hand, fingers and thumb
slightly separated and pointing to
the left, about fifteen inches before
the right side of the body, bringing
it to within a short distance— Mv7/t us.

(3). Extend the flat right
hand to the front and right as
if about to grasp the hand of
a n o t h e r individual — friend,
friends.

222

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

(i). Place the tint riglit liaud,
with fingers only extended, baok to the
front, about eighteen inches before the
right Hhoulder — fovr (years).

( 5 ) . Close the right hand, leaving
the index and second tin^rers extended
and slightly separated, place it, back

(0). Place the clinched fists to-
gether before the breast, pahns down,
then separate them in a curve outward
and downward to their respective sides—
done, finished; '-'that is alV

forward, about eight inches
before the right side of the
body, nu'l pass it quickly to
the left in a slightly down-
ward curve — lie.

CHAPTER XI.
INDIAN CHARACTER.

Type of Character— Native ChnrncteriatioR—Attachmont to his Tribe— IntoRnty and
Fidelity — Peaceable, Sociable, Obligiu^; and HoHpitablc" amou^; Tlii'iiiKflvcs —
Opinion of ColiinibuH — Love their Neitfhbors a.n Themselves — Due Ucsptn't to
the llif,'hts of Others Vices Aciiuired from the White Man — Honorable Char-
acter of the Iro(iuois -Opinion of the Novelist Cooper- Opinions of Indian
Traders— Tlie Crow Indians— Opinion of Mr. Catiiu— Testimony of Cajitaiu
Carver— Treatment of Captives.

^HAT the human niiiul is jn'one to piejmUfes is
iui axiom in ethics, of which the American Indian
f may justly comphiin, as tending to establisli an
^^y'' erroneous idea concernin>^ his native clniracter
Our notions of Indian character have been formed
from an aggressive standjjoint, in which the Indian lias
been constantly in a condition of defense against con-
tinued invasion. From a more eligible standpoint,
the Indian in his native characteristics might
'X appear to us quite different from what we have been
inclined to paint him.

When we have divested our minds of all [U'oj-
udices, and viewed the Indian from a standpoint of justice and
humanity, we must concede that, if there are degrees of manhood in
the great family of mankind, by which one people may take rank in
excellence above another, it may be justly claimed for the American
Indian that he stands forth in his original condition, uncontaminated
by the vices of civilization, as among the highest types of native man.
This bold conclusion, it is true, may not apply to every individual
Indian ; neither can the character of the white man, or the Caucasian
race in general, l)e judged by a single individual, or any given
number of individuals. Neither can the character of the Indian be
formed from isolated tribes or bands in particular localities; but the
aforesaid assertion may be taken as the general standard of Indian
character.

The Indian in his true native character was not aggressive. His

(223)

'224

THE AMKItlCAX INDIAN.

geneml clmractor wns timt of coutiMitmout in wimt ho possosHcd; but
when his possessions were encroached upon, iiiid his dignity insulted,
his chiinu'ter for reveni^o was not unlilie that of the white man un(h>r
siniihir circuinstanct's; and he invoked tlie Inw of retaliation, so early
laid down in the rides of human conduct, which by some is also
considered the great law of nature, "life for life; limb for liml)."

Mr. Heckewelder, tiie Moravian missionary, whose thirty years'
experience among the Indians in that capacity afforded liim sucii an
excellent opportunity of forming a true estimate of the Indian
character, refers with much earnestness to the integrity and fidelity
of the American Indian in his native condition, not only iu regard to
individual intercourse and obligation, but with reference, as well, to
the tribe or band to which he belonged, and for which he {)08sessed
ail unexami)led attachment.

The Indians combined, as if they were actuated by only one soul,
against the enemies of their nation or tribe, and banished from their
minds every co-'sideration oppo.sed to this [)rincii)le. No selfish views
ever influenced their advice, uor was it in the power of bribery or
threats to diminish the love thev bore for their country, or the
particular band or tribe to which they belonged. The honor of their
tribe, and the welfare of their nation, was the first and most
jiredominant emotion of their hearts, and from thence proceeded in a
great measure all their virtues and all their vices; and, as Mr.
Heckewelder expresses it, "actuated by this they brave any danger,
endure the most excrutiating torments, and expire triumphant in their
fortitude, not as a personal qualification, but as a national character-
istic."

Mr. Heckewelder further remarks in defense ol the Indian, as
against the abstract conclusions from the over-wrought pi'ejudices of
the white man, that the Indians in their true character are peaceable,
sociable, obliging and hospitable among themselves. These virtues
are a part of their nature. In their ordinary intercourse they are
studious to oblige each other; they never wrangle or fight; they treat
one anothei- with the greatest respect, aurl live as peaceably together
as civilized people, who have succeeded them. Whether this is a
compliment to the Indian or white mar; i > left to individual opinion.

The great discoverer of the American continent, in letters to his
sovereign respecting this people, says: "There are not a better people
in the world than these, nor more atfectionato, affable, and mild. They
love their neighbors as themselves." And to the same eflfect, in general,
is the testimony of all the early impartial explorers. They pay great
respect to old age. The advice of the father is listened to with attention

INDIAN ('HAUACTEU.

225

niul o])edieuco; but that of tlio <fniiulfiithor irt rojijnrdod with iiuTcusi'il
rcspoct on account of his n'^(\ Thi» wonlri of tho nioro ajjod of thoir
eonminnity nro cstotMiKnl l»y them as orach^H.

Though iioHsoHsing those general cliaracteristics, it is not claiintnl
for the Indian, however, that he differs essentially from the white man
in regard to a propensity for Hun<lry vices, whicli we claim as infesting
civilized society. It is said that a prominent trait in native Indian
character wa, ihatof dun res[)ect for tlie inilividual rights of others,
nnd that the olfense of stealing from one aiiutiier was never known
among them. From reliable accounts of Indian character, it wimld
seem that this vice which has been so freely charged u[)on the Indian
is one whicli evidently entered into his diaracter since the connng of
the wliite man. Mr. Lewis H. Morgan, tiie faithful historian of the
Iro(piois, speaking of tiiis point in native Indian character, forcibly
remarks that '• theft, the mostdespisable of human crimes, was scarcely
known among them. In the days of their primitive simplicity, a
mercenary thought had not entered the Indian mind."' He attributes
this vice in subseipient Indian society to the conduct and exam[)le3 of
the white man.

But, as between the Indniii and the white man in this regard,
history records for us the fact that the white man himself was the
first ott'eniler. The first larceny committed in this country, or the
first instance of property taken without the consent of the owner, was
by a party of Plymouth Rock Puritans, who, while exploring the
adjacent country to fix ii[)on a site for their settlement, found a
quantity of corn which had been stored by the Indians in a place of
deposit for wintei-'s use, which they tot)k and carried away and
a[)propriated to their own use. It is said in explanation, however, by
the historian, that the intention of the Puritans was to recompense the
Indians for this property whenever they could find them. But
whether they ever found the identical natives who owned it, and made
them recompense therefor, the historian does not inform us. The
explanation given is not very satisfactory, in any event, when we take
into account that the Puritans at this time were armed with guns and
SAVords, and were in pursuit of the Indians with hostile intent (at least
as seemed to them) ; at any rnte th.e transaction lacked that mutuality
betAveeu the parties which lawyers inform us is necessary to nmke a
valid contract and relieve the transaction from the taint of a criminal
offense.

In estimating Indian character through details of history the
importa^it fact must be taken into consideration, that upon the arrival
of the whites in sufficient numbers to form communities, whereby the

22t;

THE AMEHICAX INDIAN.

Indians wero bi-oii<,'ht in continuod c'(>ntact with them, their chanicter
iu many respects became materially changed. The simplicity of their
liatnre was insufficient lo resist the subtle vices attending civilized
life, and, after n few years' intercourse between the two races, the
character of the Indian underwent material change, so that the Indian
as viewed by the white man of latter years is not the Indian he Avas
before the Avhite man's invasion.

Mr. Cooper, the great American novelist, who took occasion to
investigate Indian character pretty thoroughly, in the introduction to
his book entitled "The Last of tlie Mohicans," says: "Few men exhil)it
greater diversity, or, if we may ho express it, greater antithesis of
character than the native warrior of North A.nerica. In war he is
daring, boastful, cunning, ruthless, self-denying, and self-devoted; in
peace, just, generous, hospitable, revengeful, superstitious, modest,
and commonly chaste. These are qualities, it is true, which do not
distinguish all alike, but they are so far the predominating traits of
these remarkable people as to be characteristic.'"

Our best estimates and most reliable sources for information
concerning Indian character are derived from those having had
experience among the native tribes in the far distant past, and who
were induced to study this people not from a standpoint of prejudice
but from one of desire to learn the truth. Of this class were
intelligent, respectable traders, whose interest with them was, to some
extent, mutual. To this class may also be added the early French
travelers, also American explorers, like that of Jonathan Carver, and
the great American artist, Mr. Catlin.

Among the Indian traders to whom reference is made and who
has left us valuable information on the subject of the American
Indian, is Mr. James Adair, who was for forty years a trader am<mg
the Indians in the southern colonies towards the Gulf of Mexico,
commencing in the year 17.'55. He wrote a volume on his experience,
giving much valuable information concerning the Indians during the
period aforesaid, which book was publishetl in 1775. In the preface
he says:

"I sat down to draw the Indians on the spot; had tiiem many
years standing before me, and lived with them as a friend and
brother. My intentions were pure when I wrote; truth hath been my
standard, and I have no sinister or mercenary views in publishing."

Of the general cliaracter «)f the Indian, Mr. Adair speaks to
the like effect as Mr. Heckewelder and other subsequent writers of
similar motives and oppo/'tunities for observation. S[)eaking of the
general character of the Indian, Mr. Adair says: "Not an individual

INDIAN CHAIUCTER.

durst ever presume to infringe on iinotlier's liberties. They are all
e<]^ual. The only precedence any gain is by superior virture, oratory,
or prowess; and they esteem themselves bound to live and die in
defense of their country. A warrior will accept of no hire for
performing virtuous and heroic actions. Tiiey have ex(j^uisite pleasure
in pursuing their own natural dictates.

''Their hearts are fully satisfied if they have revenged crying
blood, ennobled themselves by war actions, given cheerfulness to their
mourning country, and fii'ed tiie l)refists of the youth with a spirit of
emulation to guard the beloved people from danger and revenge the
wrongs of their country. Warriors are to protect all, but not to
molest or injure the meanest. Every warrior holds his honor and the
love of his country in so high esteem that he prefers it to life, and
will suffer the most exquisite torments rather than renounce it."

In answer to the charge against the Indian of his savage nature,
inclining him to wmvs among themselves, Mr. Adair assures us tiiat
the Indians in their primitive nature ai'e not fond of waging war with
each other; but that, when left to themselves, free from outside
interference or nieddltvs, they consider witii the greatest exactness
and forethought all the attending circumstances of war.

NathauielJ. Wyeth, an Indian trader in the country of the Rocky
Mimntains and through portivMis of the American plains scduethiiig
over forty years ago, s[ieaking of the Indians of that country, with
whom ho became acquaii.Led, says that those Indians, according to his
ex[ierience. did not possess the feelings of revenge or gratitnde in as
great a degree as the English rnce. and had almost none as compared
with the conceived notions in legard to the original inhabitants of the
continent.

Alexander Ross, an early Astorian and fur trader of the North-
west among the Indians of Oregon, s[)eRking of the mysterious Indian
character, says: "Frcni Cliili to Athabasca, and from Nootka to Lab-
rador, there is an indescril)al)le coldness about the American savatre
that checks familiarity. He is a stranger to our hopes, our fears, our
joys, and oui sorrows; that his eyes are selo' •> moistened by a tear, or
his muscles relaxed by a :<mile; and whetlu r > basks ben<>ath a verti-
cal sun on the burning plains of Amazonia, or freezes in the ccmntrv of
eternal winter on the ice bound shores of the Arctic ocean, the piercing
black eyes and the stern nobility of countenance equally sets at naught
the skill 'tf the physiognonnst."'

Mr. Catlin, the American artist, speaking in defense of the
character of the Crow Indians dwc'ling about the head waters of the
Missouri river, and who are a fair type of the native red man, says.

228

THE AMKRTCAN INDIAN.

that whilst these people liave sometimes been called rascals and thieveK,
and rogues of the first order, yet they do not consider themselves such,
for thieving in their estimation is a high crime, and in their eyes a
disgraceful act; that Avhiist they sometimes capture and run off a
trader's horse and make their boasts of it, they consider it a kind of
retaliation, or summary justice, which they think it right and lonornhle
they should administer, for the unlicensed trespass througlv tljeir
country from one end to the other b) Viiercenary Avhite non, who
destroy the game, catch the beaver and drive otl.er valuable furs out of
their country without paying them an equivalent, or in fact anything
at all for it, and this, too, when they have been warned time and again of
the danger they would be in if they longer persisted in such practices.

And Mr Catlin boldly remarks: "'Reader, I look upon the Indian
as the most honest and honorable race of people that I have ever lived
amongst in my life, and in their native state, I pledge you my honor,
they are the last of all tb.e human family tliat will plunder or steal if
you trust to their honor, and for this never ending and boundless
system of theft and i)lunder and debauchery that iii practiced u[)oii
these rightful owners of the soil by acquisitive white men, I consider
the infliction or tlie retaliation by driving otf and appropriating a few
horses but a lenient jamishment, Avhich those persons should expect,
and wliich, in fact, none l)ut a very honorable and high minded people
coidd intlict, instead of a much severer one which they could easily
practice upon the Aliite mcMi in their country, without rendering them-
selves amenable to any law."'

Pere le June, one of the early historians in that portion of the
North American continent then called New France, concerning Indian
cinvracter, remarks: "I thi)ik the savages, in point of intellect, nmy be
placed in a high rnnk. Education and instruction alone are wanting.
The ])o\vers of the mind operate with facility and etfect."'

Lafitau says of the American Indians: 'They are possessed of
sound judgment, lively imagination, ready conception, and wonderful
memory," and iie further adds, ''they are high minded and j)roud;
possess a courage ecpud to their trial; an intrepiil valor, and the most
heroic constancy under torments; and an equanimity which neither
misfortune nor reverse can shake."

Pere Jerome Lallement says of the Indians: "In point of intellect
they are not at all inferior to the natives of Europe, and had I remained
in France I could not have believed that, without instruction, nature
could have [irodu(!ed such ready and vigorous eloquence, or such a
sound judgment in their affairs, as that which I so much admired
amonir the Hurous."

INDIAN CHAllACTEli.

L'2!»

La Potliei'ie says: "When they talk in France of the Iroquese
they suppose them to be barbarians, always thirsting for human blood.
This is a great error; the character which I have to give that nation is
very different from what the prejudices assign to it. The Iroquese are
the proudest and most formidable people in North America, at the
same time the most politic and sagacious."

Clinrlevoix says, in speaking of Indian ilmracter: " The V)eaut)' of
their imagination equals its vivacity, which appears in all their dis-
course; they are very quick at re[)artee, and their language is full of
shining passages, Avhich would i^ave been ap[)laudpd at Athens or
Rome. Their elocpience has a strength, nature and pathos which no
art can give, Hiid which the Greeks admired in the barbarians."

Capt. Jonathan Carver, who penetrated the heart of the American
wilderness over a hundred years ago. where he spent over a year's
time among the native Indians in the country of the upper Mississippi
river, during Avhich time he was a close observer of the hal)its, man-
ners, and customs and diameter of the native Indians, remarks of
their character, that, like that of other civilized nations, it is com-
posed of a mixture of ferocity and gentleness, guidcul by passion and
appetite which they hold in common witli the fiercest beasts that
inhabit their woods, and are possessed of virtues that do honor to human
nature; that they have a cruel, revengeful, inexorable disposition;
that whilst they hear unmoved the piercing cry of such as unhap[)ily
fall into their hands, and receive a diabolical pleasure from the tor-
tures they inflict on their prisoners, yet there is a reverse of this
picture Avhich commands our attention: that we find them temperate
both in their diet and potations; that they withstand with unexampled
patience the attacks of hunger, or the inclemency of the season, and
esteem the ^ratification of their appetites but as a secondary consid-
eration; that we find them social and Innnane to those whom they con-
sider as their friends, and even to their adopted enemies, and ready
to partake with them of the last morsel, or to risk their live;; in their
defense.

C:'t in pursuing this subject, we are not bound to rely solely on
authorities dating back to the earlier period in history, when the Indiiin
was living in a more primitive state, and uninfluenced i)y the white
man's vices; but at this day evidence is abundant in su|)port of Iiulian
character an here laitl down, even from official sources, coming from
those having charge of Indian affairs in later times.

Mr. W. W. Anderson, United States Indian Agent at Crow, Creek
and Lawn Brule Consolidated Agency, Dakota, in his report to the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Auj^Mist 2S, ISSC), speaking specially

230

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

of Indian character, says: "As a rule, with few exceptions, they
have pleasant countenances, and are kindly disposed. They are tem-
perate, honest, truthful and moral ; in fact, compare with any people I
ever saw in these [)articulars, and the chasteness and modesty of the
women mignt well be the bonstof any civilized or enlightened people."
A singular trait in Indian character was that marked in their
treatment of prisoners and captives. Whilst such persons were con-
sidered their enemi'.,s, and were captureil because they were such, bar-
barous as tb.e Indiaii character has been charged to be, it did not fol-
h)w that the captive would necessarily be treated or dealt with in a
barbarous manner. He might be put to death by burning in the most
horrible and barbai'ous manner, but it did not necessarily follow that
such course would be taken with every captive. Some capiice might
take hold of the mind of the captors, or of the people to whose village
the captive rai< '.t be conducted, whereby it would be decided by the
council convene ^o purpose, that the captive would be permitted

to run the gant^jt ■ is, pass between two lines of Indians arranged
so that the captive wouKl run between them, subject to blows inflicted
by tho.se standing in the lines between which he passed. If he suc-
ceeded in reaching the further end of the two lines, the general custom
was to adopt him as a friend, u[)on which every animosity that before
possessed the minds of hi^ captors was removed, and the captive was
thereafter treated as a friend, between whom and his captors there-
after remained the most intimate relations of friendshij). Sometimes
captives who huJ been taken as enemies would be received into an
Indian familj and adopted into the tribe, in lieu oi some Indian wlut
had been slain in battle with the whites. Such was the peculiarity of
native Indian character.

CHAPTER XII.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

Argument for Race Unity— Uniformity in Physical Characteristics— InHueuced by
Climate nud Siirroundiugs — Cranial Structure— General Description— Com-
plexion —Stature— Muscular Strength— Facial Outline— Eyes— Teeth— Beard,
Disputed Point -Mixed Blood Ules-Choctaws—Shawnees—Kawas— California
Indians— Sho.shonees -Hair of the North American Indian.

!^HE traveler who makes only a pass-
',fk iiig note of the physical charac-
teristics of the American Indian,
or the ethnologist who deligiits in
theories more than facts concerninir
them, finds mucli on which to base his
faith in the belief that these people are
an entirely different species from any
other people on earth.

However deeply interesting and dif-
ficult the study is, the fact remains that
the majority of real students of ethnology ignore the theories that
claim for humanity a specific classification. Enquiry, in this regard,
finds its most fertile field among the aborigines of America, a subject
which attracted early attention, continiing down to the present day,
with unabated interest. Ethnt)logist8 of Europe, especially, appear
to have been making this subject one of diligent study and research
down to recent date, an example of which is afforded in tlie fact that
the minister from Mexico to Spain, only a short time ago, sent a
request to friends in the city of Chicago for specimens of Indian
auatt)my, to aid in ethm)logical research concerning this ()eople.

A strong phase in the argument for race unity is, that philoso-
phers of tiie same school differ so widely in regard to tiie physical
being of the natives of America, and, in search of physical character-
istics, tread on such divergent lines back to the same source. All
agree, however, in giving them an ancestral heritage of remote
antiquity, and greater uniformity in the piiysical man than the ])eopIe
composing the natives of the Old World. Timt they exhibit a striiiing

(231)

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

uuifonuity in physical cliarncteristics, might be said of any race, until
observation over comes first impressions.

History provfes that the American Indian, in his physical charac-
teristics, has been decidedly influenced by climate and surroundings,
in like manner as noticed in the i)rimitive people in other countries of
the world.

It is claimed by some that the cranial structure of the American
native is marked by a decided similaritv throughout the entire tribes
of the continent. Much importance is attached to the uniformity of
the facial angle, which is said by ethnologists to be at a mean of
seventy-five degrees for the natives of America, whilst the mean of
the European facial angle is eighty. In both cases a decided national
uniformity exists. Perhaps, however, the infln.ence of custom and
condition would give marked results in this direction, anil prove noth-
ing in aiil of the theory of non-unity of the human race.

The controversy grows interesting when we reflect that our own
ancestors were a muscular, thick-set, tangle-haired, furtive-eyed, not
to say bloody-lianded people, and that we of the present day are only
a few centuries in advance of the primitive American Indian.

A general description of the Indian tells us that the aboriginal
of America i ji 1, s' night of stature, and muscular, having coarse
black hair, well-formed limbs, deep chests, brown or copper colored
complexion, head a little flat, prominent no.se, compressed lips, dark
eyes ami possessed of a great power of endurance.

In regard to the com[)lexi()n of the American Indian, Father
Charlevoix says: "The colour of the Savages does not prove a third
Species between the White and the Black, as some People have imag-
ined. They fire very swarthy, and of a dirty dark Red, which appears
more in Florida, of which Loiiinidiifi is a Part: But this is Dot their
natural Complexion. The frequent Frictions they use, gives tliem this
Red; and it is surprising that they are not blf^ker, being continually
exposed to the Smoke in Winter, to the great Heats of the Sun in
Summer, and in all Seaso)is to all the Inclemencies of the Air."'

In stature, some of the tribes are much above the ordinary
height of men, while others are below this standard. In the
average, however, they do not ditfei essentially from people of our
own race. They are generally less in girth and lighter in their limbs,
and almost entirely free from corpulency or useless flesh, with here
and there exceptions, as in the case of some tribes of the Iroquois,
and O'.iiwas of the Algonquin group. Their bones are lighter, their
skulls thinner, and their muscles less hard than of our own race. But
the legs and feet, which are brought into more continual action by

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

233

violent exercise on foot or on horseback, which tend to swell the
muscles, and give them great strength in those limbs, are more fully
developed.

It does not follow that the Indian, because he is generally narrow-
in the shoulders, and less powerful with his arms than those of our
own race, is as effeminate as his structure would indicate, nor so widely
inferior in brachini strength as one woild be led to su[>pose from the
smooth and rounded appearance of his limbs. The habits and customs
of the Indian are such that his lindjs, which are for the most part,
while on the war path or engaged in hunting, denuded and exposed to
the air, are in exercise the most of his life, whereby his muscles
become enveloped by a thicker and more compact layer of integu-
ments, which hide them from the view, leaving the casual observer to
suppose them more inferior in muscular strength llian people of our
own race. On this suliject Mr. Catlin says:

"Of muscular strength in the legs, I have met many of tlie most
extraordinary instances in the Indian country that ever I have seen in
my life: and I have watched and studied such for hours together, with
litter sxirprise and admiration, in the violent exertions in their dances,
■where they leap and jumj) with every nerve strung and every muscle
swelled, till their legs will ofti n look as a bundle of ropes, rather
than a mass of human Hesh. A.al from all that I have seen. I am
inclined to say that whatever differences there may be between the
North American Indians and their civilized neighbors in the above
respects, they are decidedly the results of different habits of life and
modes of education, rather than of any difference in constitution. And
I would also venture the assertion, that he who wo ild see the In;lian
in a condition to judge of his muscles, must see him in motion; and
he who would get a perfect study for an Hercules or an Atlas should
take a stone-mason for the iipper part of his figure and a Comanche or
a Blackfoot Indian from the waist downwards to the feet."

Mr. Catlin further remarks, that there is a ^renerai and strikinj;
character in the facial outline of ihe North American Indians, which
is bold and free, and which would seem to mark them as disti:iguished
from natives of other parts of the world. Their noses are generally
prominent and aquiline, and the whole face would seem to approach to
the bold European character.

Many travelers, in describing the American Indian, renresent the
eyes as being smaller than those of [)eople of our own race. This has
arisen from mere casual observation, rather than from close inquiry.
This want of expansion and apparent smallness of the eyes in the
Indian, has been found, upon examination, to be principally the effect

234

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

of continual exposure to the wind and rnys of the sun, in tlie absence
of some protecting shield generally Hdo[)ted by civilized peojjle.
Added to this is another cause, having an influence in the direction
aforesaid, that of the smoke constantlv Imnirinir ai)()ut their witrwams,
and wliich necessarily cinitracts the lids of the eyes, much in contrast
with that full tlame and expansion of the eye, promoted under the cir-
cumstances of the cool and clear shades wliich our own habitations are
calculated to promote.

The teeth of the Indian are generally regular and sound; usu-
ally remaining wonderfully preserved to old age. This is largely
attributed to the fact that their food is without spices, saccharine or
salt, and which are considered destructive to the teeth. Their teeth,
though sound, are not absolutely white, but have a yellowish cast.
They, however, look wliiter than they really are, from the c(mtrast
with the copper or dark color of the skin.

It has been noticed that the true type of the American Indian is
found without beard upon his face. Beard they consider a vulgarity,
and use every means, upon signs of its appearance, to remove it.
Since these people were first known to the whites, Indian authorities
liave been at variance on this subject; ajid there still remains an un-
satisfied curiosity, there being much dispute among those who have
given it attention, as to whether Indians naturally have beards or not.

The writer was assured by an intelligent, educated Indian of the
Flathead nation, that Indians, at least those of his nation, were naturally
inclined to have beards, though to a very limited extent. This
Indian himself liad a light scattering beard. He said it was a custom
among his people, in their native condition, to keep the beard plucked
out by meaiis of a sort of tweezers constructed ft)r that purpose.
When asked the reason for this custom, his reply was that Indians,
like white men, desired always to appear young, and therefore took
great pains to keep constantly eradicated any show in the growth of a
beard.

Mr. Catlin says that, from the best information he could obtain
from the forty-eight tribes which he visited, so far as the wild tribes
amongst them were concerned, ami where they had made no effort
to imitate white men, at least the proportion of eighteen out of twenty
were by nature entirely without the appearance of a beard, and, of
the very few who had them naturally, nineteen out of twenty eradicated
them by plucking out several times in succession, precisely at the age
of puberty, when its growth was successfully arrested. Sometimes
this process, from carelessness or inclination, was neglected or omitted,
and when the beard was thus allowed to grow, it would reach the

PHYSICAL CHAUACTERI8TICS.

235

length of nu inch or two, in which case it was generally very soft and
exceedingly sparse.

Whenever there was a cross of the blood with the European or
African, which occasionally occurred on the frontier, a proportionate
beard would be the result. If plucked out in such case it would be
with much toil and great pain. Exce[)tion8 are found to this aversion
to beards among some of the north westtu'n tribes on the Pacific coast
inhabiting Alaska and Washington Territory, where a slight moustache
is not unfrequont and a full board is quite common.

The foregoing descri})tion, as applied to the Indian in general,
implies uniformity indeed. Hovvever, ''facts as they do appear" prove
as much diversity among the Indian nati(ms as exists in the Mongolian
or Caucasian races. This is made further apparent by reference to
particular tribes in various parts of the continent.

The Mandans, who inhabited the regions of the upper Missouri,
were remarkable for their fair complexion, blue eyes, and lack of
prowess in war ov endurance in toil.

The Iroquois differed in their physical charactei'istics in some
respects from other tribes of the continent, and the separate tribes of
this nation differed, also, among themselves.

The Mohawks, in their physical structure and appearance, differed
essentially from the Senecas of the same group. The former were
rather thick-set, stout-built people of iihlegmatic temperament; whilst
the Senecas were more slight, with countenance not so full, but more
mild, indicating a higher order of intelligence.

The Ottawas of the Algonquin group are also thick-set in their
build, inclining somewhat to corpulency, and are, in stature, of but
medium height.

The Menominees of the same group are in marked contrast with
all other tribes of that group, their skin being of a much lighter
copper color. They are of a very mild disposition and not inclined to
be warlike, essentially differing in the foregoing characteristics from
their neighbors, the Ojibways, of the same stock and who speak the
same language, thus presenting an anomaly, under the circumstances,
which has never l)een accounted for.

The Dacotah, or Sioux Indians, are described as the finest
specimens of physical manhood ever known among primitive people.
Their mental faculties are of a high order. Their spirit and arrogant
natures find expression in their war-songs, indicating their determined
character.

The Utes are mountain Indians, who are likewise arrogant, brave
and aggressive. They have a much darker complexion than the

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Sioiix, keen eyes of full size, and almost superhuman power of
endurance.

In rej^jird to complexion, the fact is noted that the natives of the
equinoctial region are not darker than are those of the mountains of
the temperate zone. Off the southwest const of California is the
beautiful island of St. Catherine's. The natives of this island are of a
ruddy com[)lexion, the red and white blending with beautiful effect;
whilst the tribes on the adjacent mainland in the same latitude are
dark coniplexioned or cinnamon color. The older people of the
Cherokees are described as of an olive complexion, while their ytning
girls are as fair as the daughters of the white race.

Tiio Choctaws of the Appalachian group have rounded features,
their cheek bones being less prominent than are those of the Indians
of the plains. Their eyes large, oval and brilliant, and, though not
blue, iiave the mild expression that pertains to that color. They are
an eniluring, patient peoj^Ie.

The Sliawnees of the Algonquin group are not broad chested like
the Choctaws. They are above medium height, are rather inclintid to
an active life, can endure the fatigue of the hunt, and accomplish
tedious journeys without abatement of physical vigor.

The Kawas are lank, "lean and long." Tiieir shoulders broad;
limbs muscular; com[)lexion lighter than most of the neighboring
tribes, and eyes small, piercing black, with fiendish expression.

Among the California Indians, considered by some ethnologists a
different race from the other groups of the continent, a very great
diversity exists. The tribes of northern California are much superior
to those of the central or southern portion. The men are large and
muscular, and have great force and energy of character. They have
somewhat regular features, notably expressive and intelligent. A
writer in an Eastern magazine has described the women as "well
formed," of small features, well turned hands and feet, graceful in
their movements, and intelligent. With their hazel complexions,
bright black eyes and oval faces, they have large claims to beauty.
The California natives present a greater diversity of tribal relation and
condition than any other of the aboriginal nations.

The Shoshonees of the southern sections of California are of
medium stature, powerful build, coarse features, dark bronze color,
and indolent. These are more widely known as the "Digger Indians,"
and are safely classed as the lowest type of humanity on the American
continent.

A tribe of Indians of the Shoshonee stock, formerly inhabiting
the country in the vicinity of Columbia river, were commonly called

PHYSICAL CHAHACTEKISTICS.

Flatheads. They were noted for the peculiar shape of their iioails,
produced, liowever, by artificial means. Their foreheads were flat and
pressed back, wherel)y the tops of their heads became leii<^tlieued.
This was done in early childhood by applyin<^ a board or some hard
or heavy substance, as that of a mass of clay, to the forehead, with an-
other board or hard substance at the back of the head; and then, by n
continual pressure upon the forehead for a sutticient time, as the child
^rew in years, the desired result of tlatteninjf the fon^head was
produced. No child was aUowed to escape this process, so that this
became, by artificial means, a universal piiysical characteristic with
that people. The origin or reason for this singular custom is not
accounted for.

That the hair of the American Indian is coarse, is no doubt
owing to the care or dressing it receives and to climatic infiuenct>s.
One peculiar feature of the hair is that, in all tribes, the filament is
round; there are no exceptions. In the Mongol race each hair is oval,
whilst in the Caucasian it is elliptical.

In general, every Indian is a perfect form of man. Capt. Mai'cy,
in his re[)ort to the Secretary of War, concerning his exploring expedi-
tion in the country of the lied River of the South, says of the Indians
of that country: "I have never seen an idiot or one that was naturally
deformed among them."

The physical characteristics of Indian women, in their native
c<nidition, are thus described by Jtjsselyn in his "New England
Ilarities," published in London in ](J72. He says: '"All of them are
black-eyed, having even, short teeth, and very white, their hair black,
thick and long, broad breasted, handsome, straight bodies, and slender,
considering their constant loose habits (clothing), their limbs cleanly,
straight, and of a convenient stature, generally as plump as partridges,
and saving here and there one, of a modest deportment."

CHAPTKIl XIII.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

Qeneriil Uniformity in rrimitivo Condition— Best Sources of Information— Testimony
of Mary Jeniison, " White Woiuan of tlio O^nesco "— Ti-stimony of John Brick-
ell, II Captive— Exemplary Character in their Homo Intereonrse— Precept and
Example Honesty, Bravery ami HoHj)itality - llelatioii Between the Sexes-
Strict Couduet— Near Jewish Kites in Traditional Bules -Medicine Lodye —
Tabernacle of the Jews — Custom of Indian Women —Politeness in Conversation
— Hospitality to StrauK'Ts— Retentive Memory— Crime of Murder — Death
Penalty— No Titled Personai,'es— Dreasin>,' and Paiutinj;— H(d)it8- No Idlers
amonjf Women- Traiuiuf^ Boys as Hunters— Making Presents— Hha\-inir the
Head— Scalp Lock— Cultivation of the Hair— Native Ingenuity— Treatment of
Prisoners- Burning at the Stake.

!;f:,CCORDING to nn

olil adiige, 11 sitiglo
■Uv'^1 swallow or bird of
passage does not
bring with it the season of
summer; so it miiy be said
of the American Indian —
the manners or special
customs of a single band
or tribe in a [)articular
locality, do not serve to
indicate the manners and
customs of all the Ameri-
can tribes in general ; but,
notwithstanding these
special customs or particu-
lar manners, which i-re
found here and th.ere,
growing out of isolated
circumstances, there Avas

very general uniformity in regard to manners anil customs throughout

all the American tribes, all marking race unity.

It is here proposed to speak of the Indian in his primitive condi-

A LESSON IN ARCHEBy.

MANXEKS AND CCSTOMS.

tioii, before his character or mnnnevH mid custoiiis were, in any way.
iilFocted by tJie iiiHiieiu'e of tiie white man's civilization. Later wrilt'is
are quite too apt to present tlie Indian as he lias appeared in modern
times, under tiie contaminating,' intlnences of wliich we comphiin. as
inCt'stin*,' our own oivili/ation; all of which havti tended to shar[)en our
prejudices ayainst the red man.

The best sources from which our information concerning the
manners and customs of the Indian is derived, are from the earlit-st
writers on the Indian subject, or those* who dwelt with tliem in their
native condition as cajitives, missionaries, traders, or in any other
capacity of intimate relation; aniouir wliom there is very general uni-
fornuty in their re[)resentations of Indian character. There are some,
however, like ("otton Mather, in the days of the early New England
I'uritans, who have attempted to dt'scribe Indian character, and speak
of their manners and customs in an unfavorable light, who occu[)ied no
])osition to «letermine the facts, of which they pretended to speak, with
any degree of accuracy: but who occupied an outside position and
spoke from a jjrejudiced view.

Among the reliable Indian authorities is Mary Jemison, who,
when she was about thirteen years old, was taken captive by the
Indians on the fi'ontier of Pennsylvania, from whence she was taken to
Southern Ohio, and from there transferred to the tribe of Seneca
Indians in Western New York, in the vicinity of the (lenesee river,
where she lived among that tribe and where she continued to remain
after the country was settled by the whites, dying at an advanced age,
Sept. IK, 1.S33, at her residence on the Buffalo Creek Ileservation.

Her evidence goes to confirm what is so frecj^uently remarked by
those best accjmiinted with the Indian in his native conditi )n, that the
Indians were, in their nature, peaceable and not naturally inclineil to
war, and did not resort to hostile conflicts of this kind except upon
provocation, in defense of their ))osgessions, or, in later times, Avhen
interfered with by the whites, influenced to join in their wars, on the
ground that their own interests were involved, as in the case of the
so-called French war, and the war of the American Revolutitui, in both
of wliich the Seuecas, and many other tribes, were induced to take part
from representations that their possessions would be in danger unless
they did so.

In regard to the character and manners and customs of the Sene-
cas, who were a fair type of the North American Indian, Mary Jemisou
says :

"After the conclusiou of the French war our tribe had nothinir to
do till the commencement of the x\.merican Revolution. For twelve or

2-10

THE AJIEKUAN INDIAN.

fifteen ye' iS the use oi the impleinents of war was not known, nor the
war wliooj) heard, save on clays of festivity, wlien the jicliievenients of
former times were commemorated in a kind ot' mimic warfare, in which
the chiefs and warriors displayed their prowess and illustrated their
former adroitness by laying the ambuscade, sur)iri;ung their eremies,
and [)erforniing many accurate maneuvej's with the tomahawk and
scalfjing knife, thereby preserving and handuig to their children the
theory of Indian warfare. During that period they also pertinaciously

,^,j(^~r,;^%^ ■i^i^^^-'^^'vSfe^^^

?»•-

•'.V>:iii-:

QARDEAU— nOME OP THE CAPTIVE WHITE WOMAN OF THE CiENESEE.

observed tiie religious rites of their progenitors by attending, with the
n«)st scrupulous exactness and a degree o^' enthusiasm, to the sacrifices,
at particular times, to appease the anger of the evil Deity, or to excite
tlie commiseration of the Great Go(k1 Spirit, whom they adored witii
reverence, as the author, governor, sui)porter and disposer of every
good thing in wliicli they jiarticipated.

"Tiiey also jjvacticel in various athletic games, such as running,
wrestling, 1 'aping and playing ball, with a view that their bodies might

MANXEIUS AND CUSTOMS.

241

be more supple, or, rather, that they might not become enervfttea, niid
that they might be enabled to make a pioper selection of chiefs for the
councils of the nation and leaders of war.

"While the Indians were thus engaged in their round of tradi-
tionary performances, with the addition of hunting, their women
attended to agriculture, their families, and a few domestic concerns of
small consequence and atterided with but little labor.

"No pei)ple can live more ha})py than the Indians did in times of
peace, before the introduction of spirituous li(pior among tiiem.
Their lives were a continual round of pleasures. Their wants were
few and easily satisfied, and their cares were only for to-day — the
bounds of their calculation for future comfort not extending to the
incalculable uncertainties of to-morrow. If peace ever dwelt with
men, it was in former tir»i'>s, in the recess from war, among what are
now termed barbarians. The moral character of the Indians was (if
I may be allowed the expression) uncontaminated. Their fidelity was
perfect and became proverbial. They were strictly honest; they
despised deception and falsehood, and chastity was held in high venera-
tion, and a violation of it was considered sacrilege. They were tem-
perate in their desires, moderate in their passions, and candid and
honorable in the expression of their sentiments on every sid)ject of
importance."

This is a faithful ))ieture of tlie American Indian, whatever
writers like that of Mr. Ellis, the author of a work entitled, "The
Red Man and the White Man," may present to the contrary notwith-
standing; for, as before intimated, writers having no exi)erience
among the Indians in [)ri!nitive life, and who, from their prejudices,
are disinclined to accept tiie representations of those who have actual
knowledge on this subject, seem to delight in indulging in unfav()ral)le
criticisms on the Indian, in order to conform to the popular [)rojudicea
which have arisen against him in later times.

Another reliable autlu)rity on Indian manners and cnstoras,
arising out of general Indian cluiracter, is John Brickell. who was
foi several years a ca[)tive among the Delaware Indians in the latter
part of the last century, and who, in his narrative, says that during
the time of his captivity he had every opportunity ot oI)serving the
Indian manners and cust(nus. which he gives in general terms to the
following etl'ect; "The sijuaws do nearly all the labor except hunting.
They take care of the meat when brought in, and stretch tiie skins.
They plant, tend, gather and house the corn, assisted by young boys
not yet able to hunt. After boys arrive at the hunting ago they are
no longer considerei! iis squaws, and are kept at hunting. The men

242

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

are faithful hnnterB, but wlien at home he lazily abdut and are of little
apoouiit for anytliiii;:^ else, seldom or never assistiiijf in domestic duties,
whic'li they consider a callintf solely for the women and dishonorable
to men. Tiiey are Kind and indulf^ent to their children, and are
remarkably quiet in the domestic circle. A dozen persons of all a<^es
may be in a wigwam at the same time, and would not make noise
enough to prevent the hearing of a pin falling (-n a hard place. Their
leisure hours are, in a grc.vt measure, spent in training u[) their cliil
dren to what they believe to be right, pointing out bad examples, as:
'See that bad man; he is despised by everj'bod' he is older than you
are; if y )u do as he does, everybody will despise you by the time you
are as (AA as he is.' They also point to good example worthy of
imitation, such as brave and honest men;" and Mr. Bri. /vi^ll remarks
in his narrative, in the decline of life: "I know I iwn influenced to
good ev&n at this day, more from what I learned among them, than
what I learned among peo[)le of my own color."

Honesty, bravery and hospitality, Mr. Brickell assures us, are
cardinal virtues with the Indian. Let a man prove himself remiss in
respect to any of these virtues, and he will soon find that he has no
business with these people. If a man proves to be cowardly, the
finger of scorn is soon pointed at him, and he is styled a squaw. In
that way they turn a strcnig current of public sentiment against all
infractions of their moral and religious code.

In regard to hospitality and neighborly kindness, the same
authority says the Indians set a good example for any people to follow.
Their custom of hos])itality was well ex[)re8sed in the language of the
Indian chief, Logan: "When did ever a white man enter an Indian
cabin hungry, and he gave him no meat?" When a company of
strangers or travelers come to an Indian town, or camp in the vicinity,
they are not asked if they want anything, ])ut a runner starts through
tli(* town proclaiming that strangers have arrived. On this intelligence,
every family cooks of the best they have and take it to the strangers,
for which there is no thought of a charge being nnide, or anything
given in return. If they desire to l)e helped on their way, every
possible assistance is graijted them in the same benevolent spirit.

Mr. Brickell further remarks: "Their rules and traditions forbid
any indiscriminate intercourse of th^ sexes; and I believe as respects
the crimes of fornication and adultery, they are the moht strictly
chaste and virtuous people on earth. They worship the Great Si)irit,
whom they call Manito, which signifies or conveys to their mind the
idea of all-strength, or rather all-sufiiciency. They never used that
name irreverently on one occasion when I was with them. They have

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

248

;

3 !

no terms hi their language by which they can swear profanely; anil
if they ever do it, it nii:st be by means of phrases learned of white
men. Their young, in a remarkable degree, reverence and honor the
aged, especially th<>ir parents. They do not covet each other's goods,
nor intentionally make a false accusation against any one. that I ever
knew.''

Mr. Brickell also assures us that the Indians are remarkal)ly near
the Jewish rites and ceremonies in their traditional rules. "They have
their regular feasts, such as the first corn that is fit to use, wliich is
made a feast-offering. When they start on a hunting ex[)edition the
first game taken is skinned and dressed, leaving the ears and mouth
entire; this they bring to camp and cook wliole, and every one eats of
it, and the r(!st being burned entirely u[). They also follow the
Jewish law in res[)ect to things clean and unclean. They frequently
observe family worship, in wliich they sing and pray. Taking the
manners, customs, rites, ami ceremonies and the observance of what
these people believe to be right for them to do or observe, they follow
s<i closely in general that as a nation they might be considered fit
examples lor many of lis Christians to follow."'

In conclusion on this subject Mr. Brickell says: "Should any
object to these opinions of mine and point to the cruel treatment of
their enemies and often barbarous treatment of prisoners as proof to
the contrary, I will answer and say, consider their ignorant condition,
and withal that they seem to act out liut the Jewish precepts, an oyo
for an eve, a tooth for a tooth, and blood for blood. I am stroiiirlv
inclined to believe that their ideas of right and wrong somehow or
other descended from those laws."

A reliable writer on Indian manners and customs says that a
counterpart tlierefor may be found in the ancient history of the Jews
or Israelites after their liberation from Egy[)tian l)ondage. Tlie
medicine lodge of the Indian may be compared to the place of worship
or tabernacle of the Jews, and the sacrifice, offerings, [mrification^,
ablutions, and annointings may all be found amongst and practiced by
tht)se people.

The custom of liulian women at certain periods and after child-
bearing were almost tiiose of the Jewish women. They had to
undergo n probation for a certain number of days on all such
occasions, besides ablutions and purifications, before they were
considered fit to enter on their donn^stic duties: during this prob<iti(m
they were considtn-ed unclean and altogether unfit to enter the lodge
or \oi\\ Avith the family.

Reliable authorities on native Indian customs assure us that the

THE VMKRICAN INDIAN.

politeness of the Indians in conversation was indeed carried to excess.
It did not permit tliem to contradict or deny tlie truth of what was
asserted by anotlier person in their presence. By this, in their civility
to others, they avoided disputes, seemingly acquiescing in whatever
was affirmed by anotlier, apparently assenting, yet in reality perhaps
not actually concurring in anything that Avas said to them. Thus the
early missionaries, who attempted to convert them to Christianity,
were led into a supposition that the liidian was concurring in his
teachings, when in fact it was no such thing, but a mere civility in not
dis[)uting the assertions of another.

When a stranger entered a town or wigwam he was offered
something to eat, then he was offered a jiipe and tobacco. After
smoking, conversation was begun, but never before. No inquiries
were made of the stranger f re m whence he came or the object of his
mission until he was thus refreshed by their accustomed hospitality.

The Indians had a retentive memory, and could remember events
and details with the utmi^st accuracy. They were wholly free from
care beyond that of procuring a sufficiency for their subsistence.
They had no set hours for meals. They ate when hunger indicated.
They were, in general, however, inclined to a morning meal, or a meal
in the early part of the day. When not pressed to toil for subsistence
they were given to a course of pleasure, such as games, telling stories,
holding councils. The nieti were generally grave and sober-looking.
They repeated to the family traditions and maxims, and told their
children they must live up to them. They had among them many
injienious t/aditions and stories of fiction which show them to have
possessed an imaginative mind. In short, they had, in their way, a
regular system of education of the youth.

Their law of civil conduct was, in general, that arising from
immemorial custom or usage, like that of the common law of England
among the Englisli people and their descendants. The crime of murder
was punished with death, in accordance with the Mosaic law, whiiih
has been adopted by civilized nations; but the mode of indicting the
punishment differed from the white man in this, that under Indian
laws the penalty wjis infiicted by some relative of the murdered man
or person aggrieved, while under the white man's government the
deatli of the murdered man is avenged thiough a hangman or public
executioner, who is paid for his services. Ir Indian society no Indian
could be induced to take the life of another for a m-^'e pecuniary
consideration.

In the case of orphan children, they were, in general, taken care
of by their nearest relatives, and the children, when grown up, took

MANNERS AND Ol'STOMS,

245

care of their aged parents. "When invalid parents had no children tr
provide for them, they were generally taken care of by the next of kin.

The Indians had no mechanics or artisans who pursued such voca-
tion as a calling. Every man was supposed to be his own mechanic
and his own artisan, and constructed his own canof or built his own
lodge. They were not dependent upon any particular class in this
regard. The white man boasts of his skill as a mechanic or artisan,
forgetting that such calling or prof ession rests with but few persons in
his community, in proportion to the whole, and that if those in his
society wli > have become proficient as mechanics and artisans should
be removed, their number would scarcely be missed, ami th(; white
man could no longer boast of his skill.

Indians, in their intercourse with each other, had no tiiles to dis-
tinguish one person from another, even with reference to their gieat
captains, leaders or counsellors. The language commonly made use
of in addressing each other was grandfather, father or uncle, or that
of my friend, brother, cousin, mother or sister. They had no such
term among them as sir, madam or mister.

They were very tenacious of their own mode of dressing and
painting, and did not change their fashions as we do.

They were very fond ol tobacco, which they generally smoked by
mixing it with the bark and leaves of sumach or red willow pulverized,
and called kinnikinic; but they did not smoke strictly as a habit. Th(>,
act of smoking was considered a communion with the Great Spirit,
and was practiced as a token of love and friendship towards others
who joined th-em therein. The primitive Indian was not seen going
about with a pipe in his mouth in the act of smoking, as is the manner
of the white man of to-day. When an Indian indulged in smoking
tobacco, he lighted his pipe, and, after his usual custom of devotion
to the Great Spirit, ho sat down, and pursued his smoking in silence.

Although some historians have given us illustrations to the con-
trary, like that from Goodrich, in one of his popular histories, referring
to the discovery of smoking by the Spaniards among the natives of
the West Indies, it is not believed that the Indians of these islands had
a different custom in this regard from those of the continent.

It is stated that amcjiig the lower type of natives of the West
Indies, Columbus found a custom of smoking rolls of tobacco, they
being without the ingenuity or knowledge of art sufHcient for making
pipes, as was found existing among the Indians of the continent; and
this, it is said, is the origin of cigars, used for smoking at the present
(lay — a mode of smoking ado[)ted among the Spaniards from the use of
the weed, as originally discovered among the natives of the West Indies.

240

THE AMKUICAN INDIAN.

Tlio popular idea is that the Indians are constitutional itllers. The
same niay be said of many other rac(^s, and even of a lar<fe proportion
of our own races. The professional man of our own race, may, in like
manner, he called an idler; because, first, he is never seen working
with his liands to any extent; second, a great portion of his time, to
all a[!peavance, is spent in complete idleness. The Indian was of the
o[)inion tliat labor was a disgrace to a man. Ho was, in every sense of
the word, a professional man. He engaged in nothing except that which
belonged to him as a profession. The labor incident to household and
domestic affairs, bolongtnl to the woman, and from it none were exempt.
There was no such thing in Indian
society as an idler among women,
and a woman was not reipiired to
perft)rni any part of the labor which
naturally belonged to the man in
the line of his profession. He was
a warrior and hunter. The making
of his arms, his nets, and all the
et]ui[)iige of tlie hunter's life, he
considered a part of his duty and
profession, in which he engaged
diligently. Mr. Lewis H. Morgan,
tlie author of the '"League of the
ri(H|uois," says that the most at-
tractive feature of Indian societv
was the spirit of lu^spitality by
which it was jiervaded.

The children, as soon as they
had left their cradles, were al-
lowed to go at will wherever they
chose, whether into the water, into
the forest, or in the snow. This
accustcmed them to hardship, their
limbs became supple and hardened
against the injuries of the air; at
the same time it also made them
subject to distempers of the
stomach and lun<rs, often resultiiiir
fatally. In the summer, as soon
as they were up, they ran to the river and into tlie lake, and continued
there. ])laying like fish, in fine weather, at the surface of the water.

They put a bow and arrow into the hands of their boys as soon as

FIU8T LESSON IN HL'NTINO.

•MAXNEliS AND CL'STOxMS.

247

"\|T

they arrivoil at u suitable n<^e, and sent them fortli to the forest to
j)ractice the art of hunting. In this pursuit they needed no incentive
or enc()uraiijin<^ words, for they were anxious to engaj,'e in learning to
be a hunter. Tiiey were encouraged to enter into athh^tie sports and
iXanies, to (exercise and strenjjthen tlieir muscles, to fit them for the
war path and fatigue in hunting. One of the first lessons inculcated
in the children was duty to their j)arents and respect for old age;
and civilized society does not afford better exam[)les of filial obedience
than was found in the Indian family.

Making [jresents, in testimony of esteem or gratitude for acts of
kindness or favors received, was a custom prevailing in Indian cliar-
ac-'^v I. There is an old and metaphorical expression as to the mode of
making presents: "laying [)resents at their feet.*' This was literally
an Indian custom in making presents, ])lacing them at the feet of tlie
persi>n to whom the presents were made, Mrs. Kinzie, in her book
entitled " Waubun, or the Early Day in the Northwest," refers to pi-cs-
euts of ducks, pigeons, whortle -berries, wild plums, and the like, being
maciB her by the Indian women at Fort Winnebago. She says:
"These they would bring in and thiow at my feet. If. through inat-
tention. I failed to look pleased, or raise the articles frcmi the tloor and
lay them carefully aside, a look of mortification and the observation,
'our mother hates our gifts,' showed how much their feelings were
Avounded. It was always expected that a present would be received
graciouslv and returned with something twice its value."

The painting of the face Avas a custom which existed among the
Indians, time out of mind, for which various reasons have been
assigned. The painting of the face is not a custom confined exclu-
sively to the American Indian. It is practiced by the white race,
especially among the female portion. The reason for the practice is
not foundeil upon the naked custom, but U[)on the grt)und of adding
to the beauty of the countenance. The Indians painted their faces
more from some symbolic design they had in view; or paint may have
been a[)[)lied in some insiances f(U' the [lurpose of disguise; but it
must be accorded to the good sense of the Indian tiiat, in general, in
the painting of his face he had in view some rational, symbolic design-

The Indian had another custom which was a characteristic feature
in many tribes, that of shaving the head closely, leaving only a sn)all
tuft of hair upon the crown. But this custom was not general among
the American tribes. It was practiced by the Osages, Pawnees, Sacs
and Foxes, lowas, Mohawks, and the Moheagans. This tuft of hair,
left upon the crown, was called the scalp-lock, which, it is said, was
allowed to grow, out of an act of bravado to the enemv. tlaring him to

248

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

take his scalp-lock if lie could. Before the Iinliau could obtaiu
knives or scissors Avith which to shave his head, the hair was removed
by means of buniiii',' it off with red hot stones, a very slow and pain-
ful operation. Tlie American tribes ^'onerally took <^reat pride in the
cnltiviition of their hair, allowin>.f it to j^row to the most extreme
length that it could naturally reach, preseiving it to grow over their
shoulders in great profusion, and were quite unwilling to spare eveii
the smallest lock.

Native ingenuity of the In-
dian was displayed in his manner
of producing fire, which was by
friction applied in different ways.
The most sim^jle was that of rub-
bing together two dry sticks of
wood, of that condition to pro-
duce fire with the least exertion.
Among some tribes and nations a
more efficient mode was used. A
piece of wood was squared or
flattened so as to make it lie
steadily, and in this a small hole
was commenced with the point of
a stone; then another stick M'as
made, round and tapering at one
end. The small end was placed in
the small hole in the piece of wood
first mentioned. He then put

one hand on each side of the small, round stick, which was usually
about six inches long, and commenced turning it as rapidly back and
forth as possible. Another perscjn held the under piece in one hand
and a piece of spunk in the other, so that when there was the leas^t
sign of fire it would readily communicate with the spunk, and the fire
was kindled by putting the lighted spunk into a bunch of dry grass
that had been rubbed fine in the hands. The Iroquois and Dakotas
used the string of a bow to turn more rapidly the stick l)efore
described, showing more skill in this regard.

The Indian custom of burning their prisoners at the stake is one
which has been the subject of severe criticism and condemnation
among our own race. It was, however, their established mode of put-
ing their enemies to death after capture. According to their law the
fate of an emnny was, in general, death; so under our law, the fate of
one who commits treason against our government, who is reganbnl as

IXSTKUMENT 1 OK MAKING Fllil

MANNKHS AND CUSTOMS.

24l>

our enemy, is death. As between the Indian and ourselves, it is
merely a (juestion as to the mode of executinj,' the law.

Wo forget, iiowever, that our own race have put to death, by burn-
ing at the stake, more persons, wilhiii the time even of our modern
history, than would equal the whole Indian population of America at
any time during that period, for the commission of no crime whatever,
but upon the ill-founded notion that it was required in defense of our
peculiar notions of religion. While we are criticising the Indiiin for
such barbarities in enforcing the law of his society, we are critizised
by the Indian, in return, in unmeasured terms, for our own acts of
inconsistency and barbarity, to which we really have no defense.

"PLEASURES AND 0ABE8 OF THE WHITE MAN."

CHAPTER XIV.
DANCES.

The Institution of Daiicos — Tlianksirivinj,' Coromoninl— Accoptahio to the Oront
Spirit — Timybt to ConHider it ii Divino Art — Do8if,'Upd by the Great S|)irit for tlieir
Pleasure and Hia Worship— A Mode of Sot-ial Iutera)urse— Arousing' Patriotic
Excileiueut— Streuj,'lhens Popular Enthusiasm— Inspires Indian Youth— The
Iroiiuois had Thirty-two Distinct Dances— Ditrereut Kinds of Dances anion),'
Different Nations and Tribeo— Suu Dance of the Sioux— Declared by Indian
Agents Barbarous aud Forbidden— Comiiarison with the White Man's Pugilistic
Exhibitions — Other Barbarous Practices of the Wliite Man.

A:^>iMONG tlio estab-
v(i)l' lislied customs of
ylt^% the aborigines of
'^4^^ America, that of
(lancing appears to be the
most prominent and firmly
fixed in their social us-
ages. This people are
not alone in a custom of
this kind, for it is an insti-
tution of great anticjuity
among some of the more
enlightened nations of the
Old W o r 1 d, especially
araonjj the Jews ;and there

BUFFALO DANCE.

is a singular coincidence in the purposes of dancing among this latter
people and the aborigines of America,

When Jephthah returned from his conquest over the Ammonites,
"his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances."
Judg. xi, 84. When the men of Benjamin suri>rised the daughters of
Sliiloh, the latter were dancing at " a feast of the Lord." Judg. xxi,
It! -21. AVhen David returned after the shiughter of Goliah, the
Israelitish women met him witli singing and ilancing. 1 Sam., xviii,
0. When the ark was brought home, David danced before it "with
all his might." 2 Sam,, vi, 1-1. On another occasion, it is said, the

(260)

DANCES.

251

women went out with timbrels mul witli dnnces. Ex. xv, 20. Goliith
praisotl Hod in 8on<:f ami diinces after the deiivernnce of the Israelites
from Pharaoh. On several oceasions the people of Israel were
exhorted to praise the Lord in the dance. Ps. cxlix, )J; cl. 1. Danc-
ing was common among the Hebrews at their feasts in public tri-
umphs, ami at all seasons of rejoicing, and it was practiced on th(>
occasional festivals, and was a part of the sacred \vorshi[) on such
occasions.

It is said that among the people of Israel dancing was ai first on
sacred occasions only. It was also a part of the religious ceremonies
of the Indiai.". Among the Hebrews it was joined with sacred song
and was usually participated in by the women only. When the men
danced, it was in company separate from the women, promiscuous
dancing not being piacticeil. It was usually performed in the day-
time and in the open air.

Mr. Heckewelder refers to a tradition informing us that when
the Dutch first landed on New York Island, the native inhal)itants,
believing them to be celestial beings, or messengers from the Great
Manito, began a solenin dance in order to propitiate them, much iu
the manner of the ancient Jewish cu.stom, on like occasions.

Throughout the entire American race, dancing was regarded as a
thanksgiving ceremonial, acceptable to the Great Spirit, and which
they were taught to consider as a divine art, designed by the Great
Manito for their pleasure, as well as for His worship; and it is said
that the popular enthusiasm broke forth in this form, and was nour-
ished and stimulated by this powerful agency. It is therefore to be
observed that dancing among the Indians was not strictly an institu-
tion of social amusement, but in general i)laced upon higher and more
sacred grounds.

Mr. Morgan informs us that the Iroquois nation had thirty-two
distinct dances, of which number twenty-six were claimed to be
invented by or wholly original with that people, to each of which a
separate history and oliject, as well as a different degi-ee of popular
favor, attached. Some of these were costume dances, and were per-
formed by small and select bands; some were designed exclusively
for females ; others for warriors alone ; but the greater part of them
were oi)en to all of both sexes who desired to participate.

The Feather dance and the War dance were the two most ])romi-
nent of the Irot|uois, and were esteemed the highest iu the popular
favor. The first they claimed was original with them, the other
was important and common among all American ti-ibes. One had a
religious and the other a patriotic character. Both were costume

252

TUK AMEHUAN INDIAN.

•liiiioos aixl wei'o performed hy n select band. raiij,'iiif:^ from fifteen to
twenty-tive in Dumber, and who wer.^ distin^^uislieil for their jiowers of
endurance, activity and spirit. liesideH these tiioro were four other
costume dances.

Tiie War dance, called by the Iroquois Wa-an-srh, was UEually
])erformed at ni<,'lit, and only on prominent occasions, or at domestic
councils of unusual intert'st. After the business of the day was dis-
posed of, and when the dusk of the evening came on, preparations for
the dance bej^an; the people gathered within the council lumse in
large nund)ers to witness the performance, while in an adjacent lodge
the band of performers assembh^d to array themselves in tlnur cos-
tumes, and to |)aint and <lec()rate their persons for the occasion. A
keeper of the faith, in the meantime, occupied the attention of the
people assembled, with a brief speech concerning the nature and
objects of this dance. A war-wiioop now announces the approach of
the band, who, preceded by tiieir K'ader, marcii in single tile to the
beat of a (h'um into tlie council liouse, where the dance immediately
opens. They group tli'^mselves within a circular area, standing thick
together, when the singers commence the war song, the (hums beat
time and the dancers proceed. After a moment the song ceases, so also
the dance, tlie band walk around a common center to the boat of the
drum at half time Another scmg soon commences, when the drums
quicken their time, and the dance is resumed.

In the middle of the song there is a change in the music, accom-
panied Avith a slight cessation of the dance, after which it becomes
more aninmted, until the song ends, and the band again walk to the
beat of the drum. Each tune or war song lasts about two minutes,
the intervals between them being about the same. The drum beats
time about twice in a second, the voices of the singers keeping pace,
thus making a rapid and strongly accented species of music.

Charlevoix gives the following translation of one of these war
songs: "I am brave and intrepid. 1 do not fear death nor any kind of
torture. Those who fear them are cowards. They are less than-
women. Life is nothing to those who have courage. May my enemies
be confounded with despair and rage."

Unlike tlie mode of dancing as an amusement among <
on the toe of the foot, with rapid changes of position, * '
method, in the War dance, was chiefly upon the heel, with
of position and rapid changes of gesture. The heel is
brought down with quickness and force of muscular strength, to k- ep
time with the beat of the drum, making a resounding noise by the con-
cussion, at tlie same time shaking the knee-rattle, contributing niateri-

r. ^v'

tea

:lOlS

iiangeg
-ed and

DA NO EH.

2o:i

Ab th.

W'AU-WHOOP.

nlly to tl»G pomp ftiul show of tho dnnce. Tlio nttitudus in this (huicc
wore those of violent passion, therefore not so very <^r»iceful. J)iirin>,'
its prof^ress, anionij the group of thmcers one nmy be seen in tiie ntti-
tmle of attack, another of defense; one will be in the act of drawing
the i)ow, another of striking with the war club; some are in the act of
throwing the tomahawk, otlit^rs listening or watching for an oppor-
tunity; and others are seen striking the foe, naturally leading to dis-
tortions of countenance and unseendy attitud<!8. At the same time
their striking, wild costumes, erect forms at certain stages of the per-
fornnince, their activity and wild music, the rattle of tiie (hmce, together
with the excit)d)lo and exciteil pranks, make up a scene of uncommon
interest.

In this dance the war whoop and the response, given by the
lender and answered by the band, always preceded each song, and, as
Mr. Morgan remarks, a description of this ttMrific outbreak of human
voices is scarcely possible. It was n
prt)longed sound upon a high note, with
a decadence near the end, followed by an
abrupt and explosive conclusion, in which
the voice is raised again to the same
pitch. The whole band responds in a

united scream upon the same key with which the leader concludes, ami
at the same instant. When reduced to a written scale of music, as
given by Mr. Morgan, is as here shown.

The second dance in public estimation, by the Iroquois, was the
Feather dance, called O-fffo-ivclt'-fjo-wa, sometimes called a religious
dance, because it was specially consecrated to the worship of the Groat
Spirit. The music was furnished by two singers, seated in the cekiter
of the room, each having a turtle shell rattle. It consisted of a series
of songs or measured verses of about two minutes each, the rattles
being used to mark time, anil as an accompaniment to the songs.

The Thanksgiving dance, Gd-mi'-o-uh, was likewise a costume
dance, closely resembling the Featl"?r dance, and was given by a select
band.

One of the most remarkable dances among the Iroquois was called
the Trotting dance, Oa-da'-shoie, which was usually the opening dance
at councils and private entertainments. On the latter occasion no
costume figures were required. The music was entirely vocal and
furniidied l)y those who danced.

Another dance in general use was called the Fish dance, Ga-so-
wa'-o-no, which was adopted among the Iroquois from other tribes.
The music consisted of singing, accompanied with the drum and the

254

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

squash-shell rattle, the two singers being seated in the center of the
room, facin»r each other, au'l ubiug the ilruui and rattle to mark time
and increase the voluuie of the music. This dance vvas partici[)att'd in
by both sexes, a peculiarity of which is that it affords an opportunity
for tlie Indian maiden to dance with whoever she prefers as a [mrtner,
th'it privileire being accordeil to her.

An occasional and very singular dance was that called the dance
for the dead, or ()-ki-'-ivti, which was performed alone by the women.
The music was vocal, being plaintive and mournful, and was sung by a
select band stationed in the center of the room. This dance was given
in the spring and fall, when it was ijelieved the tlead revisited the earth
and ioined ir. the ceremony.

One of their dancts v;'"-- c.uled the JJutfalo dance, Dd-fic'-i/d-i/d-o-
an'-no, designed for mtdes alone, the music consist! .g of singing,
accompanied with the drum and rattle, the principal feature of wiiich
vvas to imitate tlie actions of tlie butfalo. According to radition. this
dance originated in a warlike ex[)edition of tlie Iroquois against the
Cherokees When they had proceeded as far as the Kentucky Salt
Lick, they heard, for the first time, the butl'aloes " singing tlieir favorite
songs," (bellowing and grund)ling;. and fnnn this bellowing, the
uiusic. and from tlitnr actions, the plan of the liance was made.

The brief desci'iption of tliese dances here given will, ftu- all
practical purposes, doui)tless sutHce to atford a general idea of dances
among the Iroquois. The following are additional (hiuces among that
people. Those marked with a star are ada[)ted from other tribes:

For both tiexes: I. O-sfo-irrh'-jio-irci, Great Feather Dance. 2.
Oa-na'-o-uli, Great Thanksgiving Dance. 3. Dii-niin'-dd-ncH-huni-hd,
Dance with Joined Hands. 4. (h-.-iln'-xholc,* Trotting Dance. 5.
O-io-wa -qd-ka,* North Hance. (>. .IC-Iki'-ijk, Antique Dance. 7.
(i(i-)K)-jil'-(f(f-o, Taking tlie Kettle Out. H. Gd-so-int-o-no.* Fish
Dance. '.*. C>.s-/>'y-(/a'-/o, Shaki.ng the Bush. 10. rr'ff-;/o-//a'-//o. Kattle
Dance. II. So-irck-D-dii'-no.'* Duck Dance. 12. Ja-ko' -im-o-ini' -no,
Pigeon Dance. IM. ^r^A'-.s-a'-f/a-zir-a, Grinding Dishes. 14. (fd-t^o'-a,
Kne»^ Rattlt! Dance.

For fenial(>s: l"). ()-kc'-ii'<i, Dance for the Dead. 1(1. O-as-ka-
iu"-(t, ShulUe Dance. 17. D<i-siva-(((i-)ic'-(i, Tumbling Dance. IS.
Un-(hi-(la-o-(U'-h(i, Turtle Dance, lit. Un-d<i-da-o-at'-ha, Initiaticm
Drvnc3 for Girls. 20. Un-lo-we'-sus, Shuffle Dance. 21. Da-ijo-da'-
8un-d(i-e' -(/<), Dark Dance.

For males: 22. I rff-.sff'-sc/t,* Sioux, or War Dance. 2i}. Dd-ifc-
ij(i-(jo-u-au -no, Buffalo Dance. 24. N(;-<i'-(fwi-o-an'-no,* Bear Dance.
25. Wa-(i-no'(i, Striking the Stick. 2tJ. Nc-lio-sa-den'-dd, Scpiut

DANCES.

•J'jr*

Dance. 27. G a -im-ioi' -da-do, >iiia\i> Dance. 2S. I'li-df-d iic-aiik'-hi.
Track Fiii;liiig Dance. 20. Eli-iirs' -hen-do. Arm mmk'mir Dnnee. 80,
(x(i-<jo'-S((, Falsa Face Dance. 8 1. Ga-jc' -an. False Face Dance. H2.
Un-d(i-dc-((-<liifi'-shnii-iic-(if'-h(i, Preparation Dance.

Mr. M(»r^»Hn is [)r()bably mistaken in classing the Butl'alo dance
as among those invented by the Iroquois, oi as meaning to convey the
idea that this dance did not exist among other tribes; for, according to
the Bishop of Meaux, there was a dance among the tril)e3 "in the
western {•arts."' called the D'.iuce of the Bull, which is a term here
used for Buffaloes.

Mr. Catlin also specially mentions the Buffalo dance amcmg the
Mandans, which iie witnessed while at tlie ?iIaMdan village. He says.
"I have for several days past been peculiarly engrossed, and my senses
have been confounded with the Rtam[)ing, grunting and bellowing of
tiu' Buffalo dance, which closed a few day.s since at sun-rise."' These
dances, he says, were somotiiues continued in that village two or three
weeks without stopping nn instant, until the doubtful moment when
buffaloes made their a|>pearance. so that tl)ese dances never faihnl of
effect, as if they have been the means of bringing them in by this
time, the object of tliese dances, it seems, being for that purpose.

Mr. Heckewelder says: "It is a pleasing spectacle to see the
Indian dances, wlitui intended merely for social div(>rsion and innocent
amusement. I acknowK'dg" I would prefer being {iresent at them for
a full hour, than a few minutes only at such dances as I have wit-
nessed at our country taverns among white people. Their so.igs are
by no means unharmonious. They sing iu chorus; first the men and
then the women. At times tiie women join in the general song, or repeat
the strain which the nu>n have just finished. It seems like two parties
singing in (piestions nud answers, and is upon tlie whole very agreeal)le
and enlivening. After thus singing for aboet a (puirter of an hour,
they coiu'lude each song with a loud yell, which I must confess is not
in concord with the r(>st of tiie music; it is not unlike tlie cat-bird whicli
closes its pretty song with nunving like a cat. I do not admire this
finale. The singing always begins by one person only, but others
soon fall in successively, until the geneial chorus begins, the drum
beating all the while to mark the tinu>. The voices c f the women are
clear and full, and their intonations generally correct."

But the same authority observes that war dances have nothing
engaging in their object; on the contrary, they strike terror to tl'e
behohlers, those engaged in them being dressed and [tainted, <u- rather
bi'daubed with paint, in a manner suitable to the occasion, holding the
niunha'ous weapon in their hands anil inntating in their dance all the

25(5

THE AMKIilCAN INLIAX.

warlike nttitinles, motions and actions which are usual in an engage-
ment with the enemy.

Before starting out on a war campaign, the War dance was per-
formeil around a painted jwst, which was tlie Indian mode for recruit-
ing for such service. Whoever joined in the dance was considered as
having enlisted for the campaign, and assumed the obligations of
going out with a party. This ceremt)ny was more commonly called
sfi'ikiiit/ ilic poi^f. Those participating were painted red, as a symbol
of war. Around the post the warriors recited their deeds of dai'ing,
and it is said that no ancient hero drawn from Homer could exhibit
more fire in words and acts, each warrior detailing his exploits, and
closing each important sentence by striking the post with his sjjear or
other weapon of war. It was the forest school, 'm which the young
learned their first lesson in the art of war. Occasions of this kind
among the untutored natives took the place of our more civilized mili-
tary reunions and Fourth of July celebrations.

When returning from a successful exi)edition, the dance of Thanks-
giving was always indulged in. It partook of the character of a
religious cei-emony, accom[)anied with singing and choruses, in which
the women joined, but otherwise took no part in the [)erfornmnce.

L,i Hontan, speaking of dances among the Nm-tii American In-
dians, says tliey were of seveial sorts, the i)rinci[)al of which was the
Calumet dance; the others were the Chiefs dance, the Warrior's dance,
the Marriage dance, and the dance of the Sacrifice, differing from each
othor both in cadences and in steps or leaps, as he terms them, it
being impossible, he says, to describe them, for "they have so little
resemblance to ours: the Calumet dance, which they [)erform only on
certain occasions, as when strangers pass through their country, or
when their enemies send them ambassadors t(j treat of [)eace, being
the most grave and handsome."'

The rattle used in dances is called by the Iroquois (iiis-<l(i-irn-S((,
and by the Algomjuins Clii-clii-coiic.

Capt. Jonathan Carver, in s[)eaking of the style in performing
any dance, says that the women, particularly those of the western
nations, dance very grac(!fully, and that ditferent nations vary in their
manner of dancing. The Ojibways thn w themselves into a greater
variety of attitud<« than any othor people, sometimes holding their
heads erect, at other times bending forward almost to the grounil, then
reclining on one side, and immediately after on the other. The Sioux
or Dakotas carry themselves more upright, step firmer and move more
gracefully; but all accompany tlieir dances with a disagreeable noise,
both in their style of singing and words of exclamation.

DANCES.

■)(

Mr. Catliii, the artist, mentions the following vlnnces among the
western tribes wliom he visited: Tlie Slave dance, the Begging or
Beggar's dance, the Discovery ihince. Dance to the Medicine of the
jjrave, among the Sauks and Foxes. The Beggar dance, the Buffalo
dance, the Bear dance, the Eagle dance, and the Dance of the Braves,
among the Sioux and Ojihways: the Buffalo dance, the Boasting ilance,
and the Begging dance among tiie Mandans.

Mr. Fletcher, I'liited States Ai^ent amonjj tlu! Winnebnj'oes in
1S4S. says that dancing is a national trait of this tribe, and is a part
of their religious, social and military system; that the War dance was
celebrated by them before starting on the war-path, and although this
tiibe at that time had not for several years been engaged in war, it was
htill kept up among them, concerning which he says: "The object of
this seems to be the same as that sought to I. effected by martial
mrsic and military reviews amimg the whites, namely, to keep alive
a martial spirit and in peace pre[)are for .var."

The Bear dance was engaged in as a religious ceremony by the
tSioux. In this ilance the dress was of bear skin; the dancc^rs imitated
the motioris of that animal, and they hoped ])y this ceremony to win
success in hunting tlu^ l)ear.

W. P. Clarke, of the United States Army, in his work on the
"Indian Sign Language," thus refers to dances among the wdd tribes
of the western [)lains: " The Comanches have thi> Haven, Buffalo,
Bull. Swift Fox — all war dances — and Dance of Fear, with shields
ami hiiiccs. when they expect an attack; Turkey Dance, inutating
motions of turkeys. Tho Deer dance might be called the Juggler's
dance, as the dancers pretend to swallow red beans and then throw
them out thnmgh the breast."'

The Caddoes had a Corn dance, held when the corn was ripn
enough to eat, and, until this ilance took place, no one was allowed to
pick any of the corn. They also liad a Beaver dance, in which the
medicine men swallowed large shells.

The Jiertliold Indians had a special dance for the women, called
the White Butfalo danc(^. They also had the Strong Heart, Bull,
Wolf, and Young I3og dances. Th.iy usi'd masks of buffalo heads for
the Bull dance, and wolf skins for tin' Wolf dance.

The ("heyennes had a special war dance, when all the soldiers
were wanted for war purposes. A large fire was made in the center
of the camp, where the warriors assembled, mounted and dismounted,
but wearing all their "war toggery," weapons, etc. Men, women and
childven joined ia the dance, and when the excitement had become
intense and reached its greatest height, the head men went among the

258

THK A.MEHICAN INDIAN.

dancers anil picked out twelve of tlie best and bravest soldiers, and
placed two lines of six each on opposite sides of the fire. Then the
old men and head men ^ave them advice, telling them that they must
be vigilant and bravt>, and must never run from their enemies, and
that tiieir peo[)le vrould, after their return, sing of their brave deeds,
but should they be killed on the battle fitdd, than whit'li there is no
more glorious death, tliey v/ould be great chiefs in tlie hereafter.

Generally speaking, the Plains Indians had the Omaha or Grass
danc'e> engaged in by men, old and young, at any time; this is also a
be'fj'in}' dance. The Fox dance was for vounjr men, at anv time. The
Wolf dance was performed by those just going to war. The H( rse
dance took place once in two years ; a large lodge is pitched in the
center of cam[); the men are in war costumes, and their ponies painted;
they then circle, charge, discharge guns, etc. The Scal[) dance was
engaged in by men and women, after the scalps have been brought
home; those who have been on the war-path have their ffices lilackened.
Chief, or Short Hair dance, was mostly for old men, at any time. In
the Night dance, young men and girls engaged, at any time The
Strong Hciirt dance was for young men, at any time, as als(j was theS[)irit
dance. In the Otter diince, young men used poles Avith otter skins,
th(( ceremony taking place at any time. This was a medicine dance.
The Kill dance was performed by mothers whose sons had been to war
and met with success. These do not exhaust the list of dances, but
are the princij)al ones.

The Corn dance, or Green Corn dance, was one which seems to
have been observed among all the tribes within the country where the
zea maize or Indian corn was found, and although very many, and. it,
may be said, nearly all of the dances, once faithfully observed by the
tribes in their native or wild condition, have disappeared and fallen
into disuse, especially anv ngst those Indians called the civilized tribes,
yet the festival or Green Corn dance is still ob.served by these latter
tribes, especially those of the Indian Territory.

The Indians of the countrv of the Northwest coast, alonij the
Columbia river and other waters, where salmon abounded, had the
Salmon dance, with which was connected many superstitions; but
since the coming oi the white man it is no longer observed.

The Gins Ventres celebrated the Goose danca to remind the wild
geese, as they left in the autumn, that they had Jiad good food all
summer and must come back in the spring. This dance wiis performed
bv the women, each one carrying a bunch of long seed grass, the
favorite food of the wild goose. They danced to the souikI of the
drum, circling about with shulHing steps.

DANCKS.

2r)0

Acconliii'' to Beverlv. some tribes of ludiaiis luul also a danco
called the Festival dance, which vms j)erf()rined by the "dancers them-
selves forming a ring, and moving round a circle of carved posts that
are set up for that purpose, or eh e round a fire made in a convenient
part of the town ; and then each has his rattle in his hand, or what other
thing he fancies most, as his bow and arrows, or his tomahawk. They
also dross themselves up with branclu^s of trees or some other strange
accoutrements. Thus they proceed, dancing and singing, with all the
antic postures they can invent, and he is the bravest fellow that has
the most prodigious gestures."

In this connection it is intei-esting to note information given in
the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for the year
18s4, p. i37, wherein is set out the report of the Pine Ridge agency,
Dakota, in which it is noted that the Indians about that agency have
made "great progress in abaudonin.g many of their customs, noticeably
that of the Sun dance, which, for the first time in the history of the
Ogal la-Sioux and Northern Cheyennes, was not held. The abandon-
ment of such a barbarous ami di'moralizin*; ceremonv. anta<fonistic to
civilization and progress, as it has been proved, is a bright and prom-
ising event in the tribe's struggle towards advancement in the white
num's ways, and for this, credit and thanks are duo the younger element
among the tri])e, having encountered in so doing the opposition of the
old and non-progressive Indians. It is to be hoped that a firm stand
on the part of the government in the future will prevent the reapi)ear-
ance of the Sun dance."

In the report of the Indian Commissioner for ISSli, is also found
the following information from the Indian Agent at Crow Creek and
Lower Brule consolidated agency: "These Indians have given up the
Sun dance, Scalp dance, and other barbarous dances that keep alive
their wild natures and retard their progress, but I have not endeavored
to break up the Scjuaw dance and such other harndess amusements."

It is noticoil tluit otlit^r Indian agents, in these various reports,
frequently take occasion to inform the commissioner that they have
broken up and prohibited the Sun dance and other l)arbarous dances
and practices among the Indians under their control.

The ho[»e so earnestly indulged in by these Indian agents that the
firm stand taken by the government will prevent the reaMpoarance of
these barbarous practices among the Indians, will find a licartv
response from every true philanthropist and advocate of Indian welfare;
but those who look r,()on th(> civilization of mankind as something
tending to contribute to their lia|)piness. in the advancement of their
moral condition, cannot well content themselves witii a success accoin-

2(i(»

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

plishcd through the Jiu'iun (lopiirtiiieiit in iiuluciiig the Ugfilhi-Sioux
and other trihos to iil)an(i>m their long-estahlisluHl ami extremely bar-
barous eustoins mentioned, but they may properly demand, in the
interest o£ civilization, that the barbarous and brutal })Ugilistie practices
of tlio white man's pri/e-ring shall be abandomul, that liis bull-fights,
cock-lights, horse-races, and other like ])rutal exliibitions for the
amusement of the grosser senses of the civiliztnl white man, be also
removed from the catalogue of favorite amusements for the editicaticm
of civilized peop](>, and wliilst the government agents are so active in
patting a stop to thi^ barbarous and demoralizing influence of the Siiii
(Unicr, let tlieir activity include also attention to the aforesaid ilenioral-
izing practices among our own people.

THi: iUAia- DANCE.

CHAPTER XV.
AMUSEMENTS AND GAMES OF CHANCE.

Indians nro Fond of Anmsement— Deliulit in Games of Chance — Ball Playing—
Game of LaCrosse— Addicted to Practical Jokiiif;— Various Modt s of (lainblinsj
— Various Devices for Amusement— Gamo of tlie Plum Stone— Card playiuj,'.

'^pT'7HE Imliiins, in their native
^:i A condition, were fond of
/tjl Jf amusements and games of
^ chance, and, above all,
were much <,'iven to j^ambling.
In this regard, however, it may be
said of them, as in respect to most
other peculiarities of character,
they do not perhaps dilfer essen-
tially from the white man, especi-
ally so far as a propensity for
gambling is concerned, and it is a
singular coincidence that, in their
games and mode of gambling, in
many respects, they are similar in
character to those amongst civil-
ized ju>()[)le.

Their dances, spoken of in
tho foregoing chapter of this work
s[)ecially devoted to that subject,
whilst not designed strictly as
an institution of amusement, but
more as a religious (".evotion.
might perhaps, to a certain extent,
bo classed under that head.
Amusements and games, among tiio Indians, were something
which attracted the special attention of travelers ami writers at an
early day, the trait being so prominently nuirked in the Indian char-
acter. Their attention was drawn in this direction particularly from

INDIAN W0MI:N ri-AYINli liAUK OK
riA'M STONK.

2C>2

THK AMEKICAN INDIAN.

the fact that in their ainusemonts and games so many features Avere
found mufli resembling, in this respect, the practices of the white man.
The Iroquois liad, in connection with tln>ir dances, a kind of
amusement, in tlio nature of what we would call concerts, four in num-
ber, as follows: O-cc-dosc' ; the Medicine concert, Oa-no-d(i -ijo-suh ;
the Female concert, O-c-iiti'-do-la ; and Thanksgiving concert, Ah-tlo'-
ircli. The O-ci'-dosf' was the most prominent, and is thus described by
Mr. Morgan:

'•It was given in the night, in a dark room, and no women were
allowed to be jjresent. Those engaged in the concert were seated on
benches around the room, in a continixous row, each one holding in his
hand a rattle. These rattles were made to give each one a different
note, by means of diiferent sized shells, and holes bortul in them to
♦unit the sound. Among twenty of them, rattled together at such a
concert, no two would give the same sound. Corn was placed inside
the shell. When the parties were ready, one of their number sang a
song, to which they all beat time with their rattles, and at certain
intervals all joined in the song in chorus. Another then commenced
a song, which was continued and finished in the same manner. After
each one in turn had sung his song, which, with the accompaniments
and the choruses, made a not unpleasant entertainment, the concert
was ended."'

Tlieir games, except those involving athletic sports, were played
by both sexes, some of them together and some of them separately.
They also had games belonging to children only. Their games were
much the same as those found among all the tribes throughout the
continent, in which the practice or mode of playing* them was (^uite
uniform, subject to the same rules and proceedings.

Mr. Morgan notes the following games amcuig the Iroquois: The
Ball game, or O-id-dd-jish' -qiia-iujc ; the game of Javelin, or (ln-iuf-
(/a-o; the game of Deer Buttons, or Uui^-ya-c-sd'-id; game of Snow
Snake, or U(i-ira/-s(i; game of Arch(>ry, or 1k)W and arrow, Wd-a'-iio,
(jd'-iio; game of the Bowl and Peach Stones, or (jii)i-k(i'-rli.

The games of the Iroipiois, like those of other nations, were
divisible into athletic games and games of chance. As Mr. Morgan
observes, unlike the prizes of the Olynijjic games, no chaplets awaited
the victors. Tiiey were strifes between nation and nation, village and
village, or triiics and tribes; in a word, parties against parties, and
not champion against champion. The prize contendeil for was that of
victory; and it belonged not to the triumphant players, but to the
party which sent them forth to the contest.

Betting upon the result of games was not only common among

AMUHKMENTS AND GAMES OF CHANCE.

263

the Iroquois, but was a custom among all the Americau tribes, thus
referred to by Longfellow:

" So tliey sat and playod toyotber,
All the old tTien and tlio yountt inou,
Played for drosses, weapous, wampntii,
Playod till iiiidui(,'lit, played till mornin>f,
Playod until tlio Yeuadizze,
Till the cmining Pau-Piik-Koowis,
Of their treasures bad despoiled them."

The bets were generally niado in a systematic manner, the articles
at stake being deposited with the managers of the game; thus the
j.rincipal stake holder, so well observed among our civilized people,
was an established feature with the Indian in their institution in
gambling and games of chance. A bet offered by a person upon one
side, in the nature of some valuable article, was matched by a similar
article, or one of equal value, by some one upon tiio other side. Per-
sonal ornaments were the usual gambling currency. Other bets fol-
lowed in like manner, until hundreds of articles were sometimes col-
lected.

The game of ball is usually [)layed in the winter season, after the
winter's hunts are over, and during the summer while the game is
unfit to kill, and in the midst of their athletic; sports, games of chance
and war. The mode of playing this game is thus described by Mr.
Schoolcraft :

" The game is played by two parties, not necessarily equally
divided in numbers, but usually one village against another, or one
large village may challenge two or three smaller ones to the combat.
When a challenge is accepted, a day is appointed to play the game;
ball bats are made, and each party assembles its whole force of old
men, young men and boys. They women never play in the same game
with the men. Heavy bets are made by individuals of the op[)osite
sides. Horses, guns, blankets, butt'alo robes, kettles and trinkets, are
freely staked on the result of the game. When the parties are
assembled on the ground, two stakes are placed about a (quarter of a
mile a[iart, and the game commeiu'cs midway bt>tween them; the object
of each party l)eiiig to get the ball beyond the limits of its op[)oiit'nts.
The game commences by one of the old men throwing the ball in the
air, when all rush forward to catch it in their ball bats before or after it
falls on the ground. The one who catches it throws it in the direction of
tlie goal of the opposing party, when, if it be caught by one of the
same side, it is continued in that direction, and so on until it is thrown
beyond the limits; but if caught by an opponent, it is thrown back in
the opposite direction. In this way the ball is often kept all day

2(54

TilE AMKiaCAN INDIAN.

AMUSKMKNTS AND (iAMES UV ( IIANCE.

2»i5

between the two bouiuliiries, neither party beinj; nble to get it beyond
the limit of the other. When one lias caught the ball, he has the
right before throwing it to run towanls the limits until ho is overtakiii
by tiie other party, when, being compelled to throw it, he endeiivorw
to send it in tlie direction of some of his own party, to be caught by
some one of tliem, wlio continues st'iiding it in tlit^ same diret^tion."

Till- ball IS carved from a knot, or made of l)aked day covensd
with rawhide of the deer. The bfdl itiit is from thrtHi to four feet
long; one end bent up in a circular form of al)out fcmr incites in
diameter, in which is a net-work made of rawhide or sinews of the
lU'i'V or l)utl'alo.

Mr. Morgan says this game rencheil back to remote nntiquity, and
was universal among tiie rod races, and was playetl with a degree of
zeal and entiiusiasm which would scarcely be credited. Among the
Iro(juois the parties to the play stationed themselves in two [)arallel
lines, facing each other, each one holding a ball bat, and with which
aloiK* the ball was handled. As soon as all the [ireliminaries were
adjusted, the ball was dropped between the two tiles of players, and
taken between the l)ats of the two who stood in the middle of each
file, opposite to each other. After a ijrief struggle betw<H'n them, in
whicii eacii endeavoreil with his bat to get possession of the ball and
give it the first impulse towards his own gate, it was thrown u[), and
then commenced the contest.

The play went on with so much earnestness that they frequently
wounded each other in their unconscious zeal for succes-. resulting
Bonjetimes in bn)ken bones. Notwithstanding this, no ill-feeling
between them arose in consequence of mishaps of this kind. These
plays were conducted with the utmost fairness, during which (lis[)utes
seldom arose.

Among their prominent games was one called the game of Plum
Stone, or game of the J3owl, known according to otiier translations as
the game of the Di.sh or Platter, and sometimes known as the game
of the Little Bones; pieces of bone, worked into form, being some-
times used in place of plum stones or other substances, thus described
by Mr. Kohl in his " Kitchi-Gami. or Wanderings Anmnd Lake
Sui)erior:"

'• It is played with a wooden bowl, and a number of small figures
bearing some resemblance to our chessmen. They are \isually carved
very neatly out of bones, wood or plum stones, and represent various
things: a fi.sh, a hand, a door, a man, a canoe, a half moon, etc. Tliey
call these figures '7>af/cs.sa«a// ' (carved plum stones l, and the game
has received its name from them. Each figure has a foot on which

2»5t5

THK AMF.IUCAN INDIAN.

it can Btiiiul upriglit. They nro nil thrown into a wooden howl ( in
Indian, (intKidn). The players make a hole in the ^Moiind, ami thrust
the howl with tlie ti^un>s into it, while <^iviiirr it a sii'.jht shake. Tlie
luore ti^'ures stand ii[)ri<,'ht on the smooth hottom of the liowl tiirou^'li
this siiake, all the i)etter for the player. Eaeli fl^'ure has its vidue,
and some of them represent to a certain extent the pieces in the ^'ame
of diess. Then) are also other fij^ures which may similarly he called
the pawns. The latter, carved into small round stars, are all alike,
have no pedestal, hut are red on one side an<l plain on the other, and
are connteil as plus and minus, according to the side U[>periiio8t.
With the pawns it is perfect chance which side is up, but with the
pieces much <lepends on the skill with which the howl is shaken. The
other rules and mode of calculation are said to he very complicated,
and tht) game is played with great attention and passion. This game,
as thus described, singularly corresponds in some respects to our game
of chess. It is somewhat diU'erently played among ditTerent tribes,
although all are founded upon the miiiw general principle."

('apt. Jonathan Carver speaks of the game as tlu; game of the
Bowl or Platter, which, he says, is played between tw persons oidy,
each person having six or eight little bones, not unlike a peach stone
in sizo or shape, except that they are quadrangular, two of the sides
of which were colored black and the others white. These they
threw up into the air. from whence they fall into a IjowI or platter
placed I. nderneath, and made to spin arounil. Accordingly as these
bones present the white or black sicL upwards, they reckon the game.
He who happens to have the greatest number of a similar color turned
up, counts five points, and forty is the game.

Hennepin, referring to this game, says the men ctimmonly play
with the stones of certain fruits that are red on one sitle and black on
the other. These they put into a largo wooden platter not very deep,
or into a basin of birch bark upon a woolen blanket or dressed skin.
They ])iay six or seven together, but only two of them take hold of the
plattiu" with their two hands. One after another they lift it up and
strike the bottom against the ground to hustle these six objects
together. If there come up five red or five black, all of the same side.

Mr. Morgan thus speaks of this game as {)layed among the
lro(juois: '"A dish about a foot in diameter at the base was carved tmt
of a knot, or made of earthen. Six peach stones were then ground, or
cut down into an oval form, reducing them in the process about half in
size, after which the heart of the pit was removed, and the stones
themselves were burned upon one side, to blacken them. The peach

AMfSKMKNIS AND (lAMKS ol" CHANrE.

207

Htonort wen< Hliakt'ii in tlm l)()wl by tho pliiyt'r, tlio codiit (lopcMidiiif^
upon tlin iiuiiil)!'!- w liirli cdiuo uj) of ono color, utter tlifv had ctiiised
rolliii<^ in tlio disli. It was played in tho public council Iiouho, by ii
HUccBSHion of plfiycrs. two at a time, under tlui sufx'rvisioii of niana/^^ors
appointed to represent thi» two parties and to conduct tiie contest. The
game was ended and the victory gained by hini who finally won all the
peach stones in the iiank, wiu(.'h was usually one huudred."

John Tanner, tlu! Indian captive, speaks of this game as the
Bi'(j-ijti-n(ih-))ilk\ which lu* says ai'e small pieces of wood, bone, or
sometimes brass, made by cutting uj> an old ketthi. One side is
stained or colored black, tlu^ other side they aim to have bright.
These may vary in numl)er, i)ut can never be fewer than lune. They
are put tog(;ther in a large wooden bowl or tray kept for that purpose.
Two parties, sometimes twenty or thirty, phiy sitting o[>posite each
other in a circle. The mode in [)laying consists in striking the edge
of the bowl in such a manner as to throw all the Bcij-ifd-tinh into the
air; and on the manner in which they fall into the tray depends the
gain or loss of the party. If his stroke has been to a certain extent
fortunate, the player strikes again and again, as in the game of billiards,
until he misses, when it passes to the next.

Among the Dakotas. it is said, the women often [)lay this game of
Plum stones more than the men, and often lose all their trinkets iu
betting on it.

The game of Deer Buttons among the Iroquois was much like that
of the game of Dish and Plum stones, e.vcept that the use of the dish
was omitted. It was rather a fireside game.

The game of Javelin, which, it seems, was most common among
the Iroquois, depended upon the dexterity with which tlm javelin was
thrown at a ring, as it rolled upim the ground. The javelin was an
instrument five or six feet long, and about three-fourths of an inch in
diameter, made of a substantial kind of wood, sharpened at ono end.
The ring was about eight inches in tliameter, made either into a hoop
or solid like a wheel, by winding with splints. Sometimes the javelin
Avas thrown horizontally by placing the forefinger against the end,
supporting it with the thumb and second finger. In other cast's it was
held in the center and thrown with tht^ hand raised above tht^ shoulder.
The javelins themselves were the forfeit in the play, and the game was
gained by the party which won tlnnn.

Among the nmu.sements of the Iroquoi.s, Algonquins and other
nations, in the latitudes of snow iu the winter season, was the game of
Snow-snake, designed primarily as a diversion for the young, but was
occasionally njade a public game between tribes, like other games, and

2C,H

TICK AMEUICAN INDIAN.

nrousfti (I (Ici^rt'c of spirit iiivolviiij^ l)t>ttiii<,'. us in otliiT ^luut's. Tliose
wcro Hindu ol' liicknry with |M>rfo(it precision and HiiiKh. Tlioy wcro
from fivi> to sfvi'ii feet in li'n<,'tli, about onc-fourtli of an inch in fiiick-
nt'ss, and <^radiially diniinishin<^ from about an inch in widtii at tlio
Horn] to alnmt half an inch at thu foot. Tim licad was round, tuiricd
up siii^iitly. and p<iintcd with sonin hard or heavy sul)stanc('. to
increase its momentum when Htarted.

in playing' this <^ame. tiio snake was thrown witii tiie liand l»y
piacin^r tlie foretin^'c^r at the tail end, and starting' it with the tiiund)
ami remaininix fiiif,'ers. It was thus inado to run upon the snow crust
with the speed of au arrow. an<l to a muc.i ;,M('ater distanct^
Honit'times ninniiif;' sixty or oi^dity rods. Sui-cess depeiide<l upon
dexterity and muscular stren<,'th of tins parties enj^nu^'d. 'i'lie snake
wlii<-h ran the ;.:reat('st distance was a point for the side to which it
' elon;,'ed

.Vrcliery, or practice with the how and arrow, as a matter of amuse-
ment as well as profit, to ac(piire experience for hunting,', was sometliini.ij
c'lmiiKUi aimuij,' all the trilii>s, as with all our civilized peoide. who
practice shooting at u mark or target.

Charlevoix speaks of a game he saw played between the Pt)ttawat-
nmies and Miamis. called the game of Straw. These straws were
small reeds, about the bigni ss of a wheat straw, and about six inches
long. Thev took a jiarcel commonly of L'dl ; always an odd number.
After having shullled them well togetlnu', making innumerable contor-
tions, and invoking the(}tMiii, they separated thtuu with a kind o!' an awl
or pointed bone, into parci'lsof ten each; every one taking hisoNvn at a
vcuiture, and he that happeneil to g(*t the parcel with II gained a cer-
tain number of points that wtM'e aijreed on. the whole game being
sixty or eighty.

Women have also a game, called anionic the Ojibwi.ys I'li -jniii-sf-
knli-iraii, which is pla_\eil with two leather lielts tied with a string,
idioiit two feet long. These art^ placed on Uie ground and each
woman, with a stick dxuit six feet long, irien to take up the Ch-itiili-
sr-Liili-initi from tlie other contesting party, and in doing so throws it
in the air. Whichever [larty gets it first to tin' place designated,
ctuints one in the game.

Tlie ph'V of the M<iccaHi!i is aiiotlier game practiced among tho
Indian tribes, the mode of proceeiling being siilistantially the sann<
among them all. It is thus desciibed as plavyd amoii<^ the l>akotas:
There are two parties to the play, se\eral on a side, one playing
agai!iMt the other. One side will sing whilst one man of the other
party hides a ball and moccasins. There are three moccasins used for

A.Mrsl'MF.NTS AM) (lAMKS of CIIANCI..

2»;'.i

the pnrpost!. The iiiaii takes tlic Imll or sticU Ixstweon liis tlimnl) and
forftin^cr, and slips it I'lnm one niocciisin to another several times,
and leaves it in oni' of tlitun. and then stops — soin(^thin^ liko thindilu-
plav ainon*^' the wiiites. The party who hhvo l)eeii sin<^ini,' liavo to
j^ues.-( in which moccasin tin* hall is, for wliicli purpose one man is
<diosen. If he <fuesses where the hall is the tirst time, ho loses.
Slionlil tho hall not he in the moccasin ho guesses the tirst time, he can
try again. He has now two moccasins for a choice, and has to guess
wiiich one the i)all is in. If he is successful, he wins; if not, he loses.
and ^'o they have only one cluii-ct) in two of winning. When one side
loses, the other gives up the ;i;o<'easins to the clher parly to try tli'dr
luck awhile at hidinif a i)all. There are no lii'di numoers in the <famo.

The children sometimos play the gann^ of I'inni stont^ The
children also have a game, played witii grains cf corn, precisely liki! a
game sometimes played among our white people. They take some
grains of Indian corn, or something of tlu* kind, and put them into tlie
hand, closing it U|i, and asking aiiotiier liow many there are in the
hand. Tho one who guesses right has tln^ game — soimithing liko what
our white (duldren sometimes call tlie ganu) of "odd or even."

The Indian children also had two other gam(!S. thus descrihed hy
Hennepin: "They 'ake a how and two sticks, onti hig, one little; they
lioM the little one in their right hand and ■ rike it .i(> as higii as tln-y
can with the other; another looks where it tails, and throws it upagain
to him that struck it. This play has likewise something in it like
some among tho European children. They likewise make a hall of
rushes or leaves of Indian corn; they toss it up and catch it upon the
point of a stick. Tho gl'oat [)eople. men and women, pass aw!iy Ihi'
winte'- I'-g. <;i atelling stories over the tiro, liko tho Europeans."

Foot racing hetwcen individuals vasidsi. a favorite pastime among
a'! tl trihes. Anioiig those trihes who. after the discovery and intro-
tluctiou of horses into this country, had ac(piir(>il them, this was suc-
ceeded hy horse-racing. Aiound or in the vicinity of the villages of
Indian nations, especially among iho trihes of the Anu'rican plains, « ho
were jiossi'ssed of horses, wouM he found race tracks, fnv tint purpose
of running and competing in trials of s|)eeil of t' is kind, tho same as
foi'.nd upon the agricuimnil lair grounds in the tanuiiig communities
of our white people at the presold day.

Caleh Atwater sa\s that in lM!'.t, during tho time he was among
the trihes of Indians in th(> I'pper Mississijipi country at i'rairie du
Chien, as a commissioner to m'goliato tho treaty, ho found them, their
young nmn eKpocially, addicted to card playing, on which thev het
heavily, in some instances losing largely at the so called game uf "old

270

nil': AMK/JU'AN IMilAN.

Hlotl^o."' Card pl/iyiii',', and otluT likcj^aiuos ot' tlu> wiiiti' iiiaii, iiitro-
ducod jimoii" tlicin l»v tli»> whites at an «>arlv dav. arc larijelv iiululyfotl
ii;; but t*iis siiii|ily provfs iiotliiii}^ bcvoml tlio I'act of iiiiToartjiiin'-
rneut of ai; additional kouivh of victi borrowed froiu tlit> irreat stock of the

•lilt

O IIUII!.

[t iit'ltlicr Ktrciii/tlii'Mcd IImi Indian's jiroiKMisitv for

<Mi>iblin<r, nor added anything to the JndiauH held of satiBfvin'f his
propensity for playin«^ ^'anies of ehanee. It opeiated simply as an
evidence upon the Indian ndnil that the while man. in liis evil ways in
this I'espect, did not dilfer essentially from liimsdl'.

CHArTKU XVI.

FOOD AND SUBSISTENCE.

Lon«'tiil "f Iii'lian ("urn Fuels ('oiiccriiiiij,' Simic I'scnof Ccuii Mciil Mini Dtlicr
AitK'Ifs Ni> lt<t;iilar 'rime for Mfiils Kal wlicii IIhv jut l!un;,'iv Moilf of
CoiikillH Wolin'li (ill llic Wiirk 1)1' ('iiokillK Mtnii' of I'lfsiTviliU .Meal — 'Till' /I'll
Maize - Mi nl(>, I'm" ami MaiiiMT of (!<M)kiui:— Wild Kicf Vc^'ctultioK ami FniilH
— FoiuliicsM fur Simar— Siiu'ar Makiiiir A (Jraml liuliiiii Carnival Mmli' ci(
l'ri)rc<'iliiiK in Makinj,' Sn^,'ar Mukuks, or MIrcli Mark Muxes.

A i; I !■; I) iih.i iii^io-

liiii'd lia\c lict'ii tilt'
IMltilP||> (if tlif wliitf

lllilll l\f, to till' I'i'Ulj

1111(1 siili.siHtnirc of till' Iiiiiiiiii
ill Ills iiativn coinlitioii. One
tliiii<,'. liuwt'vcr. is .-.I'ttlt-d aiul
>;«'iu'nilly iiiuln -toml. tlmt
t!ii' Iiidiiiirs •stiitV of lit'i'."
ill till' vt'<;t'tiililii kiii^filoiii.
\Mis till' /I'll iiiiii/i'. or wlint
Wf Coliiliiolllv eall liiiliiiil
rani , ihoiiikI w liieli cliiHlcrcil
ill bis iiiin;;iiiiitioii. iju' saiiii'
as witli lii.s toliari'o, variou.'^
su|)t'istitioiis. lii'li 'viiiir it to
liiivf liiiii iri\»"ii liiin jiH 11
s|p('i'iiil favor tliioiij,f|i tlir
uooi|iu'>s of till' (Jiral Siiiiit,
and roiu'i'iiiiiii,'' wliieli tin'
Ojiliways liavi' tin' tollowiii;,^
I'l'iiiitifiil It'ui'inl :
A poor Indian wiig livlii;^ with Ii'h wifimiid cliildi'i'ii in a liuaiitiful
|iarl of till' ('(iiinti'y. Hin cliildri'ii wiTo too yoihii^' to ;^ivn liim aiiv
iis.si.'^taiici* ill lllilll iii^X- "ii'l )>** !>'> ' '>>i' <" \nr\i liinisclf. Kiit lif wan
tliaiikfiil for all In' ri'ci'ivi'd from tlm foii'sl. and altlmn^fli in' was vi rv
poor. Iii> was vi'iy coniiiitid.

His oldest Hon inlu'ritml thi> Haiiii> disposition, and liad cvor lu't'ii

t-'TI)

II. "I I 1 I IV

272

TlIK AMEIIICAX INDIAN.

obtvlioiit to liis parents. Ho hnd now ronohod the n<:fo fit whicli ir is
[)n)[>'T to nmke tlio initial fast, whicli tlio Indian lads all tlo at about
foni'tt'iMi or fifttH'ii. As soon as the sprinj^ arrived, his mother built
liini a little fasting-iiMlirc in a nitired spot, where he would not be
disturlx'd; and when it was finished he went in and began his fast.
He iiniuscd liiinsclf for n few niornini^s by ranil)!in<f about in the
vicinity, Inokinj,' at the shrubs and wild tlowers (^having a taste for
such things I and brought great bunches of them ah)ng in his hands,
wliicii Itnl him often to think on the goodness of the Great Spir't in
proviiling allkimlsof fruit and herbs for the use of man. This idea
(piite took possession of his mind, and he earni'stly praytnl that he
might lircani of SDmetliing Ui benefit his peo[tl(.', for he had often
seen them snll't-riiig for the want of food.

On the third day he becann' too wtiak and faint to walk about,
and kept his l)ed. He fancied, while thus lying in a ilreamy state,
that he saw a handsomn young man, dressed in green robes, and with
grt'cn plumes on his head, advancing towards ',im. The visitor said:
'• I am sent to you, my friend, by the Great Spirit, who made all things.
He has observed you. He sees that you desire to procure a benefit
to your people. Listen to my words, and follow my instructions."
Hi' tlii'n told the young man to rise and wn^stle with him. Wt^ak as
he was. he tottered to his feet and began, but after a long trial, the
hamlsome stranger said: **My friend, it is enough for once; 1 will
come again." He then vanislied.

On the next day the mysterious visitor reappeared and renewed
the trial. The young nniii knew that his physical strtMigth was ev(Mi
less than the day before; i)ut as this declined, he f(ilt that his mind
becanm stronger and clearer. Perceiving this, the stranger in
plumes again spoke to him. ■To-morvow," he said, "will b(> your last
ti iai. iJe strong and courageous; it is the only way in which you can
obtain the boon you seek." He then departed.

On the tliir<l day as the young faster lay on his palh^t, weak and
exhausted, the ph'asing visitor returned; and as he renewed the con-
test, he looked more l)eautiful than ever. The young man grasped
him. ami seemed to feel new strength imparted to his body, while that
of liis antagonist grew weaker.

-Vl length the stranger cried out: "It is enough. 1 am lutaten.
Vou will win your desire from the (}reat Spirit. To-morrow will be
the seventh diiv of your fast, and the lust of your trials. Your father
will bring you food, which will recruit y(m. I shall then visit you for
the last timi'. and I foresee that you ani destined to |irevail. As soon
as you have thrown nie dow n, strip otf my garments, and bury me ()n

FOOD AND HUnslSTEN'CE.

273

tlie spot. Visit t • pldoe, and keep the enrth dean and soft. Let no
Aveeds grow there. 1 sliall soon come to life, and re-appear witli all
the \vra[)[)ing8 of my garments and my waving plumes. Once a
month cover my roots with fresh earth, and by following these direc-
tions your triumph will he comph^te." He then tL.rippeared.

Next morning the youth's father came with fool, hut he asked
him to set it by, for a particular reason, till the sun went down.
Meantime the sky-visitor came for his final trial, and althougli tin-
young man had not partaken of his father's otVcr of food, he engaged
in the cond)at with his visitor with a feciling of supernatural strength.
He threw him down. He tiien stripped off his garments and plumes.
He buried his body in the earth, cart-fully [)re[)aring the gnmnd, and
removing fvery weed; and then returned to his father lodgt\ He
kept everything to himst'lf. revealing nothing to di'nute his vision or
trials. Ht* jiartook s[)aringly of food, and soon recovered his [)erfect
strtiiigth. But h(* never for a moment forgot the burial-|)lace of his
friend. He carefully vi.sited it. and woidd not let even a wild tlower
grow there. Soon he saw the tops of the green plumes coming out of
tlie ground, at first in s|iiral points, then expanding into i)road leaves,
and rising in green stalks, and finally assuming tiitir silken fringes
and yellow tasst>is.

I'hc spr'ing and summer had now passed, when one day towards
evening, lit* reijuested his father to visit t!i. ioiu^ly spot whcri' he iiad
fasted. The old man stood in anni/.(wnent. The lodge was gone, and
in its [)lace stood a tail, graceful and nnijestic plant, waving its tapi-r
leaves and displaying its bright colored plumes and tassels. J5ut
what most attracted his admiration was its cluster of golden ears. •' It
is the friend of my dreams and visions," said the youth. '• It is
M(in-(l(i-niiii ; it is tiui spirit's grain." said the fatlit'r. .\nd this is the
oriiiin of the Indian corn.

H is this legend from which the poet Longfellow draws in tlie
fifth canto of his •■ Song of Hiawatlia," relating to '' Hiawatha's fast-
ing." For the voutli mentione*! in the legend ho substitutes his char-
actt'r. Ifiairdlliii: wherein, in closing his description of the fasting of
Hiawatha, and his contest with "■ the friend of man, Mondamin." he
savs:

" H.imt'wanl then wont KiawatLa

Tn tli(> IdiU'i' of "III NDkiimiH,

Ami till! Hovi'ii (liivs of his fiiKtinj,'

WiTi' nrciiiiiiihslu'il aud cnmiiloU'd.

But tliii plaoo was not foi-Kottcu

Wlieri" ho wrPKllo<l witii Mninlaniiu;

Nor forifoitoii nor ni'i;li'cti'il

Whh the f^ruvo whiTo lay Moudainin,

27-4

Tlii: A.MKUU'AN INDIAN.

SliM'iiin^' ill III)' ruin and Hiinsliiiii',

WliiTf IiIh HcaltfiiMl pluiri'K iiikI ^'aruu'UtH,

Fndfil iu tbo rain and siinNbiiie,

Day hy day did lUuwatlia

(Jo to wail and watch ln'H:d(> it;

.vi'pt till' ilark mold ho'I aliovc it,

Ki'pl il cli'an fiuin wimmIm and inH('<'tH,

Drove awiiy, with hi(>!Th nud Hliitiitui).')),

Kah^'ahucc, thtt kiiii; of ravfiis.

Till at li'iiKlh a small (.rrccii feather

From the earth nhot slowly iipwnrd,

Then another and another.

And liefore theHiimmer ended

Stood the iiiai/i' in all its lieaiity,

With its shining robes aiiont it,

And itH loii^, Koft, yellow lrt>H8eH;

And ill rapture Hiawatha

Cried aloud, ' It is Moiidaniin!

Yes, I lie friend of man, M uniiiu!'

Then he called to old NokoliiJH

And Ia«oo, tb«< j,'rt':'t liousU'r,

••showed them where tliH iiiaize was Krowin^',

Tohi nielli of his wondrous vision,

or his wrestlin*,' and his triuniph,

Of this new 1,'irt to the nations.

Which sliould he their fooil forever."

A<'conliii<,' t(i Mr. Mmojiiii. tlic lni(|ii<ii.s liavc a It'o-cml tlmt tlio
com |ilaiit .K|iraiijf from tiix Imishiii of tlif iiiotln'i' of tlif (rifut S|)ii it,
after litT Ituriai. Finni IJic iimst ri'iiiuto |icrii((l to wliicli tradition
reai'liOH, tlii'V cnltivatt'd this |ilaiil, also tlio liraii ami tiic sipiasli. of
wliii-'i fill'} raisn Hiillicii'iit nuaiititit's to sii|i|ilv tln'ir utmost want, [irc-
jiarini,' tln'in for food in a ^^'fcat varifty of wavs. In tli(> Ifocmoirt
mode of t*x|iit'ssin<,' tim idea, tlicso plants art) mt'iitioncd too^ctinT
tiiidiT till' li^Mirativt' natuo "Our Lif*',"' or "Our Sii|i|Hirt<r.-i." From
this it would a|i|M'ar that this |n'o|ilc did Hot ndy, like sonif id' t\\o
trilatH in other parts of the continent, ho much upon the chase as a
means id' sulisislence. Tiny were not so mi;,'ratory in they character,
and resided more in permaii ;it vili.' j.ri>H and within certain well delined
territorial limits; and it is aHirnuul that amoii^ this people, two tiiirdsof
their food or means of sulmiHteiu'e wuh veirctahle. 'I'lie fruit of the
chaso wa.s ii secondary, ai(hou;,'h a iiecesHary. means of subsistence, the
same as animal food is with the white num.

'I'his proportion in the sulisistence or articles of food anion;; the
IriMpuiiK, as to the amount of corn found in their country at various
tiiiicri, is well sustained throii^rh many accounts .nuin^r to us from
earlv wrileiH. When their country was invaded in Ids" liy the French
uiuh'r L)c Nonvilh*. in the vicinity of the (imiuHuit river, La ilontau

FOOD AND SlliSISTi:X(;E.

Zti)

informs us timi the FitMicli iiniiy "sju'iit fivt' or six diiys in cnttiii"^
«li>\vn tilt' Indian corn with (iiir swords." TlifM'o wore probahiy at least
six hundred persons on<^af^ed in this work, which W(»uld show the
<ixist«nce of (juite extensive fields. The French commandant liini-
Helf, in referriui,' to the ([uantity of corn destroyed at this time, says:
'* W(* remained at the four Seneca villaj^es luitil the 24tli of July.
All that time we spent in destroying the corn, which was in such ^'reat
abundance that the loss, includin<,' old corn that was in cdi-lir. which
W(^ Itnrnt, and that which was standin<^'. was computed, accordiu",' to
the estinnite aftewards made, at four hundred thousand niinots of
Indian corn" ( l.liU( 1.(1(10 hushelsi. This, however, must he regarded
ns an eytrava<fant estimat'.'.

In the report of (ren. Sullivans expedition into the Senecn c

oun-

Iry in ITT'.l. that portion relating to a destruction of property on the
occasion shows tiie abundant I'esources of that people in their su|)ply
of means of suhsisteiu'e. and especially in regard to corn anil other
vegetable productions. In this expedition (ten. Sullivan is reported to
have destroyed forty Imliaii villages, U»().(H)0 bushels of corn, vast
(|uaiitititw of beans and other vegetables, a great number of horses,
hogs. ca(tle. farming utensils, etc.. and everything that was the res\dt
of labor or production by cultivation, and this was tlu< sanguinary
achievenuMit of three weeks' unmolested auil unremitting employment
of lietween four and live thousand int ii.

Tiie Virginia tribes for a long time sustained the English colony
at .lamestown with supplies of corn from tiieir own tields. without
which, ("apt. Smith says, they must have perished; and in which all
the early writers coiuMir.

The tribes oil the noi'th of thr (iulf of Mexico, in the country of
the Ap[)alachians. raised the zea nnd/e in such (pnintities that De
Soto's army on one occasi(Ui. it is said, marched through the tie'ds of
nniize for the distance of two leagues. Mr. Schoolcraft says it is<|uite
evident that the cultivation of the zea maize gave the ancient mound
Ituilders the capacity of concentrating their inunbers and living
together in large towns, which created a necessity for and enaliled
them to constnn-t and ilefend those anti(|ue works.

It is true that in every case where tin; Indian population was con-
centrated to any considerabl(> extent, we must believe that they were
Hustained by cultivation of tiie zea maize, accompanied by other plants
within the catahtgueof edible vegetable products. Out upon the groat
plains in the country of vast herds of butValo. where the <'ircumstancert
permitted the ctiucentration of population, the Indian became nmre ii
hunter: relying more u[K)n the chuHe fur subsistence, and less upon

'27ti

Tin: A.MKKICAN INDIAN.

tho ouMivntioii of vf><jrotiiblo products, iiml all this rathor from necessity
than as a iiiattt'r of clioicc.

Tliu /A'H iiiai/,t'. like th»< su<,Mir cam', scoms to have bt'Oii originally
a tropical plant, and bocanic <^radually carried northward hy migration
of the tribes, until, in time, by care and cultivation, it reached to forty-
nine de<^rees of north latitude. Spanish writi'is mention the fact of
its l)ein<f found in abunduiice in the \Vt»st Indies, at the time of the
discovery.

Mr. Schoolcral't thinks that the presence of r.ea maize, in various
|>arts of the North American contineid, constitutes one of the best evi-
dences of tiie track of nu^Mation of tiie Indian tribes. From this he
derives the fact tiiat the iinrtlitTti tribes, uiicrever this plant is found,
mi-^Tatcd from the south, (tr ratiicr, |)t'rliaps. from th»' southwest, com-
nieiiciii<f ill the country of Mexico.

riie ^r*^at Athapasca family, startinj,' from an op[)osite center of
mii.jration, did not po.ssess the zea maize. 'J'his plant was raised to
p(!ri'ection so as to preserve seed, from an early |)eriod. at Red Lake,
nortli of the sources of the Mississi[)pi. near latitude forty-idne tlej^rees,
and in the valley of tlie lied Jliver of the Noith. It had been carried
to remote points in this direction, in thi^ nu^'ration northwi'st of the
Ojibways, the Kidstenoes. and the As.sinil)oins. and in these latitudes
it ceases. This plant, it seems, however, was not found by liie early
explorers in the vicinity of the Columbia riv»*r.

The (iulf I'f St. iiuwrence is set down as the most northerly lati-
tude til which the Indians had carried tills <,'raiii at the time of the
discovery. None of it was found north of this latitude at the time this
|)art of the cimntry was (list visite<l l)y the whites. In ioilowinf,' up
the St. Lawrence river, passing' into Lake Ontario, tiience thiou^dithe
country of the Irocniois. iii Itllo. the <'ultiv!ition of the zea niaiz(> was
found bv the French in all tiieir cantons; and, it is said, that as an
article of food was one of the iiniiiistakable causes of the proe;ress to
political power made by this celebrated <,n()Up of tribes, by means of
which they couid sustain more heavy po|)ulation ami live in muro
coiii|vii(t vilhii^es.

In 17""J. in sustaininj^ the infant colony of Louisiana, the zea
maize was found so abundant ainonjf the ('hoctaws. who were the
ori^'inal oc<'Upants of the cuiiiitry. that the soldiers of the colony were
ftir months (pnirtered on that tribe.

The track of its spreading among the tribes iiiion the Atlantic
const is clearly trncetl nh)ng its shores into Mastjachusetts and all New
Kiiifland. where they raiseil tlm small variety of white and yellow
tiinl tiorn, and where their mikaliik (pulverized parched corn) con-

I'ddl) AM) SfltSISTKNCK.

277

stituted tlio snstainitif^ ftuxl >>{' their warriors wlien nimblo to iirocuw

Tilt' [)li\iitiii<;. <'ultivatiii<^'. iiiirvt'stiii<;. aiid <f('iior!il care of tlm corn,
was ft work allotted to the woiiicii, wliii-li tlicy pcrfoniit'd with tliR
utmost cheerfulness, jjenerally workiirj,' in parties by niutuftl agreement,
attending to the fields of eaeh other in conjnnetion. Jiel'ore they
obtained iniplfinents of the wliite man, tlieir tools for preparinij the
ground and |)lanting tiie corn were sea shells or sliarpened sticks, or
iniphMuents made of wood of sundry di'viees, as their inijonuitv wouUl
suggest.

As wo have learned of the Indian the mode of planting and culti-
vating their corn, we must iid'er that their mode of doing tlie same
thing in their early liistory was tiie same, or similar to our own. except
ill the imiilements u.sed. They had no plows, as we Imvo, for the pur-
j)Ose of cultivating the ground, but in tiie place of an implement of
this kind they used sharpened sticivs or other siniihir implements, l»y
which they loosened up the soil and kept their ti<>lds clear of weeds
and grass. The ground was raised up into small hills of about two
foot in diaraotor, and in height about twelve inches, tlie hills from
center to center being four or live feet apart. Afli'r the Held Inul once
been prepared in this manner, the hills were never levi^led down, but
the field remained in that condition, renewing the removal of the
;:rass from timt* to time as occasion demanded. The ancient corn
fields of the Indians were always marked in later times by the appi^ar-
ance of these snndl hills extending over the siirface.

\s the ears of corn commenci'd to ripen, great attention was
recjuired in keeping otV blackbirds and other graminivorous spt-cics
from destroying the crop. This labor was assigned to the matrons,
girls and boys, for which purpose stagings were erected in ditV(U'ent
parts of the field, on which the watchers would sit to frighten away
these birds by various modes, as by .screaming with loud voices, or
beating of sticks and the like. As Longfellow has expressed it:

" .\s till' (liiv (lawin'il.

Kiiliualiifi't'. tilt' kiiiK'nf r.'ivcMH,
( iiilliiTi'il III! Iiis liliick iiiaramlcrH,
('rnws and lilackliinis, jiiys and ravrns,
(MiiiiiuriniH oil the dusky trcti-topw,
.Vlid ilcsi'clidcd, fast aii'l fearless,
On the ticlds of Hiawatha."

There were also in tiie country various wild fruits, grains and
vegetable productions that did not re(piire ctdtivation, which were an
im])ortant source of Indian subsistence. Among the wild fruits were
jilums. crabap|tles. thorn, cherry. eld(>r and cranberries. Many of the

27 N

Till'. AMKUICAN INIilAN.

Hiuall lakt's or strt'iuiis of still water vi<>liU>(l Hupplics of wild rico tliiit
tilt* Iiiiliaiis ^atliori'd in ;^rn*at aliuiidanct) in tlio autiiniii. and which
tiioy niadn into h(>ii|i. Tho woods and praiiios ahoundt'd with hlack-
ht'iTies. hiirklt'lHTi ics, HtrawhiTiit'S. rasplHTiit's, ^^'oosKlicnit's, Idack
currants, wild ^^rapcs and marsh craiilM'rrios. Tht'm was a root i-oni-
luonly culled tii« <;ronnd-nut, roHonddin;,' in shapo and tasto tin* West
India HWft-t potato. This sttrvcd for food and <^ro\\ in ricli l)la<'k soil.
Tlii're was anothrr plant caiii'd ini-lir-zn-itin, or swan potato, found
in l)o«;s or marshy soil. Thfso wt'ro hoilcd or roastt'd, Imt wtM'tt not
very palataldf, and wi-rc eaten only in cases of extreme lumber.
Another root Honustimes eaten i»y them and calle«l «-(/»-y»///, was a loiijj,
white. ttMider root, havinj^ a |mn^'ent taste.

The Indians alonj; the sea coast lived larjielv on clams and other
shell fish, and tish in «;eneral was everywhere an important artich^ of
food. The IndiaiiH in the country of the Columhia river and its tril»u-
taries lived larp'ly upon salmon and various ludlmus roots <jrowinf^ in
that country in ahundance. The principal of the roots is tin' bniids,
a white bulb, which, when cooked by roastinj,' in a fire, covered with
earth, is (juite nutritious and a^'reealile to the taste. They have in
that country various other roots besiiles the kdiiias. but of tlie roots
this is tiieir ciiief reliance.

Tn the country last nn>ntionod. as soon as the snow is off the
jfround, they be<,'in to search for a little bulbous root which they call
the /)o///«>/(. which looks like a small onion, and has a dry, spi<'y taste.
In May they ^et the sixilliini or bitter root, a delicious white root
which dissolves by boiling' in water, and forms a jelly st)m«>what bitter
in tastt>. The Mitter IJoot river and mountains derive tlu'ir name from
this plant. In June conu's tlie little hyacinth bulb, which, when roasted,
is as nice as a chestnut. The Ldtmin stalk •(rows a foot or over, in
lenijth. haviiij^ on it pah* blue tlow«'rs. This plant ijrows in beds so pro-
fuselv that Uie stalks cover the field so closely that at a little distanc«>
thev somewhat resemlije a sheet of water. Tlie Indians live upon this
root two or three months in tlm year, and, with the salmon, it is their
chief article of food. The women stop upon th;i grounds and ^'ather
the h-diiiiis. while the men ^'o to the fishin<( stations and procure tish.

The tribes of the Sierra Nevada <'ountry eat what is called the
muztuirto, or little api)le; these, with |)irie and ^Mass seeds and a little
cloviM", with, at times, small ipiantities of tish and small •^aine. mostly
constitute tin* food of these tribes. An early Aiiiericaii resident «if
('alifornia says he has frecjuently seen tht< natives of tln^ San .loacjuin
valley entinj; ^'reeii clover with j;reat avidity, ()in^ of the dolicacies
of the IJlackfeet tribe was berries boiled in bull'alo blood.

I(U»1) AM) SI'IIHISTKNCK.

279

Jdhii U. .It'wKt. four yt^nvH n cHiitivf iiiiioiij; tlio IndiaiiH in the
vicinity dt" Vaiicouvt'r'H iHliiml, nmrly n liuiitlifd yt'iiis ii<,'(), siivs of
tlio iii(kI« of living iiiiion^' tlifst> triltt'H, tliat tlit-ir footi consistH almost
wliolly of fish or tisli spawn, frt'sli or tlrit'd, tin' hladilcr of \viialt>, snal
or s»*n-f()W, clams and hcrrit's of various kinds, all of which wcroonten
with a profusion of tiain oil for sancf, not t'xc»'|itin<; cvfii th<^ most
dt'Iicatn fruit, as strawl)t'i rit's and raspijcrrit's. They had Imt two
mt'thods of cookin;;. Iioiiing an«l st»'aming. Thtnr cooking, however,
was mostly l)y Itoiling.

The nmde of Itoiling fiMxl among tho trihos of the continent, in
general, before the coming of the white man. was hy putting water
into a wooden trough or tui>, then jiutting hot stones into the water,
by which means the water was kept JMiiling until the food was cooked.
Imlians w(>r(* (piitc fond of broth, and thiM waH u common dish among
them, both as a matter of choice and economy. Fre(|uently. when
their store of provisions was reduced to a small animal or small part
of an animal, or a single bird, which coulil not well be divided

ng a party of several persons, it was put into a vessel and

nmo

boiled, st> that the substance became as far dissolved in water as pos-
sible, making it into a soup. In this manner the whole could be
divided ecpndly between tin* parties, by which each would receive h
due share.

Meat was prest'rved l)y cutting into slices and hanging in the suu
or near the tire, thereby drying or cooking it sutVu-iently for pre.serva-
tion without salt. ('(U"n, when ripened, was generally secured by
placing it in what were generally called nii-lii's, being holes dug in dry
or elevateil spots of ground, in which the corn was placed, anil then
covered over with earth sutlicientlv to turn olf tht; water. Corn, amouir
the InKpiois especially, was likewise preserveil by braiding the husks
of the ears tog<4lier, and then hanging them up on poles, placed aloft
in their cabins. It seems that the white man learned liiis numner of
preparing coin of the Indi

an.

The Indians had no such thing as regular meal times, or periods

in the (lav for eatin''. Thev simidv ate when hunirrv;
tliev had anvthing to eat.

that

IS, w

hen

Con;, the staple of their vegetable food, is cooked in various

ways, and, as w

*•«' have borrowed this plant from the Imlians, so

have been instructe<l by them as ti> the various ways of cooking it; all
of which we have observed to this dav. together with iireservini; tl

lie

identical names which the Indians gave to the saiuo dishes. One
mode of cooking corn is by taking it when green, removing the kernels

tlu

lb, ami boiling with beans. The ilish, in the dialect »)f the

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

(P,

i/i

:/-

1.0

I.I

1.25

„ 132

i,40

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

22
120

IIIIIM

\A III 1.6

^9)

•V

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WFaSTER, NY 14580

716) 872-4503

?\?

'^'^#"'
S

f^^%^

i^.

2h(»

THE AMEiaCAN INDIVN.

New Eiigiiuul tribes, is called siiccoldi^li, and the mode of cooking, as
well as the luiine, we have derived from them.

Another mode is by taking the corn after it becomes ripe, shelling
the kernels from the cob, and then boiling the corn by putting ashes
into the water in which it is boiled, the effect of which removes the
hull from t!ie kernel. After being suificiently boiled, the corn is
taken out, put into cold water and washed clean, thus entirely remov-
ing the hull from the corn. This they call liominy, and the mode of
cooking and the name of it we have also ado[)ted. Another mode is
by parching the corn in the fire, then separating it from the ashes, and
pounding it in a mortar until pulverized into meal. This was eaten in
various Avays; by making it into a pudding, which we commonly call
liftsti/ jiti(hHn(i (which Ave learned also to, make from the Indians), or
by making it into cakes baked in the ashes. Hunters carried a quan-
tity of this pulverized corn in their sacks, eating it dry, a small hand-
fial at V time, or mixing small quantities in water. Sometimes these
various dishes would be improved l)y adding sugar or molasses, made
from the sap of the sugar maple tree.

Mr. Brooks, in his " Story of the American Indian," says that
from the Indians came our squashes and pumpkins, beans and melons,
and that the Indian women were the first to serve the smoking meal
of baketl beans, and to teach the colonists from over the sea how to
prepare the hoe-cake and the ash-cake, pone and hominy, samp and
succotash, gruel for the sick-room, and the toothsome pop corn so dear
to our childlu)od.

The mode of pounding or pulverizing dry maize varied considera-
bly among different tribes. This work, by custom, was left to the
Avomen, avIio generally exercised their OAvn ingenuity in regard to it.
AVhere circumstances favored it, mortars and vessels of stone Avere
used. The mortar Avas sometimes formed by a depression in the face
of a rock or a detached block of stone. Frequently an orifice Avas
tVirmed in Avood or a suitable log, by burning into the surface, and
scraping out the coal. By reneAving the fire on the clean surface, a
deep excavation Avould soon be made, and, indeed, in this manner
Avooden boAvls and cj^uite hirge canoes Avere formed out of the logs of
suitable trees.

Before obtaining the metal hatchet of the Avhite man, hominy
blocks, consisting of a movable Avooden mortar, Avere formed fron) a
solid block of AVood, from tAvo feet to thirty inches in length, by hol-
loAving out one end by burning. The pestle used consisted of a
smoothly-wrought piece of hard Avood of about four feet in length,
rounded otf at each end, being smallest in the middle portion, so us to

FOOD AND SUBSISTENCE.

•2S1

be more conveniently ginsped by the liand. After the introduction
of the iron ax by the whites, the stump of a tree was excavated, or
an orifice cut in the body of a fallen tree to serve as a mortar.

Anion>r other articles of spontaneous production used as food
among the Indians was that of the wild rice before mentioned, which
grows in the shallow water of the rivers and lakes in latitudt-s north
of forty degrees, in what is now the states of Michigan, Wisconsin.
Iowa, ALiunesota, and the valleys of the upper Mississippi antl Mis-

INDIAN WOMEN OATHEUINO WILD UICE.

souri, and was found in such (juantities as to furnish one of the prin-
cipal means of Indian subsistence in the country of its j)roduction.
It usually rij)en8 in September. It is a small cylindrical grain of
about half an inch in length, covered by a very thin pellicle of a dark
color.

In preparing wild rice for eating, it is usually boiled in plain
water to the consistence of hominy, and eaten with a spoon. It con-

282

THE AMERICAN INDIAN,

tains more gelatinous matter than the southern rice, and is very
nutritious. It is sometimes prepared fi.r eating by roasting, when it
is eaten dry. It grows upon a stalk which r'ses above the surface of
the water some six feet or more. The labor of gathering this corn,
is by custom, as in other like work, assigned to the women. The
places where each family is to gather it are generally selected and
assigned by mutual consent, which is respected by all as their indi-
vidual possessions.

The grain when sufficiently ripe is separated from the stalk by
thrashing or striking with a canoe paddle or stick prepared for that
purpose. The harvesting is usually done by two or three women, one
of whom takes the bow, and the other the stern, of a moderate-sized
hunting canoe, perfectly water tight, which, being cleaned out for the
purpose of receiving the grain, they shove into the field of rice, and
bending the stalk in handfuls over the side of the canoe, they beat at
the grain with a stick or paddle. When taken from the bottom of the
canoe, it is full of husks or chaff, and requires to be winnowed. It is
then put into bags and stored away for winter use. If a surplus is
obtained, more than is needed for the family's use, it is sold to the
traders on which to subsist the men engaged in their service.

Thei chief delicacy among the Indian tribes was wild honey, of the
common honey bee. Of this they were very fond, and in many local-
ities they gathered large quantities.

But the most esteemed article of food in the line of delicacies
was maple sugar, made from the sap of the sugar maple tree, in all
those latitudes where the ground becomes materially prepared by freez-
ing weather in winter, and whereby the course of the sap is favorably
atfected, as it commences to ascend to the branches in the spring of
the year. The season of sugar-making, from the beginning to the end,
is a sort of carnival, or general holiday occasion, from which no Indian
can be prevailed upon to absent himself under any inducement that
could be offered him, and since the Indian has assumed the habits of
the white man in those localities where the sugar maple grows, this
same Indian carnival is kept up; and even where civilized Indians
engage in the service of white men for hire, when the sugar-making
season a^jproaclies they leave their eznployer for the sugar camp, the
wages he is receiving being no object whatever. He prefers the fes-
tivities of the sugar camp during its season to the compensation of his
employer, whatever the amount may be.

As the spring season approaches, and the sap of the sugar tree
commences to [)ass upwards, the Indian families repair to their sugar
camp and commence their favorite work. The mode of drawing the

FOOD AND SUBSISTENCE.

283

sap is thus described by Charlevoix: "When the sap begins to rise,
they make a jag or notch in the trunk of the maple, and by means of
a bit of wood which they affix in it, the water runs as by a spout.
This water is received into a vessel, which they set under it. To make
it run plentifully there must be much snow upon the ground, the night
must be frosty, the sky clear, and the wind not too cold." The sap is
carried in bark vessels to a place where preparation is made to receive
it, and where a fire is prepared. It is then put into kettles and boiled
down to sugar, the labor of Avhich devolves chiefly upon the women,
as in most other occasions of domestic atfairs.

Before the coming of the white man, since which kettles of iron
or otlur metallic substances have been obtained, it is doubtful if the
Indians had any mode of making the sap of the sugar maple into sugar,
and it is said that the art of making it into sugar was not known to
them until they were instructed therein by the white man ; and that
the Indians before that time only made the sap into molasses, or thick-
ened it to some extent by boiling, which must have been by the u e of
hot stones, as in the case of cooking their meat; still we have accounts
of earthen pots being used for boiling purposes to some extent by
some tribes in their primitive condition.

Indians of all ages, and es[)ecially the children, eat greedily of
this article, both while it is in the state of molasses and after it passes
into the stage of sugar. They also put up large quantities of the latter
for sale, in boxes made from the white birch bark, inocoks or iiioknks.
These boxes are in the shape of the lower section of a quadrangular
pyramid, of a light brown color, and when new, a nankeen yellow.
The children during the carnival, the same as our white children,
engage with great delight in boiling down the sap to syrup, and laying
it out on the snow to cool, making of it a kiiul of candy. Their
mothers, too, supply them with miniature inoknks filled with sugar
from the first running of the sap. These little mokiiks are ornamented
with porcupine quills, skillfully wrought in the shape of flowers and
figures. The boxes designed for sale are of all sizes, from twenty to
seventy -five pounds in weight. The number of boxes, of average size,
made in a single season by an industrious and strong-handed family,
it is said, is frequently from thirty to forty, in addition to the sugar
which the family consumes; and seldom less than a dozen to twenty
boxes to each family. The hey<lay scenes of tiie Sc-fc ^ ')h-kwtij.l-o-
ka-win or sugar-making, crowns the labors and festivities of the spring.

< \

:%i

CHAPTEE XVII

MARRIAGE AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.

Marriage lustitution— Simplicity of the Marriage Ceremony — Observations of Kev,
Isaac McCoy and Others — Pleasure Trips— Tiio Mother had Custody of Children
— Eights of Property — Marriage and Divorce -Wife's Attention to the Husband
on Return from Hunting — Testimony of Mary Jemison— Her Experience as an
Indian Wife— Her Labor not Severe — Continued Sameness in Domestic Duties —
Her Task not Harder than White Women who are Brought up to Work —
Polygamy Tolerated — Not much Practiced.

^S to the marriage customs

among

the Imlians, we
have been liable to the
same errors and miscon-
ceptions concerning them as in
regard to many other things per-
taining to the Indian subject.
Among most jjeople or nations of
the earth, whether civilized or
otherwise, some kind of ceremony
exists, in order to render the mar-
riage of persons binding or com-
plete. But the American Indian,
it seems, had no idea of anything
of this kind.

Kev. Isaac McCoy refers to
certain misconceptions or popular
errors in regard to the Indian
marriage. He states, that after twenty years' abode among the Indians,
and an acquaintance with more than twenty tribes, and after inquiry
of the missionaries and others in the Indian country, and of the Indians
themselves, he was unable to find information that any kind of cere-
mony ever took place among the Indians in connection with a marriage
between the parties, as in any way affecting the same; that the stories
told b}^ some writers on the Indian subject of the custom that a young
man who desired a partner was made to whistle on a wooden instru-

284)

MARRIAGE AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.

2S5

ment prepared for the purpose, as a symbol of communicating his
desires to some Indian maiden whom he wished to marry, are a fabri-
cation. He says, that whilst such fancied customs make a very good
story, it is unfortunate that such stories are altogether fabulous. His
evidence, in which all the authorities seem to concur, is that in native
Indian life, unaffected by the intiuences of the white man, the parties
come together without ceremony, and that when either becomes tired
of the otlier they separate with e([ual facility.

Father Hennepin declares that marriage among the Indians is not
a civil contract; that the man and woman do not intend to bind them-
selves together for life; and that they live together no longer than they
agree and love one another. As soon as they are discontented with
each other they separate without any clamor or noise, and remain per-
fectly indifferent for each other thereafter.

But Father Hennepin mistakes the premises entirely when he
declares that marriage among the Indians is not a civil contract. That
is precisely what it is, and it is regarded in a no higher ligiit than
such. But it is not a civil contract with any express covenants,
according to tJie customs of the white man ; but rather an implied con-
tract, or contract with implied obligations, like a common law contract,
so called, in those countries where the English common law is in force,
liable to be dissolved by mutual consent. Among the tribes in general,
however, the husband might of his own motion put away or divorce his
wife without her consent ; but if he did so without cause, in the o})inion
of his wife's relatives, he incurred their displeasure, and was liable to
retaliation. Among the Indians no tribunal for the purposes of relief
of the parties in case of a desire to separate existed, the termination of
the contract being entirely with the parties themselves.

Mr. Brickell, spoken of elsewhere in this work, speaking of the
Indian marriage and divorce, says: "I know of no marriage ceremony
among them, and never heard of a case of separation and divorce."

John Tanner, who was taken captive by the Indians when about
seven years old, and grew to manhood among the Ojibways, in the
vicinity of Lake Superior, in his narrative states the manner of
his marriage to an Indian woman, which well illustrates the Indian
custom. The name of the woman he gives as 3ris-kwn-hiin-o-kwa,
"Red Sky of the Morning." He was then living with an aged woman,
Nct-iio-kim, who had adop+ed him oi her con. The parties had met at
the wigwam of his foster mother on several occasions, and she had
expressed to Tanner a desire that he should marry this girl, which lie
was not inclined to favor. One day, on returning home after a short
absence, he says:

286

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

"When I arrived at our lodge, on the following day, I saw il//s-
kwd-bun-o-kica sitting in my place. As I stopped nt the door of the
lodge and hesitated to enter, she hung down her head ; but Nct-uo-ktra
greeted me in a tone somewhat harsher than was common for her to
use to me. 'Will you turn back from the door of the lodge, and put
this young woman to shame, who is in all respects better than you are?
This affair has been of your seeking and not of mine or hers. You
have followed her about the village lieretofore; now you v.ould turn
from her, and make her appear like one who has attempted to thrust
herself in your way.' I was, in part, conscious of the justness of Xci-
no-ktvci's reproaches, and, in part, prompted by inclination, I went in
and sat down by the side of Jitis-kird-hun-o-kwd, and thus we became
man and wife. Old N('f-)io-kir(i had, while I Avas absent at Red River,
without my knowledge or consent, made her bargain with the parents
of the young woman, and brought her home, rightly supposing that it
would be no difficult matter to reconcile me to the measure. In most
of the marriages which happen between young persons, the pai'ties
most interested have less to do than in this case. The amount of
presents which the parents of a woman expect to receive in exchange
for her, diminishes in pi'oportion to the number of husbands she may
have had."

Mr. Tanner further adds that it commonly happens, even when a
young man marries a young woman of his own band, that he has previ-
ously had no personal acquaintance with her. Perhaps they have seen
each other in the village in passing about, but probably have never
spoken together. The match is agreed on by the parents, and. when the
arrangement is made known to the young people, they probably find
in themselves no objection to it, as they know should it prove disa-
greeable mutually, or to either party, it can at any time be broken off.

Peter Jones says that the common practice among his people in
marriage was for the parents of both parties to make up a match, very
often without the consent or even the knowledge of the parties to the
marriage. Sometimes this agreement was entered into when the chil-
dren were very young, and it generally happened that they yielded to
the arrangement made by their parents, not only without any court-
ship, but before they had spoken to each other. When the contract
was not made by the parents, the Indian youth, having fixed his atten-
tion on some young woman, Avould make his wish known to his mother,
or to some particular friend to whose care he had committed the pres-
ents he had prepared for the occasion. The presents usually con-
sisted of a fine blanket, and other articles of dress for his intended,
and a kettle, a sack of t^orn, or some other articles for the parents. If

MAllRIAGE AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.

287

tliese presents were received, it was nt once uuderstootl tliat the offor
was accepted. The period of conitship was not generally prt)tracted
beyond a few months, and was fi-equontly of short duration.

According to the same authority, the practice of traveling, or
going on a pleasure trip, in later times iji our more linislieil society
called "wedding tours." was a practice also in vogue among the
Indians. On this subject Mr. Jones says: "The period of their
courtship is not generally protracted beyond a few inonths, when it is
terminated by the young man's taking his chosen companion on a
wedding trip for several days. Wherever night overtakes them, tiiere
they pitch the wigwam, and spend the day in shooting or fishing, fhe
hridc siccrhui the canoe. When this excursion is ended, they return
with the product of the chase, Avhich they present to the parents of
the bride, laying it at the mother's feet; and with them they continue
to reside, as the parents consider they have a claim on their industry
and support till tliey have a family of their own to maintain. On this
account the parents are always anxious that their daughters should
marry good hunters. Although no public vov^s nre made, nor any
particular ceremonies are performed, at the m.'irriages of the Indians,
it is surprising how seldom their mutuol engagements are violated."

Mr. Morgan, speaking of the customs of the Inx^uois, says:
" Marriage was not founded upon the affections, which constitute the
only legitimate basis of this relation in civilized society, but was reg-
ulated exclusively as a matter of physical necessity. It was not even
a contract between the parties to be married, but substantially between
their mothers, acting oftentimes under the suggestions of the matrons
and wise men of the tribes to which the parties respectively belonged.
In a general sense, therefore, the subject of marriage Avas under the
supervision of the older members of each tribe; but, practically, it
Avas under maternal control."

Mr. Morgan says that according to custom among the Iroquois,
the husband and wife were never of the same tribe, and the children
were of the tribe of their mother. No right in the father to the
custody of the children, or their nurture, was recognizeil, and so, after
separation, the father gave himself no further trouble concerning them,
nor interested himself in their welfare. They became estranged as
well as separated. Among some Indian nations, in cases of separa-
tion, the male children were taken by the father, and the female chil-
dren by the mother. The care of Indian children in infancy and
childhood was entrusted to the watchful attention of the mother.

Among tlie Iroquois, inconsiderable as property was among them,
it was held subject to distribution under fixed laws. It consisted

28«

THK A.MMItlCAN INDIAN.

merply of plaiitinj^ lots, orchnrds, housi's, impleinents ot tlio clmse,
weapons, wefiriiij^ npparel, ilomestic utensils, personnl ornaments, stores
of corn, skins of animals, and those miscellaneous fabrics which the
necessities of life led them to invent. The rights of pro[)erty of both
husband and wife were continued distinct durin<,' the existence of the
marricre relation, the wife holding and controlling her own the same
as luu- husband, and, in case of separation, taking it with her. No
individual could obtain the absolute title to land, as this was vested
by the laws of tlie Iroquois in all the people; but he could reduce to
possession unoccupied lands by cultivation to any extent he pleased,
and so long as he continued to use them, his right to their enjoyment
was protected and secured. He could also sell his improvements or
betj^ueath them to his wife or children.

Whilst the Indians iiad no such thing in their custom, in general,
as a marriage ceremony, considered necessary to give elt'ect to the con-
tract of marriage, yet they had customs of ceremonies attending or
incident to occasions of such a union between the parties, as that of
giving presents to the parents of the bribe. This was different from
the white man's custom. Aviiere the presents are given to the bride her-
self. They also had a custom of a great feast on marriage occasions,
the same as people of the more civilized nations, Avhere the guests
Avere sometimes very numerous, at which they danced, sang and entered
upon other diversions which usually took place on occasions of rejoic-

ings.

On the subject of Indian domestic life, Mr. Heckewelder relates
the following anecdote of an aged Indian who had spent much time
among the white people of Pennsylvania and New Jersey:

One day about the year 1770, he observed that the Indians had a
much easier Avay of getting a wife than the whites, but were also more
certain of getting a good one. " For," said he, in his broken En-
glish, "white man court-court, may be one year! may be two year
before he marry! Well! may be then got very good Avife, but may
be not! may be A'ery cross! Well, noAV, suppose cross, scold so soon
as get awake in morning, scold all day, scold until sleep, — all one; he
must keep him ( the pronouns in the Indian language ha\'e no femi-
nine gender). White people have laAV forbidding throAving aAvayAvife,
be he ever so cross ! must keep him ahvays. Well ! how does Indian
do? Indian, Avhen he see industrious squaAV, Avhich he like, he go to
him. p)laco his tAvo forefingers close aside each other, make tAA-o look
like one, look squaAv in the face — see him smile — which is all one, he
say yes! so hetake him Inmie — no danger he be cross! no! no! SquaAv
kuoAv too well Avhat Indian do if he cross! throw him away and take

MAUUIAOE AND DOMESTIC AFFAIUS.

289

(1 a

ore

hi-

iir

nuy

IdOll

he
liiii-
life.
ian
to
look
he
liaw
:ake

another! Sc^uaw love to oat meat! no liU8l>an(l, no meat! Stjuaw do
everytiiinir to please husband; he do the same to please squaw; live
hapi)y!"

The Indian, according to his custom, had specific causes for
divorce, the same as has the white man under his code of laws.
Those were, in general, unfaithfulness; and intolerable laziness, on the
part of the wife, was also cause for divorce. Polygamy or plurality
of wives prevailed to a very general extent among all the American
tribes of the continent. It was considered lawful for any man to
marry as many wives as he could provide for. They generally selected,
if possible, sisters, from an idea that they would be more likely to live
together in peace, and that the children of the one would be loved
and cared for by the other more than if the wives were not related.
According to Mr. Morgan, polygamy was forbidden by the Iroquois,
and never became a practice among that people,

Mr. Hocke welder says the work of the women is not hard or
difficult, and they perform their tasks with cheerfulness. Within
their wigwams their labor is trifling, their utensils being few. There
is uo scrubbing to be done and but little washing, and that little is not
frequent. Their [uincipal occupation is to cut and fetch in the fire-
wood, cultivate the ground, sow and reap the grain, and pound
the corn in their mortars for use, and to make bread, which they bake
in the ashes. When going on a journey or to hunting camps with
their husbands, they carry a pack on their backs, which often appears
heavier than it really is. Mr. Heckewelder says that he never knew
an Indian woman to com[)lain of the hardship of carrying this burden,
the contents of which served for her own comfort and support, as
well as that of her husband.

Mrs. Jemison, the so-called Captive White Woman of the Gene-
see, speaks of the cheerfulness with which she performed her task as
an Indian wife. She says in pursuing their farming, in order to
expedite their work, and at the same time enjoy each other's company,
it was a custom among the Indian women to all work together, in one
field, or at whatever job they may have had on hand. In the spring
they chose for the ensuing year an old active squaw to be their driver
and overseer when at labor, which honor she accepted, and whom they
considered themselves bound to obej\

When the time for planting arrived, and the soil was prepared,
the women assembled in the morning, and were conducted into a field
where each planted one row; they then went into the next field and
planted once across, and s ) on till they had gone through all the
fields of different families iu the vicinity. By this rule they per-

2! to

THR AMEItlCAX INDIAN.

formed their labor of every kind, and every jonlonsy of ouh iiaving'
done more or lesH than anotiier was effectually avoided.

The Indian, in general, had no such thing in his household as
domestic jars or family <|uarrpls. His general character tended to
harmony. Mr. Heckewelder says umt it seldom hai)[)ened that a man
would condescend to abuse his wife or ([uarrel, even althougii she was
inclined to do so, and had given him just cause therefor. In such a
case tlie man, without replying, would take his gun or bov% and go off
at a distance into the woods and remain there perhaps for several days,
subsisting on the game lie might kill, well knowing timt he could not
inflict a greater punishment on liis wife for her conduct than by tlius
absenting himself for a time from the wigwam. She is not only thus
kept in suspense, uncertain when he will return, but she would be
reported as a bad and quarrelsome wife. On siach occasions the man
does not tell his wife on what day he will be back, which, otherwise,
when on good terms, lie never neglects to do. She is thus put to
shame by he;- ghbors, who soon suspect something, anil do not fail
to put such quv.tions to her as she either cannot answer or is ashamed
to own But whe- he returns she endeavors to show him by her atten-
tions that slie ha:: repented, though j)erhaps neither speaks to the other
a t»' igle word on the subject of what has passed, and as his ciiik. . n,
if they have any, will hang about him and soothe him with their
caresses, he is, on their account, ready to forgive, or, at least, to say
nothing unpleasant to their mf)ther.

According to Indian custom, on return of an Indian from a long
journey or long absence, on entering his wigwam, the meeting with
his wife and family is unattended by outward demonstrations of any
kind. He simply says to his wife, "I am returned;" to which his wife
will answer, "I rejoice." and, having cast his eyes around, he will ask
if all the children are well, when, being answered in the affirmative, he
replies, "I am glao " which for the present is all the conversation that
passes between them, nor does he relate anything that occurred on his
journey until he has partakon of nourishment, which his wife speedily
prepares for him. After awhile, when he has refreshed himself, if the
family are alone, or when the men of the village have assembled at
his wigwam, his wife, with his family and others who may come in,
hear his story at length.

Baron La Hontan, in his book entitled " New Voyages to North
America," written in 1689, gives an account of some rather singular
customs among the Indians of New France at that time, which is the
starting point for writers of Indian manners and customs, on the sub-
ject of marriage and relation of the sexes, down to the present time.

MAltlflAGE AND DOMESTIC Ari'AIliS.

291

Even Mr. Armstrong, i„ his w(,rk ,.n tl.o -Sauks and tlio Blaekhnwk
War," repeats the substance of tliis story of La Hontan, as anplicl
to tlie tribe of whicl, he speaks. T],ese stories of La Hontan. hovv-
ever, are liehevtul to l,o incorrect, and tlmt no such customs as i,e
relates existed among any tribes of the North American Lidiaus.

1 -:

CHAPTER XVIJI.
PARENTAL AND FILIAL AFFECTION.

Uufonndod Prejudices agiiinst the Indiau — Redeemi'jg Characteristics in bis Parental
and Filial Affection— Striking' lucidouts fvoiated — A Daughter's Attachment to
her Aged Father— Pathetic Anecdote — A Father's Affection Manifested for his
Son— Remarkable Instance— A Father's Cheerful Death to Follow the Spirit of
his Child to the Land of Souls— Respect for Old Age— Fond of their Children-
A Mother's Attention.

WWfl ^^ prejudice instilled into our minds
Wifi-^ nijainst the Indian has led us to believe
> j Ij. j i" I'll® depravity of his nature, from which
'W springs no redeeming features. There is
much in this idea that is erroneous, for whilst the
Indian presents an anomaly in human character
differing in many respects from other races of
the earth, he possesses many redeeming charac-
teristics of marked excellence, especially in regard
to parental and filial affection.

On this subject Mr. Catlin, after his many
years' experience among the Indians, well remarks,
that from the enslaved condition in which Indian
women are held, the world would naturally think
that theirs must be a community formed of incon-
irruous and inharmonious materials, and conse-
quently destitute of those fine, recij)rocal feelings
and attachments which naturally flow from the
domestic relations in the civilized world. Yet, he
declares, it would be untrue, and doing injustice
to the Indians, to say that they are, in the least,
behind in conjugal, filial and parental affection;
that there is no trait in tlie human character which is more universal
than the attachments which flow from these relations; no i)art of the
human species who have a stronger affection and a higher regard for
them than the NorMi American Indians, and there is no subject in the
Indian character of more importance to be rightly understood than this.

(292)

PARENTAL AND FILIAL AFFECTION.

293

lice

Ithe

Ifor

tho

UB.

A very striking instance under this head is given by Mr. School-
craft, showing the devotion of a daughter for her aged father. The
case occur-ed in the vicinity of Mackinaw. He says: ^'(iHchic Nai-
(joir (Great Sand Dune) was a Chippewa chief, wlio, during a long
life, maintained a reputation for bravery, vigorous exertion, and policy
in Indian life, in the region of tlie Upper Lakes. He was a warm
friend of the French during their suin-emacy in the Canailas; and an
actor in the scenes of peril that preceded and followed the fall of Que-
bec iu 1759. He had been one of the assailants at the memorable
capture of old Fort Michilimackinac, in 17(53, and is mentioned by the
name of Le Orand S(il)I<\ as one of the aiost sanguinary actors on that
occasion. He lived many years afterwards, shifting his tent, as the
seasons changed, from the open shores of Lake Huron and Michigan
to the thick woods which are the shelter of the natives irom the wintry
winds. Eighty years and upwards have now whitened the locks of the
aged chief, and he felt that his continuance iu these scenes must be
short, when he accompanied his relatives for the last time, dining the
month of March, from the borders of the water to <hose forests which
yield the (iccr ii(tccli(iri'iiit))i, or sugar-m-iple. This is a season of
enjoyment with the Indians, and they usually remain at their sugar-
camps until the sap assumes too much acidity to be longer capable of
being made into sugar syrup, and the trees begin to put forth leaves.
In the meantime, the days of the enfeebled [tatriarch, who had pitched
his tent in a hundred forests, a[)[)roached their close. It was found
that, when they had packed up their effects to return to the open lake,
he was unable to sustain the journey. His daughter, Xo-do-ica-qna,
the wife of Sa-jja-ixisli, determined to carry him on her shoulders,
that he might, for the last time, be permitted to Avitness those refresh-
ing shores. For this purpose, as soon as the carriers were ready to
move, she took her long and stout deer-skin a pe-cnii, or head-strap,
and fastening it around his body bent herself strongly forwartl under
the load, then rose und<r the pious burden, and took the path for the
lake. It is usual to put down the burdens at set places, and to proceed
by rests [ou-n-ai-be by oii-U'((i-bc) on their way. These she obeyed,
and brought him safely to the open shores of Lake Michigan. The
distance was about ten miles. I obtained these particulars from the
woman herself at Michilinmckinac, in 1833, when she was aged. The
feat of iEneas in carrying Anchises, when infirm, on his shoulders
through the flames of Troy, has long been celebrated, but is rivalled
here by an Alg()n(piiu woman. Poetry has embalmed the one act, lot
history da the same for the other."

Another instance in the same direction is given by Mr. William

294

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Warren, whose father was uu Indian trader in the early days in the
vicinity of Lake Superior, and whose mother was an Ojibway woman,
and who gi-ew to manhood among that people. The instance arose out
of the following circumstances:

A large paity of ()~(hi-<jaiun-('<'(j Indians, otherwise called Foxes,
floated down the Ontonagon river in their small inland bark canoes.
They landed in the night on the island of their foes, the Ojibways, and
early in the morning captured four women that had gone to gather
wood. The revenge of the Ojibways was quick and complete; and as
the Foxes, by their exultant yells, disclosed to their enemies the course
of their flight, hundreds of Ojibway warriors embarked hastily in their
large lake canoes in pursuit. A dense fog covered the lake, and de-
pending on this for an eventual escape and confident of their superior
numbers, the Foxes, elated with their success, kept up a continual
yelling and singing. Thus guided, the Ojibways silently and swiftly
pursued them, keeping purposely in their wake till they arrived oppo-
site a line of steep, rocky course, a mile above the mouth of the Mont-
real river, and some twenty miles or more from the point. Here they
fell upon the Foxes in great fury, fighting in large canoes, which sat
firmly in the water. They nearly destroyed to a man the party of four
Imndred Foxes, who, being in small canoes, were upset, and most of
them dispatched in tlie Avater.

Soon after the ab(jve occurrence, a party of Foxes fell upon a
camp of Ojibways at K(tli-piih-wa-ka, while the men were out hunting.
They captured two youths, having driven them into boggy ground.
One of these youths was the son of a principal Ojibway chief named
Bi-(uis-u(ili. At the time the capture was made, tiie father of the
youi g man was out on a hunt. Returning home, he heard the heart-
rending news, and, knowing that his son's fate would be at stake, he
immediately pursued the returning captors singly and alone. Follow-
ing in their trail, he arrived at one of their principal villages, where
the Foxes were preparing for burning his son. He stepped boldly
into the midst of his enemies, and offered to take the place of his son.
"My son," said he, "has seen but few winters; his feet have never
trod the war-path; but the hairs of my head are white, and over the
graves of my relatives I have hung many scalps that I have taken
from the heads of your warriors." The old chief's ofiPer was accepted
by the Foxes, his son released and himself burned at the stake, with
all the tortures that savage ingenuity could invent. The son returned
to his people, and was afterwards known by his father's name. He
became a noted man in his tribe.

The act above related was terribly avenged by the Ojibway tribe.

PARENTAL AND FILIAL AFFECTION.

295

A large war party was collected, and marched against the town of the
Foxes, on the Chii)p(iwa river, and they returned not till six villages
of their enemies had been laid waste, and their inhabitants destroyed.
After this the Fox tribe retired from the country borderint; on Lake
Superior, and fell back on the Mississip[)i.

Another instance of parental affection, illustrating the peculiar
belief and confidence of the American Indian in a future existence, is
given by Jonathan Carver, in his travels among the S'dit-dc-iris-HOUs,
or Dakota nation. He says:

" ^yhilst 1 remained amongst them, a couple whose tent was
adiacent to mine lost a son of about four years of ajje. The ))arents
were so much affected at the death of their favorite child that they
pursued the usual testimonies of grief witli such uncommon rigor, as
through the weight of sorrow and loss of blood, to occasion the death
of the father. The woumn, who had hitherto been inconsolable, no
sooner saw her husband expire than she dried up her tears and
appeared cheerful and resigned.

"As I knew not how to account for so extraordinary a transition,
I took an opportunity to ask her the reason of it, telling her, at the
same time, that I should have imagined the loss of her husband would
I'ather have occasioned an increase of grief, than such a sudden dimi-
nution of it.

"She informed me that as the child was so young when it died,
and unable to support itself in the country of spirits, both she and her
husband had been apprehensive that its situation would be far from
happy ; but no sooner did she behold its father depart for the same
place, who not only loved the child with the tenderest affection, but was
a good hunter, and would be able to provide plentifully for its support,
that she ceased to mourn. She added tliat she now saw no reason to
continue her tears, as the child on whom she doted was happy under
the care ami protection of a fond father, and she had only one wish
that remained ungratified, whicli was that of being herself with them."

Mr. Hockewelder, the devoted Moravian missionary, says there is
no nation in the world who pay greater respect to old age than the
American Indians. From their infancy they are taught to be kind
and attentive to aged pf -sons, and to never let them suffer for want of
necessaries or comforts. The parents s[)are no pains to ira[)ress upon
the minds of their children the conviction that they would draw uown
upon themselves the anger of the Great Spirit were they to neglect
those whom, in His goodness, He had permitted to attain such an
advanced age, and whom He had protected by His Almighty power
through all the perils and dangers of life.

296

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

" It is a sacreil principle among the Indians," he says, " and one
of those moral and religious truths which they have always before
their eyes, that the Great Spirit who createtl them, and provided them
so abundantly with the means of subsistence, made it the duty of
parents to maintain and take care of their children until they should
be able to provide for themselves."

An established trait in Indian character is that they are fond of
their children, and treat them Avith the greatest respect and considera-
tion. They raiely punish them in any way, and no children seem
happier than those of Indian families.

Some Indian tribes have among them regular story tellers, who
have devoted a great deal of time to learning the myths and stories of
their people. The Indian mother sometimes sends for one of these,
and, having prepared for him a feast, she and her little ones, Avho are
huddled up near her, listen to the stories of this dreamer, who thus
entertains them for hours.

Orphan children are usually supported by their nearest relatives.
"When they have no relatives able to support them, they are main-
tained by individual parties, and this is done Avith the same cheerful-
ness and apparently with the same parental affection as if they Avere
the children of the persons contributing to their support. Even in
war between tribes and nations, captive children are adopted into
families Avilling to receive them, and are treated in the same Avay as
their oAvn children.

CHAPTER XIX.

INDIAN HABITATIONS,

Simplieity of the Incliau Habitation or Wigwum— Term Wigwam, from whence
Derived— Mode of Constructing Habitations among Different Nations— Among
the Algonquin Tribes— Among Tribes of the Sioux Stock— Among the
Mandans— Among the Indians of the Plains in General— Among the Tribes of
the Shoshonee Stock— Among the Nootkaus- Among the Tribes of the Iroquois
Ktock— Inside Arrangement and Construction.

HE IiiiUnn habitation is
sometimes styled by our
English speaking peo-
ple (t loiUje; probably
deriveil from the house of the
gate-keeper on a gentleman's
estate in England, which was
called the gate-keeper's lodge;
or from the same term fre-
quently applied in England to
a small house in a park or
forest, thus referred to by

OJUIWAV VILLAOB.

bhakespeare :

" He and his lady are both at the lodge,
Upon the north side of this pleasant chase."

These habitations were at first known to Europeans as irifiwams,
a word in the Algonquin language from irifjiras, "birch bark,*" in'uiram,
something made or constructed of birch bark; such habitations being
generally covered with the bark of the birch tree. But latterly, since
the white man's invasion has reached the great western plains, where
the language of the Dakotas largely prevails, these Indian habitations
have been more generally called by our English s[)eaking people
tepees, a word in the Dakota language signifying tlie same as irif/iram
in the Algonquin language. The word in the Iroquois language, to
signify the Indian liabitation, is ga-no-sofc.

The aborigines of the Island of St. Domingo called a bonae l)()hio.
This refers to their common dwellings, made of light wood work, cov-

(287)

298

THE AMEIIICAN INDIAN.

CARIB HOUSB.

ered with branches aud shrubs interwoven. Others they called bohar-
qiicSi composed of piles of wood, driven into the earth, and joined at
the top in a conical form, or shape of a tent. This last word the

Spanish took from the natives
as hnhcqiK'j from this, it is
8U[)posod, comes the word
bdrhcciic.

The Piljjriin's Journal
thns describes the Indian
wigwam of New England at
that day: " The houses were
made with long, young sa})-
lings, bended, and both ends
stuck in the ground. They
were round like unto an
arbor, and covered down to the ground with thick and well-wrought
nets, and the door was not over a yard high, made of a mat to
open. The chimney was a wide hole in the top, for which they
had a mat to cover it close, when they pleased. One might stand
and go upright in them. In the midst of them were four little
trundles (truncheons) knocked into the ground, and small sticks laid
over, on which they hung their pots and what they had to seethe.
Round about the fire they lay on mats, which are their beds. The
houses were double-matted, for, as they were matted Avithout, so were
they within, with newer and fairer mats."

Another authority of like early date, speaking of Indian habita-
tions, referring also to the fact of the protection of their villages by
fortifications, says:

" Their houses are most of them built of one fashion, only differ-
ing in length, all of tliem ao^ree in breadth of twenty feet. They
build after this manner: they set peeled boughs of nut trees in the
ground, according to the bigness of the place which they intend to
build, then, joining the tops of the boughs together, they cover the
walls and top with the bark of cypress, ashen and chestnut trees,
which are laid one upon another, the smallest side being turned
inwards, according to the bigness of the houses. Several families, to
the number of fifteen, dwell together, '^very one having his own apart-
ment. Their fortifications are most of them built on steep hills, near
rivers ; the access to them is only at one place. They are built after
this manner: They set great poles in the ground, with oaken pallisa-
(locs on each side, crossways, one amongst another; between the
crosses, they set other trees, to strengthen the work. Within this

INDIAN HABITATIONS.

299

enclosure they generally build twenty or thirty houses, o£ which some
are ii hundred and eighty feet long, and some less, all of them full of
j)eople. In the summer they pitch tents along by the river side to
fish. Against winter they remove into the woods, to be near their
game of hunting and also fuel."

The mode of constructing habitations among the tribes of the
Algonquin stock was quite uniform. Their temporary habitations,
those designed for moving about from place to place in hunting and
fishing, were constructed of pole frames and covered with matting or
skins; but their more permanent dwellings, usually found in their
villages, were constructed of bark. Light was usually admitted
through an aperture at the top of the 1 xlge, through which also the
smoke escaped.

In their hunting or war expeditions, which often led them through
desolate forests long dis-
tances from home, the In-
dians had the art of rearing
temporary lodg' s Avith much
readiness and facility. On
arriving at their evening sta-
tion, they gathered r few
poles, placed them in the
proper position, meeting at
the top, and covered them
with their matting or bark,
completing the construction
in perhaps half an hour's time. Among tribes of the snow latitudes,
like the Esquimaux, tliey also understood how to convert snow into
material for a wigwam, and in the depth of winter made them quite
comfortable.

Mr. Morgan thus describes the habitation of the Iroquois people:
"The Ga-no'-sofr, or Bark house, was a simple structure. When
single, it was about twenty feet by fifteen upon the ground, and from
fifteen to twenty feet high. The frames consisted of upright poles,
firmly set in the ground, usually five upon the sides and four at the
ends, including those at the corners. Upon the forks of these poles,
about ten feet from the ground, cross poles were secured horizontally,
to which the rafters, also poles, but more numerous and slender, were
adjusted. The rafters were strengthened with transverse poles, and
the whole were usually so arranged as to form an arching roof. After
the frame was thus completed, it was sided up and shingled with red-
elm or ash bark, the rough side out. The bark was flattened and

ESQDIMADX SNOW HOUSE.

300

THE AMEIIICAN INDIAN,

dried, and then cut in the form of boards. To hohl these bnrk l)onrd8
firruly in their places, another set of poles, corresponding with those
in the frame, were placed on the outside; and, by means of si)lints and
bark rope fastenings, the boards were secured horizontally between

,-j them. It usually re-

quired four lengths of
boards and four courses
from the ground to the
rafters to cover a side
as they were lapped at
the ends, as Avell as
clap-})oarded ; and also
in the same proportion
for the ends. In like
manner the roof was
covered w i t h b a r k
boards, smaller in size,

OA-NO-SOTE, OK IUO(iU01S BAKK HOUSE. Wltll the roUgll SUlc Out,

and the grain running
up and down; the boards being stitched through and tlirough with
fastenings, and thus held between the frames of poles, as on the
sides. In the center of the room Avas an opening for the smoke, the
fire being upon the gi'ound in the center of the house, and the
smoke ascending without the guidance of a cliimney. At the two
ends of the house were doors, either of bark hung upon hinges of
wood, or of deer or bearskin suspended before the opening; and, how-
ever long the house, or whatever the number of fires, these were the
only entrances.

"Over one of these doors was cut the tribal device of the head of
the family. Within, upon two sides, Avere arranged Avide seats, also of
bark boards, about two feet from the ground, Avell supported under-
neath, and reaching the entire length of the house. Upon these they
spread their mats of skins, and also their blankets, using them as seats
by day and couches at night. Similar berths were constructed on each
side, about five feet above these, and secured to the frame of the
house, thus furnishing accommodations for the family. Upon cross-
poles near the roof was hung in bunches, braided together by the husks,
their winter supply of corn. Charred and dried corn and beans Avere
generally stored in bark barrels and laid away in corners. Their
implements for the cliase, domestic utensils, Aveapons, articles of
apparel, and miscellaneous notions, were stowed away and hung up
wherever an unoccupied place was discovered. A house of this

INDIAN HABITATIONS.

yoi

clesfiiption woulil accommodate a family of eight, with the limited
wants of the Indian, and afford shelter for their neceHsary stores,
making a not uncomfortable residence. After they had learned the
use of the ax, they began to substitute houses of hewn logs, but they
ccmstructed them after the ancient model. Many of the houses in
their modern villages in the valley of the Genesee were of this descrip-
tion.'"

The style of lodges among the tribes of the Dakota stock dilfored
somewhat in their api)earance and construction fi'om those of the
Algon(i[uin. Their lodges were generally constructed by setting up
poles, meeting and fastened at the top, making a lodge from eight to
fifteen feet in diameter, the poles being from ten to fifteen feet high
and covered with tanned
buffalo skins; elk skins were
also used for this purpose.
They make summer houses,
in size from twenty to thirty
feet long and about fifteen or
twenty feet wide, of wood or
perches set upright. These
perches were set in the
ground about one foot, and
were about six feet out of the
ground, and over this was put
a ro(jf of elm bark. These
habitations were very favor-
able for summer use. A lodge of skins would last three or four years
The skin lodge they carried about on their backs, or on horses, through
all their winter hunts. These, in general, would accommodate five or
six persons. In some lodges, the Sioux of the Plains say they have
feasted fifty warriors without inconvenience. About four feet is what
one person would occupy. The women constructed ami removed the
lodges.

Among the Winnebagoes, a branch of the Dakota stock, the cus-
tom in constructing their lodges was much the same as with the tribes
of the Algoncj^uin stock. With them a lodge forty feet in length and
sixteen in width would accommodate three families of ten persons each.

Among many tribes, of the Dakota and Shoshonee stock, their per-
manent habitations were constructed in more substantial style, and
covered with earth. Of this class were the habitations of the Omahas,
which are thus described by Alice C. Fletcher, for some time a resi-
dent among them :

M<)VABI>K WKiWAMS.

302

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

"These (l\vellin>^8 nre built by setting carefully solect.nl niiil pre-
pared posts closely together in a circle and binding them Hriuly with
willows, then backing thein with dried grass and covering the entire
structure with closely [lacked sods. The roof is made in the samn
manner, having an additional supin)rt of an inner circle of posts, with
crotches to hold the cross logs which act as beams to the dome-sliaped
roof. A circular opening in the center serves as a chimney and also
to give liglit to the interior of the dwelling; a sort of sail is rigged
and fastened imtside of this opening to guide the smoke and prevent it
from annoying the inmates of the lodge. The entrance passage way
usually faces the east, is from six to ten feet long, and is built in the
same manner as the lodge. A skin or blanket is hung at the outer

COMANCHE WIGWAM.

opening, and another at the inner entrance, thus affording a double
protection against wind and cold. The fire is kindled in a hollowed
place in the center of the floor, and around the walls are arranged
platforms made of reeds, on which robes are spread for use as seats by
day and as beds by night."

Such also, as before described, were the style of habitations
among the Kansas, Mandans, Hidatsa, Osages and many other cognate
tribes of the great American plains.

The Caddoes, lonies, Ah-mau-dah-kas, Wacos and To-wac-o-nies,
who dwelt in the country of the Brazos, had houses built of a frame-
work of poles, in a conical shape, thatched with long prairie grass,
with low doors ; the fires built in the center of the lodge ; the lodge
circular, about twenty-five feet in diameter and twenty high.

In La Clercq's " Establishment of the Faith," Vol. 2, p. 170, is

INDIAN IIAHITATIONS.

:{();{

tlio followinjj (Ipscription of tlip Imbitntioiis of a triho cnllod tlio Titriisa.
ill wliiit irt now tht< state of Ti'Iiuchscc: "Tht> vxills of their Iiousoh aro
mado of earth, mixed with straw, the rouf is of cuiies which forms a
dome that is adorned with paintings."

Major Backus, of the United States nrmy, says of the Navajoe
h)dge that it is an oxceedin<^ly I'ude structure, and is usually built of
piiion or cedar sticks, which are covered on the exterior with flat stones
and earth. It is in the form of a cone, seldom exceedinjjf five feet in
lieight, and has a triangular opening in front. The fire is nnuh' in
front of the lodge. The Navajoes are nomadic in their liahits. often-
changing their residences, frequently siieltering themselves in caves or
fissures of the rocks. They have no permanent residences.

The Nootka Indians, a branch of the Shoshonee slock. l)uilt (|uite
substantial habitations of planks and hewn timber, thus described by
John II. Jewett, who was four years a captive among tli«Mn: "They
erect in the ground two very large {)osts, at such a ilistance apart as is
intended for tlie length of the house. On these, whicii are of equal
height, and hollowed out at the uj>per end, they lay a large spar foi-
the ridge pole of the building, or if the length of the house requires it.
two or more, supporting their ends by similar upright posts; these
spars are sometimes of an almost incredible size, having myself meas-
ured one in Maquina's house, wliich I found to be one hundred feet
long, and eight feet four inches in circumference. At equal distances
from these two posts, two otliers are placed on each side, to form the
Avidth of the building; these are rather shorter than tiie first, and on
them are laid in like manner spars, but of a smaller size, having the
upper part hewed flat, with a narrow ridge on the outer side t«) support
the ends of the planks. Tlie roof is formed of pine planks, with a
broad feather edge, so as to lap well over each other, which are laid
lengthwise from the ridge pole in the center to the beams at the sides,
after which the top is covered with planks eight feet broad, wh'-h form
a kind of covering, projecting so far over the ends of the planks that
form the roof as completely to exclude the rain. On these they lay
large stones to prevent their being displaced by the wind."

The mats heretofore spoken of, used for lodge covering, were
made from rushes in a manner somewhat like that by which the
Chinese make similar fabrics, not unlike the mode in which the house-
wives in early times made rag carpet, the rushes serving as the warp
of the fabric. They were about four feet wide, and of various lengths,
as the occasion for which they were used demanded, and when carried
from place to [)lace were rolled up like a scroll.

It has been suggested that the Indian, in constructing his lodge

SB.

301

THE AMKKICAN INDIAN.

or wigwam of cone Blinpe, or aH Mr. Schook-raft Ims oxpreHsed it, in the
siiapo of an inverted bird'n nost, haH borrowed liin idea from the habi-
tation of the i)eaver, wiiieh la, in form, Hive tiie eone HhapCMl wigwam
of the Ojihway.s and many otiier tribes iuiiabiting tiie beaver coiintrieH.
Many travelers liave noted the faet that tliere were some trii)eH of
IndiaiiH, even in their native condition, who built <}uite Hubstantial
habitations. This class of habitations was somewhat common among
tlie Dakotas, also the ChickaHaws, and more southern tribes towards
tlie Gulf of Mexico. Ca[)t. Carver notes the fact that when he visited
the tribe of Sauks, or O-sau-kics, on the Wisconsin river near the
portage of the Fox river, they had, at that place, a village containing
ninety houses, each largo enough for several families. They were
built of hewn planks, neatly jointed and covered with l)ark, so as to
keep out the most penetrating rains, and before the doors were placed
comfortable shades. The streets were regular and spacious, so that it
appeared more like a civilized town than the abode of savages.

SUCCESSOn TO THE INDIAN HABITATION.

CHAPTETl XX.
THE INDIAN CANOE.

The Wonl Cnnoe— From wlienco Derived— Anioii>r what Twplo Firflt Sppii by
EtirDpoans— How ]Miuli>— Beciimo ii UnivtTHal Wonl aiii<)ii>,' tlio WhitoH— IiuIIh-
IK'Usahlo to tho Imlian— IjHftl by War ParticH— DilTciviil, StylcH of Caiiot-H—
Anionic DiffiTt'iit Triboa find XatioiiH— Caiioo of tlm Maiulaiis and Wt'Htcra
Tribes— Cauoes of the CnrrlViboefl—Bark Canoefi— Canoew of I,ii,'ht ^Nlntcrial for
Convenience of TortaKe Mode of Constructing' Canoes— Various Sizes—
Helectiii),' Trees for ii Cunoe— Time of StripiiiiH,' Bark for Canoe— Quotation
from Longfellow.

cASoi-: I'oBTAt.K.

"/'p^y HE word m //or- is one

J . •* cominj' t'l'oin tho laii-

■ ." '.f gi^"o'- ^*f tliG Carrih-

'^ ''"'' beos, a Dative people

toiiiid l)y C'olumbus iiiliabit-

iii^ the eastern portion of the

"W.'st Indies. They caHed

tliemselves, in their own lan-

;,Miage, C(iri)i(ijj(), C<iIIi'jhiii<iii,

Cdliiiafjo, and, abljreviated,

Cah'iKi, signifying, it is said, a brave and valiant man. The original

word for canoe in the language of tliis pcoph; was Caiutoa.

It is here, among this people, that this kind of boat was first seen
by Europeans. It was formed from the truidj of a tree, dug out or ex-
cavated by cutting or burning into a suitable shai)e. The natives not
being possessed of iron or metallic tools, tiad having the use of only
such as could be shaped out of hard stone, made but slow progress in
the process of cutting into wood, hence, in work of this kind, they were
aided by the application of fire, through which means, by care in con-
nection with their rude implements, they were enablec^. to shape boats
of tills kind, so as to make tiiem (piite perfect, although the process
was very slow and tedious.

This kind of boat being something entirely new to Europeans, and
unlike anything of their ov.n, in its structure, attracted attention, and

(305)
20

30G

THE AMElUt'AN INDIAN.

THE INDIAN CANOK.

became a marked object in their subsequent (lescri[)tions of the
manners and customs of tiiis people; hence, among all people of the
various languages, subsequently visiting tlie American continent, tlie
wonl rdiioc became the general ti'rm for a boat of this kind. Wliilst
the pojmlar idea has been that it was an Indian word, in the language
of the tribes of the American continent, the fact is, that it comes from
the language or dialect of a tribe of minor inqjortance, inhabiting t\w
islands of the sea, and having no connection or communication, so far
as known, with the natives of the continent or main-land.

The word for canoe in the language of the great Algontjuin
group is Cltc('-)ii(iiiii ; in that of the Iroquois, (id-o-ira : in tiic Dakota,
117/-/^. In the Nootka dialect the wtu'd for canoe is Cliap-alz.

Mr. Ellis, in his work entitled the " Red Man and the White
Man," very justly remarks tlifit, '•what the horse is to the Arab, the
dog to the Esquimaux, and the camel to tiie traveler across the desert,
the canoe was to the Indian; that it served the purpose for trans[)orta-
tion of himself from place to place, across and along the rivers and
streams, over the small lakes or still bodies of inland waters, and
across the bay and arms of the sea, and otliur great waters of the con-
tinent; and that it served for the Indian's transport with his furs and
commoditi(is, which wm-e rendered articles of commerce after the com-
ing of the white man, the pro[)ortion which the waterways l)ore to land
tcavel for the routes which the Indian traversed being estimated
at least at nine parts out of ten. The lake shore was skirted, the
swanq) was cunningly threaded, the river channel was boldly
followed, the rapids were shot and leaped, and the mazy streams of
shallows and sand-bars were [)atiently traced in all their sinuosities by
the frail skiff."

Canoes were also used by war [)arties, in fleets of large numbers,
in proceeding to attack an enemy, and sometimes battles were fought
by oj)posing forces in tiuMi' canov^s on some broad ex[)aiise of warci'. A
noted instance of ':his kind is related where a {)arty of Ojibways. to
avenge an injury ccnnmilted upon them, [>ursued a [)arty of Fox Indians
on Lake Superitu', whom they overtook some distance east of La Poiide,
and near the mouth of Montreal river, and, in their large canttes, which
sat firndy on the water, attacked ^\ ith great fury, and nearly destroyed
the whole party of Foxes, some 400 in number, who, being in small
canoes, were U[)set. and most of them drowned or dispatched in the
water.

As the cities of the white man are. for the convenience of trans-
portation and commerce, situated upon navigable waters, or arms and
bays of great seas, so the Indian selected for his habitation, or

808

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

collection of habitations, called villages, some eligible spot upon a
stream, lake or arm of some great body of water, for convenience in
traversing the country by water, for various purposes suited to his
mode of life.

The different tribes and nations had different styles in which
canoes were made, and there was a diversity in the material, marked
by the locality or other circumstances. One kind of canoe was con-
structed of wood from the section of a large tree in the manner here-
tofore described among the Carribbees; another was constructed of
bark, generally of the birch tree; when this was not to be had, the
bark of the red elm was used, especially among the Iroquois nation.

THE lUOyCOlS liAUK OANOE.

The Mandans, living on the upi)er Missouri river, and some tril)es
in the vicinity, made canoes of the skins of l)uffaloos, Avhich wcu'e
made almost round like a tub, by straining a buffalo skin over a form
of wicker work made of willow or other bough... These were moved
by means of a [)addle in the hands of a person standing at the bow,
the person reacliing tlio paddle forvard and drawing it towards him,
by which means he pulUnl t!ie canoe along with considerable speed.

Mr. Catlin says that these very curious and rudely constructed
canoes were made in the form of the "Welch '•oracle, which he under-
stands wore propelled in the same manner as the Mandan canoe, and
whicli lie regards as a very curious circumstance, inasmuch as the
Mauilaiih are founil in the heart of the great wilderness of America,
while all the otlier surrounding trilies construct their canoes in
decidedly different forms and of ilifferent materials. There were also
difft^rent styles of canoes that were made of the same material; among
many tribes the general st>lo of the canoe, whether made of wood or
bark, was, however, essentially the same.

As the ships or great water crafts for navigating the st^as would
vary in form or style among the different imtions constructing them,
so, among the different tribes and nations of Indians, the style of their
canoes would be marked by a method of construction or ornament
peculiar to each tribe oi' nation, which, in some res[)ect8, would nt/te
their ingenui'.^ or degree of intelligence.

The canoe of the Carribbees was simple and rude in its form and
construction, being what would be called in common s])eech a mere

THE INDIAN CANOE.

lOd

dug-out, as straight in for n as the log of Avhich it was constructed,
being, however, brought to a point at the bow and stern; but tho
tribes of the continent were very generally able to make the canoe
more ornameiital in style of construction, the bow and stern not only
being brought to a sharp point, as a means to serve in guiding through
the waters, whereby it would be propelled more easily, but also pro-
jecting iipward, somewhat in the form of a scroll, and artistically
carved so as to present a very fine appearance. In this regard the
natives of the Pacific coast, in Oregon and Washington territories, were
particularly ingenious, and showed remarkable skill and intelligence
in constructing their canoes of wooden logs, making them sometimes
of enorraovis size, so that they would stand very heavy seas on the
ocean, upon which they sometimes ventured at considerable distance
from the land.

Bark canoes were seldom found among the natives south of thirty-
five degrees north latitude, which was from the fact, as is understood,
that there Avas no suitable kinil of bark found in that region from
which to construct canoes; but among the tribes further north canoes
were made of wood as well as bark, but to a more limited extent, from
the fact that to make them of wood required more labor, and th(>y
could not be made so light as if constructed of bark.

In countries where tribi^s traveled over long distances in their
canoes, v hich necessarily required that portages should be made on
tlie route of long journeys, it was important that the canoes should
be made of as liglit weight as possible, and ranong such tribes tiie
bark canoe was (piite universally in use. The Winnebagoes used
chiefly canoes niaile of wood, which they finished with great skill.
The Sioux or Dakotas made canoes of both wood and bark; but made
few in proportion of the latter material, and even these, it is said,
were poor and ill-constructed. They were more skillful in making
canoes of wood.

It is remarked by travelers in early days tliat no bark canoes were
found among tho tribes in the country of the northwest coast.

It seems that some of the American tribes, altlumgh in the midst
of streams, did not possess the ingenuity of making canoes of the
ordinary style, but used instead a kind of raft. Mr. Wyeth, a tradtn-
forty years ago in the country of tho Bhoshonoes, says that the
navigation of that region appears to have l)een c<infined to the cross-
ing of streams Avhen the water was too cold for comfortable swimming,
and that the only convenience used for that purpose was something
that was little more than a good raft, made of reeds, which were found
in many of the streams. These rafts were about eight faet long, and

310

THK AMEltlCAN INDIAN*.

were formed by placing small bundles of reeds, with the butt ends lasheil
together, with their small ends outwards. Several of these bundles
were lashed together opposite each other, end m sucli a manner as to
form a cavity on the upper side of the rrit. There was no attempt to
make them water-tight, the dependence lor floating being on the buoy-
ancy of the materials used. The raft was propelled with a stick, and
almost entirely by pushii. :. This rude form of navigation Avas,
a[>parently, tlie only one ever used in that i)art of the country, in
which, in fact, there was hardly enough tindjer to encourage the more
improved foi'ui of boat.

Tlie tribes of the Algt)n(j^uin group, and those of the Iroquois
stock, north ot the latitude before mentit)ned, as a general thing con-
structed their canoes of bark. Canoes of this material were seldom
found among tribes of other nations save the Dakotas. The ^reat
Ojibway nation, who were of tlit; Algoncpiin stock, used bark canoes.
It is said they were the most skillful canoe builder 5 in this country,
and ])r()bal)ly the most skillful in this regard of any people in the
world.

The frame of the work was made of pine or some other light
wood, which was sheathed over Avith birch bark, or, where it could not
be had, that of the red elm tree. The edges of the sheathing Avei'e
lapped and then, sewed together Avith thin lilaments of elm bark, or
Avith the delicate strong roots of the tamarack, called in the Algonc^uin
language Wahtp. Then the seams Avero covered over thorougldy
Avith the gum from the fir tree, or other like substance, and thereby
made perfectly tight, so that it Avould riile upon the Avater as light as a
cork. As the bottcnu Avas perfectly round, having no keel, it recpiired
great skill in riding it, to keep it balanced so as not to iipset; but the
experienced Indian found no inccmveiuence Avhatever in this regard.
Under his consummate skill, his can<^e Avould glide over the Avater Avith
such unerring balance that scarcely any tleviation Avhatever could be
perceived from its natural position in the Avater Avhen not under
motion.

These canoes Avere of various sizes, the most common being about
tAvelve feet in length. Tlu)se of this length Avere intended for carrying
tAvo persons. The largest Ave re from thirty-six to f(U'ty feet in length.
The carrying capacity of a canoe of tAventy-five feet long, it is said,
Avas estimated at about tAvo tons, but the Indians of the Pacific ct)ast,
before referred to, made much larger canoes Avith nmch greater carry-
ing capacity, (extending frequently to one hundred feet in length, and
having a Avidth in proper proportion.

In selecting trees from AAduch to obtain bark for a canoe, the

THE INDIAN CANOE.

811

object is to obtain such trees ns will att'ord strips of bark us long as
the canoo is designed to be, so tliat the bottom of the bout will be, if
possible, all of one piece, thus affording greater strength. The sides
of canoo may be of several pieces, proj)erly joined as before described.
Barou La Hontan, in describing the mo(hj of construction of birch
bark canoes, says they aie trimmed and strengthened with Avicker
Avrenths, and ribs of cedar Avood, Avhich are almost as light as a cork.
On the two sides of the boat there run, from t)ne end to the other, two
principal liead-bars, in which the ends of the ribs are encased, and in
Aviiich the spars that run across the boat and keep it compact are made
fast.

The time for olitaining bark from the birch-tree, in the order of
nature, is during or about the month of August, when the sap is
passing from the branches doAA-nwards. so that the bark is sufficiently
loosened to be stripped from the tree Avithout difficulty. Whenever the
sap is Avanting, at other seasons, during Avhich it adheres tightly to
the tree, it Avas loosened by the Indians by the means of hot Avater
applied to the tree, so it could be easily taken off. This mechanical
process, however, Avas not ailequate to admit of taking off the bark in
very large pieces.

The mode of proceeding in manufacturing the bircli bark canoe
is tlius graphically described by the poet LongfelloAv, in his "Song of
Hiawatha:"

" Givo mo of your hiirk. () Birch-Tree!
Of your yellow bark, O Birch-Tree!

I a light cauoe will huilil mo,
BuiUl a swift Cheemaiui for sailing,

That shall float upou the river."

* # * »

Thus alot'.il "riod Hiawathii.

« « # ■»

With his kuife the tree he tjirdleil;
Just beneath its lowest branches,
Jiist above the roots, he cut it,
Till the sap came ooziufj oiUwards;
Down the trunk, from top to bottom.
Sheer he deft the bark asunder.
With a wooden wedye he raised it,
Stripped it from the trunk unbroken.
"Give me of your bouj,'hs, () Cedar!
Of your stront,' and pliant branches.
My canoe to make more steady,
Make more stronjj and tirni beneath me!"
•;=#»*

Down he hewed the bou^jhs of cedar,
Shaped them straiKhtway to a frnuie-work,

812

THE AMEIIICAX INDIAN.

Like two bows be formed and shaped them,
Like two bended bows together.
' Give me of your roots, O Tamarack !
Of your fibrous roots, O Lareh-Treel
My eanoo to bind together,
So to bind the ends together
That the water may not enter.
That the river may not wet me!"

•r T* •I* "p

From the earth he tore the fibers,
Tore the tough roots of the Larch-Tree,
Closely sewed the bark together,
Bound it closely to the frame-work.
"Give me of your ])alm, O Fir-Tree!
Of your balsam and your resin.
So to close the seams together
That the water may not enter.
That the river may not wet me! "

*F SjC 3|C ^

And he took the tears of Balsam.
Took the resin of the Fir-Trec,
Smeared therewith each seam and fissure,
Made each crevice safe from water.

n"" I* 1* n*

Thus the birch canoe was builded.

CHAPTER XXI.

WEAPONS AND UTENSILS.

Weapons of the Primitive Indian— The Bow and Arrow— War CInb— Spear— Hatchet
— Flint Arrow Heads— Stone Hateliets Utensils for Various Purposes — Flint
Knives Graiuiiif,' Tools — Awls — Fish Spears — Nets— Implements for Produci'ifj
Fire — Utensils for CookiuK— Clay Pots.

/,^'W'.\T the time Avhen the American
V / \ Imliaiis Avere tirst encountered
ll:/\i l>y Europeans they had ainonj^r
-^vs,-^ thoni no weajions or utensils
made of iron or any other kind of
metal, although it is incidentally noted
in New England history that Avhile a
party of Pilgrims, who came over in the
Mayflower, were out exploring the
country soon after lauding, on going
back into the country a short distance,
ft vt)lley of arrows was shot at them by
the natives, without damage, however.
These arrows they took pains to gather up and examine, and found
among them one that Avas pointed with brass, the others being with
flint, and the tips of deer's liorns; but this brass pointed arrow head,
as noted, must have come from European sources in some way, and
not from any manufacture of the Indians.

The evidence of history is that their weapons and utensils were
originally made of wood, shells and stone, or the bones of animals.
Along the Atlantic coast, and far back into the interior, tlui hoe with
which the Indian women cultivated the field, it is said, was a clamsliell
or something of that kind. Their common ax was of stone, having a
withe fastened in the form of a noose or hiop around the head part for
a handle. Their mortars, in which they pounded or pulverized their
corn, pestles for pounding, and chisels for various purposes, were also
of stone or wood. They also had implements of stone Avhich served for
knives for various purposes, which, it is said, Avere sharpened to so

'313)

314

THE AMKUICAN INDIAN.

keen an etlji^e that they coiikl easily cut their hair with tliem. They
also hail pots and vessels of miiuerous styles made of clay, some of
which were made in that manner and of such kind of clay as to with-
stand the heat of fire for cooking.

In catching fish they made nets from the fibre of the bark of trees,
or from a kind of weed in the nature of hemp. They also canglit fish
by means of a hook made of bones, fastened to a line in the same
manner as practiced among our own people. When fish were found in
shallow water, they were taken by shooting with a bow and sharp
pointed arrow, in the use of which the Indians were very skillful.
They also made a kind of spear pointed with deer's horn or sharj) stone,
with which they also took fish from the water.

Their weapons of war were the bow and arrow, spear, war club,
and stone ax. The arrow was headed with a sharp stone or fiint,
sometimes with the horn of the deer or the claw of the eagle. They
also had a kind of spear which they used as a weapon of war, and
which Avas nothing more than a small pole sharpened at the end and
hardened by means of fire, or by thrusting into hot ashes. As for the
tomahawk, that common implement in both war and peace, with the
Indian in later times, it was not the im|)lement of such general use
originally, when made of stone. The tomahawk of metal came into
common use among the Indians in consequence of its being furnished
them by the Avhites. After the introduction of the metallic hatchet or
tomahawk, it superseded the use of many other implements; as did
also the metallic scalping-knife, furnished them by the white man in
later times.

Metallic scalping-knives and tomahawks of civilized manufacture
for Indian use, were carried into the Indian country by thousands and
ten thousands, and sold at enormous jirices. In his rude, untutored
condition, the Indian was a stranger to weapons of this kind, and, as
Mr. Catlin remarks, "he works not in the metals, and his untutored
mind has not been ingenious enough to design or execute anything so
savage or destructive as these civilized rcjincmcnis on the Iiididii bar-
Ixiritij. In his native simplicity he shapes his rude hatchets from a
piece of stone, heads his arrows and spears with flint, and his knife is
a shar[)ened boije or the edge of a broken silex."

The war cluli of modern times, with a blade of steel eight or ten
inches in length, and set in a club studded around and. ornamented pro-
fusely with brass nails, since the coming of the white man, is also
another civilized refinement among later Indian weapons. The primi-
tive war club of the Indian, curiously wrought of wood, and fashioned
with considerable ingenuity of form and grace with a spike of bone or

WKAPONS AND UTKNSILS.

iU5

j)ohit of (leer's horn, wliioli was iinbeilded in tlio Ixill or 1)1111) nt the
head, was admirably fitted to the hand, and cak'ulated to deal a ileadly
blow. The head of the war club is about three and one-half inches in
<lianieter, with an edge of tlint or some other hard substance that may
be sharpened on one side.

'Before the Indians acouired motallir htilcheis tiioA' had •jreat diffi-
culty in cutting down trees and s[)litting u[) the wood for use. The
mode of felling them was by burning at the roots, when they would cut
off the branches and split uj) the tree with their stone hatchets to the
best advantage these implements would a(bnit of. Their hatchets were
usually made of such hard substances as to withstand the stroke for
this purpose; but to sharpen the edges of them it took a great deal of
time and patience.

Another mode which the Indian had of putting a handle i:pon his
stone hatchet was by splitting a thrifty growing branch of a young tree
sufficiently to admit of crowding the ax into the same, so as to have
each side of the branch fit into the groove around the head of the ax.
Here it would be left until the branch had grown completely around
the stone, sufficiently firm to form a handle, when the branch was cut
off of even length. This made a very substantial implement for the
purposes for which the ax was ilesigned.

One of the Pilgrim writers, in giving an account of the exploration
of a party of that people after landing from the Mayflower, gives the
following information as to utensils of the Indians, found at that time
on visiting some of the wigwams, whose occupants, it seems, were
temporarily al)sent:

" In the houses we found wooden bowls, trays and dishes, earthen
pots, hand-baskets nuule of crab-shells wrought together, also an En-
glish pail or bucket ; it wanted a bail, but it had two iron ears. There
were also buckets of sundry sorts, bigger and some lesser, finer and
some coarser; some were curiously wrought with black and white, in
pretty works, and sundry other of their householil stuff. We found,
also, two or three deer's heads, one whereof had been newly killed, for
it was fresh. There was also a company of deer's feet, stuck up in the
horns, hart's horns and eagle's claws, and sundry such like things
there were ; also two or three baskets full of [)arched acorns, pieces of
fish, and a piece of broiled herring. We found, also, a little silk grass,
and little tobpcco seed, with some other seeds, which we knew not.
Without were sundry bundles of flags, sudledge, bulrushes and other
stuffs to make nuits. Some of the best things we took away with us,
and left the houses standing still as they were."

(The Indians no doubt considered themselves fortunate upon fur-

nuj

TFIE AMKRICAN INDIAN.

ther iu'(iuaintnnco with the white lunn, thiit their houses on the occasion

referreil to were left stimdin^f, luul tliat they escaped by having only

some of their best things taken away).

To aci'oinpany the l)ow and arrow, the Indian had wiiat is called a

quiver, in which he carried his arrows. It was variously constructed

and ornamented, generally made of the skins of animals, or some kind

of bark suitable to the purinise. It was suspended from the shoulders

by H strap around the breast. Tiie Indian's efliciency in war and

hunting depended largely on the nunil)er of arrows he Avas able to

])rocuro. As n general thing each Indian possessed the ingenuity to

manufacture his own arrows as well as most other weapons and

utensils; but there woi;ld be among all tribes, ns a rule, one or more

pers(ms skilled in the art of arrow-making, which was [)ursued as

a calling. A character made so prominent in Longfellow's celebrated

"Song of Hiawatha," wherein the arrow-maker is thus referred to:

"There tlu> iiiicieut nrrow-makor,
Miulo his iirrow heads ol' saud stone,
Arrow hi-ails of Chalcedony,
Arrow heads of Hint and jasper
Smoothed and sharpeiicd at tlio edges.
Hard aud pohshed, keeu and costly."

It seems that the shield, that means of [u-otection in battle so im-
portant among the ancient warriors of the Old "World, was fountl
amon<r the native tribes of America at an earlv dav. but mostlv amoui'
those of the groat American plains on the west of the ]Mi.ssissij)[)i ; but
it is not well settled whether this implement was known to thein before
the discovery, or whether it was introduced among them by the
Spaniards upon their invasion of New ^Mexico. The better opinion,
however, wotild seem to be. that the Indian adopted the use of this im-
plement after he ac(piired the ttse of horses, iii which he imitated the
Spanish warrior by use of a shield. The Indian shield was generally
com[)Osed of the thickest pieces of buffalo skins, painted and decorated
in the highest style of their art. They appended to it orimments of
easfle's feathers and the like.

Early travelers state that some of the tribes in the country of the
northwest ct)ast, wore for their dress a jacket of mail, which covered
them in front, and afforded protection against arrows, to the most
vital portion of their bodies, and was composed of thin battens of
very tough wood, woven together by a small cord, with armholes and
strings at the bottom corners to fasten it around the waist.

Bttt among the catalogue of Indian titensils or implements, that of
his pipe was the most important and indispensable. This was
constantly at hand, and from it he drew consolation equally in hunger,

WKAI'ONS A\t) rTKNsiLS.

817

STONE IMPLKMENT8.

818

THK AMEUICAN INDIAN.

wnnt or inisfortuiit'. To tliis lie apiit'iilcd iis ix ini'diiuii of (•oniiimiiioii
with tln' (ircfit Spirit, tiic smoko ot' wliicli. as it iisct'iidod ii|iWMi'ds, ho
iiiui;,'iiitiil wiiH iitHM>ptid)iti to Him iih aa otVciin^ ot iiis giatitiuh* and
fidelity.

A tnivoler. spoaUiii^ of liousehold utonsils in the priiuitivo litV of
tho Indian. «(iys:

•• Tlin furniture in tiiewe native iiuts is t>xootHlin<;iy simplf. 'I'hc
chiof artic'lt's nro two or tiiruo potn or ketth's for boiling' their food,
witli u few wooden jjhites and Hpoous. Tho former, in tho absence of
metal, witii which tho inhabitantH were unac(juainted, were nnide of
eoarso eartJienwaro tliat resisted the tire ; and sometimes of n species
of soft Btono, wliicli could be exeavattnl with tlieir rude juitelu'ts. Nay,
in sonui eases, tlieir kitclion utensils were of wood, and water nuido to
boil by throwing in heated stiuu^s. Since their acijuaintance with the
Europeans, the superiority of iron vessels has been found so decided
that they are now universally preferrtnl. The ^n'eut kettle or caldron,
employed oidy on higii festivals associated with relii^ion. huntin<;' (U-
war, attracts even a kind of veneration, and potent chiefs have assumed
its name as tiioir title of honor."

Mr. Wyeth. s[)eaking of the Shoshonee Indians, says that the
utensils orii^inally in use amonjj this people were wholly of stone,
clay, bone or Avood. Their imphMuents Avere the pots, bow and arrow.
knives, graining tools, awls, root-diggers (implements for digging roots
used for food), spears, nets, a kind of boat or raft, the pipe, mats for
shelter, and imi)Iement8 to produce fire.

The pot. in most common use, Avas formed of some kind of long,
tough root, Avound in plies around the center, shortening the circum-
ference of tho outer plies so as to form a vessel in tho inverted shape
of H bee-hive, properly securing the same, so as to make the A'ossel
Avater-tight. This A'essel, among other things, is used for boiling
food, Avhich is done by heating stones, and imnier?ing them in the
Avater contained in it, until the required heat is attained for cooking.

The boAvs of this people Avere made of the horns of the mountain
8hee[) and elk. p;u1 < ' Avood. When made of horn, they AAore about
tAvo feet ton inch' s long. They Avere of two parts. si)liced in the
center by stu!.;ei a glue and deer sinews Avound around a splice. The
horn is brought into shape by heating and Avetting, and is AA-orked
smooth by scraping Avith sharp stones, and being drawn between tAvo
rough stones, thus making au efficient and beautiful boAV.

Their knives Avore rude instruments produced by breaking pieces
of obsidian, Avhich had a tendency to form sharp edges, like glass, and
was common in that country.

wi'.Aru.Ns AM) irr.Nsii.s.

!n»

Gmiiiiiij; tools for |)r(>|)iiriii<,' skins wert' uri<^in(vlly nuulo ot' bono;
8oiiiotiiiit>s ()l)si(liaii, st'ciircd to II stiitl'. was usi'd for this purpose. Awls
WITH iimilo of 1)0110 mill liir^'n lioriis ruiihi'il to m sharp point.

Root-di'T^'crs wi'i'o frooki'il siicks, tlinoml usnl in tlio oarth lioin'r
curved nnd Blinr[)oiu>d by pnttiM<,' it in tlin llro and ndthing against a
ron^h stoiio. Tlicy wen* also made* of elk and di'cr horn, attaclu'd to
n stick. Tluiy wero used to obtain small roots which tho country pro-
duced, such ns hdiiKis, soiilx, i/diiip'is, t)ni()ns, tobacco root, etc.

Tho woi'd l<iiiiiili(iirk is from tho Al^onnniii lanj;na<^e. pronoiuiced
differently in tho «lialoct of the various eastoru tribes. The sij^niitica-
tion of tho word by some authorities is said to be to strike.

Says La Hontan: ••Uofore the Europeans arrived in North
America, the sava^'o of the north and soutii made use of pots of earth.
Instead of hatchets and knives, they nuide use of sharp stones, which
tliey tie with thonj^s of leather, in tho end of a cleft stick. Instead
of awls they make use of a certain sharp bone, wiiich is above the
lioel of the elk. They have no fire-arms, but only make use of lii'W>»
and arrows.

" \Vhe- they would make platters or Avooden spoons, or porrin<;ej>
they drill their wood with their stone hatchets, and liollow it with lire,
and do after scrape it, and polish it with a beaver's tooth.

"To |)lant their Indian corn they make use of pick axes of wood,
for want of those of iron. They have hirge gourds in whicli they put
the fat of bears, Avild cats, etc. There is none but has his leather bag
for liis pipe and tobacco. The women make bags oi t!ie rind of linden
trees, or of rushes, to put their corn in. Tliey make thread of nettles,
and of tho bark of the linden tree, and of certain roots, whose names
I know not. To sew their savage shoes, they make use of very snuiU
thongs. They make likewise mats of bulrushes to lie upon, and,
when they have none, they make use of the barks of trees. They
make use of the l)ranches of trees to hang their earthen pots upon to
boil their victuals."

Implements used for procuring fire have been already mentioned
in Chap. XIII of this work, concerning "Manners and Customs."

'i; :.
jr>.

CHAPTER XXII
NAMES OF PERSONS.

Applicatiou of Names lo Desiguato Persous— Imitation of Jewish Custom — Names
have Sitruitioatiou— Mal(> ami Feiualo Names — No Snruaiiies — Dnplieato Names
— From 'vlii'iu'i' Names of IVi'sons are ]1erived — Baby Names — Namiuj,' Children
— "There is Komethin^' in a Name"— Custom of the Dakotas— Custom in
Chaugiuy Name— Niekijiimes — Objeetion to Speaking tht^ir Own Name— Ilusbaiu]
iuid Wife do not Menticm Eaeh Other's Names — Examples of Tndian Names.

W^^^^ custom of the
^ k fipplicntiou of

/f! yf namos f o (lesi>^iinte
^ iiulividiials ain(in<;
the race of inaiikiml is.
a})pareiitly, as old as lan-
guage itsolf, and the sys-
tem a[>pears to havoexisted
amongst all nations ami
peoplo; ol)serving the cus-
tom in general, in niuuing
individuals, to give sucli
as wore descriptive of the
person, or as referred to
some circumstance witli
which the indiviiUial was
in some whv connected,
and the like. This -wa!--
especially so with the
ancient Jews.

The North American
Indians had no otlior rule
or ith^i than this In giving
names to persons. They
have faithfnllv imitated the Jewish custom in this reirard. Tlinniirh-
out , 11 Christendom, at least, the custom of the Jews has been

foUowfd, by simply adopting, to a great extent, the names in use by

I ; 120 1

MIN-NO UF.E-SIIIK— "CI.KAR SKV."

Nnmc of :iii Ojilnvny iliii'l' u'ul fiivmlti' iiiiiiio for persons
anions hiiliiui liilii's

NAMES OF I'KHSOXS.

321

tbat poo[)lo; as, for instanro, the word Aaron, which is a Hebrew
name, signifying "h)fty," "inspired." The only difference between
Christian people and the Hebrews is, that we here adopted this and
other like names arbitrarily or without reference to their original
signification.

Mr. Heckewelder, the Moravian missionary, referring to this
subject, says: Indians who have particularly distinguished themselves
by their conduct or by some meritorious act, or who have been the
subject of some remarkable occurrence, have names given to them in
allusion to those circumstances. Thus, lie says, he knew a great war-
rior who had been im[)atiently waiting for daylight to engage the
enemy, who was afterwards called ('(tiisc da i/ii(jli I, or 3f(i}{(' daijliiihi
appear. So, one who had come in with a heavy load of tuikeys on his
back, was called Titc carrier of larke/jx, and another, whose shoes or
moccasins were generally torn or patched, was called Bad shoes ; all of
whicii n-imes wM-e generally expressed in a single word, in compound
form, or in the manner of t)ur own compound wortls.

The custom in regard to names of persons, both male and female,
seems to have been the same throughout all the native tribes of the
continent, with all the attendant superstitions, which were faithfully
imitated and reproduced in like manner among them, down to the
minutest circun.stances.

The custom of surnami^s, existing among our own race, Avas some-
thing unkhown among the Indians. Indeed, there seems to have been
no occasion or demand for a custom of this kind among them. The
requirement or convenience which suggested among us the application
of surnames to distinguish one person from another, as of one John
from another John, by surnaming these persons Jones or Smith, was
entirely obviated in the principle upon which Indian names of persons
were a^jplied; that is, by the application of a name whicli woulil lie
descriptive of the person, or which would, in some way, indicate the
person. In this custom the re)>etition <u' du[)lication of namt>s, or the
same name among several persons, by which confusion Avould arise,
wouhl rarely, if ever, occur.

Among our ow!i race, hislor^ nforms us that each person originallv
had but one name. The custom of distinguishing persons by surnnm'^s,
it is said, first originated in (.iretn-e and Egypt, not so much from
design as from circumsta;iccs; as in the case of Aristides, who was
called thii Just, whicli latter word became his surname. So Phocitm
was called the Good; Plato, the Athenian Hee. Surnames were intro-
duced into England bv the Normans, and were adopted bvthe nobility
A. D. 1100. The old Normans used /'V/^, signifying son, as FUzheybert.

322

THE AMEIIICAN INDIAN.

The Irish used O' for grandson, as O'Xcih The Scottish Highlanders
used Mac, as Mactloiidld, sou oi Donald. The Saxons added the
word son to the fatlier's name, as JVilliamson.

Phito recommended that parents give happy names to thoir
children; and the Pythagoreans taught th.i*; the ir.mds, actions, and
successes of men were according to their u; mes, ^-enius and fate.

The Indians, howr er, according to a cuKtvjni among them, fre-
quently acquired duplicate names, and like a ciiHtom amonjf our own
people, were sometimes known as well by one name as another; as in
the case of Zachary Taylor, the hero of the Mexican war, was given the
appellation of ''Rough and Eeady;'' so Gon. Jackson was called ''Old
Hickory;" which were peculiar names by which these distinguished
persons were known as well as by their true names; and so in the case
of the great Seneca chief, Sa-gi-you-ind-ha, or "Keeper Awake,"' v.as
kiiOA^n also by the name of lied Jacket.

In general, Indian names for persons are derived from Ihe terms
for sky. chmd, sun, moon, stars, mist, wind, sound, thunder, ii-'liiuing,
lakes, rivers, trees, animals, birds, and the like. The lii(liaii^> did not
in their names of persons, strictly speaking, classify them as masculine
and feminine, dividing them into classes for male and female.
Amongst the Ojibways, however, in their names, the gender, or ames
for females, were marked by the terminal syllable qua, as in the name
An-zhc-hdx-o-qua, "Woman of the rock." Names for women were fre-
quently otherwise marked, by being taken from different sources from
that of males; as from the skies, the forest, the stream, or the field of
flowers, and the like.

The Indians also had amongst them a similar custom to our own,
in regard to a class of names, which we call baby names, or names of
childhood, such as Little Bii"d, Bad Boy, and other like names. They
also had for thoir children their regular original, or what we call baj^-
tismal names, which were frequently given, as with us, in ceremoiiiid
style, concerning which Peter Jones says, that Avhen a child is to ()<i
named, the parents make a feast and invite all the old people to come
and eat at their wigwam ; a portion of the meat is offered as a burnt
sacrifice; and, during the time this is burning, the giver of the name
makes a jn-ayer to the God to whom lie is about to dedicate the child,
and towards the close proclaiming what the mime is to be.

In some cases they had their children named when a few davs old,
in others iiot till they had attained the age of two or three years.
Almost every young person received a nickname, either cliaracter' 'ic
lU" arising from some peculiarity, which they often retained li'tor
arriving at maturity; but, in such cases, these names were considered

NAMES OF PEKSOXS.

H2;5

only in the light in whieh they were given, and not treated seriously
or as permanent.

According to Cnpt. Clark, among the Shien or Cheyenne Indians,
when a child is first born, whether a boy or n girl, it is called baby
(a girl baby or a boy baby), afterwards by any childish natne, until, it'
a boy, lie goes to war. Then he will be named from something that
has happened on the journey, from some incident, some animal kill id,
or seme bird that is supposed to have helped liim to success. Capt.
Clark says that an old Chej'enne Indian gave him the following inci-
dent in his life cuncerniiig Ids own name. He said;

■ "When I was bmall I w;is called Little Bint. "When I first went
to war and returned to camp, tha name of Loiiij Horn was givo" me
by an old man of the camp. Then the traders gave me the name of
Tall-White-Man; and now, since I have become old, they (the Indi-
ans) call mo Black Pipe. This name was given me from a ])ipe I
used to carry when I Avont to Avar. I used to blacken the stem and
bowl just the same as I did my face after these trips, and was es[)e-
cially careful to do so Avhen I had been successful."

The Indians, like our white people, believe that frequently there
is something in a name, and under this notion they sometimes take
the name of some successful, distinguished Indian warrior, who lias
passed away from his own band or totem, believing that there is some
special luck or medicine in this name.

Among some of the Dakota tribes, the custom of naming their
children in the order in which they were born prevailed; thus the
first b(n-n son would be called ClKtsln', the second Jlarjidiii, the tliird
Ihipc'da, the fourth Cluttiim. and the fifth ILtrtca. The first born
daughter would be calleil Winona, the second Horpcn, the third Harp-
stina, the fourth J)^<ixt:a, the fifth IVclKtrka.

The Sauks or Osaukies, a tribe of the Algoiifiuiii stock, had a
custom of naming their children in the order of tlieir birth, marked
by the different colors with which the child was at first painted. The
first in order, being painted Avhite, Avould bo called Wanpclto, meaning
"he that is painttMl white." There was a cel(>bratf'd chief of that
tribe by this name, Avho fiourished in the forepart of the ])resent cen-
tury. The second would be painted yellow, and his name would be
Os(nin-(t. i)r Osonirdli-cc, meaning "In; that is painted yellow."

The Indians hat' a custom of a regular change of nanus which
was made, at times, Avitli ceremony approj)riate to tlie occasion. In
such cases, the name adopted became permanent, and Avas not consid-
ered a duplicate of the former name, but as a substitute for that and
all other names by AvLich the party hail bef<u'o that time been known.

324

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

This custom finds its counterpnrt in tlie nations of the Ohl Workl, from
the earliest time. For instance, Marcus Aurelius Antonius, Roman
Emperor, A. D. 121, was first called Marcns and Annius Yerus, the
two latter names bein<^ those of his father. Being afterwards adopted
into the Aurelian family by Antonius Pius, he to>'k the name of M<iv-
cns Aurelius. On his accession to the throne, he took the name of
Aiifoiiiiis.

The popes changetl their names at tiieir exaltation to the Pontifi-
cate, and history informs us that this was " a custom introduced by
Pope Su'-gGus, whose name, till then, was Swine-Snout, A. 1). (JST."
The custom was drawn originally, it is said, from the precedent fur-
nished in the New Testament in the cases of Peter, who was formerly
called Simon, and Paul, whose original name Avas Saul.

In France it was usual to change the nan)e given at baptism, as
^vaa done in the case of two sons of Henry II.. who were christened
'.l^r "ider and Hercules, but whose names at their confirmation were
ol fill', i respectively to Henry and Francis. And it was usual for
thosL ,^ the Iiomisli church, at their entrance into monasteries, to
assume new names, to show that they were about to lead a new life,
and that they had renounced the world, their family and themselves.

According to a very general custom among the Indians, after
performing any special exj)loits, an Indian had a right to change his
name if he so desired, and the new name he assumed might be
changed several times during his lifetime. The first occasion of
^hnvi^e was ijenerallv a i^reat event with an Indian brave. It was not
necessary that the new name should l)e commemorative of the exploit
occasioning the event of change, although this was, in general, sug-
gestive of such new name.

According to cu.stom among many of the western tribes, when the
new name to be given a person was decided upon, in order to give it
prominence by a kind of official sanction, a crier was employed, for
some pecuniary consideration, to proclaim tliroughout the land that
the person in (juestiou, giving his former name, had taken upon him-
self a new name, ')y which he should henceforth be known; at tlie
same time anium oing the new name. This corresponds to a like
manner of changing names among the people of our more civilized
governments, Avliich is done by petition and sanction of the law making
power, or by decrees in courts of justice untler some general enact-
ment.

Mr. Adair, who contends for affinity of the Indians witli the Jews,
nmiarks that when the Israelites gave names to tiieir cliildnm (U*
others, they chose such appellatives as best suited their circumstances

NAMES OF I'EUSONS.

■■Vlo

and the time, aud this custom Wcas as early as the patriarclial age, for
we find Abrara was clianged into Abraliani, the former meaning,
" Fatlier of elevation," and the latter, " Father of a multitude."
Jacob was changed into Israel; the former meainng "a supplanter,"
and the latter, "a soldier of God." Such changes were made, it is
unilerstood, to correspond with changing circumstances and events in
after life. Savs Mr. Adair: "This custom is a standing rule with the
Indians, and I never observed the least deviation from it. Tiiey give
their children names expressive of their tempers, outward appearaiu'es,
and other various circumstances; a male cliild they would call ('lioold,
'tiie fox,' and a female, Pakohlr, 'the blossom, or flower.' The
father and mother of the former are calleil ( 'hooUiKfc and ClioulislilxC,
'tlie father and m^dierof the fox;' in like manner, those of tlie latter,
Pdkdbliiuij/c and Pakabliskc: for litm/t' signifies •the father,' and
Islikc 'tlie mother.' "

Peter Jones says that nicknames given to children are often
retained after they have arrived at maturity. The character of this
class of niunes can be judged from tlie following: Citf Xosc, a
notorious Indian of the (Sioux nation, noted i'(U' his barl)arity in the
great Sioux massacre in Minnesota in ISd'i. Loon Foot. ( Maung-zid l,
generally known among tlie whites as Big Foot, a noted chief of the
Pottawattamie tribe in the early part of the present century ; Winkiiuj
Ei/(\ ( Che-che-bing-way ), a leading chief of the Pottawattamie ti'ibe,
jn'omoted to tliat position by a great council at Prairie Du C'liien in
18'20.

The following is mentioned by Peter Jones among others, as an
occasion for change of Indian names: If a sick person or his friends
su[){,ose that the grim i) ouster Death has received a commission to
come after an Indian bearing a certain name, they immediately make
a feast, offer sacrifices, and alter the name. By this maneuver tliev
think to cheat Death, when he comes, of the soul of the Indian of such
a name, not being able to find the person bearing it.

According to Charlevoix, one Indian, when talking to another in
common discourse, never called him by h:s propin- }iame. This would
bo considered impolite; but they always gave him the (juality he had
with respect to the person that s[)oko to him. but when there was
between them no relation or affinity, they used the term brother, uncle,
nephew or cousin, according to each other's age, or according to the
estimation in which they hehl the i)er.son they addressed.

A very peculiar custom, it seems, prevailed very generally through-
out all the tribes, in regard to persons telling their names. When
asked to do so, an Indian would decline to give it himself, but such

32(5

THE A.MEUICAN INDIAN.

person as might be in company with him would give the name for him.
The Arrapahoes say that this lias been a custom with them from their
earliest traditions, of which they give no other explanation than that
they were bo raised or educated, and they firmly adhere to this accepted
custom.

According to Peter Jones, the same custom prevailed among the
Ojibways, of which he says, when an Indian is asked his name he will
look at some bystander and request him to answer. This reluctance
arises from an impression they receive when young, that when they
re[)eat their own name it will prevent their growth and they will be
small in stature. Husbr.nds and wives, he says, never mention eacli
other's names, it not being in accordance with Indians' notions of
etiquette.

The Indian is not alone in notions of this kind; a very common
custom prevails in domestic life among our white jieople, especially iu
the middle and lower walks, wherein the wife, in referring to her
husband, uses the personal pronoun, ai)d the husband frequently
returns the compliment in the same manner. And it is indeed quite
common, after the charms of early married life have passed away,
a aJ have given place to the frosts of fading years, for the wife, instead
of referring to her husband by name, to mention him as the "old
man," and he, again, to return the compliment, speaks of her as the
'"oUl woman."

The Indian was tenacious of his custom iu giving names, so much
so, indeed, that he was reluctant to recognize white men, as he became
compelled to mingle with thom, by any names but those which he
himself applied to them. Mr. Heckewelder notices this ptjuliar Indian
trait, and says they will give names to white men derived from some
remarkable quality which they have observed in them, or from some
circumstance which renrrbably impresses them. Thus when they
were told the meaning of the name of William Penn, and that the
word " pen " meant an instrument for writing made of a quill, they trans-
lated it into their language Mcquon, meaning " a feather or quill."
Tiie Iroquois called him Oiuis, which in their idiom means the same
thing.

The characteristic features in Indian names of persons are thus
given by Em. Domenech, iu his M-ork entitled "Seven Years' Resi-
dence in the Great Deserts of North America:"

MEN S NAMES.

The Four Beiirs.
Tho Deceitful Wolf.
The Whito Buffalo.
The Rod Beiir.

WOMEN S NAME.S.

The Rose BuJ.

The Reclining} Flower.

The Weepiiu; Willow.

The Sweet Scented Herbatje.

NAMES OF PERSONS.

327

men's names.

The Elk's Head.

The Horses' Tramp.

The Senbible Man.

The Smoke.

The Bloody Hnud.

The Shell.

He who Ties His Hair in Front.

WOMENS NAMES.

The White Cloud.
The Swimming Hind.
The Polar Star.
The Pure Fountain.
'I'he Woman Who Strikes Many.
The Woman that Dwells in the Bear's
Cavern.

Tlie following e.-camples of names of persons (males) in the Ojib-
way dialect, with translations, are given by Peter Jones, the erlucateil
Ojibwjiy:

XdivnlijcficzlK'nirahc, the sloping sky.

Fcpoonahlxiij, the God of the north, who makes the winter.

Mdnnonooding, the pleasant wind,

Kczlictjoowineiic, sky man, or man of the sky.

P(ttncfjahit'a>j<ihsiii</, the blown down.

Sdhsicayaliscfioij, the scattering light, by the sun or moon.

M(ihijalnvr(jrzli('(/rr(ihij. the upright sky.

Kaiudncahbalnnind, he who is looked upon.

Oomintcahjcwun, the pleasant stream.

Na)iiii(](thsc(i(i, the sparkling light.

P((/iooi)ihiC(iiriii(liin(/, the approaching roaring thunder.

Ahzhahw( iDiaJujudlidirahi/, the cloud that rolls beyond.

Madirayahshe, the whistling wind.

Oozhahn'(dishk()0('zlii(i, the blue sky.

Shidiifundais, the God of the south, who makes the summer.

WaJd)('<jwHlni(i, white feathers.

W(ar((nos)i, the beautiful sailor.

W(dd>(dinoosay, morning walker.

Ncdur(diqii(iij(di)^('ga, the noon day, or shining sun.

KcchcfidlniicivliK'nc, man of the lake.

The female names are distinguished from the males by the femi-
nine termination, qiKiy, or fioo<]U<(i/, or qua. Masculine names can be
rendered feminine by adding the foregoing termination; for example:

Xaiu)i(i(iliS('(i(tqiicti/. the sparkling light woman.

Ouzli(ilnr(iJisJd:(H)iiczliiii()()(jii((i/. tin; Idue sky woman.

0()(jcm'hnh<i(H)(iu<i!i, the wild rose woman.

Mcsqi(ali(iii(di(l<>()qiiaij, the red sky woman.

The following are examples from Indian names of persons fv.-m
Schoolcraft, drawn from the stock words Stvy, thunder, sun, storm, wind,
clouds, earth, stars, etc. :

Au-bc-fuh-gcc-zJiifj, center of the sky.

Ba-bica-me-au-shc, low pealing thunder

Kau-chc-daiis, the cloud in contact with the sun.

328

THE A.MEIUC.W INinAV.

Ka„.fja-au.,hc, tlie pqnin,..ti„I Avi.ul or storm

Mo-kai,.<je.zhi,j, the sun bursting, from a cloud.

trmib-im-nmu,, the momijig star.
The following are drawn from terrene objects-
Kctn-(/ira-<hra, the questioner.
yrczh-c-pc-nais, the coupled l)irds.

Wau-(io„i,h.f,hwr, the little fox.

The following are examples of "the na.nes of women in the Oiih

Aii.sJte-btl'.r-qiu,, woman of the rock.
As.sm.au.mik.,.qua, woman of the pebbly bottom water
^^ni.a'a.tva.ye.zhu,.e.qtu,, wonian of the thunder cloud '
Kr.m'cmrr.r.q„a, little rose bud woman

thesut"''"'"™""""'"''^"'-'^"^'' "'^'"""^^ t'- --muring of

CHAPTEll XXIII.
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES.

Indian Names Applied to Localities— Popular Idea— SiKuiticatiou— Classilicatioii of
(}r()Ui)S iu DetermiuiuK NameH— Traciii>,' Ori^iu of NiiiueH— Al^oiniuiu Niinics
Prevail— Phrases Reduced to One Word— Coiitractiim of Words— Ignorance of
OrifjTin and Meaning— Indian Names of States and Territories -Names Coming
from the French and Other Languages— Same Word in Different Languages
and Dialects, Differing in Meaning— Names Coming Through Illiterate Persons
—The Word Penobscot- Rendered liy the French iu Sixty Different Ways— The
Word Calumet— Not an Indian Woril as Supposed— Words of French Orthog-
raphy— Corruption of Indian Names— Examples of Corruption of Indian Words
—Inappropriate Significatiou of Words.

ITHILST tlie
primitive
race of this
l~^-^^l country
whom Ave call Indians is
fast (lisappearinjjf before
i^ the march of civilization,
ag they have left to us a
constant remincler of
their former existence
ill the land, through the
multitude of local names
which have been ap[)lied
to rivers, lakes, towns,
counties, states, and lo-
calities of various de-
scriptions, the oriifin and meaning of which are becoming a suliject of
interesting inquiry.

As Mr. Lo.ssing well observes, in speaking of the destiny of this
fading race, they will leave behind them myriads of memories of their
existence here, in their beautiful and significant names of our moun-
tains and valleys, our lakes and rivers, our states, counties, villages and
ttities; but we may say to our people:

OHIOrKHELLE.

"Water whitened liy riipid descent over rocks."

880

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

" That mid thti forosf.H where tliey •^ arr'il,
ThtTe riujfs no hunter's slioiit;
lint tlieir tmme ia ou your waters —
Ye may not wash it oijt."

The popular idea is that these Iiulian local name. , or those taken
to be such, are genuine names and possess some appropriate signiti(!a-
tion ; but whoever will take the trouble to investigate in this regard
will find much in this notion that is erroneous. The language of this
peo[)le not being a written one, there is wanting a permanent standard
of pronunciidion ; hence, in transferring Indian names into our litera-
ture they have been ;liable to material changes in their sounds, so
much so, in a large proportion of instances, that the original intention
can scarcely be arrived at with any degree of certainty.

In pursuing this subject intelligently, it is proper first to classify
the various groups of native inhabitants, as nearly as may be, so far as
they are marked by a common or generic language; and in this con-
nection a brief reference to the Indian languages in general would also
seem proper. Indian geogra[)hical names, or names applied to locali-
ties, are supposed to mark the fact that the tribe or nation from whose
language the same are derived once iidiabited the country in which
such names are found. This, in general, is found to be the case;
therefore, the classification of these inhabitants and designation of the
country which each nation or group inhabited, becomes material in
pursuing an investigation in regard to the origin and meaning of these
names.

In a preceding chapter entitled "Linguistic Groups," information
on this subject is given, showing as definitely as can well be shown,
the country inhabited by the various linguistic groups according to the
most convenient classification.

Thus, in tracing the origin or arriving at the meaning of Indian
geographical names, we have first to determine from which language
of the several groups they are derived, and through what particular
dialect they are produced.

Among the tribes east of the Rocky Mountains, the Algonquin
language, as spoken by the Ojibway nation, was, in general, regarded
as the court language, so that when a person fell among a strange
tribe whose language he did not understand, if he spoke this language,
they were bound, as a rule, to furnish some one who could communicate
with him in tiiis language. It was through this medium that Mar-
quette, on his route from Montreal to the Des Moines, spoke with the
various tribes; and so it was with all those early French travelers,
including La Hontan, who proceeded, as we may believe from his nar-

rative, far

among

the western tribes. Thus, the language of the

INDIAN LOCAL NAMES.

831

Algonquins bocamo, in ouo hgiisg, tho univorsal laiif^uiigo of tlie ooiiti-
nent, whereby it happens that a hirj^o projujrtioii of our Indian geo-
graphical names are derived from that source.

Indian K)cal names, as well as names of persons, when expressed
in our language, are, in general, comprised i '' "veral words, but when
expressed in the Indian language art* composed of a single word, com-
pounded in the manner of their accustonuvl ingenuity in tlio use of
their language. As an illustration of tliis, Mr. Heckewelder cites the
instance of the name given by the Indians to the place where Phila-
delphia now stands, which tliey preserved to the latest time, notwitli-
standing the great change which had taken place. The name was
Kiif-qi(c-}i(i-l:ii, pronounced Koo-ck-ircn-aw-koo, and which means
'• the grove of the long pine trees."

The same authority further remarks that the Indians have proper
names not only for towns, villages, mountains, valleys, rivers and
streams, but for all remarkable spots, as, for instance, those which are
particularly infested with gnats and moscj[uitoes, places where animals
have their dens, and the like.

In regard to Indian names, not only are the people wlio have
succeeded the native tril)es of this country in complete ignorance of
the origin and meaning of those they have loft to us to designate rivers,
lakes, and other localities, but they are unaware of the fact that very
many of the local names which we ai'e now using and which we su[)pose
to come from other sources are also Indian names, or are derived
therefrom. Of the thirty-eighl. states of the Union eighteen have
Indian names: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Alabama, Tennessee, Ken-
tucky, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri,
Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Kansas, and, as is supposed,
Oregon; which, in general, are derived from great rivers or other
watin's. Of the nine organized territories of the United States five have
Indian names: Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Alaska; and it is
to be noted also that the principal rivers of North America, especially
those in the United States, with but a few exceptions, have Indian
names, or those which are intended to be such.

Our Indian local nam* i, i ( general, with the exception of tliose
east of the Alleghany Mouui.tuis, have come to us througli tlie early
French adventurers or their descendants; and, in general, as haK been
before mentioned, from the language of the Algonquin group. In the
for' -^oing assertion an exception has to be made in regard to some few
1< oal Indian names in the southern states which have come throuirh
the Spanish, who had invaded that country before the French had
reached the valley of the Mississippi ; so that our Indian local names

iiii\i,

THK A.MKUICAN INDIAN.

liiivc (MHiio to urt tlimni^li, or iiccoi'diii^ tn, tlm ortlioj^riipliy <>(' tlifeo
btivenil liiMguuj:ft's, viz.: S[)(iiiisli, J'^nglish aiitl Frtiiicli.

Ill jmrsniiif^ the subji'ct of Iiuliim geogmphionl immos. tliero in
one thing with wliicli wo liiivo to iIkhI, wherein, nt this time, wo om
olttiiiii little or no Hiitisfiu-tory ni<l in case of (l()nl)t or unoertiiinty.
Wo fro(|nontly fin<l the sniiie Indiiin word, or ono having thti likt^
Houiid, in ditlVront liingmigos or ili'docts, with an (Mitiroly ditroront
ineaning; so, what may have been the original intention in applying
such name to any given locality, or from wli : guago or dialect

the word is derived, will be a matter ditVicult to .miermine. As a gen-
eral rule, in such cases, conjecture oidy can \w given. For instance,
the word (ItlnKjo, or that wliich is essentially the sani(>, is fouml in
several languages and dialects with entirely different meanings.

"Whilst those to whom Ave ai'e imlebted for our Indian local names
were in some instances, as in the case of Manjuette, Hennepin and La
Hontan, men of learning, and are supposed to have written -witii some
degree of accuracy wlu^n referring to them, yet a large proportion of
those to wliom we are indebted therefor were illiterate persons and
relied exclusively upon sounds ndcb'essed to the ear, and wein unable
to aid their memoiy by reducing them to writing; so that vc^ry few of
these Indian geographical names have come to us in correct form.
They are almost universally a corruption, to agreate ■■>v less extent, and
their meaning has to be arrived at either from tri 'i or by patient

investigation into the language of the group c. . ect of the tribe
from which the name is derived. Tiiis has been done, to a consider-
able extent, and tlie world is much indebted to those patient students
who have iindertakeu this task, ami given their time towards accom-
plishing a result so much desired.

Take as an exam[tlo the word Poiohsrof, the name of a river in the
state of Maine. This name, which passes for an Indian word, and
which is brought to us by the French, is said to have been reported
by thsm in sixty different ways during their occupancy of the country
in tiie viciinty of this river, about 10()4. The name most generally
used by them, however, was P(in-(iu-(ui-sh('k. The English, the new
Plymouth colonists, caught the word of the Indians, Poioltscof, by
which it was known as early as 1020. The true Indian name, it is
said, was Pcii-nb-scc'(i(i or Pan-oh-scoofe, suggested by the rocky falls
just above Bangor, from Pcuohfij/, "rocky" and Uiteral, "a place,''
that is "the rocky place.''

The learned Dr. Trumbull, of Hartford, Connecticut, Avho is prob-
ably the best autiiority on Indian languages now living, in referring
to this subject, says: "Remembering how unsettled and capricious

INDIAN LULAI. NAMIx.

;{:{;>

wnw tli<^ Enj^Iisli spt'lliii^' tii tlio sovtMitt'PJith owiittiry, Iii>\\ )il)soIutoIy
every cli'ik ami lecunliT wiis ii law uulo limi^ilf. mul how otti ii \vi'
fiml II coiuiuoii Kiij^'lisli word Hpt'llfil in tliloo or four (liir»M'»'iit way« l>y
the saiiK* writiT and pfrliaps oil tho Haiiin pai^'o, in early coloiiial ree-
onls, iiiiifunuity in tlio HpoUiii;^ of Imltiin ihhih-h was not to Im
expected. TIk^ vai'ialioiirt wlncli ;;oint> of tliese names |)i'eseiit ai'e
almost iiiiiniiieiahli^ Others have uiider<^oiio comj)h'te transl'uniiatiuii,
rotuiiiiiig Hcareely ii H\i<,'geKtioii of their orij,final sounds."

Dr. Trumbull, amongst otlnsrs, has given the followinf; examples
of the mel,'>iiior[)h()sis or change of Indian local names or '•place-
names," as he c<irs them, transforming them not only into a corrupted
form of Indian nai.ies, but also into English words and terms. Thus,
he sayg: ^' Knitjnuikc''^ has become '"Capo P«)ge," and its e(|uivalent
in another dialect is "(Quebec;" ^Vamcfie/,- is "May Luck;" (hiniiHKc-
paniiHiivk is shortened t«) "Oxyboxy;" XfiishMjiifdiccajainichin "East-
cvig;" T(>iiilif<iiiii()iiij}xK-iit to ■•Higganum;" M'oiiococoiiiiiiij/ to "Coii-
ganiuck:" \\'(li(iiiii)sL<it to "Obscob;" ^Itlt('itii})SHck to ••Snipsic"
IVcyiuiixniiisct to ''Boxet."

"So, in ]Maine, 3I(ilclic-h(i;ii((iliis has b(>en identified with '^Lajor
Biguyduce;' in Maryland Pofojutco survives as 'Port Tobacco;' in
lihodo Island Wnnnoiiclotionni is reduced to ' Toramony,' or 'Tam-
many' hill; r(ip(i!:iiiiiask becomes 'Papoose >S([uaw ' point, and Mna-
(pKildiKj passes through Musqui'fohuug to the more familiar ' Mus-
queto-hawk' brook. Of Quenevhoiian (or Qiiinnifchitnit ), the designa-
tion of a 'long rapid' near the entrance of the Ottawa river, the
French of Canada first made ■ fifteen dogs' ((iiuiizc c///<'(/s), and then
invented a story to account for the name.

" The signification of many pbice-naraes is obscured by the loss
of one or more syllables or an initial consonant, as iu 'Toket' for
Toldkci, 'Quaddic' for PdHaquolhtck, 'Catumb' for Kt'1it}iij)sciif,
*Paug' for Pisli(tiip(iK<i or l't\^)tck((p(n<g, and for Xccsliajxaif/ '"\Vas-
suc,' iciv ^lsii((inisKii<' or XdshcdiKSKck, 'Nunkertunk' for WaniiiiUdliicL-,
and'Titicut' (on Taunton river, iu Massachusetts j, for Kehfciktuk-
<pil, or Kcttcfiikitf. The sound of in or p before a sibilant or mute
was often lost to English ears; thus for 3rsqii(i))iiciik we have ' 8(pio-
macuk,' for j\f(isli(ip(tii<j 'Shepaug,' for Pcsrahik 'Scanlic' and 'Scit-
tico,' for Pisliiidcltligok ' Scatac.ook,' etc. Nearly as often an initial
n lias been dro^jped, e. g., ' Ashawog,' 'Assawaug,' ' Shetucket,' ' Shau-
uock' and 'Shunock.' "

To show the misconception we have as to Indian names, the word
Calumet will serve as an illustration. This is the name of a river
putting iu at the southern extremity of Lake Michigan. In early

8!3-t

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

times frequent incjuiry was made as to why this river was so called.
The answer, in general, was that it was an Indian word signifying "pipe
of peace," which the Indians smoked at their councils, and that in tlie
vicinity of this river was a place of holding Indian councils.

This is correct with three exceptions. First, the word Calumet is
not an Indian word; second, it does not of itself signify jiipe of peace;
third, Indian councils were never held in the vicinity of this river.
The word Calunet, says Charlevoix, in his book of travels in North
America, is a Norman word, which signifies a reed, forming a natural
tube with which I'forraan smoking implemen+s were constructed. The
word Calumci originally referred only to the tube, afterwards used ti>
designate the whole implement, the same as in our language we call
the same thing a }}'ipo. The Indian name of this river was CotKiiiiic,
and signifies " snow beaver," which, it would seem, our English speak-
ing people mistook for Ccdumci, which is not an appropriate significa-
tion applicable to this river as intended.

One source of confusion or uncertainty with our English speak-
ing people in regard to these Indian local names, is in reference to
those that come to us through the French, which have generally
remained as originally fixed and are designated on our maps, and in
our histories in the French orthogiaphy, in pronouncing which we
are in the habit of giving to the letters iised the soimds they have
according to our own orthography; of this class are the words
Michilimaoinac, Ohio, Miami, Illinois, Chicago, Iroquois, Quebec, etc.

Few people understand i!:<it the vford Miami and iI/rj«/H/rY', which
are generally understood to be Indian words, are both the same wonl ;
that the only ditference in them is that the former is given in French
ortliography, whilst the latter is rei dered according to English orthog-
raphy Tlie word given, according to French orthography, when prop-
erly pronounced, as they pronounce it, and as the Indians would speak
it, is M('-(iH-mc(\ hastily pronounced in common speech Mdumec.

It is not altogether the fact of these various ways of rendering
Indian words that has createcl so much confusion in our Indian local
names, but tlie tlitference in the orthography of words or mode of
spelling them has been also a source of great perplexity, as before
illustrated. This has occurred sometimes through misapprehension,
and sometimes through sheer carelessness.

There is a post-village in ^^ iscom-jin called Wci/duin </(,, which is
a namo passing for au Iiulian word, but in that form is not. The
word intended, according to the late Gov. Doty of that state, from
whom the writer obtained this iiiformation, is M'l'ii-dii-irc-f/d, which,
while he was a member of cosigress from that state, he gave to the

■PHH

i:;dian local names.

;}:}5

ptistoffice department at Washington, as the name lie recommended
for a postoffite then about to be established at that place. The depart-
ment, he says, mistook the // in the last syllable as written by him for
g, and recorded the name accordingly, rendering the same as it now
is as the name of that village. The word intended is an Algonquin
word of the Menominee dialect, and signifies "whirling wind." It
was the name of a faithful Menominee Indian guide, long in the
service of Gov. Doty in early days, whose name after his death he
sought to peri)etuate by applying it to this town, in which it seems,
however, he was unsuccessful.

There is a class of local names which are understood to have the
sound of Indian words, and, therefore, are taken to be such, which in
fact are not really Indian names. Of this class, as an example, mny
be mentioned the word Moiicc, the name of a town in Illimis on the
Illinois Central railroad. This was the accepted name of the wife of
an Indian trader, Joseph Bailes, a French-Canadian of considerable
influence and note among the Indians, in the early days of the North-
west Territory.

His wife was an Indian woman of the Fottawatamie iribe, with
whom she was a great favorite. Her baptismal name was M'tvij, which
her husband pronounced Maurce, according to the French pronuncia-
tion. In the Fottawatamie dialect, like that of most all other tribes
of the Algonquin group, a.^ before raentionotl, there i^ no sound of r,
the sounil of n being used instead. The Indians, tlierefore, pronounced
her name Mcitoice or Moua: In a treaty between the United States
Government and the Pottawatamies a tract of land was reserved to this
woman by the name of Monet; in the vicinity of the town before men-
tioned.

The word Kalamazoo, the name of a river in Michigan, and which
passes for an Indian word, may be cited as one among the numerous
instances as an e.^araple where an Indian word has been corrupted
from inattention in catching sounds in Indian words. The proper
word is said to be Xc-fiik-dn-a-nia zit, which is stated to be a contrac-
tion of an Indian phrase descriptive oi the stones seen through the
water in the river bed, which, from a refractive power in the current,
resembled an otter swimming under the water. Th\ terra having its
root forms in Xnjih, an otter, the verb Katia. to hide, and Ozoo. a
quadrujjed's tail. The letter 1 is a mere transposition of n in native
words passing from Indian to the Frencli language.

But the French are not alone tliargealde with the confusion
before referred to, from their manner of rendering Indian names in cio
many different Avays; the English were alike heedless or inattentive in

3;3»;

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

this regard. For instance, the word that we generally })ronounce Mo-
/i('(jan, which i.s accepted as the name of a ti'ibe of Indians once
dwelling on the east bank of the Hudson river, the English have, at
different periods, referred to as Moliiccoii, Molaiccdii, Molictjaiis,
Muhhcckdiicir, MaliiiKjitn; the Dutcii called thein Moliikamlcrs; and
the French referred to them as Moiivi(j(tiis. It would seem that the
proper term is MdliiiK/aii, signifying wolf.

Among the striking instances of the numerous ways of rendering
Indian words by the English is that of the word accepted as Pokano-
kH, the nan.e given l)y historians to the locality at which Avas the seat
of the noted chief, called by the English "King Phillip." The English
rendered this word in the foUov ■ ^ various different ways: Fditka-
iidkctl, PocdiKikci, PockaiiorkctI, Pokanoki'-: Pokanockett, Pdicunnoiv-
kiifl, Piickanukik, Pockdiidckcf.

As to the signification of Indian local names, to which reference
has been made, as a rule they always possess some appropriate mean-
ing, but which when translated into our language are frequently want-
ing in that elegance of signification which we suppose them to possess,
especially from their magnificent or euphonious sounds. As an illus-
tration of this, a few examples will suffice:

The word Xokomis, the name of a town of some importance in
Illinois, sui)posed to be taken from Longfellow's poem of "Hiawatha,"
when translated into our language, means simply "grandmother," or
"my grandmother." The word OiifoiidHdii, the name of a river in
the upper peninsula of Michigan, rather a bold-sounding word, whit>
is supposed to signify someihing grand, means in our language, " there
goes my dish," or "lost my dish," from the circumstance, it is said, of
an Indian girl attempting to dij) up some water from the stream, when
the current swe[)t tiie dish out of her hand, whereupon she exclaimed,
"there goes my dish."" MiiskiiujiDii (properly Moos-gig-am), a river
in Ohio, signifies "Moose Eye." loirti. one of the states of the Union,
from a tribe of the Indians of that name, signifies "sleepy," or
"drowsy ones." Cliciidinio. tlie name oi a river in New York, is an
Iroquois name, meaning ••bull thistles."

CHAPTER XXIV.

DRESS.

Simplicity iu Style— SupKestivo of Couvenieueo— General Uniformity simont,' Hie
Tribes — DitTereut Styles — Dress Aceordint,' to Weiitlier and Seawou — Description
of the Indiiiu Dress— Materiiil -Skins of Animals — Mocassins for the Feet —
Dress of the Indian Woman— Its (lonveidenre— Accordiiii,' to Ncjtions of Strict
Propriety— Indians of the Pacitic Coast — Criticism of the White Man on Fantas-
tic Indian Dress— The White Woman's Fantasti*! Dress Compared — The Indian
Paints his Face, so does the Wliite Wotnan— The Indian War Pouuet — Not a
Fantastic Display, hut a Superstitious Notion Butl'alo Horns as a Badye of
Bravery — The Indian Dress is Symbolic, rather than one of Fantastic Display —
The Indian Dude- Indian Dress of the ^lountains and the Plains.

lUBAl, IMJlAN MAIUKN,

^HE (In^ss ot' the Aincrioan
>4 Indian, in his native condi-
tion, Mas one of siinplifity in
'W stylo and snjfift'stive of con-
venience, in wliicli there \vf!s very
general uniformity among the tribes
and nations of the continent. There
were different styles or grades of
dri'ss, but these were, in general,
everywhere nearly or suiistantially
the same; commencing witli a simple
article of ajjjiarel or excuse for a[)-
[larel, and |)assing tlirough various
styles and grades to the com])letely
clothed body, as the inclemency of
the weather or otiuM' cii cuiiistances
might demand.

On this subject Charlevoix
I'lMuarks that the men, when it is
liot. have often only sonu^thing of an
apron to cover a particular part of
th(^ body. In the winter they clothe
themselves more or less according to
the climate.

(8.S7)

338

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

One of the most prominent (irticles of Indian apparel was tlie kilt,
secured around the waist by a belt, and descendii;^ midway or more to
tlie knees. This, with the addition of moccasins for tlie feet, was, in
general, the complete dress of the Indian when on the war path or
engaged in the hunt. The object was to free himself from all encum-
brances, as far as possible, so as to admit of greater activity, and to
avoid fatigue that might be induced from restraint of mucli clothing.
The dress further consisted in clothing the waist and arms with a kind
of loose garment, somewhat in the style of what we call a hunting
shirt, and a blanket or robe thrown over the shoulders. This was the
complete dress of an Indian.

Before the invasion of the white man the Indian dress was manu-
factured from the skins of animals; since which event, the fabrics of
art, or [)roductions of tlie white man's skill, have been adopted, except
as to moccasins for the feet, usually made of dressed deer skin and
other animals affording like substantial material ; but it is noted that
the Indian parts with this traditional article of apparel with extreme
reluctance. On this subject Mr. Schoolcraft says, moccasins have
stood their ground as a part of the Indian costume with more entire
success against European innovation than perhaps any other part of
the original dress.

Another style of Indian costume, very generally adapted in warmer
weather or warmer climates, instead of the kilt, was tliat called in the
language of the Algonquins, Azian or Unseaun; in English, loin-cloth,
and, in common speech, breech-cloth; the body being otherAvise nudo
with the exception of moccasins.

The dress of the Indian woman was one of like convenience, in a
style marking her native modesty and strict notions of propriety, orna-
mented in a manner peculiar to Indian ideality and taste, being the
costume of their mothers from all time. There were no ever cliansrinir
Paris fashions in those days to upset feminine minds and impoverish
masculine pockets.

Peter Jones, in speaking of the Indian woman's dress, says the
native Indian women wore "short gowns and petticoats, made of
dressed deer skin, and a mantle thrown over the shoulders. They also
wore leggins and moccasins neatly worked." As a mark of neatness
and modesty in the charii>-'tp»; ui the native Indian woman, her garment,
called a sliort gown, completely covered her arms, and was closely
fitted about tlie neck.

An early writer thus describes the Indian woman's dress at the
time the English first came among this people on the Atlantic coast:

"Their garments are a pair of sleeves of Deer or Moose-skin drest,

DRESS.

;58i»

and (li'fuvu with lines of several Colonrs into Asiiitic works, wit.i Buskins
of the same, a short Mantle of Trading Cloath, either Blew or Beil,
fastened with a Knot under the Chin, and girt about tlie middle with
a Zone, wrought with white and blew Beads into Pretty Works. Of
these Beads they have Bracelets for tiieir Neck and Arms, and Links
to hang in their Ears, and a fair Table, ci;riously made up with Beads
likewise, to wear before their IJreast. Their Hair they Com])o back-
wards, and tye it ixp short with a Border, about two haudf'ulls broad,
wrouirht in Works as the others with their Beads."

The dress of the Indian man in his native simplicity, is described
by the same authority as simply a waist cloth, and a mantle of skin or
cloth, which was commonly laid aside. Yet, nakedness, it is said, did
not result in indelicacy. In this regard Rogt?r "Williams says, "I have
never seen that wantonness among them, as with grief I have heard of
iu Europe." The same author further says that the Indians were fond
of dress, as all uncivilized and most civilized people are, i; , matter of
course, and cheap ornaments of glass or metal could buy from them
their choicest furs.

The dress of the Indians of the Pacitic coast, in what is now Ore-
gon and Washington Territory, according to John K. Jewett, for
several ye<\rs a captive among the Indians of that country, usually
consisted of but a single garment, which was a loose cloak or mantle
called kidsuck, iu one piece, reaching nearly to the feet. This was
tied hwsely over the right ov left shoulder, so as to leave the arms at
full libei'ty. In winter, however, they sometimes made use of an
additional garment, which was a kind of hood, with a hole iu it, for
the purpose of admitting the head, the garment falling over the breast
and back as low as the shoulders. This was bordered at the top and
bottom with fur, aud only worn when going out in the cold. The gar-
ments of the women did not vary essentially from those of the men,
tl)e mantle having holes in it for the purpose of admitting the arms
and being tied closely under the chin, instead of over the shoulders.
The chiefs dressed in more costly apparel, and in a nuiuuer to dis-
tinguish them from the common people of the tribe.

There has been much criticism among civilized people on the
fantastic dress of the native Indian; that ho paints his face; that he
Avears qudls of birds stuck in his hair; that he wears strung about his
neck the claws of birds and ferocious animals as valued ornaments.
Whilst the dress of the white man, it is true, is not ojjcu to criticisms
of this kind, and is, perhaps, as consistent in its make-up as the com-
pulsion of fashion will admit, the case of our white woman, under
the guidance of fashion, is not so easily disposeil of. Whilst the

;M()

THK AMKllICAN INPIW.

white man, under our custom, does not paint liis fiice likt^ the untu-
tored Indian, this much cannot be said of the white woman.

AVhilst the Indiiin, it is ad-
) ; mitted, woars bird's claws, sus-
-■^ {lended about liis nock, which he
does as a symbol for some pur-
pose ; the white woman i)utsupon
her bonnet the whoh; l)ird, chiws
included, with no signification
whatever, except that the fash-
ion director informs her that it
^=^^ adds a charm to her pers >n.d
ap[)earance. The Avhite man,
it is true, does hot wear the
(juills of birds stuck in his hair,
nor in the hat covering his head,
but leaves this to tiie taste of
the white woman, who sends

BLACKFOOT CHIEF-FANTASTIC DHESS. .^^.^.^gg the SCa to obtaiu pluniCS

from the great bird of the desert, purely as a matter of ornament,
prescribed by the rules of fashion. The Indian, in putting on plumes,
.selects them from his own great native
bird of the air, and this he does, not as an
ornament, but as a symbol to signify his
courage and bravery.

The Indian, in his dress, is in the
habit of wearing many things which
appear to us as fantastic, and a mark of
his 1 ight character and folly. For instance,
there is a style of head-dress called the
war-bonnet, compcjsed of (piills or IV-athers
taken from particular kimls of birds,
that we frequently see painted in fancy
sketches of Indian figures, Avhich is gen-
erally taken among us to be Morn [mrely
ns an ornament, the fact being (jiiite other-
wise. This war-l)onnet is thus describinl
l)y Ca])t. Clark, in his work im " Indian
Sign Language:"

"The tail feathers of the golden eagle
are used for making these gorgeous lu'ad-
divsses. There are twelve feathers in the

X--

DllKSS.

tiiil, iiii;l MS many as sixty or seventy are used in making the bonnet.
The feathers for the cap proper are fastened to clotli or skin, made to
fit the head in the shape of a brimless and crownless hat. The feathers
are phiced side by side, touching, and. when the bonnet is put on tlie
head, assume a nearly vertical position, the whole forming a cylinder-
shaped head-gear. Fastened to the liead-piece behind is a long strip
of skin or clotli ( red cloth is now generally \ised t which, when the
person is standing, reaches to and sometimes trails on the ground.
The feathers are fastened on one sid(! of this cloth. This head-dress
is also fre(piently decorated with real or iniitatitni butfahi horns, and
some tribes have, besides, masses of ermine skin fastened on near the
base of the feathers. Some bird, or the special motlicine, which
belongs to the owner of the bonnet, is also fastened on these in front.
At the tips of the feathers a few horse hairs are fastened to the tail
piece."

Many Indians placed the most implicit confidence in this av;iv-
bonnet, thus aided l)y this special uicdicine, which nniy l>e only a dirty
little bag given tlu^m by tiieir magician or medicine man; and are
firm in the belief tliiit it turns aside all the missiles of their enemies.

As an example, an instance is related of a once famous chief of
the southern Cheyennes, showing the confidence the Indians have in
the war-bonnet for protecting them against harm. He was engaged
in a fight between the Cheyennes and Foxes, who were Viehind cover,
dismounted. He charged cm them and was met Avith such a storm of
bullets that the feathers in his bonnet were entirely cut away. On
being asked how it was that he was not hit in the engagement, li''
replied that his medicine was on his head, regarding this as a full,
complete and perfect ex[)lanation. His story was corroborated by
Marriors who were engaged with him in the action. Instances of this
kin.d tended to confirm Indian C(Uifitlence in the war-bonnet, like the
helmets of the ancients, as a [jrotection from harm in hostile engage-
ments.

Courage and skill in war, or special deeds of braveiy and daring,
obtain for the favorite brave in all tribes distinguished features in
dress, lender this rule the Indian warrior, who by his bravery had
become entitled to this favor, was permitted t(} wear as an ornament
upon his head the horns of a buffalo, which was added to his head-
dress as a synd)ol of bravery. This could bo worn only by consent of
the council. A chief coald not wear this symbol of courage unless it
was bravely won ami accorded him by the council of his tribe. As
tiie white soldier rejoices in his stars and stri[)es, so did the Indian in
his buffalo horns or other symbolizing features.

342

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Tlio Indian woman took great pride in lior black, luxuriant growth
of hair, which she allowed to grow at full length, never trimming nor
catting it in the least degree, and which she parted in front and
combed down upon her back, usually braided or tied with a band to
keep it iu plac(>. "With the Indian woman there were no wigs, false

curls or frizzes. The Indian man
was in like manner proud of his
fine growth of hair, and would
have considered himself disgraced
to have it shorn otf.

However, among some tribes
a custom prevailed of plucking out
the hair of the head by the roots,
with the exception of a small lock
or tuft on the crown, which was
left as a bravado, that in case they
should fall into the hands of their
enemies, there is left remaining a
scalp, which, it is conceded, the
conquering party is entitled to.
This custom i)revailed among the
Mohawks of the Iroquois nation,
and some of the other tribes of
that people, but not among the
Senecas. It prevailed also among
the Pawnees, Sacs and Foxes,
lowas, Kansas, Otoes, Shawnees,
and s(mie of the Dakota tribes.

It is said that notwithstanding
the stern character of the Indian,
and his utter detestation of effem-
inacy in man, scarcely a tribe was
exenq)t from the humiliation of
occasionally producing specimens
of that abnormal human growth,
particularly mentionetl by Mr. Catliii and known among our own race
as the (kiiidij; in modern times, the ihnlc. The characteristics of the
Indian specimen were similar to those of the same species in the white
race, and Avere held in as much contempt in the sensible Indian mind.
This class despised war or danger of any kind, and were avers(>
to engaging in the fatigues or perils of the hunt. Their robes were
never adorned with scalp locks, nor their necks Avith the claws of the

SENECA MAIDEN.

•i

DUESS.

diH

bear. Tliey could not wear red paint, as this symbol i/eil success in
itattle. For the daitdij to attempt to wear these emblems of n brave
career might im[)oril his life. His dress was usually made from the
skin of the mountain goat or rod deer; and the trinimiiigs were of
ermine, swan's down, i)orcupino (|uills and wami)um. He usually spent
hours every day in making his toilet, the minutest details of which
received his greatest care. He
would languidly watch the athletic
games engaged in by the young
braves of the tribe, but took uo
part in their sports himself.

If coincidences, in the re-
semblance of character, may be
taken as evidence in the claim for
race unity, then the resemblance
of characteristics in the Indian
(Idiidy and the white diidc would
avail much as proof in support of
this claim.

In dress, while comfort and
convenience seemed to be the one
essential sought for by the Indian,
yet there were those among them
who were likillful in arranirinjr,
ornamenting and adorning their
native costumes with pleasing aud
picturesque effect.

It is said of the Crow Indians,
and of their hereditary enemies,
the Blackfeet, that they paid more
attention to dress than other North
American tribes. The native dress
of the Crow was oi white skins,
which travelers and traders tell
us they excelled in dressing. Tiie
marked feature of the warrior's
uniform was Avar-eagle fnathers, wampum, ermine and s('al[) locks.
The dress of the women was less showily trimmed, yet very attractive,
as worn by the handsome belles of the Crow tribes.

The dress of the Blackfeet tribe was similar to that of the Crow
Indians, except that it was black or brown skins instead of white. The
trimmings or general manner or fashion of garmeiits were the same.

YtH'XCl SrJNKCA WAlUil-K.

•dU

THE AMKltlCAN INDIAN.

Not Ipss intcvostiiig than tlmt of the Crow and JJhickl'pet, was tlie
dress of tlio Comaiiches or Navajoes of tlu3 southwest, who are said
to have worn eh)th garments, and surprised the invading white men
with tlie In-auty and harmony of colors in their hhmiiets or shawls,
the thice primitive colors, red, blue and yellow, blending with
brown and other neutral colors with very pleasing otfect. The decided
colors were obtained from the mountain tlowers, and the shav' ,-; and
tints from the roots and barks of trees, well known for their coloring
qualities by these students of tlie native weeds.

A favorite robe among all classes of natives was the skin of the
lu'ar or bison dressed carefully and painted on tiie insidiMvith synii)olic
figures.

The Inilian's love oi dis[)lay is prominent only on days of fes-
tivity or occasions of note. "In holiday attire " the native dress is
profusely onuuuentetl. The raven's or eagle's feather is one of the
valued ornaments, and is worn as jiroudly by tiie Indian l)rave as a
soldier wears his epaulets or the dude his silk hut and matchless swal-
low-tail coat. The reader has, no doubt, learned that the men among
the natives of America display more love for dress, ornament an<l
stylo than the women, and noticed that with the wiiite race this is
reversed. The Indian women, in (lr(>ss, bini[)ly ignored paint, pomatum
and feathers, while the men delighted in the contrast of ilecided
colors, painted their faces, and in "full dress"' were as elaborate as a
city belle, and sometimes quite as decollete. The head-dress of a
chief is plumed and garnished according to his merit or bravery and
skill ill war or hunting. A war eagle's feather is added to the head-
dress of a chief for every enemy slain by his own hand.

It ' s been recorded that among certain tribes the war chiefs
went about among their people dressed in poorer garments than any
member of the tribe, unless upon " state occasions,"' when their dress
is adorned and made jforireous in the extreme. The plain stA'le of
garments worn by the chiefs in every -day life can be accounted for in
no other way than that these high officials desire to be an example of
patience and eccmomy to their people, or it may be that the Indian
mind places the power of leadership far beyond and above oi;twaid
show. Whatever the cause of their [)lainness of attire in their chiefs,
it is true that no people were more loyal or devoted to their rules than
the native red men of America.

CHAPTER XXV.
RELIGION.

Man Naturally a Roligious BeiuK— A Characteristic Proniinont aiiioii^,' tlio Indians—
Rfli«ii)U Similar to Iho Jews— IJclicf in One Oreat Spirit— Hi-lict in a Bail
Spirit— Subonlinato Gooil Spirits Like tlio Jcwt. they had Fasts and Feasts-
Observed with U<'lit,'iuus Devotion Traditionsof llie Flood Houses of \Vorshi|)
of Civilized People— Indian Ali'dicine Ijod-,'e— Ahidini: Faith in a Future Exist,
euee— Ijand of the IJlessed, or Country of Souls— The Passable of the Soul to the
Everlasting Abode- -Helief iu Dillienlties on tho Way— Belief that the Soul
Tarries a Time Near the Hody— Passage Over a Stream on tl»> Way to the Land
of Souls — Like the River Styx of the (ireeks— Perils in Passing Over tliis Myth-
ical River — Ueseription of the Lanil of the Blessed — Indian Religion a Subject
of Criticism— What tho Indian Tiiinks of the Religion of the White ]Man— The
Indian Priest The Indian Highly Devotional— Smoking, a Devotional Act-
Believed in Souls of Animals — Helit>f of the Iroiiuois and other TribeSi

-^TT^^: AN, it is said, is uat-
/V/\' mully a religious
^/. ; ' l',\^ being, mid that no
^ci^X~~^~-" people have heeii
t'oimd 1)11 earth witliout fnme
kind of religions belief. Tliis
clifirncteristic was especially
? proiiiiiioiit with the aborigines
of this country. Thinr relig-
ion Avas similar to that of the
Jews, as coining to ns through
the inspired writings of that
peo[)le. They believed in one
great Creator and KU[)renie,
overrnl ing power ;tlieybelieved
in a bad spirit, to whom Avas assigned, in general, the evil doings of
earth; and they believed insubordinate good spirits, Avho administered
to the happiness of mankind within their sphere.

Like the Jews they had their fasts and feasts, wliich they observed
with like religious devf)tion. The tribe of Maiidans, who dwelt in the
upper country of the Missouri river, had a tradition that at some time
there was a great flood over the face of the earth, destroying the race

|:H5)

'DAWN OF rKH.rKTlAL PKACK.

y-it;

Till", AMEUICAN INDIAN.

of iimiikiiid with the exception of one porHon, who was sftved by the
iiit'miH of u gv'mi cniioe constructtHl by the lulvico of tho Grout Spirit.
Miiiiy otlitT tribcH wore known to hiivo n Kiinihir tnulition.

Civili/.t'd ptM)[>lt< hiivt» their housesof worship, orphicoof religious
devotion; tlie Indimi had his medicine hjdf,'e, or Mt'(l(iin'<iauiiji,v,'\nn'oin
were hekl ceremonies of mystery, under c'har>j;o of their hijjfh priests or
bif^ niedii'ine men.

The Indian had an ai)iilin^' faith in a future existence, "in !i hind
of tlio blessed or country of souls, upon a n(nv earth or terrene alxxhs
which is to be re[)lete with aninnil life, disjRjrting its varied creations
ninidst beautiful j^roves or along the banks of smooth streams and
lakes, whore there are no tempests, no pinching and chilling vicissi-
tudes «)f weather, and no broken formations of rough mountains, cata-
racts or volcanoes; but where the avocations of life are ao delightful
and varied, find so com[)ietoly exempt from the power of evil, that their
happiness is complete. Death, it is fancied, opens the door to this
sweet land, and death is, therefore, viewed with complacency. The
great Manito is hoard of, and presides there, but he is not a God of
judgments or punishments: his voice is exclusively that of a father
welcoming home his wandering children from the land of sufferings,
trials, and death."

Many Indians Ijclieved that their souls, after death, were many
months in traveling to the regions of the everlasting abode; and that
in reachin<f itthev had great difficulties to surmount and i^reat thuiirers
to encounter, especially of a river, which they would have to pass, and
where many had been wrecked. They speak of n dog against which
they have to defend themselves; of a place of torments, where they
expiate their faults; and of another place where the souls uf the pris-
oneis of war who had been burned are tormented. This notion
accounts for one reason why, after the death of such persons, they fear
their souls Avill stay about their abodes to revenge their sufferinj;.
They viU'y carefully visit all places, striking continually with a c^tick,
aud sending forth hideous cries to drive away these souls.

Mr. Catlin sa\s that the Dakotas believe that after death the soul,
in reaching the [ilace of eternal abode, lia'- a great distance to travel to
the west, and has to cross a dreadful deep and apid am. which is

hemmed in cm both sides by high and ri' h ,s, over which, from hill
to hill, there lies a long and slipper ,t>g, over w' h the dead

have to pass to the delightful hunting unds. On the other side of
this stream, there are six persons of the good hunting-grounds with
stones in their hands, which they throw at thos who attempt to cross,
when they reacli about the middle of the stream. The good walk <

UKLIOION.

847

Bnfely ti> the end of tlioir journoy, whoro there is one continunl day;
wliore the trees nro alwayH j^retMi; wlicre the nky has no cIoiidH; where
there are continually fine and coolin;,' hreezes; Mhero there is one con-
tinual scene of feasting, dancin>,' and rejoicing; where there is no paiu
or trouble; luid where the people never grow (»ld, but live ever young,
and enjoy the youthful pleasures.

In crossinj; over this log the wicked see the stones coming and
try to avoid them, by which they fall from the log and go down
thousands of feet to the water which is dashing over the rocks, and
which is polluted with dead fish and animals, where they are carried
around and continually brought back to the same place, in whirlpools,
whore the trees are all dead, and the waters are full of toads and the
like, and the dead are always hungry and have nothing to eat, are
always sick and never die, whore the sun never shines, and where the
wicked are continually climbing uj) by thousands on the sides of a
high rock, from which they can overlook the beautiful counti'y of the
good hunting-grounds, the place of the happy, but can never reach it.

This mythical river of the Indians corresponds to the river Styx,
of the ancient Greeks, in the lower world, which, in their belief, was
to be crossed in passing to the region of the dead.

But it must be noted that these beliefs, as to temporary or pro-
longed punisliments, mentioned, did not extend to all the American
Indians, but were entertained oidy by some particular tribes. In
general, the Indian held to the belief that Gczltc-Mdiii'lo, the Great
Merciful Spirit, would not, in after life, inflict upon them imnishinents
or torments of this kind.

The Indians hold, al.so, that there are spirits of a lesser degree, who
have their particular de[)artmonts, and \,hom they sui)j)ose preside over
all the extraordinary pro(hictions of nature, such as lakes, rivers, cata-
racts or mountains that are of an uncommon magnitude, and likewise
over the beasts, birds, fishes, and even vegetables and stones that
exceed the rest of their spei ies in size and regularity. To all of these
they pay some kinil of adoration. Thus, v/hen arriving at a great
cataract, on the borders of a great lake, the banks of a great river, or
other great body of water, they present to the spirit that presides
there, some kind of offering.

It was a general l)elief among the Algonquin tribes, and indeed
the like principle of belief pervaded the whole American race, with some
variations or minor exceptions, that there were two great beings that
ruled and governed the universe, who Avere at war with each other, or,
in other words, whose purposes were antagonistic. One was got)d, the
other bad. The good spirit, called by the Algonquins Giiclw-Mduilu,

348

Tin: AMERICAN INDIAN.

"Great Spirit," or GczJic-Mdniio, "Merciful Spirit," was nil kindness
and luve, Tlie bad spirit, called by tlieni Mdclic-Manito, was the
8[iirit of all evil, who delighted iu doing mischief. Some thought
that these two spirits were equal in power, and therefore ther wor-
Blii))ped the evil spirit on a principle of fenr. Others doubted which
was tiie more powerful, and therefore endeavored to keep in favor Avith
both, by giving each of them some kind of v-'orshij); adoring the one,
through u spirit of gratitude for his goodness, and Kpi)easing the
other, through a spirit of fear.

On this subject !Mr. Schoolcraft pertinently remarks, that one of
the strongest, and at the rsame time one of the most ancient points of
Indian belief is. that of the duality of God; in otiier woj'ds, the se[)a-
ration of that great overruling power into two antiponent spirits, (jooil
and criJ. This, up he remarks, was the leading doctrine in the zcnda-
Visfa of Zoroaster; and was a common oriental notion long before tlie
son of Terah was called from the pinins of Persia to cross the
Euphrates. Everywhere our lndia)is have upheld this idea of duality
of gods, ascribing to one (/(xxl and to the other evil powers, with its
ancient deveh^pments of subordinate polytheism.

The religion of the native Iiidia]i has been the subject of some
ridicule by persons of the C^iiristian faith; but there has l)een. in this
res})ect. a s[)irit of mutixal retaliation, to some extent, between the
untutored savage and tlie enligiitened Christian. Aji example of this
is given by IJarcni La Honta'i. in his book of travels among the North
American Indians, two hundred years ago, showing how this people
ridicule the scriptural account of the creation and the fall of Adam,
entailing ui>on his posterity per[)etual sin. The death of Christ for
the redemption of mankind, they declare, according to Ciiristian
showing, has failed of its intended purpose^ ; tliat tills Christian
reliirion is divided and subdivided into so manv sects that it can be no
other than a human artitice. leaving them in doubt as to Avhich ol'
tiiesc! various sects they must join in order to conform to the true
faith.

The minister or priest of the Indian religion was a person whose
calling, in general, was comprised in a tiireefold capacity, minister,
piivsician and prophet. According to the ideas of many, tlie jireten-
sions of the Indian medicine-man did not diifer essenti/illy. in some
respects, from that of the con'esponding individual of the white man
of the present day, called our physician or doctor of medicine, who
[)i"escribes metlicine for the sick in an unknown tongue, and diagnoses
the disease of his patient in mysterious terms, beyond his ])atient''s
comprehension.

JIELIGION.

849

The Indians, like Cliristian wliito men, concurred on one gcnerfil
point in their religion — that of a future existence; but like Christiaii
white men they differed among tlunuselves upon many other phases of
their religious beliefs. Many believed in a resurrection of the body,
the same as somoChristian Avhite men. AVhilst some believed in per-
{)etual h(ip[)ines8 for all, vi the eternal hunting-grounds, others
believed, like the Christian white man, in future rewards and punish-
ments. They thought that those who lived virtuously would be trans-
ported to a i)lace ai)oundijig with every luxury, and wliei'e the earth
produces to the greatest perfection all her sweetest fruits; and, on the
other hand, some believed that those Avho have spurned the duties of lite
^^ill be removal to a barren soil, where they will wander up ami down
among rocks and through barren j)la('es, where they vvill be stung by
gnats of enormous size.

One of the earliest Mritfi's on tlie subject of the Amciican Indian,
in referei'.ce to his religion and ideas of a future existence, says: -Yet
do they hold the immortality of the soul, in which their Indijin faith
jumps, much with the Turkish Alkoran, dreaming of a certain paradise
or southwest elvt ium, wherein tlnn' shall everlastin>rlv a])ide, Bolaciuir
themselves in odoriferous gardens, fruitful corn fields, green meadows,
bathing their tawny hides in the cool streams of pleasanf rivers, and
sheltering themselves from heat and cold in the sumptuous palaces
framed by liature, concluding that neither pain nor care shall molest
them, but that nature's bounty Viill voluntarily contril)ute from the
storehiuise of their elysium, at the portal.-: whereof, they t-.iy, lies a
great dog, wliose churl isli snarliiigs deny admission to unworthy intrud-
ers; wherefore it is their custom to bury with them their bows iuul
arrows, and good store of their irdnipunicduc and iiiowluick.^, the one to
affright that affronting cerberus, and the other to purchase more
immense prerogatives in their pariulise. For their enemies nnd loose
livt>rs, whom they account unworthy of this iiappiness, they sjiy that
tliey pas;4 to the infernal dwelling of Ahoiiiot'lio. to lie tortuicd accord-
inj; to the fictions of the ancient heathen.''

The Indinn wns highly devotional in his nature and exceedingly
devout. He attributed to the Great 8i)irit all the blessings lie enjoyed
in life, for which ho wms continually returning thanks. The evils of
life wliicli ovcrtiK k him he did not rect)gnl/e as judgments from the
Great, Good Hjiirit, whom he designated as iiczlic-Mdiiild; but in his
o[)inion they were tlie workings of the Evil or l?!id Spirit, designated
by him as MdcJic-Mdnilo; and whilst ho returned thanks to the Great,
Merciful (Spirit, from whom all these blessings were d(>rived, on the
other hand i'3 was constantly endeavoring to appease the Evil Si)irit,

850

xHv, AMERIC. N INDIAN.

that he might forbenr inflicting those evils and disasters which he had
the power to visit upon Jiim.

It is remarked by those best acquainted with Indian manners and
customs, that in regard to their religious devotion, as a rule, in taking
up their pipe to indulge in smoking, or in setting down to their simple
rejmst, they rendered some homage, or in some way acknowledged
their gratitude to the Great Spirit for his goodness in supplying them
with the needs and comforts of life, which tLey enjoyed at his hands.

They believed tiiat the Evil Spirit entered into and took the form
of venomous reptiles or species of furious animals, which they always
refrained from killing or injuring, lest they might increase the wrath
of the Evil Spirit, who, in return, they believed, Avould visit them with
evil conse(juences.

The Indians believed that the si J of the dead lingers about the
wigwam, or place of the departed, for several days, and that it hovers
about the body after it has been laid in the grave or place of burial for
some time, before it finally departs to the world of si)irits, in conse-
quence of which belief a custom prevailed of leaving a small opening
in the grave, when the body was buried in the ground, through which
the soul might enter to its former tenement.

In general, the Indians not only believed in the immortality of
the souls of the human family, but they believed that all animals are
endowed with immortal spirits, and that, after death, they possess
supernatxiral power to punish any one who has daretl to despise them
or make imnecessary waste of their race. So that when they deified
any of these animals they imagined that they had the aid of their souls,
imparting to them the power or destructive quality the animal in life
possessed.

Peter Jones says that the Indians ha(1 an idea that living trees
possessed the sense of feeling, and that to cut them down put them in
pain, and that some of their pow-wows or medicine-men pretended to
hear tlio wailing of tiie forest trees when suffering under the operation
of the hatchet or ax. They were, therefore, Fuperstitious on the subject
of cutting down green or living trees, fearing the consequences that
might follow from the spirits of the forest in retaliation for such act
of destruction.

Among the Iroquois, sajn Mr. Morgan, heaven was the abode of
the Great Spirit, the final home of the faithful. They believed that
there was a road down from heaven to every man's habitation. On
this invisible way the soul ascended in its heaverly flight, until it
reached its celestial habitation. After taking its filial departure the
soul was supposed to ascend higher and higher on its Jicivenly mmv.

ItELIGION.

351

gradually moving towards the westward, iiiitil it came out upon the
plains of heaven. The same authority informs us that with the Iro-
quois people heaven was not regarded as a hunting-ground, as among
other native tribes. Subsistence in after life, in their opinion, had
ceased to be necessary; that when the faithful partook of the sponta-
neous fruits around them it was for the gratification of taste and not
for the sufiport of life.

The Creeks believed in a good and bad spirit, and a future state
of rewards and punishments. They believed that the Good Spirit
inhabits some distant, unknown region, Avhere game is i)lonty and goods
very cheap, where corn grows all the year round, and the springs of
pure water are never dried up.

They believed also that the bad spirit lives a great way off, in
some dismal swamp, which is frU of galling briers, and that he is com-
monly half-starved, having no game or bear's oil in all his territories.
They had an opinion that droughts, floods, famines, and their miscar-
riages in war, were produced by the agency of the bad spirit. But of
all these things they seem to have had only confused and irregular
ideas and some special opinions.

The Chickasaws believed in a Great Spirit, by whom they were
created ; but they did not believe in any punishment after death. They
believed that the spirit leaves the body as soon as it dies, and that it
assumes the shape of the body, and moves about among the Chickasaws
in great joy. They believed that the spirits of all the Chickasavs go
back to Mississippi, in the country in which they took up their abode
at the ead of their journey from the west, and join the spirits of those
who have died there; and then all the spirits will return to the west
before the world is destroyed by fire.

A part of the Winnebago Indians believed that the paradise of
souls is above, but did not define its particular location in the heavens.
Some said that good Indians go, after death, to the paradise nbove^
and that bad Indians go to the west; others believe that this paradise
is located in the west, and that all go there. Those who believed in
the latter theory generally located their land of souls on an island far
in the west.

There seems to have been a general belief, among all the Indian
nations, that the country of the haj)py future was seated somewhere to
the westward, and was reached by a journey in that direction, the same
as civilized or christian peo[)Ie, in speaking of heaven, locate it above.

Col. Dodge, in his book entitleil "Plains of the West," speaking
of the religion among the numerous tribes of Indians of the Plains, or
what was then the great wild west, says their religious creed was a

352

THE AMEItlCAX INDIAN.

wide one; that nil persons of all ages, colors or beliefs, who died
uuscalped or uustrangleil, will meet in that tinal heaven of bliss; that
each goes there just as he was here; with the same passicms, feelings,
wishes and needs; his favorite pony is killed at his burying ])lace, to
eujoy an eternity of beautiful pasture, or to bear tiie master in war or
in chase; that he will need arms to defend himself against enemies,
therefore his bow and (juiver, or other weapons of defense, are l)uried
with him. He will need fire, so flint and steel, or a box of matches,
are included in the outfit for his final journey.

The personal misfortunes and jjeculiarities which an Indian has in
tiiis life, they believe follow him beyond the grave. A one-legged
man in this life is one legged through all eternity; one who loses his
sight here goes blind thnmgli all tlie eternal life. There is no such
tiling us growing older there, consequently they believe every one
remains forever at exactly the age at whicli he entered the new life.
The puling infant, the decrepit hag, the young girl or stalwart warrior,
as each dies, so remains through all eternity. A body emaciated or
distracted by pain or disease, sends on the long journey a soul wliicii
suffers in tiie same way. This affords another reason or explanation
why an Indian warrior, overtaken by his enemies, so cheerfully meets
his fate of death.

According to John 1{. Jewitt, who was several years a captive
(soinething over eighty years ago) among the Indians, in what is now
"Washington Territm'y, on the nortiiwestern coast, those Indians
believed in the existence of a supreme, Great Good Si^irit. wlio Mas one
great '/'//cc, or chief in the sky, wlio gave them their fish and all other
means of subsistence; tiiey also, like other Indians, believed that there
was an evil s[)irit who was the aiithm' of all evil. Their usual place
of worship of the Great Spirit appeared to be the water. When-
ever they bathed they addressed soint! wcn'dsof prayer to him, entreat-
ing tliat he would preserve tliein in health and give them good success
in fishing and other undertakings. The sanui authority, however,
says that those Indians had no i)elief in a future existence; that in his
etVort to instill such belief into their miiuls. they could comprehend
nothing of what was said, and pointing to the ground <ni the occasion

if th-

)ui'ial 111 one <

)f their number, ti

le en

ief remarked that that \\as

thi'cnd of him. and lu^ was like that. Tliif people, it a[)pears. liad no
su[K>rstitions wliatevor about ghosts or subordinate spirits, like most
of the Indian tribes of thn continent

Th(! Senecas, one of the IrotjooisSix Nations, believed in a Great
Good Spirit, whom they called Mun-trnh-itc-u, who was the creator of

liey
the world and every good thing. Thov also believed in

jnd

•irit.

RELIOION.

35;{

whom tliey calle<l Ha-nr-i/o-ai-ni'li, the " Evil Miiuled," whom they
believed to be the brother of the Great, Good Spirit, but was less pow-
erful than he, and v;ho was opposed to him and everyone that wished
to be good. Tii'3y believed that this evil spirit made all the evil
things of earth, such as snakes, wolves and all other boisterous or
noxious animals of that kind.

Ciiarlevoix says that some Indians are of opinion that all human
bodies have two souls; that one never leaves the b(xly but to go into
another. The Indians thought that the soul, which so faithfully
remained to keeji company Avith the body, must be fed, and it was to
fulfill this duty that tiiey carried provisions to the tombs or graves of
the dead; a practice so well marked in Indian custom.

According to Mr. Catlin, the Mandans believed in the existence of
a Great or Good Spirit, and also an evil spirit; the latter of whom
they said existed long before the Good Spirit, and is far superior in
power. They all believed in a future state of existence and future
rewards and punishments. But they believed that those punishments
were not eternal, but commensurate with their sins. As this people
lived in a country where they suffered from cold in the severity of
winter, they very naturally reversed our ideas of heaven and hell; the
latter they describe as a country very far to the north, of barren and
hideous aspects, antl covoreil with eternal snows and ice. The terrors
of this freezing place tl-ey described as most excrutiating; whilst
heaven they believed to be in a milder and more congenial latitude,
where nothing was felt but the purest enjoyment, and where the
country abounded in buffaloes and all the luxuries of life. Those who
went to the regions t)f punishment, they believed, were tortured for a
time in proportion to their transgressions, and tlien transferrinl to th<>
lanil of tlie happy, where they were again liable to the temptations of
the evil spirit, and again answerable for other new offenses.

The primitive Indians offered sacrifices or burnt offerings to the
Great Spirit or (rHi'lii-Mdiiilo; but they \\ere not sacrifices of living
creatures, but, as La Honton infoiins us, were sacrifices of goods or
articles of property. He says that in one day the Indians burnt, as a
sacrifice to the Great Spirit, at Missiliiiiiikiii<i<; 50,000 crowns worth
of troods, which Avere received of the French in exchaniie for beaver
skins. Tliese religious ceremonies, he informs us, are re(juired to be
at a time when the air is clear and serene, and the weather fair and
calm; everyone brought his offering, which was laid upon a pile of
wooil, of which the fire was to be kindled. When the sun mounted
higher, a ring was made around tiie pile, each with a piece of bark
lighted in order to set the pile on fire, and the warriors danced around

354

THE AMERICAN INDIAN'.

nntl snug until the whole was burnt, when the old men made their
havrangues or invocations addressed to GUchc-MduHo, and presented
him, from time to time, with jnpes of tobacco lighted, at the sun.
This ceremony generally lasted till sunset, allowing s<mie intervals of
rest, at which they sat down and smoked leisurely. Of their praises
or invocations to GiUJw-Miinifo or the Great Spirit on such occasions,
tiie following example, which is given by La Hontan, sums up in a
degree the essential points in the native Indian theology, and well
illustrates their devotional spirit:

"Great !5[)irit, Mastev of our Lives; Great 8[)irit, Master of ;ill
Things, both Visible and Invisible; Great Spirit, Master of «ither
Sjiirits, Avhetlier Good or Evil, command the Good Spirits to favor tliy
Children, the 0»/ao/ff(,s, etc. Command tiie Evil Spirits to keep at a
distance from 'em. O Crreat S[)irit, keep iip the Strength and Cour-
age of our Warriors, tliat they may be able to stem the fury of our
Enemies; Preservti the Old Persons whose Bodies are not yet quite
wasted, that they may give Counsel to the Young. Preserve cmr
Ciiildren, enlarge their Number, deliver 'era from evil 8[)irits, to the
end that in our old Age, they may jmive our Support and Comfort:
preserve our Harvest and our Beasts, if thou meanest that they siiould
not die from Hunger; Take care of our Villages, and guard our
Huntsmen in thi v Hunting Adventures. Deliver us from all Fatal
surprizes, when thou ceasest to vouchsafe us the Light of tlie Sun.
which speaks thy Grandeur and Power. Ac(piaint us by the Spirit of
Dreams, with what thy Pleasure requires of us, or prohibits us to do.
AVhen it pleases tliee to put a Period to our Lives, send us to the great
Country of Souls, where wo may meet with those of our Fathers,
our Mothers and out V/ives. our Chiklren and our Relations. O Great
Spirit, Great Spirit, hear the Voice of the Nation, give ear to thy
Children, and remend)er them at all times."

Rev. Isaac McCoy says that the religious opiniims of Inilians
who have received no impressions from other people are remarkalily
uniform, excluding the absurdity of idol worship, and embracing the
fundamental truths of the existence of God and his overruling provi-
dence, man's accountability, the immortality of the soul, future rewards
and punishments, a consciousness of guilt for offenses against God.
etc. Their external ceremonies embrace sacrifices for the purpose of
propitiating the Deity, and festivals, accompanied with music, dancing,
8j)eeches, unmeaning nt)ises, etc. INIr. McCoy, in this connection,
advances the opinion that the ancient mounds found in this country
were erected as places of worship from high places, according' to
custom spoken of in scripture among the ancients.

CHAPTER XXYI.

INDIAN SUPERSTITION.

Multitnilo of Spirits— MiiuifosU'il in ^MysU'rious Wnys— Omens nnionj? the Stars nnd
Cloiuls— FliK'lit of Birds— Superstition iil)oiit the Hol)in— Thunder (iod of tho
Ojibways— Superstition of tho Ojibways— Creek Indians had Sacred Phmts—
Buffalo Blood— Maj,MC Properties -Su[)er8tition8 of the War Bonnet— Larjje
Animals Objects of Sui)erstition White Animals Objects of Worship— Lartre
Animals ]5elieved to Possess Powerful Si)irits— Spiritualism an Old Story amon;u'
the Dakotas- Tendency to Believe Everything is Inhiihited by Spirits— Le;;eud
of a Mythical Bird Sinj,'iu>,' at Eveninf,'s— Sacred Character of Fire- Dreams
Believed in— Superstitions of the Indian and the White ^lan do not Essentially
Differ.

?\ISTOI{Y lias no record <it'
N, niiy people not possessin<;-
:! ic\',y' some degree of supersti-
..'i' tion. The American In-
dians had n system of sn[)er-
stition that can be accounted
for in no other way than by their
faith in a multitude of spirits,
manifested to them in various
and mysterious ways. The
significance which Indian super-
stition gives, as omens, to signs
in the heavens among the stars
and clouds, or to aspects, inci-
dents or olijects around them, which attract their attention, will either
quicken their minds to joy, or strike their souls with terror.

Tliey are close observers of the tiight of birds. Their motions
in the " up|)ei' deep"' are studied as a page of revelation. The gyra-
tions of birds of prey are most intently watched, as they are believed
to presage events of peace or war. " Where the carcass is, there are
tiie eagles gathered together," is the image strongly thrown forward
in their war songs and chants.

The birds of the carnivorous sjiecies are familiar with the upper
currents of the atmos[)here, where the gods of the air are supposed to

(S.6)

I Lli.IlT (IK DIKIW.

35(5

THE AMKIUCAN INDIAN.

dwell; hence liieir nssOijii'.iOiis in the Iniliim miml with the deities of
battle, as messengers to carry intelligence.

Minute attention is also given to the meteorology of the clouds.
Their size, their shape, their color, their motions, with their relative
position to the sun, and the horizon, form the subject of a branch of
Indian knowledge which is in tiie hands of tlieir iiinlas and prophets.
Important events are often decided by predictions founded on sucii
observations. The imagery of this exalted view of the celestial
atmosphere, with its starry background, and its warfare of thunder,
lightning, electricity and storm, is very much employed in their per-
sonal names, either from superstition or taste. This imagery is
capable of the grandest construction and is highly poetic.

While the eagle and the vulture are known to be held in high
esteem by varitnis Indian tribes, we find, by research, that birds are
generally regarded as the especial messengers of '* Oilclii-.Vdiiilo.''''
A page or two relating to the Indian folk lore, telling us of the wonder-
ful power with which birds are endowed, will be read with interest.

VcJil, the Crow, is looked upon by the ThUnkrcts as their Cre-
atoi". It is believed to have beaten back the dark waters of chaos
with its wings.

Indian tradition tells us that the wind is produced either by a
bird or a serpent. The owl produces the north wind, the buttertiy
the south wind.

A very pretty Indian tradition is, that the robin was once an
Indian wcmian, who fasted a long time, and just before she was turned
into a bird she painted her breast, and, as siie flew away, sh> laughed
for joy, but left the promise that she would return to her friends early
in each spring-time through all the coming yeai's. If there was to be
peace and plenty, she declared she would come laughing; but if war
or trouble, her voice should convey the prophecy of evil tidings.

Among some of the far westinMi tribes, we are told that the belief
exists that animals were created before tlie light. Many accidents
wei'e the result of this condition, one of which resulted in light being
produced. A hawk, happening to Hy into the face of a coyote, mutual
apologies and a long discussion on the emergency of the situation,
followed. The result of the discussion was that the coyote got ready
a ball of in(lammai)le material and some pieces of tlint. These the
hawk took and flew with them into the sky, where he struck fire and
lighted his ball, and sent it onward, as it continues to move with its
bright and shining light, for it was the sun. In the Cliihcha histoi v
of creation, the blackbird is a prominent actor in carrying light over
the world.

INDIAN SlI'r.ltSTITION.

:{57

Tliti Ojibways c-onsidcr tlio timiuler to Ixi a "rod in tlic sliii|i(' of ii
Inrge eiigle, that feeds on serponts; nnd tliat it lias its abode on the
top of a high mountain in the west, where it lays its eggs nnd hatches
its young. Hence, "young tliunder" is something more than a figure
of speecli to tlio chihlren of the forests.

llev. Peter Jones, an Ojihway Indian, gives tlm following tradi-
tional instances current among his people, on the aforesaid subject:
An Indian who was said to have ventured, at the risk of liis life, to
visit the abode of the thunders, after fasting and offering devotion to
the thunder, with much difReulty ascended the mountain, tlio top of
which reached to the clouds. To his great astonisliment he there
saw the thunder's nest, where a brood of young thunders had been
hatched. He saw liere, also, all sorts of curious bones of st;rpents,
on the flesh of which tiie t)ld thunders had been feeding their young,
and the bark of the young cedar treses peeled and stripped, on which
the young thunders liad been trying their skill in shooting their
arrows before going abroad to hunt serpejits.

Of another tradition, he says that a party of Indians were travel-
ing on an extensive plain, when they carm^ upon two young thunders
lying in their nest in tiuMr downy fi^athers, the old thunders being
absent. Some of the pai'ty took tluiir arrows, and, with the ]>oint,
touched the eyes of the young thunders. The moment they did so
tlieir arrows were shivered to pieces. One of the [)arty, more cautious
than his companions, entreated them not to meddle with them; but
tlie foolish young men would not listen, but continued to tease and
finally killed them. Soon after, a black cloud a[)[)eared, advancing
towards them with great fury. Presently th(i thunder began to roar
nnd send forth volumes of its fii'ry indignation. It was evident that
the old thunders were enrfxrinl on account of the destruction of their
young. Soon, with a tremendous crush, the arrows of the mighty
thunder-god fell on the foolish young men and destroyed them; but
the more cautious nnd good Indian escaped unhurt.

John Tanner, in his narrative of his thirty years' captivity among
the Ojibway Indians, sj)eaks of the occasion of a severe thunder storm
one night, when one of the Indians of their camp, becoming much
alarmed at the violence of the storm, got up and offered some tobacco
to the thunder, entreating it to stop.

He says that in the moruing, after the storm, they found an elm
tree near by, which had been struck nnd set on fire by lightning and
was still burning; nnd that the Indians had n superstitiems drend of
this fire, and none of them would go to get st)me of it to replace theirs,
which had been extinguished by rain. He at last went nnd brought

tioH

THF. AMKllIOAN INDIAN.

Hoini' of tilt' lilt' hiinsi.'U', tli()Uf,'li, In? sfiitl, not without (i|)|iitilu)ii.sioii.
W'liilst ho had fowor finals tliaii i]w liitliaiis. yot, ht^ (umft'sst's, Im^ was
not entirely free fioin tlu' sann* uiifoundotl approhenHions wliioh ho
constantly pursuo tliem.

St>nit3 Indians bidieve, as befon* nientioned in a proeoilin<^ (diaptor,
that the Great Spirit specially presiiles ttver the oxtraortlinary works
of natiin^, such as lakes, rivers, cataracts or iut)untains that are of an
unconiiiion si/c, and to whom they pay snecial adoration when visitin*,'
places or objects of this character, and there present to him some kind
of otfeiiiiiT in token of tlieir adoration. An instance, of this kind is
given by Ca[)t. Jonathan Carver, in the case of u young pnnce (as he
styles him I of the AVinnebago Indians, whom he fell in witii in his
travels, and wiio accompanied jiini to the Falls of St. Antht):iy. He
says :

"The ]jrince had no sooner gainetl the jxiint that overlooks this
wonderful cascade, than he began with an autlible voice to address the
(ir«;at Spirit, one of Avliose places of residence he imagined this to be.
He told him he had come a long way to pay his adoration to him, and
now woulti make him the best offering in his power. Ho accordingly
first threw his pipe into the stream; then the roll that contained his
tobacco; after thi'se, the bracelets he wore on his arms and wrists;
next, an ornament that encircled his neck, composed of beads and wires ;
and at last, the ear rings from Ins ears; in short, he presented to his
God every part of his dress that Avas valuable; during this ho fre-
quently smote his breast with great violence, threw his arms about,
and ap[)eared to be niucli agitated.

"AH this while he continued his adorations, and at length con-
cludetl them with fervent petitions that the Great Spirit would
constantly afford us his protection on our travels, giving us a bright sun,
a blue sky, and clear, untroubletl waters; nor would ho leave the ]>lace
until we had smoked together, with my pi[)e. in honor of the Great
Spirit."

Tlio Indians of southern California always hunt in pairs, through
the suiH'rstitious fear of the spirit of animals. They believe that good
luck will forsake them if they eat of the game that tlieir own hands
havt* killed. Hence, they exchange game with each other at the close
of the day's hunt.

An Ojibway can rarely be induced to speak his own name, being
early taught that speaking it will lessen hia stature. The Jsew
England tribes never mention the name of quo who is dead, for fear of
some evil that would follow.

A cruel superstition existed among some of the tribes of the

INDIAN HlTEnaTITION.

RoO

wpstoin plains, tlmt of Hiicrificing a foinnle slave on various suspicious
notions, as tiiat of avortinj; tiie displeasure of the spirits.

Till) Cri't(k Indians had sevtMi sacrwl plants which they re<jfardi'd
with superstitious observance.

It was a belief anioiiji^ some of the ()jil)ways that butl'aio bUxtd liad
magic properties, and that bathing in it would keep tlimi from harm
in battle.

A superstition prevailed among the tribes of the great western
plains, and some tribes in the mountains beyond, that a warrior in
battle who wore upon liis head a war bonnet, so called, a kind of head-
dress extending down xipon the back, ornamented with a certain kind
of quills, will e8CM[ie danger from the arrows or bullets of liis enemies.

With most Indians a strange animal was an objoctof superstitious
fears, and wiiite animals were always objects of their superstition to a
greater or less extent.

The A{)aclie3 regard wiiito birds as possiissing souls. Tlie Inilians
of the plains worship the white butfalo. This animal is very rare.

Among all the American tribes large aidmals were believed to
])ossess ])owerful spirits, and were objects of worship or adoration.

What in modcM'U times is termed sjn'ritiKilisni, was, with the
Dakota Indians, an old story. They practiced sumnwning s[)irits of
the dead, and questioned them concerning friends and rt;latives at a
distance, or of their own ventures or future success; all this with light
extinguished, as is the present custom of spiritualism. Usually, the
presence of the 8i)irits was invoked while the mediums were sitting
covered Avitli blankets and singing in a low tone.

The tendency of the Indian mind is to the belief that everything
is iidiabited by spirits. On this subject, we may add that science
no longer puts aside, as beneath its notice, new facts that do not fit old
theories; and the mind is less disturbed by the thought of sjtirits
assuming various forms and taking on material shapes than in any other
period of the world's history. There is, at this day, a large class of
our own race who assert tliat they can make the spirits of the dead
answer them at will, and who claim to hold communion with friends
from the s[)irit world.

The American Indians have a beautiful legend of a mystical bird
that comes only in summer evenings, when the moon is full, and sings
in the grove, beside their wigwams, songs of the spirit land, that give
tidings of their depart(>d friends.

One of the

most curious opinions or

superstitions

this

people is

their belief in

the mysterious and sacred clmracter

fire.

Sacred

fire

was obtained from the flint. None

other was used for national or

nr.ft

THE AMKItlCAN INDIAN.

nOigioiiH purposes, after that mode of innkiiij^ fin* bpcnnie known to
tlio IndianH. Fire waH alwayH coiisitlored by tliem a HVinbol of purity.

Drt'Hiiis are consiileriul by tlio Indians as a direct communication
from tilt* spirit world. It is Sfiid tliat tlio boldest warrior ^^ilI v,i\\n^
witli shuddorings from a profound sleep, and notliinj^ will btuid liis
will to a course which ho lias thus been instructed to avoid. A whole
family have l)een known to desert their hnli^e at midnight, because one
of their number had an ominous dream of blood and tomahawks. The
dream of a brave, whose character or counsel curries weight with it,
will often decide the issue of peace or war for his tribe.

Among the ancient Jews, dreams were supposed to proceed from
God, and, if bad, inspired fear and provoked prayer.

It is said by an ofiicer of the United States navy, speaking on the
subject of superstition among the tribes of California, Oregon and
Washington Territory, that they are very superstitious, and liable to
be deceived by jugglers or professed dreamers ; but, he remarks, he
very much questions if they are more thoroughly "bamboozled and
mystified than a large pro{)ortion of our owti pt^ople are l)y another
set of jugglers who practice their art, and make their living, surrounded
by all the intelligence and ci 'lizatitm of the age."

According to the notions of the white man, it is this intense
superstition of the American Indian which conduces largely in mark-
ing him as a jmgan, and in pointing him o\it as a special object of our
attention and missionary work; forgetting that the Indians are not
alone in attaching importance to dreams, the Hight, motion and songs
of birds; nor that superstition did not entirely vanish from ourselves
with the mad frenzy of the days of the Salcin irilchcrafl.

It is a well recognized su[)erstition, especially among tlie Puritan
descemhuits, that piget)iis a[)pearing in large flocks, presage sickness
or ])estilenco; whilst smaller ilocks generally foretell health and hap-
piness. AVild geese Hying south in the early autumn foretell an early
winter. If the hooting of an owl over the lodge of an Indian causes
dread to fill the hearts of the inmates, the crowing of a domestic hen
is no less a sign of terror to the more enlightened race, and it was
believed that nothing short of the immediate killing of this feathered
example of "feminine rights" would avert from the household some
pending disaster, thus foretold.

In the opinion of the white man. it is a good sign for swallows to
build their nest at the window of his dwelling, and children are early
taught to believe that to destroy a swallow's nest, thus built, will bring
misfortune to the family. The four leaf clovei lightens the heart of
the finder, as being sure to bring good luck; and a horseshoe is found

INDIAN sri'KUHTITION.

ill cottngn and iiiauHion us im oinhlpin of like import. At we«liliiif^8.
fuiK^nilH mid biiptisins, HuptfrHtitioii tij^urt'H largely in t\w display or
iiiodo of coiuluctiii'^ the cereiuoiiicH. Tins tii-li of tlio dcatli-watcli in
tho wall is {'aus« for tho dfiopost anxiety, as u warniii;^ of approai'liin>j
doalli of soint'. (»ne of tho family.

If a white or brown K[)id(U- s[)ins iiis web before you, good tidings
await you, but if it is a blai-k .s[)ider. it forebodes sorrow or disasti-r.
The howl of a dog or lowing of cattle in the night are hoard with
apprehension.

A suspicious dread of evil will fill tho hearts of the aborigines
and Anglo-Saxon alike, if a rabbit chance to cross his path. With the
Iroquois, amulets were worn to ward otf witches; and so witii tlio
"Mohawk Dutchman," a horseshoe was [uit over tho door of iiis dwell-
ing for the like purpose.

Many of the foregoing superstitions, in some instances, so deep
rooted in our prejudices, have come with our ancestors across tins sea,
and become u part of our own mystic houseliold philosophy, and yet
we wonder at the superstition of tiie unUitored Indian.

The English poet, in his masterly essay on man, has given us the
following suggestion concerning Indian superstition, as viewed by the
average mind, which may afford an apjiropriate field for a moment's
retiection.

" Lo, the poor ludiiin, whose untutored miud,
Sees God in clouds and hears him in tho wind."

And yet, by the writings of the Jews, like accounts are given nf
the niar.ifestation of tho Divine voice and His holy presence among
men, as here assigned to the imagination of the untutored Indian; and
yet. for this, we have never styled that people the untutored Jews.
This idea, thus expressed, is but the outcropping of that misconcep-
tion existing in the prejudiced mind of the white man. If the tutor-
ing of the savage mind is to be accomplished with those barren results
which have attended our own efforts at reforming society and restrain-
ing wickedness and sin among ourselves, then it may be well for the
poor Indian that he has remained in ignorance of the calamities to
overtake him, when his mind shall have become tutored up to the
standard of our own civilization; that is, if we would believe what we
say of ourselves and read in the newspai)er8.

CHAPTER XXVri.
WITCHCRAFT.

ra^'iin Cliiinictor iif tin- linliim Miiikcil by His Belief in W'itcliornft — T)ie Civilized
Wliitt' Miiii Jiiiil I'li^'iiii liiiliiiii Cuiiipjin'd ill this KcKiiril— Till" IiidiairH Fearof
HiiiMTiiiitiinil AKi'ii<'i<'w- IJelii'f in Witi'hcraft wns I'liivorHal-EtTcct niinii tlieir
Prosiierity and Population Anionj; the Iroiinois League — Wizards, a Secret
Association— Meetint; at Ni^li' — 'J'radition nnioii),' the Ononda^as Indian Pow-
wows— Con jiiirrH and Alt lie. lie Men Witches Wizards -Their Powers and
('liiirncteristics--Witclies in theShapeof AninialH— The Puritan Idea of Witches
iKiiorauce CharKt'd upon the Indian for his Uelief in Witches- Reference to the
Learned Sir Mathew Hale— Wh" Tried and Convicted Two CUd Women for t lie
'"rime of beinjf Witches

,.ir:,MC)NCiST otluT nttrihut««s
\ / \ iiinrkiii<^ tho Ptigfiii cliaiin'-
." I./Xc tt'i' "f the Aiiii'vicaii liuliiin,
-" in thoopiiiiiiii of thn cliris-
tiiuiizoJ wliito luaii, was that of
liis beliof in witchcrai't; ami.
whilo thoso (lovotcil niiKsionarit's
of Europe wort) hartteiiin<^ to the
Ainc'Mcan contiiuuit to diristian-
i/c tilt' iintiitori'il Jiuiian ami re-
claim liini from his heni^'hted
comlitioii. thoiearneil SirMaUiew
Hale was sitting' in jmlj^'ment
ami t>omlt'nuiin<r iniioct'iit. harm-
less olil wttmeii to lie Ituriifil at
the stake for the criiiio of witeh-
cnil't.

Howevfr ninch the Imliaii

may |iriile iiimst'lf ii|it>ii liisirative

iraviii"^ all st^asons,

TIIK ifllKAT lll-.AI . , . 1 ■ 1 i i ,1 1

, ,, . , ,. ,, , ,,.„,- narniif Ins hreast to tlie storm.

It w.i« 11 iiininiKii liolifl iiiiiDiiK IniiuiiN lliiil tlicro r>

wuxn iiiMn;iii-iik.iri'uii>ii'. i"i;-i»iiin,'»imi'iy "I'ii I":"! cafelesH of (hiii^^er, linn^jt-r. thirst

liinilf Ifrrillr wIlli lurtf fvi«, :iinl mvcntl «iili Imiif i i /• i »• i • i • i •

It.Mr. MMmnu. ««. .upi....f.n,. 1... M,i,K.«lK.ic,.| "H'l eohl, iomlot (llS|ila_Vin<,' hlJ-
ii lnur ro. k. emiratrt' ami firmness of eharac-

OH'.')

WnCIlCKAI T.

at;;}

tiT in the midst o£ tortures, at tlie very tlionght of wliicli onr own
naturos revolt niul sliutkler, tlio Indian, whose life is spent in constant
warfare aijr.inst the wilvl beasts of the forest and sava''es of the wilder-
ness, possf sscs a weakness in his character whicii makes him one of
tlio most fearful and timid l)ein»;s. Tlie va<juo childish apprehension
of an unknown power, whi'/h, unless he can summon suUicient fortitude
to conquer, chan<;es hii;i from a liei'o into a coward; and such change
«'omes over him Avhen he is called upon to pass from those thiiigi".
material, or which he recoijnizes as real, to confront that wiiii h, in his
superstitious l)eliof. lie looks tipon as supernatural, or that wliicli we
call irilrlicfdfl.

It 's incredible, says Mr. Hecke welder, to what a degree the
Indians' .--uperstitious belief in witchcraft operates upon their minds.
The moment tlieir imagination is struck witli the idea that they are
bewitclied. tluiv are no longtsr themselves. Their fancy is constantly
at work in c'eating in their minds the most horrid and distressing
images. Tliey see themselves falling a sacrifice to the wicked arts t>f
a vile, unknown liand. iiie who would not have dan^d to fnce them in
fair combat.

'J'lie belief in wilclicraft prevailed extensively among the Nortli
American tribes, and it is known. I'vtMi in more modtMii times, that it
WHS one of the principal means used by the Siiawnee prophet, brother
of Tecumseii. to get lid of his )|ipon(Mits. and that several prominent
men of jiis trilie were sacrific-d to tins diabolical spirit. Mr. School-
craft, w ho investigated concerning this subject among the Iroquois,
says that the belief in witchcraft among that people was universal, and
its effects upon theii p 'osperity and population, if tradition is to l)e
crediteil, were at times ajipalling.

Th(< theory of the populai' bi-lief. as it existed in thi> several
cantons of thi^ l}"o(jUois league, was tiiis; The witciies ami wi/anls
constituted iv secret association, which met at night to consult on mis-
chief, and each was bound by inviolable sc^crccy. Tliey s,iy that tliis
fraternitv first arose among the Niinticokes. a trib(^ of the Algontpiin
stock. Iatte>-lv iidiabiting "astei'u I'ennsylvania. A witch or wizard
had power, they believed, to turn into a fox or wolf, and run very
swiftlv. endtting llaslies of light. Tln-y could also frMiisfoiin th'-iii-
Hc'ves int() turke\;; ,>r big o..ls, and tlv verv fast. If detected or hoth
pu'suetl. they could change into stones or rotter logs. They sought
C( refully to procure tlm poison of snakes or poisonous roots to effect
tiioir purpose. They could blow hairs or worms into a person.

Then^ was formerly n tradition among the Onondagas that an old
man of thiMr ti'ibe, living on the Knaninht ci'e(>k. where llieri> wiis. in

3»54

rin: amejucan indian.

old timeis, >i |)upulous IiuUhii village, iiiul that one evening, whilst he
livf'tl thi're. lie stepped out of his li)d<;e, ami on doing so immediately
sank into the eartii and found himself in a lar<'e room, surrounded hv
three hundred witehes and viKards. Next morning ho went to the
council anil told the chiefs of this extraonlinary occurrence. They
asked him if ho could ideniifv persons ho saw there; he said tirat ho
could. They tiien accompanied him to all the lodges, where he pointed
out tliis and that one. wliereupon they were marked for execution.
I3efore this inquiry was ended, u very large numher of both sexes were
killed for 1 ling witches.

Another tradition says that aboui fifty persons, charged witli
b'Mug witches, were biirned to death at the Onondaga casth\ The
witchcral't dehision prevailed among al' tlie cantons. The last persons
executed for witdicraft among the Oneidas, it is said, were two females,
about the year isOO. the executioner being the notoriims Hon Yost of
Ilevolut'v>nary Jiiemory. and the execution was done in accordance with
tlie d(*oree of tlie council, the mod(> l)eing tliat of striking the victims
with tiie tomahawk.

The Indian jioir-iroirti, i-onjnrers or medicine men. (synonymous
terms), in general, united witchcraft with the applicatio'i of tlieir
medicines. Witclies and wizards wore persons supposed In tossess
tiie agency of familiar spirits, from whom they received power tointlict
diseases on their en"mies. and prevent the good luck of tiie huntei- and
the success of the warri(U\ They were believed to Hy invisil)h> at
pleasure from place to place, and to turn themselves into bears, wolves,
foxes, and, in short, into animals of all descriptions. Sucii change
they ])retended to accomplish l>y putting on the skins •>*' .Mich animals,
at the same time civinir and howlin'T in imitation of the aninnd tliev
wished to represent. Tiio Imliaiis said tln'v had seen and heard
witches in the shape of these animals, I'speciaily tht* bear and the fox.

Tiiey said wlien a witch, in the shape of u bear, was being chased,
all at once it wo-.dd I'lm around a tree i r a hill, so as to be lost sight of
for a time by its |<ursuers. and then, instead >>( seeing a liear. they would
helu.ld an old woman walking (|uietly along, or picking up roots, and
looking as innocent as a lamb. The fi.x witches, they said, were
known by the fhiiiie ol' tire which proceeded out of tin-ir mouths every
time they barked.

It is tt> be noted that the inirnnmy of opinion l)i>t\i . en the Indian
and the white man, in regunlto witches, in one respect, is (piite remark-
able. The wiiite man. especially the I'uritan, in general, markiHl the
person of a witch as an old woman. This was the gtnieral character-
istic oT Indian belief. It is said tlial an Indian council, in cinidemning

\Vrri'HC'l!AlT.

;5t;5

n person for being a witch, lid so with <;rent oantion. U^st tlio conjunn'
shouKl iret the mlvantiii'e over them and thus bewitcii the whole asst-iii-
bly. If. therefore, the witch was an innocent ohl woman, she would be
less liable, for want of physical capacity, to turn around and bewitch her
accusers.

The ; elf-righteous. Christian white man, who has delighted in his
criticisms upon the character of the red man for his ignorant, unfounded
super.stitions. may draw consolatit)n, in his assumption, from tiie juilg-
ment rendereil by the learned Sir Mathew Hale, befoi-e referred to,
wherein Amy Duniiy and Jli>se Cullender, two harmless old wom»'n of
the vicinity, were convicted and condemned to be burned at the stake,
at St. Edmondslmry, on the charge of bewitciiing two neighboring
chililren. In addresaing the jury, he charged them that tln'n* were
two things they had to intpiire into. First, whether or not these
children were bewitched; secondly, whether these women did bewitch
them. He said he did not, in the least, doubt there were witches.
First, because the scriptures idlirm it; seeoiidly. because the wisdom of
all nations, |)articuliirly their own. had provided laws against witi'hcrafl,
which iniplieil their belief of siu'h a crime.

^a^Ef"

WHITE MAN'h witch— I'.HT HV ll.n.MlNd.
If she lldtiis 1)11 the wiili'i nIii" it ii witeli. If »lii' i iiikH nnil dro'viis -.lie is pr'ni'ii not a wluli.

The Christian white man. wlio his indulged so much in I'is intoj-
erent criti"isms upon tln^ Indian charK<'t'>i- f,ir Ids bariianms practices
junl ill-founded superstitions, assuming so much perfection ftir liisown
race ill thi.« regard, should take the trouble to rend a itiief chapter on
the in'h'li Wff«/fj, set out in INIackay's work, entitled •■ Hxtraonlinaiy
Popular Delusions." He will find a history here of superstitious
beli>'fs and barbarous conduct of the Christian whitt> man which far
eclipses the most extremt> illustrations of Imiian barbarity ever recordeil
ugaiihHt that people.

The career (pf one Mathew Hopkins, whom the writer af tresaid
styles an "ill weed." who tlourished amidst tlielong dissensions of the

3(i(!

THE AMKIIICAN INDIAN.

civil wni* ill England, in the time of Cromwell, and who was styled tlie
'■ WitcJi Finder General, " as occurring in an age of enlighteninent and
learning, seems almost incredible, even of a half civilized country

But witches were not confined to the Old World. They followed
the Puritan and Christian adventurer in tlieir emigration to >iew
England and Virginia, and here the judicial horror of the Old World
was continued in the condemnation and execution of 'niioceut old
women and Jianuless individuals; and, in one case, a writer observes,
"It can hfirdlv increase our feelings of disgust and horror that this
insane community actually tried and executed a dog for the same
offense."

Matthew Hopkmt^Witck Fm<lc>' GenertlL

w iiriK MAN s w urn i imuiii.

Tliin illunlruliKii, iipri'MiitiiiK Muttlii'W Hu|ikin!< t'MiiiiluiiiK two witclicK who arc I'onri'itiiii.ft to liini
the iia?iu'!i of IlK'lr iiiipn iiiiil I'amlllnrn, N C(ipir<l from CaullifUl'ii Memoirs of I{piiiarknl>lf I'rr-iins, IT'.M,
wlitri' il in tuki'M from an vxtremcly rare |iriiil.

CHAPTER XXVTTT.
FASTS AND FEASTS.

Tho Amerionn Tribes had ii Custom of I-'asts uinl Foasts— Ciistoiu of Fasts Not
Froiineut— Custom of Feasts Quite Freciueiil— Feasts a Favorite Source of Fx-
citemeut— UitVereul Kinds of Feasts anioiitr DitTerent Natinns — Feasts ol' llie
White DoK Universal —lieueral llesemblani'i- <>f Feasts auioun All — The Man
who (lave Many Foasts a Groat Favorite with bis Tribe — Feasts amou^' the
Ojibways— Medicine Foiist— Feasts for Dreams— Feast of (Sivinj,' Names ^War
Feast—The (treat Feast — Wabweno Feast — Feast for the Dead — Feast for His
Medic.iue^Boys' Feast — llt>j,'uhir P'easts of tiie Tnxiuois— Maple Feast — I'lantiiii:
Festival— ytrawberry Festival— Green ('oru Festival— Harvest Festival — Ni'W
Year's Festival — Fasts Strictly a Reli(,'ious Custom.

IIAUVKST KKSTIVAI.

I'runi an nlil |iiclure.

'HE flistolll of iastilijjf

Wt.'' ;\ aii(ir<>nstiiij,^|Hfvailf(|

' .1 C( Minoiig nil tho .\ineri-

^^ can tiiix's. The df-

casions on wjiicli fastiii",' was

t'lijoiiu'd Wfl'c. however, not

so very frp(iueiit. Rie^orons

and loiijj-continued t'astin>r

was enjoined u|)nn the youn<j,

nnnniiried persons of hoth

sex"s. l)eo;iiiiiiii;f lit a very

earlv a^fe. To l»e aiile to

continne Ion;; fastiii<' con-

ferrnd an onviid)l<> distiiiotion: the Indians tlierefoie enjoined npon

tlieir children tiie necessity of remaining; 1""^' withont food. This

custom, it is said by .some, was for the purpose of inuring' their

cliildron to Ptiduro Imnjjer in case of want from lack of a stipply of

food, whicli so often occnrred in Indian life: and it may iiave been

partly desij,'ned for this end. Itiit all tho circninstances wiiicii nccoin-

paii\' these fasts leave no room to douht that relijxion \\as tln^ principal

motive, and tin* bettor o|)inion seems to be tiiat this custom of fastiiiif

wnB from relifjions Kn|)orstition. thron;,'h whicli they received some

spiritual benefit. Sometitnes the cli ilrt>ii fasted throe, five, seven, and

8omo, it is said, ovon ten days, in all of which time tiiey took only ii

rw7)

3(')S

THi: AMKIilCAN INKIAN.

little water, and that at distant intervals, durini^ which they paid par-
ticular attention to their dreams, from the eluuaeter of which their
parents, to whom they related them, formed an opinion uf the future
life of the child.

Dreaniijij,' of thin<^8 above, as birds, clouds, and the sky, was con-
sidered favorable. In these dreams, also, the children received
im[>ressions which continued to influence their character through life.
An instance is related of a distini,'uislu'd wairio.', who ilreamed in his
(iuldho)il, when fasting, that a bat came to him, whereupon ho chose
tiiis animal for his medicine or guardian spirit. Throughout his life
lie wore the skin of a bat tied to the crown of his head, and in his war
excursions he went into batth» exulting in confidence that his enemies,
who could not hit a bat on the wing, would never i)i) able to hit him.
He distinguished himself in many battles, and killed many of his ene-
mies; bui, throughout his long life, no bullet ever touched him ; all of
which he attributed to the protecting influence of his medicine or
guardian s[)ir't 'I'vealed to him in answer to his fasting in boyiiood.

Feasts among all the American tribes were frecpu'nt, of which tlie
different kinds and occasions among some tribes were <juite numerous.
When the chiefs were ct)nvened on any pid)lic business they generally
concluded with a feast, at which time their festivities and mirth )<new
no l)oun(ls. There were, iiniong all the tribes, certain stated feasts or
festivals; but, as the Indian kept no special note of time, as that of the
annual recurrence of certain ihiys in the year, the observances of these
fensts were suggt^sted by the changing of tin^ seasons, the ripening of
the fruits, or the gathering of the harvest; tiie time of these feasts and
festivals, therefore, being regulated in this manner.

According to John Tanner, among the Ojibways, the parent stock
of tiie Algon(puns, there were nine established feasts:

First. Mc-liii-irr-hi(ni-(l)--iriii, Medicints feast, or that feasting
which forms a part of tiieir grt^at religiinis ceremony, the Mffai. This
is under th(< direction of some old men. who are called chiefs for the
Mcliii. and onlv the initiated are admitted. The irnests are invited l)v
a Mi-'.liiii-iio-inifi. or »'hief"s man of l)nsiness. who delivi^rs to each of
the guests a small stick: in tiie Soutii, they use snndl pieces of cane;
in the North, <piills, which are dyed and kept for the pur|)ose, are

ometinn-s substituted.

«o verl>al messaj^e i>

delivered with this

token. iJogs ai'i' always I'hosen for the feast, iiom a belief thatasthev
are nion* sagacious and useful to men, so they will be more acceptable
to their divinities than any othei' aninnds. They believe that the food
they eat at this and some other of their feasts asc>>nds. though in a
form invisible to tin>in. to the (rr itSpiiit. JJesides the songs chanted

FASTS AND FKASTS.

na\)

on occasions of this feast, they have numerous oxliortations from tli«'
old men. Amon^ mucli of unintelli<^il)lo allusion and ridiculous
boasting, those addresses contain some moral precepts and exliortations.
intermixed with their traditionary notions concerning X<i-ii(i-liiisli and
other personages of their mythology. Whenever the name of tlie
Great Spirit is uttered by the s[)eHker, all the audience seem wrapped
in the deepest attention, and respond to it by the interjection Kini-ho-
ho-lio-lio-lio.' the first syllable being uttered in a c^uick and loud tone,
and each of the additional syllables fainter and tpiicker. until it ceases
to be heard. They say the s[)eaker touches the Great S[)irit when he
mentions the name, and the etfect on the audience may be compared to
a blow on a tense string, which vibrates shorter and shorter, until it is
restored to rest. This peculiar interjection is also used by tln^ Dtta-
was, when tliey ')h)w or shoot with their medicint^ skins at the persons
to be initiated.

This is a sort of special feast, participated in only liy a certain
class caHed the Mcddiriii, or society of tlie Main, more particularly
described in another chapter of this work, entitled "Secret Societies."

Second. \V<ii\i-jc-t<ili Wc-Loou-dc iriii. Feasts called for bv
dreams. Feasts of this kind may be held at any tinn'. and no particu-
lar (jualitications are necessary in the entertainer or his guests. The
word l\'((iii-ji'-f(tlt nu'ans common, or true, as they often use it in con-
nection with the names of |ilants or animals, as Wiiiii-Jc-hili O-iiink-
kiik-ki\ nu'aning a right or [)roper toail, in distinction from a tree frog
or lizard.

Tliird. W'cfii-iliili-inis-so-in'ii. Feast of giving names. These
are luul principally on occasion of giving names to children, and the
guests are expected ti> eat all, be it more or less, that is put into their
dishes by the entertainer. The reason they assign for retjuiring. at
this aixl sevi'val other feasts, all tiuit has been cooked to be eaten, is,
apparently, very insutlicient; namely, that tht>y do so in imitation of
hawks, and some (tther birds of prey, who never return a seeund time
to what they have killetl.

Konrth. Mi--iiis-sc-ii(> Wc-koon-dc-iriii. Wnv feast. These feasts
are made liefore starting, oi' on tht^ way towards the enemy's country.
Two, lour, eight, or twelve men. may be called, but bv no nn'ans an
odd iMunber. The whole animal, win^ther deer, l)ear, or moose, or
whatever it may iai, is cooked, and they an^ expected to tmt it all; and.
if it is in their power, tiu'y have a large bowl of bear's grease ^tand-
ing l)y, which they drink in place of water. Notwithstanding tliat a
man who fails to ent all his portion is liable to the ridicule of his more
gormandi/ing companions, it freijuently happens that some of them

lit!

370

TUE AMEinCAN INDIAN.

are compelled to make a present of tobacoo to their entertainer, and
beg him to permit that they may not eat all he has given them. In
thJH ca.se. and when there is no one of the company willing to eat it
for him, some (»no is called from without. In every part of this feast,
when it is made after tiie warriors leave iioine, they take care that no
Itoiic of llic aiiiiiial rofcii xhiill he broken; but after stripping the flesh
from them, they are carefully tied up ami hung upon a tree. The
reason tliey assign for preserving, in this feast, the bones of the victim
uid)r(iken, is, tiiat tlius they may signify to tlie Great Spirit their
desire to r«'turn home to their own country with their bones uninjured.

Filth, (iilvlic Wc-hooit-dc-iriii, Tiie great feast. This is a feast
of high [iretensions, which few men in any band, and only those of
principal autliority, can venture to make. The animal is cooked
entire, so far as they are able to do it. This kind is sometimes called
Mrz-ziz-ti-ki(ti-n'i)i.

Sixth. \\'<iir-hiin-)in Wc-lionn-dc-wiu, Wawbeno feast. This,
and the other mummeries of the AVawbeno, which is looked upon as a
false and mischievous heresy, are now laid aside by most respectable
Indians. These feasts were celebrated witii much noise and disturb-
ance, and wore distinguished from all other feasts by being held
commonly in the night time, and the showing off of nniny tricks with
fire.

Seventh. Jt'-Ui Xair-kd-irin, Feast with the dead. This feast is
eaten at tlm graves of their ileceased frienils. They kindle a tire, and
each person, before ho begins to eat, cuts off a small piece of meat,
which he casts into the tiro. The smoke and smell of this, they say,
attracts the Jc-hi to come anil eat with them. It may here be men-
tioned that the C'iiinese also have the custom of similar feasts.

Eighth. ('lic-lKih-k(>o-cltc-(i(i-nuit. Feast tor his medicine. Dur-
ing one whole day in spring, and another in autumn, every good
hunter spreads out the contents of his medicine bag in the back part
of liis lodge, and feasts his neighbors in honor of his medicine. This
is considered a solemn and important feast, like that of Mcloi.

Ninth. O-skin-nc-nc-tiili-iid-n'iii, Boys' feast. This might be
called the feast of the first fruits, as it is made on occasion of a boy, or a
young hunter, killing his first animal of any particular kind. From
the sniallest bird or a lish, to a moose or buffalo, they are careful to
observe it.

According to Mr. Morgan, six regular festivals, or thanksgivings,
were observed by the Iro([uois. Tlie first in order of time was the
Maple festival. This was a return i>f thanks to the maple itself, for
yielding its sweet waters. Next was the Planting festival, designed

FASTS AM) FKASTH.

371

chiefly as an invocation of the Great Sjiiiit to bless the seed. Tliird
came the Strawberry festival, instituted as a tlmnks^ivinj^ for the first
fruits of the earth. The fourth was the Green Corn festival, designed
as a thanks<,'iving acknowledgment for the ripening of the corn, beans
and squashes. Next was celebrated the Harvest festival, instituted as
a general thaidvsgiving to "our supporters" after the gathering of the
harvest. Last in the enumeration is placed the New Year's festival,
the great jubilee of the Iroquois, at which the white dog was sacri-
ficed.

O-ld-dr-nonc-nc-o X(i-ir<t-t<t, or Thanks to the Maple. This, as
before mentioned, was the first stated feast or festival of the year,
held in the spring, and usually called the Mnj)lc ddiicc. The primary
idea in the ceremonial was to return thanks to the maple itself: at tiio
same time they reiulered their thanks to the Great Spirit for tiie gift
of the maple. This occasion lasted but iov one day. At the season
when the sa[) commenced to run, the kee[)ers of the faith, who were
persons specially apiKiinted in each tribe for religious cermonial i)ur-
])()ses, annimnced the time and p-lace for commemorating tiie occurrence
of this event, and summoned the people to assemble for tiiat purpose.
Several days beforehand, the people assembled for the mutual confes-
sion of their sins, both as an act of religious duty and as a pre[)ara-
tii in for the council. This preliminary council was called a meeting
for repentance, and was opened by one of the keepers of the faith,
with an address upon tiie jtropriety and importance oc acknowledging
their evil deeds to strengthen tiieir minds against future temptations.
Old and young, men. women and children, all united in this public
acknowledgment and joined in the common resolution of amendment.
One of the keepcn-s of the faith first set the example of confession by
taking a string of white wampum in his hand, after wiiich ho handed
the string to the one nearest to him, who made his confession in like
manner, and passed it to another, and soon around among all a-ssem-
bled. It was the wampum which recorded tluMr words and gave their
pledge of sincerity.

On the morning of the day of this festival, the matrons to whom the
duty was assigned commenced the [)reparation of the customary least,
which was as sumptuous as the season and their limited nnuins would,
afford. Towards mid-day the outdoor sports and games, wliich were
common to such occasions, were suspended, and the people a8send)led
in council. An opening sj)eech was then delivered bv one of the
keepers of the faith, of which, according to Mr. Morgan, the follow-
ing was the usual form:

"Friends and Eklatives: The sun, the ruler of the dav, is

872

TIIK AMKIIICAX INDIAN.

Iii^'li in his ])atli, iiiul wo must liiiHtoii lo do <Hir duty. Wo lun nssoni-
blod ti) obsorvo iiu uncieiit custom. Jt Ik an institution liiiiuloil down
to UH by our forefiithors. It was ^ivon to them by tlio C}ri>nt S|)irit.
lie lifi;. I'viT ro(|uirod of liis people to return thanks to liini Tor all
ble.ssing8 rooeived. Wo luivo always endeavored to live faithl'ul to this
wise command.

" Trienils and relatives, continue to listen: It is to perform this
duty that we are this day jjjathered. The season when the maple tree
yields its sweet waters has a^ain returned. W(> nw all tliankfid that
it is so. Wo therefore exptn-t all of you to join in our ^eiiiial tlianks-
<,'ivinf? to the maple. We also expect you to join in a thanksirjvintr to
th(> Great S[)irit. who has wisely madi! this tree for the jrood of man.
Wc hope and expect that order and harmony will prevail.

'• Friends and relatives: We are <jfratilied to see s<i many here, and
wo thank you all that you have thou^dit well of this matter. We thank
the (Ireat Spirit that he has been kind to so many of us. in sparin""'
our lives to participate a^ain in the festivities ot this season. Xa-lm.''

The Irocjuois generally conchuhnl their customs with the word
y<i-li(), si<j;nifyint^ "I have done." Other 8i)eeches, in the nature of
exhortations to duty, followed from various persons and sages assend)led
among the multitude. These weni followed by a dance, usually that
whicii was called the (Ivcdl lu'dlhcr (lance ( O-xlo-ircli-ijo-ivd I. which was
performed by a select band in full costume, n^sorved for religious
councils and great occasions. Other dances folhnved, in which all
participatetl. JJeforo the ceremonies were ended the thanksgiving
address was mad(( to the Gnmt Spirit, with the burning of tobacco as
an oll'ering, after which the pi'ople partook of tli(> feast, then se[)arated,
aud repaired to their homes

A-iicnI-ird-lii. or Planting festival. This word signifies the plant-
ing season. When this season arrived, it was always observed by a
feast or festival. The season of planting was usually determined by
ccM'tain manifestations in nature or j)rogress of vegetation, as that of
tlie voice of the whippoorwill, or that wht>n the leaves of the trees
became as large as a mouse's ear. This, like that of the Maple festi-
val, continued but one day, and in its observances and ceremonies was
siiiiilar to that occasion. The following is the form of the opening
adilress generally in use among tlie8en(!cas in this latter fi>stival:

''Great Si)irit. who dwellest alone, listen n(>w to the words <jf thy
peo])le here assendjled. The smoke of our olfering arises. (}ive
kind attention to our Avords, as they arise to thee in the smoke. Wo
thank thee for this return of the planting season. (live us a good
season, that our crops may l)e plentiful.

IWsrs AM) I T.ASTS.

:5V;J

"riintiiiuo to listen, for tin* smoke yet arises. (Tlirowinj; on
tol)iic'co). Preserve us from all pestilential (iiseases. (iive stren<,'tli
to us all. that wo may not fall. Proservo our old nu'n amonj^ us, and
protoct tho younj;. Help us to celeljrat^ with feelin;; the ceremonies
of this season, (xuide tho minds of thy people, that they may remem-
ber theo in all their actions. \(i-ln>.''

Tho conclndin;,' addrt!ss was as follows:

"Great Spirit, listen to the words of thy sntTeriii>,' children.
They como to theo with pure minds. If they have done wron^'. they
have confessed, and turned their minds (at the same time hi>ldiii^' U|)
tho string of white wampum with which the coid'ession was recorded i.
]>(* kind to us. Hear our i,'rievances, and supply our wants. Direct
that Ifc-iio nniy come, and <;ive us rain, that our Sujjporters may not
fail us. and i)rin<^ famine to our homes. Xa-hi)."

Jl<i-iniii-il(i'-ii(i. or Jierry festival. In the pro<jre8s of tho season,
next cani(> the Strawlteri'v festival, the earth's first fruit of tiie season.
The IrtKjuois seized upon this spontaneous <,Mt't of the (ireat Spirit, or
ns they styled iiim Jl<i-ircii-iic-ijii. as another suitaiile occasion for a
feast or festival of thanks<;iviii.y. The oiiscrvances at this festival were
substantially tho same as those at the festival of the .Maple, with vaiia-
tions of terms to desi<.,niate the particular occasion, which was concluded
with a feast of strawbci ries mixed with nuiple su^nii'. prepared in tlir
form of a jelly, upon wliicli the people feasted. The ri|ienin<; of tli<«
whortleberry was often made the occasion of another festival in like
manner and invni as tin* Strawberry ft>stival.

Ali-<l((k(''-ini-<i. or (Ireen Corn festival. Tiiis word, or that from
which it is derived, si<,niities a feast. It continued four days, the [irti-
ceedin^s of each day beini; dilVerent in many essential particulars, but
each terminating' with a feast. When the <^M('en corn became tit for
uso the Indian mado it another occasion for feasting, rejoicin*^, and
ifeneral thanks<^ivin<^ to the (Ireat Spirit. On the first day of this fes-
tival, after introductory s|)e( .'hes were made, the Feather daiu'o. the
thanksyivin^f address, with the burninj,' t)f tobacco, and throe or four
other dances, made up the principal exorcises. Tho second day com-
menced with till* usual address, after which they had a tluinks<fivin^'
dance, which was the principal relij^ious exercise of the day, inter-
s[)ersed with tliaid;s;,nvin^ speeches and son>f8. Tho followin<,' is a
collection of these thanks',Mvinf,' s[M*eches. well illustrating' the Indian's
grateful character and devotion to the (treat Spirit:

"We return thanks to our mother, tho earth, which sustains us."

"AVo return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us
with water."

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

''' IIIM lillM
■•' IIIM ~"
' IIIM

12.2

12.0

1.25

1.4

1.6

^ 6" —

►

Photogrdphic

Sciences

Corporation

13 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) U72-4b03

i?.-

m?.

i/s

874

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

" We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicine for the
cure of our diseases."

" We return thanks to the corn, and her sisters, the beans and
squashes, which give us life."

'• We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with
fruit."

"We return thanks to the wind, which, moving the air, has ban-
ished diseases."

"We return thanks to the moon and itars, which have giveu to us
their light when the sun was gone."

"We return thanks to our grandfather. He-no. that he has pro-
tected his grandchildren fro)n witches and reptiles, and \\i\r given to us
his rain."

" We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked u[)on the earth
with a beneficieut eye. Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit,
in whom is embodied all goodness, and mIio directs all things for the
good of his children."

The third morning was set apart for a thanksgiving concert, called
the Alt-do-ircli, which constituted the chief ceremony of the day. The
occasion was o[)ened by an appropriate introductory speech from one
of the keepers of the faith. The ceremonies or worship consisted of a
succession of short speeches from different persons, one after another,
returning thanks to a great variety of ol)jects, each one folloAving his
speech with an a[)proi)riate song, the words of which, and sometimes
the music also, were of liis own composing. In a chorus to each song,
all the people joined, after which two or three dances Avere introduced
before the enjoyment of the feast, with which the proceedings of the
day terminated. On the fourth day, the festival was concluded witii
the peach stone game. Gus-(i(i-<(, a game of chance on Avhich they
wagered profusely.

Da-ijo-nun'-nvo-qim Xa Dc-o-hd'-ko. or Harvest festival. After
the gathering of the harvest, the Iroquois held another great thanks-
giving for four days. The name given io this festival signifies
"Thanksgiving to our Supporters." It was instituted primarily, it is
said, to return thanks to the corn, beans and stpiashes, which were also
characterized by the Iroquois under this figurative name, our support-
ers, (the same as we are in the habit of calling bread ilw shiff of life),
also to the tribe of spirits who are so intimately connected, in their
minds, with these plants themselves, that they are nearly inseparable.
The resulting object, however, of all these Indian rites, was praise of
Ha-tocn-ne-ipi. In occasions under this head, the ceremonies and fes-
tivities of each day resembled that of the Green Corn festival.

FASTS AND FEASTS.

375

The poet Longfellow, in his " Song of Hiawatha," thus refers to
the Harvest festival or Feast of Mondatnin:

" Aud still later, when the Aiitninu
Chaugeil tlie long, i^voen leaves to yellow,
Aud the soft and juicy kernels
Grew like wampum hard aud yellow,
Tlieu the ripened ears ho gathered.
Stripped the withered husks from off thtni,
As ho once had stripped the wrestler,
Gave the first feast of Mondainiu.''

Gi-ye-wa-no-ns-qua-ijo-wa, or New Year's jubilee. The name
given this festival literally signifies "The most excellent faith/' or
'"the supreme belief," the Avord being analyzed as follows: Gi-ijc'-ati,
faith or belief ; iio-ns-qiia (superlative), excellent or best; and (jo'-iva,
great or supreme. The ceremonies, on this occasion, were such as
were deemed by the Iroquois appropriate in ushering in the New Year.
This religious ceremony was held in midwinter, about tiie first of Fel)-
ruary, and continued for seven successive days, revealing in its cere-
monials nearly every feature in their religious system. Tlie most
prominent peculiarity characterizing tliis jubilee, and indicating what
they understood by the most excellent faith, was the burning of the
white dog, on tlie fifth day of the festival, or feast of the white dog,
a custom prevailing generally throughoitt all the tribes of the conti-
nent — another evidence in their customs strcmgly marking tlie unity of
the American tribes. Among other ceremonies during this festival
was the following, as given by Mr. Morgan:

" The observances of the new year were commenced on the day
appointed, by two of the keepers of tlie faith, who visited every house
in and about the Indian village, morning and evening. They were
disguised in bear skins or buffalo robes, which were secured around
their heads with wreaths of corn -husks, and then gathered in loose
folds about tlie body. Wreaths of corn-husks were also adjusted
around their arms and ankles. They were robed in tiiis manner, and
painted by the matrons, wlio, like themselves, were keepers of the
faith, and l>y them were they commissioned to go forth in this formi-
dable attire, to announce the commencement of the jubilee. Taking
corn-pounders in their hands, they went out in company, on the morn-
ing of the day, to j)erform their duty. Ui)on entering a house, tliey
saluted the inmates in a formal manner, after which one of them, strik-
ing upon the fioor to restore silence and secure attention, thus addressed
them:

'"Listen, Listen, Listen; The ceremonies which the Great Spirit
lias commanded us to perform are about to commence. Prepare your

370

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

luKxses. Clear away the rubbish. Drive out all evil nnimals. We
wish nothing to hinder or obstruct the coining observances. AVe
enjoin upon every one to obey our requirements. Should any of your
friends be taken sick and die, we command you not to mourn for them,
nor allow any of your friends to mourn. But lay the body aside, and
enjoy the coming ceremonies -with us. AVhen they are over, we will
mourn Avith you.' After singing a short thanksgiving song they
passed out."

The foregoing injunction of these "keepers of the faith" singu-
larly finds a corresponding incident in the gospel of St. Luke, wherein
it is written: "And ho said unto another. Follow me. But he said,
Lord, sulfer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said untf) him,
Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom
of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me
first go bid them farewell, which are at home at ni}' house. And
Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." St. Luke, ix, 59, (iO,
61, 02.

In this cf)nnecti(ni Mr. Morgan pays the following tribute to the
devotional s[)irit and religious character of the Indian:

"The fruits of their religious sentiments, among themselves,
were peace, brotherly kindness, charity, hospitality, integrity, truth
and friendshi]); and towards the Great Spirit, reverence, thankfulness
and faith. More Avise than tiie Greeks and Romans in this great par-
ticular, they concentrated all divinity into one Supreme Being; nnu'e
confiding in the- people than the priestly class of Egypt, their religious
teachers brought down the knowledge of tiie 'Unutterable One' to
the minds of all. Eminently pure and spiritual, and internally con-
sistent with each other, the beliefs and the religious ceremonies of the
Innpiois are worthy of a respectful consideration."

CHAPTER XXIX.
DEATH AND ITS INCIDENTS.

Coincidences with Nations of the Old World— No Fear of Death— Ceremonies Miioh
Like the Jews— Relatives of the Deceased put ou Coarse (tanuents- Women as
"Hired Mourners '■—Offering Made Duriii},' Time of Mourning"- ()jil)ways—
Custom- Attended with Much Interest -Otferiiiw Pood to the D.-ad Cremation
among Some Trihes— Instance ilL^lated -Mourning Cradle of Child— Custom
Never to Mention Name of the Deceased— Bury Body East and West— Reasons
Therefor— No Enduring Monuments.

MANUAN CEMKTERY.

.'ANY of the iiicide^nts

•/

and customs rt'liited
^^■-V under this head lead
-Hyip-i^^ us to note the re-
ninrkahle coincidence -witli
those we find in tlie customs
among nations of t)ie Old
Wttrld, thereby affording fin-
other instance afKrinini; the
theory of the aftinity of the
American Indians with tlie
inhabitants of the other con-
tinents.

To " the man without fear — this stoic of the wood," death has no
terror. Its coming is rather an event of joy. He meets his sitm-
mons to the land of th'3 Eternal with the hope of fairer fields and
hai)[)ier hunting-grounds. Calm and unmoved in spirit, the Indian
faces death. His fortitude, as he makes his exit from this life, even
from youth to old age, tinder all circumstances, has been the theme of
much comment and unsettled opinion. Death to the red man is only
a release horn all the ills of the present existence, and he goes
onward to eternal life with a fearless faith in a future of never idilinir
happiness.

The ceremonies that attend upon the death and V)urial of any
member of an Inilian tribe or family, are much like those recorded of
like ceremonies among the Jews of the olden time.

878

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

When a death occurs, the near relatives of the deceased put on
coarse and tattered ffarments, l.iacken their faces, and, sitting u^wn the
floor near the departed, bo\va\l tlieir dead in tones of the deepest grief
and despair. In many of the tribes the custom of calling in women
as " hired monrners," to aid in honoring the dead, prevails. These
women take their places near the body of the deceased, and keep up a
constant wail until exhausted, when another set take their places, and
thus the mourning and great lamentation is kept up until after the
burial. The coarse garments are worn a year, which is the usual time
of mourning for a deceased parent, husband or ivife.

The first few days after the death of the relative are spent in
retirement and fasting. During the whole of their mourning, they
make an offering of a poition of their daily food to the dead, and this
they do by putting a part of it in the fire, which burns while they are
eating. They deem this very acceptable on account of its igniting
the moment it touches the fire. Occasionally they visit the grave of
the dead, and there make a feast and an offering to the departed spirit.
Tobacco is never forgotten at these times. All the friends of the dead
will, for a long time, wear leather strings tied around their wrists and
ankles for the purpose of reminding them of their deceased relatives.

At the expiration of a year, the widow or widower is allowed to
marry again. Should this take place before the year expires, it is con-
sidered not only a want of affection for the memory of the dead, but
a great insult to the relations, who have a claim on the person during
the davs of mourning.

Among the Ojibways, a custom observed by the widows was that
of tying up a bundle of clothes, somewhat in the form of a small
child, frequently tastefully ornamented, and which she would carry
about or have constantly near her. as a memorial of her departed hus-
band. When the days of mourning were ended, a feast was prepared
by some of her relatives, at which she appeared in her best attire,
Laving for the first time in twelve moons washed herself all over, when
she again looked neat and clean.

We are informed that both among the Ojibways and other Indian
tribes, it was a custom to cutoff a lock of hair in remembrance of their
deceased children, especially young infants, and to wrap it up in paper
and gay ribbons. Around it they laid the playthings, clothes, and
amulets of the departed child. These formed a tolerably long parcel,
which was fastened up crosswise with strings, and could be carried like
a doll.

They gave the doll a name, signifying " misery " or " misfor-
tune," and which may be best translated "the doll of sorrow." This

DEATH AND ITS INCIDENTS.

879

mourning

lifeless object took the place of the deceased child. The
mother carried it about for a whole year, and placed it near her at tlie
fire, sigliiug often when gazing upon it. Slie also took i*^ on her
travels, like a living child. The leading idea was that this helpless
child, as it did not know how to walk, could not find its way into jiara-
dise. The mother could therefore help its soul on the journey byc<m-
tinually carrying about its representative. This they carried about till
they fancied the spirit of the child had grown suflicieutly to be able to
help itself along.

When the year of grief was ended, a family feast was prepared,
the bundle vinfastened, and the clothes and other articles given away,
but the lock of hair was buried.

The mode of burial of the dead, while strikingly similar through-
out the tribes, varied in different localities. Mrs. Jemison, the captive
Avhite woman of tlie Genesee, says that the general custom is to dress
the deceased in his best garments, and place tlie body in a coffin made
of skins or bark. With the body is placed a drinking cup and a cake,
two or three tapers or torches, and the implements most used during
the lifetime of the person. If he is a warrior, his weapons of war-
fare are buried beside liini; if a hunter, his trap[)iiig8 for the chase;
if a woman, some treasui'e of her wigwam garnishings ; if a child, its
favorite plaything. As the coffin is lowered into the grave, the
" burial service," Avhich consists of an address to the dead, is deliv-
ered by the chief or person in charge of the burial. In this address,
tiie dead is charged not to worry on his way to the " happy land," and
not to trouble his wife, children or friends whom he has left.

He is admonished to inform or tell all strangers whom he will
meet, to what trilie he belongs, who his relatives are, and the condition
in which he left them. He is assured that he will soon meet all the
friends and relatives that have gone before him, together with all the
famous chiefs who will receive him with joy and furnish him with the
things needed in his home of perpetual hai)piness. After the address
the grave is filled and left until evening, when near relatives of the
dead build a fire near the head of it, around which they sit until inorn-
ing. This is kept up for nine successive nights, at the end of Avliich
time, it is believed, the departed one has reached the end of his journey.

They carry a portion of their dail) food to the grave while the
spirit lingers with the body. The time for its final exit varies witli the
different tribes.

In the case of burial of a female, she is provided with a paddle, a
kettle and (ipckini, or carrying strap for the head, and other feminine
implements.

380

THK AMERICAN INDIAN.

Baron LaHoutnn snys of the Indians that "these good people
believe that death is a passage to a better life. When tlio corpse is
dressed they set it upf)n a mat in the same posture as if the person
were alive; and his relations being around him, every one in his turn
addresses him with u harangue, recounting his exploits with those of
his ancestors. He that speaks last speaks to this purpose: 'You sit
now along with us, and have the same Shapes that we have; you want
neither Arms, nov Head, nor Legs. But at the same time you cease to
be. and begin to evaporate like the smoke of a Pipe. Who is it that
talked with us two Days ago? Sure, 'twas not you; for then youAvould
speak to us still. It must therefore be your St)ul which is lodged in
the great Country of Souls along with those of our Nation. This Body
wliich we now behold will, in six Months' time, become what it was two
Hundred Years ago. Thou feelest nothing, thou seest nothing, because
thou art nothing. Nevertheless, out of the friendshii) we had for the
Body, while animated by thy Spirit, Ave thus tender the Marks of that
Veneration, which is due to our Brethren and our Friends.'"

Charlevoix says that when an Indian is sick and thiid^s himself
past recovery, he cahnly takes leave of his friends around him and
gives orders for a feast, in which all the provisions which remain in
the cabin must be used. His dogs are killed, that the souls of these
animals may go into the other world, and give notice that the dying
person will arrive there soon. All the bodies of the slaughtered dogs
are put intt) the kettle to enlarge the feast.

Schoolcraft says the burial ceremony among our Indian tribes is
at all times attended with interest, from the insight they give to In-
dian character. Some of these incontestably disclose their belief in
the immortality of the soul, while the idea of its lingering Avith the
body lov a time after death and I'equiring food, denotes a concurrence
with oriental customs and beliefs.

In modern times, with the Ojibways, Avheu a corpse is put into its
coffin, the lid is tied, not nailed on. The reason they give for this
is that the communication betAveen the living and the dead is better
kt>i)t up; the freed soul, it is believed, can thus luiA'e free access to the
newly buried body.

Over the gra\'e a roof shaped coA'ering of cedar bark is built to
shed the rain. A small aperture is cut through the bavk at the head
of the graA'e. On asking an OjibAvay Avhy this Avas done, he replied:
•"To alk)W the soul to pass out and in. You knoAV that, in dreams, Ave
pass oA'er Avide countries, and see hills and lakes and mountains and
many scenes, Avhich pass before our eyes and affect us. Yet, at the
same time, our bodies do not stir, and there is a soul left Avith the body,

DKATH AND ITS INCIDKXTS.

8»1

else it would be dead. So, yoii must perceive, it must bo another soul
that accompanies us."

The offering of food and libations to the dead is one of the oldest
rites of the human family and pervaded tlie whole Indian continent.
This reveals a custom known to have prevailed among the peo[)le of
India, and widely, at ancient periods, among the Mongols.

Fires are kindled at the graves of the dead and continued for
nights, the object being to light the spirit on its journey to the spirit
land.

In regard to death and burial among the Bonaks, or Root Dig-
gers, in the region of California, the following is given, as the custom
among this people, by an early resident of that country. Ho says;

"After sunrise the body of the deceased was tied up in a blanket,
which she possessed Aviien living, and borne to a 8[)i)t some hundred
yards distant, where her funeral i)yre was being raised. The entire
camp followed, most of whom were crying and -vvailing greatly. Tho
body was laid on tlie ground while the pyre was being built. Tlii^
occupied considerable time, during winch the mourning was kept up
in loud and wild wailings. The females were blackened around tlieir
chins, temples, ears, and foreheads, and jumped and cried like Metho-
dists under excitement. They often prostrated themselves upon the
ground and. not i;nfrequently, on the body of the deceased. The pyre
being finished, the body was placed upon it with all her beads. baskets»
and earthly effects. This done, the pyre was fired all around, and as
the blaze enveloped the body the mourners seemed to give way to un-
bounded, grief.

"I noticed one individual who gave utterance to his sorrow in loud
and broken strains. He was naked, as were most of the men, except a
small girdle round the u iddle. As he half cried, half sung his sorrow,
ho would occasionally speak something distinctly, but witliout appear-
ing to address himself to the people or any portion of them. I learned
he was the speakei', or what njight, perhaps, on this occasion be termed
the priest of the tribe. In the course of the ceremony, groups of
Indians would occasionally gather around him. On one occasion, I
observed him drawing marks in the sand as he spoke. He said: 'We
are like these lines; to-day we are here and can be seen; but death
takes one away, and then another, as the winds wipe out these lines in
the sand, until all are gone.' And drawing his hand over the marks,
he continued, 'they are all gone even now; like them, we must all be
Aviped out, and will be seen no more.' I witnessed the burning, until
the body was almost consumed, and during the whole time the mourn-
ers kept up intense feelings of grief and anguish."

882

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

The T'linkits, and other tribes of Alaska, nlsu burn their ileacl
upon funeral pyres, with the exception of the bodies of Shdmans or
sorcerers, which are deposited in boxes and elevated on posts. Slaves
who die are not considered worthy of any ceremony whatever. The
corpse of such are thrown into the sea like the carcass of a dog.

According to an intelligent traveler who visited Alaska in 1877,
Wiien a T'linl:it dies his relatives prepare a great feast, inviting a large
number of guests, especially if the deceased was a chief or worthy
member of a clan. The guests are chosen from some other clan; for
instance, if the deceased belonged to the raven clan, the guests must
be from the wolf clan, and vice versa. Poor persons, who are unable
to pay the expense of such ceremony, take their dead to some distant
cove or other place, and burn them without any display.

When the invited guests have assembled, anil the pyre is erected,
the corpse is carried out of the village and placed upon the fagots.
The jiyre is then ignited in the presence of the relatives, who, however,
take no active part in the ceremonies, confining themselves to weeping
and howling. On such occasions many burn their hair, placing their
heads in the flames; others cut their hair short. After the cremation
is accomplished, the guests return to the dwelling of the deceased. If
he was a husband, they seat themselves with the widow, who belongs to
their clan, around the walls of the hut. The relatives of the deceased
then appear with their hair burned or cropped, faces blackened and dis-
figured, and place themselves within the circle of guests, sadly leaning,
with bowed heads, upon sticks, and then begin their funeral dirges
with weeping and howling. The guests take up the song when the
relatives are exhausted, and thus the howling is kept up for four nights
in succession, with brief interruptions for refreshment.

If the deceased was a chief or wealthy person, the custom is for
the relatives to kill one or two slaves, according to the rank of the
dead, in order to give him servants in the other world. At the end of
the period of mourning, or on the fourth day following the cremation,
the relatives wash their blackened faces, and then paint them with gay
colors; at the same time making presents to all the guests, chiefly to
those who assisted in burning the corpse. Then the guests are feasted
again, when the ceremony is ended. The heir of the deceased is his
sister's son, or if he has no such relative, then tlie younger brother.
The heir of a male is compelled to marry the widow.

The custom of cremation, or disposition of the dead by burning
the body, seems to have prevailed very generally among the tribes of
the Pacific coast.

The Indian usually seeks the highest poi it of land he can obtain

DKATH AND ITS 1NC1I>KNTS.

•3h3

for tho burial of his dead. The body is often buried in a sittinp; posture,

sometimes with the limbs drawn up, and sometimes extended and in

a reclining position. It is n custom among

the tribes, very generally, to put up grave

posts and paint characters u{)on them,

denoting the number of enemies killeil,

prisoners taken, and the like. Flags are

often hung over the graves of chiefs and

warriors. For other Indians a piece of

white cotton or something of the kind is

used instead. This custom is very ancient.

With many tribes, when a person first dies

ho is put upon a scaffold. The Indians

sometimes light a fire somewhere near.

The rubbish is all cleared away from under

the scaifold, and everything is kept clean

around the place.

Witii the Sioux, if a warrior is killed
in battle, they secure his body, dress it in painted okave post.

the most showy manner, and bury it in a sitting posture. This is
considered an honor due alone to warriors. It is said that the Dakotas
make no mounds over the graves of the dead.

When one of the Chickasaws dies, they put on him his finest
clothing, also all his jewelry and beads. This is done that he may
make a good appearance in the new and happy country to which he is
going.

The Pawnees bury their dead with the same general ceremonies
as is recorded of other tribes. The chief persons of the band receive
especial honors. The horse of a warrior is killed upon his grave, that
it Kiay be at his service in the country of the dead, and bear him to the
appointed place of rest. Tlie women are as much honored in their
death as the men.

There is less demonstration in the burial of children and youth
when they ])ass on fi'om the scenes of this life, though the grief of the
parents is often inconsolable. This grief, when the object is a son, is
often deeply partaken of by the father, especially if the lad be grown
and has developed forensic talents to succeed him in the chieftainship
of the tribe or band. Black is the universal sign for mourning. It is,
with the Indian, the symbol for death.

When a little child dies, it is at once wrapped in a white skin,
pinked, and painted with many colors. This is done in the presence
of the parents. It is then placed upon a kind of sledge and carried

f;l

384

THE AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

to its l)urial. Prosents iiif Ix'stowtMl on lliose who assist in tht> buiifil
of cliildnMi, tlie saiiio as for older [u^oplo.

Among many tiiht's, the mournin<f cradle is an object of intorest.
In lifts the Indian mother has lu-r babe Vmund to a board in an upright
iKtsition. with its feet resting on a 'oroad ])and at the l)n8e. It is then
placed in a light wicker cradle and slung over iit>r back. If the infant
dies before it arrives at tiie age of seven months, the mother tills the
empty cradle Avith black feathers and still I'arries it for the space of a
year. During the time, nothing will induce her to be separated from
it. She is often heard singing her wigwam lullabys and talking to
her inanimate treasure, in the sweet k)W tones that onlv the mother's

The delicate custom of never mentioning the name of a deceased
friend, proves that the tenderest feelings of humanity rest in the heart
of the Indian. If obliged to refer to the departed, it is usually done
by speaking of some incident in which the deceased was connected;
or tliey may say ^ referring to the (h'ad). he who was our friend, our
couns(>lor, ..■ father, as the case may be.

Hennepii' , ays of Indian burial, according to the customs of the
tribes "'•' ii which he became acciuainted, that thev burv their dead in
the manner of •. mausoleum, which they encom])ass around a^' .it
wit) stakes or [)alisadoes, twelve or thirteen feet Jiigli. These mauso-
leums, he says, are commonly erected in the most eminent place of
their savage borough. They send every year solemn embassies to their
niMghboring nations to solemnize the feast of tiie dead. All the people
of Northern America spare nothing to honor their dead friends and rela-
tions, whom they go to lament. They go to the mausoleum, muttering
a sort of prayers, accompanied with tears and sighs, before the bones,
whose memory they honor for their great exploits in peace and war.

He says, "they have likewise a Custom of putting in the CotHn
of the deceased of riper Years, whatever they esteem valuable. Thev
jmt their Shoos of j)I -''ed Skins, garnished with red and black Porcu-
pines, a pair of Tongs, a Hatchet, Necklaces of Pur[)le, a Pijje, a
Caldron, and a pot full of Sanoniitc, or Pottage of Indian Corn, willi
some fat Meat. If he be a Man, they l)ury him with a Gun, Powder
and Ball; but those that have no Fire-Arms, content themselves with
putting in their Cottin their Bows and Arrows, that when they are in
the Coniifrij of Souls (as they phrase it) and of the Dead, they may
make use of them in Hunting."

The Indians chose elevated places for burial, com])letely out of
the reach of floods or standing Avater. They were often sightly and
picturesque points, which commanded extensive views. As they were

DKATH AND ITS INCIDKNTS.

88S

without proper tools, tliny did not dig i\uj; over or around
them the trunks of trees, in a suitable manner, to prevent sueh de|)re-
dutions.

Mr. Schoolcraft says, in buryin<^ they placed the body east and
west, with the head to the east. The reason j^iven for this is, that
they may look towards the happy land in the west. The same authoi--
ity remarks that no trait has commended the forest tribt^s of the olil
area of the United States more to the respect and admiriition of the
beholder, than the scrupulous regard with which they are found to
remend)er the burial grounds of their ancestors, and the anguish of
their mind at any marks of disrespect or disturbance of their bones.
It was this element in Indian character which inspii'ed that people to
resist, to the utmost < !" 'heir power, the ruthless invasion of the white
man upon the Indian dcaiinin. If the white man has fought, bled and
died for his country, so the Indian has perished alike to protect the
graves and sacred r sting ];lace o' ms ancestors.

Caroline <!. Jjeightot, i;> lier book entitled •' My Life at Puget
Sound," speaking of the . ndian custom of burial and other supersti-
tions in *he country over which she traveled, says: "At one o'' the
portages (on Snake river") we saw some graves of chiefs, the bodies
carefully laid in ejist and west lines and the opening of the loilge built
over them towards the sun-rise. On a irunie near the lodge was
stretched the hides of their horses, sacrificed to accompany them to
another world. The missionaries congratulate themselves that these
barbarous ceremonies are no longer obsei'ved; that the Indian is
weaned from his idea of the liappy hunting-ground, and the sacrilegious
thought of ever meeting his horse again is eradicated from his mind.
I thought, with satisfaction, that the missionary really knows no more
about the future than the Indian, who seems ill-adapted to the con-
ventional idea of heaven. For my part, I prefer to think of him, in
the unknown future, of retaining something of his earthly wildness
and freedom, rather than as a white robed Saint, singing psalms and
playing on a harp."

The North American Indians never i-aised permanent monuments
to perpetuate or do honor to the memory of their dead. The mounds
and mausoleums, that have attracted so much attention, can hardly be
regarded as built or raised for that purpose. No pillar or "storied
urn" has been found among the relics of their past generations.

That this is the result of their indifference to T e present life,
and their intense fa'th in n grand and happy future, seems to be the
most natural conclusion.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE INDIAN MEDICINE MAN.

Term Medicine— Three Distinct Professions— The Doctor of Medicine— The
Majjician — The Prophet— Popular Idea— Dress— Medicine Bag — Its Contents-
Its Construction— Claims of Supiematural Influence — Animal Magnetism —
Trials of Power — A Remarkable Instance — Prophetic Gifts — Mental Telegraphy
— Holy Garments— Robes of Mystery— Robes of State — Judicial Ermine Obser-
vances in Regard to Medicine Men— In Regard to Smoking— Tetotalism and
Chastity of Women.

f!|^Y the term medicine, here used, m\ich
more is implied than mere curative drugs,
[^ or a system of curative practice, in the
"•rji' ills of the human system. As an adjec-
tive, it embraces the idea of supernatural, as
well as remedial practice, in healing the sick.
The Indian medicine man is an individual,
in Indian life, whose office or calling, in the
popular mind of the white man, has been ill-
defined, and vaguely understood. This arises
largely from the term medicine, applied to him,
a term which we have become accustomed to
using to designate this individual, an error
which comes, doubtless, from a mistranslation or misunderstanding of
the term usually employed to designate the person. A more accurate
translation would give us, in our language, the word " mystery " in its
place.

From this constant use of the word medicine, in this connection,
people generally understand that the individual to whom it is applied
is purely a physician or doctor of medicine, which is a misconcej)tion
of what is comprehended within this term among the Indians them-
selves. Although, in practice, the Indian medicine man may, inci-
dently, take in the calling of administering to the sick, as that of a
physician, still this branch does not strictly come within the meaning
of the word medicine man, as understood by the Indian.

Among the Indians, according to Mr. Schoolcraft, there were

(38fi)

THE INDIAN MEDICINK MAN.

387

three distinct professions, nil of which we have been taught to under-
stand are comprised under the head of "medicine man," termed, in
the Algonquin 'anguage, the Mas-kc-JxC-win-Jiin-cc, the Mc-dd-iriii-
iii'n-ci', and the Jci'-sit-kd-iriii-iiiit-cc. The first is the physician or
doctor of medicine, from Mds-h'c-kcc, a liquid dose, and iii-niii-iicc. man.
The second includes also the profession of a physician or medical prac-
titioner, but has a different mode of administering to his patients, or
curing diseases, and is from the word J/r(/((, signifying medical magic,
the art of administering to the sick by magic, and in-nin-iwc, man, con-
cerning which it is said: "The Mcda, or Mcdniviiuiince, is in all
respects a magician. He is distinct from the Maskckcwtniiiiicc. or
medical practitioner, who administers both lic^uid and dry medicines,
bleeds, cups with a horn, and operates on ulcers, swellings, and fresh
wounds. The latter takes his denomination from iiids-kc-kc. a li(|uid
dose. The former from Mala, a mysterious iirinci[)le. The one is a
physician, the other a priest."

The Jcc-sH-ka-win-nin-cc, or third character mentioned, whilst
practicing the art of healing, however, as well, l)ut by ditferent modes,
as before shown, is simply a prophet or one who foretells events, from
Jrcsiikd, to prophecy. On this subject Mr. Schoolcraft says: "The
art of prophecy, or the Jcsukaici)!, differs from the MctUtirin in its
being practiced alone, by distinct and solitary individuals, who have
no associates; who, at least, do not exist, and are never known as
societies. Prophets start up at long intervals and far apart among the
Indian tribes. They profess to be under supernatural power, and to
be filled wi''i a divine afflatus. It is, however, an art resembling that
of the Mcddiriii, and founded on a similar principle of reliance, differ-
ing chiefly in the ohjcrt soiKjJit. The Mcdd seeks to propU'ddc events;
the Jossdkccd aims to 'predict thom. Both appeal to spirits for their
power. Both exhibit material substances, as stuffed lairds, bones, etc.,
as objects by or through which the secret energy is to l)e exercised.
The general modes of o[)eration are similar, but vary. Tiie drum is
used in both, but the songs and incantations differ. The rattle is con-
fined to the ceremonies of the Mcdd and the \['(d)('no. The J()ss(d<:r<'d
addressed himself exclusively to the Great Spirit. His office, and his
mode of address, are regarded with great solemnity and awe. His
choruses are peculiar, and deemed by the people to carry an air of
higher reverence and devotion."

Men who profi^ssed the art of the ^[(■ddlrill were formed into
societies or associations, an account of which is given in a subsecpieiit
chapter under the head of " Secret Societies."' Mr. Schoolcraft further
says of the Mcdaicin: " Its original significance is obscured by its

88«

THE AMERICAN' INDIAN.

present application to medical influence, supposed to be exercised by
certain mineral or animal matter, as small bits of metal, bones,
feathers, and other objects kept in the arcanum of the sacred
(jnsli-k('-i>('-i(t-(jini, or medicine s.ick. But it is quite obvious that
no physical application of these articles is even pretended by the
operators, but that they rely wholly on a subtle, invisible, necromantic
influence, to be exerted in secret, and at distant as well as contiguous
points."

The [)opular idea of the ofliee of the Indian medicine man is thus
expressed by the missionary, the Abbe Em. Domenech. He says these
medicine men " are a kind of priests, doctors and charlatans, Avho pre-
tend to cure illness, explain auguries, and foretell future events. They
feign to be inspired by the s[)irits; they perform rigorous acts of pen-
ance; submit to mutilation, fasting and self-mortification; they profess
charms and secrets, which invest thena with great power; they preside
over all religious cercMnonies, and take the lead in the dance and the
song. Cunning, deceit, shrewdness, a little knowledge and a great ileal
of juggling trickery, form the foundation of their renown. They
obtain from the people a kind of respect different from that with which

other dignitaries are treated, fear being
its principal element; they are looked
ui)on as oracles, but the same admira-
tion is not bestowed upon them as upon
sachems and warriors."

A distinctive mark of the Indian
medicine man was the wearing of a
l)eculiar robe of oftice having the hair
side out, accompanied by the ever-pres-
ent medicine bag, curiously wrought and
ornamented, in which were carried his
nostrums, and which was claimed of
itself to possess healing properties that
might be imjjarted to the patient by
touch. The general theory of sickness
was that it was caused by evil spiritual
influence, and after pretending to dis-
cover the location of the disturbiiiir
spirit in the body of the patient, the only remedial agency employed
consisted in incantations for the purpose of driving away these evil
or disturbing spirits.

A traveler of experience on the subject of the Indian medicine
bag, says its complete catalogue of contents would excite wonder and

KNISTENAUX MEDICINE MAN.

THE INDIAN MEPiriXE MAN.

8S'J

"provoke n smile." He thus describes the contents of a medicine bag
which, on a particular occasion, lie examined :

"There were dried lierbs in quuntity, leaves, barks, roots and
stems. Here a claw, there a tooth, yonder an ear. One package con-
tained a beak and a feather, another a human nail. Our search
brought to light small images of wood carefully wrapped and labeled.
These were the totems that preside over the use and effects of the med-
icines, and Avithout their ju-esence in the [)ouches the skill of the In-
dian doctor would avail nothing. The Indian from time immemorial
has believed that every animal has a great original or father, and tlie
medicine nien choose one of these originals as their particular Mani-
t(m. The image of this animal or bird is the totem, and as tlie doctors
heal with the hel[) of the spirits, they naturally place the totem where
they think it will do the most good — in the medicine bag. The images
are of rt)ugh workmanship, but they answer the purpose for which tliey
were designed as well as if they came from the hands of the skilled
carver. We found in the bag we examined representations of the sun
and moon, and some odd pieces of wood carving sup[)()sed to represent
the human figure."

Mr. Catlin, the artist, says that in all tribes their doctors are
conjurors, are magicians, are soothsayers, and perhaps would rank as
high priests, inasmucii as they superintended all their religious cere-
monies, Tliey are looked upon by all as oracles of the nation. In all
counsels of war and peace they have a seat with the chiefs, are regu-
larly consulted before any public step is taken ; and the greatest defer-
ence and respect are paid to their opinion.

He remarks in explanatiini of the word birdie hie, which is used in
this connection, that the Indians do not use or understand this word in
our language; but in eacli tribe tliey have a word of their own con-
struction, synonymous with mystery or mystery man in our own lan-
guage. Further explaining, he says: "For instance, 1 am a 'medi-
cine man' of the highest order amongst these superstitious ])eople, on
account of the art which I practice; which is a strange and unaccount-
able thing to them and, of course, called the greatest of 'medicine.'
My gun and pistols which have percussion locks, are great medicine;
and no Indian can be prevailed upon to fire them otf, for they say they
have nothing to do with the white man's medicine."

In describing the niedicino bag of the medicine man Mr. Catlin
says it is constructed of the skins of animals, birds or reptiles, and 1,1'.
namented and presei'ved in a thousand different ways, as suits the
taste or freaks of the person who consiructs it. These skins are gen-
erally attached to some part of the clothing of the medicine man, or

390

TH1=" AMERICAN INDIAN.

carripd in his liand. Tliese bngs are often decorated in such a manner
as to be exceedingly ornamental, and are stuffed with grass, moss, or
something of the kind.

One of the arts claimed by the Indian medicine man was that he
could, by the exertion of a supernatural influence which he possessed,
control the minds of others, and an instance is mentioned Avhere it is
claimed that a medicine man of the Assinaboin tribe accepted a chal-
lenge from a rival medicine man for each to try the exertion of this
supernatural power over the other on an occasion appointed. Each
being furnished with his medicine bag, arrayed in full dress and cov-
ered with war paint, they met in the presence of a great concourse,
both having pre[)ared for the occasion by long fasting and conjura-
tions. After smoking their pipes, a ceremony which precedes all im-
portant councils, the medicine men sat down opposite each other a few
feet apart.

The trial of power seems to have been conducted on principles of
animal magnetism, and lasted a long while without decided advantage
on either side, until the medicine man of the Assinaboins, concentrat-
ing all his power, or as expressed according to the Indian idea, gather-
ing his medicine, in a loud voice commanded his antagonist to die,
Avho. it is said, succumbed, and in a few minutes " his spirit," as the
narrator expressed it, "went beyond the sand buttes." This of course
gave increased confidence of the trilie in the power of this medicine
man, who firmly believed that his spiritual power had alone secured
liis triumph.

It is stated by the same ;iuthority from which the foregoing inci-
dent is derivetl. that a Jesuit priest of long experience among the
Indians, in missionary labors, being informed of this story, instead of
exj)ressing disbelief, went on rather to express quite a different senti-
ment, saying that he had seen many exhibitions of power among these
medicine men, which he could not explain. "I have known," said he,
'• [u-etlictions by these medicine men of events, far in the future, to be
literally fulfilled, and have seen medicine tests in the most conclusive
Avay. I once saw a Koo-tc-iiai Indian (known generally as Skookiiiii-
TdDKiJirrcicoati, from his extraordinary power) command a mountain
sheep to fall dead, and the animal, then leajung among the rocks of
the mountain side, fell instantly lifeless. This I saw with my own
eyes, and I ate of the animal afterwards. It was unwounded, healthy
and perfectly well."

A remarkable instance, showing the accuracy with which these
medicine men could at times foretell events, is related by a writer in
the AtUuitic Munlltlij for July, 180(5, concerning a medicine man

THE INDIAN MEDICINE MAN.

391

among the wild tribes of the Upper Missouri river, whose name is
giveu as Maqiieajjos, and who, he says, was an ignorant and unintel-
lectual person, but that his predictions were sometimes absolutely
astounding. On one occasion, a party of ten voyagers set out from
Fort Benton, then the most remote post of the American Fur Com-
pany, for the purpose of finding a certain band of northern Blackfeet.
The expedition was perilous from its commencement, and the danger
increased with each day's journey. The war paths, war party fires,
and similar indications of the vicinity of hostile bands, were each day
found in greater abundance.

Persons experienced in Indian life can, at a glance, tell what
tribe has made a war path or a '•amp fire. Indications which would
convey no meaning to the inexperienced, are often conclusive proofs
to the keen eyed mountaineer.

The party of adventurers, in this case, soon found, by accustomed
indications, that they were in the thickest of the Cree war party opera-
tions, and so full of danger that seven of the ten turned back. The
remaining three, through their resolute character, continued their
journey until this resolution failed them, and they, too, determined
that after another day's travel northward they would hasten back to
their comrades. On the afternoon of the last day, four young Indi-
ans were seen, who, after a cautious approach, made the signs of peace,
laid down their arms and came forward, announcing themselves to be
Blackfeet of the Blood band. They were sent out, they said, by
Maqueapos, the medicine man before mentioned, to find three white
men, mounted on horses of a peculiar color, dressed in garments actu-
ally described to them, and armed with weapons which they, without
seeing them, minutely described.

The whole history of this expedition had been detailed to them
by Maqueapos; the purpose of the journey, the personnel of the par-
ties, the exact location at which to find the three last mentioned who
persevered, had been detailed by this medicine man with as much
fidelity and accuracy as could have been done by one of the whites
themselves; and so convinred were the Indians of the truth of the
old man's medicine that the four young men, before mentioned, were
sent, four days later, to appoint a rendezvous with the whites, at a place
a hundred miles distant. The apiKiintment was fulfilled, the objects
of the expedition speedily accomplished, and the whites, after a few
days' rest, returned to the jx>int of their starting out.

The writer of the article, before mentioned, says he was at the
head of the party of whites, and himself met the Indian messengers.
Upon questioning the chief men of the Indian camp, many of whom

3i>2

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

nfteiTvartls became his warm personal friends, and one of them his
adopted brothei*, no suspicion of the facts as narrated could be sus-
tained. The medicine man, Maqueapos, could give no explanation
beyond the general one, that he "saw us coming and heard us talk on
our journey." He had not, during the time, been absent from the
Indian camp, and it seems had apparently no mode and no information
whatever by which he could determine the facts Avhicli he foretold,
except through his intuitive jxiwor, or maUcinc which he possessed.

The writer of the aforesaid article says that a subsequent intimate
acquaintance with Maqueapos disclosed a remarkable medicine faculty,
as accurate as it was inexplicable. He was tested in every way, and
almost always stood the ordeal successfully. This remarkable circum-
stance is in the same line of foretelling events, referred to in another
chapter of this work, entitled "Indian Prophecies."

In closing his article, the writer before mentioned, whilst declar-
ing that it is not his object to defend or combat the Indian notion of
medicine men, says: "Wlioever will take the trouble to investigate,
will find in the re(d Indian a faith, and occasionally a power, that
quite equals the faculties claimed by our civilized clairvoyants, and
will approach au untrodden i)ath of curious, if not altogether useful,
research."

This Indian idea of the gift of prophecy, understanding mysteries,
and faith to accomplish results, by will of the medicine man, singularly
coincides with the Jewish ideas as expressed in 1 Cor. xiii, 2, wherein
these subjects are thus recited: "And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains," etc.

The following paragraph, found in the St. Louis Repuhlican of
recent date, under the head of " Mental Telegrapliing," shows that this
power of mystery claimed to exist among the Indians is one attracting
the attention of the intelligent mind:

"It is said that the Indians on the plains have always practiced a
system of mental telegraphing among themselves, by means of Avhich
they communicate with each other almost instantaneously, and without
messengers or signals. This mental telegraphing is by no means
peculiar to the Indians on the plains of the United States. The same
thing has been done by many people on the plains and among the
mountains, both in America and other countries, and is to-day and
always has been one method of manifesting knowledge known to and
practiced by many persons. The manner iu which such communica-
tions are made seems to be and is a great mystery. Many theories
about it have been suggested, all of which fall far short of satisfying

THE INDIAN MEDICINE iVll

3il3

the minds of the people as to how it is done. The fact that such com-
munications are sent and received, and that they are often genuine and
true, and that such is one mode of manifesting knowledge, is now
almost universally conceded."

Not only does the Indian medicine man wear his robes of mystery,
but the custom of wearing robes or holy garments to distinguisii the
sacred office of a person is not confined to the untutored Indian; it
was an ancient custom of the Jews, according to the writings of whom
it was commanded: "Thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments."'
Ex. xl, 111

And this custom of priestly robes was carried into the church in
later times, and, indeed, is continued down to the present day. More-
over, these robes of mystery, among civilized nations in succeeding
generations, have been extended to kings, and of winch we sjieak as
their robes of siair; and the custom of wearing the like robes of mys-
tery has been extended to judicial functionaries, and styled jmlivinl
ermine; so that whoevrr is inclined to criticise the Indian medicine
man for his superstitious garments, marking or aiding his calling,
must remember that our more enlightened races have borrowed or
shared with him, down to the latest time, the same or the like super-
stitions.

The wilder tribes are accustomed to certain observances, which
are generally termed the tribe-medicine. Their leading men inculcate
them with great care — perhaps to perpetuate unity of tradition and
purpose. In the arrangement of the tribe-medicine, trivial observances
are frequently intermixed with very serious doctrines. Thus, the
grand war council of the Dakota confederacy, comprising thirteen
tribes of Sioux, and mere than seventeen thousand warriors, many
years since, promulgated a national medicine, prescribing a red stone
pipe with an ashen stem for all council purposes, and an eternal lu)s-
tility to the whites. And the opinion has been expressed that the pre-
diction may be safely ventured that every Sioux will preserve this
medicine until the nation shall cease to exist. And to this, it is said,
may be traced that terrible Indian war that devastated Minnesota, and
from which it was predicted that there could not, in the nature of
things, especially in view of native Indian character, be a peace kept
in good faith until the confederacy of the Dakota nation was, in elfect,
destroyed.

The Crows, or Upsaraiikas, Avill not smoke in council, uidess the
pipe is lighted with a coal of the butfalo chi[), and the bowl is rested
on a fragment of the same substance. Their chief men have, for a
great while, endeavored to engraft teetotalism upon their national medi-

394

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

cine, and have succeeded better than the Tnri;«« i,

seemed to promise. ^ character would have

Among tlie Flatheads, female chastifv ,•« n r ,
injunction amon.. tlieir theoriprV 7 ^ "''*'""^^ medicine or

vailed very genl 11? ^ 1 "^^''*''^' " «'^^^-««teristic which pre-
f,.- 1 , • •'^^^^"^'^^^J among the American tribes Wifl, fl,« \r i
fnendslnp for the whites is sunnnsp,! f i . Mandans,

individual advantage. ^^ ^' "'' '^'^^^^^ °^ "^t^^"-! and

CHAPTER XXXI.
INDIAN PROPHECIES.

The Inilian Prophet — An Important Functionary — As with the Ancient Jews— Was the
Oracle of " All Mystery" — False Prophets— Chiefs had Their Prophets- Fore-
telling Events — Remarkable Instance Related — Capt. Carver Relates an Instance
— Father Charlevoix's Experience — Peter Jones Gives Instance of Indian
Account from an Indian Captive— Sinpnlar Instance of Foretelling the Future —
Fulfilled in the Escape of Three Captives Father Charlevoix's Experience —
Peter Jones Gives Instance of Indian Prophecy.

^"^^HE Indian in his siiper-
^ i stitious nnd beliefs, iu
■■fij cF his notions of snper-
^ natural manifestiitions
and agencies, does not differ
essentially from the white man.
An important functionary with
him, as with the ancient Jews,
was that of the prophet, or one
Avho could foretell events.
Sometimes the prophet com-
bined also the churaoter of
priest and doctor of medicine,
and to him was committed all
such things as were considered
mysteries. In short, he was
the oracle of "all mystery."

These persons, in general,
took rank among the natives
accordingly as they had sliown
or proved their superiority in the line of their profession ; and the
experience or the Indian, in regard to this class of functioimries, was
not unlike that of the Jews, for they occasionally had among them
false prophets, or those whose prophecies Avere not always genuine or
precisely accurate. So that whenever a prophet had shown his skill
or accuracy in foretelling events, he took rank accordingly among his
tribe or people.

WARNINGS OF THE UREAT Sl'IKIT.

U',
r.

31 u;

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

But it is proposed liere to spenk of propliecies rather tiiaii of
propliets. Attention is given to this Intter subjec^t under the liend of
" Medicine Man."

The ruling chief of a tribe or confederation of tribes generally
had his prophet, selected with reference to his superior skill in his
profession, the same as the white man, in the affaii's of his govern-
ment, has his lieutenant, general adviser, or prime minister, selected
with like reference to his peculiar capabilities. The commander of a
military force has his chief of staff or adjutant general. The man-
ager of a large corporation has his legal counsel, who occupies not
only the [)lace of counselor in matters of law, but as a general adviser
in business affairs as affected by the law.

The untutored mind of the Indian stood constantly in fear of
those things which to him were considered superiuitural, mysterious or
beyond his comprehension. The principal chief to whom tlie admin-
istration and guidance of affairs were committed, therefore, selected
his prophet to give him guidance and information concerning future
events, whereby he might be the better enabled to direct the affairs of
his j)eople committed to liis charge.

Instances are given by travelers, captives and historians, of the
foretelling of events by Indian pi'ophets, which are quite remarkable.
Among these is one related by Capt. Jonathan Carver, coming to his
attention during his travels through the interior parts of North
America, in the year 1707. The most westerly point reached by him
was the St. Peter's, or Minnesota river, in the vicinity of whidi he
spent the winter with the Dakotas. On his return East, the ensuing
summer, he proceeded by way of what is known as the grand portage,
Avhicli lies on the northwestern borders of Lake Superior. Here he
met a large party of Knistinoes, or, as he calls them, " Killistinoes
and Assinipoils Indians," who were come to this place in order to meet
the traders from Mackinaw, who made this their road to the north-
west. In relating the incident before mentioned, he says:

"The traders Ave expected being later this season than usual, and
our numbers very considerable, for there were more than three hun-
dred of us, the stock of provisions we had brought with us was nearly
exhausted, and we waited with impatience for their arrival.

"One day, whilst we were all expressing our wishes for this
desirable event, and looking from an eminence in hopes of seeing them
come over the lake, the chief priest belonging to the band of the
Killistinoes told us that he would endeavor to obtain a conference with
the Great Spirit, and know from him when the traders would arrive.
I paid little attention to this declaration, supposing that it would be

INDIAN l'n0I'HECI^:H.

Hit-

produptive of some juggliiijj trick, just sufKoiently covererl to deceive
the ignorant Indians. 13>it the king of that tribe telling me that this
was chieti}' undertaken by the priest to alleviate my anxiety, and at
the same time to convince me how much interest lie had with the
Great Spirit, I thought it necessary to restrain my animadversions on
his design.

"The following evening was fixed upon for this spiritual confer-
ence. When everything had been properly prepared, tiie king came
to me and led me into a capacious tent, the covering of whicii was
drawn up, so as to render what was transacting within visible to those
who stood witliout. We found the tent surrounded by a great nund)er
of the Indians, but we readily gained admission, and seated oui'selves
on skins, laid on the ground for that pur])ose.

" In the center I observed that there was a place of an oblong
shape, which was composed of stakes stuck in the ground, with inter-
vals between, so as to form a kind of chest or coiKn large enough to
contain the body of a man. These were of a middle size, and placed
at such a distance from each other that whatever lay within tiiem was
readily to be discerned. The tent was perfectly illuminated by a great
number of torches, nuide of splinters cut from the pine or birch tree,
which the Indians held in their hands.

" In a few minutes the priest entered, when an amazing large
elk's skin being spread on the ground just at my feet, he laid himself
down upon it, after having stripped himself of every garment except
that which he wore close about his middle. Being now prostrate on
his back, he first laid hold of one side of the skin, and folded it over
him, and then the other, leaving only his head uncovered. This was
no sooner done than two of the young men who stood by took al)out
forty yards of strong cord, made also of an elk's hide, and rolled it
tight around his body, so that he was completely swathed within the
skin. Being thus bound up like an Egyptian mummy, one took him
by the heels, and the other by the head, and lifted him over the pales
into the inclosure. I could also now discern him as plain as I had
hitlierto done, and I took care not to turn my eyes a moment from the
object before me, that I might the more readily detect the artifice; for
such I doubted not but that it would turn out to be.

"The priest had not lain in this situation more than a few seconds
when he began to mutter. This he continued to do for some time, and
then by degrees grew louder and louder, till at length he spoke articu-
lately ; however, what he muttered was in such a mixed jargon of the
Chippeway, Ottawaw and Killistinoe languages, that I could under-
Having continued in this tone for a con-

staud but very little of it.

81)8

TIIK AMKIUCAN INDIAN.

pidorable while, he at Inst exerted his voice to its utmost pitch, BOine-
tiiiios riiviii^', and Bomotiines praying, till lie had worlied himself into
such an agitation that ho foainod at tiio mouth.

"After having romaiiit'd near thrce-cjuarters of an liour in the
place, anil continued his vociferations with xmabated vigor, he seemed
to bo quite exhausted and remained speechless. But in an instant he
sprrtiig to his feet, notwithstanding, at the time he was put in, it
appeareil impossible for him to move either his legs or arms; and,
sliaking olf his covering, as cpiick as if tlie bands witli wliich it hail
been bound were burned asunder, he began to address those wiio stood
around in a firm and audible voice. 'My brothers,' said he, 'the Great
Spirit has deigned to hold a talk witii his servant at my earnest
reipiest. Ho has not. indeed, told me when the persons we expect will
be here, but to-mori'ow, soon after the sun has reached his highest
point in the heavens, a canoe will arrive, and tiie peofjle in that will
inform us when the traders will come.'

" Having said this, ho stepped out of tho inclosure, and, after ho
had put on his robes, dismissed the assembly. I owu I was greatly
astonished at what I had seen, but as I observed that every eye in the
company was fixed on me, with a view to discover my sentiment, I
carefully concealed every emotion.

" The next day the sun siionc bright, and long before noon all the
Indians were gatliered together on the eminence that overlooked the
lake. The old king came to me and asked mo whether I had so much
confidence in what the [)riest had foretold as to join his people on the
hill, and wait for the completion of it. I told him I was at a loss
what opinion to iovm of the prediction, but that I would readily attend
him. On this, we walked together to the place Avhere the others were
assembled. Every eye was again fixed by turns on me, and on the
lake; when, just as the sun had reached his zenith, agreeable to what
the priest had foretold, a canoe came around a point of land about a
league distant. The Indians no sooner beiield it than they set up
an universal shout, and by their looks seemed to triumph in the
interest their priest thus evidently had with the Great S[)irit.

" In less than an hour the canoe reached the shore, when I attended
the king and chiefs to i-ecoive those who were on board. As soon as
the men were landed we walked all together to the king's tent, wlien,
according to their invariable custom, we began to smoke; and tliis we
did, notwithstanding our impatience to know the tidings they brought,
without asking any questions; for the Indians are the most deliberate
people in the world. However, after some trivial conversation, the
king inquired of them whether they had seen anything of the traders?

INDIAN I'ROPIIECIES.

;«>!>

The men replied that they had parted from them a few days before,
ami that they proposed being here the Becoud day from the present.
Tliey accordingly arrived at the time, greatly to our satisfaction, but
more particularly so to that of the Indians, who found by this event
the importance, both of their priest and of their nation, greatly nug-
raented in the sight of a stranger.

"This story, I acknowledge, appears to carry with it marks of
great credulity in the relator. But no one is less tinctured with that
weaivaess than myself. The circumstances of it, I own, are of very
extraordinary nature; however, as I can vouch for their being free
fi'om either exaggeration or misrepresentation, being myself a cool and
dispassionate observer of them all, I thought it necessary to give tliom
to the public. And this I do Avithout wishing to mislead the judgment
of my readers, or to make any superstitious impressions on their minds,
but leaving them to draw from it what conclusions they please."

It seems, from the cautious manner in which Capt. Carver treats
the aforesaid occurrence, that ho Avas naturally skeptical as to mutters
of this kind; and the accuracy with which this prophecy was fulfilhnl
naturally impressed his mind with considerable force, and he felt
called upon, as will be seen, to assure the reader in ..nguage as forc-
ible as possible, of the truth of the circumstance he witnessed. And
not content with this, in the preface to his book, or, as he calls it,
"adtb'ess to the public," he again refers to this matter, and remarks
that the credibility of the incident before mentioned, and the prognos-
tication of the Indian priest liaving been questioned, he thinks it
necessary to avail himself of a further opportunity to endeavor to
eradicate any impression that might be made on the minds of his
readers, by the apparent improbability of his story ; and he assures
the reader again that he has related this occurrer^ce just as it hap-
pened, being an eye witness to the Avhole transaction, and being at the
time free from any trace of skeptical obstinacy or enthusiastic credu-
lity, he was consequently able to describe every circumstance minutely
and impartially, Avhich he has done, but Avithout endeavoring to
account for the means by Avhich it was accomplished.

The aforesaid occurrence is Avhat at this day would be called,
among that class of people known as spirHualists, as a case of spirit-
ual manifestation through a genuine iiicdiiini. In this day and gen-
eration, occurrences of this kind are not uncommon, and in thorn there
are many enthusiastic believers, especially among the class of people
l)efore mentioned; but the occurrence Avhich Capt. Carver relates,
transpired nearly a hundred years before the appearance among us of
that phenomenon called Sjnritiialism or spiritualisiic seances.

^
%

400

THE AMEllICAN INDIAN.

Another like case of foretelling events by an Indian prophet ia
given in an account of the captivity of Richard Eue, George Holman
and Irving Hinton, who were captured in February, 1781, in Kentucky,
near the falls of the Ohio river, now called Louisville, by the renegade
white man, Simon Girty, at the head of thirteen Indians.

The history of tlio captivity of these men is given in' a book,
entitled "Recollections of the Early Settlements of the Wabash Val-
ley," by Sandford C. Cox, of Lafayette, Ind. ; published in ISGO.
The writer was a descendant of the captive George Holman, the facts
which he related having come down through family tradition, as an
important incident in connection with the escape of Richard Rue, one
of the captives named.

The writer of this account, apparently feeling that he might be
charged with too much credulity as to the account he gives, seemingly
attempts to treat the subject lightly ; but, at the same time, the fact
of the occurrence and that the events as foretold by the Indian prophet
transpired precisely as he stated they would, remains in his narrative.
Mr. Cox, in narrating the escape of Richard Rue, who had become
separated, during his captivity, from Holman and Hinton, says:

"The last few mouths of Rue's captivity were spent at Detroit.
I shall not attempt to give a full descrijjtion of the various incidents
of his long and painful captivity, Avliich lasted three years and a half,
and was terminated in the following manner: Rue and two of his
fellow captives, whose names are not recollected with sufficient cer-
tainty to give them a place in these pages, came to the conclusion to
make their escape, if posijible. In anticipation of such an event, they
had for some time been secretly preparing for their departure. At the
time, there were three or four different tribes of Indians assembled at
the Trading House on the lake shore, near Detroit. A circumstance
occurred, during the drunken revels of the Indians, which produced
great excitement. One of the Indians lost a purse, containing some
ninety dollars in silver. Search was instituted in vain for the lost
treasure. Who was the thief? Various were the conjectures and
insinuations of the exasperated tribes, who were about to make it
assume a national character, when it was announced that there was
a Soothsayer or Prophet present, who belonged to another tribe from
either of those who were disputing about the lost treasure, and who,
by conjuration, could detect the thief, and tell where the lost money
was secreted, which st<)p})ed nil wrangling, until the learned seer had
tried his arts of necromancy. The professor of the black art, looking
as solemn as an owl, unrolled a deer-skin upon the ground, with the
flesh side up. He then drew from his belt a little bag of fine sand,

INDIAN PROPHECIES.

401

which he emptied upon the deer-skin. With a mngic svand, about the
size and length of an ordinary ritie rnmrod, he spread tlie sand
smoothly over the wliole surface of the skin. The eager and de-jply
interested crowd, witli a solemn awe depicted in their countenances,
encircled the magician, and awaited witli breathless silence the result
of liis divination. Meanwhile the prophet, as he was termed, silently
gazed at the glittering surface of the sand for many minutes, without
any definite result. Then, after muttering over some half articulated
spell words, and looking awfully wise, he took another long, steady gaze
into the sand. Eureka, Eureka, were not the words uttered by the
venerable seer, but he said, 'I see the thief and the stolen treasure.'
'Who is he? Who?' shouted a dozen voices, 'tell his name, point
him out, be it whomsoev(>r it may.' But the prophet, feeling bound
by a proper spirit of philanthropy for his red brethren, and deeming
that the disclosure might lead to tlie extermiimtion of a tribe, or per-
haps two or tliree tribes, before tiie matter ended, gravely declared the
impropriety of divulging a fact which might terminate so disastrously.
He exonerated all those who had been charged with the theft, ami said
that the lost money had been taken and carried away by a different
tribe from any of those embroiled in the (juarrel. Tliis important
announcement quieted the dissensions of those who Avere contending,
a. id restored liarmony and friendship among tliose who, but a feiv
hours before, Avere ready to use the knife and tomahawk upon each
other.

"Rue and his comrades being witnesses of this (lis[)hiy of the
prophet's professional skill, concluded at the first convenient oppor-
tunity to interrogate him in regard to the number, age, sex, and con-
dition of their respective families at home; and whether they Avere all
Btill alive, and resided where they did when they Avere captured.

"A private chance occurred Avithiu a few days afterAvards, the fee
was agreed upon and paid, and the tliree prisoners and the seer seated
themselves around the outspread deer skin, covered Avith the enchanted
saml. After a long silence, during Avhich the pro[)het looked steadily
into the sand, ne remarked that he saAV Rue's folks passing about
through the door yard, giving tlie number of males and females, and
their age and appearance Avith such accuracy, that Rue at once consid
ored him a genuine Avizard, The conjurer then lifted his eyes from
the sand and remarked: 'You all intend to make your escape, and you
will eifect it soon.' Then gazing into the sand he continued: 'You
will meet with many trials and hardships in passijig over so Avild a
district of coitotry, inhabited by so many hostile nations of Indians.
You Avill almost b"^arve to death ; but about the time you have given up

402

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

r11 hope of finding game to sustain you in your faniislied condition,
succor will come when you least expect it. I see dimly the carcass of
some wild animal taken as game. What it is I cannot clearly see. It
will be a masculine of some kind. After that you will find plenty of
game, and you will all arrive safely at your homes.' They stoutly
denied any intention or desire of escaping ; but at the same time told
the wizard, as they had paid him for his professional revelations, that
they had explicit confidence that he would not divulge. e>icept to them-
selves, any shadowings of the future that flitted over his sand covered
deer skin. The okl prophet, acting upon the principle of letting every
one attend to his oAvn business, said nothing about the 'coming events
which cast their shadows before ' in regard to the escape of the prison-
ers. Whether his silence proceeded from his not wishing to meddle
with the determinations of the fates, or from the fear that any revela-
tions he might make, affecting the interests of his patrons who had
confided their all to his pro[)hetic skill ind honor, might injure his
business, or simply from a sense of moral probity, it was difficult to
judge.

"At length the set time for their departure arrived, and they com-
menced their dubious journey through the wide wilderness, infested
with wild beasts, and wild and bloody minded savages, whose tender
mercies (with a few noble exceptions) they had long since learned
were cruel. They kneAv that as soon as they were missed they would
be pursued, and they pushed ahead as fast as possible the whole of the
first night, and encamped about daybreak, without fire, in a thicket,
almost surrounded with a swamp. Here they lay concealed the whole
day. Having eaten the scanty amount of victuals they had been able
to stealthily abstract from the cnnip the morning they left, they began
to feel pressed with hunger, but dare not venture from their conceal-
ment, iest they might be discovered and recaptured by the Indians,
whom they well knew would hang u{)on their trail and feri'et them out
if possible. They saw no game in their swampy retreat ; and, had they,
the sound of a gun might disclose their hiding place. They crawled
around and tried to catch some frogs which they saw plunging around
in the stagnant waters that surrounded them; but were unable to catch
even one frog. At dark they ventured out from their lurking-place,
and pursued their perilous journey through the woods, guided by the
stars when they shone, and, when they were obscured, by the moss that
grew on the north side of the trees — a fact well known to all woodsmen.

"The morning of the third day found them so weak and exhausted
by travel and hunger, that it was determined that Rue, wlio was a good
hunter, should venture out in quest of game. He spent the most of

INDIAN I'llOl'HECIKS.

-Md

the day in linntiuf,', but found no ginio, not oven a bird nor a sqnirrel
to appease their gnawinjjj hun>,rer. l>y this time they hail reachetl the
streams that led into the Wabash river, which Hue knew abounded
with iine fisli, but havi.ig no fish hooks witli them, nor wire to construct
any out of, they deemed it too hazardous to attempt to spear any by
torcli light. So they traveled on all that night without eating, or
st()pi)ing to rest, but, witli the returning beams of the morning, they
sought a secure hiding place, as usual. Their hunger now commenced
to become insupportable, and, although the woods and streams showed
strong and fresh signs of Indians, it was determined that Rue, their
Nimrod, must go in quest of game at all hazards. He scoured the
woods for miles around, up hill and down dale, but, strange to say. he
i!ould find no game of any description. A jaybird or a woodpecker
would have been a delicious morsel to these starving fugitives ; but
birds and beasts appeared to be, like thenuelves, hid amongst their
vt'oody fastnesses. About the middle of the afternoon Rue returned to
onmp, weary, dejected and luckless. Starvation now stared them in
the face.

"At length another one of the fugitives arose from his priistrate
position on the ground, and said: 'Suppose I try my luck, or lack of
luck, once more.' Then, shouldering the best gun in the com})any, he
walked slowly off and was soon hid in the darksome forest that sur-
rounded them. But this persistent effort on the part of their comrade
brought no hope to the minds of Rue and the other man, who well
knew the want of skill on the part of the departed hunter. But the
race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, which was
fully verified by the fact that in less than three hours after he started
from the camp the amateur hunter returned, tottering under a small
three pronged buck, which he had killed and partly dressed. As he
threw it upon the ground the words of the conjurer: 'It is a masculine;
after killing it you will find plenty of game, and your hardshi[)s will
mostly bo over,' flashed across the mind of Rue, wlu) now felt fully
confirmed iu the oracular wisdom of the old Indian, whose prophetic
ken had so far penetrated the future as to see the carcass of that deer
which was so opportunely killed to save them from death by famine.
If it were n mere coincidence or shrewd guess of the seer, tliey con-
sidered it strange beyond parallel. A fire was soon kindled, and a
small portion of the deer was broiled. The experience and sound
judgment of the prisoners prevented their eating too much of the de-
licious repast. They now had enough to last them several days, until
they could kill more, and the last words of the conjurer threw the rain-
bow hues of hope over the renniinder of their toilsome 'ouruey. When

404

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

iiiglit nrrivetl they pursued their journey witli renewed strength and
courage, carrying with them tlie fleshy portions cl the venison, feeling
comparatively safe. Although they had traveled many miles from
where they started and, in all probability, v jre far out of reach of
their pursuers, yet they relaxed but little in the prudent course they
adopted at the start, of night traveling and lying by in the day time;
and thus they entirely avoided discovery by the red men of the forest,
who thickly iidiabited the region through which they had passed.
Had they been discovered by the Indians who inhabited the different
portions of the country through which they passed, they would very
likely not have been recognized as white men, for their dress, gait,
manners and general appearance were completely Indian, from the
painted feathers and porcupine cpiills that crowned the turban that en-
circled their foreheads, to the beads and ribbons that adorned their
moccasins, and variegated the fanciful belts that surroundetl their
waists, bristling with scalding knife and tomahawk. Thev found game

' O 1 C? 4,' O

plenty, and Avould have hail a suflicient quantity of ammunition to enable
tliera to supply themselves with provisions to the end of their journey,
hail not an accident occurred which reduced them again to a state of
great destitution.

" On the twentieth day after they made their escape from near
Detroit they struck the Ohio river, about fifty miles above the Falls.
The sight of this beautiful river, which they had not seen for over
three years, sent a thrill of joy through their bosoms, and they set to
work to construct a rude raft out of logs to bear them down its spark-
ling current to the village of Louisville, where their toilsome and
ilangerous journey would be brought to a close. But before they had
floated half the way to Louisville their frail raft was dashed to pieces
by the white caps, raised by a stilf gale that swept up the river, and
the three passengers with their guns, blankets and provisions, were
spilt out into the river. With difticulty they reached the Kentucky
shore and crawled up the bank, looking, as they afterward said, like
drowned rats. They lost all their guns but one, the whole of their
provisions, and the most of their ammunition and clothes. In this sad
[)light till y struck out through the woods for Harrodsburg. where they
arrived in safety, greatly fatigued and worn down by their long and
wearisome journey through the wilderness, and to the surprise and joy
of their friends, who had long mourned them as dead."

Father Charlevoix, in his travels among the Indians in North
America, it seems, also encountered these prophets whom he called
jugglers, and was struck with astonishment at the accuracy with which
he savs thev foretold future events.

INDIAN ritoriiKciiis.

405

He says it is also true that the jujjffrlers were too often riglit in
their predictions to make it believed that they always guess ])y chance;
and that there passes on these t)ccasions, things that it is scarce possible
to attribute to any natural secret. But he attributes these remarkable
prophecies to a power derived from an evil spirit, concerning which he
says: "The letters of the ancient missionaries are full of facts whicli
leave no room to doubt that these seducers have a real correspondence
with the Father of deceit and lies."

It appears in the experience of Father Charlevoix that these
prophecies did not proceed alone from Indian men, but Indian women
also possessed this power, and he gives the following instance of fore-
telling an event by a "woman savage," which ho said he had " frt)m
it> source."

" Madame de Marson. wife of M. de Marson, avIio was command-
ant of a post in Canada, was one day very uneasy about her husband,
who was absent, and the time was past which lie iiad set for his return.
A 'woman savage' who saw Madame de Marson was troubled, aski'd
her the cause of it, and being told it. she said, after ])ausing a little dii
the matter, 'Don't trouble yourself any longer; your husband will
come back on siich a day, and at such an hour (which slie named),
wearing a grey hat.' As she perceiveil that the lady gave no heed to
her prediction, on the day and at the hour she had foretold, she came
again to the lady, and asked her if she would come and see her
husband arrive, and pressed her in such a manner to follow her, that
she drew her to the side of the river. They had hardly got there when
M. de Marson appeared in a canoe, wearing a grey hat; and being
informed of what had passed, he declared that he could not conceive
how the savage could have foreknown the hour and the day of his
arrival."

Eev. Peter Jones, the Ojibway minister of the gospel, in his book
concerning that people, gives the following, among other instances of
Indiiin prophecy, which he says he received from a respectable gentle-
man, then government agent in Upper Canada, who hail spent most of
his life in the Indian country, and who was, therefore, well acquainted
with their characte)' and pretensions, and thus relates the incident:

"In the year ISOi, wintering with the Winnebagoes on the Rock
river, I had occasion to send three of my men to another wintering
house, for some tlour which I had left there in the fall, on my way up
the river. The distance being about one and a half days' journey from
where I lived, they were expected to return in about three days. On
the sixth day after their absence I was about sending in quest of them,
when some Indians, arriving from the spot, said that they had seen

400

THK AMKHICAN INDIAN.

■''\.

uotliinjjc of them. I could now use no menus to nscertnin wliere tliey
were; the plains were extensive, the paths numerous, nnd the tracks
they had made wore tlie next moment covered by the drift snow.
Patience was my only resource; and, nt leniftli, I gave them up for
lost.

••On the fourteentii night after their departure, as several Indians
were smoking their pipes and telling stories of their Avar parties,
huntings, etc., an old fellow, named Wdlttrim, who was a daily visitor,
came in. My interp?'eter, a Cnnailian named Felix, pressed me, as he
had f ixMpiently done before, to employ this conjurer, as he could inform
me about the men in (juestion.

••The dread of l)eing laughed at had, hitherto, ])reveuted my
acceding to his importunities; but now, excited by curiosity, I gave the
old man a (juarter pound of tobacco and two yards of ribbon, telling
him that if he gave me a true account of them 1 would, when I ascer-
tained the fact, give him a bottle of rum. The night was exceedingly
daik, and the house situated on a point of land in a thick wood. The
old fellow withdrew, and the other Indians retired to their lodjjes.

"A few mijiutes after, I hoard \\'^(tliinut (an ^gg) begin a lament-
able song, his voice increasing to such a degree that I really thought
he would have injured himself. The whole forest appeared to be in
agitation, as if the trees were knocking against each other; then all
would be silent for a few seconds; again the old fellow would scream
and yell, as if he were in great distress. A chill seized me, and my
hair stood on end; the interpreter and I stared at each other without
power to express our feelings. After remaining in this situation a few
minutes the noise ceased, and Ave distinctly heard the old chap singing
a lively air. We expected him in, but he did not come. After Avaiting
some time, and all appearing tranquil in the Avoods, Ave Avent to bed.
The next morning I sent for my friend, Waltiniv, to inform me of his
jaunt to see the men.

"•I Avent,' said he, 'to smoke the pipe Avitli your men last night,
and found them cooking some elk meat, Avhich they got from an OttaAva
Indian. On leaving this pi,.i"^ they took the Avrong road on the top of
the hill ; they traveled hard on, and did not knoAv for two days that
they Avere lost. "When they discovered their situation they Avere much
alarmed, and, having nothing more to eat, AA'ere afraid they AA^ould starve
to death. They Avalked on not knoAving Avhich Avay they were going,
until the seventh day, Avlien they Avere met near the Illinois river by
the OttaAva before named, Avho Avas out hunting. He took them to his
lodge, fed them Avell, and Avanted to detain them some days until they
had recoA'ered their strength ; but they Avould not stay. He then gaA-e

■■MVMB

INDIAN PiiOrHECIES.

them some elk meat for their journey home, nnd sent his son to put
them into the right road. They will go to Lagotheues for the tiour
you sent them, and will be at home in three days.' I then asked him
what kind of a place they were encamped in when he was there. He
said, 'they had made a shelter by the side of a large oak tree that had
been torn up by the roots, and which had fallen with the head towards
the rising sun.'

"All this I noted down, and from the circumstantial manner in
which he related every particular — though he could not possibly have
had any personal communication with or from them by any other
Indians — I began to hope that my men were safe and that I should
again see them. On the appointed day the interpreter and myself
watched most anxiously, but without effect. We got our suppers, gave
up all hopes, and heartily abused Wdhtcun for deceiving us. Just as
we were preparing for bed, to my great joy, the men rapped at the
door, and in they came with the tiour on their backs. My first busi-
ness was to inquire of their travels. They told me the whole exactly
as the old Indian had before stated, not omitting the tree or any other
occurrence ; and I could have no doubt but the old fellow had got his
information from some evil or familiar spirit."

n
-,)

I
I

CHAPTER XXXII.
ANATOMY AND MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE.

Knowledge, bow Acquired— Comparison of the Indian and tlio Wbito Man — Knowl-
edge of tbo Functional Organs of tbo Body — Wbicb their Language Indicates
-Their Knowledge Conii)arative — Pathology — Want of Kiiowledge through
Scientific Experiments — Limited Knowledge of Circnlation of the Blood — Knowl-
edge Derived from the Whites— Incantations— By Sacrificial Kites— Pretensions
of Indian Knowledge Compared with the Pretensions of the Medical White Man
— Originally, Indians had but Few Diseases— Causes of Diseases -Simplicity of
Diet- Administer Simple Eemedies — Sacrifices to Propitiate Spirits— A Practice
Like the Jews — Fracture or Breaking of a Bone -Understand Nature of Poison-
ous Plants— Knew Nothing of Paralysis -Ideas of Blood Letting.

'fl

^)\^

'O what degree of
k n () w 1 e d g e the
American Indian had
^' attained in medical
science, at the time he first
came in contact witli the
white man and the ways of
his civilization, can not now
be stated with complete accu-
racy. At most, it is a mat-
ter of conjecture; but since
his ac(piaintance with the
wliite man it is evident that
the Indian has made consid-
erable progress in his knowl-
edge on this subject; but we
must bear in mind Avhatever
knowledge or skill the white
man himself has attained on this subject has been gathered, after a
long period of time, from observation and experience. The Indian
knowledge has been acquired in the same manner.

The only difference between the Indian and the white man, in
this regard, is that the latter has given this subject more attention
than the former. Dr. Pitcher, a surgeon in the United States army

(408)

-X.-:vi':.rtA-T:i/^"!>. ,• ^^

INDIAN DOCTOK CO.Ml'OUN' ■ SU JIKDICINK.

ANATOMY AND MEDl^AL KNOWLEDGE.

4oa

many years ago, who gave considerable attention to inquiring into
the Indian knowleilge on the subject of anatomy and medicine, says:
■' Their ignorance of the pathology of diseases and superstitious observ-
ances are not, in many respects, more extravagant than those entertained
by practitioners in the juediieval ages. One of tlie most striking re-
sults of his investigation consists of the scientific determination of
the plants relied on in the Indian m<iicri(i iiirdica.'''' He says that
strong coincidences are found in the species and properties of the
botanical remedies employed by the original, and by educated phy-
sicians.

It is perceived by the Indian vocabularies furnished l)y sundry
sources, that the Indians had a[)pro[)riate and distinct names for dif-
ferent parts of the human system, as the heart, lungs, liver, gall, spleen,
windpipe, and other functional organs. But it is believed to be im-
j)robable that they possessed an adequate or relialile knowledge of tlie
true functions performed by these organs. AVliatever shad<iwy no-
tions they may have entertained on this subject, experience obtained by
viewing the vital organs, would soem to inform them that the heart was
the distributing reservoir of the blood and the central point of vitality.
Their language would indicate this, upon examination of the etymology
of the word denoting heart; and their knowledge of the functions of
other parts of the human structure would be indicated, to some extent,
in like manner.

"The Indian knowledge of anatomy," says Dr. Pitcher, "is in a
great mea^^ure comparative, having been derived from acquaintance
Avith the structure of the higher order of animals. 13y cutting up the
game taken in hunting, the Indian acquires a general knowledge of
the comparative anatomy of animals, the analogies of which, to the
human system, they seem carefully to have noted and clearly conqire-
hended."

It is to be noted, however, that they do not Ujiderstand the changes
which the atmosphere undergoes in tlie lungs. They are not aware
that the combustion that takes place in the lungs, is the principal source
of animal heat, nor do they know that nitrogen of the changing tissues
is passed out through the kidneys; yet they do understand that the
blood is circulated by the agency of heat, that the lungs are the or-
gans of respiration, and that the suspension of the action of the kid-
neys is fatal to animal life.

On the subject of pathology, or that science which has for its
object the knowledge of disease, the Indian, it appears, has no distinct
or definite ideas. He had not, like the physicians of cultivated people,
an opportunity of acquiring pathological information, through ageu-

410

THK AMEHICAX INDIAN.

cies of science ami scientific experiments, like tlmt of the microscope,
or«^!inic chemistry, the stethoscope nncl luitoptic examinations.

Investi<^ation8, in hiter times, indicate that the Indians had n lim-
ited knowledge of tlie circiilntion of the blood. Whatever ideas they
j)osse.ssed on this subject, it is believed, were derived from the whites;
for, while their medicine men say that the blood flows in the veins,
when questioned on the subject, they a[)pear to be wholly ignorant of
the agency of the arteries in producing this current, as well as ignoi-ant
of tiie agency of the lungs and air, in renovating the blood, and, iu
fact, ignorant of the entire economy of the system.

Mr. Fletcher, United States agent among the Winnebagoes, iu
speaking of the medical knowledge of the Indians, says: "In view
of the conflicting theories advocated by pathologists among the whites,
and in the absence of a certain and acknowledged standard on this sub-
ject, it is difficult to determine how far the Indian theory of the nature
and causes of diseases is entitled to respect. If the success of their
practice is considereil a fair criterion of the correctness of their theory,
the Indian doctor can claim a respectable rank among the disciples of
Esculapius.*'

Individuals among them have notions of a kind of mythic exist-
ences, as causes of di.sease, and believe that they are to be driven out by
incantations, or propitiated by sacrificial rites and ceremonies. Others
impute the sufferings of the sick to the presence of bile in the pained
parts, which the inculcator of this theory draws out of the system
through a bone used as a suction-pump, and which the operator works
with his mouth. The spitting out of the juice of a yellow root, which he
carries in his mouth for that purpose, renders the delusion of the
patient complete.

Some Indians ascribe all pain, the causes of which are not obvious
to the senses, to the biting of worms, which they attempt to dislodge
through remedies of their own devices. The speculative notions of
the native Indian tribes were not more obviously observed than the
opinions which prevailed among the physicians who wrote and practiced
during the period in the world's history called the dark ages, and the
century following the era of printing, when the pall of superstition
seemed to hang with a peculiar weight upon the medical mind of
the nations of Europe; and Dr. Pitcher remarks that he knows of
nothing in Indian practice which indicates such grossness of taste, on
the part of the people who used and prepared them, as some of the
formula? for the preparation of remedies which are found in the medi-
cal writings during the prevalence of the great plague in London, in the
latter part of the seventeenth century, and that the sympathetic treat-

ANAl'OMV AND MKDICAI, KNOWI.KDdi:.

411

uient of wounds, wliioli wns in vogue nt tlio sftme tinio, and is still in our
own t'ountrv |ii'iu'tit'iHl in cortiiin cases, altiiou<jjli not partioi[)atii)g in the
vulgarity of Siilinons Si'ptasiuni, savored none tlie less of sn()erstition.

But the Indian, frou) the very nature of things, in his native con-
dition, had but few diseases to deal with. They were a robust and
vigorous people, and tlieir mode of life was such that, as La Hontan
well remarks, '• they were unacquainted with a great many diseases
that intlict the Europeans." The diseases among i\wn\ were, in gen-
eral, such ns result from overtaxation of tiie muscular system, and
exposure to the inclemencies of the weather, such as fevers, rheuma-
tism, pleurisy, and the like. Thi'ough their sim[)Iicity of diet and
customary bodily exercises, on the hunt and occasional wars, they
escaped tiiose many diseases of the human system resulting from tlie
mode of life amongst civilized white men. Thus, in later times, since
the coming of the white man, a large proportion of the diseases with
which the Indian doctor has had to deal are those that have come
among tiie people since the event aforesaid.

Mr. Fletcher, United States Indian agent, before mentioned,
remarks that the uncultivated Indian knows nothing of the science of
medicine, and in reference to that tribe, which may be taken as a fair
sample of the knowledge and practices of the tribes in general con-
cerning medical knowledge, ho says the general character of the theory
held by the medicine men of this tribe, was a compound of quackery,
ignorance and superstition, added to some practical skill derived from
experience and observation. They administer a few simple remedies,
sometimes judiciously, and use incantations, sacrifice dogs, sing, dance,
and fast, to aid in effecting a cure ; and they sometimes set up toads,
turtles and siudces on sticks around the bed of their patient to drive
away the bad spirits.

The mention of setting up sticks around the bed of the patient
is not unlike the brazen serpent set up in the camp of Israel, as related
in the Jewish writings.

The pathology of consumption is little understood by the Indians.
Functional disorders of the liver are not distinguished by them ; as the
kidneys act vicariously in such cases, they direct their remedies to those
symptoms which indicate renal obstructions; and, like many of their
civilized contemporaries, they prescribe for an effect instead of a cause,
consequently use the same remedies in these cases that they do in
those of gravel.

They know nothing of the pathological difference between those
two forms of intestinal disease, dysentery and diarrhoea, but treat them
both in the same way, and by the same remedies.

'3^

412

TlIK AMKltlCAN IN'DIAN.

Ill CI180 1)1' fnu'turo or bri'iikiii^ ol' u Itono, they possess siu-li
knowleilge of anatomy as to enable them to a[)[)ly siu-li t'lllciont ronio-
(lios as to socnro a [)ro{)or uniting of the L.av^ or t'ractured part. To
tins end tliey make an excellent s[»lint out of the hark of a tree, which
they a(la[»t to the limb, and fasten with bandages, so as to prevent
motion in the fragments of the bone.

They understand the nature of poisonous plants, and effect of
such when introduced into the stomach, for which they liave no certain
antidotes. They use such remedies to prevent, as far as possible,
tiieir toxicological effects by the administration of emetics. They
nlso understanil the otfect of the bites of venomous rojjtiles, and stings
of poisonous insects upon the human system.

Tiiey know little or nothing of paralysis, not being aware how
generally this disease is occasioned by pressure upon the origin of the
nerves — the brain or spinal marrow. They do not successfully apply
any remedy for its removal.

They seem to have some ideas of l)lood-letting as a remedy for
diseases, something like that of the physicians of the white man in
former times, that it relieved the system and was beneficial as a remedy
in certain cases; but this notion the Intlian, it is believed, derived from
the white man's pathology; but whether so or not, it simply shows
that the Indian and the white man are alike liable to errors in their
medical remedies and pretended knowledge of medicine.

CHAPTER XXXIII.
DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE SICK.

Originally but Two fatal DistmspH anions Them — Consninption Deetroyeil Many in
Later Times "Tbo Indian Htiideut's Lamor.t" DlHoaHCHaiuonjr tlu< Ojil)\vay8 -
Wiiat La Houtau Says of I )iHcan('8 anions the luilianH -Huiall-pox Very Fatal -
Indian IdeaM of Hickni'HH Fear Pain and Lnu^ Duration of [JlnesH More than
Deatii I'hysii'ian or Dot-tor of ^rediciuc Varioiw llenieilioH Hw€>at Lodge
Manner of CoiiHtructing Vapor IJatliH not a Matter of Luxury — CbickuHawa —
Doctor Attending the Sick.

WffWHE onrly PuritaiM
(i/, ,'j inform UH tlmt befoi>'
/fji ,Y tbo Ed-^'UhIi ciimc
^'F'' there woi(>, two fatal
diseases aiuoii^ the native
Indians, consunjption and
yellow fever. They say that
the Indians also sutfered
greatly from rhenmatism and
toothache. In later times, it
is stated that consumption
destroyed many of the Indian
youths Avho were being edu-
cated at Harvard and flsc-
where for the ministry. The
historian says, also, that
"some of them turned from
the path of learning, because they loved more the trail of the hunter."
This circumstance, it would seem, gave rise to that plaintive song of
the "olden time," called "The Indian Student's Lament," wherein
occurs the following:

" O, give me back my bendeii bow,
My cap and feather give me back,
To chafie o'er hills the bounding roe.
Or follow in the otter track.
I hate these antiquated walls," etc.

Peter Jones says that the diseases most common among the abo-

(413)

INDIAN MKDIlI.NE MAN AUMIMSTERINO TO A i'ATIKNT.

414

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

rigiiies of America, before the landing of Europeans, were few in com-
])arison with those which, in later times, debilitated their constitutions,
and tended so much towards depleting their numbers; that there was a
saying among his people tiiat their forefathers were so exempt from
sickjiess, that, like the cedar, which had withstood the storms of ages,
and showed the first signs of decay in its topmost branches, so the aged
Indian, sinking under the Aveight of m-'iiy winters, betokens the decline
of life by gray hair and furrowed cheeks.

He says that the diseases most common to the Indians were con-
sumption, fevera, pleurisy, coughs, worms, and dysentery. The
measles, small-pox, wliooping cough, and other like contagious dis-
tempers were unknown to them before the wliite man came among
them ; but after which they became sul)ject to all these malatlies, suffer-
ing from them much not knowing the nature of sucii diseases, nor
understanding the manner of treating them. Their mode of life and
exposure to the elements were such as to increase the virulence of dis-
eases of this kind. The Indians die of inflammation of the lungs and
consumption nnn-e frequently than from other diseases, whicli is
attributed largely to insufficient or unwholesome diet, and to exposure
of all kinds of weather.

La Hontan says the Indians were sometimes "seized with mortal
pleurisy ;" but such attacks were not frequent. This was the only dis-
temper that their remedies could not reach. Of the diseases of the
white man which were brought among them, the small-pox proved very
fatal. This disease was brought among the Mandans about the year
1837, then about 5,000 in number, and was so destructive and fatal,
that in a t.liort space of time, and before the disease was checked, their
nuud)er was reduced to about 250. Mr. Sclioolcraft, in referring to
this circumstance, however, says that the tribe, at that time, consisted
of 1,000 persons, living in tw<j villages, whicli was reduceil by this dis-
ease to thirty-one souls. The disease sju'ead from thence, among
various tribes of the surrounding country, with the most appalling
effects and fearfu' destruction of life.

Rev. Jedediah Morse, in his report to the Secretaiy of War, in
the year 1S22, (as a sort of special commissioner to visit the Indian
tribes), says tiiat in 1802, the small-i)ox swept otf the Indian popula-
tion from the Missouri to New Mexico, in the region of the Pawnees,
and west of the Rocky Mountains; and that the Ottawas at LWhre
Crochc, about the year 1770, lost half their number by tliia disease.

La Hi)atan says, that "in the Illinois country near the Mississippi,
the venereal distemper is very common."' La Hontan's assertions, as
a historian, when not corroborated in some manner, ai-e to bo taken

DISEASES AND TltE.VTMENT OK TIIK SICK.

■klo

•H'ith some degree oi tiUownnce; but if his aforesnnl nsaortion ii? cor-
rect, the appearaiice of this disease among the Indians in the country
nientiojied must be attributed to the Spaniards, who, fi-^m their \ong
occupation of the country in the southwest, had spread their influence
among the tribes extending far into the Mississi[>|n vaHey. From the
early accounts of the native Indians, concerning their habits and man-
ners and customs, no such disease existed among tlieni in their primi-
tive condition, unaffected b}' association with the white man. Such is
the opinion expressed by intelligent Indians of the present day.

Hennepin says that generally speaking the Indians have a very
robust and vigorous constitution, and are, therefore, very rarely
ti'oubled with distempers; that they are not afflicted with dropsy or
gravel, nor are they feverish; and are hardly ever afflicted with any of
those diseases which the Europeans fall into for the want of exercise,
and are seldom troubled with the want of appetite.

The general idea of sickness among the Indians seems to be that
an evil spirit has entered or taken possession of the person, antl that
when this is driven away they will l)e cured of the disease which has
afflicted them. The efforts of their medicine men in treating diseases
are, therefore, principally directed towards casting out this evil and
mysterious power.

La Hontan says the Indians are not at all alarmed by sickness;
that they fear death much less than the pain and duration of their
illness. In their sickness they eat sparingly, antl seem to observe the
same rules in regard to diet as the white man. If they fall asleep
they think themselves cured. They think that sleeping and sweating
will cure the most stubborn tliseasie.

The Indian idea, in a case of sickness, is that tlie patient should
be surrounded by pleasant scenes; that nothing disagreeable or repul-
sive should be admitted to the presence of the sick person. Wlien a
person is so weak that he cannot arise from his bed, his relations or
frif nds come and dance, and make merry in his presence, in ordei' to
divert him and make him cheerful.

The Indian, like the white ni>'.. '\as his physician or doctor of
mcdiciue. With the white man n)e .icine is considered a science;
with tie Indian it is consiilered in the I'ght of iiiijsfrrij. Among the
Indians there are different classes of medicine men, the same as with
the white man. Tiiey are not all healing medicine men, yet the art
of healing may be practiced or included in the calling of the great
medicine man, who is one that is su[)posed to " understand all n}ystery,"
that of healing as well as tiiat of prophecy or foretelling events.

According to Mr. Schoolcraft there w^re, among the Indians, two

416

TIIK AMERICAN INDIAN.

classes of doctors of diseases, or medicine men. as tliat term is under-
stood by the white man. One of these he styles the honest Indian
doctor, Maslycl-ciciinii, and tlie magical professor or Mcda, the latter
being a member of the Mcilairiii, or Grand Medicine Society, who
aimed to give efficacy to liis skill by necromancy. le says that the
Indian physician proper must not be confounded with tiie Mciln or
magician. The former tender to the cure of wonnds, and adm.n-
istered simples v?nlled from the botanical catfiiogue, whose laxati\e,
aperient, or other properties, were known to him; and yet, this honest
Indian doctor, when concocting his liquid vegetable remedies, never-
theless, it would seem, did so upon the theory of mystery, by
invoking the aid of the Great Spirit, that his compounds might possess
the virtue intended in healing his patient.

The Mi'dd or magician also givv^s attention to healing the sick,
not by material remedies, but by supernatural influences, whicli lie
invokes in various niodeo, which, perhaps, for a better name, we nJgiit
call mesmerism, or magnetism, or, peradventure, Chn'siian i^c-'-tirr of
fc.lfJi cure. The idea of the pathology of diseases by this class of medi-
cine men, is that the spirit of something, or some animal, or deceased
person, has entered into the sick person iind causes his sickness or dis-
tress. His main efforts are directed to expelling the spirit. This he
attempts by certain incantations and ceremonies, intended to secure
the aid of the spirit or spirits he worships, followed by all kinds of
frightful noises and gestures, or by sucking over the place of pain
Avith his mouth.

The white man who stands by and mesmerizes or magnetizes his
patients in removing pain, or driving out disease, instead of this rude
Indian proceeding, simply passes his han<ts over the patient in the
manner of that class oi white medicine men of to-day, and thereby,
as he will contend, heals the patient of the disease with which he is
altticted.

Tlie various remedies of the other class of Indian doctors, or
MdsJxrkciriinii, consist in scarifyiiig tlie part afflicted with the ])ain, to
which, after he has drawn what blood he can by sucking with his
mouth, he applies tobacco, red pepper or some of the pulverized roots
or bark of some of their native plants. They also practice annoiuting
and sometimes steaming and washing the pained part. For pain in
the head thej'^ scarify the temples; for sickness at the stomach they
endeavor to induce vomiting, either by decoctions of certain plants or
by tickling the throat witli a feather. For complaints of the bowels
they use certain roots and seeds of native plants, the effect of which is
well understood by them.

DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE SICK.

417

Tliey fire very careful to conceal from each other, except a few
initiated, the knowledge of the plants as medicine, believing, perhaps,
that their efficacy, in some measure, depends on this concealment.

La Hontan says that he found the Indian idea to be that good
air, pure water and contentment of mind were advantages contributing,
in a great measure, to good health.

Charlevoix says that the great Indian remedy, and their great
preservation against all diseases, was by sweating. Another authority
says that they had one hygenic usage that, no doubt, did much to coun-
teract the prejudicial influences of their uncleanly mode of life, which
was the vapor bath, which they resorted to on the slightest indisposi-
tion, and frequently in health. For this purpose a small frame-work
of withes, about six feet in diameter and f')ur feet or more in height^
was built. Several of these might, at any time, be seen in every con-
siderable Indian village.

Whenever any oiie wished to take a bath, several large heated
stones were placed" in one of these frames, the frame-work being cov-
ered heavily with blankets or skins. The person then crept within,
taking in a vessel full of water. By sprinkling this slowly upon the
heated stones the interior was soon filled with dense steam, which
might be continued as long as desired. Frecpxent baths of this kind
have most beneficial results, in maintaining and stimulating activity of
the secretory system.

In describing this process Charlevoix says that, iit their coming
out of this sweat lodge, or stove, as called by some, and while the sweat
runs down all parts of the body, they go and plunge into a stream of
water, if any is near enough; if not, they get some one to pt)ur the
coldest water over them.

Mr. Schoolcraft says that vapor baths are not a matter of luxury
or sensuality among the North American Indians, but tliat their use
belongs to the medicine rite; they are not authorized but are prohib-
ited to the vulgar, and are used in consecrated cases, according tt) i)re-
scribed forms which must not be departed from.

Whatever number are to enter into the vapor bath lodge, its vaults
can have only four or eight supporting poles, and the construction
must be in a peculiar mode, from which there must be no departure
under any circumstances. In general, every village throughout the
continent had its sweat lodge, which was generally located lu^ir the
edge of a stream, for convenience of immersion after the bath was
taken.

Taking a sweat bath was a municii)al regulation in eveiy Indian
village. Mr. Heckowelder says: '"Tlie sweat oven is the first thing

418

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

that an Indian has recourse to when he feels the least indisposed." It
was the i)lace where the weary traveler, hunter or warrior looked for-
ward to for restoration from the fatigues he had endured, cure for the
cold lie had caught, or restoration of his lost n[)[)etite.

The niodo of proceeding among the Chickasaws, in case of a doctor
attouling the sick, and which seems to have been substantially the
same throughout all tlie tribes, was as follows: '' After looking at the
sick person awhile, the family leave him and the sick person alone.
The doctor coinropTces singing and shaking a gourd over the patient,
or beating a small drum of rude manufactui'e. called by the Ojibways
Ta-ira-ijim. This is done not to cure, but to find out what is the mat-
ter or with what disease the patient is afflicted. As the doctor sings
several songs he watches the patient closely, and finds out which song
pleasGc him, then he determines what the disease is. He then uses
herbs, • ^- ^teaming, and conjuring. The doctor frequently rec-
ommeni > ■ ■ ve a large feast (which they call Tonsh-pa-shoo-phdh).
[f the Indian '.^ tolerably well off, and is sick for two or three weeks,
they may have two or three Tonsh-pa-shoo-plidhs. They eat, dance,
and sing at a great rate at these feasts. The doctors say that it raises
the spirits of the sick and weakens the evil spirits."

In reference 1:0 the Indian drum or Ta-icd-jitiii, before mentioned,
used for beating ivi administering to patients, it is said that the Chi-
nese, in case of small-pox, also adopt the like remedy, in which cases
the beating of the drum is in the presence of the patient. Beneficial
results, it is claimed, always follow; and w'^.ere a patient himself can
beat the drum, the result is much the better. An American traveler,
referring to this custom among the Chinese, in speaking of an instance
wherein this practice came to his attention in that country, says:

" No sooner did this prescription reach us than we determined to
test its efficiency. One of our frienils had a child afflicted with snmll-
pox. The chilli had been under the influence of the disease for several
days. It could take no food worth s[)eaking of, and, moreover, the
marks on the skin, instem'' of coming out, as they should do when the
disease takes a favorable urn, were beginning to disappear, a fatal
sign !

" AVe acted on the advice sent us, and proceeded to beat a di'um at
the child's beilside. The results were marvelous. The pock marks
forthwith began to show, the child's appetite returned, and as the drum-
beating was repeated from day to day, recovery was rapid, and finally
became complete."

CHAPTER XXXIV.

ASTRONOMICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE.

Kuowledtj(< from Observation— North Star Star that Never Moves Guides Them
by Night— 8ohir Walk or ^lilky Way— luiliau Opiuiou— Coineiileuce with A.u-
cient Belief of the White Mau Have Names for I'articular Stars Seveu Stars -
The Great Bear—Do uot Preteud to More Kiiowledjje than They Possess —
Stars for Which They Have Names -Comets Superstitions Belief —Eclipses—
Indian Theory —Earthquakes Moving of a Great Tortoise - - Knowledge of
Geography —Draw Maps Correctly Course of Streams.

^HE Indians had such ideas
of astronomy as limited
observation atfordcd them.
^' They observed that the
star in the firmament, which we
call the iiorfh sfar, Avas con-
stantly to be found in the same
direction. This observation
seemed to be universal anu)ug
all the tribes. They called the
[)olar star the star that never
moves. It was this that »jjuided
them in their travels by night,
as the sun served them for a
compass to guide them by day.
They had also other marks by
which to distinguish the north;
they observed that the tops of
the trees always leaned a little
iu that direction, and tha": the
inward skin of the bark of trees
But it is said they did not always
rely imj)licitly u[)ou such observations as a guide in traveling, but fre-
quently tested their correctness by various other modes.

The generally conceived opinion of the white .nan concerning

(419)

'WISDOM DWELLS WITH CONTEMPLATION.'

was always thicker on that side.

420

TIIK AMKltlCAN IXDLVN.

Indian knowledge of astronomy, is expressed in the words of the great

English poet:

" His soul proud science ucver tauulit t" Ktniy,
Fur as tLie solar walk or milky way."

This conclusion ns to Indian mditference to science does him
injustice. The solar walk or milky way attracted his attention in
like maiyier as it has attracted the attention of the white man, and he
reached about the same fruitless conclusion, that it is a problem in
astronomy which nolxidy on earth can solve; and the Indian, like tlu^
white man, has left this subject about where he found it. The Avhite
man has suggested that it is a confusion of fixed stars, so closely set
as to present the appearance of a common mass. Some Indians had
it that it was the track of a great tortoise; others were of opinion that
it was the road traveled by departed souls to the land of perpetual
peace.

According to historians, the ancient poets and philosophers of our
owr rice s[)eak of the milky way as the road by which heroes went to
heaven. This singularly coincides with the American Indian idea
befi ve menHoned, and serves to remind us that even the learned
philosophers of the ■s\'liite man have failed to master that branch of
science in whicli is involved the " solar walk or milky way."

The Indians had names for some particular stars. They observed
the constellation called the Seven stars, and which some of them called
the "great bear," from its fancied resemblance to that animal. Some
Indians gave the name of bcdr to the first four of those stars which we
call the Great bear; the three others which make his tail were, accord-
ing to them, three hunters who pursued the bear, and the little star
that accompanied the middle one was the kettle which the second
carried with him.

Ur. James, the editor of " 'lunner's Narrative," a man well
acquainted with Indian history and character from much personal
experience, says that the Indians did not pretend to more knowledge
on the subject than tliey actually possessed. In part second of the
work aforesaid he gives the following short catalogue of stars and
constellations, whicli shows that the Indians paid some attention to the
more remote of the heavenly bodies. Some old men, ho says, had
many more names than these. The Indian names given are in the
Algonquin language, Ojibway dialect:

W(nv-lmn-an-nuH(j, the morning star; Ki'-Ka-dm-wi-nuncj, the
north star; Muk-koo-stc-(iu-on, the Bear's head; three stars in the
triangle; Jifiili-koo-zlu'-fiicun, Bear's rump; Seven stars; Oj-ccd-an-
nuii(j-ivi(<j, Fisher stars, the bright stars in Ursa Major, and one beyond,

ASTliONO.MK'.U- AND (H:0(il!Arni('AI. KNOW [.KUCK

\-2V

forming' the point of tlio tishor's nose'; ^f(lll-t()-t<'-sllll, tlio sweating
lodge— one o£ tiie polos of this lodge being removed, they say the nirui
whom they point out near by was so overcome by the heat of the
Mdli-io-lc-aiiu, that in his hurried attempt to escape he pulled up this
pole; j\[(ihn<j, a loon; Xdu-nc-iiKiiin-nirdit, man in n canoe hunting
the loon; Ali-tnth-io-inili 'j-mo(uj, ihe ('ompanit)ns sailing; Aii-uniini-
o-skiiii-iKi, comet.

The Indians had the opinion, in common witii many credulous
Avhite peo|)le, that the appearance of a comet was the indication tl.at
war would follow. Of the true causes of the increase and decrease of
the moon, of eclipses and other phenomena which depend on the
motion of the planet, they had no correct conceptions.

If an eclipse happened, they imagined that there was some great
combat in the heavens, and shot arrows into the air to drive away the
enemies of the sun or moon. When the moon was eclipsed they said
it was si.:'k. and, to recover it from its sickness, they made a great n. us >
with many ceremonies and prayers, and they never failed lo fall upon
the dogs with sticks and stones to set them yelping, because they said
the moon loved these animals; and when they perceived the bright part
of the moon becorMug a little larger, tlioy imagined that they had
aided in ilriviiig a' ay the sickness by which it was overpowere<l.

Mr. Heckewelder says the Indians ascribed earthquakes to the
moving of n great tortoise, which they believed bore on its back the
island (continent). They said the motion was caused by the tortoise
moving itself or changing its [xisiticn.

Charlevoix says '"they have no chronological computation, and if
they preserve the epochs of certain remarkable events, they do not
comprehend exactly the time that has passed since ; they are satisfied
with remembering the facts, and they have invented several ways of
preserving the remembrance of them. For instance, the Hurons and
Iroquois have in their public treasuries belts of porcelain in Avhichare
wrought figures thr.t revive the memory of transacti(ms. Others make
use of knots of a particular form, and if in these things their imagina-
tion labors, yet it always leads them to the point proposed. Lastly,
they all reckon from one to ten. the tens by ten to a hundred, the hun-
dreds by ten to a thousand, and they go no further in their calcula-
tions."

La Hontan, on this subject, remarks tnat the Indians "are as
ignorant of geogriq)hy as of any other science, and yet they draw the
most exact raa])s inuiginable of the countries they are acquainted ,vith.
for there is nothing wanting in them but the longitude and i; ^'itude of
places. They set down the true north according to the pole star; the

422

THE AMEniCAN INDIAN.

ports, harbors, rivors, creeks, and coasts of the lakes, the roads, moun-
tains, woods, marshes, meadows, etc., counting the distance by jour-
neys and half journeys of the warriors, and allowing to every journey
tive leagues. These geographical maps are drawn upon the rind of
your birch tree, and when the old men hold a council about war and
hunting they are always sure to consult them."

Capt. Carver is also authority for the accuracy with which the
Indians of the interior of the continent drew maps of the country,
showing the course of rivers, location of lakes, and other geographical
information with much accuracy ; but Mr. Heckewelder, speaking for
the Indians of the continent with whom he became acquainted, says
that they had nothing like maps to aid them in traveling over the
country ; at the same time, he says that the geographical knowledge
of the Indian was I'eally astonishing, relying upon their practical
acquaintance with the country they inhabited ; that they could steer
directly through the forest in cloudy weather as well as in sunshine, to
the place to which they desired to go, to the distance of 200 miles
or more.

The Indians had an accurate knowledge of all the streams of con-
sequence, and their course. They could tell directly, while traveling
along a stream, whether large or small, which stream it emptied into.
They knew how to take ad\antage of dividing ridges, where the heads
of the smaller streams were, or from which they took their course.
In traveling on mountains or in hilly countries, they shaped their
course from the views they would take from the tops of mountains and
high hills.

CHAPTER XXXV.
MODE OF COMPUTING TIME.

Intuitive Mode of Repkoniiiff Time— Cardinnl Divisions— Days nnd Months— Reckon
Days by Suns— Months by Moons- Fonr Fixed Points in the Day— Risinj,' and
Setting of the Snn— Noon and Niyht— Some Idea of a Solar Year— Spring -
Summer— Autnmn— Winter— Year Begins With Spring— Putting Out of the
Leaves— Planting' Season— Reckon Ages by Winters Commemorate Events-
No Division of Days into Hours Recall Time of Year by Past Events— How
Mothers Keep Ages of Children— Took no Note of Time— Names for Different
Moous— Names of the Four Seasons— Lost Moon— Examples of Names of Moons
among Different Tribes.

-^'^J

!^HE Iiuliaii had no other mode
of noting time tlmn thiit intu-
itive or natural method, com-
"'c^" ing to him through the mo-
tions of the eartli and observations iu
the planetary system, aided by the
changes in the seasons, observations
of the habits of animals, and the like.
Their cardinal divisions of time
wore into days and months, or suns
and nunms. That is, the time from
the rising and setting of the sun was
a day, and from the first a[)pearance
of what Ave call the new moon, passing
through its various stages until its ap-
pearance again, was a month. According to very general custom among
the Indians they dividetl the day into two parts, which were marked by
the sun at meridian, the two parts thus being the forenoon and the
afternoon.

Charlevoix, in speaking of the Indian division of time, says that
they have four fixed points in the day, viz. : rising and setting of the
sun, noon, and midnight; and whatever weather they happen to have
they are never mistaken in these. The Indians very generally, and
especially in the more northern portions of the American continent,
had some idea of a solar year, which they divided into four parts iu

423)

424

THE AMKHICAN INDIAN.

the iimnnor of onr own division of n year, tliiit is, into spring, summer,
niitumn and winter. Their year began with the spring, which, with
them, was the youth of tlie year, the time wlien man begins to revive,
and so the time when tlie phiuts and flowers begin to put forth. This
again is noted in this cimnection as marking another coincidence in
liarniony with the custom of the Jews, who also commenced their year
with tlit^ season of spring.

A Virginia historian, speaking of tiie Indian mode of reckoning
time, says they reckon their years by winters, or cohniikti, as they
express it, being a word taken from the note of the wild geese as they
passed over in their flight, intimating so many times of tlie wild geese
cominiT to them, which is every winter. Accordini; to tlie same au-
thority, the Indians of that colony distinguished the several parts of
the year by five seasons, viz. : the building or blossoming of the spring;
the earing of the corn, or roasting ear time; the summer, or highest
sun; the corn gathering, or fall of the leaf; and the winter, or coltoiiks.

The Indians of the northern latitudes of the corn-growing ctmntry
snid that when the leaf of the white oak, which put forth in the spring
is the size of the ear of a mouse, it was time to plant corn, and so, like-
wise, the planting season was observed by the returning voice of the
whippoorwill, which they inter[)reted as admonishing them that the
spring time or planting season had come.

They calculated their ages by some remarkable event which had
taken place in their remembrance, as that of a severe winter, a big
snow, an extraordinary freshet, some general or disastrous Avar, and the
like. But, in expressing the sum total of their ages, they did so by the
number of winters they had passed, instead of designating the same
by years, according to our own custom.

They were noted for having a wonderful memory of events that
had transpired, or anything that depended upon the attention of the mind.
They had no division of days into hours, nor had they any division of
time into weeks, or days of the month, nor did they have any number
of days which comprised a year. The time of the year they recalled
by some particular circumstance, as that of planting, cultivating or
harvesting their corn, the time when the different fruits of the country
were ripe, the croaking of the frogs in the spring, the falling of the
leaves, the events of suoav or occasions of extreme cold.

Mothers, it is said, often niimbered the days of their children at
the beginning by cutting a notch each day on some part of the child's
cradle, which, however, was seldom kept up beyond two or three
months, reckoning from that time forward by moons and winters. But,
in general, no Indian was expected to know his exact age, from the

MODK OF COMrUTINO TIME.

425

uncertninty in their niodo of keeping tiino. Tho hnlnts nnd onstoiiis of
tlio IikUuii, ami his surrouiidiiigB, tlironi^li whicli the siune wore iiitiu-
eiiced, did not impress upon his mind the vnlue of time; indeed, it wns
8omethin<^ of which he took no note in the course of his life, In gen-
eral, he proceeded upon the maxim that "sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof."

The Indians, the same as tmr civilized people, had names for tlio
different moons of tho year, which were adopted according to some
natural suggestions* hut these names were not uniform among all the
tril)es, as they were in most instances suggestive of the seasons of tho
year or events in the course of the season, and these names or signifi-
cations were found to be varied acconling to particular latitudes.

The names of the four seasons and the signification of the same
among the tribes of the A I (/oiiqK in group, were as follows: Sccjinuni,
"spring," the sprout season; Xcchiii, "summer." the abundant season;
Tiih-qu'uli-fiin, "autumn," the ending season; nnd Pclxioii, "winter,"
which signifies cold, freezing Aveather.

Speaking of the great Ojibway nation, Peter Jones says tliey di-
vided the day into morning, noon and night. Mornii^.g commences at
sun-risin<j and ends at noon, when afternoon beyfins and ends at sun-
setting. They divided the night into evening and midnight ( wliioh
they knew from the position of certain stars), and tho dawn of day.

As La Hontan observes, concerning tho Algonquins of Canada,
" all these months have their suitable names. For instance, what we
name March, they call the iconn moon, for then the worms qiiit the
hollow chops of the trees where they shelter themselves in the winter.
April is called //«' moidh of 2)l(inis. May, of Jloircrs, and so of the
others."

In reckoning time by winters, in referring to events that have
passed, they expressed it by siioirs, that is, such an event happened so
many snows before. Some Indian nations reckoned their years by
moons, making the year consist of twelve synodical or lunar months,
observing, as Capt. Carver says, when thirty moons have passed to add
a supernumerary one, which they lOrm the lost moon, and then begin
to count as before. They paid a : ;t regard to tlie first appearance
of every moon, and, on the ol, . i n, always repeated some joyful
sounds, at tne same time stretching their hands towards it.

Baron La Hontan gives quite a minute account of the manner ii.
which the Indians supplied the lost moon. He saj-s that when the lost
moon is .-supplied, it takes the place of April, and must be over before
they V)egin their ct)unt again. They reckon from the first till the
twenty-sixth of this sort of month, and that contains just that space of

(!)

420

THH AMEUrCAN INDIAN.

time which is between tlie first iippeiininco of the luoou nt iii<,'lit, till,
Imvin^ finished its course, it becomes quite irvisilJe in the int)rnin>^.
For instivnco, he snys "n savage will say I weni away the first of tlie
month of sturj^oons (that's August) and returned the twenty-ninth of
the month of Indian C(U'n (the same with cmr Scj)f(')iihrr) aiul iif.rt dafi
(wiiich is tiie last) / rrstrd uijjsclf. As for the remaining three days
and a half of the dead moon, during whicli it is imi)OHsible to bo dis-
cern'd, they give them the name of the iiohcd ddij "

But Charlevoix seriously questions this hitti ount of astro-

nomical exactness given us by La Hontan, concerning which he says,
"that astronomical exactness in adjusting the lunar with the solar
years, Baron La Hontan does them the honor of contributing to them,
is a mere invention of this writer." At that time, in the waning of
the moon, when it does not shine at night, the; Indian j say the moon is
dead. The moon's first appearance they term its coming to life again.

In their picture writing tlie Indians nmde use of various signifi-
cant hieroglyphics to express the names of the months or moons.
AVhen the Indians first became converted by our missionaries, as they
hud never practiced an account of days consecutively, and liad no such
thing among them as division of time into weeks, the missionaries had
considerable trouble in instituting some mode by which to have them
know the Christian Sabbath; for thi.-s special pur' ■, therefore, a
system of hieroglypliics was instituted, in referei) which. Peter

Jones says:

"When our Indians were first converted to Christianity, we were
obliged to make a sort of hieroglyphic almanac for them, so that they
might know when the Sabbath returned. We did this by making six
marks alike, to represent working or hunting days, and the seventh
different, thus: 000000 + . Tliese they took with them, and, as each
successive week day returned, they pierced a hole, until it reached the
Sabbath mark. In this way the Christian Indians, far in the wilder-
ness, kept holy the Sabbath day and worshipped the Christian God."

As before remarked, every month or moon had, with the Indian,
a name expressive of its season, varied in designation according to the
circumstances of climate or locality. Thus, according to Peter Jones,
the Ojihirays of Canada had the following naniJs:

January; Keche Munedoo Keezis — "The Great Spirit moon."

February ; Nuhmabene Keezis — " The mullet fislumoon."

March; Neke Keezis — "The wild goose moon."

April; Omuhkuhkee Keezis — "The frog moon."

May; Wahbegwunee Keezis — "Blooming moon."

June; Odoemin Keezis — "Strawberry moon."

MODE OF COMl'l'TINtl TIMF.

427

July; Mosquomeno Keezis — "llnd rnHjiliorry moou."
Aujiust: Mt'Oii Koozia — "Huckloherrv niiioii."
September; Ahtnbixligah Koozis — "Fiidiii^ leaf moon."
October , Pounhqueeweue Keezis — "Falliii*^ leaf moon."
November; Kuhshknluleue Koeziw — "Freezing moon."
December; Munedoo Keuziw — "Spirit moon."
Among tiie Ojibwnys of Lake Su[)erior the months have the fol-
lowing name.s:

January; Muhnedoo Keezis — "Sj)irit moou."
February; Nuhmabeno Keezis — "Sucker moou."
March; Onahbnne Keezis — "The moon of the crust on thfe
snow."

April; Bobooquadahgiming Keezis — "The snow-shoe breaking
moon.'"

May; Walibegoono Keezis — "The moon of flowers."
June; Odaemone Keezis — "The strawberry moon."
July; Misqueemene Keezis — "The raspberry moon."
August; Meen Keezis — "Bilberry or whortleberry moou."
September; Munomeno Keezis — "The wild rice moon."
October; Pc ihque Keezis — "The moon of the falling leaves."
November; Kushkundene Keezis — "The freezing moon."
December; Mulinedo Keezisoons — "Little Spirit moon."
The Crccs or Knistciios, whose country is north of forty-seven
degrees north latitude, divide the year into four seasons. Winter,
A-pi'-pook or Pe-poon; Spring, Me-is-ka-mick or Sc-gum-uckj Sum-
mer, Nic-pin; Autumn, Tnck-wa-ijin.

The Crees give names to the moons as follows:
May; I-ich-e Pes-im — "Frog moon."

June; 0-pin-a-wa-we Pes-im — "The moon in which birds begin
to lay their eggs."

July; O pus-ko-we Pes-im — "The moon in which birds cast their
feathers."

August; O-pa-ko-we Pes-im — " The moon when the young birds
begin to fly."

September; Was-was-kis-o Pes-im — "The moon when the moose
cast their horns; or A-pin-as-koo Pes-im, the moou when the leaves
fall ot? from the trees."

October; O-no-chi-hit-to-wa-o Pes-im — "The rutting moon; or
O-ke-wa-ou-o Pes-im, the moon when the fowls go to the south."

November; Ay-e-coop-ay O Pes-im — " Hoar frost moon; or Kus-
kut-te-no-o Pes-im, ice moon."

December; Pa-watch-e-can-a-was O Pes-im — "Whirlwind moon."

•i2S

THK AMEUICAN INDIAN.

Jfuiuary; Kush-a-pa-wns-ti-ca-miin O Pos-im — "Extreme ooKI
moon."

February; Kee-cliay O Pes-im — "The moon wlieii small birds
begin to chirp or sing; or Kich-ee O Pes-im, big or old moon."

March; Me-ke-su O Pes-im — "Eagle moon."

April; Nis-kn O Pes-im — "Goose moon, as at this .season these
animals return from the south."

The ludian.-t <':)mi)utcu the distances t'rom one place to another by
the number ol: nights or sleeps which they had j)assed in performing
a journey from one place to another. All the nations emj.loyed hiero-
glyi)hics for the purpose of conveying information to those who were
distant from then..

Capt. Carver, in his book of travels, :,';ives the following names by
which the Indians call the different moons of the year, referring to the
Indian in general terms. M'ithout giving the particular tribe or nation
having such names. It is su))posed, however, that these names relate
iuore [)articular!y to New England tribes. avIio belonged to the Algonquin
group, and were of the same generic stock as the OJilnraijs. He says:

"They call the month of Marcli (in which their year generally
begins at the first New Moon after the vernal E(juinox) the Worm
montli or Moon; because at this time the worms quit their retreats in
the bark of the trees, wood, etc.. where they have sheltered themselves
during the wintei-.

"The month of April is termed by them the nu)nth of Plants;
May, the month of Flowers; Jrue, the Hot Moon; Je.ly. the Buck
Moon. Their reason for thus deno.'ninatir.g these is obvious.

"August, the Sturgeon Moon; oecause in this month they catch
great numbers of that lis'i.

''Se[)tember, the Corn Moon; bei:!auso in that month they gather
in their Indian Corn.

"October, the Traveling Moon; rs they leave at this time their
villages and travel towards the places where they intend to hunt during
the winter.

"November, tii(< Beaver Moon; for in this month the beavers
begin to take shelter in their houses, having laid uj) a suAicient store
of provisions for the winter season.

"December, the Hunting Moon; because they employ this month
in pursuit of their game.

'January, the Cold Moon; as 't generally freezes harder and the
cold is more intense in this than in any other month.

"February, they call the Snow Moon; because more snow com-
monly falls during this month t!ian any other in the Avinter."

MODK OF CO-n>UTING TIME.

429

According to John Tanner's narrative, tlie Ottawas and Monomi-
nees lind the following names for moons; the first words being in
Ottawa, and the second in the Menominee dialect:

June; 0-ta-ha-mene kee-zis — Otai-hai-min ka-zho — "Strawberry
moon."

July; Me-nes kee-zis — Main kazho — " VHiortleberry moon."

August; Menomouie-ka-wo kee-zis — Pohia-kun ka-zho— " Wild
rice gathering moon."

Sf'i)teml)er; Be-nah-kwaw-we kee-zis — Paw-we-pe-muk ka-zho —
"Leaves falling moon."

October; Gush-kut-te-ne kee-zis — Wun-nai-kazho — "Ice moon."

November; Ah-gim-me-ka-we kee-zis — "Bright night;" Wa-si-
ko-si ka-zho — "Snow shoes."

December; Mah-ko kee-zis — "Bear moon;" We-mum-nui-so
ka-zho — "Deer rutting moon."

January; Kitche-manito o-kee-zis — Ma-cha-ti-wuk wa-mun-nu/-
so-wiik—-'- Longest moon, good for hunting."

February; Me-giz-ze-wo kee-zis or Na-ma-bin kee-zis — Na-ma-,)in
ka-zho — "Sucker moon."

March; Ne-ke kee-zis — ^" Brant moon;" Sho-bo-maw-kun ka-zh.j —
"Sugar nuxin."

April; Maung-o kee-zis — "Loon's moon;" As-sa-bun ka-zho —
"Kaccoon moon."

May, Sah-ge-bug-ah-we kee-zis— Pe-ke-pe-muk ka-zho — - Leaves
moon."

Another moon spoken of by the Meuominees is ll'a l-lo-kc ka-
zho, the snake moon, which belongs to the spring season.

The Wiinicbdiioc)^ reckon twelve moons for a year. They do not
keep an account of the days in a year, and have made no attempt to
compute a solar year. They divide the year into summer and winter,
and subdivide tlie summer into spring, summer and fall. They call it
winter while there is snow on the ground. The season between the
time of the inciting of the snow and commencement of hot weather,
they call spring. During the continuance of hot weather, they call it
summer, and from the first n.pi)earance of frost to the falling of snow,
they call it fall. S[)ring is the commencement of their year. Their
method of dividing tlie year into twelve moons brings them at fault in
their reckoning, and they frefjuently have disputes about the matter.
They differ somewhat in the names of their twelve moons. The fol-
lowing, however, is the common almanac ai.iong them :
1st Moon; Me-tow-zhe-raw — "Drying the earth."
2d Moon; Maw-ka-woe-raw — "Digging the ground."

, )

430

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

3d Moon; Maw-o-a-iiaw — "Hoeing coru."
4-th Moon ; Maw-hoch-ra-wee-claw — " Corn tasseling."
5th Moon; Wu-tocb-aw-he-raw — "Corn popping, or harvest
time."

6th Moon: Ho-waw-zh.i-ze-raw — " Elk whistling."
7th Moon; Cha-ka-wa-ka-raw — " Deer running."
8th Mo</n; Cha-ka-wak-eho-uaw — "Deer's horn dropping."
yth Moon; Honch-wu-ho-no-nik — "Little bear's time."
10th Moon; Honch-we-liut-ta-raw — "Big bear's time."
lltli Moon; Mak-hu-e-kee-ro-kok — "Coon running."
12th Moon; Ho-a-do-ku-noo-nuk ~" Fish running."
The Wiiuwhcujocs take no notice of the summer and winter sol-
stices, or of the vernal and autumnal equinox;

They have no name for the year as ci. a-adistinguished from
winter ; no division of time resembling a week, and no division of the
day into hours. They reckon time by winters, moons and nights.
The Ddkofds in general designate their moons as follows:
January; Witehi — "The moon of the brave, or the cruel moon."
February; Wicata-\vi — "The moon of the cats, or of the running
badger, or the raccoon moon."

March; Istawicayazan-wi — " The moon of the snow sickness, or of
sore eyes."

April ; Magaokado-wi — " The moon of the game, or of the laying
of the geese."

May; Wozupi-wi — " The moon of the green leaves, or of the plan-
tations."

June; Wazustecasa-wi — "The moon of the turtle, or of the straw-
berries."

July; Wasunpii-wi — "The moon of the buifalo cows, or of mid-
summer."

August; "Wasutou-wi — " The moon of the hind, or of the harvest."
September; Psinhnaketu-wi — "'The moon of the crop."
October; AVazupi-wi — " The moon of the wild rice."
November; Takiyuha-wi — "The moon of the deer."
December; Tahecapsun-wi — "The favorable moon, or moon of the
stag that sheds its horns."

The Xdlcltcz, a tribe inhabiting the country on the east of the
Mississippi, in the latitude of abou^ thirty-tivo degrees, had thirteen
moons instead of twelve. The Jii'st corresponded to the mo \th of
March, and Avas called the moon of the deer ; the others were :
April ; " The moon of the strawberries."
May; "The moon of the old maize."

MODE OF COMITTING TIME.

431

June; "The moon of the waterioelous."

July; "The moon of the peaches."

August; "The moon of the mulberries."

September; "The moon of the new ooru."

October; "The moon of the turkeys."

November; "The moon of the l>utfaloes."

December; " Tlie moon of the bears."

January; "The moon of the geese."

February; " The moon of the chestnuts."

The Creek Indians who inhabited the country on the east of tiie
Mississippi, between latitude 30 and 35 degrees, commenced the new
year immediately after the celebration of the husk, at the ripening of
the new corn in August. They divided the year into two seasons only,
to-wit: irinicr and snminrr, and subdivided it by the successive moons,
beginning the first half with the moon of August, thus:

WINTER.

August; Heyothlucco — "The big ripening moon."

September; Otauwooskochee — "Little chestnut moon."

October; Otauwooskolucco — "Bij; chestnut moon."

November

December

January; Thlaffochosee — "Little winter moon's young brother."

Heewoolee — "Falling leaf moon."
Thlaffolucco — "Big winter moon."

BUMMER.

February; Hootahlahassee — "The windy moon."

March; Tausautchoosee — "Little spring moon."

April; Tausautcheelucco — "Big spring moon."

May; Keehassee — "Mulberry moon."

June; Kochohassee — "Blackberry moon."

July; Hoyeuchee — "Little ripening moon."

They counted the number of days or years, either past or to come,
by tens. Having no exact method of keeping or reckoning their time,
they could seldom tell, nearer than within one month of the time, when
any remarkalile occurrence took place in the preceding year; but cir-
cumstances or speeches that might have attended such occurrence,
they remembered accurately. There was not one in the whole nation
who know how old he was.

They knew when the winter or hunting season ap[)roached, by a
change of the face of nature, and they also knew when the summer or
plaiiting season advanced, by the increasing heat and vegetation, but
took little pains to inform themselves further on the subject.

The summer season, with tiie men, was devoted to war, or their

1^3

.1)

432

THE AJIEHICAN INDIAN.

domestic amusements of riding, horse hunting, ball plays, and dancing ;
and with the women, to their customary hard labor.

Mr. Heckewelder, in speaking of the names of moons as given by
the Intliiins, and the circumstances attending, suggestive of the names
adopted, gives an example from the Lcniii Lcmipcov Delaware Indians.
He says that this people, while they inhabited the country bordering
on the Atlantic, called the month which we call March "the shad
moon," because this fish, at tint time, begin to pass from the sea into
the fresh water rivers, where they lay their spawn; but, as there were
no such fish in the country into which they afterwards removed, they
changed the name of that month and called it '• the running of the .sf(ji>,"
or "the SKj/ar making month," because at that time the sap of the
maple tree, from wiiich sugar is made, begins to run ; April, they called
"the sj))'i)n/ month;" May, "the planiin(j month;" June, "the /ait'/t
month," or the month in which the deer bring forth their young, or
again, the morith in which the hair of the deer changes to a reddish
color. They called July, "the s?tm/«f.T month;" August, "the month
of roasfinj) rcirs,^' that is to say, in which the ears of corn are fit to be
roasted and eaten. September, they called "the autumnal month;"
October, "the (jathcviiuj or harvest month;" December, "the liHttti'aj
month," it being the time when the stag dropped his antlers or horns.
January was called "the iiiousc or squirrel month," for then those ani-
mals come out of their holes; and lastly, they called February "the
froff month," because on a warm day the frogs begin to croak.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE INDIANS SOMF.TIMKS NUMllERKn IIY U8K OF A BUNDLE "* »
(IF STICKS (ll: Al'KCAS.

NUMERALS AND USE OF NUMBERS.

Perfect System of Counting— Uniform Decimal System -Why Decimal System was
Adopted— Use of Sticks and Other Objects in Counting— Explanation of Mode
of Counting— Mode among Different Tribes— List of Indian Numerals among
Various Tribes.

^HE American Indian liad
a perfect system of
counting, or u ^m of
numbers, and it nas
been regarded by some as a
singular coincidence with our
own system that, in the use of
numl)er8, tliere anpears to liave been among the American tribes in
general a uniform system of noting numbers by decimals, ni the same
manner as civilized nations, by beginning at the unit and proceeding
by divisions of ten to one hundred, then proceeding as before to one
thousand, two thousanti, three thousand and upwards, until a million is
reached. The more intelligent tribes, we are informed, number to the
extent of ojie billion, in precisely the same manner as is done by our
own system of numerals.

The Indians of Guiana, however, are noticed as having a some-
what different system of numbering from that p?'evailing among the
more intelligent tribes ; although they count by use of the fingers, but
this they do in connection witli the hand itself, retaiidng, however,
something like the decimal principle, or idea, in the [)roceeding. Thus,
when they reach five, instead of saying so they call it a hand. Six is,
therefore, a "hand and first finger;" seven, "a hand and second fin-
ger;" ten is "two hands." but twenty, instead of being "four hands,"
is a "man." Forty is "two men." and thus they go on by twenties.
Forty-six is expressed as "two men, a lyvnd and first finger."

The coincidence in the use of the decimal system, by noting num-
bers l)y ten, is sup])osed by some to come from the suggestion of the
number of fingers upon the liuman hands, and is no doubt the original
suggestion to our own people in the use of the decimal system ; but the

(433)

434

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

system of division into hundreds, thousands and millions, which tlie
Indians have observed, the same as adopted by civilized nations, must
be regarded as rather a singular coincidence, and it is not irrationally
accepted as some evidence of the connection this people might have
had, at some remote period, with the nations of the Old Woilil; but it
is noted by all who have had occasion to investigate this subject, that
tiie native Indian mind had no idea of mental arithmetic. He could
not mentally multiply, nor divide numbers, and, indeed, the like may
be said ns to adding and subtracting.

His practical use of numerals was simply to determine the nu;n-
ber of objects brought in (Question in any way. If numbers were to
be used for any other purpose, as for adding and subtracting, objects
were employed for this purpose, as that of small sticks, pebbles, and
the like. Without some demonstration of this kind, the Indians had
but a vague appreciation of the value of numbers. If it related to
suras of money, in order to a[)preciate it, the pieces of coin must be
actually spread out before them in order to comprehend the amount.

Mr. Prescott, Indian agent, says that with the Indians, when num-
bers are referred to, unless mentioned in connection with the immber
of objects bnmght in questi(m, they have no kind of an idea of
amounts; that one thousand is as much aiul more than some of them
can count; that Indians are sometimes heard talking about thousands,
and sometimes a million ; but, at the same time, they can give no cor-
rect idea how much of a bulk any articles represented by these
numbers would make; and he says he believes if a Sioux Indian were
told he could have a million of dollars, if he could count it correctly,
he could not do it.

For the pur])ose of fixing numbers in their mind, bundles of
sticks or arrows were, in general used for that purpose, especially
whore the numbers in question reached to any considerable extent.
Mr. Schoolcraft thus illustrates the Indian mode of counting." There
are separate words for the digits from one to ten. The nine former
are then added after the latter to nineteen. Twenty is denoted by a
new term. The digits, from one to nine, are then added to this word
till twenty-nine. Thirty is a compound, meaning three tens ; forty is
four tens, and so on to ninety-nine. One hundred is a new term,
in iwauh. The tei-ras one, two, three, etc., uttered before this, render
the account exact to one thousand, which is quite a great fircmk, and
the same pre-fixture for the name of the digits can be repeated to ten
thousand."

This, says Mr. Schoolcraft, is the Algonquin mode; but it must be
remarked that this or the like mode exists, in general, among all the

NUMEli.VI.S AND TSK OK NTMHEHH.

435

American tribes, with the exception, perhaps, of the Cherokees, who
count as high ns one hundreil by various numeral names, witliout
repeating tlie names comprised in the first nine digits; whereas, other
nations and tribes, as l)efore illustrated, in giving names, go no higlier
than the decimal number ten, adding units in expressing numbers
beyond that. Thus ten and our for eleven, ten and I no for twelve.
ten and tJirrc for thirteen, and so on until twenty is reached. Then,
proceeding thus, as tircnfij and one, tirciili/ and firo. fircnfi/ and llirrr,
and so on till one hundred, which is in effect upon the same [jrinciple
of our own mode of counting or numbering.

In tlie Micmac dialect, according to Mr. Schoolcraft, numerals are
expressed in ver])s, which are conjugatetl througli all tlie variations of
gender, mode and tense. Thus: Uniooliin'wh. fliin-c is one. Imperfect
tense, Naiooktaichcus ///r/v iras (,n(: Future tense, Encoodaichdedou,
flicrc trill be one. Tahboosee-ek, tliere ore lira of ns; second person,
Tahbeoseeyok ; third person. Tahboosijik. Imperfect tense, first per-
son, Tahboosee-egup ; second i)erson, Y.icup; third person, Sibunic.
Future tense, Tahboosee-dak. Iheve will he liro of Iheiii. Negative
mood, Tahboo-seekw, ///r'jv are nol two ofihcni: Mahtahbooseekw
tliere ivill not he tivo of them.

In counting, the Dakotas have a practice of using their fingers,
bending them down as they pass on, until they reach ten. They then
turn down a little finger, to remind them that one ten is laid aside,
commencing as before. When the second ten is counted, another
linger is turned down, and so on.

For the purpose of further illustrating the mode of counting,
there is here subjoined a list of Indian numerals, according to the
dialects of various Indian tribes, gathered from various sources, but
principally from Schoolcraft's works. Some of them exteml beyond
one hundred, sufficient to show the manner of counting when going
beyond that number, among which, iu some cases, several examples are
given from a particular tribe or nation, showing how the names given
to numbers differ among different bands or localities of the same tribe,
speaking the same generic language:

NUMEU.\LS.
Choctau\

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Keven.

EiKht.

Nine.

ChufFii.
Tuk lo.
Tn I'bi ua.
Ush til.
Tath 111 i)i.
Han a li.
Uii tuk lo.
Un tu rhi na.
Cliak ka li.

•I

43tJ

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

Choctaw.

Ton.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

(Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Ei^bteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Tweuty-oue.

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-funr.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty-ei^lit.

Twenty-nine.

Thirty.

Fortv.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Eighty.

Ninety.

One bnnilred.

One hundred and one.

One hundred and two.

Po ko li.
An ah ehiifPa.
An ah tuk lo.
An ah in chi ua.
An ah ush ta.
An ah tuth la pi.
An ah han a li.
An ah un tuk lo.
An ah nn tu chi na.
Abi chn ka li.
Po ko li tuk lo.
Po ko li tuk lo a kii cha
Po ko li tuk lo a ku cha
Po ko li tuk lo II ku clia
Po ko li tuk lo a ku cha
Po ko li tuk lo a ku cha
Po ko li tuk lo a ku cha
Po ko li tuk lo a ku cha
Po ko li tuk lo a ku cha
Po ko li tuk lo a ku cha
Po ko li tu chi ua.
Po ko li ush ta.
Po ko li tath la pi.
Po ko li hnn a li.
Po ko li uu tuk lo.
Po ko li nn tu chi na.
Po ko li chak a li.
Tath le pa chnffn.
Tath le pa chuffa chuffa
Tath le pa chuffa tuk lo

chuffa.
tuk lo.
tn chi na.
ush ta.
tath la pi.
han a li.
nn tuk lo.
uu tu chi na.
chak ka li.

aiana.
aiaua.

Dacota.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Hix.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

- welve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.
Twi'uty-three.

Twenty-tour.

Wan chah, or Wa je tah.

Norn pah.

Yah nio nee.

To pah.

Zah pe tah.

Shack coope.

Shack o.

Shah en do.

Nep e chu wink ah.

Wick o chimen ee.

Akka wah ju (ten and one).

Akka nom pa (ten and two).

Ahka yah nio nee (ten and three).

Ahka to pah (ten and four and so on to
twenty).

Ahka zah pe tab.

Ahka shack coope.

Ahka shack o.

Ahka shah en do.

Ahka nej) e chu wink ah.

Wick chini ne no pah (20, or two tens and
one, up to thirty, when they say three
tens and one, up to 40; bo they keep
adding by saying sanipa wah je tah,
which means beyond or one more
than 10, or 20, or 30, as the case may
be).

Wick a chimen ne nopnh sam pah wah je
tah.

Wick a chimen ne uopah sam pah nom pah.

Wick a chimen ne nopah sam pah yah mo
nee.

Wick u chimen ne nopah sam pah to pah.

NUMEUALS AND THE OF NUMBERS.

437

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty-eight.

Twenty-nine.

Thirty.

F(jrty.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Eighty.

Ninety.

One hundred.

One hundred and one.

One hundred and two.

Dacota.

Wick a chimen ne nopah sam pah zah pe
tah. *^

Wick a chimen ne nopah sam pah shack
coope.

Wick a chimen ne nompah sam pah shack
ko.

Wick a chimen ne nompah sam pah shah
en do.

Wick a chimen ne nompah sam pahnen e
chu wink ah.

Wick a chimen ne yah mo nee (three tens).

Wick a chimen ne to pah (four tens).

♦^ick a chimen no zah pe tah (five tens).

Wick a chimen no shack coope (six tens).

Wick a chimen no shack ko (seven tens)
«7? I " ''^""<^" "e shah en do (eight tens).
Wick a chimen ne nep e chu wink ah

(nine tens).
Opong wa.

Opoiig wa sam pah wah je tah.
Opong wa sam pah nom pah.

Cherokee.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve,

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty-eight,

Twenty-nine.

Thirty'

Forty.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Eighty.

Ninety.

One hundred.

One hundred and one.

One hundred and two.

Sar quoh.
Tar lee.
Chaw ie.
Ner kee.

Hisk skee.

Su tah lee.

Gar le quoh kee.

Choc na lah.

Law na lah.

Ar sko hee.

Lar too.

Tul too.

Chaw i gar too.

Ne gar too.

Skee gar too.

Dar lah too.

Gar le qiiah too.

Nai lar too.

Ho na lah loo.

Tah lar eko kee.

So i chaw na.

Tah le chaw na.

Chaw i chaw na.

Ner kee chaw m\,

Hisk kn chsiw na.

Su tah la chi.w na.

Gar ie quoh ku chaw na.

Nai lar oluiw na.

Lo /'ai lar chaw na.

Chaw ar sko hee.

Ner gar sko hee.

Hisk skar sko hee.

Su dar loo sko hee.

Gar lee (piah sko hee.

Na lah sko hoe.

Lo uah lah sko hee.

Ar sko hoe choo que.

Ar sko hee choo que sar quoh.

Arsko hee choo que tar lee.

-inn

TIM'; AMKIUCAX INDIAN.

Qjibway of Chegoimeijon—Hy Williiun W. Warren.

Oup.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Teu.

Eli'ven.

Twi'lve.

Tliirteeu,

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Twenty-one,

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-tive.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty-ei),'bt.

Twentv-uine.

Thirtv".

F(jrty.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Ei>,'hty.

Ninety.

< )ne linnilred.

One liundred and one.

One hundred and two.

Ba shik.

Neensh.

Nis we.

Ne win.

Na nun. .

Nin jfod was we.

Ninsli was we.

Shons we.

SliauK lis we.

Ale (Ins wo.

Me das we asho ba shig.

Me das we ashe neeusb.

Me das we ashe nis we.

Me das wo iislie lie win.

Mo das wo ashe na nun.

Me das we ashe nin ^od was we.

Me das we ashe ninsli was we.

Me (his we aslio slioiis we.

Me das we ashe shang as we.

Nisli tun a.

Nish tun a ashe ba shij,'.

Nisii tiin a ashe neensh.

Nish tun a ashe nis we.

Nish tun a aslie ne win.

Nish tun a ashe na nun.

Nish tun a ashe nin nm\ was we.

Nisli tun a asho niush was we.

Nish tun a ashe slums we.

Nish tun a asht> shaug as we.

Nis e nio (bin a.

No nio thin a.

Nan im e dun a.

Nin god wans iin e dun a.

Ninsh was ini e dun a.

Shons ill) e ihui a.

Shang as ini e dun a.

Nin god wae.

Nin god wao aslie ba shig.

Nin god wac ashe neensh.

Winnebago— ^y Mies Elizabeth Lowrey.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven,

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

'I'liirt(>en.

Fourt(>en.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Tventy.
Twenty-one.

He znn ke ra.

Noonip.

Taun.

Jope.

Sareh.

Ha ka wa.

Sha ko we.

Ha TOO wuuk.

He zuu ke choc shkoo ne.

Ka ra pa ne za.

Ka ra pa no za nnka ho zun ko ra shun na.

Ka ra pa ne za nnka uoompa shun na.

Ka ra pa no za nuka tan e a shun na.

Ka ra pa ne za nuka jope a shun na.

Ka ra pa ne za nuka sareh a shun na.

Ka ra i)a ne za nnka ha ka wa a shun nn.

Ka ra pa no za nuka sha kowe a shun na.

Ka ra pa ne za nuka ha roo wiink a shun na.

Ka ra pa no za nuka he zun ke choo

shkoon a shun na.
Ka ra pa ne noonip.
Ka ra ))a ne nooinpa nuka he zun ke ra

shun na.

NUMERALS AND USF. OK NUMnEn>l,

480

Winnebago,

Twenty-two.

Twcnty-tliree.
Twenty-four.
Twenty-five.
Tweuty-six.

Tweuty-seven.

Twenty-eijfht.

Twenty-uine.

Thirty.
Forty.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Ki^iity.

Ninety.

One Imudred.

One hundred and one.

One hundred and two

Ka
Ka
Ka
Ka

Ka
Ka
Ka
Ka
Ka
Ka
Ka
Ho
Ho
Ho

ra |ia ne nooinpa nukn noomp a Hhun
na.

ra pa n(>no(^mpa nui<a tan c aHliunna.
ra pa ne noonipa nuka jopea KJiunna.
ra pa mc noonipa nuiiasarcli a slum na.
ra pa ne noonipa nuita lia ka wa a
shiui na.

ra pa ne noompa nuka aha ko we a
HJmn na.

ra pa ne noompa nuka ha roo wunk a
Khun na.

ra pa ne noonipa nuka he zun kechoo
HJikoon na Bhun na.
ra pa n(> taun.
ra pa ne jope.
ra pa ne wareh.
ra pa no ha ka wa.
ra pa ne t^ha ko we.
ra pa ne lia roo wunk.
ra pa no he zun ke choo shkoon e.
ke lie za.

ke ho za nuka he zun ko ra shun na.
ke lie za nuka noonip a shun na.

OJibway of the Upper Misnisfiippi-liy Mr. Fairbanks.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

♦Seven.

EiKht.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thiiteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Niijf'teen.

Twenty.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty ei^ht.

Twenty-nine.

Thirty.

Forty.

Fiftv.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Eisrhty.

Ninety.

One hundred.

One hundred and one.

One hundered and two.

Ba sliiek.

Nizh.

Niss wi.

Ni win.

Na nun.

Ning o dwa swi,

Nizh was swi.

Nish was swi.

Shouif tfas swi.

Mi das Kwi.

Mi das swi a slii ha shick orba jig.

Mi das swi a shi nizh.

Ml das swi a shi nis swi.

Mi das swi a shi ni win.

Mi das swi a shi na nun.

Mi das swi a shi uiug o dwa swi.

Mi das swi a shi uizli wa swi.

Mi das swi a shi nish was swi.

Mi das swi a shi slioug gas swi.

Nizh ta na.

Nizh ta na a shi pa shick.

Nizh ta na a shi nizh.

Nizh ta na a shi nis swi.

Nizh ta na a shi ni win.

Nizh ta na a shi nn nun.

Nizh ta na a shi ning o dwas swi.

Nizh ta na a shi neezh was swi.

Nizli ta na a shi nis was swi.

Nizh ta na a shi shong gas swi.

Nis si iiie da na.

Ne me da na.

Na ni me da na.

Ning o dwas si me da na.

Nish was si nieda na.

Nish was si me da na.

Shong gas si nie da na.

Ning o (Iwac, or Ning od wae.

Ning od wac a shi ha jig, or ba shiek.

Ning od wac a shi nizh.

(|3

:iJ'
■»

4K)

THE AMKIIICAN INDIAN.

Wyandotte— hy William Walker.

One.

Two.

Tlin-o.

Four.

Fiv.'.

Six.

Hcvt'ii.

EiKbt.

Nino.

T.ii.

Kli'veii.

Twclvo.

Tliirtfcii.

Fonittcn.

Fiftwii.

Sixteen.

Sevinteei;.

Ki^fLteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty-eiffht.

Twenty-nine.

Thirty.

Forty.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Eighty.

Ninety.

One hunilred.

One hnn<lretl nnil one.

One hundred nud two.

Skot.
Teiidee.
Selienk.
N'lhmhk.
Oi> weelish.
Wau /liau.
Thoo tau reh.
An a ta rt^i.
Eh en trooh.
Auh Hell.

Auh Hell Hcot e nkau reli.
Auh sell tell dee ta nknu reh.
Auh sell Hclienk e skau reh.
Auh sell n'lhiuhk e Kkau reli.
Auh seh oo weehsh e skau reh.
Auh Hell wau zhau e skau reh.
Auh seh tsoo tau reh e skau reh.
Auh Hch au a ta reh e skau reh.
Auh Hell eh en trooh eHkati reh.
Ten dee ta wau hoIi.
Ten dee ta wau seh scot e skau reh.
Ten dee ta wau seh ten dee ta skau reh.
Ten dee ta wau seh schenk e skau reh.
Ten dee ta wau seh n'danhk e skau reh.
Ten dee ta wau Beh oo weelisli e skau reh.
Ten dee ta wau seh wau zhau e skau reh.
Ten dee la wau seh tsoo tau reh o skau reh.
Ten deo ta wau sell au a ta reh e skau reh.
Ten dee ta wau sell eh en trooh e skau reh.
Schenk e wauii sell.
N'daiihk e wauh seh.
Oo weehsh e wauh seh.
Wau zhau e wauh seh.
Tsoo tau reh e wauh seh.
Au a ta reh e wauh seh.
Eh en trooh e wauh seh.
Scot ta ira en ^'au a wee.
Scot ta nia en yau a wee scot e skan reh.
Scot ta ma en (,'au a wee ten dee tu skau
reh.

Hitchittee nr CItvll-o-kee Dialect.

Spoken by several tribes of the great ^luscogee race, by Cant. J. C. Casey,

U. S. A., Florida.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Tweutv.

Thirty.

Thlah hai.

To kai.

To chav.

See tah.

Chah kee.

Ee pah.

Ko la i)a)'.

Tos naj) pah.

Os ta pa 1 1

Po ko 1)1

Po k" '' "'»! wai kan.

Po V la wai kaii.

Po 1 II I'he na wai kau.

Po ki. see tah - li kan.

Po ko liii liah k pa wai kan.

Po ko liu 11' pal lai kan.

Po ko liu ko la (lah wai kan.

Po ko lin tos na ])ah wai kan.

Po ko lin OS ta pah wai kan.

Po ko to ko hn.

Po ko to che nin, ov to chay uin.

NUMKUALS AND TSK Ol NTMnKlm.

441

ilitchitUi' i)v Chvll-ohi' Dinli-ct.

Forty.
Fifty.
Sixty.
Seventy,
Eijflity.
Niiifty.
One Imudred.
Two Imndred.
Three Imndred.
Fonr hundred.
Five hundred.
Six hundred.
Seven hundre<l,
Ei^lit hundred.
Nine hundred.
One thouBuud.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Forty.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Eighty.

Ninety.

One hundred.

One thousand.

One.

Two.

Three.

Fonr.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

JJfrtHria?).— (Catlin).

Mali han nab.

Nonipah.

Nomary.

Toll pa.

Kaklioo.

Keinah.

Koopah.

Ttt tuck a

Mah pa.

Perug.

Auga mahaunah.

Auga uompah.

Anga namary.

Auga tohpa.

Ag kak hoo.

Ag kemah.

Ag koopah.

Aga tah tueka.

Aga mahpa.

Nompah perng.

Namary amperug.

Top pa amperug.

Kah hoo amperug.

Keemah amperug.

Koopah amperug.

Ta tuck amperug.

Mah pa amperug.

Ee sooc mah hannah.

Ee sooc perug.

iJtccarree.— (Catlin)

Abco.
Pit CO.
Tow wit.
Tehee tisli.
Tehee hoo.
Tcha pis.
To tcha pis.
To tcha pis won.
Nail e ne won.
Nail en.

Ko tehee te won.
Pit CO nah en.
Tow wit nah en.
Tehee tish nah en.
Tehee hoo nahen.
Tcha pis nahen.
To tcha pis nahen.

Po ko see tall niii.
Po ko chali kei' liin.
Po ko lee pah kin.
Po ko ko Id pah kin.
I'o ko tos na pall kin.
Po ko loH ta jiah kin.
Chok pee thlah inin.
Chok pe to ka Ian.
(^hok pe to chay nin.
Chok pe He tah kin.
C'hok pe cliah kee pan.
Chok peee pah kin.
(!hok |)e ko la pah kin.
Chok pe toH ua jiali kin.
Chok pe OS ta pah km.
Chok pechok thlah iniii.

iJ/acA/oo<.-(Catlin).

Jeh.

Nah tohk.

No oks kum.

Ne Rooyiiii.

Ne see tsee.

Nah oo.

E kitch ekum.

Nah ne suyim.

Paex o.

Kay pee.

Kay pee nay tehee kopochee.

Kay pee nah kopochee.

Kay pee nay ohk kopochee.

Kay pee nay say kopochee.

Kay pee ne see tehee kopochee.

Kay pee nay kopochee.

Kay pee eh kee chie kopochee.

Kay pee nan esic kopochee.

Kay pee paex sickopochee.

Natchip pee.

Ne hippee.

No sippe.

J > see chippe.

Nah chippe.

O kitch chippe.

Nahne sippe.

Paex sippe.

Kay pee pee pee.

Kay pee pee pee pee.

Stowa;.— (Catlin).

On je.
Non pa.
Hi ami ni.
Tan pah.
Ze pe tah.
Shah pai.
Shah CO.
Shas en do hen.
Nen ye che once.
Gka che min en.
Oka on je.
Oka non pa.
Oka hiamini.
Oka tan pah.
Oka za petah.
Oka shah pai.
Oka shahko.

412

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Riccnrree.

Sion.r.

Eigh.oen.

To tchft pis won nahen.

Oka shah en do hen.

Miieieen.

Nah e ne won uahen.

Oka nen po chi on kn.

TwT'ity.

Weetah.

Oka ohiniinen non pe.

Thirty.

Sah wee.

Oka ehiniinen hianiini.

Forty.

11 alien tehee tish.

Oka ohimineu taupah.

Fiftv.

Nahen tehee hoo.

Oka ehiminen za petah.

8ixtV.

Nahen tehee pis.

Oka ehiminen shah pai.

Seventy.

Nahen to tcha pis.

Oka ehiminen shahco.

Eighty.

Nahen te tcha pis won.

Oka ehiminen shah hen do

Jfiuety.

Ni'.hen nah e ne won.

Oka ehi miuen nen pe ehee t

One hundred.

Slioh tan.

O poun krai.

One thousand.

Sh)h tan tern hoo.

Kant o poun krai.

THscarora.

Mohau'k.

One.

Euh che.

Easka.

Two.

Nuk te.

Tekeni.

Three.

Ah sunk

AuKhsea.

Four.

Kunh toh.

Kieri.

Five.

Weesk

Wish.

8ix.

O'j yes.

Yayak.

Seven.

Che oh noh.

Jati ]'.

EijjLt.

Na kreuh.

Satejjo.

Nine.

Ne reuh.

Tiyohto.

Ten.

Wah th' sunk.

Oyeri

Eleven.

Euh ehe skah hah.

Easkayawenre.

Twelve.

Nah till skah hah.

Tekniyaweare.

Thirteen.

Ah sunk skah hah.

Ajfhseayaweare.

Fourteen.

Hunk toh skah hah.

Kaiyeriyaweare.

Fifteen.

Weesk skah hah.

Wiskyaweare.

Sixteen.

Ooh yok skah hah.

Yayakyaweare.

Seventeen.

Che oh noh skill uah.

Jatakyaweare.

Eighteen.

Na kreuh skah hah.

Satoffoyaweare.

Nineteen.

Ne reuh skah hah.

Tiyoht(>yaweare.

Twenty.

Na iviih th' sunk.

Tewasea.

Thirty.

Ah sunk te wah th' sunk.

A uhseaniwajflisea.

Forty.

Hunk to to -vah th' sinik.

Kaieriniwajfiisea.

I'iftv.

Weesto te wah th' sunk.

Wiskniwayhsea.

Sixty.

Ooh yok te wah th' sunk.

Yayakunvajjhsea.

Seventy.

Cho oh noh te ..ali th' sunk.

Jatakniwaj^'hsea.

Eighty.

Na kreuh te wah th' sunk.

SatetriiniwnKlisea.

Ninety.

N(> reuh te wah th' sunk.

Tiyolilnniwa>;lisea.

(>ne huuilred.

Hah yok st re.

Easkaleweaiiyawe.

Two hundred.

Nak till to stre.

Tekeniteweanyawe.

On(> tlidusaiid.

Euh che oo yohstre.

Oyeriteweanyawe.

Two thousand.

Nak tih oo yoh stre.

Toweayawe eghtseraRhsea.

Ciiyuga.

Hidiitsd.

One.

Skat.

Duetsa (luetsa).

Two.

Tekni.

])oon.

Three.

SoKh.

Diitiii.

Four.

Kei.

Topa.

Five.

Wis.

Kilin.

Six.

Y.-i.

.\kain.

Seven.

.latak.

Sapua.

Ei«ht.

Tc^kro.

Dopapi.

Nine.

Tv.)hto.

Duetsapi,

Ten.

Wa^hsen.

I'itika.

EUwen.

Skatskaie.

Alipiduetsiu

Twelve.

Tekniskaie.

Alipidopa.

Thirteen.

.Vnhse^hskaie.

Ali|)idami.

Fourteen.

Keifikai<>.

Alipito )a.

Fifteen.

Wiskaie

Alipiki liu.

Sixteen.

Yfiskait.

Alipiakama.

St'venteen.

.latakskaie.

Alipisapnn.

Eijjhteen.

Tikroskaii'.

Alipidopa.

Nineteen.

Tyohtosknie.

Alipidiietsapi.

MMKHALiS AND USE OF Nl'MIiEItS.

443

Coyiiga.

Twenty. Tewa^fliHwi.

Tliirty. Seuiwaj^hsea.

Jt^'»rfy. Kpiuiwfiylisen.

I^'.ifi.'- Wi8uiwa>,'b.seii.

^ixty. YeiniwaKhsea.

Seventy. JatakuiwuKlisea.

Ei^'lit.' . Tekroiiiwais'hsca.

^'"icty- Tyolitouiwaybseiu

One hnmlred. f^kaUnveuniawe.

Two bnndrt'd. Tekuiteweaiiiawe.

Olio thonsand. Watfhseanateweaniawe.

Two Ihuiisaud. Toweauiaweetfia^bsea.

Navujt; of AV((" Mexico.— {CiiiUn),

Tlab oe
Nidi k«>.
Taidi (nasal).
Tof ( nasal j.
Es t iaii.
Husiab.
Soos ttie\.

Tniii pe3.
N;is tai.
Noz uab.
Tlai tsah tab.
Nab kee tsah tab.

Tanb tt ib tab.
Tee t8ab tab.
En tbili all tall.
Huh tab ab tab.
SooH tRab ab tab.
Tsai pee ab tab.
Nan tai ab tab.
Nab teen.
Nab teeu tlab ee.

One.

Two.

Tbree.

I'our.

Five.

Six.

.Seven.

ElKbt.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Tbirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eiybteen.

Nineteen.

'J'wenty.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

Tweuty-tbree.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-live.

Tweuty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Tweuty-eigbt.

Tweuty-niue.
Tliirty.

Forty.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Si'venty.

Eiylily',

Ninety.

One liuudred.
One hundred and

Nab teeu uah kee.
Nub teen tanb.
Nab teen tee.
Nab teeu es tlab.
Nab teeu bus tab.
Nab teeu boob tsel.
Nab teeu tsai pee.

Nab teeu uaB tai.
Tab teeu.

Tis teen.
Eh tlab teeu.
Has tlab teen.
Sons tsel teen.
'I'sai pee teon.
Nas tai leen.

Nez nab teen.
one.Nez uab tlab.

One bundled and two.Nez nab nab ket>.

Hi'iatsa.
Dopapitika.
Baniiapitika.
Topapitika.
Kiliviapilikn.
Akaniaapitika.
Sapuapitika.
Dopapitika.
Diietsapiapitika.
Pitikietia.

Ahhui iboin.—{Ghi\ux).

Wasli ee uab.

Nooiii pail.

Yab miu uee.

T(j pab.

Zap tab.

Sbak pau.

Sbak ko wee, or u she sab (tbe

odd uninber).
Sbak kan do ^'bab.
N()oinp cbee won kali.
Wix obeni niee nab.
Ak kai (Vasbe. f)r, one more.
Ak k.Ti uoom pab (or, two more

etc).
Ak kai yam nie uee.
Ak kai to pali.
Ak kai zap tab.
Ak kai sbak jiab.
Ak kai sbak ka.
Ak kai sbak kan do gbab.
Ak kai ucmp cbee won kali.
Wix ebem me nee noonipab.
Wix cbeni i neo uoompab siin

wash e nab.
Wix cliem i neo uoompab suin

lu'ompai',
Wix ebeiu i neo uoompab sum

yam ui'nee.
Wix ebeni i uee uoompab euiu

topab.
Wix eiieui i nee uoompab sum

zaptab,
Wix ebem i noe uoompab sum

sbak pab,
W ix ebem i uee uoompab sum

sbak ko wall,
Wix elieiii i nee nooinpiib euni

sbak an do Kbab.
Wix ebem i net iii)cii:iiia!i mini

iioomp clie won kali.
Wix eliein i uee yaa luinuee,

(or, three lens).
Wix ebem i nee topab
Wix ebem i nee zopali.
Wix ebem i uee sbak pab.
Wix cliein i ne(> sbakowee.
Wix ebem i uee sbak aii doffab.
Wix cbemi nee nompebee W(H)n

kah.
Oliali wall Kbee.
Opab wall yliee smu was lieueli.
Opali wah ghee sum washenuli.
Opab wall uliee sum iinompab.

444

THK A.MEHICAN INDIAN.

One.

Two.

Threo.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Heveu.

Ei«ht.

Nine.

Teu.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

EiKht«>ien.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Twenty- one.

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-tive.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty-eiffht.

Twentv-nine.

Thirty.

Fortv.

Fifty.

Sixty.

Seventy.

Eiffhtj-.

Ninety.

One Imndreil.

One hnndr.Kl and

One hundred and

Pueblo, or Zuni, New iVcxioo — (Catliu).

To pin tai.

Quee lee.

Hah ee.

Ah wee tai.

Ahp tni.

To pah lik keeab.

Qui! lah lik keeah.

Hi ah lik keeah.

Ten ah lik keeah.

Ahsteni blah.

Ahs leni to pi ahl to.

Ahs tern tjuee lee ahl to.

Ahs teni hah ee ahl to.

Ahs tem ah wee tai ahl to.

Ahs tai ee ahl to.

To pah lik kee ahl to.

8 nil lah lik kee ahl to.
i ah lik kee ahl to.
Ten ah lik kee ahl to.

nil lee kali nahs tem hlah,

uil lee kah nahs tem to pi ahl to.
(^uil lee kah nahs tem qiiil lee ahl to.

nil lee kah nahs tem hab ee ahl to.

uil lee kah nabs tem ah wee tai ahl to.
Quil lee kah nahs tem aph tai ahi to.
Qnil lee kal; nahs tem to pab lik kee ahl to.
Quil lee kah nabs tem qui! lab lik kee ahl to.
Quil lee kah nahs tem hi ah lik kee ahl to.
Quil lee kah nahs t«m nab lik kee ahl to.
Hi 80 keeab nabs tem blab.
Ah wee tai keeah nahs tein hlah.
Ahp tai nee keeah nabs tem blab.
To pab lik keeah nabs tem blab.

a uil lah lik keeab nabs tem hlah.
i ab hk keeab nahs tem blab.
Ten nab lik keeab nahs tem blah.
Ab see ahs tem hlah.
one.Ah see nhs tem blab to pi abl to.
two.Ah see ahs tem hlah quee lee ahl to.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Ei>fbt.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thitte;>n.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-four.

Apache,

Tab se.

Nab kee.

Tai.

To.

Aslle.

Kostan.

Oostede.

Zapee.

Oastai.

Sesara.

Ost lab sata.

Tab Rata.

Gost all sata.

Ta sate.

Ast lah Rail tee.

Zab pees ah tee.

(lost ees ah tee.

Zah pees ab tee.

Eejfost es ah tee.

Nab teen.

Nah teen tase.

Nab teen ake.

Nab teen tai.

Nali teen to.

Micmac,

Naiookt.

Tabboo.

Seest.

Naioo.

Nahu.

Ohoo ouni.

EI(K)iKumiI:.

Oo ({umoolcbin.

Pesci 'juadiik.

M'tili..

M'tiln I'bel naiookt.

M'tiln eiiel tabboo.

M'tibi cliel Heest.

M'tiln cbel nai oo.

M'tiln ebel nalu).

M'tiln oliel uno<w'uni.

M'tiln ohel looifjinmk.

M'tiln cbel ooKUuuKilebin.

M'tiln cbel peseomaduk.

Tahbooinskabk.

TabbooiuHkahk ohel naiookt.

Tabbooiiiskabk e?jel tabboo.

Tahbooinskabk ebel Hcest.

TahlMMiiuskahk cbel nai oo.

-.-^

NL'MKliALS AND USE OF Nl-MUEns.

-I.;

Ap(tcli('.

Tweuty-flve. Nnh teen nstlee.

Tweut.v-six. NtiL teen kastau.

Twenty-Heven. Nah teen Kosteedee.

Twenty-tight. Nah teen zapi.

Twenty-nine. Nah teen gostai.

Thirty. Nah tah teen.

l"''>rty. Tos teen.

Fifty. Ah Htlastee.

fSixty. Ah Blento.

Seventy. Ah seet een.

Ei},'hty. Zap eet een.

Ninety. Eengostateen.

One huuilred. Tn.siento.

One hundred and one.Tasiento tase.
One hundred and two.Tasiento nah kee.

Chinook.— (Hchoolcratt).

Ikt.
Mox.

Klone.

Lookot.

Qr.inum.

Tahum.

Mini mox.

Sotkin.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Hix.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine,

Ten.

Kk'veu.

Twelve.

Twenty.

One hundred.

One thousand.

One.

Two.

Throe.

Four.

Five.

Sis

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen,

Eighte'^n.

Nineteen.

Twentv.

Thirtv:

Fortv.

Fifty.

Quies.
Tatilni

One.
Twi>.
Three.
Four.

Tatihnii {)i ikt.
Tatiiuui pi mox.

Tatilum tatilum or Ikt

monak.
Ikt hyasH takamonak.

Caddo.

WhiH te.

Bit.

Dow oh.

He u wch.

Dis aick kah.

Dunk kee.

Bis siek ah.

Dow sick ah.

He we sick ah.

Bin nah.

Whiste cut es.

Bin nah bit cut es.

Bin nah dow ah.

Bin nah he aweli.

Bin nnh iIih siisk ah.

Bin nah dunk kee.

Bin nah bis sick ah.

Bin nail dow sick ah.

Bin null he we sick ah.

Bin nah bit te.

Bin nah dow o.

Bin luih he we.

Bin nah dis Hick knh.

Anipaliof.

Chas sa.
Neis.
Nas.
Yenne.

taka-

Micnutc.

TahbooiuMkahk chel nahn.
Tahbooinskahk ctiel usoocum.
Tahbooinskahk chel looigunuk.
Tahliooinskahk chel oogumool-

chin.
Tahb(K)in«kahk chel pesooouduk
Naisinskahk.
Naiooniuskahk.
Nahninskahk.
Usoocum taisinskahk.
Elooigunuk tais inscalik.
Oogum(x)l<*liin tais inscahk.
Pescoonaduk taisinskahk.
Kuskimtuluahcun.
Kuskimtulnahcun chel naiookt.
Kuskimtulnahcuu chel tahboo.

Noolkiun. — (Jewitt).

Sail wauk.

Att la.

Kat sa.

Mooh.

So{) chali.

Noo p<K).

At tie poo.

At lah qnelth.

Saw wauk ouelth.

Hv o.

Sak aitz.
Soo jewk.

Hy e oak.

Wichita.

Cherche.

Mitch.

Daub.

Daw quats.

Es quats.

Ke ha SB.

Ke o pits.

Ke o tope.

Hherche kui te.

Skid o rash.

She osh te kit uck.

Mit<!h skid o rash.

Daub skid o rash.

Daw (piats o rash.

Es quats o rash.

Ke hass o rash.

Ke o pits o rnsh.

Ke o tope o rash.

Sherche kim te rash.

Es tah ets ske she.

Es tah ets ske she daub.

Es tah ets ske she daw quats,

Es tah ets ske she es qo'its.

Cheyenne,
Nuke.
Ne guth.
Nalie.
Nave.

J
(

446

THE AMERICAN INDIAN,

Arapahoe.

Five.

Yor tlmn.

Six.

Ne tail ter.

Soven.

Ne 8or ter.

Ei^ht.

Nah sor ter.

Nine.

See nil tali.

Tcu.

Mall tall tall.

Eleven.

Mall tall tall ehas sa.

Twelve.

Mall tall tall ueis.

Tiiirteeu.

Mall tall ta'i nas.

Fourteen.

Mall tall tall yeaue.

Twentv.

Nei8 sor.

Thirty'.

Nas Kor.

Forty.

Yay yoh. or yeane yoh

Fiftv.

Yah tlmn yali.

Sixty.

Nee tall tus sor.

Seventy.

Nee sor tus 8or.

Eit'hty.

Nah Bor tns sor.

Ninety.

See an tus sor.

One linnilred.

Neis niah tali tus sor.

Cheyenne.

Noane.

Nah sa to.

Ne so to.

Nah no to.

So to.

Mah to to.

Mnh to to a an to noke.

Mah to to a an ne >,'uti».

Mah to to a an to nalie.

Mali to to a an to nave.

Ne ise so.

Nah no.

Nee vo.

Nor no.

Nah so to nor.

Nee so to noi.

Nah no to no-.

So to nor.

Mall to to nor.

Tho foregoing exnniple in tlie names of numbers in counting
would indicate a linguistic connection betAveeu the Arapalioes jiiid
Clieyennes, notwithstanding it has been insisted by some that the lan-
guage of the Clieyennes was unlike that of any other tribe of the
continent. The similarity in some of the names of numbers in these
two tribes is quite marked, which concurrence could not well lie taken
as a mere coincidence of sounds in the dialect of the two tribes.

The following is a list of numerals in the dialects of various
American tribes, collected by Dr. James and added to John Tanner's
narrative of his thirty years' captivity among the Indians, of which
Dr. .lames was editor:

One.

Two.

Tliree.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Se\en.

Eijfht.

Nine.

Ten.

0//t»— From Say.

Yon ka.
No \va.
Tah lie.
To wa.
Sail tail.
Sha ^Mia.
Shah a inuh.
Kra rah ba na.
Shan ka.
Krn ba nuh.

Yoiika.

Meakh ehe.
Norn pall.
Yah bar re.
To pah.
Sah tah.
Shahp pell.
Pa oiii ball.
Pa yah ber re.
Shank knli.
Kei- ab bii rah.

Oi-e.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

EiKht.

Nine.

Ten.

Omaha.

Sfeaeh die.
Noni liah.
Ra bene.
Tv> bah.
Sah tab.
Shap pa.
Pa nooni ba.
Pa rah bene.
Shoon kali.
Kra ba rah.

Yanktoiiy.

Wan I'hali.

No |)ali.

Yah me ne.

To pah.

Zah pe tiih.

Slinh kali \)i\

Sliuli po e.

Sha kun do ah.

Null pet olie wnn bah.

Week die iiiiu nuh.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

iS(>ven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

XUMEltALS AND USE OF NUMP,KItS.
Dakota!,, (}{ Upper Mississippi. Miinutahse.

447

Wall zhe tah.
No a pall.
Yah niin ue.
To a pall.
Xah pe ta'.).
Shah kah pe.
Shah koan.
Sliah han tloah.
Neep chew wun kah.
Week chim mah ue.

Le inois so.
No o pall.
Nail nie.
To pah.
Cheh lioli.
A cah nie.
Chap po.
No pup pe.
No was sap pa,
Pe sail gas.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine,

Ten.

Pawnee.

As ko.
Pet ko.
Tou wet.
Shke tiksh.
She oksh.
Shek shah bish.
Pet ko sheksha bish.
Tou wet slia bish.
Tok shere wa.
Tok shere.

Choctaw.

Chaf fall.
To kc ](>.
To cha nail.
Osh tah.
Tatli lali pe.
Han nah la.
Oon to ko lo.
Oon to clu' nah.
Chak ah ta.
Po ko la.

One.
Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

OJibicay.

Ning gooj waw or Ba zhik.

Neezh waw. or Neezh.

Nis swaw, or Nis swe.

Ne win.

Nah nun.

Ning good waw swe.

Neezh zhwaw swe.

Shawaw swe.

Sliong gns swe. or Sliong.

Me ilos swe, or Kwaiteh.

• Mmquake.

Ne kot.

Neesh.

Ne on nen.

Ne kot waus keek.

Ne kot wall swa.

Nee swa.

Ne o.

Neesh waus eek.

Shaniik.

Me to swa.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Minsi-From Heckewelder. Alyouquin-FTom Heckewelder.

Gut ti.
Nis cha.
Na cha.
Ne wa.
Na Ian.
(lut taseh.
Nis ehoasch.
Cha aseh.
No we li.
Wim bat.

Pe gik.

Ninch.

Nis soiie.

Neou.

Na sail.

Nin gon ton as sou.

Nin choii as sou.

Nis sou as sou.

Chan gas sou.

Mil las sou.

De/«jt>o>'e— From Heckewelder. Menominee.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Ni gut ti.
Nis chn.
Na elia.
Ne Wo.
Pa le nach,
Gut taseh.
Nis ('hash.
Chaseh.
Pes clionk.
Tel leu.

Ne kotes.

Neesii.

Nah new.

Ne ew.

Neau nun.

Ne kot was su tah.

No ha kiiii.

Suah sek.

Shaw ka waw.

Me tall tah.

448

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Cree.

Winnebago-

Kioiii Say.

One.

Pnyuk.

Zhuuk he rah.

Two.

Ne shuh.

Noam pee wee.

Three.

Nesh to.

Tah uee wee.

Four.

Nn a wo.

Kho a pee wee.

Five.

Nean iiuu.

Sant shah.

Six.

Ne go to ah sek.

Ah ka a way.

Seven.

Ta pa coh.

Shau koa.

Eiffht.

Aa \VA ues.

Ar waw oauk.

Nine.

Ta ka to.

Zhunke schoonk schoone.

Ten.

Me ta ta.

Kar ra pun ua uah.

Adage.

Ahiskogee.

From Diiponceau.

From Adair.

One.

NtMi cas.

Horn mai.

Two.

Nhss.

Hok kole.

Three.

Colle.

Too che na.

Four.

Ca(! ca che.

Osh ta.

Five.

Sep pa can.

Clia ka pe.

Six.

Pa CH nan cue.

E pah ghe.

Seven.

Pa can ess.

Ho loo pha ge.

Eif^'ht.

Pa ca Ion.

Chee ne pa.

Nine.

Sio kin ish.

Oh eta pe.

Ten.

Neu8 ne.

Pa ko le.

Choktah and Chiksah.

Cherokee.

From Adair.

One.

Cheph pho.

So guo.

Two.

Too ga lo.

To hue.

Three.

Toot che na.

Choch.

Four.

Oos ta.

Nauk ko.

Five.

Tatli la be.

Ish ke.

Six.

Har uah le.

Soo tare.

Seven.

Un too go. lo.

Ka re koge.

E!»{ht.

Un too che na.

Sah nay ra.

Nine.

Chak ka le.

Soh nay ra.

Ten,

Po koo le.

Skoch.

Eleven.

So at too.

Twelve.

Ta ra too.

Quaddie (Maine).

Quawpaw.

From Uupoaceau.

From Uuponceau's MS.

One.

Nai aeu

Milch tih.

Two.

Nes.

Nou ne pah.

Three.

Naue.

Uag he uig.

Four.

Ga mat chiue.

Tuah.

Five.

A lo he gau uah.

Sat ton.

Six.

Nihi.

Schap poh.

Seven.

Na ho.

Pen na pah.

Eight.

Ok luuh hine.

Pe dag he uih.

Nine.

Ah kwi nan dak.

Schuuk kah.

Ten.

Ney dinsk.

Ge deh bo uah.

Penobacot.

Miami.

From DupoQceau's MS.

From Duponceau's MS.

One.

Pe suok

Ng goo teh.

Two.

Neise.

Nii ju eh.

Three.

Nhas.

Nisth ueh.

F«)ur.

Yeut.

Nu neh.

Five.

Pa le ueusg.

Ilaan ueh.

Six.

Neuk tansg.

Ka kat sueh.

Seven.

Ta boos.

Sueh tet sueh.

Eight.

San Ruk.

Po iaa neh.

Nine.

No cle.

Ngote menehkek.

Ten.

Ma ta ta.

Mo taat sueh.

NUMKliAl.S .VXD USE Of NUMBElit!.

-U'J

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

FAuht

Nine.

Ten.

Olio.

Two.

'lliree.

Four.

Five.

Si.N.

Seven.
Ei«lit.
Nine.
Ten.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven,

EiKht.

Nine.

Ten.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Ei^fht.

Nine.

Ten.

One.

Two.

Tliree.

Four

I''ive.

Six.

Seven.

luyht.

Nine.

Ten.

SlKtwitec.
I'lom Duponceaii's MS.
In tint i, or u'fjut i.
Nis fhwe.
N'swe.
Ni wi.
Niii hm wi.
Kfi kilt 8wi.
Swiu'li fet Hwy.
Pal hi Hi.

N' s,'ut ti me pech gi.
Mat tilt swy.

Kroui i;ili(,tl's Bible.

No ixnnt.

Neese.

Nish.

Yiiii.

Na pan iia tab she.

Ne kwnt la tah she.

Ne .sail 8uk tah slie.

Shwo suk tah she.

Pa skoo gnu tah she.

Pi uk.

SoKfiliirosiortim.

Kriiiu .loliii I)u Lact.

Ne gout.

Ta lio.

Chicht.

Ne ou.

Nan.

Ka nin cliin.

E r .e kwe .sink.

Meg oil ma chin.

Egh ko na ileek.

Metmi.

^'iaitkikiiiii.

From .loliii De Lwt.

Cotte.
NysRe.
Na clia.
Wy we.
Fa r(> iiagh.
Cot la.sli.
Nys sas.
Oe eiias.
Pe.s ehon.
Ter ren.

('Iii/ipi'innj.

b'roiii ,1. l.oiiR.

Pay Rhik.

Neesh.

Nees swoy.

Ni on.

Na ran.

Ne gut WOB swoy.

HwoH Hwoy.

Shan goB pwoy.

Me tos swov.

UlKtcllOIJ,
FiDiii Dupoiiceau's MS.
Na gwut.

Nee.s.
Ni )S.

Yaut.

I'a. or na paa.
Na eiit tall, or cut tab.
Tum po wa.
Swat.
He one.
Pay ac.

i\'o)(S(i(/li(ins('t.
I'ri)iii KllioU's liible.

Ne giiit.
Nane.
Nish.
Yoh.

Na pan na.
Kwnt ta.
E na ihi.
Sliwo suk.
Pas ki- git.
Pi uk.

Ccniddrnscs.

From .(olin Di' l.aet.

Be goii.
Ni ehou.
Nich toa.
Rail.

A pa to ta.
Con toil sai bin.
Ne o va ehin.
Nos to va chin.
PoK CO va (lot.
M(> tun.

A/ijoiiqiiiil,
I' rum .1. Long.

Pay jik.

Nincli.

Na ran.

Nin goot was soo.

Nin choo was soo.

Nis .soo.

Neoo.

Ni.s so was so.

Siioii ga.i soo.

Ni tas soo.

Xtir SInckhrtihje,

From Kao-iio-mut, n Hoiiiaii who had
liiTii liviiit; un Fox Kiver, 1827.

N'got tah.

Neshah.

Nah iiah.

Nail wah.

No nun.

N'ko tans.

To pan WU8.

Khoiis so.

Nab ne we.

N'tan net.

450

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

One,

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Hix.

Seven.

EiKbt.

Nine.

Ten.

Mohcgan,

Ur wit toh.
Nesoli.
No^h hoh.
Nan wob.
Nil non.
Uk wit tus.
Tn poll wiiB.
(Ibii s(x)b.
Nim lie web.
Ne til 11 uit.

Mottsec.
Kioiii nil Incliaii at BuH'alo.
N' ffot tub.
Ne shab.
N' biih.
Nil ail.
Naw bun.
N' (,'ot waws.
Nusli wans.
N'baiis.
No \va lab.
Willi bat.

Sinidoway.
I'liiui Tanner.

One.

Two.

Tbree.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eigbt.

Nine.

Ten.

Wi.« ka nt.

Tik ke ne.
Os sail.
Kia nee.
\yi.isk.
Yali in\\\.
Sliali tiik,
t^'ali tail iiiih.
Te link leilb.
We tc<> lie.

Seneca.

Krniii an Indiun at ISiiU'alo, 1827.
Skailt.

Tik tliuee.
Sim ab.
Ka ae.
Weisb.
Yah eh.
Cliali (Ink.
Ta ke oil.
Ten toliii.
Wus ban.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

EiKht.

Nine.

Ten.

I'otlnwattainie.

I'nini an Indian at Detroit, 18'JT.

Ne not.

Neesh

Nees wa.

Na ow.

Na nun.

Ne K<>t want sa

No okt so.

Sn aiit so.

Hbab kab.

Kwelcli.

Oft (lira.

From Tanniir.

Ne j,'oeb waw.

Neesli waw.

Nis waw.

Ne win.

Nail nun.

Nin tfot wail swa.

Neesli wail swa.

Nis wan swa.

Shaunk.

Kwetcb.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Ei^bt.

Nine.

Ten.

One.

Two.

Tliree.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eiuht.

Nine.

Ten.

Chippewyan,

From a (lerniau interpreter.

Isb lia.

Nub ka.

Tab sba.

Tninj,' a.

Sab zliini Inb ba.

I ka lah rah.

I ka Uvma ha.
Isb lah in din? g\\.
Kas ka koo tin nee rab.
Koo nil nil ab.

Chippewyan.

From .1 niiinaii, n native of riiurchill.

Ith iia.

Niik ka.

Krab ha, or Tab rbe.

Shah zet te.

II ket ting.
Ting he.
Sab zun lab ba.
Tl ket tab rah.
Kab kin bo en er nab.
Ho en er nab.

Chippeieyan.

From McKenzie.

Sta chy.

Na ghur.

Tagh y.

Dengk y.

Sas sou la cbee.

Al ke tar by y.

Al ki (leing by.

Ca ki na ha notb na,

Ca notb na.

Chippewyan,

I'rom a Chippewyan.

Etb li ab.
Niik kiir.
Tor ri.
Ding be.
Sos 8u li be.
El kat bar ri.
SluH ing (ling be.
El ket (ling he.
Kuteli e no ner re.
Ho ner neniih.

XUMEIIALS AND USE OF NUMBERS.

451

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

EiKbt.

Niuo.

Ten.

One.

Two.

Three.

Fonr.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eitfht.

Nine.

Ten

One.

Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.

Cree.
From McKenzie.

Pey ac.

Ni sheu.

Nish toil.

Ne way.

Ni an nan.

Ne {jou ta woe eic.

Nieh wi o sic,

Jan na new.

Shack.

Mi ta tat.

Winnebago.

Fiom a Winnebago,

Zhuuk kaiil.

Noainp.

'J'arn.

T' joub

Sarj,

Har ker ra.

Shar poau.

Kad do link,

Yunk ked joos koon

Ker reb hon ua.

Crve.

From a native.

Pe ak,

Nees to.

Ne ().

Ne nh nun,

Ninj; good waw sik,

Ne su,

Ta h'i ko,

E iiah ne,

Kain ine tab tat.

Me tab tat,

Algonquin,

Frdiii McKenzie.

Pe cbeik.

Nije,

Nis wois,

Neau.

Nil nan,

Ni \io\\ la wii swois.

Ni K' "■"•'* Wois.

She was wois.

Shan gwos woia.

Mit as swois.

Mahnesheet (slow tongues), residing on the St. Johns, N. B,

Nn koot.
'I'ah bo,
Sbeist,
Na oo.
Nuhu.

From a native.

Six,

Seven.

Eiglit.

Nine.

Ten.

Kah mutch in.
Lo ho gin unk.
O go mul chin.
Aisb ko uah daig.
Ko dainsk.

CHAPTEI5 XXXYTI.
HUNTING AND FISHING.

North Amoricnn Indians Fj\w\ in IIiuitini,'-Sniif'rHtiti()U— Uan of Chnrms— Dili-
>.'eni'i>— Snow Slioc Iiot,'ion— 'riianU.s to tin* (ticat 8|iii-il— Tiio IJiilTiilo-'riio
l!.'aviT— Hiihils of the Jicavt'r— Beaver Dams— J5i aver Houses Moile of 'ral;iii>,'
Heavers— Hiuitiii;,' the Hear— Sin^nilar ( 'iisloni— Lon^'feliow'H Descriptioii The
l>o^'— His FaUhfulness— The Jlorse-Oritrin aniont; the Tmlians Coinanelies
Kxeel in Horsemanship— 'Modo of Captnnnt,' the WiUl Horse (teneral Hunt
Hinitinj,' T)eer -Traps -Prairie Fires -Seasons for Huntin;: -Assistance of the
Woiucii -Iroqnoi.--I)akolas— Fishinf,' Mode of Taking Fish— Inxpiois a.v
Exjiert I'islieiiH. II.

-«s^.,^F' „. :' "^ ;ir^lilM I'll \ \] niaii. in all ii<fos ami in

all (•(iiuitrics. lias lieon ami slili

. .yj; is a hunter and fislior. jmrsuing

"W tlioso avociitioiis ior ji siilisistoncf.

Tlio Nititli Ami'rii'nn Indians t'xcolloil

ill Imntiiii,'. tlnmij:]! soino of tlio tribes wore

lar beyond others in this unrivaled sport.

America, next to Airioa, otl'ered, as reward

of the chase, tlie finest jjjatnt* in the

aiiinial kinj,'dom. and the i,n'andest iiiintin^j

•rrounds in tlie worhl. Different localities

were noted lor special varieties, tiiiis i,dviii<,' broad ranere to hunter

skill and enterprise.

IMiiny writers hav(> taken but a hasty view of Indian life; and,
ohsorvinij provisions scarce and the need imperative, have assumed
that the aboriginal must have<;iven his whole time to the pursuit of game
for d.iily food. On the eoutrary, effort for such purpose was looked
u[)on rather as subordinate, and. to perform an established round of
dailv lalior. as beneath the dignity of the nativ(i red man. He did not
deign to follow any [)ursuit that did not include excitement, enter-
[>rise and adventure. Hunting and war were alone considered of
Huilicient imjiortance to engage his attention; and these pursuits he
always engaged in with an energetic spirit, worthy of higher results
and nobltM' aims.

The Indian looked upon all animals iis gifted with mysterious or

(I.VJl

lirSI'INd AND lISIIINCi.

l.",:{

HuporstitioUH powers, iiiul tliiit. in soiiio wiiy, tlit>y wtTc <'a[)fil>I(> of
iiiHiionciiig tho dcstinit's of iiitii; iiiid nupcrstition onterod larijoly iiil"
tlm jircparation for nil liuiitiii^^ t'Xp(>(litioiiH of tho iil)()rii,'iiials. Tlif
heaviiiiH al)ov<', and tlio ciirtli l)i'iinatli, fasting, dn^aius, all aro nmsid-
ered, and t'xert u ijii;i,dity intlucnco on tli<^ proliininarifs of tho hunt.

Tho use of I'liarnis is an important feature in Indian proparntinns
for tho hunt. Thoso i-liarnis aio nuulo of various roots and herbs, a
littlo of which ho puts into his <,'nn that it may mako Jiis first shot
tako otfcct. Ho also plarcH a small portion of it in tho track of tlu'
first bear or doer ho finds, sn[)posin<^ that, if tho animal l)o two or
throe days' journey ahead, ho will by this moans como in siijiit of it
in a very short time, tho charm possessinj^ tho power of shortening
tlio journey, as ho thinks, from two or three days to two or three
liours. To render tho medicine more otfectual. he will fretpiontly sing
tho hunter song. Peter Jones Hays ho has known many a hunti'r to
sit up all idglit beating his lin'-di/ini, and tlien, at (hiylight, take his
gun and go in ([uest of tho giiinc. Tiiis, he says, is generally dnui'
when an Indian iniag'iies that he has dis|)h^as('d the god of the game
by not paying him that reverence which socni'es his success in tiic
chase; thereupon, tho first animal lu' takes ho devotes to the ^oil of
iranie, makin<j a feast and otforinir a sacrifice, bv which lir tliiiik> to
appease his wrath.

One charm, it is lieliev. d. has power ti> render the hunter invis-
ible to tin* object of pursuit; another has power to render tiie annw
certain in its flight; and th(> Indian's faith is firm that a certain otln'i'
charm will keep him safe from harm during the chase.

In the snow shoe regions, a snow shoe hunt was ])recede(l bv ;i
dance, giving thaid^s to tho (Ireat Spirit for tlui snow which would ,iid
them in bringing homo their game. Snow siioiis served well in hunt-
ing the moose and elk, as they could be easily surrounded or overtaken
in the deep snow and captured by the fleet footed lumters.

Tho buffalo was the most highly esteemed of all the animal kiiiij-
dom ; next in their regard came the b<>aver, whose wonderful instinct
and ])eautiful and valuable fur have made for it a world wide reputa-
tion. Tho beaver is a native of Asia, Europe and North America :
but most numerous, by far, on the latter continent.

To the Indians of North America, tho l)eaver was an oi)ject of
Avorship: and some of the most wonderful traditions of Indian folk
lore, concerning this animal, have come down to us, related with the
earnestness and sincerity marking tho Indian's faith. They never
wearied of re])eating its praises in story and song.

From the advent of the white man upon Indian soil, the fur of thi^

4r>4

Tin; A.MKltlCAN INDIAN.

boiivi'i' hopnmo n valimMf iirticlo of coininen'o. niul ^nvo, for tlxMr
[iloiiHiirt' itiiil fomfoit. to tlin proudest inoiinrclis of tlin OKI World,
tlit'ir rostlifst rohes. Its fur Iwih added ricliiicss and lii'auly to tln<
<,'nriniMds of civilized man in all countries. Its name is a synonym
for tile most fashioniilile hat once worn liy Anglo-Saxon men.

Indian tradition tells us that the heavers wore u raco of intolli-
<j[onces: that they possesseil I'easoninif powt r; lived in colonies,
having their chiei's. laws and language; that they worked under
command, and that they huilt for themselves caliiiis that gave evi-
dence of skillful de>ii;-ns. and were the very models of neatness and
comfort.

Deavers dwell in iiouses or haliitations of their ov.'n construction,
erected in the water of some natural lake or [lond, or formed iijion
some stream by an artiticial dam which tiiey construct with much
ingenuity. NVhou obliged to seek out a placid for a home, they
assemble toyethor in a communitv, sometimes from three to four hun-
dred in number; and. after recoiinoitering. if they can find no natural
lake or still body of water, tiiey search out some suitable place upon
a water course of liviiiu- water, wiiei-c there is plenty of building
matei'ial near at hiind. i'liere. afti'i" constructing,' a dam. tliereliv
raising the water to a sutiic;ient capacity, they proceetl and erisct therein
their houses in largo inuubers. adjacent to each other, making, as
l-'athe)' Charlevoix says, '-a town which mi^jht bi; called a little
Venice."

For t!ie purpose of constructing a dam. dyke or causewav. what-
ever it may be jnopei'ly called, to stop the current to form a [lond of
still water, they go and cut down trees above tiie place where they
ini' lid to build. Sevr il i>eavi'is set themselves about a great tree.
ainl. Iiv gnawing, cut il down witii their teeth. They lake the meas-
ure and bearing of a tree so well that it always falls towards the
water. They cut the logs in pieces with their teeth, then roll them
into the stream and guide- (hem to the place desired, where they are
li\ed in the proposed dam. These pieces are thicker or thinner, longer
or sliorter. as the naiure and situation of the placid they ar(! Ilxi'd in
recjuires. Sometihi<s they use large trunks of trees wiiicli lliey lay
flat. Sometimes till' dam or causeway is madi^ only of stakes, some of
the thicknt-'ss of a man's thigh or less, which they drive into the
earth very near each other and interweave with small branches:
and evervwliere the hollow places are tilled with clay, so well applied
that not a drop of water can pass thnaigh. They pn'pnre the clay
for this, with their paws, their tails serving not only for n trowel
to build with. Imt also for a hod with which to carry the day or

HUNTl.Nd AND risilING.

455

iiioyLuis lU'.N'riais is the Amitoxu.vcKS.

45t)

Tin: AMKUir.w' indian.

mortar propnred from tlmt Huhstance. Tlicy s|ii'i'ail the clay where
it is wrtiitecl, l)y tiio use of thiMr [xiws, liiiisliing tlio process with
their tails.

Tlie i'oii:i(latioiis of the dains are <,feiierally ten or twelve i'eet
thick, iliniinishiii"^ by degrees in thickness U[)\var(l8 so that the dam
which 18 twelve feet thick at the bottom, is, perhaps, not over two feet
thick at the top. All this is (h)iie in exact pro[)ortioii, and. as may be
said, accordiiii^ to the rtdes of art. The sides towards tiie current of
the water are always sloping, in order to ndieve the pressure of the
water, and the other sides perfectly perpendicular to it.

Tiii^ construction of their houses shows like ingenuity and skill.
These are generally upon piles in the lake or pond of water, formed
by the construction of the dam. Their shapes is round or oval and the
roof is arched. The walls are about two feet thick, built wiili the
same nmti^rials as the dam. but so well plastered with clay that the
least breath of air cannot enter. Two-thirds of the building is above
the surface of the water. Each beaver has a separate apartment,
which bestrews with leaves or small branches of evergreen; and to
each cabin there is u common door, besides convenient openings for
ingress and egress to each tenement. Ordinarily, these cabins are
suitable for eight or ti'ii lieavcrs. Some have iicen found winch held
thirty, but this, it is said, is uncommon. They are all near enougii to
each other for easy communicaiion. but the privacy of iiome is
respected. No two faii'ilies can communicate togetiier without going
outside of their own cabins. Tim entrance to their abodes is below
the water; this is for tlieir safety in leaving and returidng to tliem.
Tlicir industry ecpnds tlieir skill. The Indians tell us idlers are ban-
ished from the beaver colonies.

These colonies, when observ.'d in tin ir cntiri^t}'. present a fine
example of co-o|)erative coiumunitn's. Eijual o|)])ortunities are
atforded to all. and eipnd industiy and diligence recjuired. Tlie\ are
never surprised l)y winter, and all |)rt>parations for tht> cold 8eu»v)n are
completed by thi^ last of Septend>er.

There were* four ditb'rent ways in which tiie Indians •.•aptured the
beaver, nan'''ly, with the ;iet. with the gun, tin' trench, and the trap.
TIh' m-t was spread down tin- sti'eam, not far from their cabins. The
trap was set on land to capture them as they ventured fc rth in search
of fresh fooil. The trench was a crutd dei-oy, nnid<» by cutting a hole
in the ice; and when the beavers canu' up to it, as ihey invariably do,
to bn>athe more freely, they weie caught by the hunter, who sei/.ed
them by tlie jiaws and diiiwing tiiem out of the water, threw them with
great violence on Ihe ice, where the\ lay stunned and were ipiii'kly

IHNTINd AMJ I'lSIlIXO.

457

(lispntcliod witli a ('lnl>. Tlicir i-ahins worn soiiiotinu's torn dnwii l>y
tliu hunters, wlioii tliey wer(3 Oiisily ciiugiit \>y well laid siuiri's.

Tlio beaver of No'-tli America is n harmless and heautit'ul creat-
iire. and has K)llo\V('d closciy in the shallow of tin* rctrc^atiii^'' I'ootstrps
of the red man; and the places on this eontinent that oneo knew tiiis
industrious lirtle economist will soon know'him i:o moi'e forever.

Scarcely h'ss interestin<;, and fVir moi'e formidaiile to the Indians.
was the bear, for which they expressed much sympathy and regard, as
it became their victim. The combined forc(( of tiie hunters in a tribe
were often enn-ji<^('d in a l)ear hunt. AVhen tiie trail of a hear was
struck, he was [lursued until he was discovei'cd: then om^ of the party
advanced and fon-t d an encHi^ement willi tiie aniinal. which usually
turnrd furiously ujn ■ his assailant, but was overcome by the uniteil
onset of tlin hunters.

in celi'l)ralinif the success of the chase, the Indians san<; the
praises of the slain bear and told of those i.food (pialities it would
never more bt; able to display, ami consoled themselves for killiui,'' so
^ood a cr<'ature, by rec()untin<;' the useful purposes to which his tlesh
and skin would be applit d.

Mr. Heckewclder, in s|ieakiii<^ of the |)eculiar Indian cusi;;ni wlien
capturing' tin- beai. as an illustration ;,Mves the fuUowini,' instiinee>. ;it
whicli Jie WHS present:

A Dtdaware hunter once shot a hugi^ 'lear and broke its back-In. ne.
The animal fi 11 and set u[) a m^;st plaintive cry. The huntei'. instead
of jj;ivinLf him another shot, stood uj) close to him and addressed Jdui
in these words: '•Hark ye! bear, you are a coward, and no warrior,
as you pretend to be. Were you a warrior, you woidd siiow it by vour
firmness, and not ciy and whim{)er like an old wonum. You know,
bi ;ir. that our tribes are at war with each othtu', ami that yours was
die a-fejressor. You have found tin* Indians too powerful for vou,
and you have .gone sneaking aiioiit in the woods. stealin<f tlii'ir ho;L,'s;
perhai)s at this tinm you havt) lio<r's tlt>sh in your belly. Had vou
con(iuered nn'. I would li;iv(( borne it with couraLre and died like a
brave wari'ior; but you. bear, sit hen^ and cry. and disi,M'ac»> \oiir tribe
by your cowardly c.induct."

When the hunter had dis|)atclied the l).>ai'. .Mr. Heckewclder
asked liim In-,, lie, ihoii-ht that poor ninud could understand what he
said to it. •()!"" said he. ••tin! bear understinid me ver\- well. l)i,l
you not olw.orve how (islinninl he looked while I was ui'bra.ilin<'' hini''""

At another tinit* Mr. Heckewclder says ho witiu'sst d a sinnlar
scene, at a place betweiui the falls of the Ohio and the river Wabash.
A y«)ung white man, mnned William Wells, who had been, when a bov,

45S

TllK AMKhlCAN INDIAN.

tak«Mi in'isonor by a tiilx' nf tlie \Vii1))ih1i iiidians, b) whom lie was
adoptod ami brought up, and in whicli ho i:nl)ibtMl all thoir iiutioiiH,
had so woiinjled a largo boa) that ho could not movo from the npot,
aid tho animal critvl pitoously, as in tho caso bot'oro mentioned. The
young man wont U|> to him. and, with soomingly groat oarnostnoss,
addrossod him in tho langua<'0 of his tribe, now ami thou liivin;;
hin. .1 slight stroke on tin* noso with lii;-. ramrod. Ht» askod tins
young man. wiien ho had done, what lie liad bei'ii saying to thi.s

l.llOlvlNl. IIOWN rilOM A II lull IT.ACI'..

hoar.

T havi

>ai(l

i|>i)raided liim lor acting the pnrt of

one or

coward: i told liini that he knew tlir rortuin ol' war. thai

the other of u?. must liave fnlli-n: that it was liis late to be coiM|iiere(j.

and that Ik' ought to di<- like n man, like a ln-ro. and .lot like an

■ III woman ; tliat it the cax' had I

II I'll I'l'VelM'!

I and I had laili'ii inli

10 power ol ((/// iniiiiii.

woiilil not have disgraceil mv nation a-

he did. but would have died with liriuness and coiirago as becomes a

warrior.

HUNTING AND riSHINfi.

40U

The poet Longfellow, in his '-Song of Hiawathn," thus describes
tliis Iiulinu custom:

"With till' liciivy blow iM'wild.Ttul,
Roso tli<" (rn'iit JJcar of tin- nioniitiuus;
But his iiuccs houenth liim trt'iiililetl,
And he wiiiiniicri'd like a woniaii,
As he reeled and Htai.'j,'ered forward,
A" hi' Hat upon his haunches;
An ( i'..i Miit,'lity Mtidjekeewis,
Htandiuk' fearlessly hefvire him.
Taunted liiiii in loud derision,
S|)aki> disdainl'ully in this wIho:
'Hark you, Hear! you are a coward,
And no brave, as you pretended;
Else you would not cry and whimper.
Like a niiserai)le woman I
Bear! you know our tribes are iKjslile,

Ijouif have 1 n at war toirether;

Now yciu lind that we are strontfest,
Von f,'o sneaking' in the forest,
You ^ro iiidinjf in the mountains!
Mad you coniiuered me in l)attle
Not a Kfiiii would I have uttered;
]M you. Hear' sit here and whimper,
And disj^'race your tril)e by crying,
Like a wretched Shauyoilaya,
Liki' a cowardly old woman.'"

Ill rc.i^'nrd to uniiunls. it is nrrnonilly stipijosed. by civiliztiil ixoph',
that the il..g is a o-.'iieral favuiifr witli all the liuiiaii tribes d' ^'orth
America. As to this, thoic is a ilin'ort'iicn of npinion. Some shv that
all Indians do not look forward to ;i reunion with their canines in the
happy hiintiii<,'-,uioiinds of the hereufl.T. With th.' Dakotas and
.MijoiKiuins, however, dojrs were highly e.steeMie<l, and in reti;. were
faithful friends and iillies in the <-|ia.->e. nnd dtMotrd to their masters in
all their adventures.

From till" iinniane meiiiods adopleil bytlie Indians in catchin;,'
the wild beasts .d the plain.s. it is not,'d a„'ain how eloseh these
iiidettered sons of tin' wilds studied nature in i er vari«Mis moods.

The traditions are many and curious ainon;,f the western tribes in

•■''^'"'■'1 h. th i-ir! of tlie horse: but the general bi-lief i.s, that these

animals were intiodnced upon the Aineri.'an continent \>^■ the ,Sp,in-
iard.s, at the time of the Spanish invasion of .Mesieo; ami, having' Imm n
left to run wild, thus stocl;e<l the plains from .\li'\ieo (., the far north,
or at least to a disfam'e of from two to three thoiisaml miles.

The horse and his ri.iei- ;ire nluays oiijects i>( iideri'st: ami a
skillful reinsman has been denied worthy of a.lmiration through all
time. The ("omanehe Indians of the Soiithwesl a-e consi.leivd as

4(io

TIIK AMKUICAN INDIAN.

< ATCIIINll \UliU UOllHliH UN TUli WliSTKUN 1'1,MNS.

IlL'MINd ANii llslliMi

If.l

excelling any liorsfinaii : and liis niotliotlsoi' catcliin',' wild horses liiivr
Ix'i'ti nmeli adopted liy white iiicn. A Cninanehti Indian liunter, it is
Kuiil, wi'l caitture and break in a wild horse in tiie Bpiice of one liour;
mid, inoiintiiiir his animal, will pursue the ciuise for other horses from
the same herd. In [)ursuit of u wild iiorse, lie usually rides at full
speed in anioni; the herd. and. seleetin<^ tht* animal he wishes to «'ap-
tiire. tlirow^ th(^ hissn witli almost unerring skill, and (|nickly dis-

mounts, and runiiiu'' "M'adualK lets out the l(t>

to it^

''i.i,'tl

Wlieii the l(

to tiirhtt

d ilu) throat of th

neii tlie iiisso l)(<,nns to ti-.jliten around ino tliroat ot tno animal, lie
slackens his pace and ti;L(litens his ^vi[y, and the [irize soon lies foam-
ing and stiiiggling at his feet. Then the hunter fastens a pair of
hol»l)les on tiu^ forefeet of the anin.ai; this demands great caution, a!;;',
a slow apju'oach to the iiorse thus prostrattHJ; l>ut when accomplished,
and the hrnvo onct! gets lu^ar enough to [»lac(f his hand on the nose of
till' horse and over its eyes, and finally to lireathe into its nostrils, it
soon liecomi'S (|uiet and is completed. 'I'lie Indians claim that the
lireatiii'ig into its nostrils the Itreath of man. charms the animal and
makes hiin forever the willing servant of man.

Aiiothi r j)roof of the red maiTs close study and knowledge of the
animal kingdom is shov.n in his manner of hunting the antelope,
whicii is a svrange aninial and easily decoyed. The antelope is inllu-
enced l)y eolor. Ic is (piickly attracted liy any red oliject. A hit of
red cloth attached to a rod is often used as a decoy. This is raised
aliove the tall grass through which antelojies are known to pass.
Wiu'ii tile hunter, lying in wait, perceives an antelope, he waits until
the decoy is observed by the animal, when he lower-- it for a moment,
and rai>es it again: this is repeated until the animar,- admiration and
curiosity has led him into the ••jaws of deaili."

.Mans superiority ai)ove the rest of the animal kinr.dom is often
paini'ully apparent in the ways ami mi>ans employed for capturing the
creatures hubject to his power and skill. The Indians are, in no mean
sense, the lords of creation, and are prolitic in methods of asserting
their |Miwer. When a general hunt is engaged in, a circle is sometimes
ftu'ineil, when all the animals surroumhul are pressed closer and closer.
till thev are collected in the center, where Ihev are easilv dispatched.
At another time, tiit^v are <lriven to tiie margin of a lake or rivei-. in
which, if they seek refuge, they arc arrested li\ hunters in cano"s.

\ favorite nii'thod is to have a narrow opening to a broad space,
which has been tuiclosed with stakes, then, bv cries, shouting and
clamiir. the gunie is drivcui into the enclosure and thus secured.

In securing deer, in nutumii (iiul spring, when the ice is thin, the
nnimal is iiuluced to ventun* upon it. m; ! breaking through, is

4t;2

THK AMEUU'AN INDIAN.

oiitaiijflwl and easily cau'^lit. In wintor, wlion snow boffiiis to fall,
traps are sot in siu'li a way as tt) spring instant cU'ath upon tlin nninial
prowling for the bait. A very effective trap for deer was attacinul to a
troe, bcMit over, and so adjusted that the H[)ringing of the trap fastencul
a loop around tli<> hind legs of the deer, at the Hame time releasing the
tree, which, assuming its upright position, suddenly raises the animal
by its legs, and holds it suspended in the c.ir, where it is usually slain
l)y the knife of the liunter.

Anotluu' and more enterprising method was engaged in l)y the
general hunt. A triangular pit^ce of ground was fenced on two sidcis,
extending fnmi one t() two miles in length. The woods were then tired
l)eyond the open side of the triangular space. Tin! ileer wouhl run
from the flames; hunters outsiiUi the line would inanago to guide tht'Ui
through the opening towards the angle formed by the two lines, when
tin* unse(>n hunters wouM bring them down with their arrows or guns.
A hundred deer have thus been taken at one time.

The Indian had still nn-
other mode of sur|tribing or
decoying aninnds. ])y disguising
himself in the skin of an elk,
or other like aidmal. in which
he wotdd li\ U|ion his own head
the head and horns of the elk.
and walk on his hands and feet
in the numner of a ([uadruped,
and pretend to browser or feed
upon the grass aronnd; and by
this and other means so deceiv-
ing herds of animals, that they
would not take idarm by his presence, but sutler liira to approach near
enough I'l kill them with his arrows.

The red nmn observe the time, seasons and phases of the motm for
the better ordering of their hunting, and though stoical in regard to
dt>ath, consider it a great dishonor to i)e slain by a wilil animal, there-
fore they hunt very edutiouslv.

Wild cats are killed by felling the trees on which they an* found,
and then s.'t upon and killed usually iiy the aid of dogs. J'orcu[»ines
are kille.l by the hatchet. The otter is trapped and tin i killed.

The Dakotas liave four seasons each year in which they go forth
to the pleasures and fatigues of the chase. In these expeditions they
are accompanied by the women, who go to bring in the gann'. When
a dojr is killed, the t)ne who reaches it lir-t gets the best piece. The

HUNTlNd l.N UISaUISE.

HINTINd AM) IISIIINCi

Uni

slfiycrs (ifUui got nothing' l»iit tln' hide. If tlif liuiitcis nn' liun>;ry,
tlioro is grtidt ('oiuiiiotion mid scniiiibliii^f lor tlif incat. Tim cliicf
never interfonw. Tlif str()ii<^t'st hnivc is alwiiys in t'livor witii tliocliii'f
and kccjis wliat lit' >;«'ts. ^lorning find fvi-niiij; am fonsidori'd tlio
best tinu» to «>njja<^n in liuntinjLj.

tlm li

lias h

.1)

ith

Among tlin inxjuois, tho Imiiting season lias hcen ohsorvwl with
•piito as niiu'li demonstration as with the J)akota8, tliough tlio instanc«'s
of a solitary Indian bringing in gamo for liimself iind family arn
always fn'<nifiit. Tlit' time for serions eni]>loyment with the Indian is
during the summer and autumn, wIkmi the more j)rovideiit lay by in
store for the needs of the coming winter. In seasons when game is
scarce, the etforts of the father of a family to secure food for those of
his own household, often amounts to actual heroism and self-sacrifice.
Numerous instances are reconh'd of Tiidiaiis hunting for days without
food in orih'r to keep their familii'S from starvation. They have even
died from hunger while in pursuit of gamt* for the famishing ones at
lioiiie. The principal gamo witli the tribe of the Iroquois group are
the deer, nuxjse, bear, and wild fowls. At certain seasons of tiieyear.
the f(>males of all animals are spared by the |>r<ivisioiis of their game
laws.

The Iro(juois do not keep game days, piefening the " still hunt."'
On this account their study of the haliits of the animal creation has
been closer than that of other Indian nations. Tiie trap, as ii means
of capture, is largely used by the Inxpiois, for the l)ear as well as
deer and ot'ier game. They spread nets for <[Uails, pigeons, grousi'.
and other small fowl. With the Iroquois, the bear hunt is the greatest
ev»;nt «)f liis huntei- life. The usual liear dance is engaged in before
setting forth. The custom of the Iroquois is to worry the animal by
a long chase before attacking it. When tlu^ animal is fresh and vig-
orous it is considered too formidable even for an Iroquois. Wlien
weary, he is easily overcome.

The usual weapon of Wui nfttive Indian in killing game, when not
within the reach of his club or stone ax. was the bow and arrow. Tin*
liiilians weni expert archers, and. probably, as a rule, excelled all other
pe)|)le who used the l)o\v and arrow. He coulil draw the bow and
shoot his arrow with inimitable skill, and could with it bring down t.'ie
smalh>st birds by his unerring aim.

Fishing, though demanding h^ss coiiragt* and bravery than the
sports of the forest and held, was engaged in by numerous tribes of
Indians with consummate skill. The Inupiois and ()jil>ways were noted
as (ishermen. I'Ik' net was much in fa\orwith them. They also used
the speai'. harpoon and long ni-t with great success. The i)ow and

AV,\

Tin; A.MKKICAN IM'IAN.

IIINI'INO AM> riSIIINO.

■li;.-)

(inow were sometirnf^s usod to shoot suii-lisli. Littlo hoVK of six yiviis
old were oftt'ii finitt' t!X])('rt in tliis sport. Ipon llic slioics of Laki'
Ffiirnii (iiul Ii(ikt> .Sii|t('rior tlic wliitc iiiiiii lias t'stalilisln'(l a laiiji>
iiiduHtry in catcliini,' and propnrinj^ tin" \vl)iti> fisli for tlic inarUfts of
till* world. Kpr(>, for <;tMH'ratioiis, tin' Ojihuays nn'rciy <,'iuin'd a sul)-
sistence. Tliey arc now looked upon almost as intrudcrH upon tin* land
and water wliicli art' tlifir own l>y all the laws of ('(piity and natural
inlM'iMt.'ince.

Tin' Iroquois art' t'xpert tislu'rnu'n. fspecially those tribes that
live around tht! huuiII lakt's of tin' north. Thi'se men ust^ nets of
enormous leuijth. inanufacturi'd from a species of nettle. The ni't is
thrown u]>on the water in an ohloii"^ shape. Four nu'U art' usmdly
ri'tpiirt'd to pull it ashore, if hulen. as it usually is, with a <^ri'at
tiraught of lishi's; for the Indian umlerstand.s the times and st^isons
for successful lishin;,'. A pt)lt', with several sharp pointed liarhs. is
sometimes used hy the mitives with success. This instrument is let
down into the deep with plenty of nttnictivt) l»ait. The pt)le is kept
constantly whirlin>^. and fish are thus ca>i;,dit upon these barbs.

Geori^'e J\ Kmimuis, of the I'liited States navy, thus describes
the mode of catching fish in tht) streams of tin* northwest coast:

"They catch fish by constructing^ weirs and dams, by scoop-nets,
speiirin^. ami by firinj.^ their arrows into them. In the r\iniun<^ sea-
son. seviM'al tribes are in the habit t)f asstunblinif at tin* Willanmtte
Falls for the purpost* of layinjjf in ii su|)ply for the season. They ri';
t>ut |)lanks and piect^s of timber just l)t>lt)w the falls, upt>n which they
stand antl catch the snlmon in their 8cot)p-iiets as they tiirt out of the
water in their attempts to overctnue the cascati(\

"Their success with the bow ami arrt)w, in this particular, may,
|)erhaps. l)t> re-,'arded as demoiistratinj; something' more than nnue
physical skill in the use of this weaptui.

"Their spt>ar. or fish-<;i^', is somethiuf,^ lik<^ tin* followinjj;: — not
always straight— a split or crotcht'd pole, from ten totwtMitv fiM't lt)n;4.
armed at the spear end with deer's ht)rn; which is intentled to slip otV
the entls of the s[>t'ar after thin' have entereil tin* fish, when thi>v are
held by a lanyard attached to the pt)li> just abt)ve the crotch, and bv
this nu'ans secure the tish as by a to<^<^le."

Hennepin tells us that tish were so pItMitiful that the natives woulil
lit* tlown on a brid>^i' of trees thrown aci'oss the stream, antl. thrusting'
their arms thmuirh the branches, catch prodi>,'ituis tpnintities of various
kintls of tish. That the white num's comiui,' has lessened the tinnv
protluctioiis of the lakes and rushin<jf rivers, is no less true than that
the aniumi that once roamed at will tlnouj'h the forests ami over the

4t;i)

iiii: A.Mi;i;i(AN imman.

hills tlllll |irii|)|r)| witll Icil 111, 11. liJivti llcil or VfllllHllCtI III llir a |l| (lOMcIl

(if llir wliilc iiiiiii. Truly, ili;' liidiaii is imt aldiic in iiis ictii\"t; Imi
tile Ix'usls nf llic forests, tile I'.nvls . if (lii« air. ami tlir Hslicn <r llir
waters, arc liis cinniiaiiioiis (hen!. Oltscrvcrs nf llu» strit-ti-st laws fur
(lie |)ri-st'rvatiiiii of wild animal lifi' will save lis tlif iiftnlcd uxiHtfiic.'
Ill' this part of aiiiinal civiitioii, iimny riiu-cios of wbii-li iiro ja[»idly
passing' away fonivfi'.

CliAI'TKi; WWlll.
THE INDIAN AND THE BUFFALO.

Kaiiu.'.'l til" liiillalo Til.' \Vwt,l l!niV;il(i-\Vlii'ih'.- I Jcrivrd -Funniiiiil.lr Ol.jici ..f
llilliti'l' I'niwcHS |)cscil|'nuii ol till' MillViilo— Miidc nl' 'l';iLiiiir till' liillVaIn
I )i scrilii'il - Inli'ii'si iiitr I )'>''iiiiti"ii !>>■ Mr. Ciiilin - lnriiriimlinii on tins I'uiiil

Inmi ( ri)\. Sil)li'\ All (nt.rc'sliiiK' Ac-i nt lihiiaii l!iil''iil(i I'lmst' - .Mr. <.!iillitrH

'I'lirilliii;,' I >.>i': iliJiciii — His i;l(ii|iiciit llillfcl imi mi tin- l)i:-iai)|n'iiralii f llio

IiiiUaii aiiil lilt" IJiitTiilo --Tin' Niitiiuial I'arU l''irst Siii,'i,'i'>-I'''i.

'I' liiis lii'cii r>Mii!irki'(l lli.i*.
iK'xt ti) \Mir. liiiiitiiiL;' is llic
most |irniii!ii('iit lii'lil n\'
I iiiliiiii tiiuinpli. Tlicri' is
Mniliiiii^f ill tliirt iT^fiird. Ii..v.-
I'ViT. ill wliicli liis
stri'ii^'tli .'iihI a^'ilily
ii<' iimri' fulls ilis-
^ |il;i_vi'(l t li !i 11 i II
lllllltill",' the ItixHi
or liiilValo, Irniii
wliicli soiurc tlit^
snlisisti'iu'i' ul' ii
laiiic iii'Dpirlioii of [\u\ altoriifiiirs of North Aiiicrica was tli'ri\t'(|.
^ riiis annual was liist iioticftl in his native iaii;,'c* hy J)t' Soto, afti-r
ht^ liail tTosscil tJK' Mississi|i|ii rivci- aiul iMitried over into tin^ jnfsiMit
nrcH <if Arkansas ami Missouri. Marly uiiti'i's spoke of Florida us tho
raiii^t^ witliin which the hiilValo was fi ind. This, however, was wln-ii
that eountrv called l'"lorida enilnaccd a i^M'eater part of Nortii America.
There is said to l>e no evidence wiiatever that tlii.- animal ever inli.ili-
ited tlit^ limits t>f the |ireseiit state of Florida.

Mr. Schoolcraft ways that the term rm-n. a|i|ilied to tiiis animal hv
De Soto, and the word /lor/. siilisi'(|iiently ein|iloycd 1)\- the French,
who foiiiiil it pleiitifiil ill Illinois, were merely indicative of its iilentitv
with the hos family, and wc?re conlim d to that siijniiication. Jjinmeiis
found it a jieculiar species, to which he applied the term hison as con-
tnidistiiij^uished fr»)m the .Asiatic Imtralo. The ttinu lnij)'(ilii ap[tearf>

(il)7l

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

illllM
lite

1 2.5
1 2.0

1.8

1.25

1.4 1.6

•• 6"

►

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST M XIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 875-4503

fsi

.1>

(F^>

■'I

<^ ^^

.-^

i-?.

40S

THE AMEIilCAX INDTAX.

to liMvo been early applied to it; and it became so generally in vogue
iu America, as a term designating this aiiijiial, that an attempt to alter
its use thereafter would have l)een wholly impracticn'ole.

The AlgoiHpiins, who called the ])ison hcczliikc, a[){)lied the same
term to the domestic cow when it was introduced.

This animal is common to temperate latitudes, and capable of
enduring cold rather than hot climates It was fimnd in early days to
have crossed tlu' Mississi[)pi river above the latitude of the mouth of
the Ohio, extending its range from the (lulf of Mexico on the south to
the northern extremity of Lake Winnepeg on tht^ north, and westward
into the foot hills of the liocky Mountains; and, at certain times, it
thronged the ccnintry in the present area of Kentucky. It ranged ov(U'
the prairies of Illinois and Indiana, and s])read over Southern Michi-
gan, and through the western skirts of Ohio. Tradition has it that
this animal was sometimes seen along the southern and extending to
the eastern borders of Lake Erie. The name of the city of Buffalo
per[)ttuates this tradition, taking its name, however, more directly
from a stream of water called Buffalo creek, which enters Lake Erie at
this point. This animal was also common to the southern parts of
Wisconsin, and crossed the Mississippi into Minnesota above St.
Anthony's Falls, for the last time, as is believed, in 18'20.

The buffalo, in its native haunts and condition, is a fierce and
formidable object of hunter prowess, and, when wounded, will turn in
retaliation on his pursuer. It is characterized by a large head car-
ried low, broad convex forehead, wide full chest, large hump between
the shoulders, narrow loins and comparatively slender legs. The
weight of a large full grown nmle is twelve hundred to two thousand
pounds. The horns, hoofs and hair, except the middle of the back
which is browii, are black. The face front is triangular in sha[)e,
being broad at the top and narrowing toward the nose. It has a thick
mane, Avhicli covers the whole neck and breast, and is prominent on
the hump, extending above the shoulders, and beneath the jaws is a
long tuft, which, in the males especially, has the ap[)earance of a large
beard. The loins and hinder portion of the aninnd are covered witii
short hair. The legs, especially the hinder ones, are long and quit(^
slim for so large an animal. The feet are broad, and in 8ha[)e are like
those of the common ox. The tail is shorter than that of the ox, and
bears a large tuft at the tip end. The liorns are sharp, I)lack, turned
slightly u[)wards. and are stout and large at the base. The eyes are
of moderate size, very black and brilliant, and seem to be always
open, Avhich, with the low poise of the head, and its unceasing nervous
movements, give it a fierce and menacing air. The buffalo differs in

TIIK INDIAN AND TJIi: liriTALO.

K'.i*

its nnntomy from th(> comiiioii domestic ox ii: liaviiig fourtfion pairs of
ribs, wiiile tlie ox has only thirteen. U]ilil<e tlie deer. Miiicii. in captiv-
ity, becomes tame and ^jjentle even to beinj^ atfectionate. it seems to be
incapable of domestication, roaming continually and aindessly from
))oint to [)o'nt within the confines of its range.

This species of animal was first seen after the discovery in
a single animal I)y Cortez and his followers in 1521. in a kind of
mena<rerie or zooloijical collection of Montezuma in Mexico, to which
place the animal had been brought from the north by some Indians.
This collection embraced also rare l)irdH and quadrupeds, under direc-
tion of this native monarch. It Avas not, however, until the expedition
of Coronado nortii of the River Gila, in loVI, tiiat the natural j'anges
of tliis animal were penetrated. It was not found at all in the high-
lands of New Mexico. The Spanish adventur(>rs had passed theRivei'
Del Norte and entered the region of tlie great southern fork on the
Arkansas before they encountei'cd the immense herds of this aniniid
which they descril)e.

Before the ranges of this ninmal upon the western plains had been
disturbed by the white man, the nund)ers in herds over the prairies at
favorable points, as described by explorers, is amazing. Lewis and
Clark, in descending the Mis.souri river in July. iNOti. on passing in
the vicinity of White river, in the present area of I>nlu)ta, estimate that
they saw twenty thousand l)utfaloes on the prairies at one time; at
another place they rennirk that such was the multitude of these aiunials,
in crossing the river, that, for a mile in length, the herd stretched as
thick as they could swim from l)aidv to ])ank. and they were stopped in
their descent till the herd had passed.

One of the modes of taking these animals, at the time of the
passage of the aforesaid adventurers through the Missouri valley,
where there existed rocky banks, is thus described:

An active voun<f man is selected as a decov. bv diri<;uisin<r his
body in the skin of th(> animal, and putting it on, Avith the heatl, ears
and horns. Thus disguised, h(^ tixes himself at a poiid l)etween the
herd of bison and the cliffs of the river. Meantime, his conqianions
get in the rear and on the sides of the herd, and picss them onward.
Taking the Indian decoy for a real animal, the l)utfal(>i>s follow him to
tiie i»rink and then stop, the decoy meantime concealing himself in some
previ(nisly selected crevice, while the herds in the rear, rushing head-
long forwards, piish the foremost over the preci[)ice, down which they
are dashed ami killed. A hundred carcasses or more were fouiul in a
siiigh^ locality (ui the shores of the Missouri river. They are often
captured by the Indians early in the spring, while crossing that river

.'I
3i

4Ti>

TlIK AMEIMCAN iXDlVN.

in si'an-li (^f fresh grass. It is customary for the natives to fire the
prairies in the spriii<^, wliioli l(!aves ii snu)oth scorched surface. The
auiiual is thus driven, in liordes, to cross tiie river on tlie ice, in searcli
of new i^rass: and, as the ice breaks under tlieir weight, numbers of
thcni are left floating on tiio istjlated cakes of ice, sometimes of but n
few feet surface, from whicli they tundile into the water and are easily
ca[)tured by the Indians in their ice-boats. Tins [jrocedure was wit-
nessed by tlie travelcis liefore named, in March, ISOo. while encamped
at Fort ALuidan.

Mr. Cat! in. the renowned [)aintei' of Indian portraits and Indian
scenery, who spent many years among the native tribes of North
America, extending over a vast region of ctmntry occn[)ied bv tlie
native red man, says of the American bison:

"Tliese nol)le animals of the ox species, and wliich have been so
wtdl des('ril)ed in our books on Natural History, are a subjtict of
curious interest and great im[)ortance in Uiis vast wilderness; rendered
peculiarly so at this time, like tiie history of the [)oor savage, and
from the same consideration, that tliey are ra[)idly wasting away at the
a[)proach of civilized man, and like him and his character, in a very
few vears. to live only in Ixioks or on canvas.

■•Tiie word liull'alo is undoubtedly most incorrectly applied to
these animals, andd. can scarcely tell why they have been so called:
for they b(>ar just about as much resenil)lance to the Eastern buil'alo
as they do to a zelu'a or to a common ox. How nearly they mav
approacli to tlu^ bison of Euro[)t\ wliicii I never have had an op[)or-
tuuity to see. and whicii. 1 am inclined to tiiink, is now n(^arly extinct.
I am niiable to say: yet. if I were to judge from the numerous engrav-
ings I have seen of those animals, and d<'.scri[)tious I have I'ead of
liieiii. I should be inclined to tiiink there was yet a wide difference
ih'twcen tlie bison of the American prairies and those in the north of
Europe and Asia. The American bison, or (as I shall hereafter call
it I buil'alo. is the largest of the ruminating animals that is now living
in America: and seems to have been s[iread over the plains of this
vast country, by the Great H})irit. for the use and subsistiMico of the
red men. who live almost exclusively on their tlesli ami clothe them-
selves with their skins. Their colur is a dark brown. i)ut chan>riinx
verv much as the season varies from warm to cold; their hair or fur,
from its great length in the winter and spring, and exposure to the
weather, turns (juite light and almost to a jet black when the winter
coiit is shed i)lV and a new growth is shooting out.

"The itutl'alo bull often grows to the emu'iiious weight of *J,()()0
pounds, and shakes a long and shaggy black mane, which falls in great

Tin: INDIAN AM) THI', DITKALO.

■iTl

profusion and coiifiisioii over his lioad iuul slioulders. and oft(>ntinu\s
i:'allin<,' down quite to the ground. The horns are siiort, but very
large, and iiave but one turn. i. e.. they are a simple arch, without the
least npproaeii to a spiral form. like those of the common ox. or of the
goat species.

'•The female is much smaller than the male, and always distin-
guishable by the peculiar shape of the horns, which are much smaller
and more crooked, turning their points more in towards the center of
th(> foi'ehead.

"One of the most remarkable characteristics of the butfalo is the
peculiar formation and ex[)ression of the eye, tiie ball of which is verv
large and white, and the iris jet black. Tlie lids of the eye seem
always to be strained (^lite open, and the ball rolling forward and
down; so that a considerable portion of the iris is hidden behind tlie
lower lid. while the pure white of the eyeball glares out over it iii an
arch, in the shape of a moon at the end of its first quarter.

" These animals are. truly speaking, gregarious, but not migratorv ;
they graze in immense and almost incredible numbers at times, and
roam al)out and over vast tracts of country, from east to west, and
from west to east, as often as from north to south; which, as has often
been sui)i)osed, they naturally and habitually did to accommodate
the^nselves to the temperature of the climate in the ditferent latitudes.
The linuts within wliich they are found in America are from the
thirtieth to the fiftieth degrees of north latitude; and their extent
from east to west, which is from the border of our extreme western
frontier limits to the western verge of the Rocky Mountains, is defined
by quite ditferent causes than those which the degrees of temperature
have prescribcMl to them on the north and the soutli. Within these
twenty-five degrees of latitude the butfaloes seem to fiourisli, and get
tiieir jiving witlnnit the necessity of evading the rigor of the climate,
for Avhicli nature si^ems most wisely to have prepared them by the
greater or less profusion of fur, with which she luis clothed them."

The descri[)tion of the butl'alo as given by Mr. Catlin admits of
some explanation. He describes the eyes as presenting a wiiite appear-
ance, which was i)rol)ab]y from observations made while the animal
was in a rage or fright, and whr>n the eyes assumed a position dis-
playing a more than ordinary portion of the white of the eye than
when unexcitt^d.

Ex-(iov. H. H. Sibley, of Minnesota, in an article' on the subject
of the buffalo and 'outfalo-hunting, contributed nearlv forty years a<>-o
to M)'. Schoolcraft's book of Indian tribes of the United States, part
4, page i)4, after expressing fear tJiat the buffalo or America;, bison

472

THE AMEKICAN INDIAN.

"will soon become extinct as a denizen of the wilds of the North
Anierii-aii eoiitineiit,'' says:

•■To what extent this animal roamed over thj Atlantic slope of the
Alleghany Mountains, in ages past, is unceriaii. ; but there are men
yet living who liave seen large herds upon the Ohio, and its tributary
streams. Two individuals were killed in 1.S32 by the Dakota or Sioux
Indians, upon the 'Trempe a I'Eau' river, in upper AViseonsin, and
they are believed to have i)een the last specimens of the noble bison
which trod, or ever will again tread, ^'he soil of the region lying east
of the Mississippi river.''

Ex-Gov. Sibley further adds, concerning the rapid destruction
and disappearance of the buffalo, which had taken place at that day:

"The multitudes of these animals which have hitherto darkened
the surface of the great prairies on the west of tlie 'father of waters,'
are fast Avasting away under the fierce assaults made upon them by the
white man as well as the savage. From data, which, although not
mathematically correct, are sufiiciently so to enable us to arrive at
conclusions api)roximating the truth, it has been estimated that for
each bulfalo robe transported from the Indian country, at least five
animals are destroyed.

"From the Missouri region the number of robes received varies
from 4(),00() to TUO,000 per annum, so that from a quarter to half a
million of buffaloes are destroyed in the period of each twelve months.
So enormous a drain must soon result in the extermiuati m of the
whole race; and it may be asserted with }nuch certainty that in twenty
years from this time the buffalo, if existing at all, will be only found
in the wildest recesses of the liocky Mountains. The savage bands
of the west, whose progenitors have, from time immemorial, depended
mainly upon the buffalo, must, with them, disappear from the earth,
unless they resort to other means of subsistence under the fostering
care of the general government.'"

Ex-Gov. Sibley, in the article aforesaid, gives the following descrip-
tion as to the manner and perils of hunting the buffalo:

"The chase of the buffalo on horseback is highly exciting, and by
no means unattended with danger. The instinct of that animal leads
him, when [)ursued, to select the most broken and difficult ground t)ver
which to direct his ffight. so that many accidents occur to horse and rider
from falls, which result in the death or dislocati(jn of the limbs of one or
both. When wounded, or too closely pressed, the buffalo will turn iij)on
his antagonist, anil not frequently the latter becomes the victim in the
conflict, meeting his death u\nn\ the sharp horns of an infuriated bull,

"In common with the moose, the elk, and others of the same family,

Till'. INDIAN AND THK BUFrALO.

47:5

nature has furnished the butt'alo with exquisite powers at scent, upon
which he principally relies for warning against danger. The inex-
perienced voyager will often be surprised to perceive tiie denser masses
of these cattle urging their rapid flight across the prairie, at a dis-
tance of two or three miles, without any apparent cause of alarm,
unaware, as he is, of the fact that the tainted breeze has betrayed to
them his presence while still far away. In approaching the quarry,
whether on foot or horseback, the hunter must take the precaution to
keep well to leeward. The man walks by the side, and as much as
[)ossil)le under cover of his horse, until within a distance, nearer than
which it would bo impolitic to attempt to advance. The buffalo gaze,
meanwhile, at their approaching enemy, uncertain whether to maintain
their j^round or take to tli<;ht. The hunter vaults into his saddle^ and
speeds towards his hesitating prey, and then connuences the race which
U, the latter is one of life or death.

"The "bow and arrow, in oxi)erienced hands, constitutes (piito as
effective a weapc n in the chase of the buffalo as the firearms, from the
greater rapidity with which the discharges are made, and the almost
equal certainty of execution. The arrow, wliicii is less than a yard
long, is feathered, pointed with iron, and with small grooves along it to
allow of the more rapid effusion of blood when fixed in the animal.
The force with which an arrow is propelled from the bow. wielded by
an Indian of far less than the tn'dinary physical strength of white men,
is amazing. It is generally imbedded to the feather in the buffalo, and
sometimes ever protrudes on the opposite side. It is reported among
the Dakotas or Sioux Indians, and generally credited by them, that
one of their chiefs, irali-iKi-htli. by name, who was remarkable up to
the close of his life for strength and activity of frame, and who was
ec[ually renowned as a hunter and warrior, on one occasion discharged
an arrow with sufficient force entirely to traverse the body of a female
buffalo and to kill the calf by her side. For the accuracy of this
statement I do not, of course, pretend to vt)uch. The arrow is launched
from the bow while the body of the victim is elongated in making Ids
forward s[)ring, and the ribs being then separated from each other as
far as possible, allow an easy entrance to the missile between them.

"The same instant is taken advantage of by such of the western
Indians as make use of long lances wherewith to destroy the buffalo.
Apin-oaching sufficiently near to tin? particular cow he has-' selected for
his prey, the hunter allows the weapon to descend and rest upon her
back, which causes her at first to make violent efforts to dislodge it.
After a few trials, the beast becomes accustomed to the touch and ceases
further to notice it in her great anxiety to escape from her pursuer,

47-4

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

lUMlNIi TIIK l;i Tl-AI.O IN UKliP SKOW.

•who tlit>n, hy a doxt(3rous uml powerful tlirust, sheuthe.s the h)iig aiul
sh!ir[) l)hi(lG in lier vitals, and witlidraws it before the animal falls to
the ground. This mode of slaughter is successful only with those who
have fleet and well-trained horses, and who have perfect reliance on
their own coolness and skill

,- .,-_,_ "When the alternate

thawini' and freezinj; duriuj;
the winter months have formed
a thick crust uj)on the deep
snows of the far northwest,
the buffalo falls an easy victim
to the Indian, who glides rap-
idly over the surface upon his
snow shoes, while the former
finds his powers of locomotion
almost paralyzed by the break-
ini^- of the icy crust beneatli las ponderous weight. He can then be
approached with absolute impunity, and despatched with the gun, the
arrow, or the lance.

'•It sometimes ha[)pens that a whoh; herd is surrounded and
driven upon tlie clear lake of ice, in which case they s[)read out fuid
fall powerless, to be mercilessly massacred by their savage pursuers.
It is a well-knowu fact, that several years since nearly a hundred buf-
faloes attempted to cross Lac(jui Parle, in Minnesota, upon the ice,
wliicli not being sulficiently strong to bear so enormous a pressure, gave
way, and the whole number miserably perished. The meat furnished
a su[)ply of food for many weeks to the people at the neigld)oring trad-
ing-post, as well as to the Indians and to the wolves and foxes."

Mr. Catlin thus descriljes the butfalo chase by the native Indians
of the great American plaijis. He says:

'•In the chase of the buffalo or other animal, the Indian generallv
'strips' himself and his horse, by throwing oti' his shield and (piiver.
and every pai't of his dress which might be an incumbrance to him in
running; grasping his bow in his left hand, with five or six an-ows
drawn from his (pxiver and ready for instant use. In his right hand
((»r attacheil to the wrist) is a heavy whij), which he uses without
mercy, and forces his horse alongside of his game at the swiftest sj)eed.
■'These horses are so trained that the Indian has little use for the
rein which hangs on the neck, Avhilst the horse approaches the aiumal
on the right side, giving his rider the chance to throw his arrow to tlie
left, which he does at the instant when the horse is passing, bringing
him opposite to the heart, which receives the deadly weapon 'to the

riir. tNDfvN \Nn nil' nri'FAr.o.

475

feather.' When pnrsuiiig a lari,'e herd, tlio liuliau generally rides
close in the renv until Jie selects the animal whicii he wishes to kill,
wliich he separates from the thronjr as soon as; lu^ can by dashinj^ his
iiorse between it and tiie herd and forcin>f it otf bv itself, where lie can
ai)proach it without the danf^er of l)eing trampled to death, to which he
is so often liable by too closely escortin<^ the multitude.

"Xo bridle whatever is used in this country by the Indians, as
they have no knowledge of a bit. A short halter, however, which
answers in place of a bridhs is in general use; of wliich they usually
form a noose around tlie under jaw of the horse, by which they get
great power over the animal; and whicli they use generally to .s/o/>
rather than niiidc the horse. This halter is called by the French
traders in the country, hin'H, "the stoj).' and has great })Ower in
ai'resting the speed of a horse; though it is extremely dangerous to use
too freely as a guide, interfering too much with the freedom of his
limbs, for the certainty of his feet and security of liis rider.

"When tiie Indian then has directed the course of his steed to
the animal which lie has selected, the training of the horse is such
that it knows the object of its riders selection, and exerts every muscle
to give it close company; while the halter lies loo.se and untouched
upon its neck, and the rider leans (piite forward and otf from the side
of his horse, with his bow drawn aiul ready for the deadly shot,
which is given at the instant he is opposite to the animal's body. The
horse l)eing instinctively afraid of the animal (though he generally
brings his rider within tlie reach of the end of his bow) keeps his eye
strained upon the furious enemy he is so closely encountering; and
the moment he has a[)proaclied to the nearest distance required, and
has passed the animal, whether the shot is given or not, he gradually
sheers oif, to prevent coming on to the horns of the infuriated beast,
which are often instantly turned and [tresented for the fatal reception
of its too familiar attendant. These frightful collisions often take
place, notwithstantling the sagacity of the horse and the caution of its
rider: for, in these extraordinary (and inex])ressible I exhilarations of
chase, wliich seem to drown the prudence alike of instinct and reason,
both horse and rider often seem rushing on to destruction, as if it
were mere pastime and amusement."

Mr. Catlin, in concluding his remarks upon the l)uffalo, is led into
a train of reflection as to the impeiuling fate concerning both the buffalo
and the Indian, wliich he imparts to us in langiiage truly eloquent, as
he contemplates the day when this noble aninuil. as well as the native
Indian of the forest and the plain, sluiU have passed from earth, to live
only, as he expresses it, "in l)ooks and on canvas." He says:

471

III

Tin: V.MKKtCAN INUIAN.

'•Of such TiKloness and wilds' iiaturo has riowlirn' pit^sfiitod
more beautiful and lovely seeiios. than tiioso of th<» vast jirairies of the
West; and of iikoi and hcasl, no noi)l('r s[)e('inieiis than those who
inhabit them — the finlidii and tlie hnjfalo — joint and ori<,'inal tenants
of the soil, and fui^itives to;L,r(>tlier from the a[)[)i'oaeli of civili/ed man;
they have fled to the great plains of the West, and there, undiu- an
e(jual doom, they Jiave taken up their hi^f (ihodr, whore their race
will expire, and their boues will bleach together."

Mr. Catlin further adds, in the midst of his gloomy reriection, as
a faint ho[)e held out in the future, whereby may be [ireserved to us
some object or lingering examples of these magnitieent scenes in the
life of the red man and the buffalo: '• What a spleiuUd c<mtemplation.
too, when one ( who has traveled tliese realms and can truly appreciate
them) imagines them as they iiiii/fif in the future be seen (by some
great protecting policy of government) preserved in their jirestine
l)eauty and wildness. in a iniujuijiccul park, where the world could see,
for ages to come, the native Indian in his classic attire, gallo[)ing his
wild horse, with sinewey bow and shield and lance, amid tlio Heeting
lierds of elks and buffaloes. What a beautiful and thrilling specimen
for America to preserve and hold ixp to the view of her refined citizens
and the world, in future ages! A ita1i()ii''s park, containing nmn and
beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature's beauty! I would
ask no other monument to my memory, nor anv other enrollment of
my name amongst the famous dead, than the reputation of having
been the founder of such an institution."'

Mr. Cfitlin was the first to suggest the idea of a mttioiml park
for the purposes to which he refers, of which the evidence is here
afforded, and to him should be accorded the honor due for this valuable
suggestion, upon which the United States government has since acted;
and in the northwestern part of Wyoming territory, a tract of about
3,u00 scjuare miles, containing some of the most singular and interest-
ing natural features of the country, has been set apart by an act of
congress as a national park, originally designed, amongst other things,
for the ))urposes suggested by Mr. Catlin; and the day has arrived
when his melancholy contemplation of fifty years ago, has become
a fact in the history of our country's events. The buffalo has
])assed away forever from the domain of his former existence, and
the tribes of Indians who were "joint tenants" with him, no longer
exist in their wild native condition, but have been gathered toirether
here and there upon parcels of land, called rcscrrdfioits, thro\xgh
conquest and compulsion, where they are being instructed in the ways
of the white man, which they are imitating with considerable success.

CHArTER XXXIX.

PICTURE WRITING.

OriKiuiil Moclo o' Sii^'t'ost ill),' TLi()ii>,'lit— I'ieluif Writing ainont,' the AintTicaii
'jifilics—In rrjictice. iis aiiiout,' Aueient Peoplo of tlio Okl World— ]\Iiitorial Used
for Picture WritiiiK'—Cliarac'tors Eiiwravod on Rocks and HtoiioK— TIii< I'iasa—
.Man Devouring Bird— Descriiitioii l)y ^Maiiiuettc— Doscriptiou l)y I'rof. Joiiii
Rnasell -Picture WritiuK on Robes Pipe Hlono Quarry—Instance Noted 1>y
Jonathan Carver— Illustration from La Hontau— System of Pictuio Writing -
Tlie Primitive Mind — Anecdote of President Lincoln's Father— Description
OuotedProra Longfellow— Dightou Rock— Rocks at Kelley's Island- -Caricatures
—Indian Idea— Anecdote of the Shawnee Indian and White Jlaii.

^HE oriojiiial

m () il o () i!

com III nil i-

^•^ eating iiuli-

viilual tlioiiglit and

desires among tlie

race of mankind

was dou])tless l)y

\^ signs, motions or

-V~v

^Mhfk

v-rw,

gestures,

This
mode of communi-
cation was 3 u c-
ceeded b y utter-

ISmAN rlCTUKi. WH.T.Na ON A BUFFALO KOBE. ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^j^^ ^. .^j^^

and articulation of sounds, forming a system of language that became
perfected according to degrees of intelligence. Experi.Mice and
increasing wants further suggested a mode of transferring thoughts
and ideas'^to material substances by characters or symbols, marked or
impressed thereon. As Mr. Armstrong, the author of an interesting
paper on the '■ Piasa," so-called, remarks, that all nations and people
in whatsoever conditii)n, civilized, barbarian, or savage, have adopted
and utilized signs, emblems, symbols aiul paintings as their primary
and most natural, as well as direct and forcible, methods of communi-
cating, recording and perpetuating thought and history ; and that our

(477)

478

nil'; AMKIilCAN IMJJA.N.

i'ictiim: wiiirrNd.

ni>

Byllal)(irit's or iil[)lml)et8 iiro hut a syrttoiii of t_viii>s. Hvinbols aiul
pnil)U)in8, which, wlimi put in t'orni by the iiitl of iiu'chaiiical skill.
" l)ristl() witli tlion<.,'ht"' and Ijcconit* tlio inoaus of rccoi'din^f liistor\.

This art of transfcrrinif thoU'rlit liv iiiai'luii<x or cniiraviii'; char-
notors anil symbols ujion niatci'ial substiinccs was soiiictliin<,' nndt-r-
stood and practicfd throughout all the Anicricau tribes to a ijrcatcr or
less tUsgri'e of jn'ifcction. in j^fcncral, however, tho Indian ideas on
this sultjt'i't were crnde. and his (h'siyns t'x<'ot'din<,dy |)riniitiv('.

It is noted, as a coincidence of method in tins regard, that the
mode of writing' or manner of transfei'rin^f individual tliou^lit to
nniterinl substances among the tribes of America was, in principle, the
same as that in use anciently among the people of the Old World.
In addition to the ixijii/nis, the latter peop!(> made use of dressed
skins called parchmind; so the American Indians used, for th<>ir pic-
ture writing, the bark of such trees as were adapted to this use, and,
in like nninner. also used dressed skins for that I'.rpose. Tli(i Ameri-
can tribes had also a mode by which they engraved (diaracters or iimiges
U[)on stoiu"^ and rocks, us in tlie case of tin' noted ri<is((, S''-c,illed, or
'•man devouring i»ird,"' desc. 'bed l)y the . rly French travelers, found
pnd'.l, zoned upon the rocks on the left bank of tite Mississip|)i river,
near its confluence with the Illinois, ami gem^: ally acceptcnl as the \,ork
of tlie Indians, although Mar([uette sugg(-sts a doubt on this point.
This is among the most noted objects of the kiml of which we have
any account.

It would seem, from what is said by Marcjuette in his discoveries
of the Mississippi, that inscriptions of this kind were frequently t eeii^jS^-
upon the rocks along the banks of this river. He says: "Ah)ng the ;/
liocks I have mentioned, we found one very high and sleep, and saw
twt) Monsters painted upon it, which are so hideous that we were
frightened at the first Sight, and the boldest Savages dare not fix their
Eyes upon them. They are drawn as big as a calf, with two Horns
like a Wild goat. Their Looks are terrible, though their Face lias
something of Hunnin Figure in it. Their Eyes are Red, their Beard
is like that of a Tyger, and their Body is covered with Scales. Their
Tail is so long that it goes o'er Their Heads, and then turns between
their Fore legs under the Belly, ending like a Fish Tail. There are
but three Colours, viz.: Bed, Green and Black; but those monsters are
so well drawn that I cannt)t believe that the Savages did it: and the
Rock whereon they are painted is so steep that it is a Wonder to me
liow it was possible to draw those Figures ; but to know to what pnr-
])ose they were made is as great i mystery. Wliatever it be, our best
Painters wou'd hardly do better."

4«(»

Till'. AMKIMCAN INDIAN.

ft lias 1)0011 sorioiisly (juostioiioil, liowovor, liy inniiy oxporiotiood
oxplon^rs and ohstM'vors in niattors oi" tliis kind, wliotlior tlioso snp-
|M)sod oxtraordinary H^nroH or |)otr()^ra|)lis upon rooks ol' tlio kind
lto^()l•(^ niontionod, woi., not lartjoly tlio rosult of iiini<fination, drawn
I'roni shadows tiirown upon tlio rocks from ditl'onnit viows pri'sontod
to tln> ohs(>rvt>r, as is froipuintly llio oaso in viows upon tlio Ivncky
INloiintains. wiiich show u variety of inniufiiiary objoots, ohanj^iiijii; ihoir
appoaranoo aooording to viows that may ho takon from dill'oront
standpoints.

Tlio oxistonoo, liowovor. of tho imiifjo of tlio Piai^a u])on tho rooks
on tho hanks of tho Mississippi, at tho point hoforo montionod, wliicli
is undorstood to ho in tho vioinity of wlioro is now tho city of Alton,
is vouchod for by Prof. John Hussoll, lato of -lorsoy county, ril., who.
as Mr. Armstrong renmrks, was a scliolar. pool and writor of oonsid-
orahlo ro|mto, who visitod tho locality of this inscription in March,
Is Is, and comniunicatod tho result of his investigation to an oast<'rn
mairazino, in which tlu> samo was imhlislu'd in that voar.

Ho says: "In dosconding tho rivor to Alton, tho travolor will
ohsorvo hi>twoon that town and tho mouth of the Illinois a narrow
ravino through which a small stream discluirgos its waters into tho
Mississippi. The stream is tUo Piasa, [ts name is Indian and signi-
fies in the mini, * the hird that devours men.'' Near tho mouth of
that stream, on the smooth and per|)eiulicular face of the hlutf, at an
eh'valii.n which no human art can reach, is cut the figure of an enor-
nnms bird, with wings extended."

Hero follows a tradition, which Mr. Russell relates, of the oir-
cumstances attending the origin and oct'asion of this in.scription, oou-
duding which he says: "Such is tht^ Indian tradition. Of course I
do not vouch for its truth. This, however, is certain, the figures of a
largo bird cut in the rocks is still there, and at a height that is per-
fectly inaccessible."

Mr. Catlin. who investigated this subject quite thoroughly, savs
ho was unable to find anything like a system of hieroglyphic writing
among these Indian inscriptions. Yet their picture writings on the
rocks and on their robes apfU'oach soniew hut towards it. He says that
he might himself have subscribed to the theory that many of these
inscriptions found" in this country, apparently of remote origin, were
the work of the Northmen, who were sup[)osed to have discovered this
continent at an early period, Imd he not. at the Red Pipe Stone quarry
in Minnesota, and at other places, also, where there are vast nund)ers
of these inscriptions cut in the solid rock, seen the Indian at work
recording his totem among those found there of more ancient date.

I'lCllUK WKIIINd.

wliicli ('(iiiviiico liiiii lliat tln^y liiul Ixm'ii |)r();,'i'('ssiv('ly iikkIi'. at (liU'crciit
iij^ff's, nrid witlioiil any pai'ticnlur Hystciii (luit could lie callc'il liicro-
<f|y|)lii(' writing.

('a|)t, Jonutlifin ('arvi>r, in s[)ruking on this siihjoct, rornarks tliat
whilst thi^ Jndians cannot coininunicatc tiicir i<l("as hy writin;^', yet then'
t'ornii'd certain iiii'ro^Iy|iliics, wiiich, in some measure, sei'ved to [ler-
petuate any measun^ oi' uncommon event; of w liicli lie ^ives an instance
as au illustration, coming under his own ol)S(U'vation, which ha])|iened
while ho was pivicecdiui;' up the ('hip])ewii I'ivei', on his May to I^ake
Superioi'. His ^uid((, who was a chief of the, (!hi|>pewas, fearing' that
SOUK* |)artii's of the Xiiiidoircssics (Si(ai\), with whom his nation uei-e
pei'|>etually at war, iini^ht incidentally fall in wiili tlieni. and In foci^
tliev were appi'ised of his l)eiiii^' in thiur c(im|ian\. do them soim^ nns-
chief, ti wk the followini;' steps:

" ll(< pe(!led thi> l)ark from a hir^e tree, iicuir the enti'ance of a
rivei-, and with wood-coal, mixed with Ijear's grease, their usual suhsti-
tut(* for ink. made in an uncouth, hut e\pressi\-e manner, the liguic of
iho town of the ()iillii<iiiiiil('s. He then formed to tla^ left a man
dressed in skins, Ity which he intendi'd to I'epi'esent a Xaudowessici,
with a line dr'awn from his mouth to that of a deer, tlu! symhol of th<!
('hip[)ewas. .\fter this. In' depictured, still further to the left, a canoe
as [)roceeding up the ri\'er, in which he placed a man sitting with a
hat on. 'I'his lii^'ui'e was desi^neil to I'epi'ebcnt, an {•inglishman, oi-
myself, and my J''renclimaii was diawn with a handkerchief tied round
his head, and low ing tlit^ canoe. 'J'o thesi^ he added otlmr significant
• iinhliMus. anmng which Ihi^ l*i[i(M)f Peaco a[)j)eHred painted (ui the prow
( if t he cano'.

The meaning herein iidended to he conveyed to the Xau lowessies
was that one of the ('lii]>pewa chic^fs had received a K[)eech fn-m sonn*
Naudowessi(i chief, at the town of the Outtaganiies, desiring him to
talvo the Knglislnnan, who had latcdy l)een aimmg them, up the Chip-
piMva river, and that they therehy I'cipiired that th(3 ('hippewa, iiot-
witl'standing he was an avowed enemy, should not lie nioh^sted hv
them in his pussagt;, as Jm had the care of tlu; person whom he
esteenu'd ns one of tlnur nation.

An illustration of Indian hieroglyjihics or pictuin* writing, as
given liy La Hontan, is hem repioduced, with the mode in wiiioli he
explains tht^ sanu'. as follows;

".\. (>[)posite this lettei' will he noticed the arms of Franco witli
an ax aliove. Tln^ ax or hatchet heing a symhol of war among the
[ndians, this imports that I ho Frejich have taken u[) the ax or have
made a warlike exjjodition, with as many tons of men as there are marks

482

THE AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

^ '^ <^ P ^ 4^ 4-

^ ^^

FA0-8IMILE OF INDIAN UIIiUOULYPlIICS OR I'lCTUIiK WltlTINd.
(I'ruiu I.I. Uiiiitiin, ll'iS'J.)

I'lrrruK whiting.

488

or poiuts round the figure. These marks, it will be noticeil, are oi^^^h-
teeii ill uuiuher, and so that siirnified ISO warriors.

"B. Against this letter is a mountain that represents the city of
Montreal (according to the savage), aud the binl on the wing at the
top, signifies depai'ture. The moon upon the hack of the deer or stag,
signifies the first (junrter of the July moon, which is called the Stag
moon.

"C. Opposite this lettcn- is a canoe. imi)orting that tlu'v have
traveled by water as many days as there are huts in the figure, i. e.,
twenty- one days.

"D. U[)oii the same parallel with this letter is seen a foot,
importing that, after their voyage by water, they marched on foot as
manv days as there are huts designed, that is, sineii days' journey for
warriors, each day's journey l)eing as much as fivt> common English
leagues, or five of those which are reckoned to be twenty in a dcgrcM'.

"E. Against tiiis letter is a iiand and three huts, which signilies
that they have arrivetl within tliree days' journey of the Seneca tribe
of the Iro(|uois. whose arms are a hut with two trees leaning (h)wii-
wards. The sun imports tliat they are just east of the village.

"F. Opposite this letter are twelve marks, signifying so many
times ten men, like those at the letter A. The hut with the two trees
are the arms of the Senecas, and shows that they were of that nation,
and the man in a lying [josture denotes that they were sur[)ri8ed.

"Ct. Ill the row o[)posite this letter there appears a cluli and
eleven heads, imp(n'ting that they hnd killed eleven Senecas, and the
five men stamling upright U[H)n the five marks, that they took as many
times ten prisoners of war.

"H. Opposite this letter is an arch, the meaning of which is that
nine of the aggressors, or of the victori(uis party, which are su))poHed
to ' French, are killed, and the twelve marks underneath signify that
as many were wounded.

"I. Opposite this letter will be seen arrows Hying in the air,
some to one side and some to the other, importing a vigorous defense
on both sides.

"K. At this letter will be seen arrows, all pointing one way.
which denotes that the defeated party are either tlying or fighting
upon a retreat in disorder."

"The meaning of the whole, briefiy stated, being as follows:
180 Frenchmen set out from Montreal in the first quarter of the Julv
moon, and sailed twenty-one days, after which they marched thirtv-
five leagues over land and surprised 120 Senecas on the east side of
their village, eleven of whom were killed and fifty taken prisoners.

4Si

TilK AMMKICW INDIAN.

r 1

Tlif French sustaiiuMl tlio loss oi" iiiiio killed and twelve wounded, after
a verv ()l)stiiiate enjfajjemeiit."

As to tiu) (juestioii raised by Mr. Catlin. whether the Indians have
anything like a t^i/sfcDi of hieroglyphic Mriting amongst tlieni, it ninst
be answered tliat they evidently have a regular system in this regard,
or else their hieroglyphics were of that nature j))-iiit(i fucic that thev
naturally conveyed to the mind the idea intended. Mr. Schoolcraft,
in his narriitive of the exploring expedition of Cren. Cass to tlu^ soui'ce
of the Mississippi, in iS'iO, and which lie accompanied, notes an
instance where a pictogra[)]iic letter correspondence was conducted
between a jnirty of Hioux Indians at Foi't Snelling and a [)artv of
Ojihway India;?s attached to Gen. Cass' expedition, in the country of
tlio Up[)er Mississi[)pi, in which those of eacli tril)(\ although speaking
entirely ditl'erent languages, could easily read and understand, and
Avhereby a meeting was brought about between the two hostile pai'ties
at Fort Snelling, under direction of Col. Leavenworth, the commanding
oflicer.

William (ireene, of Menard county. 111., the historic frieiul of tlie
late President Lincoln and the intimate friend of his early youth, relates
nn iiu'ident sliowing how a syst(>m of liieroglyphics natui/allv spriiiiji's
from the untutored mind. Having occasion to visit K(^ntuckv during
early life, on his route he called on Mr. Lincoln's fathei'. then living
in soutiiern Illinois, and who lind charge of a grist-mill erected bv a
large landed [)ro[)rietor for the convenience of those to whom he was
selling off his lands in parcels for homesteads. Mr. Lincoln's father,
he savs. could neither read nor write. Init he had a mode of keenijiir
accounts with customers who had transactions at tlie mill, bv means of
hiei'oglypliics. which Mr. Greene thus explains:

The joists of the u[)[)er floor of the primitive dwelling of Mr.
Lincoln's father projected downward from the ceiling, each of W'liich
was sufficiently deej) or wide to afTord a surface on which these hiero-
glvphics I'ould be written in keeping tliese accounts. Tin; mode was
l)y di'awing parallel lines, of a given number, something like the scale
or lines in written music. Whei'o the transaction consisted of a
bushel of grain, he marked one round dot on the fii'st line; where it
consisted of a half ])ushel, he marked a lik(> dot on the next line,
which would indicate one-half ; and a i)eck was indicated bv a dot si*'-
]>ifvinir one-fourth, and so the whole mode Avas indicated l)v a svs-
tern of hieroglyphics, well understood by Mr. Lincoln, and which Mr.
Greene says he explained to him as being sufficient for all purposes,
and much more convenient than if it were in the usual mode by "men
of laming.''

I'ICTIUF, Wlill IN(i.

4.S5

Tho jKiet Lougfelhnv, in his grapJiic desci-iption of Indian art and
manners and custonm in his '-Songd' Hiawatha." thus ajitly ift'tMs in
Indian hieroglyphics and niodo of writing them:

■'From his poucli he htolv his colors,
Took his )i:iiiit of dill't'i-ciit colors,
Ou the siuoolh bark of ii birch-trt'o
Puiuteil many shapes nnd figures,
Womlorriil iiiid inystiii fijjnrcs.
Ami each li^'iiro hail a incaniiit;.
Each some word or tho.iH-ht snijpested."

Picture writing upon tho skins of animals, or slips from the bark
of trees, or other like material, was the usual mode ])y Avhieli tlie
Indians preserviMJ and perpetuated their poetry or numerous soni's in
use by theni on festive or ceremonial occasions.

Among the most rioted instances of tiit>se aboriginal inscri[ tions
on stone, are those od Dighton Piock. so called, and on sonn' n-i-ks at
Ivelley's Island, in Lake Ei i.'. (Miicerniiig which mncli ims been
Avritten.

With the white man, acconling to our laodiM'u experience, picttu-,^
writing, or illustrations by pictures, especially tiiose in the nature .d'
what is called caricature, convey to tlie mind ideas more foicible than
can 1)0 done umh>r our mode of written descriptions. This, it seems.
Avas also the Indian idea, and he often used picture M-ritingto illustrate
or present ideas he mIsIkhI to convey, rather thau resort to oral expres-
sion, as shown in the following anecdote frcmi Mr. Heckewelder":

" A white man in the Iiulian country saw a Sli(nr(iH<).-i riding a
horse, whicli he recognized for his own. and claimed it from liiiii as
his property. The Indian calndy answered: -Friend! after a little
while I will call on you at your house, when we shall talk of this mat-
ter.'' A few hours afterwards the Indian canu! to the wliit(> man's
house, who insisting on having his horse restored, the other then told
him: -.Friend! the hoi-se which you claim belonged to my uncle,
who lately died: according to the Indian custom, I have become heir
to all his property.' The wliite man not being satisfied, and renewing
his denmml, the Indian immediately took a coal from the fire place and
made two striking figures cm the door of the house, the one represent-
ing the Avhite man taking the horse, and the other himself in the act
of scal[)ing him ; tli(>n he coolly asked the tremliling claimaut • whether
he could read this Indian writing?' The matter was thus settled at
once, and the Indian rode oft'."'

CHAPTER XL.

THE PIPE OF PEACE.

Generally Called Cahiniet— Not an Imlian Word— Not Striftly an Appropriate Term
— A Norman French Word— Its Siguitication— Description of the Pipe of Peace —
Its Sacred Character— Other Classes of Pipes— Mode of Use -Notices by the
Early French— Secured Them a Friendly ltecei)tion— Custom of Smoking —
Mysterious Seal of Religion — Custom the San>o among all the Tribes— Cere-
monies of Smoking— Mode of Making Peace — A Symbol in Ratification of
Treaties— Tobacc(} a Gift of the Great Spirit — From Stone of the Pipe Stone
Quarry — Legend of this Mysterious Quarry— Description from Longfellow.

:;^MONG the most proini-
/ If nent things of which
yll. /i \v ^^'6 If'firn and speak in
Indian life, is the j)ip(;
of jx'dfc. which we liave been instritcted to designate by the term
CdJiimct, being impressed with the idea that it is an Indian, word.
But first of all, it must be explained that the word Ciditmci is not au
Indian word; neither is it a word in any way recognized or understood
by the Indians themselves; and neither is it an appropriate term for
the pipe of pcdcc, except it may be by usage.

La Hontaii says: '■('(iliniifl is a Norman Word, deriv'd from
Clidhiiiicdii. Tlie Savages do not understand the word, for 'twas
introduc'd to Canada by tlie Xornians when they first settled there;
and iias still continued in use aiut)ngst tlie French Planters. The
Cdlinncf or Pij)c is call'd in the Iroquese Language GfiiioiKhioc, and
by tlie dtliei' Savage Nations Potiifn )!.''''

Charlevoix says: "CdliDiicI in a Norman Word, which signifies
Bccil. and the Calumet of the Savages is pro])erly the Tube of a Pipe,
but they comprehend under this Name the Pipe also as well as its
Tube."'

From this it would seem that the Normans constructed their pipes
by fixing a reed, which was a hollow tube, into the bowl of the pipe,
thereby constructing their pi[)es upon the same jirinciples as the
Indians did tlieirs, l)y inserting a tube into the bowl of the pipe. So
the Normans designatctd their pipes in the same manner that we do,
but referred only to tht> tube

(•1S6)

THK PIPE OF PEACE.

487

its

The French did not, however, as is originally supposeil, use the
word Cdliiiurf solely in reference to the pipe of jx-kcc They spoke of
the pipe of pence as the Calumet of prcicc or Calumet for ceremony;
whereas we are in the habit of using the word Calx met alone, to
signify the Indian pipe of })eace, which, as we have seen, the term
does not of itself signify.

La Hontau gives the following accurate description of the Indian
pipe of peace:

••The CdJimict of Peace is made of certain Stones, or of Marble,
whether red, black, or white. The Pipe or Stalk is four or five foot
long; the body of the ('(ihtiiief is eight Inches long, and the Mouth or
Head in which the Tobacco is lodg'd is three inches in length; its
figure approaches to that of a Hammer. The red Calumets are most
esteem'd. The Savages make use of 'em for Negotiations and State
Affairs, and especially in Voyages; for when they have a Calumet in
their hand, they go where they will in safety. The Calumet is trimm'd
Avith yellow, white and green Feathers, and hi.s the same effect among
the Savages that the Flag f)f friendshii) has among us; for to violate
the rights of this venerable Pipe, is among them a flaining Crime, that
will draw down mischief upon their Nations."

The descriptions of the pipe of peace among the early travelers
are somewhat varied, from which it would seem they differed in their
ornaments to some extent among different nations, yet the use and
purjioses and general construction was the same throughout the whole.

Hennepin says: " This Calumet is the most mysterious Thing
in the World among the Savages of the Continent of the Northern
A iiierica; for it is us\I in all their iinpoi rant Transactions. However,
it is nothing else than a large Tobacco Pipe made of Red, Black or
"NViiite Marble. The Head is finely polishM, and the Quill, Avhich is
commonly two foot and a half long, is made of a pretty strong Ileed
or Cane adoru'd with Feathers of all Colors, interlac'd with Locks of
Women's Hair. They tie to it two Wings of the most curious Birds
they find, wliicii makes their C'<iliniii-f not much unlike .\fc)-cH)'ifs
Wand, or that Stait' Emba.ssadors did formerly carry when they went
to treat of Peace. They sheath that Reed into the Neck of Birds they
call //(tar.s, which are as big as our Geese and s[)()tted with Black and
White ; or else of a sort of Ducks who make their Nests u[)ou Trees,
though Water be their ordinary Element, and whose Feathers are of
many ditforent Colors. However, every Nation adorns the Calumet
as they think fit. according to their own Genius, and the Birds they
have in their country."

Charlevoix, in remarking on this subject, says: "The Calumet is

4SS

THE AMKHICAN INDIAN.

■i 1

not less sacred among these people than the necklaces of porcelain,
meaning wani[)um. If }ou believe them, it is ileriveil from heaven,
for they say it is a present which was made them by the sun." He
further adds: "In the Calumet made for Ceremony, the Tube is very
long; the Bowl of the Pipe is commonly made of a kind of reddish
Maible. very easy to work, and which is found in the country of the
JJdiic: (lowas), beyond the }fississij)j>i. The Tube is of a light
Wood, i)ainted of different Colors, and adorn'd with the Heads. Tails
and Feathers of the finest Birds, which is in all Appearance merely
for Ornament."'

It wcmld seem that the Indians not only had a class of pipes used
on occasions of j)eace, but they had other classes of pipes, compre-
hended under the general term of pipes of ceremony, each being
designated in some particular manner. Thus they had a class (if pipes
used on occasions of declarations of Avar, or planning wars or lidstile
invasion u[Mm an enemy. As Hennepin remarks: ■•All their Enter-
prises. Declarations of War, or Conclusions of Peace, as well as all
the rest of their Ceremonies, are sealed, if I nniy be permitted to say
so. with this Calumet."'

They filled the pipe Mitli the best of tobacco they IukI. and then
presented it to those with whom they had conchuU'd any great affair,
and smoked out of the same after them. The pipe of peace was a pass
and safe conduct among all the allies of the nation who had given it,
and in all embassies the embassadm's carried it as a synd)o] of peace,
wiiich was always accepted, for the Indians Avere generally persuaded
that a great misfortune Avould befall them if they violated the public
faith of the pipe of peace.

When the occasion conceriKnl war, the pipe for such purposes Avas
designated accordingly. Not only the tube, but the feathers, also, that
adorned it. Avere painted or colored red. Eiich nation had a peculiar
manner of ornamenting their pipes of peace or ceremony, so that Avhen
a ])i[)e of this kind Avas [>resented, it served to distinguish the nation
from Avhich it came.

The efficacy of this mysterious symbol Avas early noted by the
French in their A'oyages of discover\ through tlu) North American con-
tinent, and of it they at once availed themselves, and studiously
a[)plied it on all occasions of going among a strange people; and there
are no instances on record among these explorers Avhere this proffered
emblem of })eace Avas disregarded by the native red man. According
to Hennepin, throughout all the period of La Salle"s expedition, it
everyAvhere secured them a friendly and hospitable reception, and pre-
served them from all threatened harm. Indeed, according to the

THE I'll'K OF I'KACE.

48U

history of this reinivrkable ex})t'(litioii. <,'ui(le(l by tliis hiirlnii^fcr of
pea"o iuul good will, it was not the snvago tribes wliii-li La Sallo had
most to fear, but Ids danger lay in another direction, that of the
treaoherons s[)irit of his own people, by whom ho was afterwards
assassinated.

The custom was to smoke the i)il>e of peace when accepted l)y the
party to whom it was tendereil. and there is no instance recorded
where the agreement thus consummated, by snK)king a [>ii>e of jieace
offered them, was ever violated. If, in the midst of a battle, tiie enemy
presented a pipe of peace, the rule admitted of its l)eing refustnl; l)nt,
if it was acc(.'ptetl, the rule was that the [)arty accepting it must
instantly lay down their arms. The pipe of peace was also used in
trades or exchanges agreed u[)on. where it was presented to contirm
the transaction, which the Indians considered in some way rendered it
sacred. The opiinon is expressed tliat the Indians in smoking the
Calumet with parties with whom they had conclmled a transaction, in
council or in trade, intended to take the sun for witness, and in some
measure for a guaranty of their treaties, for their uniform custom was
to blow the smoke in the direction of that orb.

The opinion of this people seems to have been that they could not
tind any signs more natural, to mark a strict union or pledge of faitli,
than to smoke the same pipe, especially Avhen the mysterious seal of
reliirion Avas added to it, bv otl'erintj to Dietv the smoke drawn from it.
To smoke the same pipe, therefore, in token of alliance, was the same
as to drink from the same cup by many other nations of the earth.
Indeed, among our own people, in common transactions, we have, as
viewed by many, that not very commendable practice of taking a
mutual drink of intoxicating liquor to confirm an ordinary trade or
financial transaction, each touching the glass of the other to signify
mutuality.

The custom of smoking a pipe of peace at councils seems to have
been essentially the same among all the native tribes, although differ-
ing in detail in some respects, according to the diflference in notions
and various superstitions ; a very good description of which is given by
Capt. Carver, in his ti'avels tlirough the interior parts of North America.
On occasions of this kind, after those of the council were seated, some
person designated or duly authorized from the position he held, took
the pipe, and, after filling it with tobacco, procured a thoroughly
kindled coal from a fire, which Avas generally kept burning in the midst
of the assembly, and Avhich he placetl on the tobacco. As soon as it
Avns sufficientl} lighted, he threw off the coal. He then turned the
stem of the pipe toAvards the heavens, after this, toAvards the earth, and

400

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

then, hokliiig it horizontiilly, he moved himself around till he Imd com-
ph^ted a circle. By the first action, he is supposed to present it to the
Great Spirit, -..Iiose aid was thereby HU[){)licated ; by the second, was
averted any nialioious interposition of the evil spirits; and, by the
tiiird, the protection of the spirits iiihal)itinj^; the air, the earth and the
water was gained. Having thus secured the favor of those invisilile
agents, whose assistance or forbearance were considered imj)ortant, lie
[)resented it to the hereditary chief, who, having taken two or three
whitl's, blew the smoke from liis numth towards the sun or tiie heavens,
ami tlu^n around him upon the ground. The pipe was then, in the
same manner, put into the mouths of embassadors or strangers, who
observed the same ceremony ; then presented to the chief of the war-
riors and to all the other chiefs in turn, according to grade or rank,
during Avhicli time the person who executed this honorable office at
such ceremonies, Jield the pipe slightly in his hand, as if he feared to
press the sacred instrument; nor did any other person presume to touch
it but with his lips, it being held all the time, while being presented to
each person, in the hands of this master of ceremonies.

When it was desired to make peace with an enemy, chiefs or
embassadors were sent out to so unite them, bearing in front of them
the pipe of peace. On approaching the town or camp of the enemy,
they commenced to sing and dance, appropriate to the occasion, as
a warning oi- signal of their ajiproach. at the same time extending
or displaying the pipe of peace to mark the intention of their

coming.

The parties thus apprised of their arrival, at the sight of the pipe
of peace, divested themselves of their enmity, and invited the visitors
to the habitation of the great chief; and, during the negotiations fol-
lowing, furnished them with tha hospitality at their command, where-
iipon a council was held, speeches Avere made, and negotiations were
concluded, in smoking the pipe of peace. The painted hatchet was
buried in the ground, as a memorial that all enmities between the con-
tending parties had ceased, and that peace had taken [)lace.

Mr. Catlin, in s[)eaking of the uses of the pijie of peace, after
his extensive experience among the wild tribes of America at that day,
says that, after the terms of a treaty in council were agreed upon, as
the means of solemnizing or signing by an illiterate [)eople, Avho had
no knoAvledge of the means of writing, accoiding to usual custom,
they adopt this method of smoking the pipe as a mode of signing their
names to their agreements, in place of the manner adopted by civil-
ized people, and that the passing of the sacred stem to each chief, who
draws from it r breath of smoke, is the passing of an inviolable pledge.

THE PIPE OF PEACE.

I'M

the most sncroil which can possibly ho given tlicm, observing the terms
of their treaty, agreement, or treaty stiimlation.

The Indian regarded tobacco as a gift of the Groat S[)irit. and it
was, therefore, ever considered a sacred {)lant; and it must be noted,
also, that from this fact tliero followed the further superstition that tlie
act of smoking was a communion with the Great Spirit or Master of
Life, in wiiich wore mingled sentiments of gratitude for this higiily
Hp])reciated favor, and from this probably followed the farther super-
stition of the sacredness of this ceremonial pipe.

These peace pipes were supposed t<i come originally fi'om one
source, the quarry of a jjeculiar stone in the soutiiwestern part of
what is now the state of Minnesota, and called the "Pipe Stone
Quarry." According to Indian tradition, Mr. Catlin says: "Here
happened the mysterious birth of tlie red pipe, which has blown its
fumes of peace and war to the remotest corners of the continent,
whif'h has visited every warrior, and jjassed tlirough its reddenetl stem
the irrevocable oath of war and desolation, and here also tiio [)eace
breathing Calumet was born, and fringed with the eagle's quills, wliich
has shed its thrilling fumes over the land and soothed the fury of the
relentless savage."

According to this tradition, at an ancient period, the Great Spirit
here called the Indian nations together, and, standing on the preci-
pice of the Red Pipe Stone rock, broke from its wall a [)iece, ami, by
turning it in his hand, made a huge pipe, which he smoked over them
to the north, south, east and west, and told them that this stone was
red, that it was their desh, that they must use it for their pipe of
])eace, that it belonged to them all, and that the Avar club and scal[)ing
knife must not be raised on its ground. At the last whiff of his pipe
his head turned into a great cloud, and the wliole surface of the rock
for sciveral miles was melted and glazed. Two gi'eat ovens were opened
beneath, and two women, guardian s[)irits of the place, entered tliem
in a blaze of fire, where they have ever remained, answering to tlie
invocations of the high priests or medicine men, who have consulted
them when visiting tliis sacred ])lace.

This legend or tradition is the one which Longfellow so beautifully
relates to us in his "Song of Hiawatha,"' in the style of Indian [)oetry:

" Ou the monntaina of the prairie,
Ou the uretii Ited Pipe Stone Quarry,
Gitche-numilo, tlie nni,'ht.v,
Hi', tlie master of lif(>, (loseeiuliuff.
On the red eraj,'s of the iiuarry
Stood ereet and called the uatious,
Called the tribes of men together.
*****

n»-j

Tin: A.MKMC.VN INDIAN.

From the ri'il stoiii" of I lie .|iiiin'\-
V.' til his hiiiiilH lie hroko ii rrajjiuciit,
Moldeil it into a pipo iicad,
Sh(i|n'(l 1111(1 fiisliicini'd it with tlKiircs;
From till' iiiJiiKin ot the river
Took ii loll).' reed lor a pipe uteiii.
With its dark yrecii h'aves upon it:
Filled the pipe with hark of willow,
With the l)ark of the red willow;
Breathed upon the neiirhlioriii^r forest,
Made its trreal houtfhs chafe fotrether,
Till in llaiiie they hurst and kindled;
And erect upon the mountains,
Gitche-iiianito. the iiiii,'lity.
Smoked the ("aliiniet, the peace pipe,
As a siunal to the nations

* * i|i ^ tf:

Then upon the >,'round the warriors
Threw their clonks anil sliirts of deer skin,
Threw their weapons and their war t,'ear,
Leaped into the rushintr river.
Washed the war paint from their faces.

From the river came the warriors,
Clean and washed from ail their war paint;
On tile hanks their cliihs they huried,
Buried all tiieir warlike weapons.

:|: * :|: i!: *

And m silence all the warriors
Broke the red stone oflr" the ipiarry,
S^iuootlied and formed it into peace pipes.
Broke the lon^,' reeds liy the river.
Decked them with their britfhtest feathers,
And departed each t)ne homeward.
While the master of life, nscendnitf,
Through the openiii;,' of <'loud-curtains,
Throu^rh the door-ways of the heaven,
Vanished from liefore their faces.
In the smoke that rolled around him.
The Pukwaua (smoke) of the peace pipel"

CHAPTER XLI.
WAMPUM.

Mt-aniiitr <>f Word Wnmpnm— Massncliiisctts Dinlect— Ah Dosrrilied In- Pali'roy -
Kinds cit Waiiii'ii'ii— J)oscri|)ti()n of 3Iakinu Not Originally Used in Coninu'rcial
Trausnctions When First Uwd as Hiu-li -Value- -Witrn as an Ornament- As a
Syiuhul in Preserving' M.'Uiory of Events -As a Katilieation of Treaties— Pled^K
of Frieiiiislii|i \ot ('uiiiMion anmni,'

l< ' ■ '*H»lmt>XllltMl«IM««M4Hii

: I ^» ' •nrMtMrnMnfmrMNnSmi

■niiimmmnimn

ami V i-iinnMtat'UmMattmuHai

rtt.Mfii »iimini«rrr?i*iifi;i»imoiiiiffirt
iMMrunni»iiin»:ii,ii,mMMnnri»'>.iiirM

.'*!,' J!!'. "i"f.''.'""'""^"'«'»""«l"'""'»l''
tiitfLir»iiiitiuii<iri.iir^ti.Trrjit,inMl>IMtfii
niuinmnnuinitiU'ni'iuitnuiutntuy

.nm-nrnt'ttMuutm; •.'nnntuuumMH

IrriitirlNWi rilt>W«i'>M>Fr~

(»M*t

|lWtll|l(kttUir>in«!'ll>tIlt«<ll,ltl»H.llll»<l

fcl1^rlv<(ll»lVI:<tul|k■ul■I•clrnM)>l^»•<>i>»>
ii)ttriliiiMiii|>(ll(iiHt«lf!tniuwii>tMlti(vi

iiii)ttriiiiiMiii|>(ii(iiHt«if!tniuwii>tMiti(vi
»limm»»nii»imw'-ijinr»i»f»itiittrrti

o I > ri ■■ki til (IUIM<'ldB|l»>Tl Nil xiiri I Wl

l»>vi«M»nnrwmin

i.'>»«w«iiiiiiirti-
iiiifim-

'."Y^. I M P( \^f ( or ir(»iipn )ii )

is H word ill the (liiilcci

of tiic Mnshacliusctts

■ - Indians from ir(>iiii>i\

si'.'-nifyini,'' ••wliitf." Tlin woi'd in

til is I'oini is an abbreviation from

irdiii/i-inii-jic-nii, m t) a n i ii <(

'•wJiiti' shells."' liaving reference

to the material from whioli it is

made.

Tliis artieh' is well described
by PaU'roy, who says "it con-
sisted of cylindrical piec(!s of the
shells of fes1(iccoiii< fishes, a quar-
ter of an inch long and in diam-
eter less than a pipe stem, drilled

^M ' kM"i'i ra

rrrH

* --y ir lenirtlnvise so as to be stiung

PIECE 01' WA.Ml'l M lli;i. 1 lllXoNOINUTOTIlK
O.N(I.NDA(.Art.

*^--^;HW-rrnwmft-r-T>i:i,,!..i.M,' \,'\\\w ,^j„,„ ^ thread."

]\'(niij)iint was of two kinds,
(Mie being clear white and the
other black, or of a dark pur[)le
color. The word itself would indicate that originally it was made
only of Avhite substances. Indeed, Roger Williams informs us that
the Indians called that only which was made of white sub.stances
iramputii; and that which was made of black or dark colored material
they called .svfcAY///oo/i' or .s/f/,-/. signifying "black:"' but it seems tliat
this distinction was lost sight of, and the general term ivampum was
applieil to this article without regard to color.

(493)

494

THE AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

A traA'eler, in the year 1760, in giving an account of his journey
from Newark, N. J., to New York, by the way of Staten Ishind, gives
the following concerning the information he derived on tlie way in
regard to the mode of making wampum. He says: '• In my way I
had an opportunity of seeing the method of making wampum. It is
made of the clam-shell; a shell consisting within of two colors, purple
and white, and in form not unlike a thick oyster shell. The process
of manufacturing it is very simjde. It is just clipped to a proper
size, which is that of a small oblong parallelo[)ipedoii, tiien drilled and
afterwards ground to a smooth round surface and polished. Tiie pur-
ple wampum is much more valuable than the white, a very small part
of the shell being of that color."

On tlio subject of making wampum and its use, the following is
from Lafitau:

'•AH atl'airs are conducted by means of branches (strings) and
necklaces (belts) of porcelain (wampum), Avhich, with them, take
the {)lace of compdcts, written agreements ami contracts. * * *
The shell, whieh is used for afPairs of state, is worked into little cylin-
ders of a quarter of an inch in length, and large in proportion. They
are distributed in two ways, in strings and in belts. The strings are
composed of cylinders threaded without order, one after another, like
the beads of a rosary; the beads are iisually quite white, and are used
for affairs of little consequence, or as a preparation for other more
considerable presents."

Mr. Gookin, an early Puritan writer, says of wampum, that it
was made artificially of a part of the wilk's shell, and made principally
by the "Marraganeet" and Long Island Indians, upon the sandy tlats
and shores of those coasts where the wilk shells are found.

It would seem, on the authority of Peter Jones, that wam[)um
was not used among the Indians as an article of commerce, or as a
medium in commercial transactions, until after the Europeans came
among them. He says that wampum was first introduced at Plymouth,
New England, as an article of commerce, by Isaac De Razier. a Dutch
merchant, in the year 1(')27, when the Dutch, then residing on the
sea coast, manufactured the article themselves after the style of
Indian manufacture. Its value, when it became a medium of exchange,
was regulated by the color, the black or purple being double the value
of the Avhite.

On this subject Mr. Palfrey says: "The beads of a white color,
rated at half the value of the ])lack or violet, passed each as the equiv-
alent of a farthing in transactions between the natives and the
planters."

WAMPUM.

4V)5

Roger Williams says that wampum was considered as the Indian
money; one fathom of this thin-stringed money being worth five
shillings.

Not only Avere these strings of wampum \ised as money, or a
medium of exchange in financial transactiems, but the Indiana, both
male and female, wore them about the neck freely, ami in profusion.
They also wove them ingeniously into belts, which were used as sym-
bols on various occasions, as well as an article of apparel. The style
in which these belts were made, however, indicated the manner in
which they were intended to be used.

There was one style which was intended to preserve the occurrence
of events in their history, and another which was used on the occasion
of treaties between nations or tribes. La Hontan, who speaks of
these belts as Colio; says:

'• They are certain swathes of two or three Foot in length and six
Inches in breadth : being deck'd with little Beads made of a certain
sort of shells that they find upcm the Sea shore, between New York
and Virginia. These IJeads are round, and as thick as a little Pi a ;
but they are twice as long as a grain of corn. Their color is either
blue t)r white; and they are bor\l thro' just like Pearl, being run after
the same manner upon strings that lie sidewaj's one to another.
^yitlloul the interveiition of these Coliers, there's no business to he
negotiated with the Savages; for being altogether unacquainted with
writing, they make use of them for Contracts and Obligations. Some-
times they keep for an Age the Coliers that they have received from their
Neighbors; and in regard that every Colier has its peculiar Mark,
they learn fr'ai '.he old Persons the circumstances of the time and
place in Tuich they were deliver'd; but after that ago is over they are
made .ise of for new Treaties.'"

Charlevoix, in speaking of wampum, its signification and uses,
says: " By the Mixture of Beads of different Color they form what
Figures and Characters they please, which often serve to express tlio
Alfairs in Question. Sometimes also they paint the Beatls; at
least it is certain they often send red Necklaces, when it concerns
War. These Necklaces are preserved with Care, and they do not only
make a Part of the jinblic Treasure, but they are also as it were Kec-
ords and Annals wliiiih are laid up in the Cabin of the Chief: When
there are in one Village two Chiefs of e(pial Authority, they keep the
Treasure and Records by Turns for a Night; but this Night at present
is a whole Year,"

Capt, Carver, in s[)eaking of Indian councils between tribes or
nations, for the purj)ose of adjusting ditferences between them, says a

41 m;

Tin; A.MiaillAN INDIAN.

bt'lt of Avainpum is given on such occasions to serve ns n ratificfition of
peace, and records to tiie latest posteritv. by hieroglypliics into which
tlie heads are formed, every stipuLated article in the treaty; and these
belts are composed of ten, twelve, or a greater nund)er of strings,
according to the importance of the aifair in agitation, or the dignity
of the person to wiiom it is presented.

From time iiniuemorial among the native tribes, the wampum belt
passed as a pledge of fricndsliip. and was sent to hostde tribes as a
messenger of peace, when such was desired; or passed at so many
fathoms length, as tribute to conquering enemies and Indian kings;
but as to iiow general this custom originally prevailed among Indian
nations is not known. It lias been assumed, however, like all other

USE OF WAMl'lM liKl.T IN INIMW COlNCll .
i''uc »iiiiilo ul uii iiUl piint liuiii I.alitMii.

iiulian customs, that it was general throughout all native ImUau tribes
and nations.

Mr. Catliii. however, who entcnvd upon his long experience among
the wild tribes, about the year lS.33, says that, after passing the Mis-
sissippi river, he saw Init very little wam[)um used, and on ascending
the Mi.'.iouri, he does not recollect of seeing it worn at all by the Upper
Missouri Inidans. although tlie same materials for its manufacture
were found in abundan(re tlirough those regions; and that ho met init
very few strings of it amongst the tribes north and west of them. But
below the Sioux, and along the whole of the eastern frontier, the dif-
ferent tribes were found load.ed and beautifuUv ornamented with it.

WAMPUM.

497

which they could well afford, for it was not then a very ex|ieiisiv(>
article, as tiie fur traders had iiigeniously introduced a si)urious
imitation unfuiufactured by steam, o^' otherwise, of porcelain or some
composition closely resend)ling it), with which they Hooded the whole
country and sold it at so reduced a price as to chea[ieii, and, conse-
quently, (k'stroy the meaning and use of the original wampum.

It is certain, however, that the great Sioux natitm had a knowledge
of this article, as they had a name for it in their original language,
viz.: W(i-iiiun-li(t-(l(iii., im-aning '• large beatls;" ''snail shell."

£n the second annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the
Smithsonian Institution, in an article contributed by William H.
Holmes, the following, compiled from Beauchamp's notes, is given,
showing the use of strings of wampum among the modern Iroquois:

"Si\ strings of [)ur[)le beads, united in a cluster,
represent the s'x nations. Wlien the tribes meet
the strands are arranged in u circle, whicii signi-
ties that the council is opened. The Onondagas
are represented by seven strings, wiiich contain a
few white beads; the Cayugas by six strands, all
pur])le. and the Tuscaroras by seven strands, nearly
all pur[(le. Tlie Mohawks have six strings, on
which there are two [)urple beads to one white.
There are four strings in the Oneida cluster; these
contain two purple to one white bead. The Senecas
have four strings, with two purple beads to one
white. The thr»'o nations which are brothers are
represented by similar clusters.

'■ When a new chiet is installed, the addre.ss
delivered on the occasion is •talked into' ten very
long strings ot white wampum. Three strings,
mostly wliite, represent the name of the new chief.
AVhen a chief dies he is mourned on ten strinirs of
black wampum. If he has merely lost his office,
six strings are used."

According to Mr. Beauchamp, "possession of
beads gives authority, and th(>y are also usiid as
credentials, or, as the Indians ex[)re88 it, 'Chief's
wampum all same as your letti'r.' Such of these strings as remain in
existence are still in use among the Iroquois, and are considered very
precious by them, being maile of antique haud-uiade beads."

STUlNCiS Ol' WAMI'U.M.

CHAPTER XLII.

INDIAN ELOQUENCE.

;5r •

luJiau EloiiiUMK-e a Native Tiileut -Not Aoiiuiroil by Book Ednoatiou — Retort of Ret!
Juclvi't — "I was Born an Orator" — Power of Iinlian Elociiieiiee- Iiuliaii Elo-
(Hieiico Su|)erior to the Wliite Mai. - SimileK and Metaphors Drawn from Nature
— Speeeh of the Indian Cliief Lo),'an- Elements of Indian Elixiueuee- Indian
Iileas (xatliered from Surroundings- The Tempists -The Woods- Tlie Water-
fallH -Tiie Sky -In.iusti<'e to the Indian Lauguatres -Adapted to Eloiiueut
I'^xpre sions- Enthusiastie Description by Cah.'b Atwater -His Experience —
[iiilian Eioqueiiee ui Council No Violent (lesticidations- No Overwrought
Enthusiasm -The Voice is Loud, Clear, Distinct and Commanding Exalted
Opinion from a Public Journalist Some of the (ireat Indian Orators Enum-
erated Si)eech of Capt. Pipe, a Delaware Chief, at Detroit, in ISOl— Speech of
Ciraiigula, the Iroijuois Chief — As Reported by La Houtan — £xam]>les of Indiau
Eloijueuce.

' rCH lias been snid of
, Indian eloquence, glow-
_^ V" ing accounts of which
-^i^->^ come to us tlii'ough
travelers and historians, justly
exciting our admiration and tend-
ing to further attirm the axiom
that orators are born such, and
tliat the white man's education
alone cannot make orators. To
he an orator is to possess a
native talent — a talent which can-
not be acquired — yet, through
proper means, this accomplish-
ment may, nevertheless, in many

SI'KAKINli TO TUK COr.NliL.

respects be ai<led or improved.

Tlie Indian had no system of book education by which to imiu'ove
his mind and faculties, but whatever he possessed in this regard was
born in him; and. it' he improved in the sanu> during his life, it was
simply through experience and practice, withcmt regard to any system
of education from books. The rehu't of the celebrated Seneca chief,
Red Jacket, when referred to as a "warrior," on some puldic occasion,

INDIAN ELOQUENCE.

499

is in point ns to the Indian idea in this respect. "A warrior," said he:
"I ain an orator. I was lH)ni an orator."

The Indian was advanced to position and influence among liis
people through his power of eloquence — through his talents of
ex[)ressing ideas in a manner captivating and convincing to his hearers.
Tliis power tlie Indian orator possessed in the liighest degree. In-
stances of oratorical powers among the native Indians were not rare,
but were possessed by individuals to a marked extent, and in a larger
proportion among their numbers than with the civilized ami educated
white man.

His simile 5 and metaphors were drawn from nature, and he pos-
sessed the true elements of an orator. Mr. Heckewelder says: ''TlLe
eloquence of the Indian is natural and simple; they speak what their
feelings dictate without art and without rule. Their speeches are
forcible and impressive; their arguments few and pt)inted; and wlirn
they mean to persuade as well as convince, they take the shortest v.ay
to reach the heart."

He refers to the fact that the oratorical powers of the Indian havt^
been strongly controverted, which he considers not astonishing when
we are reminded of the prejudice that exists among our own people as
to their languages, which are, in general, believed to be poor and inad-
ec^uate to anything beyond the ex[)ression of the most common ideas.
Hence, the specimens of their oratory which have been given to the
world, have been viewed Avith suspicion as to their genuineness; as
in +'.3 case of the celebrated Indian chief Logan, the authorship of
whose celebrated speech has l)een by some attributed to Thomas
Jefferson, but Mhich we are informed was tirst communicated to the
world by Col. John Gibson, to whom the speech was made by Logan
himself, and Avhich Col. Gibson declared to be correct as he had given
it o\it. Good authority on this subject declares that this speech was
delivered preciselv as it is related to us at this dav. with onlv this
ditl'erence. that it [)ossessed a force of expression in the Indian lan-
guage which it is impossible to translate into our own.

There is inxicli force in this asserticm. The Indian lan^ruatre,
which is a language of nature, and peculiarly adapted to the illustra-
tion of eloquent sentiments, is one which cannot, in its interpretation.
be brought to our own, retaining the same force and beauty it [lossesses
in the original tongue. The natural similes and metaphors, in which
the Indian orator indulges from want of skill oi- capacity in tiie inter-
preter, or from the deficiency in our own langwige in expressing ideas
with that force and beauty that may be ex[n'essed in the native lan-
guage, are lost in their interpretation into our language.

500

Till!: A.MKIMCAN INDIAN.

il-

O 1

Tlio force of this remark must 1x3 concurred in by intelligent
persons, who have had an opportunity tn l)e [m'sent at Indian councils,
where speeches of their great orators have been made. Historians of
ex[)erience in Indian life ex[)ress regret tliat the character and genu-
iueuess of the Indian languages have not become better known nmong
people of our own race, that proper justice miglit be done the native
red man in respect to his language, that it might be decided upon a
p.roper basis of information as to whether or not it is adecpiate to the
pur|)Ose of oratory.

It would be expected that Mr. Schoolcraft, who spent thirty years
of his life in an oiHcial position among th(> native Indians in the
vicinity of Lake Superior, and who mastt>red the AlgoiKpiin language
as spoken l)y the Ojibways, would have soniotiiing to say on the sub-
ject of Indian eloquence, and would afford us some light concerning
this subject. He has satisfied our anticipation in this regard to some
extent in his book entitled '• Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes,"
which is made up largely of notices of passing events in the form of
a journal or diary. In this book, under date of November 20th, l^^'il),
he says:

••Professor Charles Anthon, of Columbia college, writes for speci-
mens of Indian eloquence. The world has been grossly misled on this
sul)jeet. The great simplicity and occasional strength of an Indian's
tlioughts. have sometimes led to the use of figures and epithets of
beauty. He is surrounded l)y all the elements of poetry and elo(juence
— tempests, woods, waters, skies. His mythology is poetic. His
Morld is replete with spirits and gods of all imaginable kinds and hues.
His very position — a race falling before civili/ation. and obliged to
give u[) the bow and arrow for the plough — is poetic and artistic. But
he has no sustained eloquence, no continuous strains of varying
thought. It is the Hash, the crack of contending elements. It is not
tJie steady sound of the water-fall. Such was the eloquent appeal of
Logan, revised and i)ointed by Gibson. Such was the in(U'e sustained
s[)eech of the Graiiguia to La IJarre, the Governor General of Canada,
witli La Hontan as a reporter. Such were the speeches of Pontiacand
the elocpient Sagoyawata. or Red Jacket, the readiest reasoner of them
all, wiiicli were diluted rather than im[>roved by athniring paragra[)li-
ists. Many [)ers()ns have proposeil to write a volume of Indian
elo([uence. Mr. Conant's design on this subject is fresh. The present
request is to supply Mr. Barker, the publisher of 'Stephens' Greek
Thesaurus," Cambridge, England. What umler the sun do the learned
world su[»pose the Indians are made of? A man spending his time
pain!ii!ly to catch a beaver, or entrap an enemy, without atores of

INDIAN ELOQUENCE.

oOl

tlion^lit, witliout leisnro, with often iiotliiii<f to tnit, ami iiotliiu^' tn [nit
on l)ut tatters and raj's, and. withal, with the wlioh» An<;h)-Saxon race
trending on his t(jes, and burning out his vitals with ardent spi'it,
8uch is the Indian."

In this [)aragra[)li Mr. Schooleraft well portrays to us the causes
or the surrounding circumstanees from which springs or emanates
Indian elo(|iien('e, in which those well accpiainted witli Indian eiiarae-
ter will, in general, concur; but the fault of Mr. Schoolcraft in his
conclusions in general as to the Indian, is that he is continually
inclined to view liim as he lias become since th(! advent of the white
man, and after imbibing the evils and vices incident to our civilization.
There is some force, however, in his suggestion that the Indian had
no continuous strains of varying thought; tliat liis eloquence was a
flash, the crack of contending elements, and herein consists one of the
beauties of Indian elocpience which has called forth so much admiration.

The entiiusiastic, well-infoiined admirer of Indian ehxpxence has
never contended for anvtliiu'' inore than contained in this sr^jfestion
of Mr. Schoolcraft. He was not l)orn and reared, nor did he move in
the field of science or literature. Whatever ideas he ijnthered, as well
remarked, were from surroundings, the tempests, the woods, the water-
falls, and the sky. All these afforded him ample sources for the native
eloquence he maintained.

Speaking of the poverty of his language, as many have done,
whereby it is ill adapted as a means of elocpience in expression, gi'eat
injustice is done to the Indian languages; which are languages tliat are
rich in those words or parts of s[)eech called verbs, which express
action, and in which regard, no element in a finished language for the
purposes of j)ression of thought was wanting: and as for nouns and
substantives, his language was not wanting in any respect as to those
objects with which he was surrounded.

When Ave s[)eak of the Indian in this connection, we I'efer to hiin
as the untutored man in his native condition of life, in which it must
be admitted, from the examples transmitted to us. that, in the scale of
intelligence and general character, he has much to commend him to
our admiration and respect: and when we search into our own antece-
dents and view the chiiracter of our ancestors at the earliest ^>eriod,
coming down even to the time when William the Conqueror invaded
England, we may fail to find any such high order of examples in the
scale of intelligence as were found by the early invaders of this conti-
nent among the native tribes of North America.

Caleb Atwater, one of the commissioners on the part of the Fnited
States government, in making a treaty with tiie various Indian tribes

50".

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

\l ■

for the purchase of a large tract of huul in Northern Illinois and
Southern Wisconsin, at Prairie chi Cliien, in August, IS'IU, where
speeches were made by tlie great chiefs of that day among the various
tribes assembled, in a book giving an account of the proceedings at the
council at which this treaty was made, takes occasion to remark at con-
siderable length on the beauties and force of Indian oratory as exhib-
ited on the occasion of that council. H«^ says that their persons are
the finest forms in the world. Standing erect, with eyes Haniing with
enthusiastic ardor, and a mind laboring under an agony of thought,
the Indian is a most impressive orator. When he speakn before his
assembled nation on some great national subject, he shows most mani-
festly that he feels an awful responsibility in what he attempts to
advocate in behalf of his [)eople.

He relates that he has seen a chief, when ho approached the sale
of his country in his speech, turn pule, tremble with fear, and sit down
uerfectly exhausted in body from the effect.

In council, on such occasions, on each side of him sit all the chiefs
and warriors of his nation, while behind him sit, in full hearing of his
voice, all the women and children of his peojile. His subject is one,
then, of the highest conceivable importance to Jiimself and his whole
nation. Placed in such a situation, the character of his eloquence is
easily conceived. It aboumls with figures drawn from every object
which nature [)resents to his eye. He thanks the Great Spirit that he
has given them a day for holding their council without or with few
clouds, as the case may be; that their several paths between their
homes and the council-fire have been open and unattended with danger ;
that the storm is passed away and gone, and he hopes that during the time
he may be detained from home, the beasts may not destroy his corn,
nor any bad bird be sutfered to tly about the council with talse stories.

All this is uttered without much gesticulation and without enthu-
siasm. But should he touch upon the subject of a sale of his country,
his whole soul is in every word, in evc^ry look, in every gesture. His
eye Hashes fire, he raises himself upon his feet, his body is thrown in
every attitude, every muscle and nerve being strained to its utmost
power. His voice is loud, clear, distinct and commanding. He
becomes, to use his own expressive phrase, a mcu}.

He recalls to the minds of those around him the situation and
circumstances of his ancestors, when they inhabited the whole conti-
nent; when they, and oidy they, climbed every liill and every moun-
tain; cultivated in peace the most fertile spots of earth; angled in
every stream ; Ininted over all the vast hunting-grounds of the forest
antl the plains, and glided along in their canoes on every lake and

INDIAN KLOQUENCE.

503

river. He refers to the clays of his ancestors, who had their hxl^es
ill the coolest shades in summer, and beside the [jiirest fountains,
where an abundance of food was always at hand and easily obtained.
There, he says, that the labor they Jiad to perforin was only what the
white man calls sport and pastime; and that in winter they lived in
tha thickest forests, where they were protected from tlu^ chilliiij^ and
piercing winds. He refers to the coming oi the white man, how he
was small and weak ; how he begged for a few acres of land, which was
given him; and how, when he became strong, and so great in size that
his head reached the cloiids, and, with a large tree for his staff, step
by stej), he drove the red man before him, from river to river, from
mountain to mountain, until the red man seated himself on a small
territory as a final resting place, and now the white man wishes even
this small spot.

The novelist Cooper, whilst advancing proofs supporting the
theory that the American Indian is of Oriental origin, in connection
with the same thus incidentally refers to Indian eloquence:

"The imagery of the Indian, both in his poetry and in his ora-
tory, is Oriental, chastened and, perhaps, im[)roved by the liinitetl
range of practical knowledge. He draws his metaphors from the
clouds, the seasons, the birds, the beasts, and the vegetable world. In
this, perhaps, he does no more than any other energetic and imagina-
tive race would do, being compelled to set bounds to fancy by experi-
ence ; but the North Americcin Indian clothes his ideas in a dress which is
different from the African, and is Oriental in itself. His language has
the richness and sententious fullness of the Chinese. He will express
a word in a [jhrase and he will qualify the meaning of an entire sen-
tence by a syllable; he will even convey different significations by the
simplest inflections of the voice."

A Avriter on Indian eloquence, in a public; journal of many years
ago, closes with the following enthusiastic tribute to native Indian
character and eloquence: ''Their actions may outlive, but their
oratcu'y, we think, must survive their fate. It contains many attributes
of true eloquence. With a language too barren, and minds too free,
for the rules of rhetoric, they still attained the power of feeling, and
a sublimity of style which rivals the highest productions of their
more cultivated enemies. Expressicns a[it and pointed — language
strong and figurative — comparisons rich and bold — descriptions cor-
rect and picturesque — and gestures energetic and graceful — were the
most striking peculiarities of their oratcuy. The later orations,
accurate mirrors of their character, their bravery, immovable stoicism,
and a native grandeur, heightened as they are in expressiveness by

504

run AMKHir.vN inpian.

the molaucholy !ic't'oin[)iuiiineiit of fipiiroiichiiij^ I'xtoimiimtioii. will bo
as eutluriu<j; as tho swnn-like music of Atticii ami Ilomau eloquence,
which were the funereal song of tho liberties of tiiose republics."'

Iiuleeil, there is not an instance in Indian history, from the earliest
time, even as written i)v tlie wliite man, but M'liere Indian su[)eriority
in elo(juenco and mental capacity is made to a[)[»ear. How nnicii the
historian may have been inclined to withhold the fact of superiority
on the part of the Indian, still his native inttdligence is everywhere
made to appear, both in jieace and war, in which examples art* afforded
us in the character of those illustrious chiefs coming down to us in
history, sncli as Powhatan, Massasoit, King Philip, Tammanend, Pon-
tiac, Tlieyendenagea (Brant), Tecumseh, lieil Jacket, CXsceola, Black
Hawk, lied Cloud, and others.

SPEECH OK THE DELAWARE CHIEF, CAl'T. I'lPE.

Mr. Heckewelder, Avliose long ex[)ei.ence as a missionary atforded
him an o[)[)ortunity to judge correctly on ims subject, and who is high
authority on Indian character, declares that the enthusiastic admira-
tion of Indian oratory, so much indulged in, is no exaggeration, ami
refers to an Indian speech at an important council at which he was
present, of which he gives what he says is a correct translation taken
by himself, he being i)roficient in the language in whicii it was spoken.
He says :

'■ This s[)eecli was spoken at Detroit, on the frontier of Canada,
on the Oth of November, 1801, by Ca[)t. Pipe, a chief of the Delaware
natiim, and was addressed to the commanding officer of that post, then
in possession of the British. The Delawares, it will be recollected, luid
been the steadfast friends of the French in the war of 1750. The peace
which was concluded in ITliiJ, between the two great nations, who then
contended for the supremacy of this continent, was not, for several
years, regarded by the Indians, and they continued their hostilities
against the subjects and government of Great Britain. They were
ol)liged, however, to submit to superior force; not withoiit hopes that
their father, the King of France, would soon send over a powerful
army to retake Canada, They were in this situation when the war of
the revolution broke out. It is Avell known that it Mas a part of the
system of the British administration to emi)loy the savages to siibdue
those whom they called their revolted subjects. The Delawares. in
general, having in vain endeavoreil to remain neutral, took part with the
Americans. Capt Pipe, however, with a party of the Wolf tribe,
joined the English in the beginning of the war, and soon after repented
it. But it was too late. He was now reluctantly compelled to go out

INDIAN KLOQUENCE.

505

against tlio Americans with tlmso men under hm (•dmraiind. On IiIh
return from one oi tiiose oxpeilitions he went to make his re[)urt tt)
the Jjritisli comummhint at Detroit, by whom he was received in state,
at the council house, in tiie presence of n great number of Indians,
British olHcers and others, Tliero were several missionaries present,
amon^ which was I. The chief was seated in front of liis Indians,
facinjii; the commandant. He held in liis left hand a human scalp,
tied to H sliort stick. After a pause of some nnnutes, he rose, and,
nddressin<^ the governor, delivered the following speech:

"Father!" (Hero the orator sto[)ped. and turning around to the
audience, with a face full of meaning and a sarcastic look, which I
sliould in vain attempt to describe, he went on in a lower tone of
voice, ns addressing himself to them). "I have said ffi flier, altiiougli.
indeed. 1 do not know why I am to call him so. having never
kmjwn any other fatiier than the French, anil considering the English
oidy as Iti-ofhcrr But as this name is also imposed u[)on us. I shall
make use of it and say: (here he fixed his eyes on the commandant i.

"Father! Some time ago you put a war hatchet into my hands,
saying: Take this wea[)on and try it on the lieads of my enemies, the
Jonij knires, and let me afterwards know if it was shar[) and good.

"Fatker! At the time when you gave me this weapon, I had
neither cause nor inclination to go to war against a people who had
done me no injury; yet in obedience to you. who say you are my father
and call me your child. I received the hatchet, well knowing that if I
did not obey, you would withhold from me the necessaries of life,
without which I ctmld not subsist, and which are not elsewhere to be
procured, but at the house of my father.

"Father! You may perhaps think me a fool for risking my life
at your bidding; in a cause, too, by which I have no prospect of gain-
ing anything, for it is i/onr cause and not mine. It is your coueern to
fight the loiH/ knires; yon have raised a quarrel amongst yourselves,
and jioit ought yourselves to fight it ont. You should not compel jour
children, the Indians, to expose themselves to danger for ijour sokes.

"Father! Many lives have already been lost on your account;
nations have suffered, and been weakened; children have lost parents,
brothers and relatives — wives have lost husbands. It is not known
how many more may perish before your war will be at an end.

"Father! I have said that you may perhaps think me a fool for
thus thinightlessly rushing on your enemy! Do not believe this,
fatlu-r; think not that I want sense io convince me that, although ytm
noiv pretend to kee[) up a perj)etual enmity to the lo\i(i knires. you may
before long conclude a peace with them.

GOC)

TIIK AMEUR'AS INDIAN.

"Father! You any you love your children, tho Imlians; this you
have often told them, and indeed it is your interest to suy so to llieiu,
that you may have them at your service. But, father! who of us can
believe tiiat you love a people of a different color from your own
better than those who have a irliilc skin like yourselves? Father! pay
attention to what I am ^ohu^ to say. While you, father, are setting
me I meaninj^ tlie Indians in i^eneral) on ycmr enemy, much in the
same manner as a hunter sets his do<^ on the game; while I am in the
net of rusiiing on that enemy of yours, with the bloody, destructive
weapon you gave me, I may, perchauce, happen to look back to the
place from whence you started me; and what shall I see? Perhaps I
may see my father shaking hands with the loiifi /i'»('/y'.s; yes, with
these very people he now calls his enemies. I may then see liim
laugh at my folly, for having obeyed his orders, and yet I am now
risking my life at his command. Father! keep what I have said iu
remembrance.

'•Now. father! here is what has b'^on done with the hatchet you
gave me (^handing tlie stick tt) the commandant, with a scalp upon it ).
I have done with the hatchet what you ordereil me to do, and founil it
sharp. Nevertheless I ilid not do all that I iiii;ilit have done. No, I
did not my heart failed within me; I felt compassion for ijour
enemy. Innocoicc (helpless women and chihlren) had no part iu
your (juarrels, therefore I distinguished — I 8[)ared, took some tirci
Jlcsli, which, while I was bringing to you, I spied one of your large
canoes, on which I put it for you. In a few days you Avill receive the
J'rsh, and Jind thai llic skin is of the same color with ijoiir oivn.
Father! I hope you will not destroy what I have saved. You, father,
have the means of preserving that which with me would j)erish for
want. The warrior is poor, and his cabin is always empty; but your
house, father, is always full."

"Here," says Mr. Heckewelder, "we see boldne.ss, dignity and
humanity, happily l:)lended together and luust ekxpiently displayed.
1 am much mistaken if the comi)oneut parts i-i this discourse are not
put together much according to the rul--^ <>( oratory wliich are taught
in the schools, antl which were certainly unknown to this savage.
The peroration at the end is sliort, but truly i)athetic, ami I would
even say sublime; and then the admirable way in whicliitis prepared.
I wish I could convey to tiie reader's mind only a small part of the
impression which this speech made on me and on all present when it
was delivered."

By the term lo)!;/ kiiires, in the aforesaid speech, was meant the
people of the United States, which comes from the term which the

INDIAN ELOQIT.NOE.

507

liuliniiH of tho Atliintic const originally a[)[)lio(l to tlio English, wlicii
first appeiiring iimoiig tluMu, from tin* fact of their carryiiii^ swonls, a
wea[)oii the Indians had never seen before then, which attracted their
8i)ecinl attention.

THE FItENCH AND THE lUOQUOIS.

A very noted instance, j^ivinj^ an example of Indian oratory, luitivo
intellij^ence and Indian sagacity, is given l)y Baron La Hontan, in his
work (Mititled "New Voyages to North America," Letter 7, being an
account of the expedition of Do La IJarre, the Clovernor Genorul of
Canada, against the Iroquois, occurring in l!'»S|. At this time the
French of Canada were contending with the English ujion the Hudson
river for the trade of the Irocpiois Five Nations, inhabiting the country
on the south of Lake Ontario. The French were watching the prog-
ress of the English in this regard with 8[)irited jealousy, it being found
that the Irocpiois were inclining in favor of the English in regard to
their trade. The French kept a considerable military force along the
border of the Iroquois country to hold mem in awe of their power.

In Novend)er of the year before mentioned a military expedition
under De La Barre proceeded by boats along the coast of Lake Onta-
rio to the country of the Iroquois, landing at the mouth of v/hat was
then called the River J)<' L<( Fcnninc, or what was afterwards calletl
HiDujrij Bctij. Whilst the real object of this expedition was, as before
intimated, to overawe the Irotjuois and thereby influence them to
withdraw their ti'ade from the English and give exclusive preference
to the French, their pretended object was to require the Iroquois to
desist from their alleged raids on tlie more Western tribes, with whom
tlie French had secured amicable relations for purposes of trade.

At this time tlie Ir(K[uois were a confederacy of five nations,
bound together for the ))iirposes of defense against other tribes and
nations, their seat of government being at Onondaga Hill, where the
principal cliief of the five nations resided, and who, in the absence of
general council meetings, was the representative in all affairs of the
government of the five nations, and authorized to speak for them.
Hence the object of De La Barre was to secure a conference with the
ruling chief at that place; but instead of making the journey ti) his
seat of government he assumed tho position of superiority and dis-
j)atched a messenger to this chief, recpiiring his appearance at his
canq) at Hungry Bay. But the French commander evidently under-
rated the native Indian sagacity; and, in the interview which followed,
he ranks in history as unequal in debate and diplomacy to the wild
Indian chief, whose presence he had so haughtily commanded, as is

508

Tin'; AMKHFCAN INDI.W.

h '

:>3

'iii »

c'lenily shown by the orticijil (iccmint of tlio occasion Jis i^iven by La
Houtan hinisolf. the liistorinn of tlie occasion, which is liero set out in
his own words for the purpose of better iHustratinj,' what is liere
aUetfed in regard to native Indian talent:

"As soon as Mr. dc ht iUirrc luid dispatcht^d this Canoe, he sent
Mr. Ic Moiiir to tlie vilhige of the Onnotaj^ues, whicli hiv about ei'^li-
teen h'a>rues up the river. This Mr. !<■ Moiiic was a ".^entleniaii of
XoniKnidi/, and hi<^hly esteennnl by the I rofjiirsc, wlio called him
^lk(>iics>i(iii, i. e., flic Pdrlridi/i'. His orders Avere to endeavor by all
means to bring along with him some of the olil standers of that nation:
and accordingly he returned in a few days, acompanietl with one of
their most considerable grandees, who had a train of thirty young war-
riors, and was distinguisiied by the title of the GvitiKjuUi. As soon as
he (hibarked Mr. dc Ui i'xo'yc sent him a prest>nt of bread and wine.
and of thirty salmon trouts, which they Hshed in that place in such
plenty, that they brought up a hundred at one cast of a net: at the
same time he gave the graniUn^ to understand that he congratulated iiis
arrival, and would be glad to have an interview with him after he had
rested himself for some ilays. You must know that he iiad used the
precaution of sending the sick back to the colony, that tlie I r()<iiicsc
might not perceive the weakness of his force's: and to favor the strata-
gem, Mr. /(• Moiuc represented to the (iVduijuhi that the body of tlie
army was left behind at Fort Froiilciidc, and that the troops he saw in
our cam[) were the (ieneral's guards. But unhappily one of the /ro-
(lUfsc that had a smattering of tlie Freuch tongue, having sli'olled in
the night time towards our teids, overheard what we said, and so
revealed the secret. Two days after their arrival, the (Iridu/idd gave
notice to Mr. dc la Bavvc that he was ready for an interview: and,
accordingly, an lu)ur being appointed, the whole comjiany appeared."

La Hontan says tlie (ii'diKjiild sat on the east side, being placed
at the head of his men. v.ith his pipe iu his mouth, and the great Cdhi-
iiict of peace befo.e him, and that he was very attentive to the harangue
wiiich ])i^ La l^irre pnniouiiced by our interpreters.

A descri[)tion of tlu. piiie of j)eaco before mentioned, it will b»*
remembered, is given in a pr(>ceiling cliaj)ter, and the Colier hereinbe-
fore mentioned, is also described in a [.receding cha[)ter concerning
\\'(niii>ini:.

Iai Hontan says " Mr. dc la Ilarrc's hiirangm^ was to this pnr|iose:

'Tlie King, my Master, being informed that tlu* Fiv(! I luxjiic-^c
Nations have for a long time made infractions upon the measures of
peace, ordered me to come hither with a guard, and to send .Ihmcssmi
to the Canton of the Oinioffijiiics. in order to an inU'rview with their

INDIAN i:i,(i(,iri:Ni'i;.

50' t

1 1 II.

{)riiu'i|ial leador.s, in the noiirliljorliood of my ('iuii|). This ^rciit Mon-
arch mt'Hiis that yon uiul 1 siumld smoke togetlicr iii tiie <i;reat < 'tihiincl
of Peace, witii tlie proviso that you eiij^age in tiie name o!" tlio Tftnii-
iiDiiliiiKnin. < lo/ioiiiiiiiis. ( fiinohniiics. Oiiiiojioulcs, and Aijuics, (Senocas.
Cayu<i;as, Onoiidai^'as, Oneidas and Moliawlcs), to make i(>paratioii
to his subjects, and to hi\ j^nilty of notliiiii,' for the future tliat may
occasion a fatal rupture.

■Tlie T.^oiiiioiiloiKiiiK. (lOiiojioiKiiis Oiiiioldiiiii's. Oiiiioi/oiilcs and
Ai/iiics liav( stripped, robbed and al)used all the forest-rnngers that
traveled in the way of tratU' to the country of the llliiii'sc, of the
OiiiiKiiiils. and of several other nations, who are my Master's cluldien.
Now this usage bein<f in hii,fii violation of the treaties of peace coji-
cluded with my ])redecess()r. I am commanded to demand reparation,
and at the y;;'me time to declai'e, that in casi^ of their refusal to comply
with my demands, tu' of relap^ini,^ into the like robberies, war is [losi-
tively prochumed.

■ 77//.S' C;oli(>r »/r;/,7',s' iii/i ii-ai'ds ijooil.'

•'Llie '.vari'iors of these Fiv( Nations iiave introduced the Kinili^li
to tlit> LdLcs. l)elon<^ini,r to the Kiiii;-. my Master, and into the countiy
of those nations to whom my Master is a father. This they have done
with a design to ruin the commerce of h's subjects, and to oblige these
nations to d(>[iart fiMni their due allegiance, notwithstanding the
)'emonstraiic(^ of thi^ late (lovei'iior m!' New Yoi'k. who saw through the
(hmger liiat l)oth In^ and the l^iiijlir^li exposed tl'.emselvcs to. .\t
[irc sent i am willing to forgcit those actit)ns, but if ever you l)o guilty
of th(> like for the future. 1 have express orders to declare war.

• '/7//.S' Ci'lier inirmnh nii/ inu-ils.'

'The same warriors have made s(>v(>i'al i)arbarous incursions upon
the country of the /lliiicsr and tlu^ Ounnuiiix. They have nnissacred
men. women and <'hi]dren; tht\v have taken, itound and carried otf an
infinite nund)er of tlie natives of those countries, who tliouglit them-
selves secure in their villages in a time of ])eiice. Tliese people are
ujy Master's cliildreii, nnd tlierefore nnist herenfter t iso to l)e youi'
slaves. r charge y'li to ;'estoi'(> 'lun to thi'ir libe. !;, md send 'em
home without delay: ''or if tlu^ Fiv(> Nations refuse to comply with
this diMuand. I have eAj)ri^ss orders to declare war.

'7'///.-.' (holier iiKikcs 1)11/ iroiuh ijixul.''

'This is all I have to say to tin' (ifdiiiiiihi. whom I d(>sire to
report to the Five Nations, this declaration, tiiat my Master com-
manded mt> to nuike. He wislnnl they had not obliged him to send a
potent army to the Fort of ('(ilin'droni/, in oider to carry on war that
will prove fatal to them. And he will be very much troublei' if it so

510

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

falls out, that this fort, which is a work of peace, must be employeil for
a prison to your militia. These 'uischiefs ought to be prevented l)y
mutual endeavors. The FrriicJi, who are the brethren and friends oi
the Five Nations, will never disturb their repose, provided they make
the satisfaction I now demand, and jirove religious observers of their
treaties. I wish my words may produce the desired effect; for ii they
do not, I am obliged to join tlie Goveriu.. of Ne-.y York, who has
orders from the King, his Master, to assist me to burn thj five vil-
lages, and cut you off.

T/i/s Colier confiriDfi dii/ ivnrdti.''

"While Mr. ilc l<t Barrc's interpreter pronounced this harangue,
the O'ridH/iila did nothing, but looked u[H)n the end of his pipe. After
the speech Avas finished, he rose, and having taken five or six turns in
the ring that the French and savages made, ho returned to his place,
and. standing u[)riglit. s[)oke after the following manner to the Gen-
eral, who sat in his cluiir of state:"

» il

SPEECH OF THE IROQUOIS CHIEF.

^Oiiiionfi'o. I lionor you, ami all the warriors that accompany me
do the same. Your interpreter has made an end of his disccurse, and
now I come to begin mine. My voice glides to your ear, pray listen
to my wt)rds.

■ Oiiiioiilio, in setting out from Qiichcc. you mixst needs have fan-
cied that the scorching beams of tiie sun had burnt down the forests
which render our country inaccessible to the French; or else that the
inundations of the lakes had surroundinl our cottages and confined us
as prisoners. This certainly was your thougbt; and it could i)o noth-
ing else but the curiosity of seeing a burnt or drowned connirv tliat
moved you to un<lertakti a jimrney hither. But now you have an
opportunity of being undeceived, for I and my warlike retinue come
to assure ynu that the TKoiioiiloiKiiit^, (foiidi/oiKiiis, Oiniolfiniies, Oinia-
jldiites and .l/////c.<i, are not yet destioyed. 1 return you thanks mi tl'eir
name for bringing into their country the ('(ilnnief of Peac, that your
predecessors received from their hands. At the same tim(* I congrat-
ulate your happiness in having left under ground the bloody ax. tiiat
has been so often tlyed with tlie blood of the French. I must tell you,
Onnoiifiii. [ mi not asleep, my eyes are open: and the sun thnt vouch-
safes the liglit gives me a i-leiir view of a great (\'i|)tain at the lu>ad of
a trooi) of soldiers, who speaks as if he were asleep. He pretends
tliat he does not nitproach to this lake with any otlier vicMv than to
smoke with the Oinioltujucs in the great Caliinief; Inu tlie (ir((n;/iil(i
knows better things: he f.ces plainly that tlie Oinioiilio meant to

INDIAN ELOQUENCE.

oil

lio
us

nil
uie

lo-

'ir

lur

it-

>u.

.)!■

to
la
to

knock 'em on the head, if the French nrnis had not been so nmcli
weakened.

'I perceive that the Onnonth) raves in a camp of sick peo[)le,
whose lives the Great S[)irit has saved V)y visiting them with infirm-
ities. Do yon hear, Oiiiiontio. our women had taken up tlioir cluhs.
and the children and the old men had visited your camp with their
bows and arrows, if our wailiUe men had not .stopped and disarmed
them, when Akouessdii, youv embassador, appeared before my village.
But I have done. I'll talk no more of that.

'You must know. Oinioiifio, we have robljeil n-) Fn'iicluiicii but
those who su[)[)lied the IIHiksc and the ()iiiiit(niis lour enemies I with
fusees, with powder find with ball. These, indeed, we took can; of,
because such arms miglit have cost us our life. Our conduct in tliat
))oint is oi a piecu wiih that of the Jesuits, who stave all the l)arrels
of brandy that are brought to our cantons, lest the people getting
drunk should knock "em in the head. Our warriors have no beavers
ti> give in exchange for all the arms they take from the Frencli: and
as tor the old superannuated people, they do not think of bearing arms.

'77i/,s Colier t'()nij)r('li("itlx diij iroxh.''

'Wo have ccmducted tlu; Fiijilisli to our lakes, in order to tratlic
with tb.e Oiiiitoiuis, and the lliiroii^: just as the Ahioiikiiifi condm'ted
tlie French to our five cantons, in order to carry on a commerce tliat
ti)e EiKjIish lay claim to as tiieir right. We are born free men. and
have no dependence either upon the Oinioiih'o (U* the Corhir ( Corlar is
the title of the Governor of New York). AVe have a power to go
where we please, to conduct whom we will to the places we resort to,
and to buy and sell where we think tit. If your allies an^ your slaves
or children, you may 'een treat them as such, and rob *em of the
liberty of entertaining any other nation but your own.

' 77"',s- C\)lier coiilain.'^ mij ironlti.'

' We fell upon tln> Illiiiene and the OmiKiniis. because they c\i*.
du\\-n Hie trees of peace that served for limits or b(,uiidaries to our
ir;)Titior8. They came to hunt beaver upon our lands: and contrary to
the custom of al! the .savages, have carried olf whole stocks, liotli male
and female. They have engaged the ChdoiKinoiis in their interest,
and entertained 'em in tht.'ir country. Thin- supplied 'em with tire-
arms, after the concerting of ill designs against us. We iiave done
less than the EiKjIish and the FreiicJi, who withstood any ri>,dits, hav-
ing usnrfied the gr>>unds they are now possessed of; and of which they
have dislodged sev(U-al nations, in order to make way for their building
v>l' cities, villages and forts.

' 7V(/,s Colier contains iiii/ irords.''

'A -2

TlIK AMEKICAX INDIAN.

;i J

*I give yoii to know. Oinioiilio, tlmt my voice is the voice of the
five rro([ii('S(' cantons. Tliis is thoir answor, pray incline your ears,
and listen to what they represent.

'The Tsoiionloiudis, (foijononaits, OiiiiohKjiics, Oiiiioijoiilcs and
Af/iiics. declare that they interred the ax at Cutdvucouy, in the pres-
ence of your predecessor, in the very center of the Fort; and planted
the tree of peace in the same place, that it might be carefully pre-
served; that 'twas then stipulated that the Fort should be used as a
place of retreat for merchant, and not a refuge for soiiliers; and that,
instead of arms and ammunition, it sliould 1)6 made a receptacle of
only beaver skins, and n/erchandise goods. Be it known to you.
Oiiiionlio, that for the future you ought to take care, that so gre<it a
number of martialnn n as I now see being shut up in the small Fort,
do not stiHe and clioi he tree of peace. 8ince it took root so easily.
it must needs be of pi i conse(;[uence to stop its growth, and to

hinder it to shade bolii yn., ■ ■< untry and ours with its leaves. I do
as. 'ire you, in the name of tlie five nations, that our warriors shall
dance the ('(iliniict dance uncier its branches; that they shall rest in
trauipiility upon tlicir mats, and will never dig ui) the ax to cut down
tiie tvee of peace, till such time as the Oinioiih'o and the CofJar, do
either jointly or separately offer to invade the country that the Gi'eat
S[)irit has disposed of in the favor of our ancestors.

• 77//.S' Colier (■diitdiiis iiii/ irords. (iiid llic oilier roiiipi'dioids llic
poivc)' (/rdiilcd llic hji the Five Xalioiis.'

'•Tlien the (irdiif/iild addressed himself to Mr. Ic ^Joi)l(', and
spoke to this purpose:"

'^ihiiit'sstiii. take heart, you are a man of sense; speak and ex-
plain my meaning; be sure you forget nothing, but declare all that thy
brethren and thy friend represent to thy chief. Onnonlio, l)y the voice
of the Gvdii'jiild. who pays you all honor and respect, and invites you
to accept of this present of beavers, ami to assist at his feast im-
mediately.

•This other [)resent of beavers is , Mit l)y the Five Nations to the
Ouiididio.'

'•As soon as tli.' UrdiKjiild iiad done. Mr. Ic ^Joiiic and the Jesuits
that were present, explained his answer to Mr. deht Bavtu\ who tliere-
ui)on letired to his tent and stormed and blustered, till somebody came
and represented to him that Iroca Pronmics ncscif Ixdicrc )iiod(>s. i. e.,
the Innjuese (irc dlirdijs iipau c.rlrciiics. The (ivaiujHht danced after
the Inxjiicxc manner, by way of prelude to his entertainment; after
which he regaled several of the French. Twi) days after he and his
nnirtial retinue returned to their own country, and our army set out for

INDIAN ELOQIKNCE.

513

Monircah As soon as the general was on board, together with the
few healthy men that remained, the canoes were dispersed, for the
militia straggled here and there and every one made the best of his
■way home/'

SPEECH OF A DELAWAUE CHIEF — WHITE EYES.

At the commencement of the war of the American Revolution,
the Delaware Indians were urged by the 8enecas to join them in tak-
ing up the hatchet in the interest of the British and against the Ameri-
can colonists. In a council between the two tribes, the following is
the speech of KoniicflKKjrrfoii. or "White Eyes, a noted Delaware chief,
to the Seiiecas:

"I know well," said he, "that you consider us a conquered nation
— as women, as you inferiors. You hav . say you, shortened our legs,
and put petticoats on us. You say you have given us a hoe and a
corn-pounder, and told us to plant and [jound for you— your men — •
your warriors. But look at me, am I not full grown? And have I
not a warrior's dress? Ay! I am a man, and these are the arms of a
man, and all that country is mine.

"But if you will go out in this war, you shall not go without me.
I have taken peace measures, it is true, with a view of saving my tribe
from destruction. But if you think me in the wron<r — if vou <rive
more credit to runaway vagabonds than to your own friends- -to a
man — to a warrior — to a Delaware — if you insist upon fighting the
Americans — go. aiid I will go with you. And I will not go like the bear
hunter who sets his dogs upon the aiumal, to be beaten about with his
paws, while he keeps himself at a safe distance. No! I will lead you
on. I will place myself in the front. I will fall with the first of you.
You can d(» as you choose. But as for .ne, I will not survive my
nation. I will not live to bewail the miserable destruction of a brave
people, who deserved, as you do, a better fare."

SPEECH OF HED JACKET, SENECA CHIEF.

The following prophetic speech of Bed Jacket to his tribe during
the closing days of his life, is another marked example o: Indian
eloquence:

" Brothers, at the treaty held for the purcha.^e of our lands, the
white men, with sirccl roiccs and sDiiliiid fdccs, told us they lorcd us,
and they would not cheat us, but that the king's children on the other
side of the lake wouhl cheat us. When we go on the other side of the
lake the king's children tell us your people will cheat us. These
things puzzle our heads, and we believe that the Indians must take care

514

THE AMEl'.ICAN INDIAN.

■,43

of themselves, and not trust either in your people or in the king s
children. Brothers, our seats were once large, and yours very small.
You have now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place
left to spread our blankets. True, and soon their graves will be all
they shall retain of their once ample hunting-grounds. Their strength
is wasted, their countless warriors dead, their forest laid low, and their
burial places upturned l)y tiio plough-share. There was a time when
the war-cry of a Powhatan, a Delaware or an Abenaquis struck terror
to the heart of a pale-face; but now the Seminole is singing his last
song."

SPEECH OF INDIAN LOGAN.

Among the noted examples of Indian oratory which have been
brought to us. none is more famous or more commended as a marked
exam[)le of such, than that of the celebrated s{)eech of Logan, the
Mingo chief, so-called, to Lord Dunmore, then governor of Virginia.
In the spring of the year 1774, a robbery was committed by some
Indians on certain iaud adventurers (m the Ohio river. Tlie whites in
that quarter, according to their custuni. underto k to jiunish these out-
rages in a summary uniT. One Michael Cresap and a companion,
leading on these parties, .-.urpvised, at different times, traveling and
hunting parties of Indians having their women and cliiidren with
them, and nuirdered many, among whom, unfortuiuitely, were the
family of Logan, a chief celebrated in peace and war, and long dis-
tinguished as tjie friend of the whites. Tiiis, as might Avell be
expected, provoked his vengeance. He accordingly joined in the
Indian war of the nortliwest Avhich ensued. In tlie fall of the same
year a desperate battle was fouglit at the mouth of the Great Kanawha,
between the combined forces of the Shawnees, Mingos and ]3elawares,
and a detachment of the Virginia militia, in which the Indians were
defeated and sued for peace. Logan, however, disdained to be seen
among those of his race who pursued such policy; but to prevent any
disadvantages to his people from his absence in council, to the end of
an attempt to secure peace, he sent, by a messenger who had come to ask
his presence, the following sjieech. to be .'.elivered to Lord Dunmore:

"I appeal to any white man to say, if he ever entered Logan's
lodge hungry, and he gave him not meat — if he ever came cold and
naked, and Logan clothed him not. During the course of the last
long and b' .)dy war, Logan remained inactive in his lodge, an advo-
cate for peace. Such was his love for the stranger, that his country-
men pointed as they passed, and said, Logan is the friend of the ^vliite
man.

INDIAN ELOQUENCK,

5i:

I hiul thought to liiivo lived with yon. but for the injuries of
one luau, Col. Cro-sa}), the last spring, in cold bio ul, and unprovoked,
murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing even his wife and
children. Tiiere runs not a drop of his blood in the veins of any
living creature. This called on me for vengennce. I have sought it.
I have killed many. I have fully glutted :.iy vengeance. For my
country, I rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbor a thought
that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not
turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for l^ogan?
Not one.'

Of this speech. Mr. Jefferson, in his "Notes on Virginia.'" says:
"1 may challenge the whole of the orations of Demosthtnies and Cicero,
and of any more eminent orator, if Europe has furnished more eminent,
to produce a single passage superior to this speech of Logan, the
Mingo chief, to Lord Dunmore."'

SPEECH or BL.Vt'K HAWK.

The following is the speech of the Sac Indian Chief Black
Hawk, maile to General Street, the United States Indian agent at
Prairie du Chien, in the forepart of Si ptember, 18;{2. after his defeat
and the destruction of his forces at the battle of Bad ax:

"You have taken me prisoner with all my warricu's. I am much
grieved, for I expected, if I did not defeat \o\\, to hold out mucii
lonjjer and give vou more trouble before I surrendered. I tried hard
to bring you into ambush, but your last general understands Indian
fighting. The first one was not so wise. When i saw that I could
not beat you by Indian fighting. I determined to rush on you, and
fight ym\ face to face. I fought hard. But your guns were well
aimed. The bullets flew like birds in the air. and whizzed bv our
ears like the wind through the trees in the winter. My warriors fell
around me; it began to look dismal. I saw my evil day at hand.
Tlie sun rose dim on us in tht> morning, and at night it suidv in a dark
cloud, and looked like a ball of fire. That was the last sun that
shone on Black Ha irk. His heart is dead, and no longer beats quick
in his bosom. He is now a prisoner to the white men: th(.-y will do
with him as they wish. But he can stand torture, and is not afraid of
death. He is no coward. Black Hairk is an Indian.

"He has done nothing for which an Indian ought to be ashamed.
He has fought for his countrymen, women and children, against white
men, who came, year after year, to ch(>at them and take away their
land. You know the cause of our making war. It is known to all
white men. They ought to be ashamed of it. Tiie white men

51.')

THK AMKlUfAN INDIAN.

despise the Iiulians, and drive tlieiu from tlioir Jiomes. But the
ludiiius are not (U^ceitful. Tiie white men speak bad of the Indiiin,
and hjok at him spitefully. Bnt the Indian (h)ps not tell lies; Indians
<!(> not steal.

"An Imlian. who is as had as the white men, could not live in
our nation; he would be ])ut to death and eaten up by the wolves.
The white men are bad schoolmasters; they carry false looks, and
deal in false actions; they snule in the face of the poor Indian to
olieat him; thev shake them bv the hand to i^aiii their contiilence, to
make them drunk, to deceive them and ruin our wives We told them
to h^t us alone and kee[) away from us. but they followed on and beset
our parties, and they coiled themselves amon<f us like the snake.
They poisoned xis by their touch. We were not safe. Wo lived in
ilanger. We were becoming like them, hypocrites ami liars, adulterers,
hizy drones, all talkers and no workers.

"We k)oked uj) to the Great Spirit. We went to our great father.
We were encouraged. His great council gave us fair words and big
pronusps; but we got no satisfactioji. Things were growing worse.
There were no doer in the forest. The opossum and Ijeaver were tied ;
the springs were drying up, and our women and children without
victuals to keep them from starving. We called a great council, and
built a large fire. The spirit of our fathers arose and spoke to us to
aveni^e our wrouirs or die. We all snoke before the council fiie. It
Avas warm and pleasant. We set up the war-whoop, and dug up the
tomahawk; our knives were ready, and the heart of Black Hawk
swelled high in his bosom, when he led his warriors to battle. He is
satisfied. He will go to the world of spirits contented. He has done
his duty. His father Avill meet him there, and commend him.

•■ BIdck Uairk is a true Indian, and disdains to cry like a woman.
He feels for his wife, his children and friends. But he does not care
for himselt. He cares for his nation and the Indians. They will
suffer. He laments their fate. The white men do not scalp the head,
hut lliey (h) worse — they poison the heart: it is not pure with them.
His conntrymen will not be scalped, but they will, in a few years,
becomt! like the white men, so that you can't trust them, and there
must l)e, as in the white settlement, nearly as many officers as men, to
take care of them and keep them in order.

"Farewell, my nation! Black Ilatvk tried to save you, and avenge
your wrongs. He drank the blood of some of the Avhites. He has
lieen taken prisoner, and his plans are stopped. He can do no more.
He is near his end. His sun is setting, and he will rise no more.
Farewell to Black Hank:'

INDIAN ELOQUKNCE.

Ul »

The foregoing 8[)eecli of Bliick Hawk it^ given liere for its many
poiuts of native eloquence, as well as for its a[)t allusions to the con-
duct of the whites towards his people, and as revealing a spirit of
patriotism worthy of the '"Noblest Roman." It will be noticed that
tills s{)eech is much in the style and possesses many of the features of
the celebrated speech of the Indian chief, Logan.

After Black Hawk's defeat at the battle of the Bad Ax, so called,
he Avith AVeapepi fled to the intericjr of Wisconsin. The Winne-
bagoes, DcCovie and Clidcfdi; were engaged and dispatched by
(leneral Street to pursue and capture them, which they did, and
surrendered tliem at Prairie du Cliien.

It seems by the speeches these two Winnebagoes made to
General Street on their return, that miich was promised the Winne-
bago nation in the event that they should capture Black Hawk.
Amongst other things, showing the flattering promises of the author-
ities of the government, DeCorie says: "Fatlier, you told us to get
these men, and it would be the cause of much good to the Winne-
bagoes. We have confidence in you, and you may rely on us. We
have been promised a great deal if we would take these men, that it
would be much good to our people. We now hope to see what will be
done for us." Tli«s speech of Chaetar discloses the like promises.

The historian, however, must rect)rd, with regret, the subsequent
bad faith of the government towards the Winnebago nation.

CHAPTER XLIII.

INDIAN METAPHOR.

Iiuliiiiis iiri" Fond of Motfii)lu)rs— Were Liko OnKiiiiciils to tlicir Pprson- -Powerful
Siiuilt'H DrinMi from Nuniri" Added a Clifiriii to their Hpeeches Aijpropriated
by Eii;,'lisli Writers -Jletiiphorieal Expros.sious in Common U.jo Borrowed from
the [ndiiius -Rivers .U;iii With Blood" "To Bury (he Hatcliet" "You Keep
-Ale iu the Dark"— "Kiiiyiiiir Birds"— "T Will Blaee You T'n.ler :\[y Wii!t,'s"—
"SulTer no (Srass to (imw on the War Path" -Are of [n.liaii Oriwin-Kxaniples
of Indian Metapliorical l^xpressious.

»»■■

"i: ■

MW^^^^'" Indians/' says tlio do-
Hij-j/yi voted Moravian luissioiiary,
/'|]Jf Mr Ht'C'k.nveldor, >'are
^^^ fond of nietapliors. They
are to their discourses wluit feathers
and l)eads are to tlieir persons."
Metaphorieal expressions and power-
ful similes, drawn from nature, add a
peculiar cliai'ni lo their speeches, so
nnicli admired hy observers of Indian
character. Many of these, it will l)e
noticed, have been ap[)ropriate(l by
Enj^dish writers, and pass amoiio; tlie
classic expressions of Eni,dish litera-
ture. Terse utterances, familiar as
'•household words," coniing from In-
dian sources, are heard daily without oven a reflection that so much of
beauty and dii^nity has been added to our own lauij^ua^fe tlirou^'h a
ready assimilation of the rich and glowinjf rhetoric of the red num.
The following metaphorical expi-essions, many of which are
derived from the writings of Mr. Heckewelder, will serve as exam])le8
in this connection, and show witli what facility the Indian reads the
great book of nature:

"The sky is overcast witli dark blustering clouds." We shall
have troublesome times; wo shall have war.

(518,

"slNc.lN(i llll'.DS

INDIAN MKT.Vl'lKM!.

r>i',t

" liLACK CLOl'DS."

"A black cloud has arisen yoiuler." "War is threatened from tliat
quarter, or from that nation.

'•Two bhu'k clouds
are drawini,^ towards each
other." Two powerful
euomies are in march
against each other.

"The path is already
shut U[)." Hostilities have
commenced. The war is
betfuii.

'•The rivers run with
blood."" War rages in the
country.

••To bury the luitcii-
et." To make or conclude
a [)eace.

"To lay down the
hatchet, or to slip the
hatchet uiidiM' the bedstead."" To cease fighting for awhile, during a
truce: or, to place the hatchet at hand, so that it may be taken u[i
ajjain at a moment's warniiiir.

"The hatciiet vou irave nis' to strike vour enemies proved to bo
very dull, or not to be siiarp; my arm was wearietl to little purpose."
You supplied me so scantily with the articles I stood in need of, that
I wanted strength to execute your orders. The presents you gave me
were not suilicient for the task you imj)osed u[)on me, therefore I did
little.

••The hatchet you gave me was very sharp." As you have satis-
fieil me. I have done the same for you; I have killed nmny of your
enemies.

•'You did not make me strong." You gave me nothing, or but
little.

"Make me very strong." Give me much; pay me \ •• .

"The stronger you make me, the more you will sec. The moie
you will give me, the more I will do for you.

"I did as you bid me. but see nothing." I have performed my
part, but you have not rewardc me; or, I did my part for you, but
you have not kept your word.

"You have spoken with your lips only, not from the heart." You
endeavor to deceive me ; you do not intend to dcj as you say.

"You now speak from the heart." Now you mean what you say.

620

Till': A.MKIIICAN INDIAN.

'• You k<'i>[t inc ill till' iliirk." You wisli to dcccivi* mo; you con-
ceal your iiiti'iitioiis from mo; you koop iiit* in ii^iiorimcn.

'•You Htopjied my eaiu' You kont tlio tiling ii secret from mo;
you (lid m>t wish mo to know it.

"Now I litdieve you." Done. Ajireed. It shall lie so.

"Y'our words liave ])enetratod into my lieart." 1 consent. 1 am
pleased with what you say.

" Y'ou have spoken good words." I am pleased; deliglited with
what you have said.

'•You have spoken the truth." I am satisfied witli what you have
said.

•'Singing birds." Tale-bearers; storytellers; liars.

"Don't listen to the singing of the birds which Hy by." Don't
believe what stragglers tell you.

"What bird was it that sung that soug?" Who was it that told
that story ; that lie ?

Longfellow, in his "Song of Hiawatha," thus refers to the Iiidiau
metaphor of the singing birds:

" Siuffinj,' birds that ntter fnlselioods,
Story teller.'*, iniscliief iiiiikers,
Foiiuil uo filler ear to liKteii."

(To a chief): "Have you heard the news?" Have you been
opioid I III informed?

" I have not heard anything." I have no official information.

"To kindle a council -fire at such a place." To appoint a place
where the national business is to be transacted; to estal)lish the seat
of jifovernment thei^e.

"To remove the council fire to another place." To establish an-
other place for the seat of government.

" The council ^re has been e.vtinguished." Blood has been shed
by an enemy at the seat of government, which has put the fire out;
the place has been jwlliifcil.

" Don't look the other way." Don't lean to that side; don't join
with those.

"Look this way." Join us, join our party.

" I have not room to sprgad my blanket." I am too much
crowded on.

"Not to have room enough for an encampment." To be too
much confined to a small district ; not to have sufficient range for the
cattle to feed on, or sufficient hunting-ground.

" To open a path from one nation to another, by removing the
logs, brush and briers out of the way." To invite the nation to which

INDfAN MKTAl'IIOlt.

521

"undeh mv winu."

the ])iitl) lends, to a fiit'iitll s iiitiicinirsc: to ])r(>|i(iri> tlie wny to live oii
friendly teniis with tlii'in.

"'I'lie jiiitli to th;it iiiition is )i<,'Miii (i|)t'ii!'" \Vi' iin> ii;^aiii on
friendly terms; the jmth nmyn^'aiii he traveh'd witli safety.

" I will plaee yon umh'r
my wiiigB." (Meaning' uiKhr
my arm pitH ) ! will proteet
youatall hazards! Youshall
ho |)crfectly safe, iiohody
sliall molt'st you!

•• Suifcr iio^rassto <,'r(iw
on the war iiath!"' Carry on
the war with vij^or!

"Never sutler grass to
grow on this war [)ath!'' Be
at jierpetual Avar witli the
nation this path leads to;
never conclude a peace with
them.

*' I hear sighing and sobbing in yonder direction!" I think that
a chief of a neighboring nation has died.

" 1 draw the thorns out of your feet and legs : grease your stitftMied
joints witii oil, and wipe the sweat otf your body.'' I make y(Ui feel
comfortable, after your fatiguing journey, that you may enjoy your-
self while with us.

"I wipe the tears from your eyes, cleanse your ears, and place
your aching heart, which bears you down to one side, in its proper
position." I condole Avith you; disjjel all sorrow, prepare yourself for
business. (This is said when condoling with a nation on the death of
a chief ).

" I have discovered the cause of your grief." I have seen the
grave (where the chief was buried ).

" I have covered yon spot of fresh earth ; 1 have raked leaves
and planted trees theieon." Literally, I have hidden the grave from
your eyes; figuratively, "you must now be cheerful again."

" I lift you up from this place, and set you down again at my
dwelling place." I invite you to rise from hence, and come and live
where 1 live.

" I am much too heavy to rise at this present time." I have too
much pro[ierty, (corn, vegetables, etc.)

" I will pass one night yet at this place." I will stay one year yet
at this place.

5'22

THE AMEI'.ICAX INDIAN,

" We have joncludeil a \)eacf whicL is to last us long as the suu
shall shine, and the rivers Mow with water." The peace we have made
is to continue as long as the world stands, or to the end of time.

"To bury the hatchet beneath the root oi" a tree.'" To put it
quite out of sight.

"To bury deep in the earth," (mi injury done ). To cousiga it to
oblivion.

" To throw the hatchet vo the sky.' To wage open and terrible
war.

•■To plant the tree of peace on the highest mountain of the
earth." To make a general pacification.

Embassadors coming to pro[)ose a general and full treaty say : "We
rend tiie clouds asunder and drive away all d'ukness from the heaven,
that the sun of peace may shine with brightness over us all."

The Iroquois, in expressing a desire that there miglifc be no duplic-
ity or concealment with the French, said: "We wish to fix the sun
in the top of the heaven immediately above that pole, that it may beat
directly down and leave nothing in obscurity."

Whan discussing the sul)ject M'hether or not war shell he declared,
if no cause of war is found to exist, they say: " The hatchet is buried.
'J'Ih! bones of my \\arriors are also buried. Tiie blood of my women
aud children, which has been spilt, is also covered."

If there must be war. they say: '* Tl tv,'>".ahawk is raised. The
blood of my women and children smokes from the g -ound. The bones
of niv warriors and old men lie uncovered, whitening the eartli."

When peace is preserved with another tribe, tliay say: "The
path between ur, must l.-o kept clean. No weeds inu^t be suffered to
grow on it."

When a good Uiiderstar.tling is to be maintained between them
and white people, the phrase is: " The chain which binds us together
must be kept bright and never be permitted to rust."

When diti'erences arise, they say "A weed grows in the path."
" The chain is beginning to rust." ^^ hen this is perceived and the
cause of d'MVience known, they say "Tlie weed must bo plucked from
the path. The dust must be rubbed from Mie chain, else the path will
Boon be covered with weeds, or the chain will rui;t."

The happy nninner in which the Indians incorporate into their
discourse striking and instructive metaphor, is oidy (-(jualed by their
love of oratory, which, with theui, is a mitive accoi;<pJishmnnt. With
a huiguage strong, conqu'ehensive, smooth and grammatical, with
natures that never espoiise a cause in which they have m^t a faith as
absolute as truth itself, it is not strange thai: we find their utterances

INDIAN METAl'HOU.

523

iiiieq lulled ill powerful argument, piithos or soul-stirriug eloquence,
iini)r()ved iu its effect by apt Indian ineta})hor and gems of native
Similes.

The grace with which metaphor is used is finely illustrated in the
numerous s[)eeches. biographies and personal incidents recorded of this
remarka!)lo people.

Skenandoah. a celebrated chief of the Oneida tribe of the Six
Nations, who lived to a great age, in his last oration in council, opened
witli the folhnviiig sublime sentiment: "Brothers, I am an aged hem-
lock. The winds of a hundred Avinters have wiiistled through my
] ranches, and I am dead at the top." EveiT one who has seen a tall
hemlock, with a dry and leatless crown surmounting its dark green
foliage, will feel the force of this simile. His memory, his vigor, and
his powers of youth had departed forever.

Another instance of ajvt Indian metaj)!i(U' is contained in a com-
munication sent by tlit- great Seminole chief to the commanding general
of the United States forces, in the famous Florida war. in which iie
says: "You:' men will figlit, and so will ours, till the last drop of Semi-
nole blood has moistened <:]io soil of their hunting-grounds."'

At the celebrated Indian council held at Vinceniies, Indiana,
between (leneral Harrison and Tecuniseh. the latter, on concluding his
speecli to General Harrison, found that no chair had been provitlcd
him. He was highly affronted at the seeming neglect. As soon as
the mistake was discovered. General Harrison ordered a chair brought
and otfered Tecuniseh, with the words, "Your father reijuests you to
take a chair." Still considering the ni'glect intentional, tiie great
chief haughtily declined it with the woiils: "My father? The sun is
my father; the earth is my mother, and on her bosom will I recline."
TIkmi calmly disposed himself on the ground.

The sublimity of Indian metaplior ii Indian oratory is well illus-
trated in the closing words of a speech by Pushmataha, a veneral)le
chief of a western tribe, at a council held at WashingtDa many years
ago. In alluding to Ids extreme age and the probability that he might
not survive the journey back to his tribe, he said: "My children will
walk through the forests, and the Great Spirit Avill whistle in the trec-
to|)s, and the tlowers will spring up in the trail, but Pushmataha will
hear not. He will see the tlowers no more. He will be gone. His
people will know that he is dead. The news will come to their ears as
the fall of a mighty oak in the stillness of the woods."

The following is from a speech of the Stockbridge Indian,
Uhpaunnouwaumet, in 1774. On being solicited by white men of tlu^
New England colonics, to h.ivc his tribe join on the side of the coin-

THr, AMKIilC.VN INDfAN.

nists in case of war with Eiiglaiul, their mother oountry, to luaintaiii
ail iiulfcipendBut •^overiinient. he isaiil: "Brothers, we have lieard you
Hjieak by your letter, we thank you for it, and now we make answer.
Brothers, you renieniber when you first caine over tlie great waters ; I
was great and you were very little, very small. 1 then took you in for
friends and ke[)t you under my arms, so that none might injure you.
Sinee that time we have ever hecm true friends. Tlior<vhas never been
a (juarrel between us. Now our eonditions are changed. You have
become great and tall. You reach the clouds. You are sesMi nil
uround the world. I am become small, very little. I ••n not so high
as vour heel. Now a'ou take care of me. I look to vou ror in'otection.""

The following is an allegorical account of the fiist arrival ' he
English in America, and an allusion to a murder committed y an
lro(niois. in a s[)eech by Thenayieson, an Iroqiiois chief, at a council
with the Englisl) in 174^8, which further illustrates Indian metapiior
as used in their public speeches:

"Brothers: When we first saw one another at your arrival at
Albany, we shook hands together, and we became brethren. We tied
your ship to the bushes. After wo had more and more dealings with
you. and finding that the bush w-ould not hold your ship, we tied it to
a big tree; and ever sinee, good friendship has continued between us.

"Afterwards you told lis, a tree may happen to fall, and the rope
by which it is tied may rot. Y"ou then proposed to make a silver
chain, and tie your ship to the great mountain in the Five Nations'
country; and that chain Avas called the chain of friendship.

" AVe were all tied by our arms together with tliis silver chain, and
made one; ever since a good correspondence has been kept u[) between
us. But we are sorrv that at vour coming here Ave are obliged to talk
of the accident that has lately befallen you in Carolina, Avliere some of
our warriors, by the instigation of the evil spirit, struck a hatchet into
our body — for our brothers, the English, and we are of one body.
What was done we utterly abhor as a thing done by the evil spirit
himself.

"We neA'er expected any of our people would do this to an
Englishman. AVe, therefore, remove the weapon, which, by an evil
.^[lirit'a order, was struck into your body, and we derire that our broth-
ers, the Governor of N(>w Y'ork, and Onas i William Penn, or the Gov-
eriKU' of Pennsylvania), may use their utmost endeavors that the thing
may be buried in the bottomless pit — that it may never be seen again ;
that the silver chain. Avhich is of long standing, may be preserA'ed
bright and unhurt."

CHAPTER XLTV.
INDIAN MUSIC AND POETRY.

Origin of MuRic— Vocal ami lustnimental — In.lians aro Naturally Musicians— Siiifr
on Devotional Occasions Like the White Man— Sonj^s of I'laise to Uiely Like
the Jew8--SoutjH Consisted of Few Words — Short Phrases — Many Times
Repeated — Laugua^'e of Exeitement--Exijressiou of Oompassion—Abseuee of
^Measure or llhynie— Voices Often Fine — Words Preserved by Picture Writin^j--
[mliau Music Noted for its Simplicity — Scale of Music Limited— The Chorna iu
Hiijh Strain of Voice— Have Various Instruments of Music — Some Instruments
Like those of the White Man -The Drum— (i(mrd Shell— Rattling,' Sounds -
Description of Indian Implements of Music- -Louitfellow's Hiawatha an Imita-
tion of Indian Poetry -White Man's Old Fashioned Sonf,'t,— Robert Kuhl-
Coincidence with Indian Songs— Samples of Indian Music- Dojj Dance of the
Dakota:; and others.

W!|rf HERE has been an at-
^■Jr'\ tempt amongst those
>'Jl i/i^ who have sought to class-
^F** ify history, find reaoli
back to the origin or source of
its branches, to discover the
origin of music, both instru-
mental mtisic or that produced
by artificial means, and as well
the practice of vocal music pro-
duced by tones or modulations
of the voice. Vocal music, so
called, it may be said, origin-
ated with the sound of the
human voice, and is common
among all tlie races as are the utterances of speech by the means of
the vocal organs. Many, however, insist that the idea of vocal music,
from the human voice, was derived front the example of the singing
of birds. Zarlinc ascribes it to the sound of water; but it seems to
be agreed that music Avas first reduced to rules by -Tubal, wlio is
spoken of in Jewish histoiy as "the father of all such as handle the
harp ami organ."

(526)

IKOIJUOIS URLM.

526

THE A.MElilC.VN INDIAN.

Lucretius ascribes tlio invention of instrunientnl music, or mode
of producing ''sweet scmnds" by artificial means, to the whistling of
the winds in the hollow reeds. Another writer su[)posos the inven-
tion to have arisen from the sounds produced by the hammers of Tubal
Cain.

The American Indian and the native African are naturally musi-
cians. Vocal music, or the practice of singing, after tiie manner of ovory
race, is supposed to be coeval with man's existence, or at least with his
power of speech. In regard to vocal music, in the art of singing, the
same coincidence occurs, between the Indian and the races of the Old
"World, that is found in various other respects. The singing of psalms,
as a devotional manifestation, was a verv ancient custom amonir the
Jews, and so the like custom of singing on devotional occasions and
for the purposes of praises and fidelity to the Great Spirit, prevailed
among the American Indian tribes. In all their religious feasts and
ceremonies they addressed their prayers and praises to siijterior beings

As with us. their singing was accorapanietl with the utterance of
words set to their peculiar music; and, as is customary with us, so they
had their fixed or standard songs composed for their feasts and dances
and their festive or solemn occasions. They had their stated songs
accompa!iying every important undertaking, and among them for
solemn occasions, to be particularly noted, was their death song, which
every Indian sung, wdienever he was warned of approaching death, or
suspected that death was about to overtake him.

Their songs, in general, tor whatever purjmse, consisted for the
most part of a few words or short [)hrases many times rejieated, dwell-
ing linig and veliemently on the same idea. The poetry of the Indians,
or the words of their songs, w^as the language of excitement and the
expression of pasnion ; and, althougli measure and rhyme were wanting,
they accompanied the utterances of their words by some modulation
of tiie voice, like that which we call singing. Their voices were often
fine, and the sentences they uttered were the language of sincerity,
divesteil of art.

The words of their songs, which they preserved, in general, by
picture writing, are in many cases of considerable antiquitv. and inive
much merit as native poetical compositions. Their mode of preserving
their songs, or aiding the memory in retaining them exhibits one of
the earliest steps towards a written language.

Indian music is noted for its 8imi)licity. In general, it consists
of a scale comprising about four notes; indeed, it has been very truth-
fullv remarked that the choruses are about all there is of the Indian

INDIAN MUSIC AND I'OETHY. Oil/

soiij;-. Tliev liave first one line of a few words expressing a sentiment,
wliich ib followed by a chorus. The choruses are regular, and many
of them are sung in the higliest strains of the voice.

The Indians had. also, various instruments of music: one some-
thing like a Hute, which was made of two pieces of cedar, halt round,
and Llieii hollowed out quite thin, with four holes in it, and then glued
together, so as to form a perfect tube. The music was produced by
blowing at the end. Wliether the plan of this instrument was bor-
rowed from the whites is not known; but. among many tribes, it was
known to lie im[)roved from the exam[)le of otlier like instri;ments
amongst the wlntes. The Indians liad. also, a kind of drum, much
like the tambourijie. It was constructed from a skin drawn over a keg
or hollow vessel of the kind. This they used on various occasions,
as an instrument for keeping time with vocal music, or for marking
time without other music.

The Indian naturally had a good perception of time, and raeas-

SHE-SUE-WUOi' — INUIAN KATTLiE.

ured it in his music and dances with much exactr.ass; in tune, ho was
sadly deficient, knowing little or nothing, it i-' sail, of tlie natural
intervals of tones and semi-tones. There was, tnrongli all his music,
one prevailing and constantly recurring sound, from whicli the otherj
varied by all kinds of irregular intervals and fractions of intervals.
His music, as well as accompanying words, were often im[)romptu.
Tlie Indian ^oiee, especially that of the female, was musical and capa-
ble of cultivation.

They ha<l also an instrument of music constructed of a gourd-
shell, called by the AlgoiKjuins sho-slif'-(2ii<)ij, wherein beans were
placed to produce a rattling sound wlien shaken. Sometimes this
instrument was made of birch bark. They also had an instrument
used for the like i)uri)08e, but ditferently constructed, calleil a rattle,
composed of the hoofs of the deer or some otlier animal. They were
constructed by taking a large number of these lioofs, througli
which they bored a small hole in the narrow end of each, and tied

528

THK AMKlilCAN INDIAN.

Sfc"|

v.'

s"; 1

tlirm to ji short stick. The riittliug was produced by jerking them
svidileuly up uiid down.

The Irijquois and many other eastern tribes had also a rattle made
of turtle shell, used as an instrument of music or to accompany vocal
singing in their dances. Tliis instrument was made by removing the
animal from the shell, and, after drying it, placing within it a hand-
ful of dint corn, and then sewing up the skin, which is left attached
to tlie siu4]. Tiie neck of the turtle being stretched over a wooden
handle rendei-od the instrument quite complete for the purposes
designed.

Among the Ojibways and many other tribes were two kinds of
drums, one called M(ih-divnult-ko-(ivoii, made from the trunk of a
hollow tree about two feet long, having one end headed with a board,
and the other covered with umlressed deer skin, on which to strike.
These drums were used principally for sacred purposes. The other
kind, called T'd-irdc-j/iin, was rudely made in the form of a common
snare drum. Tliese are used at festival occasions and at amusements.

Mr. Catlin thus describes the Indian drum: "Th.^'r drums are
made in a very rude manner, oftentimes with a mere piece of rawhide
stretched over a hoop, very much in the shape of a tandiourine ; and
at other times are made in the form of a keg, with a head of rawhide
at each end; on these they beat with a drum-stick, which oftentimes
itself is a rattle, the bulb or head of it being made of rawhide filled
witli pebbles. In other instances the stick has, at its eud, a little
hoop wound and covered with buckskin, to soften the sound, withAvhich
they beat on the drum with great violence, as their chief and heel
iiisj)irhi(i sound for all dances, and also as an accompaniment for their
numerous and never-ending songs of amusement, of thanksgiving, and
vicdiciiic, or iiiclai."'

Mr. Catlin also speaks of another instrument of music among
the Indians, which he refers to as the mystery v^histle, concerning
which he says: "The my.stery whistle is another instrument of their
invention, and very ingenicmsly made, tiie sound being produced on a
principle entirely ditt'erent from that of any wind instrument known
in civilized inventions, and the notes })roduced on it, by the sleight of
trick of an Indian boy, in so sim[)le and successful a manner as to
baffle entirely all civilized ingenuity, even when it is seen to be played.
An Indian boy would stand and blow his notes on this repeatedly, for
hundreds of white men who might be lookers o!i, not one of whom could
make the least noise on it, even by practicing with it for hours.
When I first saw this curious exliibition, I was charmed with the
peculiar sweetness of its harmonic sounds, and completely perplexed

INDIAN MUSIC AND I'OKTKY.

529

(as hundreds of white men have, no doubt, l)een before me, tothe trreat
annisenifciit and siitisfaction of the women and cliildren) as to the
mode in which the sound was produced, even though it was repeatedly
phiyed immediately before my eyes and luuuled to me for vain and
amusing endeavors. The sounds of this little simple toy are liquid
and swoet beyt)nd description ; and thoi^gh liere given only in liar-
monies, I am inclined to think miyht. bv some inirenious musician or
musical instrument-maker, be modulated and converted into somethini:
very pleasing."

In regard to the peculiar style of Indian poetry, as shown by
their songs, this has been well imitated by the poet Longfellow, in his
celebrated "'Song of Hiawatha."' which, on its first publication, attracted
so much attention from its peculiar style, the public not understanding
that the attempt of the author in this poem was to imitate the char-
acter of Indian songs. This, indeed, is one of the peculiar features
in this masterly production of the famous poet, not generally under-
stood, as will be noticed in the example of the following Kneo, when
compared with the Indian examples which follow:

"Should yon ask me, whence these stones?
Whence these lej^ends and traditions,
With the odors of the forest,
Willi the dew and damp of meadows,
With the curliuH' smoke of wij^wams,
With the Mishini^' of great rivers,
With their fre(}uent repetitious,
Auu Uieir wild reverberations,
As of thunder in the nionniains,
I should answer, I should tell ytm, etc.

EXAMl'LE OF NATIVE INDIAN SONGS.

The following specimens of Indian songs, here given to further
illustrate the peculiarity of Indian poetry, are taken from Schoolcraft
and other reliable Indian authorities.

The following is an address of a war-party to the women on leav-
ing their village:

WAR S()N(i.

Kaago! Kaaffo! moweemizhekain,
Neen deekway meedoap neeboyaun;
Keenahwau aatah keedau moweendim;
Keenahwaa kee jfideemaujfiziui,
Eekwaaweeyaij,' kee Kideemauj^izim.

Nee nundouaawaug nee nundonaawaug,
Ainuhwaa+funmgig kau uissiujig;
Nindowee tilibisbeemaug - tibbisheemaug,
Aiunbwaagmunjig k«u uissiudjig.

530

THE AMKllIC.VN INDIAN.

7.)

IS!

Nawdowaasee ! nimdowaaseowUK !
Gnyaii wepnaliwau tibbisbko —
Gnyaii wppiiabwau raeesn^'o,
Kaadowee eezbisbeo iimgwaii— eezhisbeemug.
Knago, Knn/aro, etc.

TrtniftlatioH of the foregoing.
Do not, do not weep for nie
Loved \vt)iiuin, sbonld I die;
For vonrKelf alone should yon weep.
Poor are ye all. and to be i)iliod,
Ye women ye are to be pitied.

I seek, I seek our fallen relations;
I ffo to revenge, revenge the slain;
Our relations, fallen and slain.
And onr foes, our foes, they sha'l lie,
Like them, like them shall they lie.
I go, I go, to lay them low, to lay them low.
Do, do not, etc.

The sentiments excited by the absence of a person beloved are
expressed in the following lines. They are usually sung in a measured
and pensive strain, which derives much of its effect from the jieculiar
intonation and pathos, which render the music au echo of the sense:

INDIAN maiden's LAMENT.

Neezh ogoone, ncezb ogor.ee;
Kan weesinissee.

Neezh, etc.
Aazhee gusbkaiudumiuin;
Neenemoocb.'iin, .veeyea.

Aazhee, etc.
II.
Kee unee bubbeoshkobee;
Kau enee iuansheepun.

Kee unee, etc.
Neenemooshain, weeyea,
Waiudwee gnshkaidnmaiin.

Neenemooshain, etc.

Translation.

I.
'Tie two days, two long days,
Since last I tasted food;
'Tis for you, for you, ray love,
That I grieve, that I grieve.
'Tis for yon, for yon, that I grieve.

II.
The waters flow deep and wide,
On which, love, you have sailed —
Dividing you from me.
'Tis for you. for yon, my love,
'Tis for you, for you, that I grieve.

INDIAN MUSIC AND POETHY.

581

ire
•ed
iar

Indiau war snugs are highly figurative, and sometimes a very
abstract mode of expression is employed. Each warrior sings a single
verse, Avhich is generally complete in itself. These verses generally
consist of one or two lines, which are several times repeated, and
several times transposed. In singing, the most exact time is kejjt;
and, where the number of syllables in a line is not sufficient to com-
plete the measure, short interjections as he. ha, hoh, etc., having no
definable meaning, are uttered to supply this deficiency. These inter-
jections serve also as a chorus, in the i-ecital of which all the voices
join, and of which the following are examples:

I. WAUIilOK.

Aubectnb tioezliig, iie ban baiinvfiawaa —
Ne ban bainiwaawaa, aubeetuli f,'tH'zliij,',
Anbeetuh, etc.

II. WARRIOR.

Aindnh so peezbiguk waiiguno waHbomin,
Ainduh so geezbisuk ke ganpnno waubomiD.
Aiudiib, etc.

III. WARRIOR.

Aubeotnb geezbiguk abl)eeaun i)eeii,iase9Wtig —
Peenaaseewug, peeuaaseewiij,'.

Anbeetub, etc.

IV. WAREIDK.

Peemiskwaushecwug, pceuaaseewng, anbeetuhgeezbigoang,
Peeniisbwausbeewug, etc.

V. WARRIOR.

Auzbauwatish e wiig, peenaaseewng,
Ausbauwaueb e wiig peoiiaaEeewug.

Peenaaseewng, etc.

VI. WARRIOR.

Aupitsbee Monetoag, ne mudwaa wauweeneegoag;
Auspitsbeo Monetoag, ne mudwaa wauweeneegoag.
Aupitsbee, etc.

A'll. WARRIOR.

Kaagate neetninwaindum, uaubnnaatnmig, tsbeebaiibee wishonnuu,
Kaagate neeminwaindum, etc.

Translation.

I. VOICE.

I sing-I sing, under tbe center of tbe sky,

Under tbe center of tbe sky;
Under tbo center of tbe sky, I sing, I sing,

Under the center of tbe sky, etc.

532

THE AMEUICAN INI)[.\\.

II. VOICK.

Every dny I look at yoii. I look iit you,

Thou iiioriiini: star.
Evory (lay [ look at you, I look at you,

Thou niuruiuK star. ftc.

III. VOICE.

I 'J'ii»> half of the (lay I roniain, yo war-like liirils.

Ye war-like birds;
Tiic half of the day I remain, T remain
The half of the day I remain, etc.

IV. VOICK.

The birds of the brave take a llij,'lit round the sky.
I A Hi^ht round the sky;

The birds of tlie bravt- take a lli>,'ht. take a lli(,'ht,
I The birds of the brave take a fli^'ht, eU-.

V. VOICE.

They ero.ss the enemy's line— the birds,
Tlit>y ero.ss the enemy's lino.
, Thi> birds— the birds— the ravenous birds,

They cross the enemy's liue, etc.

VI. VOICE.

The spirits on high repeat my name,

Hept>at my name.
The spirits on high — the spirits on high

llepeat my name, ete.

VII. VOICE.

Full happy nm I, io be slain and to lio.

On the enemy's side <>f the line to lie!
Full happy am I— full nappy am I,

On the enemy's side of the liue to lio, etc.

Tliti fore<f()iii<,f siinplo prodiictioii of the native Indian mind finds
its ODunterpHrt in eliaracter and simplicity in tlie celebrated old song
of Caj)t. Kidd. emanating from some New England bard in the more
primitive days of the white man's society and learning, of which the
following is a sample:

OLD .SONG OF C.\PT. KIDD.

Yon captains brnve an'i bold, hear our cries, hear our cries,

Yon captains brave and bold, hear our cries;
You captaius brave and bold, though you seem uueontroU'd,

Don't for the sake of gold lose your souls, lose your souls,

Don't for the sake of gold lose your souls.
My name was Robert Kidd, when I sail'd, when I sail'd,

My name was Robert Kidd, when I sail'd;
My name was Robert Kidd, God's laws I did forbid,

And so wickedly I did, when I .sail'd.

INDIAN .MISIC AND roKTIlV.

583

SONd ol' AN INDIAN MOTIIKU.

Thore is 8omethin<,' peculiarly attmctivt! in tin- followinjj rude and
literal trauslatidu of the soiiij of an Indian woinun of the liiackfeet
tril)f3 to the s|)irit of her son, who wms killed on his first war partv.
The words were aceui-ately translated and written down at tla* time, and
wo are assured were not in any respect changed or snjoothod from the
sentiment of the ori<,'inal:

'•(), my Hoii, fiirmvpll!
You have ^lut" boyond tlio jjroat rivor.
Your spirit is on tli(> dtlicr aido of tlit> Baud l)utteB,
I will not SCO you for a liuiidrcd winters;
Y'ou will scalp the cncuiy in the jrrccn |>i-airic,
Beyond the f^reat river,
When the warriors of the Mhiekfcet meet,
When they sniokc tli(> me<liciiie-|)ipe und dauce the war-dauce,
They will ask, 'Where is rsthumakiiV
Where is the bravest of the Mississiiipir'
Ho fell on the war-path.

Mai-ram-bo, Mai-ram-bo.

"Many scalps will b(> taken for your death;
The Crows will lose many horses.
Their women weep for their braves.
They will curse the spirit of Isthumaka.
O, my sou! I will come to you,
And make moccasins for the war-path.
As T did wh(>ii you struck thelodi,'e
Of the House (rnard with the tomahawk.
Farewell, my son. I will see you
Beyond the broad river.

Mai-ram-bo, Mai-ram-bo."

Snn^ in a 2)laintivo luiiaor key, and in a wild, irrefjnlar riiviue. the
dir<fo was far more imi)ressivo tiian the wortls woahl indicate.

The foIlowLug are siimples of Indian music used in some of their
dances:

^"^^^^-^iff^.

T- r'^lvrt^r.

i. ,yA

^=ntt:

^^^3^^^S

TkH^

-< — Hi^

I " ! -z j--

^^S^^^^^^;^atr-

DOO DANTE OF THK l)AK()T.\II.S.

534

THE AMr.Uir.VN' IN'niAN.

''I

■^ r—->r-

-J^J^

■±:=t

r^^^'.jj^-^jj

c^ ^ '■ J J J

±±

^'h^hrf-

*"'«--' " ^ cv c

-y^^^vV frf

o.iniww s('AT,r PANcr:.

Tlio uott's iiiiirktMl with uoceuts aro perforiu'.'il with a tromiilous voice, souuili'il
High-yi-yi, etc.

CHAPTER XLV.

SECRET SOCIETIES.

Two riistitntions amorn: tho North AmcricHii Iiulinns^ From tlu> Atlantic to tlio
Pucitic From till' (riiir of ^Icxico to tlic Arctic Occiiti Mcihiwiii — JecHnkdwiii -
Art of Mcdiciil Miii,'ic--My.stcry -Propliccy- -Ancient Ori^'in — Tlic Term >[cila -
Nccromantio Inlliicnces- Exerted iu Hecrot--Meiliiwininue, a MaK'iciun- -Meila-
win, the Art of Mnjfic— Fornieil into Hocioties or Asaociations— Adinittinj; Cuiuli-
datOH— Wiiu May Ite Admitted- (!eremoiiy of AdniiH.sion Art of I'ropliccy -
OiTemonieH of the Wahen()--Medawiii. Detinition Wal)eno, Detinitiou.

\T^T°^HK iinpressioii lins jifc-
"-' , ,> Vfiileil ttJ !i ('()iisi(l(M'al)lH
•^ Yf extent, oBpecially !iiii()ii<^
"M'* lUPinhers of the older
secret societipR of this country,
that secret orders, or secret
orj^aui/ntiniis of some kind,
existed among the American
Indians, many referring to this
as some evidence to establish
the claim tlnit the esseuti I
elements of tlie Masonic order
were univt>rsal and of great
antiquity, extending through-
out all the nati<ins of the earth.
Tnvestigation shows tiiat
so far as the existeiice of secret
societies, or societies having
secrets or dealing in mysteries
aiiionir the American Indians,
are concerned, the claim is not
without some fimudation. Mr.
Sciioolcraft, who had much
individual experience in this

reganl, and who seems to have given this subject thorough attention.

says there were two institutions among tlie North .\merican Indians.

Till. SILKM FOR EST.

5d(i

THK VMKIUCAN INDIAN.

wliicli woro found to iiervado the wliole hotly of tlie trihcs from the
Athintic t,o the Paciti'", anil from tlie Giil^' of Mexico to tlie Arctic
ocean; however, the term hy which tliey were ileiiotcd mij^iit liitTer. or
the minor rites of the iustitntioii mi<^lit l)e modified. Tlioy were
<vdled in the hiuguai^e of tlie Ali^oniitiins, as spoken by the Ojibways.
the stock tribe of tiiat grou[), the Mc-iht-irin and the Jcc-sii-kd-iriiL
In other words, they were the art of suedical mui^ie, or mystery, and
of |ir(.|)hesv; both are very ancient in tiieir orij^in. and are very gen-
erally ditfuscd, [)racticed and believed in ainon^f tlu^ .American tribes.

The term Mc(((i, in its ori>^inal sii^nification, became obscure by
its later aitplitiulion to medicul influences, supposeil to be exercised by
certain mineral or animul nuitter. as small bits of metal, bone, fiMithers
and other ol)jects kept in tlie arcaimiu «•:" t le medicine ba^ of tiie Mcihi
or mediciiie man; but no plivsical applicr.tion to these articles was pre-
tenu'Hl by the ojierators, as they relied wholly on a subtle, invisil)|e.
necrcuantic influence, to be exerted in secret, and at distant as well as
contiguous points.

Accordint,' to Mr. Hclioolcraft. the Mrda or Mohtic'iiiiicf (mystery
man or m(>dicine man) was in all res[)ects a maijiciun. He was dis-
tinct in his profession from their strictly medical practitioner. To
Mcil'i was tiierefore to perform nja>fic; and Mcilmriii was the art of
niaifjc. Its professors were simply and definitely nitii/ii or nuit^icians.

MtMi wiio professed tli's art »vere formed into societies or associa-
tions. Thev were admitted bv public ceremony, after hi-.vinir been
instructed in jirivate. and liavin<; jjiven evidence of tluMr skill and fit-
ness. Any one miii;ht beconn* a follower and practicer of theMeda;
all that was necessary was to adduce proofs of his skill.

The art of prophecy, or the Jrrsiih-((iriii, differed from the Miihi-
in'ii in its being practiced alone by distinct and solitary individuals,
who had no direct associates. Prophets .started up at lonj^ intervals,
nnd far a|»art, amonj,' the Indian tribi>s. Prophec}'. however, was an
nrt resembling; tliat of the Medawin, and founded u|)on a similar prin-
ci[)le of relia-ice. ditrerin>f cliiotly in i\w object souj^ht. The Medn
soiif,'ht to |>ropitiate events: the Jo.ssakeed aimeci to predict them
Both appealed to spirits for their power; both exhibited material sub-
stances, as stutfed birds, stones, and other objects, by, and through
which, the secret energy was to be exercised. The gen« val modes of
operation were similar, but varitvl. The drum was used in both, but
the songs and incantations dilVered. The rattle was confined to tli(>
ceremony of tht> Meda. The Jossakt>ed addressed himself exclusively
to the Great b|)irit. His otHce ami mode of dress were regarded
with greater soleniiuty and awe. His choruses were peculiar, and

«E(,'I!KT SOCIKTIKS.

537

(Ippined l>y tho people to cany mm air of liii^'licr reverer.jc aiul
(levoliou.

Ill the socit'tyo!" tlie Mfduwin. the object was to teacli the lii^'her
doctrine of spiritual existonce; their nature and mode of existi-iice,
and t!i(^ inHuences they exercised aiuonj^ men. It was an nsHociation
of men wlio professed tiie hi>fhest kno\vled<r(> known to tlie (ril)es.
The term Mcda is rendered a noun of multituiUs by tiie inflection iriii.

There is ap[)arently some ditference in common speech l)etween a
secret society and a society havin>; .ucrets. If tlui distinction nniy l)e
made in tiie two, tlie society of the Medawin may l>e classed with the
latter. Tlnnr ceri'iiioiiy of initiation l)eiii<f public, the socit^ty was not
in this re^'ard strictly a secret society: l;ut tiiere were secrets or mys-
teries pertainin*^ to the order, witii whicii each candidate or party initi-
ated was invested; so tliat, likc^ iiiany other societies of the present
day. this society would not improperly l)e called a secret society.

The ceremony of initiatiim into iliis order was performed in a
lodjre or wi<i;wani constructed for thai purpose, in |ocatin;if whicli it
seems the points of the compass were observed, the structure! beiiiir placed
east and west, sin^'ularly corresponding, as many liave noted, with that
ancient tabernacle of the Jews, which was er(>ct(Ml after their delivei-
nnce fr-.ni the bonda<ije of tin* H;ify|itiaiis. and which it is said was
placed due east ami west to coinmeiiioratt to tht^ latest posterity thiit
miraculous east wind whicli wrou<j^ht their nii;j'lity delivuriince.

Mr. Schoolcraft, in his ethnological researches respecting the red
man of America, gives an illustration representing the lodge and mode
of initiation into a society of the Medawin, a coiiv of which is here
reproduced. Ht^ also, in the same connection, giveti in detail the mode
of initiation into this society, fntm which the following is derived:

The lodg(> of initiation is generally at or near some Indian village.
On the dny i>t' initiation all tlie village is in motion; and the Indians
beirin earlv in the ila\ to assemble from all (luarters. In the mean-
time, the faculty and the candidates are assembled in a lodge where
they have passed a part of tlu^ night, and when^ the instruction is con-
tinued. The candidatt^ iiere presents gifts composed of pots, blankets,
utensils, and the like, in <|uainlties sulH<'ieiit to make eight parcels, bu'
the eight members of tiie faculty. There is. besides, a dish whicli
contains eigiit moutiifuls of something to eat; this disii is called iiinld-
(iii(i;i(ni the dish of the ceremony of meilicine.

.\ large enclosure or lodge of initiation calleil Mnhdi-liidiiiil:,
being prepared, all the Medas. men and women, proceed thither and
take the stations assigned them. There is some differenct^ among the
Indian nations in the ceremonies, .\ccording lo the Cjibways and

u3s

THE A.MKiacAN I.NlJl.VN.

?:
n

J'
ri

cognato tribes, when everything is ready the Mi'zhinau'C(f (stewards)

give notice to the faculty, who go out, walk gravely one by one, the

candidate being at the head, carrying a stick ii[)on which the presents are

suspended, and the last in the file carrying the nieilaoni'gon ; all sing:

" Behold 1110, Behold iu<>, Behold uie," etc.
" How I am prepared," ete.

They enter the lodge by the east gate, making the circuit by the

soUi,ii, west, and north ; and returning, place themselves along the east

side of the lodge, fronting the center. The Mizliiuaweg take tlie

presents from the hands of the candidates, and suspend them by two

INITIATION INTO T.IK SOCIICTV ol' THE MliDAWIN.

c irds at a cortidn height. The faculty make another circuit in the
same ilirection, singing anotlier song, with these; words alone:
'■ I have tlieiii, tlie tfoods of the whites," (>to.

The song being finished with the tour of the lodge, the candidate
and the eight e.xclaim loud enough to bo lh»ard by everylxidy KaiKiiic-
l:initt. Xfi is responded in choi-us: upon which the faculty proceed to
take their |)laci's at the north, at the places reserved for them, and
the candidate seats himself Ix-fore the faculty.

At the south is a jxist wiiich Hiey call Mrdriralii/, three or four
Jeet higii. and painteil accordin<; to the taste of the Mizhinaweg.

SECllET SOCIETIES.

5;ju

At tlio south, in front of tho fsuuilty, are the singers with <he
drum Milli(jir(ikilc iiiid tho Slicsltcqiioij (rattle) for accompaniment,
with a little mallet to bent the drum.

One of the eiglit delivers a harangue upon the power of the Mniii-
r/(W to cure or to make sick, a power given to the Mcthiif^. and trans-
mitted to tliem from age to age. After the harangue tho candidate
rises ami makes tlie circuit of the lodge, stop[)ing to look at all the
members of the Meda. one after the other, olfei'ing to eacli one a word
of salutation, which is accompanied In a movement of his hand as if he
were counting them, or giving them his blessing, like a familv saluta-
tioji addressed to each according to age or sex or relationship to the
canilidate, as my fatiier, my uncle, my aunt, my sister, and soon; and
lie says to each SlKiircniniisliini- '••}iti\e pity upon me; give me some-
tiiiiig." The faculty rise, and sing:

'•I I'oti'd kill a spirit with my mediciue-baj,', mado of the skiu of a iiialo boar."

Here follows a ))eculiar part of the ceremony, in wliich the mys-
terious effect of the medicine-bag is tried u[)on the candidate, in which
the candidate is overcome and falls prostrate, whereupon he is rui.sed
up by the orator.

His first act is to recojrnize all tiie members of tho Mednwin as his
fellows. Hitherto he has called them father, uncle, cousin, brother,
aiid other like family a[)pellations. Now' he salutes tli(>ni l)y tlie title
Xil,-inini(i, my fellows or colleagues, wheri'uj)on tho ceicmony of
marching around the lodge is continued, and the candidate places
himself at tho west, where he sirgs:

" I also, I am like as an- tlic ^lodais."

After further experiment with the nu^dicine-bag, tho candidate
seats himself and is admitted to the riglit of joining in the feast of the
Medais. After some further ceremony, during which the initiatinl
expresses tlianks to tin^ eiirlit members of the faculty, he <rives a feast
to close tilt* medicine-l)ag.

The whole ceremony, when pro[)t>rly obsei'ved. is very impressive
and somewhat lengthy, consuming tho greator part of a dav. Mr.
Schoolcraft remarks that, among the wild and rude Dakota tribes,
many pi'imitive notions, which no longer exist with tin* ()jil>wavs,
remain, as that the candidate is entirely naked to his middle and lielow
to his feet: whilst the Ojibways piohibit the nakedness of the candi-
date.

Ft seems from the account given by Mr. Kohl, in his travels in
Ndrthw(>st .Vmerica, that this society of Medawin. was not confined
strictlv t') persons of mature ago, or solely in connection with the

540

THE A.MKIIICAN INOIAN.

r ■
. >

HECRET SOCIl'.riKS.

541

medifiil iiia<,'ic; hut persons woiv Hdmittt"! as lioiioraiy iiioinbfrs; iii-
tltH'd he speaks of a case where an infant w,is received into tlie Meda
oi'der. ivliioh he considers as a sort of christening of the child.
Mcdain'n, lie says, is the Indian term for Groat Medicine, that is the
•^reat f rate'-nity anionii^ the Indians for religions purposes. The lodge of
initiation, he says, the Indians called Mcdd-ntniiiti, translated, tenii)le
wigwam, or house of tiie brethren, and remarks that tlie temple wig-
wam reminds him of the bowers built by the Jews for their feaat of
tabernacles.

Members of some of the secret orders among the white people of
tiie present day will doubtless discover in the ceremony of the Mcda-
iriit, some coincidence of features occurring in tiie ceremonies of their
own secret orders.

On this subject Mr. Schoolcraft rennirks: '-Gentlemen of the
Masonic fraternity have discovered unmistakable evidence that there
is a similarity between the secret signs used by the members of this
society and those of Free Masons; like them they have a secret in com-
mon witli societies of the same order wherever located; and like them
have ditferent degrees, with secrets belonging to each respectively, in the
same society; but unlike Free Masons, they admit women and chil-
dren to membership.''

Among the Wiiuiclxtfiocff, according to Mr. Fletcher, United
States agent, candidates for admission into this society are requii'eil
to fast three days previous to being initiated; and, at some period dur-
ing this fast, they are taken by the old medicine men to some secluded
spot where they are instructed in the doctrines and mysteries of this
'jociety.

The cerenumies of initiation are conducted in a lodge or bower
prepared for that purpose, tiie width being about sixteen feet, varying
in length from ten to seventy-five yards. The members of the society
sit on each side of the lodge, the center being reserved for dancing.
The ceremony of initiation is thus described by Mr. Fletcher:

" Before the candidates are brought forward, the grouml through
the center of the bower is carpeted with blankets, and broadcloth laid
over the blankets. The candidates are then led forward and placed
on their knees upon the carpet, near one end of the i)ower, and racing
tlie rpposite end. Some eight or ten intHlicine-men then march in
singly file round the bower with their medical bags in their hands.
Each time they [)erform the circuit they halt, and one of them makes a
siiort addree:, ; this is repeated until all have spoken. They then
form a circle and lay their medicine bags (m the carpet before them.
Tiien they commence retching and making etforts to vomit; bending

542

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

c:l

over until tlioir heads coine nearly in contact with tlieii- medicine
bags, on which they vomit, or deposit from their mouth, a small wiiite
sea-shell about tJie size of a bean; this they call the medicine stone.
and claim that it is carried in the stomach and vomited uj) on tlicso
occasions. The stones they put in the mouth of their medicine biij^s.
and take their position at the end of the bower opposite to and facin<^
the candidates. Tiiey then advance in line, as many abreast as tiiere
nre candidates; holding tlieir medicine bags before them with l)otli
hands, they dance forward slowly at first, uttering low gutteral sounds
as they approach the candidates, their step and voice increasing in
energy, until with a violent 'Ough' they thrust their medicine bags
to their breast. Instantly, as if struck with an electric shock. tJie can-
didates fall prostrate on tlieir faces, ilieir lim1)s extended, their mus-
cles rigid and quivering in every fil)re. Blankets are now thrown
over them, and they are suffered to lie thus a few moments: as soon as
thev show sijfns of recovering from the shock, thev are assisted to
their feet and led forward. Medicine bags are then jmt in tlieir hands,
and medicine stones in their mouths; tiiey are now medicine men ov
women, as the case may be, in full communion and fellowship. The
new mend)ers. in com[)any with tlie old, now go round the bower in
single tile, knocking mend)ers down pron •'^cuously l)y tiirnsting their
medicine hags at them. After continuing this t'xercise for some time,
refreshments are brought in, of which they all ])artake. Dog's flesh
is always a comi)onent part of the dish served on these occasions.
After [)artaking of the feast, they generally continue the dance ami
other exercises for several hours. The drum and rattle are the musical
instruments used at tliis feast. The most ^n rfect onler and decorum
is observed throughout the entire ceremony. The memliers of this
society are remarkably strict in their attendance at this feast; nothing
but sickness is admitted as an excuse for not com[)lying with an in-
vitation to attend. Members jometimes travel fifty miles, and even
further, to be present at a feast, when invited."

Mr. Fletcher notes the fidelity with which members |)reserve and
keep the secrets with which they are invested at their initiation, and in
reviewing the matter of these societies among the Indians, he is inclined
to accord to them sincerity of [mrj)ose. and says that from a careful obser-
vation of the ceremonies of this order here referreil to, during six years
among this peoj)le, he has been unable to detect the imjtosition, if
there be one, with which they are so frequently charged by tlie whites.
Ho says that the tribe have implicit confidence in their medicine men,
and firmly believe that they possess great i)ower.

CHArTEIl XLVT.

INDIAN TREATIES.

Popular Idea of nn Indiuu Treaty — The Notion of tlio Spanish Invaders— Tlio
English Idea— The Puritans— Treaty with Massasoit— William Penn— Treaties
of Unite'i States— At Fort Pitt— (ireenville— Chicago— Prairie du Chieu—
Broken Covenants — Proverbial Deception — Black Hawk War.

fsC^^^M '''■'W'^^'^ this «lay the tonn

"""■"""*"' ^j (:'/')% to inn>ly a iicgotia-
-^v ^57- tion bctweenour iiii.
tidiial govermupiit a lul
s()?ne Indian tribe or na-
tion for the convi'vanoc
oi' cession of lands; but
firiginally, upon the first
settlement of this country
by the ■whites, these treat-
ies between the latter and
tlie Indian natives hail no

\vM. pKN.N'a trkaty wnn iiik i.inni Li nai i ■

sucli jinr[)ose in view.

The Hpunish invaders

of the newly discovered
conntry, it would seem, considered it as a vast waste, in which rights
were to be acquired by assertion, coupled with tlu^ ability to maintain
them by force; and the English idea likewise rested much upon the
same ])rinci[)le, ns is shown by the various grants of territory at first
made by the English kings to favorite individuals and corporations.

Even the Mayflowtn' Puritans, in their selection of a place of
settlement upon the coast of New England, seem to have possessed tii :
notion that tluMe was no one having any lawful authority to dispute
their claim to so much of tlie country as tin'V should cIioosh to assert
their right to occui)y. Title to the soil, and the right of alienation
in any one. doi>s not appear, so far as light on the subject is revealed
in history, to iuive entered their heads, and this is apparent from the

i'Hi: AMF.r.ICAN INDIAN.

:;|

♦It

course they pursued, witli rt>fenMio<i to the natives they found in the
vii'inity of the country wliere they took up their iihode.

As some one in a voin of humor lins expressed it, the Puritans,
when they hiniUMl. first fell upon tiieir knees, and then tliey fell on tlie
aborigines.

The Puritans, liaving landed in December, had no intercourse with
the Indians imtil March following, when they were visiteil by the his-
toric SdiiiosrI, of the tribe of AVampanoags, of which j)h(s.^(in(>if was
the principal diief, and from whom they derived information concern-
ing the natives of tlie vicinity. This, as it will appear, suggested to
the Pilgrims tinit it would be for their interests to have an interview
with this great chief of the people they Imd fallen amongst, which
was brought about by the agency of Sqiiaiilo, of the Pawtucket tribe,
introduced by Samoset, who s{)oke some English, and through whom
the great chief Massasoit was invited to visit the English for purposes
of acquaintance and mutual friendship. At the interview which fol-
lowed, and it seems was held with much ceremony, a ti'eaty was con-
cluded between Mas.sasoit and the governor of the English colony, the
stipulations of which were to the following effect:

1 '• That neither he (the governor) nor any of his ( Mas.sasoit)
should injure or do hurt to any of their people.

2. That if anything were taken away from any of theirs, he
should cause it to be restored, and they should do tlie like to his.

3. That if any of his did any hurt to any of theirs, he should
send the offender that they might punish him.

4. That if any did unjustly war against him, they would aid
him, and if any did war against them, they should aid tiiem.

5. That he should send to his neighbor confederates to inform
them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise
comprised in these conditions of peace.

('). That Avheu his came to them upon any occasion, they should
leave their arms behind them.

7. That by so doing, their sovereign lonl. King James, would
esteem liim as his friend and ally."

In this, it will be observed that no right to the title of the soil,
or even occupancy, is recognized as existing in any one, nor is the
right of occupancy, assumed by the English, disputed by the chief
Massasoit. The whole ol)ject of the conference appears to have been
to secure and perpetuate friendly and peaceful relations between the
parties.

This is the first treaty of which we have any account between the
white invader and the Indian native. But as time went on, and immi-

INDIAN TKKATIES.

:a:>

jjfnttiou of the white luau increiiaeil, the IiHliiui found liis f^rouuds
becoming sadly encroached upon, and his meaimof subsistence impaired
in like proportion. The expedient to which the white man resorted to
alliiy the uneasiness thus arising on the part of the Indian, was the
purchase of his land in ])arcels. giving some trifling consideration
therefor.

Although the Indian entered into contracts oi this kind, yet he
never in fact fully understood the nature of such transactions. TIm;
principle of alienating land, whereby his right of occiipancy ceasiul,
was something his mind could not comprehend, and as the immigration
of the white nmn continued to increase, and his presence ])ecauie sen-
sibly felt by the Indian, the wars and massacres between the races,
which have so darkened the pages of our early history, iiuturally fol-
lowed; and which suggested to the benevolent mind of William Peniu
in taking posse.ssion of his grant of land on the Delawai-e, in 1082,
tliat memorable treatv which he entered into with the natives, whom he
found occupying the country comprised witliin his grant.

This treaty is the first instance on record of substantial recogni-
tion, by the white man on this continent after the discovery, of the
rights of the Indian; and all subsequent treaties between the parties,
which aimed at justice, have had in view, as a precedent, this famous
and equitable treaty of William Penn.

The assumption of the Englisii kings, as to their title to the soil
of America, which they claimed the right to traiisfer by grant to their
subjects, is illustrated by the anecdote of Charles II. and William
Penn, on the occasicm of an interview, as the latter was about leaving
for America to take possession of the lands the King had granted him.
The King inquired of Penn as to whether he did not feel some uneas-
iness I'oncerning his safety in going upon the lands yv"./f>d liim among
the wild natives of Anx'rica; to wliich Penn responded that he
intended to cultivate friendly relations with them; and, moreover, said
he, "as I intend equitably to buy their lands, I shall not be molested."
"Buy their lands," said the King, "why, is not the whole land mine?"
"No, yoiir Majesty," said Penn, "we have no right to their lands.
They are the original occupants of the soil." " What," continued
King Charles, "have I not the right of discovery?" "Well," said
Penn, "just suppose that a canoe full of savages shall by some acci-
dent discover Great Britain, would you vacate or sell?"

But King Charles had a ])recedent for his position. William the
Conqueror, a predecessor, when he stepped on the English shore, said
"he took seizin of the land."

The first treaty between the United States, as then formed, and

5-4(1

THE AMEltllAX INDIAN.

■ftt

tlio Intliiiiis within its temt<jry, whs coiidmUnl Septoinbpr ITth, ITTS,
l)V "iirtic'los of (igreoiueiit (iiid cont'eilenitii)ii " between cunnuissionors
luiniod, "for nntl in boiialf »)f the United Stntes of Aiuericii,'" luui tlie
" deputies and chief men of tlio Delaware nation," at Fort Pitt, now
Pittsburi;. This treaty, liowever. had no rehdion to oedin<^ hinds, but
was ratlier for the purpose of amity between the parties, fully recoi;-
nizing the right of the Delawares to the country they then occupied.
The objects of which treaty will more fully appear by the followin>f
extract from the j)rennd)le:

"Whereas, the United States are engaged ir. a just aiul necessary
war in defense and support of life, liberty and inde[)endence. against
the King of England and his adherents; and as said King is yet pos-
sessed of several posts and forts, on the lakes and other places, the
reduction of which is of great importance to the pence nnd security of
the contracting parties, and, as the most practicable way for the troo[)s
of the United States, to some of the posts and forts, is by passing
through the country of the Delaware nation, the aforesaid deputies, on
behalf of themselves and their nation, do hereby stipulate and agree
to give a free passage through their country to the troops aforesaid;
and the same to conduct, by the nearest and best ways, to the posts,
forts or towns of the enemies of the United States, ntfonliiig to said
troops such supplies of corn, meat, horses, or whatever may bo in their
power, for the accommodation of such troops, on the commanding
officers, etc., p.aying, or engaging to pay, the full value of whatever
they can supjjly them with. And the said deputies, on behalf of their
nation, engage to join the troops of the United States aforesaid, with
such a number of their best and most expert Avarriors. as they can
spare, consistent with their own safety, and act in consort with
them."

Subsequent treaties made between the United States, or Federal
Union, and the Intlian tribes, up to the time of the treaty at Green-
ville, August 3d, lTi)5, contained no stipulation for the cession of
lands; but such of them as [)artook of the nature of ceding lamls were
in the phraseology of settling l)oundaries, and however the provisions
might operate in ceding lands, the ex[)ressiou of scttliujj hoimdaries
between the parties is observed throughout. But all the treaties
between the United States government and the Inilians, after the last
mentioned, are profuse with stipulations for ceding Indian lands.

It is not the purpose here, neither is the space allowed to a single
chapter of this book adequate, to give anything like a satisfactory
account of the dealings of the white man with the Indians, through
the medium of what are termed trcdfica. AVhat is here undertaken is-

INDIAN Tl!K.\Tli;s.

•)+(

to sliow, ill geiKM'dl tt'i'iiis. uiidcr this lioad. tbo injustieo wliich linn
been done tho liidinn, in this ro<;nrd, by tho whitn man.

There is probnljlv no diKimto us to tho ori<^iiiid (h-sign of our iiici'.
It was to HU|)(n'stMlo tho liidifins in tho Dcciipation of tlioir couiitry :
and in tliis \vo havo ("oinplnlt'ly snrcooiliMl. So much of that raco as
have not botui oxterminatiMl, have boon so far mt-rgod or assiniihited
witli the white man as practically to have lost their existence as Indians.
Those that survive have been forced to accept <mr condition of life as
u (Irniicr rohort, however much it may have been against their wishes
nud instincts.

All examination of the colonial records and tho treaties of tiie
Indian tribes with tho rnited States government, from its foundation
to the present time, will disclose the fact to the iinpiirtial mind, that
not a single treaty of the government, or engagement of tlie colonial
authorities, possessed tiio elements of justice towards the Indians,
with the exception of tho famous treaty at Siiakamaxen. on the Dela-
ware river, between William Ponn and the tribes in tiiat locality.

Bishop AViiipple, on this sul)jpct, says it may be doubted whether
one single treaty has ever been fulfilled, as it would have been if it
had been made with a foreign power. Ht; continues: "Pledges,
solemnly made, have been shamelessly violated. Tlie Indian has had
no redress but war. In these wars ten white men were killed to one
Indian, and the Indians who were killed have cost the government a
hundred thousand dollars each. Then came a new treaty, more violated
faith, another war. until we have not a hundred miles between the
Atlantic and Pacific which has not been the scene of an Indian
massacre."

A historj' attending the making of one treaty will serve to mark
the character of them all; and the more important the subject of the
treaty became, the more extraordinary and unwarrantabl(> were the
measures and exiiodieiits resorted to, to overreach the Indians and
consummate the work designed.

Among those in earlier times, of this character, which particu-
larly attract our attention, is the treaty at Chicago, concluded August
2!tth. iMil, by Lewis Cass and Solomon Sililey, commissioners for tho
United States, with the Ottawa, Pottawattamie and Ojibway nations of
Indians.

The council of the tribes named, at which this treaty was made,
was convened by request of the United States government. The
object sought was to extinguish the claim of the Indians to all the
lands in which their claim had not already been extinguished, east of
Lake Michii'an and south of Grand river.

'AH

TIIK AMI'.ltrCAN INIHAX.

-I
ri

Tlit> tlisturl)(iiirt's incid^Mit to tli»> war of Is 12 liad nil in'cii
mljustiil; tlie work of tlin Erin ciiiml tlirou<f|i tho Htiito of Nt'w York
W)i8 wt'll under wiiy, and its coniplctioii was soon to <fiv(^ nn ini|)(>tiis to
wosti'ni emi^Matioii, dfiiiaiidinj,' mm I'xtciisioii of tho public donDuii for
the biMiefit of thoso H<>ekiii<; hoiiu's in tho West. The nc([uisitiitii of
tli<' territory in question i)y tiie I'liited HtntoH "ifovernincnt liad, there-
fore, become important.

A full account of the proceedinj^s iitten<lin<^ this treaty is <,nven
by Mr. Schoolcraft, Avho was secretary to the commissioners, in liis
l)ook of travels in the central porti«»n of the Mississippi valley pul»-
lished in 1825, from which it appears that the Imlinus were sur[irised
that the government should ask from them a oessicm of the lands in
<pU'stion; and in which it fnrther appears that tho chiefs absolutely
rel'iised to concur in the a[>plication of the f^overnment for more of
their lands.

Tlie Pottawattamie chief Mcha, the orator and master mind of
this occasion, in addressing tho council, speaks thus firndy in answer
to the application of the ct)mnussionerB:

"We have sold you a great tract of land already, b"t it is not
enough. We sold it to you for the bent>fit of your chiklren, to farm
and to live upon. We have now but little left. We shall want it all
for oiirsoli'os. We know not how long mo nniy live, and we wish to
leave some lands for our children to hunt upon. You are graduallv
taking away our hunting-grounds. I'onr children are driving us
before them. We are growing uneasy. What lands you have yoii
may retain forever, hut ice sIkiU sill no more.'"

But. notwithstanding tlui declaration of Metea that they would
sell no more land, the t)bjoct of the nussion of the commissioners was,
nevertheless, in the end. acccmipiished. and the careful readei ;)f the
report of the proceedings attending this treaty, can come to no other con-
clusion than that it Avas consummated by fraud and imposition upon
the tribes, in Avhich. although tlu>ro is a studious attempt to hide it,
whiskey figured largely in the fraud. The Indians were intimidated,
and. by nn'ans aforesaid, umluly influenced. The transaction was of
that character, at least, that it attracted special attention in England,
and tho action of our government was severely commented ujhui, ami
criticised by the Lf)ndon I'iiiics. as noticed by Mr. Schoolcraft it) his
Avork before mentioned, to the following effect:

"The United States have driven a l)argaiu, and a hard bargain it
is. with the miserable Indians. For foiiy-five thousand dollars in
merchandise, a little more than five thousand pounds in raonoy, as valued
by those who furnished it, and an annuity of less than two thousand

INDIAN Tlil'.Mir.S.

:, !'.)

]u)unils |M r aiimiiii. (iitvciiior Cuss, wIidsi' diiiloniiitic talents ii|i(H'iir on
this occiision to liuv(< Imm'u lii^^lily applaiitli'd liy liis (•oiiiitryiiu'n, has
[H't'vailtid upon llio ht'l|ih'ss al)ori;,Miit's to siirrt'iiihT livi' millions ol'
ft^rtilo Hcrcs, to tho westward of the hikes, and ecpuil in surfaco to
about one-l'onrlh of Ireland. N'eiily. (lovernor Cass may he said to
understand his business.''

The <:reat chiet Metea. who was at the time the most intinential
chief of liin tribe, liindv, vet cautiouslv, insisteil that tliev wonid sell
IK) more hiinls, until near the fh)so of tho couiK'il, when the priiu'ii)al
I'hief of tlu3()ttawas. IveewayLTooshknni. taUiiii,' a nime iavorablo view
of the matter, evidently Juivini; iiad some intlneiice binuij;ht to 1)ear
n|)on him, made a speeeli tendin<; to intluenee tJu^ minds of the tribes
favorably to the proposed purchase, which pro(hu'od a niaiUed eil'ect
upon the Indians.

A favorable terniinatioii was tinally reached on tiie 'J'.lth ol' August,
and a treaty cedin<^ the lands described by Cleneral Cass, in his a[)[ili-
catiou to the Italians thei'efoi', Avas concluded and sii»ned by the com-
mi.ssionerrt and princi|ial chiefs of the sever.al tribes; but disconten.
and dissatisfaction Avitli what had been done, on further reflection, evei-
after continued amon<^ the Ottawas and Pottawattamies. The chief of
the Ottawa.s before mentioned, on his return home, -was [>eisecuted by
his tribe, and Ins pon secretly poisoned, in rtn-eui^e for the part ho
toolv in consumnnitiuir the treaty. Audit was this discontent, on the
part of the Pottawattamies, which nearly result(>d in leadin<; them to
join l>lack Hawk in Ins raid into Illinois in I'^'A'l. and they wouhl
have done ko but for the earnest ap[)eals and influence oi' the half-
breed chic^i's. P)illy Caldwell and Alexander Rol)inson.

Considering the flattering' promises made by (reneral Cass to the
Indians, as to the aih'quato price that would be paid them for these
lands, the consideration as finally stipulated, as shown by the treaty
itself, sinks into insignificance, and becomes ridiculous. As rei> urked
bv one of the chiefs, in his s[)eecli at this coiuicil, in answer to Gov-
ernor Cass' promise of large consideration, their experience was that
the money they received in j)ayraent for lands when obtained seemed
to amount to nothing, and gave them no substantial relief. For in-
stance, the consideration in this case, paid to the Pottawaftamies,
amounted to about a dollar for each pei'sou in the tribe annually for
the limited term of twenty years. This a[iplication of figures to
actual facts shows how it was, us their chief well reinarked. that the
amount paid them seemed to do them no good. The consideration
was inadequate, and a valid defense can scarcely be made against the
bold charges of the Loudon 7''i»ics, before (pioted.

55»»

TllK AMKUICAN INDIAN.

:il

The criticiHin iii(lal<ft'tl ii: l>y tlit^ FiOiKlon Tiiiirn in icirmd to tlm
part honit' \>y Gonoriil Cuss in tiif truiisactioii in (jucstion. wtrikes us
with much forco, osju'ciclly Mhen wo considtH' tin' reasons pnt I'lntli i>y
him t(» tlio Indians, wliich, in his opinion, Hiionld o|M'rato to iuistcn
thi'ir \villin^'nt>ss to |i!irt with tiicso hinds as proposed, lit; says:
"Tho (inaiility of ^'ann' you now kill in that [tart of tho fountry is
very litth". almost nothiu'j."'

Did it isvcr oim nr to (Jt'iiiTal Cass tiuit tiiis circumstamt' of scarc-
ity of jjjanm, opiTatin;,' to dcprcciato thcso lands toting Indians, had
arisen solclv fi'mn acts of tiie wiiitn man himself in his invasion of
tiici I'ounlrv; that his people, ]i;i\in;Lj i'V continued enci'oachments
d 'preciatfd tiie value to them of the Indian's doiiain, the white
man was not at liln'ity now, in ('nuity ai.d <^oi>d (■(Uiscience, to
expect to ppilit from tiie injury, and assi^'u it as a reason why the
Indian shouM he willing to part with it. and leave it to tin' party who
had li'spoileil it. on the terms the wiiiie man pri)poset! — much on the
princijile that if a piison sets up a iniisanee ujmn his ni'iijhiior's
premises, whereby the \ahn' lieeun.i's reducid, he may claim the rij^ht
to piu'cluiso the same at tli<' lediu'ed \alu(* he himsi'lf ci',ise<l. This
would certainly be condemned as law for the white ma.i. and why not
the sa'ue fur the Indian '.■'

Tne |)roceedings. uilli'd a treaty, by wliirh tln' I'nited States
government claimed to hase aecpiir'd all the light uf the Sacs and
Fox'S to tin; country in the western |>iirt of the statt; of Illinois, is
an<i|ii,'i' glaring example in the liiie of overreaching the Imliansby
[intended negotiations.

This is the tnaty piiipi ut Miif to have lii'en made al' St. Louis.
l)etwiM',i William ibnry Harrison. (io\ern<irof the Indi.ana territorx.
and commissiom'r pI'Miiputenliary of the I niti'd Stales fiu* concluding
any tre.aty or treatiis which may lie baind in'ces>ary with any of the
Northwestern tiiliis of Indians, and till' chiefs and head men of the
nnilid S.ic and I'nx tiilns. w hereby said tribes ceded i as is cl;iimed )
to tiie I nili'd States, for a nominal sum. all their liLrhts in a vast tract
of laiiil in tlm western part of tin' state •>( Illinois, according to lionnd-
aries fixed in the articles of said treaty.

This treaty purports to have lieen com-Juded at St. Louis on the
;{rd of Novendier, l^Uj. and is sigmij b\ William lleniy Harrison, osi
the part o' the I nited States govermncnt. and by liie following personn
representing the Snc.i and /•'occ,*'. I,niiiiiir<iis. I'hsIk ixihn, (Jinisli-
Hiiittiii'. ( )iili-l;i<iii<ihii. Ildlishiijiiarhliiiiii. whose si'Veral marks aro
alVlxed.

It Is this so called treats that IMack Hawk contended a^iainst, and

INUiAN TllEATIES.

551

insisted wny not l)iiKling upon Ills tribe, luid wliich lie re|)iuliiiti'(l, fiiul
upon which foHowt'd what is known as the liUivk Ihink War. In the
lUiikinif of this treaty thore was no assembly ot" the tril)e, and no con-
sultation witii tlioni whatever. These so called chiets and head men,
bein^' at St. Ijouis together, at the dat»> mentioned, were induced tojtut
their marks to the treaty as drawn up under the dire<.:tioii oi' (iovernor
Harrison, without any authority i'rom their tribe -.viiatever; and which
the n^oveninnMit subseqxiently enforced by its military arm, at the
expense of much blood and considerable treasure.

But (tmoui,' the most iii'^enioiis woi'k in <)vern>achin»f the Indians,
and one of the most ^larin^' examples in this re;(ard next to that last
mtMitioned. is tiie treaty at l'rai)'> .hi Chien. concluded July 2!*th,
Iv'JU, and followi'd by that concluded afterwards nt Chicago, Septem-
ber 2'.>, lS){i{. by which was acciuired the country of southern Wiscoii-
sin. south of tlu! Wisconsin river, and the country of northern Illinois,
comprising' what was ecpial to alioiit om -tliird of the area of the state,
and beinjf the most yaluabh^ tract of land ever acquired from the
Indians throu<,di a sin<.fle schemo. Althou<jh it may have been com-
jHised in two transactions, it was, nevertheless, the subject • f one
scheuH': and. as the v.riter derived his information conceriun<^ this
tran.saction from what may be considered inside sources, he will speak
more particularly as a i arrator in the '"first person sin^nilar."

Measures had been adopted for the coiistru<'tion of the Illiiutis and
Michigan canal, and emigration had commenced to advance into Michi-
gan anil Indiana. The l(>ad mineK. of (ialeiia had commenced to
attract the attention of miners and otiiers, whi<'h called for action to
furtlu'r extinguish tin' Indian title to i\w couidry west of T^ake Michi-
gan. The trrt'atfr. and most valuable poitiipii of the land sought,
belonged 'i- ti, > i'ottawattaniies, their consent to paiting with which
had theielor;' to be obtained; for this piP'pose. therefore, this tribe,
with >h r allies, the Ottawas ;ind Chipptiways lOjibways), wi're
re(piest(il to meet with the commiKsioiiers of the I'ldted States govern-
nii'nt at I'rairie du Chien, in August. \'>'1\K in council, to negotiate for
the ct'ssiiin of )i portion of land about the lead mines at Calena.

The master spirit in ciun'octing this scheme, on the part of the
Tnited States govi'rnnn>nt, it would appi'ar, was Or Alexander Wol-
cott, then Indian agent at v'hii .igo, and wiiose experl hand in si'hemes
of this kiml is seen in th" backgnniud in tlie consummation <)f the
pu'cluiM' bv the tr»'aty at Chic.igo of .Vugust 'J!'. I'^L'l.

In ! hi ' bt 'fore-mentioned spring of IS'J'.I. I'resident. I ackson appointed
(ien. John McNeal, uf the I'nited States army. Col. I'ierri' ^lenard,
of Illinois, ami Caleb Atwiitor, of Oliio, c«»iniui»sioiiers to treat with

5.V2

THE AMKIIICAN INDIAN.

the Inilinim lor tlu< ci'ssioii ui" liii' country cnvt'i'iii;; fli" IcihI mines
before luentiouetl.

Gei). itIcN(^Ml Wits a native of Now lliin)|)sliiro. and 'vmh. at tliis
time, colonel of the tirst United States intantrv. witli tlie rank of l)rev»'t-
biiiradier <r('iH'ral.

Col. Menard was a Frenchman, wiio settled at Iva.skaskia. in Illi-
nois. lon<r li{>fort» it became a state, and wiiose name is sc prominent in
its early hi.-^tory.

Ml'. Ativater was an Ohio politician of tliat day. ai'.d an ardt-nt
supporter of I'l'esident Jackson, othci'wise called a "Jackson man."
from whom he had received the favor of this commission as some itcoij-
nition for his jvJitical .-ifrvices. He was a man of icariiin<,f and |iromi-
nence in his o.vn state, where he was much respected. He was also fin
author of some note, and wrott^ a very excelhmt book on the subject of
"Western Antii[nities.'' He was the historian on tiie occasion of this
treaty at Prairie dn Chien, and we are <freiilly imh bted to him for
many historic facts relatin;^ thereto, which lie jiieseived.

The commissioners left St. Fiouis. on the ;!(ttli of June, for I'rairie
<lu riiien. arriviiii^ there about the midille of .Inly, when tlie\
priK'eeded to comph'te ai^ran-^ennMits for the council.

Th(^ tribes "issendiled here to meet the a^'entsof the liiited States
♦government in this council, Mr. Atwater says, v.cre the Winneba^foes.
I'ottawattamies. Cliippeways. Oltawas. Sioux. Sacs and l''o\es. and
!Menominees. In ad,lition to these there were in the assend)l\'. Mr.
.Mwater says, "iialf-breeds and the ollicers from Fort Crawford at that
place, the Indian a^^'uts. sid)-aeeiits. iiilerpreteis. and a ^reat concourse
of stran<;ers from nt-arly e\eiyeity in the l';iion. and even from Liver-
pool. London, and Paris. What o<'casi.>ned (he presence of thest>
stran<,f(>i's. and especially those from fai distant points, does not appear,
but If m\ist have iieen th<^ ;ri'eat interest, at that day. center(>(l 'n the
lead mines in the country, which were the subject of the proposed
treaty."'

I'"iom Mr. Atwater's description, it .-^eems much ceremony was
obserxed in urran;,Mn;f and constituting the council, the object bein<.j
to mak<' the occasion ns imposing' and impressive upon th»> Indians as
possible, in which the commissioners were ipiite successful. .Mr. At-
water says "ihe spectacle WHS«^rand miuI morally sublime in the hi^jhest

,|,.iripr.."

The Winneiiaijoes were first addressed, then the Cliippeways,
Ottawas. and Pottaw.ittamii'S. The last three triln s were rather mild
in their demands, but nitli the Wiiinebai^oes it was otherwise. They
were always a turbulem people, at h nsi not very passive in their

INDIAN TUEATIF.H.

553

iintnre; on the contrnrv wero ODiisidtM-od (\<^<;n>8sivo. iMiistaiitly i(>sist-
iii^ (lenmiuls miuh' iipoii tliciii l)y tlio ruitcd Stfitt-s ^ovenimciit.
TliPV insisted tlmt the I'nited States ii.'nl not iiejit fiiith with them in
the past; that ii hir^e ainoimt was tlien ilui> them on iii^rt'CMiicnts at
forniiT councils, and th^y would listen to no |>ro|)ositions until the
amount in arrears was |»aid them. Their answer to ])ro|)osals was;
"Wipe out vour debt het'ore you run in debt a^'ain to us."'

Tiiero waH such an uneasiness of fecliu'f amonj,' the \\ innehaj^oes
that the comniis8ion:'rs were advised by XmrLnir. their luincipal
cliiej', to <^i) into the fort for saf<>ty. 'I'iiey were told li\ the Wiiine-
ba^'oes that "tln\y woidd nse a little switch n|)oii them:"" in plain
jMedish, that thev would assiissinate the c(»mmissii)neis anil all persdus
conn»u'ted with them. I>y tins time *Jii<t waniors. under Keokuk ami
Morj,'an. <'hiefs ol' the Sites an<l Foxes, who were Iriendly to the whites,
arrived and beifan their war «hince f«>r the I nited Stjites. and ([uietly
spread anioii^ the Indians the story that thirty steandioats, with can-
non and I'liited States tfoups, and UK) warriors of tlieir own. were
near at hand. The \\'inneba^ot»s were silenced bv this int<'llii,fence
and bv demonstrations not nnsunderstood liy tlnin .Mr. Atwater says
that the arrival of Kt^okuk was a season of ^reat joy with then;; that
he placed more reliance on his friendly warriors than on all the Tniled
States forces then stationed at that place (lood as the oHici'rs were.
tilt* soldi fs. he sayti, wei-e too dissipated and worthl<>ss to be relied on
foi' a moment.

'I'akinj,' Keokuk aside and alone, he expressed to him in plain
Iv i^lish what he wanted of him and what he w<add do for him, to
which Keokuk answered in )_Mod Kniflish; "I undeistand you. sir.
peit(>ctl V. ■•iial it sliall l>e doni'. " It was all done faithfully, ind he
turned the tiile favorably. The tn'aty was successfully con<'bided w ith
the I'ottawattamies and their allies, the Ottawas and ('hip|)ewa\s. on
the -'.Ith of .July. That with the \Vinnbea<.;oeH was concluded .\u;:usi
1. followinj;. whereby about ei<.;ht iidllion a<'res of land were ac [Uiretl
and added to the domain of the Inited States ;,ni\t>inment.

I'lion settini; out. at this council, the representations to the
Indians, on joiniii'^Mt, were that the (nited States ;,'overnment tiesired
((/(/// to ac(Hiiri' land enou<,di to atfoi'd crunplele privile<;es for '////////*;/
((/• inirliiiiji llif liiiil iiiiiirs. but it ended not tmly in acijiurinj,' the
whole couiitiy of the leal mines, but in acipurinj,' a strip of country
extending alonj; tin? Wisi-onsin river, opeinn^f a communication in that
direction from the .Mississippi to Lake Michif,'an; also a strip of
countrv on the east side of tlit* Mississippi, extending,' from the lead
mines to |(ock Island, and a strip of country on the nortii, (»f the pur-

554

THK AMEIilCAN INDIAN.

chase of l>^lt», reaching up above Rock Ishiml from the south, leaving,
however, n tract of country untouched on the east of the Mississippi,
exteniliiig to Lake Michigan, still belonging to the Indians, comprising
about five million acres of land, nov tiie richest portion of nortliern
Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Tiie personal narrative of Alexander Robinson, a leading diief of
the Puttawattaniies, in regard to this treaty, reveals to the incjuisitive
mind some very interesting facts, of wliich Mr. Atwater's account
gives no intimation, and we must conclude was not, in the nature of
things, in any way made known to him. Tiiis treaty was entirely a
blind. It availed the Tnitetl States little or nothing for practical pur-
poses at that time. l>ey('nd possession of the lead mines, except that it
servt'd as an entering wedge for the treaty at Chicago, which followed
ill Septemiier. Is'A'.i. Tt would have been very dithcnlt for tin* I'luted
States government, at that time, or within any reasonable time there-
atti;r. to iiave negotiated with the Imlians to acquire atone time all
their lands then remaining in Illinois and Wisconsin. Ibit. having
ncn\iired a strip of laud along tlie east side of the Mississippi and
along till- Wisconsin rivei'. tiie Indians became completely licmnnMl in.
or surrounded, by tiie grants of the I'rairii' du Chien treaty. Their
attention being calhvl to this fact, some three or four years thereafter,
it became an i-asicr nnitter, upon tln'ir realizing tht^ situation, to nego-
tiate with tlitin for the balance of tin'ir lands rennuiung, under such
circnmstancrs. To use a common saying, in playing tiiat interesting
game callrd checkers, tiie Indians were driven into a simjlf ctinicr
befoi'e tiii'\ were aware of it.

In 1^'iT. I became I ','rstiiially ac(Hiainted witli .VIexander Robin-
son, tiie lialf breed Pottawattamie cliiet, before mentiiuied. having some
business transactions with him. wliicli extended over a co!isideial)|e
period of time, lie was tiien living on his reservation on tiie J)es-
plaines river, just aliov(» tlie jjresent crossing of the (bdena branch of the
Cliicago iV Non!:western Railway. .\t tiie outbreak of tiie l»lacl< Hawk
disturiiance in \S'-\'l. Robinson was a volunteer in one of the four
companies raised in (^iiicago and tlie settlements around, called Major
IJailey's battalion, wliich took pos.session of Fort l)earl)orii. it llien
being unoccupied, where tiie battalion lenndned until tlie arrival of
tlie I'nited States forces under Major Whistler.

.V b'w years tliereafter I made him a visit at his residence on the
Desplaines river, and took from him full notes of the history of his
life, which, it seems, had never liefore received tin* attention of any
one save his own faniilv, and with them, even, he was never very com-
miinicative on the subject.

INDIAN T11EATIE8.

555

My impression of Indinn goveriimput niul usaj^p, at tliat timo, was
that tlu'ir chiet's wore boi' into, or inhoritcil. tlu'ir positions as sut-li,
and I st't out, in olitaininj^ Mr. Robinson's narrative, with that impres-
sion. After pro('t>eiling at considerable lpn<jjth. showin*,' iiis birtli at
Mieliilimaeinae, his service as an Indian trailer, and so on. I soon dis-
covert'd that he was not t)no of tliose chiefs who had become bo by
inheritance or birth. I therefore stop|)ed short ami asked: "Mr.
Robinson, when and liow did you become a chief":''' He answered ( ho
spoke En<i;lish im|ierfeclly ) :

"Me nuido chief at the treaty at Prairie du Chicn."

"H'lW did voii liappeii to be ma(U' chief?"

"Old AVihiiette, lie come to me one day and he say: Dr. Wolcott
want me and Billy Caldwell to be chiefs. He ask me if I will, Me
say yes, if J)r. Wolcott want me to be."

At this time there were two vacancies iu the numl)er of the chiefs
of the Pottawattamie triiie, occasioned by recent deaths. Heitt the
work of J)r. Wolcott, the a^'ent for the Polta\vattamie>. Ottawas and
Chippeways nt Chicai^o, to ac<]uire the title to the renuiiniiii,' lands in
Illinois, first appears. Fiom the facts I learned of Mr. ltol)inson, it
became evident that the chiefs of the trdai, at that time, having these
two vacancies, wmdd be opposed to ])ai'tinir with tlies(> lands, altlioni^h
Mr. Robinson seems to jiave had no conception of tiie situation, nor of
the design of Dr. Wolcott.

\)r. Wolcott was a native of Connecticut, and. judging from his
record as Indian agent, was a specimen Yankee of the gehiiiim tvpe.
He was a tliligeiit ])iiblic oflicer, wlio pursued his instnu'tions faitii-
fiiUy. and was fully up to tin* standard ipf Yankee cliaraeler in driving
u good bai'gain. It is Axm^ to him, however, to say that he has never
been accoideil that jiositioii in local history wiiich his valuable services,
in aiding the settlenn'iit of the Northwest, justly entitles hnii to. While
(itnieral Ca-s was prominent in most of thi'se early negoliatioiis witii
the Indian tribes, yet it is believed, indeed, a careful ifview of loi'al
historv indicates, that I)r. \\'olcott was tlni masterspirit in (■■.rrviii'T
out the eaily policy of tiie government in cNtinguishing the Jnilian
title to their lands in Miciiigan, Illinois and Houtliern Wisconsin, after
the clost* of the war of 1'^^J. He was Indian aeent at Chicago at
tlu^ time of tlie treaty of 1^21. in which (ieiieral Cass appears as tiie
|»riiici|ial negotiator for the government, but in which Dr. Wolcott was
an important factor, as before nientiiii«d. and who. it appears, at that
early ilay, Avas impressed w ith the great future of Chica;ro.

It becanii' the jiolicy of tiie govenmieiit to extinifui«li tl Indinn
title to the lands about Chica^'o. especially iu northern Illinois, as

556

THE AMEKICAN IXPIAN.

early iis possible. Tliii-t pulit-y was. no doiiht, inspirod lar*,'i'ly iroin
till' iiiiliii'iifos and vt'prt'st'iitHtioiis of Dr. W'olcott. .M'tcr tlin trcfdy
of Isiil, ho Kt't'iiis U^ liav(i addrussed liis attentions and t'lii'rjTJcs
81>eoially in tlin diit'ction at'oresaid.

In iS'i'.l. the chill's of the I'ottawattaiuies. witii perhaps one single
exception. \v(>re wild Indians, liavin;,' no synipaiiiies with thi' interests
of thi> white man. and it seems that Di'. A\ oicott l»'('aiti(> coii\iiifed
that success was at least doidittul unless measures -were taken to hrin^j
some s|)ecial inlluence to hear u|ioii these .'liiefs. His plan, therefcue.
was to add I{oi)inson and Caldwell to tiieir nundter. This was u verv
happy idea, and became emim'utiy Hiu'cesslu!. and to him must be
ni'corded tlie rc-al credit of so shapiiii,' the neirotiations at j'rairie du
Chieu as to lead to the success of the treaty at ('hica<,fo. which fol-
lowed in lNii;5, and by which the extiuguisiiment of the title to all the
Indian lamls in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin was com-
pletely aeciiniplished.

The lands which the govei'niuent desired to ac(juire beiuM- occn-
pied ninstly 1 y the I'ottawattannes. and th<' Ottawas and Chippewavs
IniviiiiT no interest therein, except under their agi'eenient of alliance
with the Pottawattanues, tht* protest, or policy of the latter tribe in
relation to parting with this land, would natui'ally bi' concui'red in bv
Hie other two tl'ibes, so that all that had to be don(< li\- Pi-. AX'olcott
was to obtain the favoralile action of the chiefsof the I'ottaw attaniies.
Thero could be no otiu'r obj(>ct for the interference of Dr. Wolcott to
obtain the admission of Itobinson and Caldwell as chiefs of the Pot-
tawattanues. except in connection with thti desire of the government
coui'erning their lands, and there were probably no other two persons
in existenc(> who possess»>il that influence among the tliiee allied tribes,
nnd especially with the Pottawa*t.innes. as did these two men.

They were both men of integrity, pobinson a half blood Chippe-
way, an<l Caldwell a iialf blood Pottawattamie. While in tlnir instincts
they uei-e essertialiy white men. yet the history of their li\es shows
tliatthey hail been ever faithful to their Indian relatives. Itoliinson
had been, during ii large proportion of his life, an Indian trader,
whereby he had occasion to gi'ant the Jmlians many and impiu'tant
favors. Caldwell had espoused the cause of the allied trilies of the
Imliansof the Northwest, in the war of l^lli. and was with Tecuniseh
as (uai »)f his aides nt the battle of the Thames. The decision of this
battle being disastrous to the Indian cause, Caldwt'll ciu'diallv gave
his adherence thereafter to the I'nited States govei'nment ; and. beiuir
H man of liberal views, as well as good Knglish educati .1. he com-
lueiiceil to throw his influence in favor of the advance of civili/ntion

INDIAN I'lir.A riK.s.

00 i

ill till- Xiirtliwost, ro(>()<,Miiziiiij the fact tliat its (ircoiiiplisliiiuMit whs a
inatttM- (tf Imt a short tiiui'. In other wonls. in connnon sa_\ in<^. '-thi'
Indian must f^o."

Thi' known sentiiuf^nt of tiicso two men. in tliis rciranl, inducod
Dr. Woln.tt to Het ftu intluiMKM! at work to tlirust npon the Pottawat-
tamie trihc tlio.so two vtiry intlnential men as chiefs, to snppiv tin' two
vacaiu'ies existini,'. In aid of tiiis pnrpose. it seems, lu^ secnred the
services of Antoine Wilmette, a Frenchman, wlio had nwirried an
Indian wife of the Pottawattamie trii)e, one of tin* ohiest resich'nts at
Ciiica-ro and a man of niucii inHuence witli tiu^ Indians, and a |iarticn-
ia]' friend of liol)iiison.

l\ol)inson arid Caidwtill were, at thi.s time, l)oth liviii<f at ("hicajijo,
on tile West Sid«\ at wluit was tlien called the Point, just north of
wliert- r.ake stnet now cros.ses the South IJranch of the Chicauro river
Pi'oceedin-,' with my inrpiiries. I asked .Mr. Ilolnnsoii: '"After
the Indians had nu't toircthei' at Prarie dn ChiiMi for the treaty, what
was th^" first thinj,' doneV"

'•The first thino they do theynndie uw, ami Billy Caldwell chief.s."

"How W('!e yon made chiefsy What was doney"

'• First, all tin- chiefs they met to^etiu'r, and they say they have

us for chiefs. Then tin; trihe miM>t in council, and the chiefs tell tliem

they have us for chiefs; then the trihe all say they want us for chiefs.

and then we lie chiefs, (iiid tlicii ire all i/a ami iiKikc flir frrtili/."'

Thus it will he se<Mi that no chances were taken in carryinij out
the |)roy:ramme. as laid out hy Dr. NVolcott. The very tirst business
in hand, as shown hy .Mr. Kohinson. was that of nnikini,' iiini and /.'/////
Cahhrrlt chiefs; that hein^^ done, in otiier woi'ds the jury heinj^ suc-
C(^ssfnlly packed, the verdict was awaited as a nnitter of form. Dr.
Wolcott accompanied the Pottawattamies to Prairie dn Chien. and saw
his plans fully accomplished just as ho had laid them, and was after-
ward duly complimented upon the result, in the same manner as was
(ieneral ('a,-.s for his adroitm-ss at the treaty at Cliicago of IS'Jl.

While Mr. .\twater discoyertHl much turbulence of spirit, on the
part of the Winneba;,'oes. at this council, it is inferred from what he
says that a different and more friendly spirit prm-ailed amonj,' the three
tribes of Chippeway:*, Ottawas and Pottawattamies. If .Mr. .Vtwater
coidd liave known of the ingenious diplonmcy on the part of J)r.
Wolcott. he would have had less anxiety as U) the results than he did
luive, in the alwenco of any knowledge c(un'erning the same.

In this treaty the following, among other reservations of land,
were made:

"For WauponoliHee ( Wiiul)ause), five sections of laud at the

ooS

THE AMEIUC.VN IXDI.VN.

i'i

Gniml Bois on Fox River of Illinois," (Big Woods), heinjj near
where Aurora now stiuuls.

"For Shabelinav two stK'tions at his villam) near the Paw Paw
Grove." And there was <;rant(Hl, anion<if other lantls. as follows:

"To .\le.vaiult'r U(ii)inson, for himself and ehildreii, two sections
on the Riviere Aux Pleins."

"To Billy Caldwell, two and one-half sections on the Chioaj^o
River, ahove and adjoinin*,' the lino of the purchase of IMKi." Thus
were Rohinsuu and ('aldw(<ll [iroperly renuMnl)i'n>d in the distrihutioii
of favors.

Wauhaiisn was subsequently diiveii off from iiis reservation. For
which he never received unythiiig, and the same is true of Siiahlioim
in ri'gard to his two sections near the Paw Paw Grove. He left his
rt>servation temporarily, and went out to visit his tribe in their new
liitme west of tlie .Mississippi, and, on iiis return, found that tiie •gov-
ernment iiad surveyed anil sold ids land to wliite settlers, refusing to
give him any cumpensation therefor whatever.

Till- land granted to Billy Caldwell he siibseijuently dispo.seil of,
and followed his tribe west of the .Mississippi, where he died about
the y»vir Is-l'S. Alexauihsr liobinsoii dis[)osed of a considei'able poi*-
tion of his reservation; the balance renwiining d<!scended to his heirs,
who are now in possession of the sanu>.

Tht^ misleading point in this treaty, and the hope held out to the
ear. is shown in artii-le 2. wherein it is stipulated that, in consideration
of the lands tluis ceded, the I'nited Stales "agree to pay to the afore-
said nation of Intlians the sum of SKl.OdO annually, torever. in specie,
said sum to be paid at Chicago; and further, to deliver to said Indians
at Chicago lifty barrels of salt, annually, fhrcrfr; and further, the
I'nitod States agi'ee to nuike permanent, for the use of the Indians,
the IdaeUsmith's establislnnent at Chicago." This is an assurance to
the Indians tiiat no lurther cessions of land will be ex|)ected of them.

Tlius it will be noticed, by the terms of this treaty, tiiat the
moiu'V consideration agreed upon is to \m paid <iniiii<ill/i, J'orcrfr. nt
Cliicdfio. and liiai iliiy barrels of salt are to i)e tleliviU'ed to the Indians
<imiii(ill/i, forrrcr, (il llic siiiiic iihirc, and tlui natives are assured that
they will lind in running order for their nst' /(ircrcr "the blacksmitirs
establishnuMit at Chicago," which is hereby made permamud.

Verily, one would be led to believe that Dr. Wolcott. who
evidently dictate<l these stipulations, had not a very far s<'eing vision
as to the future of the country, if he expected Chicago, as this would
imlicate, to p»*rmanently remain a point for delivering salt to these
tliree tribes of Indians, and a place where they would be ai'comnio-

IXiilAX TItEATIES.

o .*)'.>

(lilted " itli H peniianciit blaoksmitirs pstiihliBhnieiit for iiiciuliii"^ tlit-ir
Rteol tmpH and r<'|miniig their j,nin locks; or else it imiHt be admitted
that tliese undertaking's were inserted solely for the purpose of over-
reachinif the Indians hy rt^preseiitations and promises of tliis kind,
which, in the nature of thin>^H, would not he fultilled.

In tiie spring' of IS.'J'i. came what is called the HIack Hawk War.
from a noted chief of a iiand of thi> Sac tribe of Indians, which bein*,'
ended in the latter part of the summer by the destruction of a larije
porti(m of his band, the country of Illinois commenced to attract the
favorable attention of inin)i<,'ration ; whence followed the treaty of the
Tnited States i,'overnmont with the Indians at Chicaj,'o. in Sept» n>ber.
ls)i:i, at which the plan of the final extinction of the Indian title in
tli<» remaining; lands of Illinois and a portion of Wisconsin, as con-
templated i)y the treaty at Prairie ilu Chien in IMJH, was ac(H)niplished
by an exciian<;e of lands with the Pottawatlamics. assii,'nin<,' them a
district of country on the west of the Mississippi of ecpial extent,
addinj; an annuity in money and <jjoods durin<; a term sti|iulated.
Thus (Milled, through these several schemes, the last of the supremacy
of the .Vljfonquin ract> in the country of their fathers.

iJilly Caldwell and Alexander Kiil)inson. and their immediate
friends, wen^ not only lii)erally rememl)ered in the treaty at I'raire du
C'hien; but. at the treaty at Camp TippiH-anoe, Indiana, concluiled
October lidth. IsH'J, just after tUv Black Hawk War. the followin''
stipulation occurrinjif: •' 8l»<>'( shall i)e paid annually to Billy Caldwell;
8"ilH) to .Vlexander lloitinson; and S-'*'* to Pierre Li' ('lerc, during
their natural lives;" and in the treaty at Chicago. September 'JTth.
lsi{;{. occurs the following stipulation: '•.Sl"<) u year to be paid to
Billy Caldwell, and .S-5(H> a yt^ar to l)e paid to Alexander Hobinson for
life, in addition to the annuity alnwidy granted them." By the same
treaty there is given to Alexander Hobinson and Billy (^aldwell
810.000 each, insttMid of reservations of land, which they askt^l. but
which the commissioners refused to grant.

Th(i inside history of every treaty with the Indians, for the sale of
their lands, as far as the same has come to our knowledge, reveals the
fact that the transa<'tion was consummated by uialnt* pressures upon their
unsuspecting minds, aided by tlattery and inisi'epn>sentation.

A missionary among the Shawnee Indians refers to an instance
o(?curring at n tnmty between the I'nitt'd States and the aforesaid tri!)e
in Kansas, at which they ceded the remainder of their lands in that
state in lieu of lands lying further upon the frontier, which it was stipu-
lated they should liohl forever, which nuiy be refernnl to as illustrating
n point in this connection.

5t;(>

THK AMKllICAN INDIAN.

-I

Aft»!r iinich pprsiuiHion, tlic |>riii('i|>al rliicf imicotMlt'd to sij,Mi tlif
articlt's <>t' tlic ticiity. wlicii lie icnuiikfil: 'Tliis is tlm third tiiiK* I
linvi' si<,'iit'il a treaty witli tli<< whites, in which himls have been rcscrvod
to (Hirsclve.'^, and every one of them has had in it tin* \V()r<ls /o liolil
fiircri'r. \n\i 1 tind these words mean nuthinj;."

When tin* Indians were caUeil ii|iiin to treat with the whites lor
the ccdin;; of tiieir lands, in tiie sim|ilieity of tluur minds, they couhl
not. in the nature of thini^s. realize the fact that they were ultimately
lo vacate the country in (piestion. As the white settlements crowded
u|>oii their donudn, ;^ame usually hecanu' scarce, and they would he
diiven mor!^ and more into a condition of want, in the midst of which
it was mitural that thev could realize onlv the fact of receiviii<f the con-
siileration olfen'd them, of which they stood i^reatiy in need, to relieve
them in their |iresent want. The matter of this consideration Avould
ix- pressed so in«feniously upon their minds, in the niitlst of their
pressing,' needs, as to su(hleidy influence them in their action, and there
is scarcely an instance on record tliat. when tiie time arrived for the
Indians to vacate the country they iiad ceded, they did not leave it with
demonstrations of deep re<,net. indeed, if they were not actualiv com-
pelled to vacate liy means of force on the part of the jjovernment.

The following; |)ara<,'raph in Van Tassel's journal in the Mlsfu'dii-
(ir/i Ihralil. |)ecend)er, l^:{l. shows the I'eluctance with which the
Indians left the Maninee country, to which the allied tribes were so
nuicli attached, al'tei' a treaty with them for cediuff it to the I'nited
States:

"Since tin' trtvity. s<une of the Indians have said thtn' will never
leave this countrv : if thev can tind no plactt to stav. thev will siieiid
the rest of their days walkiii",' up and down the Maumee. mourning
over the wretched state of their people.''

\ philanthropist, in referrin>^ to this subject, contributed the fol-
lowin>,' bt>autiful and touchin<f lines upon the occasion, to the .1 xicvicdn
J'loiiirr for January, l^l.?:

"I stooil. in a ilrcaiii. on the l)ank.s uf Aliiinni-i"!

'TwuH aiitunni.aiid natnro st'ciiiM wriipp'd in decay;
Tiie wind, iiKiiiniiitr, i-r.-pt tliro' the sliiveriiiK' tree —

'I'lic leaf liipiii till' iiiiii^li iliiftcti wliiwly away;
Till' trray-eatcio si'icaiiicd en tln' iiiai).,'c nf tlie stroiiiii,

Tiio soliliuics iiiiMWcri'il tilt' hird of tin- frets
How loii(>ly mid Had wim liio BCt'ai> of my druaiii,

And luouriifiii tii)> lioiir, on the banlcH of Mauinoe!

"A form |)iisHcd licforc iiic a vision of one

Wiio aiouraed for iiiH nation, IiIh country nud kiu;
II(> wallied on tiiti Hiiori'H, now neHcrted and ionc.

WluTf llie lionu'H of liiH trilic. in tlicir kIoOi ''»*il •)eeu;

INDIAN TUK.vriKS.

.'jl'il

th.'
.> I

lor
iil.l
:ely
ilwl
bo
licii

Oll-

eve
uld
leir

th.'
Htli
•111-

'oll-

tllH
' St)

itecl
ivcr

L'lul

f.)l-

Ami flioukflit aftt'i- tlioiiKht o'er IiIh himI spirit stole,

Am wavf fi)ll(i\VH wavf o'er tin- liirl)iili'iit sfii:
Ami tliiw luiiifiitatioii lii> lircHtlii'd from Imh hoiiI,

O'er till- nilim of lioiiif, on tlii> Imiiiis of Mamiicf:

I wiiH ill tilt' citiiiitrv (111(1 saw tli»> I'ottawiittaiiiios Icavn tlic lands
tlu'V liad ci'dt'd to tlit' I'liitt'd States <,'()vt'niiiioiit «l tlio treaty at Clii-
t'aj^o, September. ls:{3, and can sjieak from actual kiiowlcdo;!' of the
reluctance witli which they departed from the country of their fatiiers
and tile land of their nativity. Waulianse. the head war chief of tht»
tribe, notwitlistandiii«,' he iiad si<,nied this treaty, wherein he had
reliii(|uislied ail claims to ids former reservations, wiien the time
arrived for him to leave, seeined to be iiisensiiiie of tiui fact that lie had
made any njrreomeiit liy wliicli he was obli<,'e(i to leav(^ his possessions
to tiie white man. and made stul)l>orii resistance ttilteiii^' remove<l from
ids viilaire on l''ox riv(>r, wiiere tiie citv of Aurora now stands.

Col. C. J5. J)odson, wlio was one of tiie contractors for renioviiii,'
tiiese Indians to the country allotted tiiem on the west of the Missis-
sippi, liavin^f intluence witii tiiis threat chief, was assi<^iied the mission
of prevailiii^f on him to de|>art with the rest of his trilie; Imt. in order
to accomplish tliis result, iio was compeiied to resort to stratej,'y,
executed witii consideralile iiif^einiity.

Tiie JJlack Hawk Whv. so called, was Imt the act of resistance,
under the lead of tiint jfreat cliieftaiii. to tiie demand of the I'liited
Stales ifovernment to <piit tiie country, which lie claimed belonj^ed to
ids tril)e. on the t'ast of tiie Mississippi, declarinjf tiie treaty under
whicii tlie government wns actinj^ to l)e fraudulent and void, wliich. it
must be confessed, tlie iiiadeipiacy (d' coiisiderntioii expressed in the
articles of tin* treaty — bein<; merely nominal- and the circunistaiuu's
attending, before referred to in tiiis ciiapter. (piite clearly sliow: and.
indet*d, inadetjuacy of consideration mi^iit. periiaps, bo ur^ed in e(piity
n;(ainst the claim of validity of tiie treaties, in >;eneral. made between
the United States iroverumeut and the Indians in cediii'' tiieir lands.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

{■/

■y ;:^

(/i

(/.

1.0

I.I

'' IIIM |||M

.. IIIM

IIIM

lUO

22
M

1.8

1.25

— 1

1.4

1.6

-* 6"

►

/}.

-<»•

.pi

/,,

Photographc

Sciences
Corporation

23 we";t main street
webster, ny 14580

(716) 872-4503

i?.-

<5>

CHAPTER XLVII.

STATUS OF THE INDIAN.

The Position the Iiuliaii Occupies—The Object of the Spiininrds— Rijjht of Din-
covery — Early Colonists — Idea of Eliot— Uecojfuitiou by United States Govern-
ment- -Cliiof Justice Taney's View — " State of Pupilage" — Winnebago Indians —
Ponca Indians - The Negro Race as Compared with the Indian — The Conclusion.

-t
PI I,

til

'CAST OFF.''

HE status of tho American
Iiuliaii, or jjosition he occu-
pies in the white man's gov-
^'''' erument. witli which he finds
himself encompassed, is a matter
affording us a peculiar and interest-
ing field for reflection.

So far as the Spaniards were
concerned, they had no other object
in view, in regard to the natives of
the country of which they took pos-
session, than that of concjuest and
subjugation. Tlie Erench came
with a somewhat different purposp.
that of pecuniary profit to themselves and their king tiirougii a policy
of friendship and conciliation. To this eiul they treated the natives
more ns equals, marrying into their families and meeting tliem more
on equal terms of social intercourse.

But the English, out of whose course, it would ap[iear. lias grown
our whole Indian policv, came with entirelv different notions and
oi)jects from those of the Spanish or Erencli. All grants of land by
English kings, or letters patent, assumed exclusive title in the grantor,
based on the rigiit of discovery, in which no provision is nwide for
the political or civil rights of tlie native inhabitants. Tho English
intention in this regard is best illustrated by the conduct and course
pursued by the Puritan fathers in landing on the coast of New England.
These early colonists who were non-conformists or dissenters from
the church of England, came as exiles, fleeing from lue wrath of an
ecclesiastical tyranny, whose displeasure they had incurred, cast out

STATUS OF THK INDIAN.

r,(',3

as public offenders, " as profane out of the mountain of God." Tliey
came against tlie law. or, perhaps, more properly speaking, without
law; hence, there arose a necessity f(U- the establishment of law among
thera for their mutual protection : but this necessity Avas not fully real-
ized until the occurrence of threatened disseiisif)ns among themselves,
before (juitting the ship in wliicli they had embarked. Tliere were
among them persons of various grades of r.-ink, botli in intelligence
and social position, as well as in regard to wealtii. which gave rist^ to
jealously and suspicion as to what the designs of the stronger might be
with reference to those whom they considered inferior to themselves.
This led to a mutual agreement between all ])arties. defining more
particularly what the rights of all should be in the community whicii
they were about to form: and the result was that the following written
compact or constitution was diawn up and signed l)y all the male
adults on board the Mayflower, beftjre disembarking, as she lav olF
Plymouth Eock:

"In the name of God. Amen. "We, wliose names are underwritten,
the loyal subjects of our dread Hovereiofn Kinir James. l)v the frace
of God, etc., having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advance-
ment of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Countrv, a
voyage to plant the first Colony in the Northwestern parts of Virginia,
do, by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God,
and one another, Covenant and combine ourselves together into a
Civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and
furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue thereof to enact, con-
stitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitu-
tions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet
and convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which we
jU'omise all due submission and obedience.

"In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names, at
Cape Cod, the 11th of Novend)er. in the year of the reign of our
Sovereign Lord. King James of England, France and Ireland, the
eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Doni. KlliO."

Thus a civil body [)olitic. or municipal cor[)oration, Mas f(U'med
by mutual compact of the persons composing it, for purposes of civil
government in the new country, in whicli they were about to settle
anil take control, which, it will be observed, is to l)e a government
whose benefits are designed exclusively for the people who have con-
stituted it; from which the Indian, it would appear, is entirciv
excluded, in other words, altogether ignored, and there seems to have
been no intention, in forming the government of the colonists, which
subsequently followed, of admitting the Inilians as belonging to the

5(5-t

THK AMKIMCAN INIiIAN.

t:i
;3

Siiini'. or us liaviiij^ !ii)v jtolitit'al or civil ri^^lits whiitcvor tlun-eiii. ami.
in the course of bul)se([ueut events, have been regarded as holding,' the
like position witli reference to the civil government of the white man,
wliicih is assigned hy Ciiief Justice Taney, in the celebrated Dred
Scott case, to those of the African race, in which he says: " It Avas
too plain for argument that tliey (^the African race) had never l)een
regarded as a part of the ))eople or citizens of the state, nor supposed
to possess any political rights which the dominant race might not
withiiold or grant at their pleasure/'

The Imlians were reirai'ded as barbarians, and were, from the
earliest time, so treated and referred to by tiie English colonists, and
a constant barrier, socially and otherwise, was set up by these people
against them. When a commission was issued by colonial authority
to Mayor Gibbous, in 1645, to aid the Mohegans, who were regarded
as allies of the colonists, whilst lie was instructed "to make good use
of our confederates.'" he was at the same time cautioneil to have "due
I'egard to the honor of God, who is both our sword and shield, and to
the distance which is to be observed between Christians and bar-
barians, as well in wars as in their negotiations.'"

It would seem that the minds of the colonists did not reach out
in advance in contem[)lation of a time when the Indian race would
become extinct, nor when the white nifin would so far completely
encompass liim. (m this continent, that he must necessarily cease to
live in his wild native cimdition: but the continued thought seems to
have been that the Indian woiild continue for all time to find space
enough on the continent to which he could recede from the advance of
the white man, where he ccmld continue to live, unmolested in his
tribal relations, suV)ject to his own peculiar foi'm of government; and
this idea is well suj){)orted in Avhat is said by Chief Justice Taney in
the case aforesaid, in comparing the difference in the status between
persons of African descent in our government and the American
Indian, in which he says:

•■Tlie latter, it is true, formed no [)art of the colonial communi-
ties, and never amalgamated with them in social connection or in gov-
ernment. But. altliough they were uncivilized, they were yet a free
and independent people, associated together in naticms or triljes, and
governed by their own laws. Many of these political communities
were situateil in territories to which the white race claimed the ulti-
nmte right of dominion. But that claim was acknowledged to be sub-
ject to the right of the Indians to occupy it ns long as they thought
proper, and neither the English nor colonial governments claimed or
(>xercised any dominion over the tribe or nation by whom it was occu-

STATl'S or 11 IK IMHAN.

.)(>.)

j)ie(l, nor claimed tli(> ri<,'lit to the possesHioii ol' the, territory, until the
tribe or nation eonssented to cede it."

The idea of the so called Indian apostle, Eliot, and his co-worlccM's,
seems to have been, however, that these barbarians, as the P iritans at
first styled them, could be reclaimed through the Christian religion,
which tlun- diligently sought to liave them adopt, whereby they could
bo admitted, ultimately, into our society and to (upial political privi-
leges; but, after the death of the good Eliot, there seems to have been
no one left to carry forward this benevolent idea; whereui)on it appears
to have been abandoned, and the Indian was left to paddle his own
canoe, at least so far as acquiring any rights in the society and gov-
ernment of the Avhi'^e man was concerned.

There are instances, iiowever. in the colonial days of New En-
ffland, where Indians that had become educated and had assumed the
habits of white men, were acbuitted to political ju-ivileges by l)eijig
elected to local public ofllces, on the idea, heretofore suggested, that
where, in individual cases, any of this people should assume the liabits
of white men, they should be admitted to the privileges of their gov-
ernment. 13ut the policy has been steadily kejjt in vimv, running
through the colonial government down to the present time. that, where!
Indians kept up even a semblance of their tribal relations, they will not
be considered as a part of the body [xilitic in the affairs of government.

Upon the formation of the government of the United States.
under the constitution as first adopted, in ITST, the Indian, ftn- tlie
first time, obtained a kind of recognition in the government of tiie
white man, in regard to his civil status; although, it may be said, no
substantial rights were confei'red ujjon him thereby, yet the recogni-
tion nmv be to him some consolation, and ultimately result to liis
advantage. By section 2, article I, of the Constiiution of the United
States, it is declared that '' Representatives and direct taxes shall be
ai)portione(l among the several states which may be included within
this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall l)e
determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including
those hound to service for a tcu'ui of years, and excluding [iiilidini not
faxed, three-fifths of all other persiuis.'"

This provisiim was changed by late amendments to the constitution,
so that it now reads as follows: " Eeju'esentativi^s shall be apportioned
among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting
the whole number of persons in each state, excluding India !(s not taxed

riie converse of this proposition is that Indians who ave t((xe(l,
shall be counted in the enumeration of pei'sons for purposes of repre-
sentaticm in Congress, thus counting theui as persons in the body

56fi

Tfli: AMKIUrAN INDIAX.

politic, so that tliore would seem to he, uiuler such circumstances,
especially in the view taken of the status of the Indian by Chief
Justice Tauey, in the Dred Scott case, no constitutional oljjection in
the way of granting to the Indian f^.ll political rights enjoyed by his
white fellow citizens. There is no provision making any further
(jualitication necessary for their being admitted to full [U'ivileges, than
tiiat contemplated in the foregoing provision of the cong+''*^-ition. that
they shall be taxed. But, judging from the spirit of the pres>int age,
the time is far distant when I'.ie Indian can ex])ect to realize any such
event as that of conferring upon him (Mpial political privileges with
wliite citizens, even although he may desire it.

The Indian mind, notwithstanding the strenuous pressure which
had been brought to bear upon him. under various circumstances, and
for various purposes, is inclined to continue in liis tribal condition and
relations. He adheres witli mucii tenacity to the traditions of his
fathers in this respect, and as these tribes have ])een crowiled west-
ward, encompassed by civilization, and huddled together on reserva-
tions, the status of the Indian, in the white man's government, has con-
tinued to jH'esent new phases accordingly as f 'eaks or exigencies of
the white man's policy might bring about.

Chief Justice Taney, in tiie celebrated case before mentioned, in
further discussing the relation of the two races, the African and the
Indian, to the white man's government, points out the status of the
Indian in ijeneral terms in the ollowiuij language, as recoijnized at
that day:

"These Indian ifovernments were rejTarded and treated as foreiorn
governments, as much as if the ocean had separated the red man from
the wiiite; and their freedom has constantlv been acknowledired, from
the time of the first emigration of the English colonies to the jn-esent
day, by the diiferent goverinuents which succeed each other. Treaties
have been negotiated with them, and their alliance sought for in war:
and the people who compose these Indian ])olitical communities have
alwavs been treated as foreigners not living under our government.
It is true that the course of events has brought the Indian tribes,
within the limits of the United States, under subjection to the white
race; and it iias been found necessary, for their sake as well as our
own, to regard them as in a state of pupilage, and to legislate to a
certain extent over thiMu and the territoi'y they ()ccu[)y. But they
may, without doubt, like the subjects of any other foreign government,
l)e naturalized by the authority of Congress, and become citizens of
a state, and of the United States; and if an individual siiould leave his
nation or tribe, and take up his abode among the white population, he

STATUS OF THK INDIAN.

507

would be entitled to nil the rights and pi'ivileges which would belong
to an emigrant from any other foreign people."

The decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, in which
the foregoing rule in regard to the relation of the Indian to our gov-
ernment is announced, was rendered something over thirty years ago,
and was received as the proper status of the Indian at that time, as
viewed by the highest judicial tribunal. Tlie general principles of
the rule, thus expressed, have been continued to tlie ])resent time,
with sundry and various modifications, during tiie progress of adjudi-
cated cases that have arisen under various circumstances. The whole
line shows an endeavor, or a policy on the ])art of the courts, to avoid
receiving the Indian into our social or political communities; that for
certain purposes he has a government, foreign and independent of our
own; that for certain other purposes he has no government at all, and
individually is in no sense a foreigner, but is under the pujiilage or
guardianshi[)of the United States government; that whilst the Indian
governments have been regarded and trejited as forciijn uorcrnDiriifs,
with whom treaties have been nejjotiated and alliances souirht for in
war, the course of events brings the Indian tribes, within the limits of
the United States, under subjection of the white race, whenever it is
found necessary, in the opinion of our government, ftu' the Indians'
sake as well as our own, to do so, whereby they are regarded as in a
state of pnpihKjr. and the right is claimed to legislate to a certain
extent over them and the territory they occupy ; so that the grand
summing up of the case, is that the Indian really never had. and does
not now possess, any rights whatever in our government, which we are
in the least bound to respect, anything further tlinn wliat present
policy may dictate. Anil a general review of tiie subject through the
history of our transactions with the Indians, leads us to confess that
we are. to-day. no nearer a solution of what is called the Iiiilian prohloii,
tlian when our national government was first formed, and when it was
supposed that the Indian problem would tnke care of itself, or that at
least, '•sufficient unto the day was tlie evil thereof."

This uncertainty in our policy, and apparent reluctance to assign
to the Indian any definite status whatever, would seem to arise from
the fact of the increasing value of the lands which have, in professed
good faith, been assigned or set apart to that people as reservtitions to
hold forcrcr. This valuable domain, as it has become, would appear
to be the "milk in the cocoanut." which adds to the importance of the
continual strife between the white man and the Indian, and is throw-
ing uncertainty upon our Avhole so called IiuVkui poliri/.

The term, " state of pupilage."' in which Chief Justice Taney

508 .

THE AMEIilCAN INDIAN.

says it has been foniul necessary to regard the Imlian, is the toucii-
stoiie in this whole case, and robs him of every right whatever n the
white man's government, especially when we consider that our govern-
ment assumes to itself the province of determining, in its discretion,
as to the necessity of its application; and this is well illustrated in the
assumption of the government of the state of Wisconsin, as repre-
sented by the governor of that state not many years ago, in the case
of the removal of the Winnebago Indians from within its boundaries.

These Indians luul [)arted with tiieir lands in that state by treaty
with the United States government, under which it was understood
that, having parted with tJieir lands, they would remove from the state
to lands which had ])een assigned to them in the negotiation, beyond
the Mississipfii, But as there continued to be vast tracts of unoccu-
pied country in that state, a large number of the tribe continued tt>
roam over it as before, gradually assuming the habits of white people,
some engaging in their services, and pursuing various occupations.
Meanwhile, many of the tribe, who had gone to their lands west of
the Mississippi, returned and joined those who had remained, wliere-
u{)on these facts were brouglit to the attention of the governor of the
state, to whom aj)plicatiou was made to cause these Indians to be
removed out of the state.

The governor, accordingly, took measures to accom[)lish that end,
upon Avliich legal counsel was employed by the chiefs, who had become
educated in the ways of the white man. whereby the governor's order
for removal of the Indians was resisted, and the governor was asked
by what right he sought the removal of this people from the state.
To this he set up the general claim that they were IiKlians, and not a
part of the political community; that they had no lands in the state,
and no pecuniary interest in any [)roperty whatever. To this he was
answered that they were luitives of the state of AVisconsin. and, whilst
it might be true that they possessed no property in the state, yet they
had assumed the lial)its of the white man, and were in the same condi-
tion with reference to being non-property holders that thousands of
other people of the white race, then inhabiting the state of Wisconsin,
who Avere not only not property owners, but were not natives of the
state, but many of Avhom had been born in a foreign country ; and it
was urged to the governor that nativity, which seemed, in part at least,
to enter into this case as a lUsqualification, instead of being such, was
one of the best of reasons why this })eo[)le should have the right to
remain in the country in Avhich they were born, especially when they
were not charged with crime, vagrancy nor any offense whatever against
the laws of the state, and Avhen no reason was assigned why they were

sT.vrrs OF Tin: Indian.

5<]9

not jnst as orderly, peacenlilo ami industrious inhabitants ns those of tlie
white raco then living, or coining into the state, from foreign countries.

Whether this argument was received by the governoi' of Wiscon-
sin as conclusive, in su[)p()rtof tlie position assumed in behalf of these
Indians, does not ap[)e;ii'. Hutlice it to say, that no furiher action was
taken in the case, and this people, with reference to whom this (jues-
tion arose, still continue residents within tluit state, as peaceable,
orderly and quiet iidiabitants. but who are denied any |)rivileges of
political community l)eyond that of mere existence.

But there are isolated cases in which the lower courts of the
United States judiciary have recognized the Indians as having some
rights which they will respect, as in tlie case of the Ponca Indians
whom the government sought to remove from their original country
to a locality assigned them in the Indian territory. These Indians
resisted the order of_the^ United States government for their rem(,vfil,
aiicljtppiijecno the Di stric t Court of the United States in Nebraska. i)y
proceeding under a writ_of kabeas- eoppus, in which the court decided
that the United States government had uo sucJi right of control over
the members of this tribe of Indians as thev were seeking to enforce.

It will l)e noticed in what is said bv Chief Justice Tanev, in <:iviuir
the opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States, hereinbefore
quoted, that he places the African and the Indian race in this country
in juxtaposition, or refers to them somewhat in the same category,
regarding neither of them as having any civil rights under the gov-
ernment of the United States; in other words, that our government
was formed by, and exclusively for, the white man. suggesting, how-
e-ser, that the Indian might, under certain circumstances, by favor of
Congress, become a citizen; but. according to the view taken by the
learned chief justice, and sustained by a majority of the court, there
seemed to be no possible way, in the light of the law of the case,
whereby a person of African descent could acipiire any political or
civil rights. And yet, strrtnge as it may appear, iu the course of
human events, the inqtossible thing of that day has happened to the
fullest extent, and that which was suggested as possible, the enfranchise-
ruent of the Indian, and admission to full privileges in the [jolitical
community, have not only not happened, but are indefinitely postfjoned
to the far distant future. Those of the African race have become
favorites, and the Indian is .still regardetl as a barbarian and relentless
savage. Botli started in the country of their nativity, from the like
condition of native life, but wliilst the one who has succeeded to full
privileges in the white man's government is regarded as the inferior in
race, yet the other continues to be repudiated as " a man and a brother."

CHAPTER XLVIII.
INDIAN BIOGRAPHY.

How IndiauH Attniiiod Promiiunipo uiiion^' tlu'ir Poople— Civil nml Militiiry Affairs
ill Scpiirato Dcpartnu'iits -IlluKtrions Mfu — Road to Faiiio Open to All — Tli(«
Word Sachem— Prominent ludiuns Since the Settlement of the Contiueut— Brief
Biography of Noted C'hiefs.

1.1

^P^WHE Jiuliiin nttiiiiied prdinineiice and renown
Mjir.;^ among his people in like manner as the
' j) i.F white man does among the people in his
^ country — by wisdon) in council, and by
bravery and success in war. In this, however,
there is this difference in ti.sir customs: The
white man who attains success in war is marked
more particularly for favors and distinction by
|)romotion tt) positi(jn in the civil government,
wliile among the Indians the rule was that a war-
chief, however lie might be marked for his l)rav-
ery, and iiowever gi'eat nmy have been his
success in war, was not eligible to a ruling posi-
tion in civil affairs.
Tlie aim of the Indian policy was to keep their civil and military
affairs in separate departments: at least, that the military should not
dominate over the civil chiefs. Red Jacket, the renowned chief of
the Senecas, who belonged to the civil department of their govern-
ment, scorned the api)ellation of iram'or. He was the great orator
of tiieir tribe, and asked for no other distincthm.

Indian history, since the discovery of America, abounds in the
mention of their illustrious men. ilieir great chiefs and warriors, many
of whom occupy an imi)ortant [)lace in our own history; some as allies,
and others as those who are admired for their superior intelligence, as
well as for tlieir skill and (Miurage as warriors.

Whilst with the Indian as with the white man "the paths of glory
lead but to the grave," so with him. "honor and shame from no con-
dition rise." The road to fame and ' "

'■}'

open

extent that the order of things in his society would admit of his attain-

(■>70)

INHIAN niOORAPnY.

571

iii«,'. An ol)8cure hunter could iittiiin mnk mid distinction iiniong Ids
tribe, in accordunce witii what, in Indiiin eHtinuition. wr.s •.•onsidcrt'il
merit. A cliieftiiinship could be attnined in thin niivniior In such us
merited it. nccordint^ to Indian cstiniation oF merit.

In this connection, s[)eukin^f of Indian duet's or positions of dis-
tinction in Indian tribes, it is, [lerliaps, proper to speak more particu-
larly of the word chief itself, or the term by whicii Indians holding this
rank are irenerally known, in their laniruaire.

We have in some way acce])ted the word sdcliciii as n general
dt'signation for Indian chief, considering it as an Indian woid of gen-
eral ajiplication, without reference to the tribe or nation in question,
the same as we Imvo erroneously accepted the word Cdhmicl as an
Indian word, and as we use tiie wonls cdiuw. jxipoosr, and otiier like
local Indian words, as if they were of common application among all
Indian tril)es.

We must bear in mind, however, that these various wonls, so far
as they are Indian words, are limited to the language or dialect of some
particular Indian, nation or tribe. As before intinuded. there is no
one word or term in any Indian language that is ap])licable to the
whole Indian race, and if we will use Indian words at all. for purposes
of designati(m in Indian matters, we shimld use them in the lan-niace
or dialect of the tribe or nation concerning which we are speaking.

According to Ca])t. John Snnth, the term for rliicf among the
Ahcn((ki('s, or, as Mr. Schoolcraft terms them, tiie Northeast Alcon-
quins, was mcliciiio, pronounced, it seems, ndckaiiHK and from this came
by nus[)ronunciation the wonl sagcoiiorr, and from this word also, by
omitting the sound of o, appears to have come the word xdchciii.

The writings of Capt. John Smith a[)pear to have been the oriid-
nal source of information for English people concerinng tlie North
American Indians, hence the aforesaid Indian terms through their
various changes, by omission and ndspronunciation, came into general
use among the English, and from this the word saufDiioi'c and sdcliciii,
both ernmeous, became adopted, and have been a[)plied in our writino-g
as the designation for Iiididii chief, without reference to their tril)e or
dialect.

The word for chief in the Algoncjuin language, Ojibway dialect,
is 0(j<'iiidj in some dialects of that stock it is Okdiiia. In the Dela-
ware dialect it is Sa-ki-ma; in the Creek language, Micro; Mohawk
dialect, R((ckdU'd)iiid. The Iroquois used the term Aiotdrho. for the
presiding oificer of their league. Pccdrdltojja, a word which has l)een
^sxhibited by writers on the Iroquois as an eq^nivalent tor (/cnrralissi mo,
was the term for a tribal war-captain, and did not denote an offictu' of

572

rili; A.MI.liU'AN INDIAN.

tlin coiifoilorncy. Misliiiioira. in tlio Al<^(iii(|uiii lini<,'nn^o. si«fiiiHt's a
hriiKjrr. For t'liriln'i- int'itniiatioii in tliis diroi-tiou st'(> C'nii[)tt'i' IjV,
entitlt'(l •' Viu'iiliuiiirit'H."

An iitli'Mi|il has JH'cn in!iili> liore to ^iv») a littt (tf all sncli pnMnincnt
Indian cliicfb iiml pcrsona^t^s as have bei'oinn i-nlcbratoil anioiij; tiio
wliitt's ri'oni Wio carlii'st time, with such j^'cncnil rcfcrcnct" to tht'ir lives
as tiic. space allotted to this chaiiter will admit of; "•'.Ich may serve as
a source of convenient ret'eronco to tlio reader in connection with
investij,'atioii into Indian history.

AliliAllAM or Little .\l)raliani. a Mokawk chief, who succeeded
Kin<^ Hindi'ic (so called) after tht> battle of Lakt^ (.leor^'e. in l7'")o,
was of a nuld and pacific character, and noted as an orator. He
espoused the cause of the mother country in the American llevolution.
He was present at the last paciHc meeting of the Mokawks with the
American Ccnnnissioners at Albany, in Septend)er, 177"). and drops
from notice about that time Ha was succeeded i)y Brant.

AuAlilo was tht^ leading chief and counst^lor of the Wyandots.
and mnch of the Wyandot history nught be thrown about his life.
He is spoken of by La Honl . / .. IdsC). His character drawn by
Charlevoix is: "A man of j^reat nund, the bravest of the brave, and
possessiii",' altogethei' the'-;, (qualities of any known to the French in
Canada." He ditid in the year 17<''L KoinliavoHk, Su.^ldrilsi and The
Rill are also names by which he was known.

Ac.AiUATA was ii Irotjuois chief, who. having gone on an end)as8y
of peace, about lOSS, to Canada, the governor. Monsieur Coursel. being
exasperated against him on account of bad faith and a violation of a
treaty by his tribe, caused him to be hanged in the presence of his
counti-ymen,

AiivorwAiaH.s, the fourth and youngest son of Brant, succeeded
his father as chief of the Inx^uois or Six Nations. He was born in
the year 17t(4:, and received a good English education.

Akosa. was chief of a band of Chi[i[)oways, living on the i)eniu-
sula of Grand Traverse Bav, Lake Miehii'an, in 1840.

Alexandeu Wa.museets. Wams..,o, Wamsutta. chief of the
Wampauoags, was born in the beginning of the seventeenth century,
and died in \W>'1. He was the eldest son of Massasoit.

Alexan'dek M'Gillivakv, is said to have been one of the most
conspicuous, if not one of the greatest chiefs, tliat ever bore tliat title
among the Creeks. He flourished during the latter part of the 18th
century, and was styled by his countrymen the "king of kings."

Amisqua.m, or the Wooden Ladle, was a very noted leader of the
Winnebagoes. His mother was a woman of that nation, and his father

INDIAN llIiMillAI'UV.

iilH

n Freiipliiiuiii, iiiunctl Ih'srnrn'i'. Hi' It'd iiiany w.ii- |i;iitics (i;,'iiiiist
the Cliii)iHnvuys. He tli)iirislu'il in tlic iDi't-piift oT the |.r.'rtiMit crii-
tnrv.

A.Hos. ('(miiiioiily (riilltul Ciiptiiiii Aiiios. was a Waiiipaiioa^'. whose
rortidence WU8 about Cape Cod. Mention is niadiM)t' liiin ut tlic tiiiif
of Kiii<if riiili|>'s war. at wliicli tinio lu> was ontiroly devotfid to tlic
service of tho En^lisii.

.Vnacoan.v was (pieen of the Caril)s. at the era of the discovery
by C()himl)as. Slio ruhnl on tiie ishmd of Hayti. or St. Doininj,^).
Mr. Irviii<.j represents lier as being l)oautiful. and endowed witli virtn-
ous attractions; but tiie cruolty of tiie cold-bh)oded Ovando. h'd idonc
by the tiiirst of j,'ohl. did not spare her life.

. Anawan. a Wanipr'iioaj,' chief, famous as one of Kini,' l"iiilij)'s
cliief counsolh)rs and cajjlains. was born early in the ITtii century.
He was put to death by tho En<,'lish in KiTl).

Appaxoose. "a chief when a cliild." was a chief of the Sacs. Fie
visited Washington in ISHT.

AssACf.MiUTP was a great 'L'arratiii chief, and first spoken of in
Kiiti;, He was as faitiiful to tho l''r"iicii as Ids t)\vn natiou. and ren-
dered jjreat service 'o them. Hi ed in iT'JT.

Asi'iNl'.r. a chief of the Nauset Indians, is su[)posed to have made
the hrst attack upoi, tiie New Enghin 1 s-i tiers.

\T()1\VI!110. is put (iown in li'story as the first [)rosi(ling cliief oi'
ruler of the Iroquois confederacy. He v-,s renowned for his wisdom,
valor, and secret powers of necromancy. The re{)tiles were deemed
to be at his command. Tiie Mohawk delegates, who had l)een sent in
search oi him. it is afHrnied, found him seated in a swamp, calmly
smoking liis [)i[)e. His garment was co^'ered with rattlesnakes, whose
hissin"' heads protected liim in everv direction. They offered him the
«'overument: the ruliui; magistrate of which has ever since been called
Aiotarho.

AWASHONKS. a squaw sachem of Sogkonate, was the wife of an
Indian called Toh)ny, but of him we learn very little. From her
important standing among the Indians, tew deserved more particular
attention. The first notice we have of .hrr(.s/(o/i/v.s is in ll)7l. when
she entered into articles of agreement with the court of Plymouth.
She was a conspicuous figure during King Philip's war.

Ayanemo was a chief of the Niantics. at the era of the settlement
of Rhode Island.

Babesakundiba, or the Curly Head, was a chief of the Chippe-
way band of Sandy Lake, Ho exerted his influence to preserve
peace between them ai)d their hereditary enemies, the Dakotas. He

574

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

til

lived res[)ected by liis people nnd the whites, reaching an advanced
age. Ho died about ls)5().

Bksiiike, Avas a Chippeway cliief o£ note at La Pointe, on Lake
Superior, tluriug the forepart of the present century.

Big Kettle, was a chief of the Seneca nation, avIio died on the
Indian reservation near Buffalo, in the summer of ISB'.I. aged o,""). He
adliered to the policy and counsels of the distinguished orator of his
nation. Red Jacket, and opposed the further cession of their territory.
Bio MoLTii, a chief of tlie Brule Sioux, was the peer of Spotted
Tail in most manly and war-like qualities. In the constant applica-
tions arising, of late years, from the more direct ccmtact of Indians
and whites. Big Mouth steadily gained in power and influence. A
few years ago Sjuitted Tail made a visit to Washington. New York
and other eastern cities, and was much feted on his return in conse-
quence of changed views and new tangled notions as to the jjolicy of
the Indians. Big Moutii eagerly seized the o[)portuiiity of increasing
his power by dis[)araging the honesty and good sense of his superior
in [)ositi()n. Finding matters inclined to go against him. Spotted Tail
one day called at the door of Big Mouth's lodge, and asked to speak
with him. On his a[)pearance, he Avas seized by two warriors, who
hold him fast, while Spotted Tail drew a pistol, placed it against his
body, and shot him dead. Nothing Avas CA^er said or done about the
murder; and. as may Avell be supposed, there has not since l)een
much political log-rolling or Avire-p.ulling in that Indian tribe.

BuioTKs was a noted chief, avIio, in 1541. visited Coronado, in the

present area of New Mexico. He Avas
seized and imprisoned by Alvarado in a
moment of disa[)pointment.

Black Bhu) or Mukapenaise, a Pot-
tawattamie cliief, Avas conspicuous at the
massacre of the garrison at Fort Dear-
born. Chicago, in August, IM'J.

Blai'K Hawk or Ma-ka-tai-me-siie-
kai-kiak, chief of the Sacs and Foxes, led
his people in a Avar against the United
States in 1S3'2. He was horn at the princi-
pal village of his tribe, on Bock river, in
Illinois, about the year 1707. and Avas the
great grandson of a chief called Xaiid-
iiKikfc, or Thunder. Black Hawk Avas
small in stature, and his figure not striking; nor did his fi'atures
indicate a hi>'h grade of intelligence. He died at his village on the

nijACK HAWK.

INDIAN BIOGHAl'HV.

0(l>

Des Moines river, on the 3cl of October, 1.S3S. His Ix-dy was tlisixised
of, lit his special request, after the manner of the chiefs of his tribe.
He was placed upon the gr(mnil in a sitting posture, his liands grasping
his cane. A square enclosure made of sapplings is all the mtmunient
that marks the spot where rest the remains of tliis far-famed chief.

Black Kettle, whom the French called La Chaudiere Noire, was
brought upon the records of history at the time of the war with France
in ICi'.K). He was treacherously murdered in 101»7.

Blacksnake was chief of the Seneca tribe of Indians, living at
Teoneguno, on the Alleghany river. JS'mv York. He had. in l^oC),
reached the advanced age of 9fi. agreeably to the best accounts. He
was i)resent, with the British auxiliaries, in the severe and liard con-
testeil battle of Oriskany, in 1777. Ho was piesent at the so called
massacre of Wyoming, with a detachment of warriors of his trilie.

Black Thundeh, or Mackkatananamakee, was a celebrated patri-
arch of the Fox tril)e. Ho made himself famous l)y an excellent
speech to the American commissioners, who had asseml)ied at Portage,
July, IMS, to hold a conference with the Indians.

Blue J.vcket was a distinguished chief of the Shawnees. and wo
hear of him at Fort Industry, on the Mi;;mi of the lake, as late as lM»o.

BoMA/CEEN was a sachemo or chief of a tribe of the Canibas or
Konnel)ecks. We hear of him in 171.(1 when he fell upon Saco with
sixty or seventy men and killed several people and carried away some
captives.

BucKONdAiiELAS was a Delaware chief, said to l)e a nn.re noted
personage in his time even than Logan. He took part in the Ameiican
Ilovolution on the side of tlie British, and died in the year ISOI.

BvAiNsWA, a celebrated chief in Chii)[)eway history, as a Mar
leader and counselor of that tribe, carried their conquests against the
8ioux to Handy Lake, on the sources of the Mississipi)i. The [u-ecise
era of his life is uncertain.

Billy Caldwell, or Sag-au-nash (Englishman), wps born in
Canada (^l)ut what place is not known |. alxmt the year 17S(). His
father is saiil to have been an Irish olHcer in tiio British army: his
mother an Indian woman of tiie Pottawattamie tribe. He was edu-
cated in Roman Catholic schools, and acquired a facility in writing
botii the English and French langu'iges, and was master of several
Indian dialects. From tiie year 1807, down to the l)attlo of tiio
Thames, in which he was engaged on the side of the British. Caldwell
was intimately connected with Tecumseh; indeed, ho was often called
" the secretary of Tecumseh." He tiiereafter adhered to tiie Fnited
States government. He came west and fixeil his residence in Chica^'o

5711

Tin: AMEUICAN INDIAN.

c
3!

a
:j

iii

alxmt the year iS'iO. Ii> the spring' of IS'21) he held tlie office of
justice of the peace, whiie C'hica<fo was in Peoriii comity. Diii'iii<r tlie
Wiimeba^'o rndiaii excitement in iN'iT. the services of Cahlwell, in
connection Avitli Shabonee, were of <i;reat value to the whites of this
region. He died at Council Bluffs on the 'iSth of September. IS41,
in the tlOth year of his age.

C'annassatego, a chief of the Six Nations, was of the tribe of
Onondago. He is spoken of, in 174H, as taking part in the disputes
which arose bttween the Delawares and tlie government of Pennsyl-
vania, relative to a tract of land in the forks of the Delaware.

Canonkts, chief of the Marragansetts. was horn about 15()2. He
was a wise and peaceable ruler and died in 11)47.

("attahkcassa, or Black Hoof, was one of the greatest Avarriors of
the Shawnee tribe; and it is supposed that few individuals have ever
been engaged in so many battles. He was present at the defeat of
Bradthick in il')'), and fought thrcmgh all the subse(2uent wars until
the treaty of (rreenville. in 1705. He was the orator of his tribe
(luring till' greater ])ai't of his long life, and was an excellent speaker.
He died at Wapakoiiin>tta in ls:51., at the age of from one hundred and
five to one hundred and twelve years.

CAf'NlUTANT, Corbitant or Cnubatant, was one of the most renowned
captains within the dominion of Massast)it, whose residt'iice was at
Mettapoiset. He came into prominence aliout lt')21, when the Narra-
gansetts were ])lotting ti> overthrow Massasoit.

CillcKATACHUT, or Cliikkntabak. in English •• Hcmse-atire,'" was a
sachemo or chief of considerable note, and supposed to have had
dominion over the Massachusetts Indians about the year Ki'il.

CilocoitiA, pronounced Clich-cKrriKili. was the last chief of the
Peipiakets, then wandering in the woods in the country of what is now
New Hann)sliii'e. It has been handed down to us by tradition that
he was killed liy a white man named ("anipbell. The stoi'y of this
Indian and his melancholy fate, indeed like that of tlumsands of others
of his race, a? it comes to us from local historians, is one of timcliiuir
interest. His family consisted of his wife and little boy, the former
of whom died. One day, at the hous(M)f ('ampb(>ll, before mentioned,
the boy was [loisoned, ap[)arently by something lie had eaten, and went
home to his father's wigwam and died. C'liocorua tlumght he was
pois(med purposely. Soon afterwards, Campbell, on returning home
from a day's ab.sence, found his family all dead in the house. The
white inhabitants around, attributing tlie act to Cliocorua in retaliation
for the death of his son, pursued him to the mountain which now
bears his name, some distance utirth of what is now Albany, where he

INDIAN BIOGRAPHY.

•Jt i

was discovered by Campbell on the pinnacle of the mountain clifP, and
commamled by him to jump otf. "Ah," said the Indian, "the Great
S[)irit gave Chocorua his life, and he will not throw it away at the
bidding of the white man." Whereupon they shotiiini; and while lie
was dying he pronounced awful curses upon the English. In describ-
ing the scene, Mrs. L. Maria Childs. in a vigorous legentl. gives the
following as the words of Chocorua's curse upon the Avhite man:

"A curse on ye, white men! May the (treat Spirit curse ye
when he speaks in the clouds, and his words are tire! t'iiocorua had a
sou; and ye killed him when the sky looked bright. Lightnings l)last
your crops; winds and fire destroy your dwellings! The Evil Spirit
l)reathe death upon your cattle; your graves lie in the pathway of the
Indian; panthers howl and fatten on your bones."

It is said that ever since that day, the want of vegetation in and
about this mountain, all its dearths, and all the diseases upon the cattle
and upon \ho inhal)itants of that region, liave been attributed to this
curse of ('hoc'oi'ua.

Coi.oKow, whose full name was Magnus Colornw. Avas a principal
chief of the Apaches, during the present century.

Coiix PlanteI!. or Ki-on-twog-ki, was ^-

a Seneca chief. His father was n white
man, said to have been an Irishman; but
nothing is now known of him, except what
may be gathered from a letter of Corn
Planter to the governor of Pennsylvania.
Corn Planter was one of the ])arties to
the treaty at Fort Stanwixin L7S4, when a
lai'go cession of territory was made bv the
Indians. At the treaty at Fort Hai'mcr.
five years after, he took the lead in convey-
ing an immense tract of country to the
American government, and becann* so un-
po[)ular tliat his life was tlireatened bv his
inc'tMised tribe. He imbibed, in the feebleness of age, the superstitions
of the less intellectual of iiis race. His conscience reproached him for
his friendship towards the whites; and, in a moment of alarm, fancying
that the Groat Spirit had commande 1. him to destroy all evidence of
his connection with the enemies of his race, he burned an el(><rant
sword and other articles which he had received as presents. A favorite
son, who had been carefully educated at one of our schools, became a
drunkard, adding another to the many discouraging instances in which
a similar result has attended the attempt to educate the Indian youth.

(;OUN I'LANTER.

578

THK AMEItlC.VN INDIAN.

1:1

■J

When, therefore, the aged chief, was urged to send his younger sons
to school, lie declined, remarking in broken English: '"It entirely
spoil Indian." He died on his reservation on the Alleghany river,
some time in the winter of l.Si5(5 — supposed to have been over ninety
years of age.

Cornstalk, chief of the Shawnees, remarkable for many great
and good qualities, was born early in the ISth century, and murderetl
by the ■whites in 1777.

Dkkanisoka was a great Iroquois chief, first mentiimed by
Charlevoix, in IdS'i. He M^as on good terms with both the French and
English. Golden speaks of him as having a great reputation
among the Five Nations, for speaking, and was employed as their
speaker, in their negotiations with both thn French and English. He
says: "His person was tall and well made, and his features, to my
thinking, resembled mucli the busts of Cicero." He is sup[M)sed to
liave died abuut 17;>().

Dr.KKKKiiK Avas a cehibrated Winnebago chief during tlie Winne-
bago War in l^'ll. Ht^ was taken prisoner at Prairie du Chien, but
was subsequently released.

DoNACONA was a ciiief whom James Cartier. the voyager, met on
the Iviver 8t. Croix, and by whom and his people he was well received

and treated: tn re|)ay which Car-
tiei'. '•partly by stratagem and
partly by loice."' ciiirii'd him to
France where he soon after died.
Dr(^L'i()N. or Dncoign. was a
chief of the KaskasUia Indians,
a French half breed, whose fatln'i',
it is believed, was among the
French settlers at Kaskaskia. on
the river of that name in Illinois,
who Mas given the iiami^ of lldp-

tifilc f)llC()i<lll.

Ej.lskwa TAWA, Indian proph-
et, Avas born on the Hciota river,
near what is iu)w Chillicothe. about
1770. The date of his death is
unknown. He Avas the son of
Pukeesheno, a chief of the Hhaw-
nees, and n brother of the fanums

Tecumseh. He Avas present at the battle of Tippecanoe in IS 11.

and directed the attack. The Indians regarded him as possessing

ELLSKWATAWA.

INDIAN ];i()(ii;.\riiY.

57(J

i>y

tlie ijfift of prescienco in an eminent degree. In his lil'tietli vear.
wliile in tlio act of li<,fiitin<,' liis pipe, lie fell back upon his bed
ami became apparently lit'ei(>ss. Preparations were made for his inter-
ment, but durii'ir his removal for that [)ur[)ose, he revived. His fii'st
words Avere: " Doii"t be tdarmed. I have seen heaven. Call the nation
together, that I may tell them what has appeared to me." When the
})eople had assembled, he told them that ho had been conducted to Ihi^
gates of heaven by two young men sent by the (Ireat Spirit, and that
the Great Spii'it was angry with them, and would di'stroy them unless
they refrained tliencefortli from drunk(,'nness. lying and stealing.

Ensknoiif, was a noted Virginia chief. He died about 1~)'S5.

EsitT.vin.Ml.KMi. or Sleepy Eyes, a Sioux; chief, was one of the
hereditary chiefs of tln^ Teton tril)e of the Dakota nation.

F.vi!.MF.i;"s I^.iiOTMKI!. a cliief of the Senecas. was 1)orn in 17 1>. and
died in Islk just after the battle of Lundy's iinne. ai:d was buried
with military honors by tiu! fiftii regiment of the I'nited States iiifantrv.

(ll'.KONl.Mo, a, chief of the A[)aches. was a, son ni' Magnus ('oIoimw.
whose motlier was a captiv(> slave s([uaw.

Gi!\Ni)-SrN. clii(>f of tii(^ Natchez Indians, was [)articularlv dis-
tinguished in tln^lii-st war with tlu! Frcncii. Tlie<lesign of (li-and-Suii
ami his allii'S was to drive the I'^rench out of Louisiana, and on tiie .'iOth
of \(ivenil)er. IT'^'.I. a massacre of 7(10 people took place at Natchez.
being all the Ereiicii <.'' tiiat place.

(rii.VNai'L.v was a. gifat oi'at(U' among the Iroquois. PTe is noted
in histoi'y for the addrt>ss he made to M. I)e La Darre. Governoi- Gen-
ei'al of ('aiiada. al)out the, yi'ar lllsi. He was at this time a verv old
man. fi vei'v N(>sfor of his nation, whose powers of mind would not
sutfer in comparison with those of a Roman, or a iiioi'e modern Simator.
He was born the last of the fifteenth century and died in Ids."),

Gi;r..\r Moirrvii, or i'ah-yah-tus-ta-na-ge. was a celebrated ]Musco-
geecliief. who. before t lie lu'volutionary War. was in the French intci'est.

HoBo.MoK. or Ilobbamock. was a gi'eat war ca]itain among tln^
Wampanoags. He came to Plymouth alxnit tiie end of .Inlv. Id'il. and
continut'd with the English as long as lie lived.

HooWANNKK.V, the Little J'^lk. a ( hief of the Winnebagoi^s. served
with some rei>utation on the side of the IJritish in tli(> last war between
the ITnited Stat(>s and (rreat Britain. The Little Elk was descended
from the Caramanie family, the most distinguished band of his nation.

HoHNOTl.i.MKs, or. as General Jackson called him, Homattlemico.
was a priiici[)al Seminole chief, who.se residence was at Foul Town at
the beginning of the war of IspJ.

JosEPii, known as Chief Joseph, was a chief of the Nez Perces

oHi)

TIIK AMi;i!ICAN INDIAN.

t:i

tribe, in the ciniiitry on the head waters of the Colnmbia river, who
received missionaries among them at an early day, and made ciMisid-
eral)le progress in the ways of civilized life ; but ill treatment by tlio
whites caused an outbreak among them several years ago, under the
lead of tliis ceh^brated chief, in which lie liad tlie sympathy of those
who pro[)erly understood the justice of tlie claims of this pi;ople.

Kaxkiutck. called also the Prophet, a chief at the head of the
Kicka[)o()S. was a Christian Indian, and very much devoted to the wel-
fare of his tribe; and, through his influence, the band then remaining
in Illinois had bi'come strictly temperate, and many of tiiem wen? pi-o-
fessing Christians. He lived at Danville, Illinois, about the year Is;? I.

Katawabkda, a chief of the (Ihippeway tribe, was an orator of no
small I'cpute. He was the princii)al village chief of a band of tlie
Clii[){)e\vay nation, who resided at Sandy Lake, among the heatl springs
of the Mississip[)i I'iver.

KKKWAGorsiiKL'M, a chief of the Ottawa nation, was a [)arty to the
treaty matle between the United States anil the Pottawattamies, Chippe-
ways and Ottawas. ceding to the United States the southern part of the
[)eninsular of Michigan, containing upwards of r).(K)(),0(l(> acres of land

Keokik, or the "Watchful Fox, a chief of the Sac tribe, and one of
the most distinguished Indians of his time, was born at the moutli of
Rock river. He was a [U'ominent figure at the time of the Black Hawk
War, so called, but refrained from joining in that movement; on the
contrary, under his influence a large proportion of the Sacs and Foxes
refrained also from joining Black Hawk.

IvEWArxEE ^\as a Pottawattamie chief, as appears from a treaty
with tiiat tribe concluded October Kith, IS'iC).

King Paine was a chief of the Seminoles. Early in iSTi. at the
head of sundry bands of Seminoles and negroes, who had run away
from their American masters. King PaiiK issued forth in (|uest of
blood ami plunder.

KisHKAEWA. a Shawnee chief, was the brother of Black Hoof, who
died in IsiM. In Is-l'.l he was living on the Kansas river.

KisHKEKOsii. or the man with one leg, was a noted Fox brave.

KoNKATOT. John, a Stockbridge Indian chief, Avas grandson to
Hendrick: his grandfather was son of the Wolf, a Mohegan chief, and
his motiier was a Mohawk. He is also referred to as Captain Kiiuka-
pof. H(5 died during the forepart of the present century, and had
been, for many years, the oldest man in his tribe.

Ki'MsKAKA, '• Tiger that flies in the air," was the brother of
Tecumscdi. and was born on the banks of the Scioto river, near what is
now Cliillicothe.

INDIAN lilOnilArtlY.

581

KrsTALOGA was a noted Delaware cliiet', nuMitioiu'd in the cxpi'ili-
tion ol: Wasliin<^ton to tho Froiicli on tlio Ohio, in IT-");),

LAi'l'AWtNsOK was a Delaware eiiicif. Tliti act by wliicii he is
chiefly known is that of signini;, .vt PhiladGlphia. the celebrated treaty
of 1737, coinmoidy called the AYalking Purchase.

Little Cisow was a Sioux chief. His name in his own lan<riiaire
is ChaloiiirdlihxxniKiii;/, or the '•Sparrowhawk that comes to you walk-
ing." Ho '\as the leader of his pet)i)le in wiiat is known as the Sioux
massacre of Minnesota, in lst)'2.

Li Til, r. TuKTLE, Me-che-kan iioli-(|Uoh. was chici' dl' th(> Miami
tribe of Indians. His mother was a Mohegan; his father a Miami.
He was born at his village on Eel river, 17'>2. He commanded the
allied Indian forces against the I'nited States army under (.leneial
Harmer; also that commanded by St. Clair, find the success of the
Indian forces is due to his military
skill. He was faithful to his tribe
and tlieii' Indian allies to the last in
the elfort to save their country north
of the Ohio river; but, being van-
quished under tiie su[)ei'ii)r force of
General Wayne, he gave in his ad-
hesion to the proposed treaty at
Greenville in 171l'"3. saying, as he
signed the articles of this treaty:

"I am the last to sign it. and I will I'-'ini' riWilUffir J

be the hist to break it."' Faithful SlimmlXw' J^ \

to his words, he remained [)assive
and counseled peace on the paii of
his people until his deatli, v. liich
occurred at Fort Wayne on the 14th
of July, ISl'i. A writer, referring to the occasirm of his burial, says:
'•His body was borne to the grave with the highest honors bv his
great enemy, the white man. The muffled drum, the solemn mai'ch,
the funeral salute, announced that a great soldier had fallen, and even
enemies paid tribute to his memory." He is descrilied as l)eing short
in stature, well built, with symmetrical form, prominent forehead,
heavy eyebrows, keen black eyes, and large chin.

Logan, Tah-gah-jute, chief of the Cayugas. was born on the
banks of the Susquehanna, in 1725. He was given the name of Logan
by his father, in honor of James Logan, secretary of the colonv of
Pennsylvania. He Avas the second son of Skikellimus. who died in
1794:. Chief Logan was known as "the friend of the white man."

LITTT.Il TT'IiTLT:.

5s2

TIIK AMEHICAN IMJIAX.

i'i

Hiri entire family wtuc slain by tlid liraclid'y of tlinso ulinu lie luul
befriondt'd. His ffuuous sjx'ccli was made after this trngic event. He
died at the hands of an Indian assassin in 17S(». Some say he was
assassinated hy tlie wliites.

M.VDUK.vwuNDo, a einef of the Penobscot tribe, was an enemy of
the Entj:lisii, as tliev spoiled liis corn and did him manv other
injuries.

Magnus Avas a s(|ua\v sacliem of some parts of the extensive
conidrv of the Narra<ransetts. She was known bv several names, as
Old <^ueen. Sunk Sijuaw, (Juaiapen, and Matantuek. Mai^nus married
a son of ('anonicus. and was, in KIT"), out* of "the six |)res(mt saeiiems
of the whole Narra,<:fansetts country." She was captured and put to
death by tlu> Eni,dish durinjij tlu^ time of Kinir Phili[)'s war.

Mailvska. oi- Wliito ('loud, was an Iowa chief, who visited Wash-
ington in is 21.

^NIassasoii', a noted chief of the Wampanoags. was born al)out
l.")7(), near Pokanoket. now JJristoI. Ivhode Island, and ilied of fi'ver

in ii;(;2.

McJntosh was a half bi'eed chief of the Muscogei? or Creek
nation. His father was a Scotchman, his mother Avas a natiA-e of
unmixed blooiL Ho Avas intelligent and brave; and in person In* Avas
tall, finely formed, and of graceful and commanding manners. To
these qualities he probably owed his elcA'ation to the chieftainshi]) of
the (^1 weta tribe. The first notice Ave have of him is after his junction
witii the American forces in ISl'i. Mclnto.sh died, as he lived, bravely,
at alxmt forty years of age.

AFknatonox Avas chief of the Chowanocks, and Okisko of tne
Wet pomeokes, "a [)owerful nation possessing all that country fi'om
Albemarle Sound and Chowan riA-er (piite to the Chesapeake," and
[irominent in early Virginia history.

Mknawa. or Cii'eat Warrior, was a iialf blooded Creek chief of
the Oakfuskee towns, which lie on the Talla[)i)osa river, in Alabama.
He Avas a great Avarrior among his ])eopl(>. and showed great hostility
t<iwartls the whit(>s. On leaving his native home, this chit>f said to a
highly reputable gentleman, pres(Miting him at the eame time Avith his
ptn'trait: '"I am going away. I have ])rought you th'- picture. I
Avish yon to take it and hang it u[) in your house, that Avhen your cliil-
tlren h)ok at it you can tell them Avhat I liave becni. I have always
found you true to me. but. great as my regard for you is, I never A\ish
to see you in that new country to Avhich I am going; for, Avhen I cross
the great riA'er, my desire is that I may never again see the face of a

hite

man.

INDIAN morilSAPHY.

ws;^

METEA.

Mi:ti:.\, a Pottuwnttainie chief, -wiis distinguislied as mii orator find
warrior. He was a proiuinent speaker at tlie council held at Chica^ro

inlS'21, and died ul)out the year
1827, at Fort ■\Vayne.

MlANTUNNOMOII wtia a nephew
of Canonicns, and was associated
with that chief in his rule over the
Narrairaiisetts. Hi' was killed in
1048.

MoXKAlsKA was a Sioux
chief, who Avas sent to Washington
in 1S;?7, by his tribe, as a delcirate.
He died very soon thereafter.

MoxcACHTAi'K was a Yazoo,
-v^ whose nanio signifies in the lan-
guage of that people, "killer of
|!ain and fatigue." He is spoken
of by the historian Du l*rat/, and
who, about ITliO. aided him by
valuable information to his woik.
MoNoco was a Niomuk chief, called by the English. One Eyed
John. He was engaged in lling Phili])'s war. An early writer r.ays
••he was a notable fellow."

MoNoNOTlo was a noted chief of the Pecj^uots, next in consequence
to Sassacus. He lived in the forepart of the seventeenth century.

MoNToWAMrATK was sagamore of Lynn and ]Marblehea(l, known
more generally among the wiiites as SdHdiiiorr Jaiitc^. He died in
1(188. of the snndl-pox.

MoYTOY was calh'd Emi)eror of the (Greeks, and presided over seven
towns in 1780. His residence was at Telli(pio.

Mroo was a cliief among the Androscoggins, and very conspicu-
ous in the eastern war of lt)7G 7, into Avhich. it seems, he had been
brou<'-lit by the ill-treatment of the English. He had. before this
time, been <in verv friendly terms with them.

Ml'SHAl.ATl'r.KK was a Choctaw chief, born in the last half of tiie
eighteenth century, and died in 1S:5S.

NANKrASHF.MKT was a Ni[)muk chief of gi'cat fame in New En-
crland historv. Hi; was killed about the year ItllU, and las widow, who
Avas a female sachem, continued the government.

Nanuntenoo was a chief sachem of all the Narragansetts. He
was captured by the English and shot at Stonington about the year
lt)7>).

5S4

TIIK A.MFniCAN INDIAN.

Nawkaw wns II chiei' of tlu' \Viiiiiel)n<fo(>s. Ht^ wms a sa<i[aciou9
man, of tinn, upiij^lit ileportraeut, aiul imcitic disposition, who filled
his station Avitli di<^iiity and oommanded rcspt'ct by liis fidelity to his
t'n<fa<^i!n)onts. When in Wasliin<j[t()n, in IS'i'.l, Nawkaw, in sju-akinj^
of his own aj^o, called himself ninety-four winters old. He died in
1S3;3, at the advanced age of ninety-eight, and was succeeded in his
rank and honors by his nephew, who was worthy to inherit them.
Nawkaw was a man of large stature and fine presence.

Ni:a.matiia, one of the most distinguished of the Seniiuoles, and,
at one time, their head man and |)rincipal chief, was, iiy birth,
a Creek. Mr. Duval, governor of Florida, in a dispatch to the govern-
ment at Washington, dated March, lS24, describes him as a man of
uncommon abilities, of great influence with his naticm, and as one of
tlie most eloquent men he ever heard. He was a warrior of note and
renown before the war of l.Sl'2.

Neapope, a Sac chief, was second in command to Black Hawk
in the noted disturbances between that tribe and the whites, and in all
the expeditions against the whites; lie was taken prisoner in a fight
with the Sioux.

Nesqu.\QUOIT, "Bear in the forks of a tree."' was a chief of
the Fox Indians, and son of the famous chief Chemakasee, or the
Lance. He is, perhaps, the only Indian of whom it can be said that
he never tasted a drop of spirituous li(pu)r nor smoked a pipe. It is
said of him that he was known to be as brave an Indian "as ever
made a moccasin path lietween the Missouri and Mississipj)! rivers."

Job Nesutan was a valiant warrior of the Ni[>rauk tribe, and
Avent with the English of Massachusetts in the first expedition to Mount
Hope, where he was slain in battle. He was very proficient in the
English tongue, and was Mr. Eliot's assistant and interpreter in his
translations of the Bible and otlier books in the Indian language.

Netawatwees was head chief of the Delawares. He was a
signer of the treaty atConestoga, in the year 17 IS, being then about
twenty-five years of age. He died in 177(), at Pittsburgh, nearly ninety-
nine years old.

NiNEGRET, was often called Ninicraft, and sometimes Nenekunat,
sachem of the Niantiks, a tribe of the Narragansetts. He lived about
the year l<)+2.

NoTCHiMiNE was a chief of the lowas, who resided at Snake Hill,
on the Missouri river, about five hundred miles above the confluence
of that river with the Mississippi. He was born about the year 1797.

OccuM, a Mohegan, was the first pupil Avho, about the middle of
the eighteenth century, attended Mr. Wheelock's school for Indian

INDIAN BIUdltAI'IIV

.)S.)

youth at Lebnnnn, wluMv Im it'ceiveil tlio nuliiinMits of n ^^nnd ciluc;!-
tion. He wns baptiz*Ml by the iinme of Siiiupsou. Al)nut ITSIJ \w
went to the country of tlie Oneidas, in central New York, takiiij^ wiili
liiiu several IndianBot' kindred blood, who elun<; to him as tlieir li'.idii .
He obtained a cession of fcitile lands from tlit? Oneida tril)e, whicli
became a place of refuj^e ot Mie Indians. ehieHy of tiie Mohej^ans of
the sea coast of New Enj^hiiid and a few Nanticokt>s, Narra<,'aiist'tts
and Peqiiots. Here he became their first pastor, and continiu'd to
devote himself to their interests until incapacitated by old a<,'e. He
died in ITll'J.

OcKoNOSTOTA, a renowned t'reek ciiief. took part in the C'liert,Aee
war when Fort London was taken and the j^'arrison massacred,

Ongpatonoa, or B'l^ Elk, was a chief of the Mahas or Omahas,
whose residence in IMl was upon the Missouri river. He was a party
to several treaties made between ids nation and tiie United States
l)revious to 1S21.

Opecacanough, a chief of the Powhatan confederacy, and brotiier.
of Powhatan, was born about 1545 and died in 1(')44. He was a
leader in a fearful massacre of the En<,dish. ])rovok('d by tiieir ill-
treatment.

Osceola, or Asseula. was a chief
or leader of the Seminole Indians of
Florida. He was known to the public
under the various appellations of
Powell, Osceola, Oceola, Asseola, Ossi-
niola, and Assini Yahola. Whilst he
was ijenerallv known as Osceola, and '0>
is quite universally spoken of in his-
tory as such, his true name, it seems,
was Assrohi. Powell was the surname
of a white man who mariied his mother

after the death of his father, and whose name was very naturally
given to him in youth, as he continued to live in the family after the
marriage of his mother to Powell.

The name Asseola is derived from attsc, "the black drink." and
old, ''a waterfall." By a custom of the Creek Indians, [)revious to
entering into council, they would assemble in groups, and drink freely
of a decoction of a certain herb of their country, which would operate
as an emetic, the etfect of which they imagined would purify and
invigorate both the body and mind, so as to ])repare them for the busi-
ness of thought and debate.

This beverage, which is taken warm ami in large quantities, is

OSCEOLA.

0>»i

riir. A.MKItlCAN INDIAN.

oiillod tlio hhirk ilriiik. t'l'oiii its folor, and iimoii;,' tho Kevernl iiiimPH
a()|,)lit'il to it tooxprosK its (pmlity or otl't'cts, (iro thoso of ^l.s.sa, .Issliii-
oln Mild Assiiii Viilnild. Tho iiiuno ^l.s'sro/r;, t'reoiy traiiHlntt'd. sif^nifics,
"tliti plentiful drinker of tlu> black drink." or "one who indji!)os this
riiiid ill torrents."

Osccohi was horn on tlio TaIlai)oosa river, in the Creek nation,
aI)oiit the year 1S(>;5, His paternal <,'randt'ather was a Scotchninii. and
his J'^iiropean descent was marked in his features and coni|)lexion to a
considerahh* extent. Ho was not born a chief, but his position as such
was acipiirrd in thut noted stni^f<,'lo of Ins people with tho United
States j,n)veriinient, called the .Seminole or Florida Indian AVar, which
broke out in lN.'55, brou^'ht on lar^jely, if not entirely, from the
resistance made bv this sin<de individual of the tribe, at first holdiiuf
no position of rank among them, but who imnuHliatoly grew into the
position of n chieftain and consummate leader.

At the teriiiinntion of this war ho was, among other chiefs, taken
l)risoner, while Jiolding aconfertiuce under i\ tlagof truce, an act which
has been coiulemn(Hi as iiK^xcusable treacliery, though re[)resented by
some as one of retaliation, and confined in Fort Moultrie, where he
died in January, ISvJiS, frcmi an attack of inflammation of the throat.
Tlii.s war, which occupies such an im[>ni'taiit place in Indian history,
was not one brought on by the Indians themselve.s, l)ut was rather the
lesult of their resistance to the United Stat'.-s government against its
attem[)t to remove them without their consent from tho country in
which they lived. In proof of this luany instances of their ct)nduct
are referred to duriii''' that war. anioni'st others, tliat comini'from evi-
deuces of the battle field, where Major Dado and his detachment were
completely destroyed in a conflict with the Seminoles. The army of
General Gaines, in visiting this fatal field some time thereafter, to
bury the dead, it is said, were struck with the greatest surprise on
finding that the dead wore in no instance ])illaged. Articles the most
esteemed by the savages remained untouched. Tho olHcers' breast
j)ins remained in their places ; their watches were found on their bodies :
and money, including silver and gold, was left to decay or waste with
its owner; a lesson to all the world, and a testimony that the Indians
were not fighting for plunder. " Nay," says tho historian, "they were
fighting for their rights, their country, their homes, their very exist-
ence."

Oui!AY, chief of the Uncompahgre Utes, whose specific title is
probably a corruption of tiie Spanish un coutpadrc, was born in
Colorado in 18'20; died in that state, August 27th, 1880. He was the
special frieiul of the whites, with whom ho always kept faith, and pro-

IMHAN Illixil; Al'in.

.)S7

tt'cted tlirir intororttw ns t'lU' ns porfsililc. st'ttiiii^ mi .'xiiiiiiili' to liis
tribe bv liviiijif. in ii inoiisuro. a civili/i'd \'iUi. llo liiid n I'liir (Mhica-
tioii, HiHike S|miiisb, and wr.'to in that biii^'iia^'n in his poncsininih'ni'c
with thi' in-t'sidcnt and thi> Indian (h-partnifnt. At tlio tinio nt' his
dt'Mth ill' i'i'si(h'd in a coinlortablc hoiisf on a farm which iio owned and
oultivatt'd, and it is nnid tool; much phvisiirn and pride in (U-ivin^' a
c'arrin<jo presented to him by the j^ovornor of Colorado.

()ii!r.(.>ril.\i;i;. a Cayuj,'a chief, died in (^utd)ec in ICtUT. He was
one of tlio Ir(i(]nois chiefs that were treaeheronsly sei/cd and sent to
Mie ^raHeys in Fiiuico in IfiST. after bein<f invited to a coid'erenco at
Fort Frontnnao by I)enonvilh\ the Canadian t^overnor. Ho was allowed
to return to Canada in li'tS'.t. and advised the Frencii to release tlie
other Indian captives, wliicli advice was followed.

Pakaxkk was a powerful Delaware chief, whose icsidence. in
ITTO. was at a place called Kaskaskuuk, about forty miles iiortii of
Pittsbur<fh.

Passa.vc'un.vww. "Cliild of tiie bear," a Meniniac ciiiff. held
sway over a lari,'e section south of Lake Winiiepesoj^n'c. He was l.orn
tiie last of th(^ sixteenth century and di(>d about Wt'i).

FAl'dls was a chief of the Pecpiiikets. He was slain in the
memorable i)attl<^ with the En<j;lish under Capt. Lovewell in 1725.
Fryeburg, in Maine, now includes the princi[)al place of the f'-rmer
residence of this tribe and the place where tin* battle was fouyiit.

Pr:KsrAT was a noted Wanipanoaj,'. cruelly murdered by (\'ipt.
Miles Standish in HVm.

Fksiikkwau was born on the St. Mary's, Indiana, some few miles
from Fort Wayne, about ITtil. After the death of Little Turtle, who
had been their counselor, leader and war captain, the chieftainship
being in the female line, fell into the hands of PeshkewMJi, or the
Lynx, a man better known upon the frontier ns John 13. Pichardville.
Inheriting French blood of the metif cast, from his father's side, he
was a man well adapted to conduct the nffaii's of the Miamis during
this peculiar period. He spoke both the French and Eiglish lan-
guages as well as his native tongue; and for a long series of years,
his house, which was eligiblv situated on the banks of the St. Marv's,
ai)out four miles from Fort Wayne, was known as the abode! of hos-
pitality. Peslikewah, at the tin'e of his death, is believed to have
i)(>en the most wealthy man of his luitive race in AnuM'ica. the estimate
of his property exceeding a million of dollars. He died on the IHtli
of August, 1841, aged 80 years. He took part in the American Bevo-
lution.

Peskelechaco was a noted war chief of the Pawnees. He lived

588

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

til

during the latter part of the 10th century, and was killed in an
eudeavDr to take a scal[).

Peshacus was a noted Narragansett chief, born in 1(323. He was
killed by the Mohawka in 1()77.

PiULir, the younger son of Massasoit, became chief of the Wani-
panoags in 1002. He was shot I'y one of his own tribe in 1<)70.
This gr(>at chief inaugurated what is recorded in history as King
Philip's war.

Catt. Pipe was chief of the Wolf tribe among the Delawares,
during the period of tlie American Revolution. He was a prominent
character in the memorable trouble among the frontier settlements at
the breaking out of the war.

Cait. Pulaud was a Seneca chief mentioned by Jedidiah Morse
in 1M2.

PoNTlAC, a chief of the Ottawas, was born in 1712. He became
an ally of the French, and tnitered into a consi)iracy to attack the set-
tlements and garrison of the English. He made an unsuccessful
si(>ge of Detroit, in 17t)i3. In character. Pontiac is descrilied as
])ati( nt, subtle ai^a cruel. He was killed in Illinois in I7<)!t.

PoTOK, a Narragansett chief, took [»art in the famous King
Philip's war.

PoWASHEEK, "To dash the water oif," was a Fox chief, and. at
one time, the most intluential man among them.

Powhatan, the most famous chief of his time, is often referred to
as "The great Virginia chief." He was born in the vicinity of Appo-
matox, about 154:7, and died in 1()18. He formed a confederai-y of
several tribes of the Algonquins. known as the Powhatan confederacy.

Pu-GO-NA-KE-sHiCK, or "Hole in the Day," was a chief of the
Chippeways about the year 1<S;50. He was well known in the vicinity
of St. Louis, during the forepart of the present century. His son of
the same name, who succeeded him. was assassinated by some one of
his tribe near Crow Wing, Minnesota, a few years ago.

Pushmataha was a distinguished warrior of the Choctaw nation.
He was born al)out 1704-, and, at the age of twenty, was a captain, or
a war chief, and a gi*eat hunter. The celebrated John Eandoli)h, in a
speech upon the floor of the Senate, alhided thus to this forest chief-
tain :

"Sir, in a late visit to the [)ublic grave-yard, my attention was
arrested by the simple monument of the Choctaw chief. Pushmataha.
He was, I have been told by those who knew him, one of nature's nobility ;
a man who would have been adored by society. He lies quietly by
the side of our statesmen and high magistrates in the region — for

INDIAN niOOHAPHY.

585>

there is one such — where the red man aiul the white man are on a level.
On the side of the plain shaft that marks his place of burial, 1 read
these words, 'Pushmataha, a Choctaw chief, lies here. This monument
to I) is meiU(iry is erected by liis brother chiefs, who were associated
with him in a delegation from their nation, in the year 182-4, to the
govornmont of the United States. Pushmataha was a warrior of great
distinction. He was wise in council, eloquent in an extraordinary
di'gree, and on all occasions, and under all circumstances, the wiiite
niiurs friend. He died in Washington on the 2-l:th of December,
I'^'H, of the crou[), in tlie OOth year of his age.' Among his last
words were the foUowiug: • When I am gone, let the big guns be
fired over me.' "

QuATAWAPEA, or ''The man on the water who sinks and rises
again," a Shawnee chief, was born at the Pickaway Plains in Oliio.
He was. for many years, the chief of that band ot the Shawnee tril)o
wlii(!h resided at Lewistown, on the sources of the Great Miami, of the
Ohio, (^uatawapea was more familiarly known as Colonel Lewis. He
died in 182(), in the country allotted to the Shawnees by the American
government.

(^UIXXAPIN was by l)irth a Narragansett. He was one of the
chiefs who directed the attack on Lancaster the lOth of February,
1()75. He was killed l)y the English at Newport, in Rhode Island,
August, 1()T<'».

llici) BiKi) was a chief of tlie Winnebagoes. He was an-ested for
tiie murder of a white person, and died in prison ot crushed hopes
and a broken heart, in 1827.

Red Cloud, head chief of the Ogalla Sioux, and an hereditary
chief, ow?s his prominence to his persistent hostility to the whites.
The United S<^ates government determined to open a road to Montana
by way of Powder river. It must necessarily pass through a favorite
hunting-ground of the Sioux. Treaties were made with prominent
hereditary chiefs of the Sioux bands, by whom the right of way was
granted. So great was the dissatisfaction among the Indians that
Red Cloud saw his opportunity and denounced the treaties and their
makers; he declart I war to the knife against every white man wlio
came over that roail, or ventured into that country. Clouds of war-
riors, the ambitious and disatfected of all tribes and bands of tiiat
country, flocked to his standard. The hereditary chiefs found them-
selves deserted and powerh^ss; and, in some instances, tht\y were only
too glad to preserve their control over their bands by acknowledging
Red Chiud as master. A long and tedious war ensued, in winch Red
Gloml made a great reputation, and constantly received accessions to his

Iff

590

THE AMEIUCAX INDIAN.

z
i
c:

ill
It i

power, at the expense of tlie hereditary chiefs. Avoiding any gcii-
eral or even serious engagement, lie so harassed all trains and expedi-
tions that the few troo[)S then in his country could scarcely be said to
hold even the m'ound they actiiallv stood upon. Several forts were estab
lished, but tlioy protected only Avliat was inside the palisades. A load
of wood for fuel could not be cut outside without a conflict. Tliis at
last culminated in tlie terrible massacre of Fort Phil Kearney, in which
half the garrison ( gallantly, though unwisely, meeting the enemy out-
side) ])erished to a man. Instead of sending more troo[)s, and
promptly and terribly jninisliing the Indians, a "humane"' commission
was api)ointed to treat with them. The garrisons were withdrawn, tlie
road abandoned, and. in their opinions, the Indians were unconquer-
able, and Ited (Uoudthe greatest warrior of tlie world.

Eki) Jacket, Sa-ga-ye-wat-ha, or
"He keeps them awake," chief of the
Wolf tribe of the Senecas, was a man
of rare talent. He delighted in ora-
tory, in which he was master, and held
powerful sway in the councils of his
nation. Pied Jacket was born in IToO,
and died in 1S28. He is refrvred to
by writers of Indian history as " the
last of the fSenecas.''

Rlixur, Major, a Cherokee chief,
was born about the year 1777. at a
Cherokee town calhnl High"assie. He
was one of the Indians who, being
reared in savage life, adopted the em-
[)loyments and ways of our civilization.
Koi'.iNsoN. Alkxandei;. cominonly known among the whites as
"Indian Eobinson,'" whose Indian name was Chee-chee-bing-wav.
"Winking eye,"' was Ixu'ii at Mackinaw, pi'obably about the year 1775.
His mother was a woman of tlie Ojibway tribe; his father was a British
oHlcer stationed at Mackinaw, and a Scotchman by birth. After he
irrew to manhood, lie was, for manv vears, engaged in tradinir witli the
Indians, first on the St. Joseph's river, in Michigan, and, afterwaids.
coming to Chicago, in the year ISK), where he continued the business
for some years thiueafter. He was made a chief in the Pottawattamie
tribe of Indians, at Prairie du Cliien, in August, 1829. For i)articu-
lars in this regard see Chapter XLVI of this Avork, entitled "Indian
Treaties." Although he became an Indian chief, and was a great
favorite with the Indians, yet he always wore the dress and pursued

HED .TACKET SENECA CrilEF.

INDIAN BIOGRAPHY.

.-)'.) 1

tlie Imblts of the wliite man, to mIiosg destiny lio \v!is iilways inclined:
so much so, tliat latterly he grew into disfavor with Jiis tril)(\ His
advice to them always was to leave their Indian habits and take u^)
tiiose of the white man, and his tril)e Avere, no doubt, in the end much
inlinenced in this direction by his example. He died at his reservation
on the Desi)laines river, April 22ud, 1872.

Round Head was a Wyandotte ciii(>f, and fouglit against the
Americans in the Avar of 1812. He was very conspicuous in the battle
at Frenchtown, upon the River Raisin.

Samoset, noted in early New England history, accoHi|)aniod Mas-
sasoit in his first visit to the New England cohmists in l(i2T.

Sassacus, chief of the Pequots, was luirn iiear the inoiitli of the
Connecticut river, al)out loCS. He was slain by the Mohawks, to whom
lie had Hed for safety from the English, in KIHT.

Shaisonee, or Chamblee, was a ,__^

Pottawattamie chief, born in the
country of the Manmee river, Ohio,
al)out the year 1775. His father
was an Indian of tJie Ottawa tril)e,
and fought under Pontiac in the
wars in which that chieftain eniraired.
His friend, the late Gurdon S. Hub-
bai'd. of Chicago, sa\s of Shabonee:
"He was. I thought, the finest look-
ing man I had ever seen. He Avas
fully six feet in height, finely pro-
portioned, and Avith a countenance
expressive of intelligei • \ firmness,
and kijidness. He .. „s one of
Tecumseh's aids at the battle of the
Tliames, being at his side Avhen Tecumseh Avas shot. Becoming
disgusted witli the conduct of Cieneral Proctor, he. with Billy Caldwell,
I the Sauganash), withdrcAv their sui)portfrom the British and espoused
the cause of the Americans."

Shabonee, it is btdieved. came to Chicago in tlie latter part of tlie
year ISlH. He brought with iiim a certificate from Billy Caldwell,
the original of Avhich is hoav in possession of the Chicago Historical
Society; but exactly for Avhat purpose it Avas Avritten is not known.
He carried it many years, Avhen. in 1858, he gave it to his friend,
AN dliam Hickling, of Chicago, by Avhom it Avns presented to said his-
torical society, of Avliich the folloAviug is a copy;

"This is to certify, that tlie Bearer of this name Chamblee, Avas a

ailABONKE.

5'J2

THE A.MElilCAN INDIAN.

ffiitliful com[)auion to me, During the Late war with the United States.
Tlie Bearer Joined the Late celebrated warrior Tecunithe of the
Sliawnee Nation, — in the year 1807, — on the AV abash river, & remained
with the above warrior from the commencement of the Hostilities with
the U. S. until our Defeat at Moravian Town, on the Tharas, 5th Octo-
ber, 1818 — I also have been witness To his intrepidity <fe courageous
warrior on many occasion it show'd a great deal of Humanity to those
unfortunate Sons of Mars — who fell into his Hands —

"Amherstburg 1st August ISK).

"B. Caldwell,

"Captain I. D." (supposed to mean
Iiididii DcpdHmcui).

[Amherstburg is understood to be the same as Fort Maiden, on
the Detroit river, in Canada. |

This certificate, it will be noticed, gives his name as Clinmblcc.
The Pottawattamies, like most other tribes of the Algonquin stock,
could not pronounce the sound of I, and had no such sound in their
dialect. They substituted in place of this the sound of n, and in their
endeavor to speak this name called him Chamb/(ee, and from this have
come the successive misnomers Slidhhoiicc, SluiiiltoKi, Sliahboiia.
Chamblee was the name of a distinguished French official during the
early settlement of Canada under the auspices of that government,
from whom, it is supposed, Shabonee took this name. Shabonee was
the orator of his tribe at the last council on this side of the Mississippi,
held with the agents of the United States government at Chicago, in
August, 183(5, to whose speeches, im that occasion, the writer of this
work was an attentive listener. He was a fluent and graceful speaker,
presenting his points with clearness and force. He died at the age of
eiirjitv-four, at his home in Morris, Grundv countv. 111.. Julv 17th,
Ib5!t.

Shauhaunapotinia, "The man who killed three Sioux." or, as he
is sometimes called. Moanahouga, "Great Walker," was an Iowa chief,
born about the year LSlC).

SMAKlTAiriusH was principal chief or head man of the Grand
Pawnees. He was a brave and enterprising leader, and a person of
fine form and noi)le bearing. He was succeeded bv his brothei' Ishca-
tape, "The wicked chief," a name given him by the Omahas, or Pawnee
Mahas.

SilAHASKA was a Mandaji chief, spoken of in the travels of Lewis
and Clark.

SiiiNOis, a noted Delaware chief, was the first chief whom General
Washington visited in his expedition to the French on the Ohio, in

INDIAN BIOGIiAI'HY.

ry.i;{

1753, to enlist him in the ciiuse of tlie English, but in whicii he was
not successful. He is considered the greatest warrior of his time.

Skikellimus, the father of the celebrated Logan, a Cayuga chief,
was born in tlie last half of the seventeenth century and died in 1749.
SfiiXGABA AV'OssiN, or "Image Stone," was a Chippewny. and first
chief of his band. He was one of tlie most influential men in the
Chippeway Jiation, and was deservedly esteemed, not only by the
Indians, but by the whites also, for his good sense and respectful and
conciliating dei)ortment. In 1813, during the last war with Great
Britain. Sliiiigaba WOssin went to York, in Canada, and had an inter-
view with Proctor and Tecumseh. Nothing is known of the subject or
result of this interview except that one of his brothers joined the
British, aad fought and fell in the battle of the Thames in Upper Can-
ada. His death was deeply lamented by Shiiigaba WOssin, so much
so as to induce the l)e]ief that he counseled, or. at least, acquiesced in
his joining tlie British.

SiLOUSK was a Cherokee chief, spoken of by Mr. Jefferson in his
" Notes on Virginia."

Sitting Bull is known as a great chief among the Sioux nation,
over whicii he exerted a powerful influence, and whom he led iu sev-
eral successful conflicts against the whites, especially that memorable
battle in the vicinity of the Little Big Horn river, June 2oth, 1876, in
which General Custer's command, engaged in the action, was entirely
destroyed.

Shenandoah, agreeable to tradition, was born of Oneida parent-
age, at Conestoga, in the quasi Iroquois military colony, which that
confederacy maintained for the purjiose of surveilance over the south-
ern tribes, on the banks of the Susquehanna. He was one of the
ablest counselors among the American Indians, and, though terrible
as a tornado in war, he was bland and mild in peace. He died at
Oneida Castle, March 11th, ISIG, aged 110. He was born in the year
170(1

S(iUANDO. a Tarratine sachem, commonly called Sagamore of Saco.
Hubbard says he was " the chief actor, or, rather, the beginner," of
the eastern war of 1075-0. It is stated that his reason for commenc-
ing this Avar was on accounr, of a rude act on the part of some seamen.
who, either for mischief overset a canoe in which was Squando's wi^'e
and child, or to see if young Indians could swim naturally like animals
of the brute creation, as some iiad reported. The child Avent to the
bottom, but was saved from drowning by the mother's diving down
and bringing it up, yet "within a while after the said child died."
The historian says "the said Squando, father of the child, hath been

594

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

■J

so provoked thereat, tluit lio hath ever since set biinself to do nil the
miscliief he can to the English." The most memorable exploit in
which S(juando was engaged was the burning of Saco. in 1075. He
was also a great pow-wow among his people.

Squanto was a chief noted in the early history of New Enghind.
He died in December, l(i22.

Spotted Tail, a Sioux chief, like Eed Cloud, rose from the ranks.
When a ])oy of nineteen or twenty years, he incurred tinj implacable
enmity of a sub-chief for daring and ferocity, by aspiring to a girl on
Avhoin the chief hatl set his eye. One day. meeting accidentally a
short distance from the camp, the chief perem[)torily demanded of
Si)otted Tail a renunciation (jf the girl under penalty of instant death.
Drawing his knife, Spotted Tail defied him to his worst. A long and
bloody conflict ensued. Some hours after a straggler from camj) found
the two bodies locked in a death grij), and each ga[)ing with innumer-
able wounds. The chief Avas dead. Spotted Tail recov(>red to step at
once into prominence; and when, a few years after, the hereditary
chief died, he was almost unanimously selected as princijtal chief, in
spite of the most determined o[)positiou of the sub-chief, Avho by reg-
ular siaccession shouhl have obtained the position. S[)otted Tail proveil
an able and judicious ruler, and has well justified the choice of his tribe.

Tadei'skund, or Tedeuskung. was a noted chief among the Dela-
wares. He was known among the English previous to 17150 by the
name of "Honest John." He was a consi)icuous person in the history
of Pennsylvania, previous to the Eevohition, and particularly towards
the commencement of the war of 1750. In the spring of 1703, when
the European nations had made peace, but the Indians were still at
war, he was burnt uj) with his house, while he was asleep in his bed.

Tamany, or Tamanend (beaver like — amiable), was chief of the
Delawares, of whom it is said " he never had his equal." The date of
his birth is not known, but he died about the year 1090. He is said
to have been among the number of chiefs who made the celebrated
treaty with William Penn in 1082.

Tame King, whose residence was among the upper Creeks in 1791,
is noticed in our public documents of that year as a conspicuous chief in
matters connected with the establishing of the southern boundary.

ToTOSON was a great captain in the war of 1075. It seems
uncertain whether he was a Narragansett or a Wampanoag. He is
first spoken of lOOC).

Tecumseh. Tecumt or Tecumthe, a famous Shawnee chief, was
born near the Sciota river in 1770. The highest conception of Indian
character found a counterpart in this heroic chieftain. We are told

INDIAN mOGliAl'IIY.

595

tlmt he wns of an (^[hmi counteunnce nuil luMv henring. Witli iiitcuse
hnalty for the land of his fatliers, he fornitnl an alliance with western
tribes to regain their hist inheritance. They nu't det'eat at tlie battle
of Tippecanoe. In lSl'2 ht* joined the English against tlie Ani(>ri-
caiis. He held the rank of brigadier general, and was killed mi 1S13
while commanding the right wing of the British army.

TEYOXiNHOKKiiAwr.N was a Mohawk chief, who was also known as
John Norton. He took part in the war of 1^12.

TlIAYKNPANF.flEA, conunoidy
called Joseph Brant, and known
as the captain of the 8ix
nations, wns born on the hanks of
the Ohio, in 1742, dnring the
excursion of his parents to that
region. In ITS") he visited En-
gland, where he was received l)y
the peo[)lo with great honor. He
died in November. ISO", at the age
of nearly sixty-iive years, near
Burlington, on Lake Ontario, and
wns buried at the Mohawk villnge,
on Grand river, in Canada, by the '
side of the church he had built
there. His last words to his
adopted nephew were : '' Have pity
on the poor Indians; if you can
get any influence with the great, endeaviu- to do them all the good
you can."

TiMPOOCHEK Barnaud was the son of an Uchee woman. His
father s a Scotchman, whose name was said to be Timothy Barnard.
He was first known in public life in 1(S14, when he took part with the
American forces against the hostile Creeks, and commanded about one
hundred Uchee Avarriors, with the commission of major. He wns at
the battle of Callabee, under General Floyd, and distinguished him-
self by an act of gallantry.

TisHCOHAN, "He who never blackens himself," was a Delaware
chief. He was a signer of the celebrated Walking Purchase in ^.737.

ToKACON, or "He that inflicts the first wound," was a ohief of the
Sioux nation.

TooAN Ti'H, or "Spring Frog," a Cherokee chief, was born near
the numth of Chickamauga creek, in the vicinity of Lookout Mouu-
tain. about the year 1754. in the state of Tennessee.

JOSEPH BUAXT-\aE 48.
I'roiii a niini,itiii'e taken from ife

r)iM;

THK AMKUICAN INDIAN.

r" .

TrsTEXNTGOEE Emathla, a Creek chief, was born on tlie Tallapoosa
river about 1701}. He was also known by tlie name of "Jim Boy."

Uncas, war chief of the Mohegan Iniliuns in Connecticut, wa.s a
Penuot l)v l)irth. He was born near the last of the* sixteenth century,
anil died in lOTt).

Waai'Asha, Wabasliaw, was a chief of the Keoxa tribe of the
Dakota nation. He lived on the Mississippi river, in the vicinity of a
town in Minnesota bearing his name.

Wav.mboeshkaa, a Chippewsiy chief, was one of the most remark-
able chiefs at the treaty of La Fond du Lac, Sui)erior, in lN2(i.

Wakaun Haka, a Winnebago chief, was of mixed blood. His father
was a Frenchman and liis mother a woman of the Winnebago nation.

Wakawn', Tlie Snake, was a Winnebago chief, born on St. Mary's
river, near Green Bay, and died in 1<S38, at the age of nearly sixty years.

Walk-in-the-\vateh, Miere, a chief of the tribe of Wyandotts
in INIT. resided on a reservation in Michigan, at a village called Ma<;u-
aga. He was C()ns[)icuous as a commander of the Indian forces at the
battle of the Thames.

AVabokieshiek, White Cloud, a great prophet, noted at the time
of Black Hawk's war. He was on one side a Winnebago and on the
other a Sac.

Wanata. or Wanatuk, was a chief of the Sioux, whoso residence
was on the river St. Peter.

Wapella, or Wapello, "He that is painted white," head man of
the Mu.squakee, or Fox tribe.

Watchemoxne, or the orator, the third chief of the lowas, was born
at tiie old Iowa village on the Des Moines river, at that time occupied
by Keokuk, and in ISB'S is spoken of as about fifty-two years of age.

Wauuun'see, Waubanse, Wauponsie, the principal war chief oi.
the Pottawattamies of the Prairie, resided on the Kankakee river, in
Illinois, afterwards on Fox river at the Big W^o<ids. In the war of
is 12, this chief and his tribe were among the allies of Great Britain.
He united with his tribe in the sale of their lands, and migrated with
them in 183(5 to Council Bluffs, on the Missouri river, where he died a
few years thereafter.

Waub Ojeeo, " White F" dier," was born at Chegoimiegon, a few
vears prior to the capture of Quebec. He was early regarded as a suc-
cessful leader of war parties, and the nation looked on him to defend if
not to enlarge their borders against the Sioux. During a period of
twenty years, beginning about 1770, he was the ruling and governing
spirit of his tribe. He was seven times a leader against the Autogamies
and Sioux. His pai'ties were all made up of volunteers; the first con-

INDIAN BIOGHAPHY.

•>!t7

sisted of forty men, the Inst of tliroo hmulred. Tlio war-song, wliicli
WanbOjeeg composed for this expedition luid which he chanteil in its
formation, and whicli so impressed his countrymen, has been preserved
and repeated in mochn-n times. Jolin Jolmston, an Irish gentleman,
strnck witli its lieroic strain, made tlie foUowing. version from tiiese
verbal traditions, more than forty vears mso:

"On tliiit (liiy wlifii our lioroeH l.iy low, lay low.
On tliat (lay when our heroes lay low
I fon^flit by their side, and thou^^ht ere T died,
Just ven},'eauee to take on the foe, the foe,
Just veuKeaiice to take on the foe." etc.

Wanl) Ojeeg died in his family lodge at Chegoimiegon, surrounded
by his children and relatives, in IT'.tiJ.

Wahnahton was a bold and fearle.ss chief of the tribe of Yank-
tons, whose name translated is, "He who charges the enemy." He was
considerably noted in the last war with Canada, !it wiiicli time he was
about thirty years of age.

WKATHKUroiU), one of the conspicuous war chiefs of the Creek-
nation, is spoken of in histm-y as the '-Corner stone of the Creek con-
federacy," and commanded the Creeks at the capture of Fort Mimms,
in 1S1,3.

Wi'SCHCUBii, -The Sweet." was a chief of Red Lake, north of the
sources of tlie Mississi{)pi. He was a son of Le Sucre, a chief who is
mentioned by General Pike, in his narrative of his voyage up the
Mississippi in ISO(').

White Clouix known among the Indians by the name of Wi-e-
wa-ha, or ''Good dis[)08ition," was the first chief of the Iowa tribe.
His father is spoken of as a great man among the lowas, noted for
his courage and generosity. He has no particular trait, except an
insatiable thirst for spirits.

White Eyes, or as some write it, " White Eye," was the first
captain among the Delawares. While accompanying General Mcin-
tosh with his army to Muskingum, in lllH or 17Tl>, he took the small-
pox and died.

WiTTUWAMET was a Massachusetts chief, prominent in the history
of New England, about HVIS.

Yaha Hajo, a Seminole war-chief, was slain ou the 20th of
March, lN:5(i, by General Joseph Shelton.

YoHOLO Muxx) was principal chief of the Eufalo town, between

Tallassee anil Oakfuskee, in the Creek nation. In the war of 1813-14

he served with Mcintosh against the hostile Indians, and shared

largely and honorably in all the batthis that were fought. He was the

speaker of the Creek nation, and opened the ctjuncils on all occasions.

CHAPTER XLIX.

ELIOT'S INDIAN BIBLE.

Reiimrknble Literary Prodnctiou— Cousistod <(f tho Old and Ner Testamont— Trans-
lated into the New England Dialects— Indian.s under HeliKioiiH luHtnietions at
Martha's Vineyard-" Prayiny Indians "—Number— Curious Cireunistances Lead-
iny to Conversion of Indians- (Questions Asked l)y Indians Concerning Eliot's
H(>lif,'ious TeachinKS— Dilliculties He Encountered in Trauslatin"— Death of
Eliot.

WT Avoiild seem as if no
work claimino to encoin-
\ . pass the whole liidiim
'w^" subject, for the reader
of this day, could be consid-
ered complete without some
account of the remarkable
literary })roduction or mis-
sionary effort, styled, "Eliot's
Indian Bible."' This book
consists of the Old and New
Testaments, translated by
Kr.inri'KKAciiiNfiTo Tin: iNPiANs. Eliot fnmi the En<flish into

the dialects of the New England tribes, prevailing in that portion of
the country over Avhich his labors were extended.

Kev. John Eliot, who has been very properly styled the Apostle
of the Indians, came from England to Now England in ltJ81. He
had been well educated at Cambridge, and in lt)i]2, then twenty-eight
years old. Avas settled as a preacher at Roxbury near Boston. Although
charged with the (bities of a pastor, and taking a part in the ecclesias-
tical government of the New England churches, he at the same time
turned his attention, very earnestly, to the conversion of the Indian
tribes in the vicinity, to the Christian religion of the sect to which he
belonged. To this end he employed native teachers, and himself
learned the Indian language; in the study of which he made great
proficiency, and soon began to preach to them in their own dialect.
Others joined him, and. by their co-operation, native evangelists were

ELIOT S INDIAN lillU.I'..

:t<»

raised up, iiiidtn- whoso hilxirs, siipcriiiteiided l)y Eliot, Iiidiaii cliiirclios
wore estal)lisli(Ml at various points. Fiftecu liuudrod Indians, it is
said, were under religious iui-itructioii at Martlia's Vineyard alono.

The work of tiiis Indian Bible wliich, under tiio circumstances at
that day, appears stu[)endous. we are informed was done at the expense
of a society in London, for the pro[)agation of t\w gospel among the
Indians of New England. Tiie Nmv Testament appears to hfive Ix'en
first printed in lt!()l. This was re[)eated by a new edition in lOSO.
The work, including the Old and New Testament, was printed in lO.So.
This translation of the Bible into the Indian language constitutes an
era in American j)hilol()gy, and preceded, it is b»>lieved, any missionaiy
effort of equal magnitude in the way (jf translation, in India or any
other part of the world; and remains a monument of New En^hind
zeal and active lab<n's in the conversi(m of native tribes.

The following is the title of the book. Natick or Massachusetts
dialect:

Mamusse
WUNNEETUPANATAMWE

Ul'-BIBLUM GOD.

Naneeswe

Nukkone Testament

Kali wonk

Kusku Testament.

Ne Quoshkinnumuk Nashpe wuttinnemoh Christ

Noll Asoowesit

John Eliot,

Cambridge.

Printeuoopnashpe Samuel Green kali Marmaduke Johnson,

l('.r,8.
TvanshiUun. — Tiie Bible of God, containing the Old and New
Testament, translated by the Reverend John Eliot. Cam])ridge, printed
by Samuel Green and Marmaduke Johnson, 1()(13.

It is stated (Gookin Arch. Anier. Vol. II, p. -t-tj that Eliot's
principal assistant, in the translation of the Scriptures, was a Massa-
chusetts Indian named Job Natsuan, one of the praying Indians, who
had been instructed and ccnivei-fed by him — a man who, agreeably to
this testimony, was well esteemed f(n- })iety and knowledgt\ both in the
Indian and English tongues. But it is stated in a history of New
England, by Chas. W. Elliott, 1S57, Vol. I, p. 825, that one day in
October, 10-41"), Eliot went out into the wilderness to seek and con-
vert heathen Iiulians. He was met by a grave man (attended by five
or six others) whose name was Wahan, and to them he preached in a
wigwam at yfnnantnm, near Watertown, on the south side of the Charles

OIM)

Illi: AMKUICAN INDIAN.

riviT. JIo prt'iu'luHl from tlio 'Mth clwiptor of Ezekitl. ■ riicii siiitl ho
unto inc, pn)|)licsy unto tlio wind [ WiiIkiii in tiicir diulcct, it is
said, nii'iint wind) propiiesy, son of iimii, and say to tlio wind, tims
saitli tho Lord God; Conio from tlio four winds, O hroiith, and
lirciitiio upon tliosu slain tliat tlicy may livt); so I [)roplit'siivl as ho
j'oinniiinded mo, and tlio breath caino unto th(Mn, and tlioy lived and
st<ind up ui)oii tlieir foet, an exceeding gnmt army." This discourso
lasti'd fnr an hour, and Wdlxni thouj^ht and seriously rt'ti(>cted upon
it all. wliiTiMipon lio becinno converted. He wiis oik* of tlie principal
men in tiio Indian town of Natick, to which the Xoiimiliiiii Indians
removed. (lOoli.

Eliot could yet hut little assistance in liis work at the outset, one
reason for which seems to have been that the colonists were too poor
to aid liiin. But, in the year l<!-iO, an act of [)arliament was passed
intended to promote the sjiread of the Christian gospel among tho
Indians. Large collections were also made in England, stimulated by
the actioi, of parliament, yielding a revenue of five or six hundred
pounds, which became increased by those made in New England, and
a society to aid in the work (-foresaid was incorporatiHl in l()i)2, after
which )nuch elTort was made with encoura<jin<' results.

Tlie Puritan historian remarks, with much satisfaction, in connec-
tion with this subject, that during the progress of civilizing the Indians
through their conversion to Christianity, they were in some cases made
into magistrates and teachers in the towns of "praying Indians.'"

It is said that the number of "praying Indians,'" as they were
called, amounted to some 3,(500, colh^cted in varicms settlements,
mostly in Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Plymouth and Massachusetts ;
but few of the number, however, were admitted to communion, the
strictness of the examination being too great for these ignorant and
uncivilized men.

It is understood that the foregoing astonishing progress in Eliot's
work of reclaiming the Indians, if such it may be called, was accom-
l)lislied through the aid of his Indian Bible. The Indians having been
taught to read, to a considerable extent, Avere able to search the Scrip-
tures for themselves, and to read to one another.

In the history of Eliot's pi.*' >gress in missionary work, some curi-
ous incidents are related of circumstances which led to conversion in
individual cases. It is recorded that the first Indian converted in the
noAV colonies was Hohauiock (in the settlement of Plymouth), who
was transported with great wonderment of the power the English had
with their God, "because," he said, "when they prayed to him for rain,
it did rain, and he concluded to join them and their God."

ELIOT S INDIAN BII.LE.

()()1

It iip|ic>iu'H that Eliot found at tlm outrtot tliat ho liail mniiy, ami
somo a|ipuri!iitly iu.siiniioiiiilal)ht, (litliciiliics to oviiiroino in liis work
of niohiiiiiiiig the Indians, imhicin^ tlicni to a('ce|it liis rclii^'ion. Tin-
Indians were ij^norant and iindis('i[)lin('d; tiifv wcro accnstonicd to
icUont'SH and u wanderin<j; lif'n; they wore vitiattMl with rum, and were
(les[)isod or foarod l)y tiie wiiitoH. Tiieir ohii'l's opposed the new ri'li<^-
ion; and their sachem, Nine^^ret, resohittdy and persistently deelined
having; the white man's God and religion introduced amoii<^ Jiis peo-
ple, saying: "For what reason? Let nie see that your religion
makes you bettor than us, and then wo may try it." Uncas, sachom
of the ]Moliegans, went to Hartford, and told tho commissioners his
extreme dislike to having Christianity introduced among Jii.s people.
Phili[), chief of the Wainpanoags, holding the button of one of tho
commissioners, said: " I care not more for your religion than for this
button."

After his work had progressed for considerable time, and had
begun to attract the attention of the Indians, he became freipn^ntlv miicli
annoyed from anxious questioners among them, by whom he was con-
fronted with the repeated inquiry: "If Christianity be iKH'essary.
why, for so many years, Iiave you done nothing in proving it to us?"
and not only this, but instead of responding favorably and cordiallv to
Eliot's appeal to accept the Christian religion, they would put him
subtle questions, which each man finds it hard to answer, to the
following effect, being, indeed, but an example in the experience of the
early missionaries among the Indians in general:

"Why did not God give all men good hearts, that they might be
good?" and " Why did not God kill tlie devil that made all men so
bad — God having all power?" "If an Indian had two wives before
he was converted, which should he put away?"

"Wliether all the Indians who had died heretofore had gone to
hell, and why only a few now at last were [)ut in the way of going to
heaven?"

"How can we reconcile the scriptures which say: 'Save your-
selves from this untoward generation,' with ' We can do nothing of
ourselves?' "

"Why did Judas sin in giving up Jesus, w!ien it was what (rod
had appointed?"

" What is the effect of your reli<^ ion? We have no contentions
about property, and no man envies his neighbor?"

"Whether the good child of a bad man would be punished,
because the second commandment says: 'He visits the sins of the
father upon the chiklreu?' "

002

THE AilEUICAN INDIAN.

"If I do that which is a t-in, uml do not know tiiiit it is n siu,
what will God say to that?"

"Why umst we be like salt?"

" Why doth God say, 'I ain the God o£ the Hebrews; ' why?"

But Eliot's labors never ceased. Although many of his converts
were backsliders, yet he continued patiently and worked on. His
salary paid by the society was fifty pounds. He continued to preach at
Roxbury, at the same time extending his missionary work in all direc-
tions. He preached, lie taught, catechised, established towns and
instituted agriculture. In addition to these, he stirred the ministers
of the colony to action, and it was mostly through his efforts that
others devoted themselves actively to tlif' work. November 4, ItlSO,
ho, wrote to his friend, Robert Boyle, saying: "Our praying Indians,
both in the islands and on the main, are, considered together, num-
erous. Thousands of souls, o*"' whom some true believers, some learners
and some are still infants, and all of them beg, cry and entreat for
Bibles."

As he grew old, and near his end, his urgency to complete the
Bible, was so great, that he writes his patron Boyle, to "change the
subject of your bountiful charity from their bodies to their souls."
" My age makes me unfortunate." says he, "and my heart hath much
ado to hold uj) my head, but both daily drive me to Christ." The
sturdy old apostle stood by his darling work; yet he wished Sir Robert
to draw a curtain of love over his failures, if he shall have been too
iirgi'ut. He acknowledged the receipt of 400 pounds, towards the
work, and says: "The work goeth on, I praise God." Again he
acknowledged (April 22d, 1084), the receipt of 400 ])ounds "which
dotii set a diadem of beauty upon all your former acts of [)ious
charity."

Again he says, "The great work that I travail about is in tiie
printing of the Old Testament, that they may have the whole Bible. I
desire to see it done bef(.)re 1 die, and 1 am so deep in years that I can-
not expect to live long; besides we have but one man (viz., the Indian
printer'* that is able to compose the sheets, and correct the press, witii
understanding."

From this, it seems that Eliofs [jrincipal assistant and right hand
man was an Indian.

Eliot's Indian Bible has well been styled "a wonderful monument
of j)atien(>', industry and faith." In producing it lu^ labored uiul(>r
every ditliculty and overcame all. The lirst edition consisted of the
New Testament of 1001 an<l the Old Testament of KiS."). Ot tiie first
edition between ono and two tlu)usand co[)ies were printed, and of the

KI.IOl's INDIAN lilHLK

ooa

second edition, two tliousand oopios were printed, at tlH> cost of oiio
thousand pounds.

To illustrate the ditliculty of making the first translation, it was
told that Avhon Eliot read to the Indians, and describeu the verse,
••The Mother of Sisera cried through the lattice," they gave him the
word for 'lattice;" he afterwards discovered that it read '>The Motiier
of Sisera cried through the Erhpoi;' that being as near his descrip-
tion of "lattice," as they could get.

Mr. Eliot did not deem tiie Indian word for Clfxl, in the dialect
into which his translation was made, sufKciently pure and free from
superstitions notions to be introduced into his translation as an equiva-
lent, nor did he employ it in the sense of Lord; but universally ren-
dered it by the term "Jehovah." And there were, apparently, ju'ior
to the arrival of Europeans, difhculties in speaking of objects
unknown to the Nulirk vocabulary, such as cow, sheep, oxen, and the
hke; and yet further difficulties were encountered in speaking of objects
known only to the oriental world, in which the Bible abounds, such as
camel, dragon, and the like. In all of these he employed the English
word in our own version. Neither does h(> nor his Indian assistant
appear to liave been an adept, or well instructed in natural history, which
considerably affected his work in this respect; but in all cases of trees,
plants, fish or quadrupeds, where a doubt existed, they simply em[)lojed
the English word, with jn-oper Indian inflections to denote the geni-
tive, or to mark tlie preposition or pronominal sense to the wonl
employed.

Eliot died peacefully while sitting in his chair, May 120, Ki'Jl).
His last words were, " Welcome— Joy."

CHAPTER L.
INDIAN CIVILIZATION.

Roilneed Possessions -lusijjuificnut Proportions — The Imliau Question — Preliminary
At,'eiu'ii's to Civiliziiti(jn Extiuotion, or Civili/.iition — What is Civilization A
Matter of Opinion Various Forms of Civilization- -The Euroi)eun Form WLieli
the Iiuliau is Expeeteil to Adopt— Work of the Puritunr Rev. John Eliot in
New Entjland -Missionary Work -Civilizing' Inllueiieo of Whiskey-^Diseorilant
Examples of Puritans Distmst of the White Man's lleliyion Extermination of
the New Enylaud Tribes Example of the Brothertowns— The Irotpiois Six
Nations -Their Progress in ()i?r Civilization — InHueuee of William Penn- (rood
Work of (Quakers Ajrrieultural Tnstrnetion— The Five Civilized Tribes of the
Indian Teriitoiy To IJi'come Civilized the Tndian IMust Recome a While Man
The Indian Disai)peariu^' by Ainalt,'amation Re|)()rts of iFidiau Agents to tb.tt
Effeet— The Indian Problem -The White Man Prol)lem.

■ ■-■5'!'!Vl^i;-^.:*i^fv '

Y^ p^l^HE ludinii having tiiially been reduced

in his possessions to insiirnificant {)i'o-

■''1^ portions, our <^overnment hns on hand

^^ wiiat is calh'd the Indian <|nestion,
lieing a problem of how to divest the Indians
of the reniainint,' remnant of their domain with-
out consideration. The first step in tliis pro-
ceeding is to teach him the Avays of our civili-
zatioii, thrusting upon his adverse nature its
bunU'ns and enormities, lo whicii Ave ourselves
have become accustomed after centuries of ex-
periment: and to Avhicli end experienced poli-
ticians, out of a job, have been graduated
through partisan maciiinery in zealous localities,
and appoiuteil to take cliai'ge of the Indian question and the
execution of the policy of the government in regard to the same, whose
practical knowledge of the Indian nmy, perhaps, have no deeper foun-
dation than that ilerived from the study of Indian effigies set up in the
front of tobacco scores to invito in the wayward youth, that he may learn
the habit of smoking tobacco like Indians.

Extinction or civilization, it is said, is the alternative for the
Indian race of America. In approaching the subject of civilization of

(fiM)

Ki'.MNANT •ii- I'l'iii i>i;ai;iioun,

( i:iiA(l()-TUK 111.111 K Illie.SK.

INDIAN CIVILIZATION.

(103

the Iiulinii, we are first to dispose oi' the question as to Avhiit is here
ijiennt by the term civilizdiion. By staiithird autliority it is detiiiod tc
be "the act of civilizing, or the state of being civilized; refined; cul-
tured." "To civilize: to reclaim from a savage state ; to educate; to
refine." "Civilized: reclaimed from savage life and manners; in-
structed in the arts, learning, and civil manners; refined; cultivated."
The Indian has been called a savage; his life has been called a
saracjc life, and his manners, it is considered, correspond to such con-
<lition of life; and yet, those Avell acquainted with Indiaji character can
truly say. that in his nature and instincts he is no more .savaire than
tho.se of other races. His life is one of simplicity; and, as manv
writers have it, he is living in his ])rimitive condition in accordance
with the order of nature.

As to the latter branch of the definiticm aforesaid, "instructed in
the arts, learning, and civil manners," it must be conceded that the
Indian had but a limited knowledge of the arts as existing at this day
among the more enlightened nations: and the same may be said in
regard to learning in general. But as to his civil manners, the Indian
would never suffer in comparison with the manners encountered in
promiscuous society under our own civilization. So the Indian was as
refined in his instincts as the civilized white man; so he was cultivated,
in conduct, in all those things that pertain to his native condition.

When we speak of the civilization of the Indian in the common
acce])tation of the term, it must be understood that we have refer-
ence to our own civilization, or civilization as understood and accepted
by us at this day. Mr. Elli.s, in his work on the "Red Man and the
AVhite Man." says: "The term civilization, and the state which it
describes, are both of them wholly arbitrary. It involves a question.
Jiot only of more or less, in its conditicms, but of varieties in its type.
There are various forms of civilization; the Oriental and the Western,
the Asiatic and the European. The rudest boors may not be outside
his range ; and the excesses of luxury, conventionality, and ceremony
in courtly circles, prompt the use of the word artijirial, for the most
uth'anced range of society."

Tne East Indian.s, the Turks, the Chinese, and. indeed, the wliole
Mongolian race, are civilized; but their civilization differs materially
from ours. They are averse to accepting our civilization, and we cer-
tainly would not accept theirs. So that, in approaching this subject of
civilization, it is understood that wo have in view our own European
standard, which we are compelling the native red man to accept.

The first attempt at l)ringing the Indians into our civilization was
by the Puritans in the New England colonies. But their notions of

r.oC)

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

civilizfition seemed to have been judged by the notions of their religion;
in which centered their ideas of civilization, which they considered
tlieniselves specially commissioned to impart to tlie Indians. Thrir
idea was. that when the Indian had fully accepted their religion, their
religious faiths and beliefs, he was civilized. In other words, when he
became Christianized, according to their interi)retation of the term,
it was synonymous with civilization.

This great work was. therefore, by common consent, assigned to
the so called "Indian apostle," Eliot, who set about learning their dia-
lect, and the work of imp-u-ting to the benighted natives in that vicinity
the religion of the Puritans, until the number of converted Indians, or
those who had accepted his religious teachings, amounted, as is said,
tt) something over 3M)(). But it was soon found, says the historian,
that "the Indians had more to fear from civilization than from barl)ar-
ism. Cupidil V and rum were, fr()m the beginning, more potent forces
than the tomf '"vl< nnd scalping knife."

Snbsequeiitj , v. Mr. Hawley of Boston set about continuing
the work so well i ■ nnenced by Mr. Eliot. As the Indians were
removed westward, to give [)lace to the invading white man, Mr. Haw-
ley pursued his missionary work of civilizing them into the colony of
New York, where he was enabled to make a good beginning, l)ut the
results, according to his own account, seem not to have been very flat-
tering, for he says: "There is rarely a nmle professor of the gos[)el
Avho will not falsify his word, drink to excess, ami commit other immor-
alities. There are two instances in the whole Six Nations, and two
only, of persons who, since their conversion to Christianity, have not
been intoxicated."

It is said concerning Mr. Hawley's experience as a missionary,
that "on one occasion (July 1st, 1753), he was in great danger, for
the Indians had got rum, and were proceeding to hold a <lruidv. The
women and children were skulking about, secreting hatchets and guns,
well knowing what must be the result. Mr. Hawley and Deacon
Woodbridge, with their inlerpreter, Avere pursued, but escaped, after
Vx'ing well frightened, and with reason, for a drunken savage is as
dangerous as a drunken white nmn."

The examples of the Puritans set the Indians at discord among
themselves. Intolerance, religious persecution, and various quarrels
on doctrinal points in their religion, tended to distract the Indian
mind, and led him to doubt the white man's sincerity, and they nat-
urally inquired, as Mr. Gookin informs us, " How is it, then, that Mr.
Wilson is ready to drive Mr. Wheelwright into the sea, and Mr. Wil-
liams is hunted from his home among Christian men, and Mrs. Hutch-

INDIAN CIVILIZATION.

COT

insoii's boily is shut up in prisuu iiiid lier cluiraotpv blackened? Wiiy
is this, for do not all appeal to the Bible, and stand fast U[K)n it?"

The disastrous wars, ending in the destruction of the Pequots
and sympathizing tribes, who had made their last stand to hold pos-
session of their country against the English aggression, so disheart-
ened the remnants of the Indian tribes of New England that they
accepted the terms proposed for <piitting, and leaving tlie country to
tlie civilized conquerors. These remnants were, therefore, gathered
up and consolidated into a kind of brotherhood, consisting of the
Peouots. Mohegans, Nnrragansetts, and the relics of various other
tribes, who became known as llrotlicrtoiiiis, or the Ilrollirrloini Iiididus.
A township of land was finally procured for them in the state of New
York, ailjoining or near to the Oneida Indians, who had already
assumed habits of civilization. From thence, about the year 182S,
they were removed tf) lands on '.he Fox river of "Wisconsin, near Green
Bay, where their situatioTi >vas made so uncomfortable by the laiul
s[)eculators that they abandoned their possessions there, and procured
lands (m the east side of Winnei)ngo lake, where they have become
citizens of Wisconsin, and still remain to the number of about 8~)(). as
prosperous and industrious iidiabitants. About seventy-live years ago
they had so far advanced in our civilization that they had abandoned
their own language, and adopted that which we are speaking, their
original dialect becoming, at length, olOiterated from their recollection.

The Iroquois, or Six Nations of New York, accepted civilization
under peculiar circumstances. The Mohawks were early turned in
this directicm through the influence of Col. William Johnson, unac-
companied ])y any special religious effort. The Oneidas were induced
to accej)t our civilization through the efforts of the devoted missionary,
Rev. Samuel Kirkland. who also exerted an influence in that direction
by his constant lal)ors and teachings, not only as to his religion. l)ut
as to the benefits of our civilization in general, over the Onondagas,
Cayugns and Senecas; through which, in connection with their own
efforts, the whole Six Nations ultimately assumed the habits, manners
and customs and civilization of the white man, so far as their nature
would admit.

But the Iroquois ov Six Nations were, when first encountered i)y
the whites, an intelligent peojjle, having a strong and perfect civil
government, of which no better example exists in the history of civil-
ized man. It can hardly be said of them that they became a reclaimed
people, so far as intelligence and moral conduct is concerned; but it
was simply a change from one condition to another.

Far different is the example of the commencement of the course

(508

THh' AMKiaCAN INDFAN.

of civilization which began, or had its genu, at the treaty of William
Penn with the asseml)leil tribes at Shackamaxen, on the Delaware
river, in ltl82. Tin* Quaker intluence which followed among the east-
ern tribes, and wliich attended them in their advancing migration
westward to the wilderness of Oliio. had greater intiuence over the
Indian mind in bringing him into our civilization, through the work
of succeeding generations, than all other efforts of that period com-
bined. The Quaker did not go with the Bilde in one hand and fire-
water in the otiier; or religion on one side and the scheming s[>irit of
the trader and speculator on the other, through which to dispossess
the Indians of their lands; but went out on the pure principles of their
faith and love to all mankind. The mission of the Quakers is well
expressed in the following letter of the secretary of war, carried by
tlie persons therein named, who were (Quaker representatives, sent l)y
their people to visit the Indians of Ohio and Indiana, and instruct
them in the arts of civilization, which mission they performed faith-
fully and well:

•' Wau Dk i>a1!TMENT, February 20. 1804.

''Gi>TLKJiEN: — This will lie handed you by Messrs. George Elli-
cott. Joel Wright and Gerald T. Hopkins, who are a deputation from
the Soci' t_, of T^riends in Marylaiul, for visiting the Indians in the
western country, for the laudable purpose of affording them assistance
in the introduction of the arts of civilization.

"They are men of high resi)ectal)ility, are actuated by the best
motives, and are entitled to all the civilities in your power to bestow.
You will please to afford them all necessary aid, and treat them with
such marks of respectful attention as are due to citizens whose disin-
terested services deserve the plaudits of every good man.
"I am, very respectfully, your humble servant,

" Henuy Deaiibokn.

" To the commanding officer at Fort Wayne.

"Mii. John Johnson, Indian Factor.

"Mit. William Wells, Indian Agent."

Those Quakers furnished to the Indians implements and supplies of
agriculture and husbandry, and continued among them, instructing
them in developing the soil, and in bettering their condition in life
generally, without the expectation of any pecuniary reward Avhatever.
assuming that the Indians were continually to remain upon the lands they
t'.ien occupied, and take on the habits and ways of our civilization.

The Indians accepted this offering, and commenced to make prog-
ress in agriculture and education, but the spirit of the white man
has continued to invade their country, and to press them to the west-

INDIAN riVII.I/ATION.

Cd'.t

it*

'•■■>

Kin

st-

wanl, where tliey have at lengtli iiiade tlu'ir final stand, coiitiuuiiig
tlioir endeavors to ado[)t and cont'orin to our civilization.

The southern Indians, or Indians of tlie more southern colonies,
were, at the beginninj^', a different class of people from those occupy-
ing the country further north, and were further advanced in the direc-
tion of our civilization; hence, it was easier for them to conform to the
requirements of the coming era. Their advanced and homogeneous
condition, led the Ignited States government to adopt the measure of
setting apart a territory of land on the west of the Mississippi, now
cnlled the Indian Territory, to which these several tribes were removed
at an early day, and where they still remain. Five of these, the Chero-
kees, Clioctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks and Seminoles, have become
knoAvn as the five civilized tribes. Many other tribes have, in later
times, been removed anil assigned lands within this territory, all of
whom are making progress in our civilization, through missionary
work and schools for educational pur})oses.

The Indian problem, to the close observei'. has long since been
solved. To him it never was a problem. The Indian, as an Indian, c.ai
never fully accept our civilization. Its inconsistencies, incongruities,
and false pretenses, are repulsive to a nature like his. He sees it in
its true light. It is destructive to that harmonious principle in native
life, to which he has been b ed and reared, ami which pervades all his
instincts. The Indian, to accept our civilization, must become a white
man; in other win'ds, his nature must be changed to become like our
own. This is being done as rapidly as time can accomi)lish it.

When we say that the Indian is becoming extinct, we speak figur-
atively, or in a qualified sense. His population is not being essen-
tially decreased; i)ut, from the circumstances attending him, he is
intermingling and amalgamating with the race that surrounds him,
and, in this manner, is becoming extinct as an Indian.

Among the tribes called civilized tribes, or anu)ng those who have
thoroughly adopted our civilization, the original Indian stock is dis-
a[)i)earing, and giving place to mixed blood, of which the Pottawatta-
mies, now in the Indian territory, afford an example. The report of
the Indian agent, having charge of this people, to the Indian Com-
missioner at Washington, dated August 10, 1880, says of them:
'■ About seventy-five per cent, are mixed lihjods. the remainder are
ap[)arently whites, maiidy French descent; all live in houses and speak
the English language."

The Indian agent at Union township, Indian Territory, under
report to the Commissione:' of Indian Affairs, September '20, 188(5,
says of the Cherokees: "Among Cherokee citizens we find full blood

r.y

610

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

-I

n
c

Cherokees, Clierokees of half blnod, quarter, ei<,rlitli, sixteenili, etc.,
till the Cherokee bhxid (lis!i[>[)e!ir.s to flaxen liair and l)hie eyes. The
hvi'ger i)art of the nation is of Cherokee stock, 7,()<H) or S.dOO fnll
bh)0(ls: mixed liloods, 0,0()0to KMtOO." Tliese are fair saniph'sof the
projiortion of mixed bloods among all the civilized triljcs. and illus-
trates the progress to bo nnule in all tiie tribes, in proportion as tiiey
adopt onr civilization. Thus it will be seen that tlie race as Indians,
is soon to become extinct, by this pi'ocess of amalgamation.

As the white man has had liis Fiidifui pi'ohlciii, so tiie Indian has
on hand liis problem; whicli is the irliilc man jn'ohJoii, whose civiliza-
tion fii'st cast its shatlow upon him in Nortii Ann'i'ica. when Do Soto
mnrehed through his country, murdering liis people and destroying
his prop(>rty. the beneficent influence of Avhich he could not just then
Avell understand. It afterwards a[)])eared upon him at Phinouth
Eock, when the Puritans pilfered his property, and niailo war on his
people. He was told that the white man Inul a religion which instructed
mankind to live peaceably, (piietly and charitably, and to love his
neiglibor as himself. When the sauKi [)e()|)le drove him from his
country, murdered his people, robbed him of liis lands, and cast among
them destruction by his fire-water, they lost faith in white man's ])ro-
fession of friendshi[), and became reluctant to accept his religion and
his civilization: and the Indian wonders how it is, if the white man's
civilization tends so mucii to better the condition of mankind, that the
white man has, in his society, so many crimes and offenses, and that he
has been compelled to put forth so much exertion to resist these evils.
He wonders how it is that the white man's society, according to liis
own account, is so thoroughly permeated with crime and sin, and how
it is, if his civilization is so good and beneficial to nninkind. and etfect-
ive in its good [)ur[)oses, that all these evils are not held in check by
its beneficent influences.

Ho notices that, when he commences to enter u[)on the wiiito
man's civilization, the first things he is warned against, are the sins
and crimes of the white man. or the attempt of the white man to over-
reach him throuifh the influence of his fire-water or other modes. To
the Indian, the white man's civilization is a series of inconsistencies,
with its artificial burdens, abhorrent to his primitive nature and instincts.

CHAPTER LI.

INDIAN POPULATION.

Poimlfitioii OvtTiated— Esawi'iutious of the Early ExjilorcrH Report of the Com-
laissiouer of Tuiliiiu AtYairs -Number of luilians in the United States at the Pres-
ent Time Ett'eot of Gontaj,'ions DiseaseK Destruction of Game Semi-State
of Starvation Grailual Decrease Cause of Di'crease Hecomiiii,' IJenioveil flow
Indian Popvdatioii liecame Ovin-estimated Exa;;i,'eration of I'oiiuhilioii in New
England — The Iro(iuois Nation Exafjrweratiou of Nnml)ers — The West Indies -
Numbers Overestimated — A ud so in Virginia How a Small Number of Indians
Apiiear La rj,'e- Indians of Kentucky No Permaiunt Indians tlici. .

:,ir^;jl{. HCHOOLCEAi'T lius

"M \/ I ^^'cll reuiiirkeil that tlio
'I / / I
r /. L 1.' fil)(ii'iii;iiial population ot"

-'^-<'.-^^ ' AiiH'i-ica was ovoiratod
from the iH-giiiiiiii^, and that th((
sanio s{)irit of exa>j^fj;eration which
actuated the early discoveret's con-
tiiiuod to throw its intluence over
8ul)se([ueut [)eriods of our hiytory,
until, in later tini(>s. when some
reliable data could l)e ohtainod.
Since th(> United States governmi'nt succeeded in disi)ossessing
the Indian tribes of the lands they held in their tribal state, and allotted
them reservations, we have had more accurate data from wiiich to
determine the population of those Iiulians who have been assigned to
reservations by the general government. The re]>ort of the Commis-
sioner of Indian Affairs, under date of Septend)er 'JS, ISSti. shows
the total population of Indians assigned to reservations, exclusive of
those in Alaska, to be 247,701, the niimber of Iiulians in Alaska
being estimated at -iO.OOO.

The nundter of Indians scattered about the country, of Avhich the
United States have lu) immediate care or jurisdiction, aiul of which no
accurnte census has been taken, will, perhaps, increase the whole num-
ber to the estimate made by Col. Dodge, of the United States aimy,
in 187(), wherein he says the nundier of Indians of all descriptions, at

present iidiabiting the United States, is estimated at about JJUD.UUO.

(6in

IS'KVITAllI.li DlCSlINY.

(112

TIIK AMKIttCAN INDIAN.

Add to tliis tlie ludiniis of tlio JJritisli possessions and the northorn
regions, and it will douhtlcss swell this number of Indians in North
America to somewiiere alxmt -"iOO.dUO. Col. Dodge expresses the ()|)ini.)n
that, some two eentnries ago, the nund)er of Inilians, in what now
comprises the I'nited States, was n])wards of two millions.

He savs that everywhere, amongst nil tril)es, with the exception
perhaps of the Dakotas, their numbers are rn[)idly decreasing, which
ai'ises from various causes, amongst tlie principal of which may be
mentioned contagious dist^ases. intemperance, and wars, both amongst
themselves and with the whites; and that the steady and resisth>ss
emigration of white men into the territory of the west restricts the
Indians yearly to still narrower limits, destroying the game Avhich. in
their normal state, constituted their principal means of subsistence,
reducing them to a semi-state of starvation and desperation. He
declares that the records of every tribe tell the same story of their
gradual decrease and probable extinction.

But since the foregoing statement was made, the Indian question
or Indian problem, as to his future, has l)een largely settled, and the
causes oi decrease, mentioned by Col. Dodge, have been greatly
removed; and, so far as the Indian population of North America is
concerned, the better opinion is that the Indian has held his own in
numbers to a greater degree than popular opinion, in later times, has
ijeuerallv estimated.

Careful investigation into this subject warrants the assertion that
there was not, and has not been, since the time of the discovery of
America, within what is now the territory of the United States, nor
upon the whole North American continent, two millions of Indian
inhabitants.

It is tlieoj)ini(m of many who have investigated this subject that
one of the causes which held the increase of the Indian population in
check was that, of all the children born, full one-half died before
reaching even the period of youth. It Avas only those who had the
strongest constitutions who survived the shocks and exposures to which
thev were subjected during infancy and childhood. Added to this, the
mortality among others, who had passed through childhood, was quite
large in proportion to their numbers, owing to their hardships in life
in procuring the means of subsistence, through constant exposure to
the elements.

That the Indian, as an Indian, is to become extinct, sooner or
later, there is little or no question, not, however, by the mode generally
suggested, but rather by amalgamation, or mixing with the race which
surrounds him, and w'ith which he is destined in process of time to

INPIAN I'OITI.ATION.

)5i;j

intenninj^le. The tiiiio is fvidcntlv lu-ar fit liaii.l wIumi lie will no
longer hold iiis l;iiuls in common, hnt \vill he compollt'd to take wluit-
ever he can get in severalty, all tending to revolntioiu/e ins conditii.u
and remove his nttfidinieiit for trihal atliliations, wluMvhy liis race iimst
sooner or later succiunh to the fate here predicted. Tliis would seem
to be inevitable.

The idea of a large Indian population u[)()n this continint nt the
beginning of the white man's invasion, arose from tiic overestimates of
early writers and adventurers. Ca|.t. .roliii Smith tells us tliiit. within
sixty miles of Jamestown, there were r;,(IO() people, of whom l.-'OO
were warriors, at the time of the first settlement of the Virginia col-
ony. 1007.

Mr. Jefferson, in his "Notes on Virginia.'' says the territorv of
the Towhatan confederacy, sontii of the Potomac, comprehended about
X.(M) scjuan^ miles, thirty tribes and 2.400 warriors: from this he .says
the Powhatan confederacy, the ju'oportion of warriors to tlii^ whole
people being as three to ten. would consist of about S.OOO inhabitaiiis,
which was one for every sijuare mile. .Vltliough tli(> climate and
native ^mnluctions of Virginia were calculated to sustain (luite a dense
population of native inhabitants of that (hiy. this estinnite of Mr. Jef-
ferson is no doubt considerably overdrawn. There was. doui.tless. no
place in Virginia of S.OOO square miles that could furnish li,400 war-
riors. In regard to the estimate of Capt. Smith, subtract from it one-
half, and it leaves more nearly the correct numl)er of the population
within the limits he mentions.

Mr. Schoolcraft's estimate of the Indian population of the I'niteil
States in 1850, including New Mexico, Utah. California and Oregon,
was about 500.000.

At the early occupation of New England by tlu^ whites, the tribe
of Pequots were set down as being large in nunU)ers. It was said
that Sassacus, their great sachem, had under him twenty-six sagainoics
or subordinate chiefs, which was taken as indicating a large popula-
tion, and it was stated that this great chief could muster from 500 to
700 warriors. This number of warriors, even, however, would not
indicate the large |>opulation which it is supposed would be indicatetl
in the number of sagamores mentioned. The tril)e of Pequots could
probably have furnished some 300 wai' i .. ; this would be a fair
estimate.

It is said that the Narragansetts. tlie formidable foes of the
Pequots, who dwelt at the eastward in Rhode Island and vicinity, and
along the shores ( ' the sea in Massachusetts, at the time aforesaid,
were very numerous, and, according to some accounts, numbered more

r.u

TIIF. AMKItlCAN INDIAN.

'ifrj|

than "JdMUKI. mikI tliat nt ono tiiiii' tlicy conlil liiivt* runiislicd ."),()()()
fi<,'liting moil. Tliis is ln-licvcd to 1m' nt loiKt throo tiinrs their corrt'ct
uumlxT (it tliiit jtcriod.

(.'oiici'riiiiig th«i Indian jKipuhition of New Kn<^Iand, Mr. AV. A.
Phtdan, a young stiidiMit oT C'hicago. in his inanuseript of a work ho
is |ii('[)aring for [)iihlication. on tht^ Indian popnhition oi' North Aiiier-
icd, finds tliat the total of the Indian popnhition of New Enghind,
originally estimated at 7(>.<HIU. is reduced l)y elose investigation to. at
the outside. Di.dOl) to ll.OOO.

The exagg(>ration ns to numbers of Indians in America in
times, is hIiowh by the estimates which were given from the comm
mont along through variims periods as to the Iroqu<iis nation. Thus.
Baron La Hontan |)laced them, in his time, at TO.dOO; Col. Coursey,
at Alltany, in 1(177, estimated them at aluMit lo.OdO. but it is known
that his means of judging were very imperfect. Bancroft estimates
them, including the Tuscaroras, at 17, (Hid. Calculations made at a
later day. after they had decreased in nund)ers. allows tiiem KM •(><).
This was substantially thi» estimate of Sir William Johnson in 17(')H.
Also, for instance, after thts organization of the territory of Oregon,
and after a reasonal)le mode had been adopted for ascertaining the
Indian population of the territory, then com[)rising also what is now
AVashington Territory, the whole population was declared to be 2i?,0B3.
where Lewis and Clark in Isdl'i had reported the same couidry to con-
tain Sd.ddd Indians.

Mr. Schoolcraft, in refeiriii''' to this subject of exairirerntiii
Indian pojiulation of this couiitiT i)y the early adventurers, says that
ail the Si)anisli travelers were mere romancers ou this point. As nn
instance in this regard, he cites the case of His[)aniola, or Little
Spain, the name givci) by Cohunbus to the present ishuul of Hayti or
St. Domingo, having an area of about ;?d,dd() square miles. When
first tliscovered Las Casas says it sustained 8,0dd,()()0 Indians; he
afterwards sets the nund)er at 1.2()d.ddd. Another Spanish authority
estimates the Indian ])opulation. at aiH)ut the same time, at 1.13d.()d().
In 1-Jd^. a later Spanish authority put the population of this island
nt 70,()dU. The governor, Diego Columbus, estimated the number at
40.(H)0. In 1514, Albmpi. rque. pretending to estimate them correctly,
set the number ft ..J.UOO or M.Odd.

So. everywhere, ..ithin the range of the Spanish invaders. tJiey,
in like manner, exaj^gerated the nund)er of the Indian population.
So, in regard to the numbers conq)rised in the Indian armies, niul the
numV)er of Indians killed in engagements Avitli them, they were greatly
overrated. This same s[)irit of exaggeration extended also among the

INDIAN I'Ol'UI.AriOX.

«U5

S|miiiHli Jesuits, wlio claiiuoil U> lifive i'oiiverto(l ',).()(>♦»,()()() of »iitivo8
ill New Mexico in tlio spuco of about t\v( ./y years, which .-^tiitenieiit,
Mr. Ellis says, in liis book. '"The lied Man and tlit^ White Man." \vi*
know to IxMi mere Hetion. He says: •■Such landoni accounts us
these have no value, inasniucii as the evident exajjiferation is charac-
teristic of the extrava;L?ant spirit of all the .SitaniHli expectations and
accidents of their ex|)erienco."

Ml'. Ellis also, in this connection, takes occasion to refer to some
of the assertions of the historian. ("nj)t. John Smith, in which hesa\s:
'•John Smith, of Vir<,nnia, wiio tells us that the country produced
pearl, coral, and metallic copper, and that the natives planted and har-
vested three crops of corn in tivi^ months, also multiplied the niimhers
of the Pamuidiys, to exalt the state of their 'emperor,' Powhatan."

In military contlicts. our ludural disposition incliu(>s us to over-
estimate the nund)er of the enemy's foj'ces. So. with everythiii<f in
which our wonder and curiosity is excited to any <,'reat dei^ret', we are
apt to exa<^<^erate facts and overestimate numbers. This is shown in
all accounts coming to us from the early (Ireek historians, wiierein
they estimated the army of Xerxes on one occiision to have consisted
of '2,r)()0.(M 10 soldiers. When, afterwanls, the Persian army invaded
Greece, they estimated the Persian force at HOI ),(){)(». whilst their own
forces they rate in numbers merely nominal in projiortion to tlnit of
the Persians.

Mr. Schoolcraft <,nves a very <^ood idea ns to how the ima<rination
■was set to work, heading to these exa<fgerations and overestimates of
the Indian population. He says they are a people who rove over vast
spaces, occupy the land very sparsely. ;ind that their quick movements,
and yells under excitement, create an inqu'essicm of nundiers which is
very deceivinii^. Five hundred Indian warriors turned loose in the
forest occupied o^rounds which would sullice for five thousand or per-
haps fifty thousand civilized person.; or regular troops. Tne rapidity
with which tliey move, the tumult tiiey nmke, their wild costumes anil
arms give tluMU a picturesque and forinidaole a])pearance.

••It is l)elieved that every oflicer who has marched against them,
from the early days of Virginia and Massachusiitts to tin; formidable
military expeditions of Braddock. Bouquet, and Bradstreet. has greatly
magnitied their numbers. Similar exaggerations prevailed in tiie
armies during the epoch of the American Revolution and the succeed-
ing campaigns of Harmer. St. Clair, and Wayiu^. Nor do the data at
our command lead to the sup[)osition that a much greater degree of
accuracy in estimating their numbers was nuule in the campaigns of
Generals Harrison and Jackson, or Scott aud Taylor, while operating

OK!

Tin: AMKItiCVN INDIAN.

ill Florithi or tlio M'.s.sissi[>pi valley, it is astoiiisliiiig what mistako.s
tiiis g. .'at (litrusidii ol" tlio Iiuliaii t'ovcos, In'ouglit into the field, has leil
to ill all periods of our liistorj."

These lar<^e estimates of the Indian forces, in conflict with the
Avhites, are soon exi)loded, when we take into account the fact that the
condition of the native Indian was such that he had no means of su[)-
plyinj^ subsisteiK'O i)eyoiid a very few days at a time at the furthest.
If any considerable force was amassed for a battle or cani[)ai<T;n, they
Avere connu'lK'd soon to disjierse to supply tliemsei\es Avith the means
of subsirtence, Avhicli could not lie very readily accjuired, to continue
or renew an attack.

'i' he first occasion in Indian history concernin<j^ Indian wars, where
anything like an accurate account of tiie nuniber of the Indian forces
was arrived at, was wh.en the allied Indian forces met the army of St.
Clair in northern Oiiio. in ITl'l. under the sagacious ^Fiami war chief.
Little Turtle, \vhose forct.'s numbered al)out l.'i(H). The manner of
sup[)lying their subsistence during the time being was admiralily
arranged by tlieir commander. Later investigations, as the country
became settled, siu)w that large portions of the continent in various
localities possessed no settled Indian inhabitants whatever, like that
portion of the country now coin[)risod in the state of Kentucky.

On this subject. Mr. Joseph ricklin, a prominent citizen of the
aforesaid state, in a^ letter to Mr. Schoolcraft, in iN-IT. says: •• We iiave
not to answer to anv tribunal fe- the crime of driving off the Indian
tribes and possessing their lands, for ihere were no Indians located
within our limits on our taking possession of this country."'

On this subject Mr. Schoolcraft says: "It is known that Avhilethe
present area of Keiitacky was, at the earliest times, the theatre of
severe Indian ('(UiHicts, stratagems, and bio )dy batth^s, these efforts of
fierce coiiiending warriors were made by ivlbes who, during all the
historical period of our information, cro.ssed the Ohio from the West.
The fierce Shawnee and wily Del.'iware remained in the country but
for short times. They landed at secret points as hunters and warriors,
and had no 'permanent residence within its boundaries.'''

The regions of Kentucky comprised the Indian's attractive liunt-
ijig-gi'ounds, ivherc the deer, the elk, and the bull'alo aboundad. The
Indians of both the near and distani tribes ri'sorbnl here at intervals
for the pur[)ose ot hunting these animals, ami over which country tlu'v
])assed and repassed in the'r migratory habits, but never sto[)ped at
any point for pur[>ose.-( of a permanent habitation. The A\ar8 or con-
flicts between the Indians and white settlers of this country, so much
noted in froniier hisvorv. occurred with those Indians who had re.sorted

INDIAN I'OrUI.ATION,

fil7

to this country t'ov purposes of hunting, and such were the bloody iuid
constiint attacks and depredations made by the Indians ui)on the early
settlers, and such even were the coiitlicts between the various hostile
tribes themselves, over this region, tluvt H l)ecauie known as '-the dark
and bloody gi'ound," which, it is chiinicd by some, is the meaning of
the word k'oihi-k/i — whicli would appear to bo a word in the Shawnee
dialect, and a contraction and misspelling of the » viirinal.

History informs us tliat when the Pilgrims arrived on the coast of
New England, they found that the Indians had recently been visitinl
by a plague or some kind of fatal disease, by which their population
luul been much reduced, at least in that portion of the country; so
that, when the Pilgrims landed, they found the country nearly desolate,
and it is said that it Avas easy for these religious fanatics to beli(ive
"that God had killed oif the Indians to make room for them;" in fact,
it is asserted that th"y reasoned in this manner. It was stated, also,
by the Indians, that a blazing star had ai)i)eart'd in the heavens some
years before the landing of the Pilgrims, which, to their minds, fore-
bode dreadful disaster to them; that the disaster predicted was tne
plague and destruction of their nund)ers which followed, and, in their
superstitious minds, they extended this prediction to the evil conse-
quences which were to follow from the coming of the white man.

"COMl! TO STAY."

CHAPTER LII.

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

i
U

r:
c;

AueC(lot?s IlltiatratiuK lu liaii Cliaractor— Lost Coutiileiico — The Good Mnu, and the
Bad Man Houor amoujj ludiaus The Indian's View of the Trinity — More
Room Indian Mendacity—Indian Gratitude ' . Wit -Head Work- Indian
Fidelity Indian Chief Poutiac Selling Lauds to tlie Whites- Exanple of
Nature -GiviuR the Missionary a Cohl Hiiouldei Indian n of the White
Man — A Hinsjnhir Instance of a Thiuit; Found -Indian lui -ulity— Sample of
Tadian Justice An Indian's Keply to a Ciiallenue.

^HE numerous anecdotes
coniinif to us throuiili

f YJirious souroes in the
'■-:'' line of Indian liistory,
since the advent of the wliito
nifin. serve well tt) illustrate
Indian character and j^jive us
i<h'as couceriiiuo' the red man.
not so clearly brought to oui'
attention and appreciation in
other forms. Therefore, in
pursuiiif^ the subject of Indian
characteristics, tiiis cha])ter lias bcMu d(>voted to this class of anecdotes,
selected \vith reference to their brevity fi'om reliable sources.

.1 Scn'ouf^ QiN'ftfioii. — About ITl'-t. an otlicer ])reseuted a ■western
Indian chief with a medal, on one side oi which President Washing-
ton was re})resented as armed witli a sword, and on the other an Indian
was seiMi in the action of burying the hatchet. The chief at once
saw the wrong done liis countrymen, and very wisely asked, "Why
does not the jiresident bury his sword?"

Loxt (^()nji(h'iicc. — An Indian runner, arriving in a village of his
oountrvmon. recpiested the immediate attendaiu-e of its iidiabitants in
council, as he wanted their ansx.er to impoiiant information. The
■oeojile accordingly assend)!ed, but when the uussenger iiad with great
anxiety delivered his message, and waited for iin answer, none was
<fiven. and he soon observed that lie was likely to be left alone in his

(018)

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

(U(>

place. A stranger present asked a principal chief of the meaning of
this strange proceeding, who gave this answer, "He once told us a
lie."

Till- Good Miin, (luil ilic Bod M((ii. — An Indian being among his
white neighbors, asked for a little tobacco to smoke, and one of them,
having some loose in his pocket, gave him a handful. The day fol-
lowing, the Indian came back, inquiring for the df)nor, saying he hail
fountl a quarter of a dollar among the tobacco; being told, as it was
given him, he might as well keep it. the Indian answered, pointing
to his breast: '"I got a good man and a bad man here; and the good
man say, -it is not mine, I must return it to the owner;' the bad man
say, ' why he gave it to you, and it is \our own ;' the good man say,
• that's not right, the tobacco is yours, not the money ;' the bad man say,
'never mind, you got it, go l)uy some dram ;' the good man say, 'no, no,
you must not do so;' so I don't know what to do, and I think to go to
sleep; but the good man and the bad man keep talking all night, and
troubles me; and now I bring money back, I feel good."

Honor Aiiioiifi Tiidiinis. — There is not a class of human beings cm
earth, who hold a pledge more sacred and binding than do the North
American Indians. A sample of which was Avitnessed during the Win-
nel)ago war of 1S2T, in the person of Dek-ker-re or Dak-ko-ra. a
celebrated chief of that natiim, who, among four other Indians oi. his
tribe, was taken prisoner at Prairie du Chien. Colonel Snelling, of
the 5th regiment of infantry, who theii commanded that garrison,
dispatched a young Indian into the nation, with orders to inform the
other chiefs of Dek-ker-re's baud that unless those Indians who were
perpetrat(U's of the horrible murders of some of our citiz(Mis, were
brought to the fort, and given up within ten days. Dek-ker-re and the
other four Indians, who wfsre detainotl as hostages, would be sliot at
the end of that time. The awful sentence was pronounced in the
presence of Dek-ker-re, who. though [jroclainiiiig his own innocence
of the outrages which had been committed by others of his nation,
exclaimed that In^ feared not death, though it would be attended with
serious consecpiences, inasmuch as he had two aifectionato wives and
a larjre family of small children, who were entirt^v dependent on him
for their suj)port; but, if n( cessary, ho was willing to die for tlu^ honor
of his nation. The young Indian liad been gone several dnys. and no
iiit(>lli<'ence was vet received from the murderers. The dreadful day
IxMUg near at hand, and Dek-ker-re being in a bad state of health,
asked j)ermissh)n of Col. Snelling to go to the river to indulge in his
long accustomed habit of bathing, in order to imitrove his health.
Upon which. Col. S. told him tliat. if he would pr )mise, on the honor

020

THE AMElilCAX INDIAN.

1
n

of n chief, that ho woiihl not leave tlie town, he mijfht have liis liberty,
and enjoy all his privile^'es, until the day of the appointcul execution.
Accordingly, he first gave his Imnd to the Colonel, thanked hiiu for his
friendly offer, then raised both hands aloft, and in the most solemn
adjuration, promised that he would not leave the bounds prescribed,
and said tluit if he had a hundred lives, he would sooner lose them all
than forfeit his word, or deduct from his proud nation one particle of
its boasted honor. He was then set at liberty. He was advised to
flee to the Avilderness, and make his escape. But "no," said lie, "do
you think I prize my life above honor, or that I would betray a con-
liileiice reposed in me, for the sake of saving my life?" He then
complacently remained until nine days of the ten which he had to
live had ela})sed, and nothing heard fi'om the nation, with regard to
the apprehension of the murderers, his immediate death became
ajiparent: but no alteration could be seen in the countenance of the
chief. It so happened that on tliat day, Gen. Atkinson arrived with
his troo[)s from Jefferson barracks, and the order for execution was
countermanded, and the Indians permitt(Hl to repair to their homes.

Tlic Iiidiaii'K Vicir of the Tj-iiiilij. — Eliot, the great Indian
apostle, so called, liatl been lecturing on the docrine of the trinity,
when one of his auditors, after long and thtmghtful pause, tlius
addressed him: "I believe, Mr. Minister, I understand you. The
trinity is just like water and ice and snow. The water is one. the ice
another, and the snow another; and yet they are all one water."

Move Room. — When General Lincoln went to make peace with
the Creek Indians, one of the chiefs asked him to sit down on a log; he
was then desired to move, and in a few minutes to move still further;
the request was repeated till the General got to the end of tiie log.
The Indian said " Move farther." To which the General replied, "I
cannot move any farther." "Just so it is with us," said the chief, "you
have "uoved us back to the water, and then ask us to move farther."

Iiidioit Mciidocilij, — Of all the vices incident to the aborigines of
this country, from their intercoiTrse with the whites, that of lying,
probably, is not among the least with which he has lieen charged.
Some years anterior to the independence of the United States, one
Tom Hyde, an Iiulian famous for cunning, went into a tavern in Brook-
tield. Mussachusetts, and after a little chat told the huullord that ho
liad been hunting, and had killed a fine fuc deer, and if he woulil give
hill, a quart of rum he would tell him where it was. The tavern
keeper, being unwilling to let slip so good an opportuv'i.y of obtaining
some venison, iminediately struck the bargain, and measured the
Indian his (j^uart of rum, at the same time asking where the deer was

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

t;2i

to bo fouiul. "Well," savs Tom, "do voii kno'v where tiie jjood
meadow is?" "Yes." " Well, do you know the great maple tree ■'lint
stands in it?" "Yes." "Well, there lies the deer." Away posted
the landlord with his ten;n in quest of his purchase. He found the
meadow and the tree, it is true; hut nil his searching after the deer
Avas fruitless, and he returned no heavier thai, he went, except in
mortification and disappointment. Some days after, he met the Indian,
and, feeling indignant at the deception practiced on him, ncciised him,
in no gentle terms, of the trick. Tom heard him out, and with the
coolness of a stoic replied, "Did you find the meadow as I said?"
"Yes." "And the tree?" "Yes." ""And the deer? ' "No." "Very
good," continued he, "you found two truths for one lie, whioh is very
good for Indian."

Indian Gratiiude and Wii. — Soon after Litchfield, Conn., began
to be settled by the English, an unknown Indian came into the inn at
dusk, and asked the hostess to furnish him with food and drink; stat-
ing that he had had no success in hunting, and could not pay till he
had better fortune. The woman refused, calling him a lazy, drunken,
good for nothing fellow. A man who sat ]<y, noticed the Indian as he
turned away from the inhos[)itHole place, and perceiving that he was
suffering very severely, from want and weariness, generously ordered
the hostess to furnish Jiim with a good supper, and call on him for
payment. After the Indian had finished his meal, he thanked his
benefactor again and again, and assured him he should never forget
his kindness, and would, if it were in his power, recompense him. He
observed that he had one more favor to ask ; if the woman was will-
ing, he wished to tell a story. The hostess whose good nature had
been restored by money, readily consented. The man assented.
"Well, the Bible says, God make the world; and then he took him and
looked on him. and say, 'all very good.' Then he made light; and
took him and looked on him, and say, 'all very good.' Then he made
land and water, sun and moon, grass and trees; and he took him. and
looked on him, and say, 'all very good.' Then he nmde beasts, and
birds, and fishes; and he took him, and looked on him, and say. 'all
very good.' Then he made man; and to(^k him, and looked at him,
and say, 'all very good.' Then he madewonnin; and took him, and
looked at him, and he no dare say one word."

Many years after this, the Indian's benefactor was taken prisoner
by an Indian scout, and carried into Canada. He was saved frf)m
death by one of the tribe, who asked leave to adopt \iim in the place
of a son, who had fallen in battle. Through the winter he experi-
enced the customary effects of savage hospitality. The following

G22

THE AMEIJICAN INDIAN.

summer as lio was nt work in tlio forest aloiio, an unknown Indian
came to him and ajjpointeil a meeting at a certain place, on a given
day. The prisoner consented, but afterwaids. fearing that miscliief
might be intended, ho neglected the engagement. The Indian again
sought Jiini, reproved him for his want of confidence in him, and
assured him the meeting would be for his good. Encouraged by his
apparent friendsliip. the man followed his direction. He found the
Indian provided with muskets, animunitit)n, and knaj)sacks. The
Indian ordered him to arm himself and follow liini. Their course was
towards the south ; (hiy after day the Englishman foHowed, without
being able to conjecture the motive of Iiis guide. After a tedious
journey, he arrived at the to|) of an eminence, comnninding a view of
a country somewhat cultivated and populous. " Do you know that
country?" said the Indian, Avith an arch smile. '"Oil, yes, it is Litch-
fiehl," replied the white man, as lie cordially pressed his hand. '" Many
years ago, you give weary Indian supper liere," said lie. '"He promise
to pay you, and he pay you now. Go home and lie ha})py."

Head Ifor/i'. — Colonel Dudley, governor of Massachusetts, in the
beffinniniT of the hist centurv, had a number of workmen emi)loA'ed in
building him a house on his plantation ; and, one day as lie Avas looking
at them, lie observed a stout Indian avIio. though the Aveather Avas very
cold, Avas a im ked as Avell as an idle spectator. "Hark ye, friend," said
the goA-ernor. "Avhy don't you Avork like these men, and get ck)thes to
cover you." "And Avhy you no Avork, governor?" replied the Indian.
"I Avork," ansAvered the governor, pointing his finger to his forehead,
"with my head, and therefore need not Avork Avith my hands." ""Well,"
replied the Indian, "and if I Avould work, Avhat have you for me to do?"
"Go kill me a calf," said the governor, "and I Avill giA-e you a shilling:"
the Indian did so. The governor asked him Avliy he did not skin and
dress it. "Calf dead, goA'ernor — give me my shilling: give me
another," said the Indian, "and I Avill skin and dress it." This Avas
complied Avith. The Indian then went to a taA-ern Avith his two shil-
lings, and soon spending one for rum, returned to the governor, saying
"vour shilling bad, the man no take it." The governor, believing
him, gave him another; but soon returning in the same nmnuer Avith
the second, the governor discerned his roguery ; hoAvever, he exchanged
that, also, reserving his resentment for a pro])er opportunity. To be
prepareil for it, the governor Avrote a letter directed to the keeper of
the liridewell, in Boston, re(i[uesting him to take the bearer and give liim
a sound Avhipping. This he kept in his pocket, and in the course of a
few days the Indian came again to stare at the Avorkmen ; the governor
took uo notice of him for some time, Init at length taking the letter

INDIAN ANKCDOTES.

('.23

be
of
im
; a
or
er

out of his pocket, iiial ciilliii<;' the Indian to liim. siiiil. "1 will ifivc you
hulf !i crown if you will carry this letter to Boston.'" TIks Indian
closed with his proposal, and set out on his journey. He had notgone
far before he met with another Indian in the employ of the governor, to
whom he gave the letter, and told him that the governor had sent liim to
meet liim. and bid him return with that letter to Boston as soon as ho
possibly could.

The poor fellow carried it with great diligence, and received a
severe flogging for his pains; at the news of which the governor was
nt)t a little astonished on his return. The other Indian came no more;
but, after the la})se of some months, at n meeting with some of his
nation, the governor saw him there among the rest, and asked him how-
lie durst serve him such a trick? The Indian, looking him full in tiie
face, and putting his foreiinger to his forehead, replied ••head work,
governor, head work."'

Jiidiaii Fidclili/ — W^liitc Man's Miirdcfoiis Dccils. — Mr. Hecke-
welder gives the following: "Some time after the commencement of
the Ilevolutiouarv War, when the northern Indians were bei'inniiii' to
make inroads on the people living on the east sido of the Ohio river.
General 0"Hara, having come out of the iip[ier Moravian town, on the
Muskingum, on business, and there taken lodging with a respectable
and decent familv of Indians in the vilhiire. I had, one eveningf, scarcelv
laid down to sleep when I was suddenly roused from my bed by an
Indian runner (or messenger), who, in the night, had been sent to me
nine miles, with the following verbal message: "My friend, see that our
friend O'Hara, now at your town, be immediately taken otf to the set-
tlement of white people, avoiding all paths leading to the river. Fail
not in taking my advice, for there is no time to lose, and hear my son
further on the suiiject.'

"The fact was that eleven warriors, from Sanilusky, were far
advanced on their way to take or murder O'Hara, who. at break of day,
would be at this place for that purpose. I immediately sent for this
gentleman, and told him that I Avould furnish him with a conductor, on
whom he might depend, and. having sent fiU' Anthony (otherwise
called Luke Holland), informed him of the circumstances and requested
his services; he (the Indian ) wished first to know whether my friend
placed confidence in him and trusted to his fidelity; which question
being answered by O'Hara himself, and to his full satisfaction, he re-
plied, 'Well, our lives cannot be separated! we must stand or fall
together! but take courage, for no enemy shall discover us!'

"The Indian then took Mr. O'Hara through the woods, and arriv-
ing within a short distance of the Ohio river pointed out to him a

624

Tin: AMEltlCAN IXDIAX.

hiding jjlnce, until he, by strolling up and cunvn the river, should dis-
cover white people on the opposite shore; when, finally observing a
house where two white men were cleaning out a canoe for use, ho hur-
ried back to bring on his friend, who, Avlien near the spot, advised his
Indian conductor to hide himself, knowing these people to be bad men,
he feared they might kill him for liis services. The Indian, finally
seeing his friend safe across the river, returned and made report
thereof.

'•The young Indian who had been the bearer of the message from
his father to me, had immediately returned on seeing O'Hara otf, in
oi'der to play a further deception on the Avar party, for the purpose of
preventing them even from going to our town, fearing, that if there,
and not finding their object, they might probably hunt for his track,
and, finding this, pursue him. He, indeed, eflfected his j)urjiose so
com[)letely, that while they were looking for him in one direction his
conductor was taking him off in another.

"The father of the young lad, who was the principal cause that
O'Hara's life had been saved, had long been admired by all who knew
him for his philanthropy; on account of which the traders had given
him the name of "the gentleman." Otherwise, this Indian was not
in connection with the Christian Indian Society, though a friend to
them. He lived with his family retired, and in a decent manner.

"While I feel a delight in offering to the relatives and friends of
the deceased, as also to the public, this true and faithful picture of
Indian fidelity, I regret that, on necessarily having had to recur to
the names 'Anthony' and 'Luke Holland,' I am drawn from
scenes of pleasure, to crimes of the blackest hue. The very Indian,
just named, who at that time joyfully reported to me his having con-
ducted his friends out of danger, to a place of safety, some years
after, a|)proached me with the doleful news, that every one of his chil-
dren (all minors) together with his hoary-headed parents, had been
murdered by the white people, at Gnadenhutten, on the Muskingunj.

Indian Honor. — I can give, says Golden, in his history of the
Five Indian Nations, two strong instances of the hospitality of the
Mohawks, which fell under my own observation, ajid Avliich will show
that they have the very same notions of hospitality we find in the
ancient poets. When I was last in the Mohawk country, the sachems
told me that they had nn Englishman among their people, n servant
who had run away from his master in New York. I immediately told
them that they must deliver him up. "No," they answered, "we
never serve any man so, who puts himself under our protection." On
this, I insisted on the injury they did thereby to his master; they

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

(VJ,J

nllowed it mi<flit bi; an injury, find ivplied; "Tliongli we will never
deliver liini u[i, we are willing to pay the value of the servant to the
master." Another man made his escape from tlie jail in Albany,
where he Avas in ja-isou on the execution of n debt and lletl to the
Mohawks who leceived him, and as they protected him against the
sheritf and officers, they not only paid the debt for him, but gave iiim
land over and above, suthcient for a good farm, whereon he lived when
1 was last there."

Jinlidii Clu'cf Ponllac. — Great as are many of the western Indian
warriors, none Avasgreatt;rthan I'ontiac, a chief whose fame was notonly
spread tiiroughout America, but witlely ditfused in Europe. He was the
chief or, rather, acknowledged head nnm of all the Indians on the chain
of lakes, of the Ottawas to whicli he belonged, the Miamis, the Chip-
peways. Wyaudots. Pottawattaniies, Winnebagoes. Shawnees, Ottaga-
mies, and Mississaugas, all of whicli tribes were afterwards led by
Tecumseh. Pontiac is said to have possessed a majestic and princely
appearance, so pleasing to the Indians, and this in part accounts for
his popularity among them.

In 17()U, after the capture of Quebec, Major Rogers was sent into
the countrv of Pontiac to drive the French from it. Beinj; informed
of his approach, Pontiac sent Avord to him to wait until he came to
him. The Major waittnl, and wlu n Pontiac came, the chief asked him
wiiy he entt'icd his dominions without permission. The Major
answered that he came not against the natives but against the French;
and, at the same time, gave him several belts of wampum; whereupon
•Pontiac replied: ''I stand in the path you travel until to-morrow
morning." By this was meant that he must not proceed until the next
morning. U[)on an offer of the Indian, Major Rogers bought a large
quiintity of parched corn, and other pi'ovisions. The next day, Pontiac
ottered him every facility for the undertaking. Messengers were sent
to the ditl'erent tribes to assure them that the English had his permis-
sion to passthrough the country, and he even accompanied the Major and
troops ns far as Detroit. He was noted for a desire of knowledge,
and while the English were iu his country, he was very curious in
examining their arms, clothes, etc., and expresi^cd a wi='h to go to
England. lb; said that he would allow white setth)ments in his
donmin; and was willing to call the king of EngJaiid "uncle," but not
"master." He further told the soldiers that they must behave them-
selves peaceably while in his country, or he would stop the way,

Pontiac had distinguished himself at Detroit und Michilimacki-
nac. AVhen the French gave up Canada (ITfid), their Indian allies
still preserved their hatred towards the English ; and. as Pontiac was

»J2»)

THE AMKIIICAN INUIAX.

n
c:

tlio moot (•onsidorablo eiieiny of tlwit nation, tlio ndjacont tiiln's all
cHUin to liiin as a support against tln'iii. Pontiao had advanced turtln'r
in civilization than any ot" tlio nni<;hl)oriiig chiefs; ho a[)[)()inteil
a conmiissary dining the war of lT<)iJ, called Pontiacs war; and
issued bills of credit, on each of which was picturtul tho thing
(U'sired, and tho figuro of an otter, the symbol of his tribe. In l~M
Major Pogers sent a bottlo of brandy to him, which Pontiac was conn-
stdcd not to driidv, as it prol)ably contained poison. But Avith tho gnnit-
est uiagnaniniity ho exclaimed: '"It is not in his power to kill him
who has so lately saved his life."

Jiidiiiu jildiiislnitc. — At the first settlement of tho English
colonies iii New England, a movement was inaugurated to attempt the
civilization of the Indian tribes, and adopt them into English society,
on the footing of the whites, in which work the Eev. John Eliot took
a leailing part. They commenced by instructing them in tho Christian
religion and in the English language. This reformation became so
conqilete r.ud satisfactory, that (juite a large Indian population, called
"praying Indians," were accorded the rank, rights and [)rivileges of
white citizens, among whom local officers were elected, to take part in
acbuinistrating and executing the laws of the colony. The following
"state pa{)er," it is said, is yet extant, curious among such writings
for its brevity and point. It was a warrant addresseil by an Indian
magistrate to an Indian constable: "1. I, Hihoudi. 2. You, Peter
Waterman. 3. Jeremy Wecket. 4. Quick you take him. 5.
Fast you liold him. 0. Straight you bring him. 7. Before me,
Hihoudi."

Sclliufi Lauds io tlw- Wliifcs. — Mr. Heckevvelder, in his book of
"Indian Nations," gives the following:

I once asked an Ii an acquaintance of mine, who had come with
his wife to pay me a visit, where he liad been that I had not seen iiim
for a great while. "Don't you know," he answered, " that the white
people some time ago summoned us to a treaty to buy land of them?"
" That is true; I had, indeed, forgotten it; I thought you were just
returned from your fall hunt." "No, n \" replied the Indian, "my
fall hunt has been lost to me this season ; I had to go and get my
share of the purchase money for the land we sold." "Well, then,"
said I, " I suppose you got enough to satisfy you? "

Indian. — " I can show you all that I got. I have received such
and such articles (naming them and the quantity of each); do you
think that is enough?"

Heckew. — "That I cannot know, unless you tell me how much of
the laud which was sold came to your share."

INDIAN ANECUOTEH.

tJ27

ludiiui (nftor roiiHidoriiig u little). — •'Well, yoii my fricml,
know wlu) I (iia; yon know I nm a kind of cliicf. I am, iiidfod, one,
tlu)U<jfh iiono of tlio ^reiitoHt; neitlior am I one of tlm lowest f,'radt', Imt
I stand about in tlio middle rank. Now, as such, I tliiid< 1 was
entitled to as inxich in the tract we sold as would li(i witliin a diiy's
walk from this s[)ot to a point duo north, then a djiy's walk from thiit
|K»iiit to another due west, from thence anotlier day's walk duo south,
then a day's walk to wliere we now are. Now, you can tell mo if whnt
1 hiivo shown you is onoufjfh for all the land lying between these four
marks.''

Heckew. — "If you have made your bargain so with the white
people it is all right, and you probably luive received your share."

Indian. — ''Ah, but the white people made the bargain by them-
Belves, without consulting us. They told us tluit they would give us
BO much and no more."

Heckew. — " Well, and you consented thereto."

Indian. — "What could we do, when tiiey told us that they must
have the land, and for such n price? Was it not better to take some-
thing than nothing? For they would have the land, and so we took
what they gave us "

Heckew. — "Perhaps the goods they gave you came high in price.
The goods which come over the great salt water lake sometimes vary
in their prices."

Indian. — "The traders sell their goods for just the same prices
that they did before, so that I rather think it is the land that has fallen
in value. We Indians do not understand selling lands to the white
people; for when we sell, the price of land is always low; land is then
cheap, but when the white people sell it out among themselves, it is
always dear, and they are sure to get a high price for it. I had done
much better if I had stayed at home and minded my fall hunt. You
know I am a pretty good hunter, and might have killed a groat many
deer, sixty, eighty, perhaps one hundred, and besides caught many
raccoons, beavers, otters, wild cats, and other animals, while I was at
this treaty. I have often killed five, six and seven doer in one day.
Now, I have lost nine of the best hunting weeks in the season bv iroinir
to get what you see. We were told the precise time when we must
meet. We came at the very day, but the great white men did not do
so, and, without them, nothing could be done. When, after some
weeks, they at last came, we traded, we sold our lands and received
goods in payments, and when that was over, I went to my hunting-
grounds, but the best time — the riitting time — being over, I killed but
a few. Now, help me to count up what I have lost by going to the

f»2H

•J'lli: AMKKUAN 1 Mil AN.

n
I

trciitv. Put down cii'litv dcor: hmv t\v<'iitv ••f tlicin wcrn l)iicks. nu-li
Imckskiii oiio dollar; tlu'ii sixty dotw and }()Uii<^ hacks at two nkiiis lor
n dollar; thirty dollars, and t-vcntv for tin* old Imcks. niako tit'tv dol-
lars lost to nil' in <1('it skins; add, tlifii. twenty dollars morn to this for
raccoon, jicavcr. wild cat. hlack fox and otter skins, and what docs thn
wholo amount to':' "

Hcckcw. — •• Seventy dollars."'

Indian. — " "Well, let it ho only seventy dollars. Imt liow much [
inif,'lit li.ive lion^dit of the tiaders for this money! How well we mi<,dit
have livi'd, 1 and my family, in the woods durin<4' tii.it time! Ifow
much nu'at my wife would have dried! How much tallow saved and
sold, or exchanged for salt, tlour, tea luid chocolate! All tins is now
lost to us; and luid I not such a good wite (stroking her undei' tin-
chin I. who planted so much corn, and so nmny heans. |mm[)kins,
s<[uashes and potatoes hist summer, my family would now live most
wretchediv. I have learne(l to lie wise hv i^'oing to treaties; L shall
never go there again to sell n-.y land and lose my tinnv"

E.rdniplc of Xdfnrc. — Heckewelder, the Moravian nussionary,
relates the following:

"Seating nivself once uixni a lotr, bv the side of an Indian, who
was resting himst>lf there, lanng at that tinui actively employed in
fencing in his corn fields, I observed to him that htnnust be very fond
t)f working, as J. never saw him idling awav his tinu', as is so common
with the Indians. The answer which he returned made considerable
impression on my miml; I have remendiered it ever since, and I shall
try to relate it as nearly in his own words as possible;

■• 'My friend." said he, "the fishes in the water and the birds in
the air and on the earth have tanght me to work; by their examples I
have been convinced of the necessity of labor and industry. AVhen I
was a young man, I loitered a great ileal about, doing nothing, just like
the other Indians, who say that Avorking is only for the whites and
the negroes, ami that the Indians have been ordained for other pur-
poses — to hunt the deer aiid catch the beaver, ottez", raccoon, and such
otlua" animals. Jhit it one day so happened, that while a hunting, I
came to the banks of the Suscpndianna, where I sat down near the
water's edg |(lnces for

their spawn, and all this labor they did with their i - anil bodies,

without hands. Astonished as well as diverted, I li_ d my pipe, sat
a while smoking and looking on, when presently a little bin^ not far
from nw, raisetl a song which enticed me to look that way ; wliile I was

INDIAN ANIX'DorKS,

t'.-J'.t

ti'viiii,' (ii (listiii^'uisli w'lin tlu' soiigsttT WHS, iiiul oitcli it with my ••yes,
ita jiiiilu, witli us luurli ^'iiiss us witli its hill it could lntld. piisscil closii
by mo and Ht»\v into ii hush, wlii'n* I |u«rctMVt'd thcin tni^Mtlnc Imsy
buildin<^ tiicir iifst.aud sini^iiii,^ its tlii-y wiMit nloii^. 1 rutii>'ly t'ui'^^^ot
that J was M hunting', in order toconttMniihitn thuohjcrts I had lit'l'orc nif.
1 saw tilt) birds of till) air iiud tlu^ lislics in tlus walrr wurkini,' dili^'i-ntly
and chi'crl'idly, and all this without hands. 1 thou^^ht it was strange.
and bccanio lost in contemplation. I looked at niysdi'. 1 saw two hm^r
arms provided with hands and tinijcrs besides, with juints tliat mii,dit be
o[)ened and shut at pleasure. I eould, when I pleased, take u[i any-
thiu'' with these hands, hold it fast or let it loose, and carrv it alou'T
with nie as 1 walked. 1 observed, nioi'eover. that 1 had a stroii;^ bod\-
capable ol' bearing; I'ati^Mie, and su|>|)oited by two ^tout, )ejj;s, with
wlueh I could cliuib to tlu' top of the hi;;liesl iiiounlaiiis and descend
at ])leasure into tjie valleys. And. is it possil)le. said ]. that a beini,^
so i'ornied as I am was ci'eated to live in idleness, while the birds
which hav(i no hamls, and nothiiii.,' but their little bills to lielp them,
work witii ciieerfulness, and witiiout bein^T toM to do so":' Has. tlieii.
the ;L,M'eat Creator of man and all living- creatures ^^iven me all these
limbs for no [lurposey It cannot be: 1 will try to ^u i,) w, ,||<. | ,|i,|
so. aiul went away from the village to a sput of yood land, built a
cabin, enclosed i^round, planted corn and raised r ttle. Ever since
that time 1 liave enjoyed a p)od appetite and souml sleep; while the
others spent their iny;hts in dancini; and are sull'erinj,' with liuni;fi'. I
livo in plenty; 1 ke(»p horses, cows, ho^s and fowls; 1 am happy. See!
my friend; the birds and lishes have brou;L,dit nn' to retlection and
tau<fht me to work." "

(liriiKj llic M is!-:i()ii<u\ii (I Colli Slmnldcr. — .V Swedish minister. sa\s
Dr. Franklin, having assembled the chiefs of the Sus(|uehai,.ia Indians,
preached a sermon to them, acciuaijiting them with the principal histor-
ical facts on Avhicliour religion is founded; such as the fall of tnir first
parents by eating of an a[)i)le, the coining of Christ to repair the mis-
cLief, his miracb's, sufferings, etc.

When he had fiiushiMl, an Indian orator stood up to thank him,
ami said: "What you have told ns is all very good. It is indeed bad
to eat ap[)les. Better make them all into cider. We are much obliged
by your kindness in coming so far to tell us those things which you
have heard fnuu your mothers. In return 1 will tell you some of
those things which we have heard from our mothers. In the begin-
uing, our fathers had only the Hesli of aiumals to subsist on ; and if
their hunting Avas unsuccessful, they were starving. Two of our young
hunters, having killeil a deer, made a tire in the woods to broil some

630

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

partri of it. When they were about to satisfy their hunger, they
belielJ a beautiful young wojnan descend from the clouds, who seated
herself on that hill you see yonder anioMg the Blue Mountains. They
said to each otlier, 'It is a spiiit that, perliaps, has smelt our broiling
venison, and wishes to eat of it; let us offer some to lu^r.' They pre-
sented her with the tongue; she was pleased with the taste of it, and
said 'Your kindness siiall be rewarded. Come to this place after thir-
teen moons, and you shall find something that will be of great benefit-
in nourishing you and your cliildren, to the latest generation.' They
did so, and, to their surprise, found plants that tliey had never seen
before; but which, from that ancient time, have been constantly culti-
vated among us to onr great advantage. Where her right hand had
touched the grouno, th^y lound maize; where her left hand had
touched it, they found kidney-beans, and where sir had sat upon it,
they found tobaccr "

The good raisruonary, disgusted with this idle talk, said: '"What
I delivered to you were sacred truths; but v. hat you tell mo is a mere
fable, fiction and falseliood."'

Tlie Indian, offended. re[)lied: '"My brotiier. it seems your
friends have not done you justice in your education; they have not
instructed you well in the rules of common civility. You saw that we,
who understand and practice those niles, believe all your stories. Why
do you refuse to believe ours?"

Iiitli(iii''s Opinion of llic While .l/fn(.--Dr. Franklin gives the fol-
lowing related to him l)y Conrad Woiser. an Indian interpreter, who
Jiad l)een naturalizcMl among tiie Six Nations, and spoke well the
Mohawk language:

In going through tlie Indian country to carry a message from our
governor to the council at Onondaga, he called at the halntation of
Canassetego, an old ac([U!iintanc<\ wlio emi)raced iiim, s[)read furs for
him to sit on, placed before him some boiled beans and venison, and
mixed somt^ rum with water for him to drink. Wlien he was well
refreshed, and had lit his pipe, Cunassetego began to converse with
hini; askinir how he had far(>d the uanv vt'iirs since thev had s«'en
each otiii^r, whence he tlien cam(\ what had occasiontnl the journey-
etc. Conrad answered all his (^lestions; and, when the discour,M*
b'^gan to flag, (he Indian, to continue it, said: "Conrad, you have
li.'ed long among the white people, and know something of their
customs. I have been sometimes at Albany, and have observtul that,
once in seven days, they shut u[> their siiops, and assemble all in tjie
great house; tidl me, what is it iori* What do fh(>y do there?"
"They meet there," said Conrad, "to hear and learn good things."

INDIAN AXECIJOTKS.

t5;u

••I do iii)t tloubt," siiiil the Iiidicaii, "tlmt they tt'll you so; tlicy
liavo told lue the same; but I doubt the truth of what they say,
and I will tell you my reasons. I went lately to Albany to sell
my skins, and l)uy blankets, knives, powder, rum, etc. You know
Hans Hanson; but I was a little inclined tliis time to try other
merchants. However, I called first on Hans and asked him what he
would give for beaver. He said he could not give more than four
sliillings a [)ound; 'but,' said he, '1 cannot talk on business now; this
is the day when we meet togetlier to learn good things, and I am
jjoinif to the meefing.' So, I thoujijht to mvself, since I cannot do
anv business to-dav, I mav as well jfo to meetini; too, and I went witli
him TJiere stood up a man in black, and began to talk to the people
very angrily. I did not understand what he said; but perceiving tliat
he looked much at me and at Hanson, I imagined that he was angry
at seeing me there; so I went out, sat down near the JKmse. struck
fire, and lit my pipe, waiting till the meeting sliimhl break up. I
thought, too, that tlie mau had mentioned something of beaver, and I
suspected it might be the subject of their meeting. So wlien they
came out, I accosted my merchant: 'Well, Hans,' said I, 'I hope you
have agreed to give me more tlian four shillings a pound.' 'No,' said
he, 'I cannot give so much ; I cannot give more than three shillings
and six pence.' I then spoke to several .>iher dealers, but they all
sung the same song — 'three and six pence.' This made it clear to me
tiiat my suspicion was riglit; and tliat, whatever they pretended of the
meeting to learn good things, the real jmrjiose was to ''ons-ult how to
cheat Indians in the [)ric(^ of beaver. Consider but a litth', Conrad,
and yt)ii must bo of iny o[)inion. If they meet so often to learu good
things, they certainly would have learnt some before this time. But
they are still ignorant. You know our practice. If a white nuin, in
travelinjjf tlu'ouirh our countrv. enters one of our cabins, we all treat him
as I treat you. We dry him if he is wet; we warm him if he is cold;
give him meat and drink, that he nmy allay his hunger and thirst; and
we spread suit furs for him to rest and sleep upon. We demand noth-
ing in return. But if I go into a white man's house at Albfiny, and
ask for victuals and drink, they say. 'Where is your money?' And
if I have mmo, they say, '(ret out. you Indian dog.' You see they
have not yet learnt these little good things, that we need no meeting
ti) be instructed in, because our mothers taught them to us wiien we
were children ; and, therefore, it is impo8sil)le tluur mtietings should
be, as they say, for any such purjioses, or have any such effect.
They are only to contrive I lie clicaliiKj of liidiniis in tin' jn'ivv of
6('arc>'."

0;52

TIIK AM!:i:rc. X INDIAN.

Siiignldv Inaifuicr of a T/u'n;/ Foinid. — Cliarlovoix relates tlio
following: A good old liidifin woman, whoso whole stook consisted in
fi collar of porcelain or shells, which was worth about tifty crowns,
cairied it always Avitli her in a little bag. One day, as she was work-
inf;' in the field, she hung her bag u[)on a tree; another woman, who
perceived it, and who longed very nuxch to sharp her out of her collar,
thought it a favorable oppr)rtiinity. without being accused of theft.
She never lost sight of it; and, in an hour or two. the old woman i)eing
gone into the next jiekl, she ran to the tree and b(>gan to cry out she
had made a ixood find. The old Avoman at this crv turned her head,
and said the bag belonged to h.er; that it was she who had liung it to
the tree, that she had neither lost nor forgotten it, and that she
intended to tak(> it again when she had done lier work. The other
jiarty re[)lied tiiat tiiero was no judging of in'- ntions, find that, having
quitted the fiehl witlumt taking again her bag. one might naturally
conclude she had forgotten it.

After many disputes l)etween tliese two women, betwecni whom
there passed, nevertheless, no disobliging Mord. the atfair was carried
before an arbitrator who was tin! chief of th(^ village, and this was his
decree: ''To jndgi' strictly," said he, •• tht^ bag belongs to her who
found it, but the circumstances are such that, if this woman will not
bt taxed Avith avarice, she must restore it to her that claims it, and be
contented with a small present, which theotlun- is indispensably oi)liged
to make her." The two parties submitted to tiiis decision, and, it is
proper to ol)serve, that the fear of being noted for avarice^ has as much
infiuenc(^ on tlit> minds of the savages as tiie fear of punishment
would have, and that, in genei'al, these [leople are governed more by
|»rinciples of honor than by any other motives. "What I hav^ further
to adil will give another proof of this. I have said before that, to
hinder the consequences of a murd.'r, the public ti.kes u[ion itself to
make submission fc>r the guilty, and, to make amends to the parties
concerned. Even this has more pow(>r to prc'viwit disorders than the
seveivst laws. But this is ciu'tainly true; for as tl'cse submissions are
extremely uiortil'yiug to nuMi, whosi> prides suri)asses all description, the
criminal is more; afi'ected by the tioubhMvhich he sees the public sulf(>r
on his account, than he would be fur liiniseH', and a zeal for flie honor
of the nation restrains these barbarians much more powerfully than
the fear of di>ath or punishments.

But it is vei'\ certain that impunity lias not always prevailed
amongst them, as it has done in these latter times, and our missionaries
have utill found some traces of the ancient rigor with wliicli they use.l
toHUptiress crimes. Theft, especially, was looked upon as a blot which

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

f)33

ilislioiiovod 11 family, and every mie had a ri<^lit to wash away the stain
witli the blood of the delinquent. Fatlier Urebeuf, one day, saw a
young Huron avIio Mas killin<^ a woman with a eluh, ran to him to pn ■•
vent it, and asked iiini why ho committed such violence. "Siie is my
sisteiv' replietl the sava_<,'e; " she is guilty of theft, and T will expiate,
by her death, the disgrace she has brought upon me and all my family."'

Indian C'rcdiiJUii. — General Dodge, iu his book ontitleil •• The
Plains of the Great West," relates the following:

Twenty years ago, when Indians knew comparatively little of the

wonders of civilization. Lieutenant (now General) I* was sent,

with a small force, to treat Avith a band disposed to bo tioublesome.
Ho took with him, as guide and interpreter, a Delaware chief, JJlack
Beaver, a warrior celebrated throughout the length and breadth of the
plains. Beaver was semi-civilized, liad been to Washington, owned a
farm, and was a person of social consequence in his countiy. Tlie
refractory Indians wore assend)led in c(mncil. and the dilliculties

adjusted. Lieut. P— then proceeded to descant upon the numbers

and power of the whites, and the folly of the Indians making war
upon them. As a peroration, lit directed Beavei' to tell the Indians
about steamlx^-its. Beaver had seen steandxiats. and gave a glowing
description. At its conclusion, a murmur ran thi'ougli the council.

"What do they say, Beaver?" asked P ■. " He say he don't believe

that d d lie," said Beaver. " Tdl them about railroads, tiien."''

Beaver had traveled on railroads, so [U'oceeded to give his ideas and
experiences on that subject. .Again a murmur passed tl rougli the
assembly. "What do they say now, Beaver ';'"' asked P . "He

say he don't believe 'hat d d lie. either." Somewhat nonplussed for

n wonderful thing which they might believe, P at last said: " Tell

them about the telegra[)h." " [ don't know what that is." answered

Beaver. P ■ ex|)]ained that i)y aid of a litth^ wire he could stand

where ho was and talk to the Great Father at Washington, etc.. etc.
Beaver listened attentively, but with a grave face, and made no att(>mpt

to translate. "Why don't _\ ou tell tlH>m?"siiid P , impatiently.

'''Cause,'' said Beaver, nodding his liea<l slowly and emjiliatically,
" 'Cause I don't believe that d d lie myself."

S(nii})hi of Indian .Inslia: — In iMi 1, Mi's. Fannie Kelly, while
crossing the ])lain8 with her husband in a train of emigrants, to the
mininir reifion of the Nrntliwest. was captured b\ a Imnd of Sioux
Indians. After destruction of the train, during which several [lersons
were killed, whilst others escajied, she was retained as a captive among
this people in the territory of Montana for al)out six months, alter
which she wii» released through stratt^'v. In isTO she went to Wash-

G:U

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

inj^ton, where her case was laid before Congress, by which she was
granted an indemnity of §5.000 for her valuable services rendered the
United States army during her captivity.

While she was in Washington, a delegation of Sioux ciiiefs; visited
tlie city, among whom was the great chief Ked Cloud, for the pur[)oge
of n con ference with the government authorities, with a view of adjust-
ing existing difficulties between t!ie government and that people. Mr.s.
Kelly, in her narrative giving an account of her captivity, gives an
interesting incident which occurred on that occasion, showing tlie
noble spirit of the great chief before mentioned, and the Indian char-
acter for justice, whatever may have been said to the contrary of this
people, during the time of their determined resistance to the invasion
of the whites, resulting in that long and bloody conflict between the
contending parties. Mrs. Kelly says:

"During my stay in Washington, Red Cloud and a delegation of
chiefs and head warriors from the different tribes of the l^akota or
Sioux nation arrived. They all recognized me at once as having been
with their people, and seemed quite rejoiced at the meeting.

"Some of the good Christian people extended to the Indians,
through me, an invitation to attend the church on the Sabbath, which
I made known to Red Cloud, telling him of the great organ, the fine
music they would hear, and the desire the good people had to benefit
their souls.

•'Red Cloud replied with dignity that he did not have to go to
the big house to talk with the Grea* Spirit; he could sit in his ti])i, or
room, and the Great Spirit would listen. The Great Spirit was not
where the big music was. No, )io, he would not go.

"N()n<> of the Indians accepted the invitation, but some of the
squaws went, escorted to the church in elegant carriages, l)ut they soon
left in disgust. The dazzling display of fine dresses, the beautiful
church, and the "lig music" — none of these had interest for them, if
unacconqianied by n feast.

"I attended several of the councils held with the Indians. At
one of them. Red Cloud iuUlressed Secretary Cox and Commissioni'r
Parker in a lengthy speech on the subject of his grievances, in which
he rrl'i'rred to me as foUows. Pointing me out to the secretary and
ciimniissiontM', lie saitl:

•••Look at that woman: she was captureil by Silver Horn's party.
1 wish you to pay her what her captors owe her. 1 am a man true to
what I say. and want to keep my promise. I speak for all my tmtion.
Tlu' Indians robbed that lady there, and through your influence 1 want
her to l>e [laid out of the first money due us.' I'lacing his finger first

INDIAN ANECDjTES.

035

ujuju the breast of the secretary and then of the commissioner, as if
to add emphasis to what he was going to say, lie added: 'Pay lier
out of our money; do not giro the money into any other but lier
hands; then tlie right one will j^et it.' "

At the suggestion of Re ' Cloud, Spottetl Tail, and others, Mrs.
Kelly proceeded and made out a statement in writing, setting forth
her claims agjiiust the Indians for property destroyed by them at the
time of her capture, and losses attending, which was attested by all
the chiefs present, who recjuested the government that the amount
thereof should be paid out of moneys coming to their people, which
was accordingly done.

^iii IiKli<tn''s RcpliJ to (I Ch<il[cii(j('. — The Indian has more sense
than the white man. The duelist may possess some j)hysical bravery,
but ho lacks the moral courage of the Indian, who, when he was chal-
lenged, replied: "'I have two objections to this duel affair; the one is
that I should hurt you, and the other is, lest you should hurt me. I
do not see any good that it would do me to put a bullet through your
botly. I could not make any use of you when dead; but I could of a
rabbit or turkey. As to myself, I think it more wise to avoid than to
put myself in the way of harm. I am under apprehension that you
might hit me. That being the case, I think it advisable to keep my
distance. If you want to try your pistols, take some object — a tree,
or anything about my size; and, if you hit that, send me word, and I
shall acknowledge that, had I been the. e, you might have hit me."

Indian Fri<-n(lsliip. — Mr. Jefferson, in his "Notes on Virginia,"
declares that Indian friendships are strcmg and faithful to the utmost
extremity. Ho says: A remarkable instance of this a[)peared in the
case of the late Col. Byrd, who was sent to the Cherokee nation to
transact some business with them. It ha})pened that some of our dis-
orderly people had just proposed, in the council of the Cherokees, that
Colonel Byrd should be put to death, in revenge for the loss of their
countrymen. Among thom was a chief named Silouee, Avho, on some
former occasion, had contracted an ac(piaintance and friendship with
(Jolonel Byrd. He came to him every night in his tent, and told him
not to be afraid, they should not kill him. After many days' delil)(>ra-
tioii, however, the determination was contrary to SiloutM^'s expectation,
that Byrd should be put to death; and some warriors were dispatched
as executioners. Silouee attended them, and when they entert^d the tent,
he threw himself between them and Byrd and said to the wariiors. "This
man is mv fricMid: before vou get at him, vou must kill me." (^n
which they returned, and the council re8i)ected the princi[)le so much
as to receth; from their determinatioti.

CHAPTER LIII.

WARS AND MASSACRES.

?.
n

Prejtulico of Wliite Man- Want of Correct Information — History Misunderstood
and P'xaKyerated ^letLods oi Declaring' War— On the Warpath —I'lieir En-
canipinents—Knjra^'eineiits— Prisoners — Hnnniny tlit> (lanntlet A(h)ption of
Prisoners— Spanish Invaders Conindtted First ]\Iiirder— ()utrat,'eK by DeSoto
and I)'Allyon IndianH Retaliate— Attack and IMoodshed in New Eu^'land by
tbo Wliites Fear and Suspicion Aroused ainontr tlic Indians — Indian Attach-
ment to Their Jjands — Their I'lll'orts to Retain 'I'heni Indians Aroused by the
British Aj,'ainst the ("oh)nists — In(ban ^Massacres Stiniuhited and Ijcd on by the
Wliites— One Faction at,'ainst the Otiier The So-Called Wyoniiiit; ^lassacre—
Trno History of the Same— IJurniuy of Joan of Arc— Other Instances of Man's
Iidiuinanity to Man — History Misunderstood.

^W"p7yiIE Indian lias hoen arraigned
iv ,;4 for his cruel wars and barba'-ous
';! '/.^ massacres: to this ho lias never
'§^' bot'ii hoard in his own d(>fonse.
His liistory and character in this re-
gard coiiK^ to us .'done through the
visions of tiio wliito iiian, with the
^";;:; single |)urpoHe in view of justifying
^>*^^J^ liis own race, in a continuod course of
injustice during a long cdnllict in
which the Indian has ever been on the
defensive.

Before proceeding, however, to
the main purposes of this chapter, it is proposed to speak first of the
Tndiau cluiracror in connection with this subject, and of tlio Indian
custom ill diH'laring or preparing for war ngaijxit an ennuiy in his owu
country, among tliose of his own race.

As in otlicr respects, elsewhere occasionally noted, it is proper
here again to n^poat that in regard to a jiropensity for war or hostile
combat with an enemy, the Indian does not ditfer essentially from the
white man. Wlienever an Indian sutfers wrong from another it arouses
within him ti spirit of revenge against the aggressor, in like manner
ns it would wicli the white man. Whenever an Inditiu felt that his

I'AWNKM W.VllitlOK

WAUS AMI MASSACKKS.

031

trilit' lind received injuries from some other tribe, it wns resente',1 in a
spirit of iiulij,Miiition the snme ns witli the wliite riice. and such provo-
cations were regarded, according to their customs, as just causes for
war against tlie aggressive party.

Rev. Isaac McCoy. long a missionary among the Indian tribes
who had occasion to investigate Indian character tlioroughly, empliat-
ically denies that whicli has been so much alleged against the Indian,
that he has a natural propensity for war, and speaks thus forcibly iu
this regard:

"Evidences are almost endless that the Indians in tlieir original
state are not a warlike [)eople, they are not as much inclinful to war as
civilized man is, and as they advance in civilization, they become more
courageous in contending for their rights, whether real or supposed.
The time has come for us to understand facts in regard to the
Indians. We have been too long deluded and amused with false
theories and romantic stories about the al)original tribes; and even at
this time fictions are crowded upon public credulity, under tli(> name
of truth, served up to the taste of the novelist. When the true
character of tlio Indians comes to i)e drawn, even from the showin-''
of the visionary historians who have labored to produce a different
impression, how exceedingly foolish their pages will appear, in which
they have described in glowing ?t)lors the propensity of the Indians
for war: and how ridiculous M-ill he the attitude of those who predict
the failure of all efforts to improve the condition of the Indians,
because their supposed fondness for hunting and war is uncon-
querable."

It is said there were tLree causes for war with the native Indian :
first, where his established hunting grounds were invaded by some
other tribe or nation ; second, where some one of his tril)e had bern
killed or s(mie depredation committed ujum him by some other tribe;
thirdly, war was sometimes engaged in by a tribe or nation for the
purpose of eidarging or extending the territory of their hunting
grounds, as in the example of the leagued nations of the Iroquois,
whose territory was being rapidly extended through concjuest, at the
time of the arrival of Europeans, which, however, received an abrupt
check on the arrival of the English on the Atlantic coast and the
French in Now France or Canada.

But we arr informed that unlike the nations of white men, the
American Indian never luid his civil wars, that is. a war among those
of his own tribe. A marked trait in Indian character Avas that of
fidelity to his nation, among whom no dissensions were ever allowed
to arise leading to dissolution, hence, unlike the white man in his
catalogue of crimes, there did not exist in Indian life the crime of
treason to his tribe.

638

THi: AMEltlCAN INDIAN.

Tlu) Indiiin wns us fond of diHtiiiction among his tribe, and tlie
pooplo of otiiftr tribes, as tlio white niini is anion<^ his pe()[ile. In our
civilized life, however, there are luunberless ways open to the civilized
man in the direction of distinction; l)nt, in the primitive life of the
American Indian, these avenues of renown were exceedin>^ly limited,
confined almost exclusively to exploits on the war path. It is also to
be noted that, in the white man's civilization, notwithstaiidin<i^ the
innumcu'able ways that are open for him to distinction, he also attains
the highest degree of fame through success in war; so that, in reality,
the customs of civilized man in this respect have little, if any, advantage
over those of the American savage.

Civilized nations have, from all time, since civilization on the
earth began, gone to war, or provoked war with a neighboring nation,
for no other purpose than national or individual glory, not even pre-
tending that the cause thereof possessed a single attribute of merit;
and it may not be improbable that the Indian has waged war on like
causeless occasions, and with like purpose's in view.

In selecting, organizing, and training warriors, the customs of the
Indians are much like those of the civilized white man. Every tribe
has its band of warriors or military force. In general, it consists
of nil the males of the nation, from fifteen years and upwards, to that
period in life which would Iwrder upon what would be called old age,
say up to fifty-five and perhaps to sixty years. These warriors are
organized in a rude manner, according to their notions of military dis-
cipline, under command of war chiefs as maybe agreed upon, amongst
whom there is always a principal or commanding chief, appointed to
position in their councils.

Their weapons of war, in their primitive condition, were bows and
arrows, war clubs and spears. After the coming of the white man,
these weapons gave place to the rifle or musket, the tomahawk, the
finished metal spear, and the scalping knife or dagger.

Tlie Indians had a formal mode of declaring war. at councils of
the tribe assembled for the purj)ose of considering that question, at
which their grievances or the objects leading to war were recited in
their speech'^s, and the question was decided, for or against, by the
council. With some tribes, the question of war was submitted to the
whole tribe for their decision; among others, the custom prevailed of
considering questiems of this kind in the assembly of chiefs and lend-
ers, or wise men of the tribe. When war wns determined upon, then
commenced the recruiting service, or proceeding for enlisting warriors
into the military service. The chiefs and leaders, or head men among
the tribe, proceeded to persuade the warriors to take up arms against

WARS AND M.I.SSACHKS.

tJHl)

the ciiciiiv. reciting the wroiigH of their tribe, aiul exiiortiiig tlie war-
riors to come forth iiiid vimlicatothe lionor of their nation, in this style
of eloquence:

"Tiio bones of our deceased countrymen lie uncovered; they cry
to us to avenge their wrongs; tlieir s[)irits must be appeased. The
invisible guardians of our honor inspire us with n resolution to seek
the murdereis of our brothers. Let us go ami devour those by whom
they wore slain. Sit not, therefore, inactive. Give way to your valor.
Annoint your hair. Paint your faces. Fill your quivers. Make the
forests resound with your songs. Console the spirit of the dead, and
tell them they shall be avenged."

Whereupon the warriors raise the war song, and ask to be leo
against the entsmy. The chief, who is to be their leader, paints
himself black, fasts several tlavs and avoids all conversation with those
of his tril)e. By this means he hopes to obtain the favor of the Great
Spirit, and avert the evil intentions of the Bad Spirit. He carefully
observes his dieams, which generally foretell success. This idea of
fasting, it is said, is purely n religious notion with them, believing that
such religious services are appreciated by the (ircat S[)irit.

Having fasted the appointed time, the chief takes the a[)propriate
belt of wampum in his hand, and, addressing his warriors, informs
them of jdl the motives of the war, and of the success which the Great
Spirit has promised them. Ho then lays down the belt, and he who
takes it up is second in command. The chief removes the black paint
from his face, and, thereupon, ho becomes painted red. He sings the
war song and makes a devotional address to the Great Spirit, in which
ho is joined by all the warriors. Then they engage in the war dance,
and conclude, aci'urding to a general custom, with a feast of dog's flesh.

A hatchet, painted red, is sent to the nation or tribe against whom
they have declared war, or intend to attack, which is their manifesta-
tion of a declaration of war. The messenrrer who bears this svmbol
or message does so at the j)erilof h:,-iiiie. According to their custom,
he has no protection under their rules of honor in doing so, and his
mission often proves fatal to him.

When the warriors set out on their march, they carry little or
nothing with them beyond their weapons of war. They subsist on their
way by hunting. If not near the enemy's country, they proceed un-
guarded and without c(mceru in small parties, during the day, for tlie
convenience of hunting; but take good care, at night, to return to their
camp, where they all assemble together before nightfall. When they
arrive in the enemy's country, a different course of conduct is pur-
sued; they ai"e now more circumspect and sagacious, antl game is no

r,U)

rilK A.MKIMCAN IMHAN.

lc)ii<^er pursuod. Tln'v iivnid even s(u';il<iiii,r t«> oih' aiiotlifi', (•(nnmuni-
ontiiii,' liy si<,'iis. Tlu'ir wi'll trnimul hoiihi's iitliiiit of discovfriii"^ tli«
oiii'iny at u distaiici'. rroiii tin' siiii-ll of tin' fires in or nliout tln'ir linlii-
tatiuiis.

Tlit'y can jH'i'ccivtf tin' track of a I'not upon the siiidotlicst «,'rassy
snrfaoo, and, it is said, even on tite hardest sulistaiu-es. and it is
claimed that. Iioin the tracks, they discover witii aiiia/.iii<,' certainty tlie
nation, tjie sex, and the statui'e of tiie person wiio has passed, and tiie
time that has ela[.sed binco tiie track was made. It hecomestiie <^ncat
object of botli parties, tiierefore, to conceal tlieii' own tracks, and to
discover those of thi'ir enemy. Tn marciiini,^. tliey i'ollow eacii othei'
in a sini^le line, called Jndidii Jilc eacli treadin^^ in tiie footsteps of
those iroin>f before; whilst the last carefully conceals their tracks by
tlii'owin<; leaves thereon. If tliey encounter u s-^tream or rivulet on
theii' way. they march into it, and, in order to deceive tlieir enemies
more completely, they will i,'o o\it of the stream at a point above or
l)elow wliere they entered.

Their usual custom is to march duriniT the ni<:ht. and secrt'te them-
selves during' the (hiytime. If they discover the enemy, witiiout
bein<f discovered themselves, thev at once hold n council, in which
they only whisper, and thus lay their plans for attack. Attacks an'
ijenerallv made iust l)efore davbreak. at the time when the enemv are
.«U]>i)osed to be in their S(>und(>st sleep. They a[)pi'oacli them on their
hainls and knees, till within i)ow-siiot; when the chief ^dves a signal,
they all start Up, anil with a horrid yell, in accordance with their cus-
t<im. disclmr<je their arrows into the enemy's cani[). Takin<( advanta^'e
of the confusion which naturally follows, they rush foi'wai'd and com-
plet(^ the carnai^c ^ith theii' tomaiiawks or other \\eapons. Jt is said,
without evident advanta^n' of this kind, an Indian seldom en<rages an
enemv. for h(^ ex[)ects no praisti for a victory Mhich is purchased by the
lives of any of his own party.

John Tanner, the Indian captive, frecpieidly before nuMitioned in
this work. Avho was for tliirty years in captivity amoni;- the Ojibways,
often fj^oing witli them on tiie Avar path, <,MVes the following account of
tlieir customs on such occasions:

"In their marches, the waiiiois, if they ever sit down, must not
sit upon the naked ground, but must at least have some grass or
l>ushes under them. They must, if possible, avoid Avetting their feet;
but if tliev arti ever compelled to wade through a swam|). or to cross a
stream, they must keep their clothes dry, and whi[) their legs with
bushes or grass, when they come out of the Avater. They must never
Avalk in n beaten path if they can avoid it; but if they cannot at all

WAUS AND MASHACUKS.

♦W:

TlIK A.Mr.lMCAN IM>i

r.
I

tiiiics. tlu'ii tliov must |>ut iiii>(1iriii<» <»ii tlifir l<';,'s. wliidi tln'v cniry t''>i'
lliut |>iir|M)so. Any iiiticlo hclniii^Mii^' to iiiiy ol: tlu' |ijirty, sucli ns liis
^niii. IiIh Mniikot. tuiniiluiwk. kiiil't! i<r wnr cliil). iiiiist imt In* 8t('|>|HMl
over liv iiiiv dtlii'i' luM'sdii, iicitlii I' iiin-.t llic liiiinls. Ii'i;s. i<v hudy ul' nny
t'liii who is Kitting or 1\ in^ on tin- ^ii'iiiid. Slimild tliis niln l>i> iii.nl-
vt rtciitly violatctl. it is tlm duty of tlicoin' to wliom tlu' iirticlo stt'|i|icd
over iiiiiy lu'loiijL,'. to st'izo tlifotln'i- imd tlirow him on the <,'roiind. iind
th(* latti'P must sutl'rr himsrii" to lir thrown down, fvcn sliould lie lie
mncli stron^nT tiinn tliootlnT. Thu vrsscis which tht-y cjiiTy to ciil
out of, iiin comnionlv snudl howls of wood, or of liircii hnik; tiii'_\ iiti'
m;irki'(l ncross tlif middle, iind the Indifins hiivt' some mark hy wincli
they distini;uisli tlu' two sides; in j^oinjLf out from iionu' they drink
iiivnrinlily out of one sido, luul in rt'turnin*^. from the otln-r. AVhcn
on thi'irwny honif. and witiiin on(^ diiy of tin' vili!i;;c. they suspend fdl
those lidwlsim trees, or throw them nwiiy in tlu' |irnii'ie.

'•I should liave nuMitioned that, in theii' encani|)nn'nts at ni^'ht. the
chief wlio conducts the party, sends some of his youn<f men a litth-
distanci^ in advance, to ])re[>are what is called Puslikwaw^Mimme-^'en-
ali^fun. the i)iec(> of cleai'ed iri'ound where the ko/.au-liun-ziche'run. oi-
divination, by which the ])osition of the enemy is to be discovei'ed. is
to bo pevfornuMl. This spot of cleared f^round is prepared by remov-
ing the turf from a considerable surface, in tl: form of a j)arallelogram.
and. with tin) hands, breakini;' up tho soil to make it tine and soft, and
winch is so inclosed with ]h)1ps that none can step on it. Tiie chief,
when he is informed that tho place is ready. <^oes and sits down at the
end op[iosito that of the ontuny's country; then, after sin<^in<f and
prayine;, he places before him, on the mar^MU of tho pit>ct^ of ^n-ound,
which may be compared. ■■■ a bed in a <fartlen, two small roundish
stones. After tho (diief has remained here by himself for some tim(>.
entrt>atin<^ the Groat Spirit to show him tho path in which ho ou^ht to
lead his youn<^ nuMi, a crier f^oes to him fi'om tho camp, and then,
returning [)art way, ho calls i)y name some of the j)rincipal men, say-
ing, 'come smoke.' Others also, if th»>y wish it, who are not called,
repair to tho chief, and they then examine. l)y striking; a li;.jht, tho
result of tho kozau-bun-zichogun. Tho two stones which tho chief
placed on the margin of the bed have moved across to the opposite
end, and it is from the appearaiu'o of the j)ath they have left in
j)assing over the soft ground, that they iid'er the course they are to
pursue.

"At this place of divination, the offerings of cloth, beads, and
whatever other articles the chief and <>ach man nniy carry for sacrifice,
are exposed during tho night on a [)ole; also their je-bi-ug, or memo-

\V.\i!s AM) MAssAi i;i:s.

t;|:{

rials of tlieir (Icml I'rit'iiilw. wliicli iii'f In Im" tiiruwn nuiiy (hi tlu' liiM
of battle, or, if |>osrtii»li', tlirust into tlif ri|i|MMl ii|> liuwrls of tlnir cuc-
iiiiiiH, who may fail in llic lii^lit. If n warrior lias lost, liy dcMtli. a
fuvorito ciiild, he carrirs, li |iossil)lc. sonu* article of (lr> s-, or |m iliap.s
soni(3 tov, whicli hclon^j^fd to tiu' ciiild. or morn coniiiiohly a l^ck of ids
iiair, which they scrk to throw away on tlic lichl of liatlli'. Tin' scouts
who [ii'cccdi' a war [KD'ty into an enemy's country, if they ha|i|i<ii. in
lui'lun<' aiioiit their 1(hI''(!s. or in tiieir old encampments, to discover anv
of the tovs that luivo lieeii dropped by the cididreii, snch as little bows.
or (n'en a piec(> of a broken airow. pick it up and carefully ])reserve it
until thoy return to t he party ; then, if lliey know of a man uiio has lost
his child, tiiey tlirow it to liini. sayin;;, 'your little son is in that place,
we saw him playing with the cluldren of our enenues. will yoii ;,'o ami
see him?' The bereuveil fatiu'r commonlv takes it up. and, liavini,'
looked upon it awhile, falls to cl■yinl,^ and is then ready and eai;er to
•TO ai^ninst the enem\. An Indian chief, wlnii he Irads out his war
party, has no other means of <'ontrol over tin' individuals eiimposini,^
it than his piM'sonal intluence j.,'ives h im ; it is. theiefore. necessaiy they
should havt^ sonn' im'thod of rousin<x and stimulatini;' themselves to
exertion."

W Inn thev inive secured a victory, and dispatched all who would
be troublesouHi to theiu on their I'etiirn. they nndvc piisoners of the
balance; they then scalp the dead ami wounded, preserving' tin; scalp
as a memento of their victory ; whereupon, they turn their course in the
direction of their own country, and, if they have fear of l)ein<r pursued,
they take the same precaution on their icinrn with winch thi'y
advanced. If these precautions do not operat(! suiliciently to (onceal
them, tlusy kill all tln^ other prisonei's, then, each taking a separate
route, they procin'd homewards. They thus put an etfectual stop to
traces emd)lin,i,' tin* enemy to pursue them.

Whei; proceeding with their prisoners, they watch them closely..
Durinir th(> dav, thev are coiistantlv held bv sonu' one of their concnu'r-
ors, and, durin>^ the ni<;ht, are fastem'd to the <,rround by tln^ arms and
le<rs, and thi; cords therefrom are held bv an India . who is instantlv
awakened by the slii^^htest motion. Indian j>risoners often, durin;.,' the
niirht, siuix their death sonir: '• I am <foin<f to die. but will iH>t shrink
from tortures inflicted by my enemies. I will die lik<^ a warrioi' and
go to join those child's who have sulfered before mi'."'

When they a|)proach their lionn'. on their return, they announce
their arrival l»y ditfei'cnt cries. The number of war whoo[ps indicate
how many prisoners they have taken: the nundii'r of death cries indi-
cate how many of their I'ompanions they have lost. The whole village

(;u

THE A.MKKICAN INDIAN.

meots tliiMii to Icaiii tlic particulnrs. Tht\v foriii a line tlin)U<;li wliirli
tl)t* prisoni'i's ur-' (>l)li^i'(l to puss, wlicii tlu'v ln'at tlifiii witli stirks Iroiii
OIK* ciiil tt) tlii> otliiT. calli'd nnniiiiji Ihr iinuiillcl. ]3y a coiiiicil. wliicli
is iiimiciliatcly Jit'ld, their fate is soon (It'tiTiiiiiu'd. Tliosn \\ ho are
coiuleimit'd to lUo am ddivorod to tlio priiu'ijtal war cliicf; those ulio
are K[>ared ai'(> to l)e given to tlie chii^f of tho nation lO lie dis[pose(l of
as lie niav desire.

When a prisoner is condemned to die. lu' is i)ouiid to a stake jiie-
pnrod for that pnrpose. where, for the last tinn'. In' sings his death song.
He is then l)nrned. and expires with that uiH>xanipled eonrago and
liravery which distingnislu'S an Indian warrior. If he is a ciiief as ho
has giviMi proof of his prowess in former engagenu'nts with his ene-
mies, tliev fre([nently givo Jus fortitude n se\('rer test, hv ihe infliction
of the nmst tei'rihle torments within tliei • invention. Terror linds no
place on the one si(h'. nor pity on the othei'. 'I'lie \ictim, accoi'dingto
Iiulian custom, glories in his t<trnnMds. and hoasts of the victories he
has obtained o\er tln'ir nation on occasions past. In the worils of a
supposed occasion, jpictnicd to us in early New I'lngland history, he
th.is delies his .'nemies:

•• lit'Ki'i. .vc ♦i>i'nioiiti)rs. your thn ;ils jirc in viiin,
For the sdii of .Mnooiiiolv tAn\\\ ni'vcr con.ipljiia."

He .numerates the Kcal|is he has taken, and reca]>itnlates tht»
manner in which he has ticated iiis prisoners, and reproaches them
with tinir ignorance of the fact. The |)risoner. in time. Iieconn's
«'\iiausted. lint never Inunhled. expiring without a sigii. It is sanl that
none of tiu'm sutler thes(> extreme tortures, except a chief who has dis-
tinguished himself ill wai'. Ihirning. according to nniveisal custom
anioiig t lie American I ndiaiis. is the nioih' of putting prisoners to dcjith.

I'l'isoiiers that are not coiKlemiit d to death are disti'iimted. hv the
direction of the chiefs, to families, 'ov whom tln-v are adopted in the
phice of liusliands, sons, or other relatives w ho have lieen killed in war ;
and, if contented with their cuiidition, 1 hi'y e\ p. ■rience the same tender-
ness and regard u liich Iwhuigs to those \\ hose places the\ 1111. .\ccord-
iiig to Indian custom, when one of tlieirtrilie has lieeii taken p"isoner.
in* is disgraced; if In sliniihl escape and return to them lie vo dd be
considered nnworthv of life, jieiice there is little or no inceiiliv(* foran
Indian prisoner toe-cape from Ins captors. I'lisoners 'hat are not
adopted into some family are considered slaves, and are treated accord-
ingly.

Savs the IJishop of .Meaiix : "• When a |prisoner is adopted thcv lead
him to the cabin where he must live, and the first thing tliev do is to
untie hiiii; then they wiinn sdiuo wiitei' and wash him, and dress Ids

■

WVr.S AND MASS.VCUKS.

(Uo

woniuls. if I'.o lias fuiy. Tlu'v omit iiothiiii,' to iiiiil-.c iiiiii Un-^vt iiis
HuiVeriiigs. They iiiako liim cat, and clotiie liiiii liccfiitly. in a woid
thoy would not do inoro for their own eliildreii. nor lor liiiii wlioiii lie
raises from tlie dead. Tliis is their expression. Some days after, tliey
make ii feast, duriiii,' Aviiieii tiiey soh'iindy ^five him the name of tiie
person whom he replaces, and wliose ri^dds he not only ac<pures for
tliat time, hut 1h» lays liimsdf also u;ider the same oMiifations."

We now ecaie to speak of wars and massacres as between the
Indians and the wlutes. or the invaders of his country. Mr. IT(>cke-
welder savs ii is a fixed princij)h' with tiu> Intlians that evil cannot
conio o\it of ^'ood, that no friend will injure a friend, and. tiierefore.
that wlu)ev«>r wron;; ; or docs harm to another is liis ciiciiiji. .\s it is
with indivi(hnds. s..' it is with nations, ti'ihes, and other independent
associations of men; if they commit murder on another people; if tiny
encroach on their lands, by nudvini,' it a practice to come within their
hounds, and take the i^anni from tlimi; if they roh or steal from their
liuntini,'-cam|>H; or, in short, ani jj;uilty of any act of unjust a^'gression,
they cannot he v^)nsidereilotlierwise than ns ciiriuifs ; tliey are declaicd
to l)t> such, and the aggrieved nation think themselves justitialile in
punishing them.

The popr.lar notion of the wiiite man. instilled into his min<l liy
continued pi'ejudic(\ is tliat the Ameiican Indian has engaged in wars
with till whites, alone from his savage pi'cjKMisity. losing sight I'utirely
of (he (juestion of provocation r |)allia;ing circuni>lances on his part,
leading to HUidi I'esults. J.ittle or no explanation, and cnnipaiatively
no defense whatever, has ever lieeii otfered in hehalf of tlie Indian hy
the American hi>tt»iian in diis regard.

Indian history, U[ioii the North American continent, may prop-
o"lv he said to have connnenced at the invasion of De Soto and Ins
followers in loiJS, in his wanderings through the country of the
Appalachians, on his route to the Mississipppi in search of gold. We
are informed that "thr natives they met exhibited signs of Imstility,
and, though feeble in ninnlu'rs ami arms, opposed the progress of the
invaders with such ineauH as they could command. Siu'li of the
natives as wcie cajitiirt'd wore [lUt to death, or fettereil and doomed
to slavery. '

The hi-^tovi.';:;, ■•oulinuing. si's: "Some other natives had
vecentlv bet n captured, and, as they lived neai'cr to the su|ipose<l land
of gohl. tl'e\- were brought Ix'fore De Soto to lie (piestioned, 'I'hi^
first prou'pfly and truthfully replied that he knew nothing of such u
couidrv as thev sought. 'I'his so incensed the ciimmander. who be-
lieved the native wa-; deceiving him. that he lU'dered him burned.

<U(;

THE A.MKKIC.vN IMUAN.

flUKLTlKS dl' l-lli; SI'AVIVRI),.

Tlu^ (ii'lor wns obeyed with alncrity. FIc was li.unnl to tlic stfiki". tin*
t'nijots wore piled criniiii] liim jhh] lii;httMl. ;iiid tljc ulioN* turcii of

Siiamfirds looked un with-

out rciiiorsi', it' not with
sdtisl'in'tion, luid jeered at
l.'iw ( ;ill'erin,<,'6; but tli(> hiave
I::diaii did not retract or
laltrr.""

C'oiitiimiii<f on, these
r-oldiers in ([Ui'st of fortune,
eaijer for cliances of |)(»r-
Miiinl advancement, these
jivarifious knaves soekinjj^
only foi' j^old, eanio to a
considerable Indian t iwn. wliicii tiny entered witlioiit jjarley or
|)(>rinit, and soui,'bt lo take |)()8session of the liuHan hal)itatioiis
witliont even askinj^f their pernii^sion. Tlie Indians were indi"^-
iiant at tins intrusion, and arose to resist the ''nvaders. A fearful
l>atth' followed ; the Indiians fon^'ht clesperately for the |irot"('tion of
their homes, bnl wei'e unable to ec [»• with the su|)erioi' wea[(onsof the
Spaniards, and t'sjiecially with the cavalry, whose hoi'ses and fiery
charge ins[iired a mortal dread. The Indians wert^ slaughtered on
every side. men. women and children sutfeiin^ alike;, as the historian
says, "at th(> hands <if the viiivliclive Christians."' The houses were
set I II f>re. ami the flames s])rea,l rapidly thi(iuj.di tiic closely huilt
town, burning to death nuiny of tiie unfortunate inmates. Ft is averred
that upwards of 'J. <)()() of the Indians were killed, and that only, 'i
small remnant of the inhabitants of tiie town escaped by tleeing to
the neii^iiboriu'^ forest^,

Tlie Spanish force afterwards encountered the Chickasaws, w ho
i^ave them battle, and. in theii' resistance, were ; aitially successful.
As tiieir prospect ( ■ success b( gan here to dimii sh, the Spiafdards
;idd< d viiid: iive and wanton c!in'il\ to thiir treatment of the liulians.
Thev cut oil' the hands of many of the mitives on tin' most frivolous
pretenses, and without restraint. iJeckless youn;j adventurers would
(imirrel with and then kill them in onler to maintain and boast of
thi'ii- pi'o\\es.<. 1 II the eyes of the Spaniai'ds, these miserahle heathens
had no riehts which Chrisljan invaders were bound to respect, 'i lie
nati\es attempted to hide their small stores of food from the plunder-
ing Sjianiards. but. in addition to being robbed of them. Iliey were
fearfullv |)Uinshed b'r tin offense. Fndian guides sought to conduct
the invaders awa\ from the \ illa;^i's of their friends, and, on disco\erv

WAI.S AM) MASSM KKS.

047

of such I'nct. if iiut npoi: iiiiTi> siispiciuii, tlify would lie Ixiuiul and
tlii'ii thrown ti) till' lilixidhciuinls.

liet'on^ tllt^ iuvii'^ioH of Dt- Soto. D'AUyoii, a woaltliy colonist who
mviifil cxtfusivo niiucs in Hnyti, scut two ships noithwfird. which
uri'ived on tJin coast of South Carolina. The natives, hclicvinij the
shiiiH s«'a tuoiistcrs, crowded the shoi'(> in wi.udeiincnt. liiis was
aboutthe year l")l'J, and, was, it is said, the Hist a|i|iearaiice of white
men on that shore. Tho natives apiieared to l)e <: iiarinless. iiioll'cnsive
people, and showcil no sij^Mi of hostile feelin^f towards the iiivailiii<f
partv. The conunauder invittul them on h(.ard of liis vessel, where
tliey were entertained at a feast, and j^'iven ^troiijr drink, of which they
pnrt()i)k freeiv. When tiiey had iiecouie stupid hy intoxication, the
hatches of the ship we ■« (dosed, and these, dtdnded people carried
away ca|)tives. Many died from starvation, refusiii<^ to partake of
food. One of the ships was fouiidere(i and all on hoard, including'
captives and Spaiiianls. w<'re lost. The remaindei' of the captives
who were on the otiier slii[) were taken to llayti. where D'Allyon. deaf
to the voice of mercy or humanity, made tliein slavt>s.

The storv of this wickedness rapidly sjiread from lip to lip aloiiij
tlie coast, whereliy tho natives were ai'onsed to tlio>e acts of (hd'en.se
and revenife which resulted in tlie woiindine^ of I'oiice de Leon, on his
visit thereafter to tiie same coast, and the expulsion of his followers
fi'om tiieii' country.

The alarm of th(> natives at tlii' inhuman act> of De Soto and his
followers, as in tlie case of D AUyoii, s[ireail with apidity anioii^ tiie
inhabitants alon^L; to the northward and hack into the interior,
until the native population, from the coast to the far interior, wi're
therehv j)ut upon their ^'uard aejainst the white invaders, so that, v, hen
Sir Walter llaleii^h anil his successors landi'd in Viri;inia. the Imli.ris
met them with fear and suspicion, and so, also, upon tlie coast of New
Kn<daiid on the laiidin<,r of the i'il^^inis. A I'l w years before the
latter i-vent. we are infoiined that an Mn;,dishniaii. one Hunt I who had
been left in charije of a \cs-el by ('apt. Smith, in Uil I i. landed on
the coast of New En;,d;Mid. and. on pri>tense of tradiii','. enticed twenty-
seven Indians on board his vessel, seized them, carried them off and
sold them for slaves Ji the West Indies.

This furthi'r exasperated the Indian mind, whereby ihe inti lli-
^^^-eiice of the bailiaiity of the white man penetrated with still <,Mealer
force back into the interior, opeiatiiij^' still further to piejudice and
exa;;perate the natives ajfainst liiese stian^fe visitors; and the devoted
I'uritaiis, on laiiilin;,' upon tieM'oastof Ni'w Mn^dand. mnier the cir-
ouiustances, ndtjlit well liave looked fiU" exteiniinatiMii ; liiil il is said

IHI

t;is

Till'. AMI'IMCAN INDIAN.

tliat a jii'siilciu'c had. soiiiK vcais l)('l'oro. rnvi'|)t tlic laiul i>i' its peoDle,
Avhcrobv tlirv Iiccmiih' wi-ak and (li.siiicliin'd to ofTcr rcHistaiicc

Says l\Ir. Elliott, the iiiodcrii historian ol" Nfw Kii<^hiii(': "Th"^
Pilj^'i'iiiis. in their dt'voiit wav, saw tilt! linger of (lod in tliis dt'sola-
tioii; llo was worliin^ i'or tlieni, no donht. ft was well tiicy saw (iod
ill tiit'ir eiu'oura^rtMni'nts inorn tiian in tiit'ir disasters."'

After till) Mayflower iiad anciiored otf Plynioutii l^ll•i^. a party,

selectetl for tiiat j)ui"|iose. went on siiore to r nnoiler or ex[>hire in

th(> vicinity. Ainoiii,' tlie first tliinj^'s whieii they tMiconntereij. attract-
iiif,' their attention, wcm'o lh-'a[is of eartii, evidently tin* work of iuiniaii
hands; on diir^'in^ into tlieni tliey found tiiein to he hnnian j^raves.
I'roci'rdini,' fnrtiier to dii,'. they found, frum time to time. ([iiaiititie> of
oorii, "in all," says I'lir Joiiniiil of Ihc Plliiriiiis, "sonii! ten buHiieia"'
"This eorn," continues tlni Joiinidl. " was deiivtired into tin* coniinon
stock, to Ito saved for seed, i)ro[>()sin^, so soon as we could nn'et with
niiyof tlu» inhal)itants of that place, to make thein larj^e satisfaction.'"
There is no record anywliere that I'ecompense foi- this corn was ever
made, or attenipieil to !)e made. •' to any of tlie iidial>itants of that
jilace." Tuns the first iH'oceediuL,' in the l'il;,'rini invasion was to
dosecrato the e;raves of the peaceahle. uiiolVendinjf natives; to ritle
tliem «>f their conti'iits of winitever was valuahle. on the naked propo-
siti(-n amoni^ tiiemselves to make satisfaction whenevei' the ii\\iiei>. of
the property could Ix^ found.

in dune. ICp'J'J. two ships arrived from Knuland. having; emiyranfs
on iioard. sent out l)y Mr. NN eston, one of liie English companv. to
found a colony in America, for liis hciiefit. They settled at a place
called \l'iil(iiiiiisfiissrt. since called Weymouth. Says Mr. Elliott:
••.\ hIk rt tinu' had passed when tlie Indians hi'canu' loud in their com-
plaint? of these nn'U. I'liey stolt> the Indian i-orn. and otlu'rwiso
ahused tlieii- conlidence and ti'itled with their friiuidship."' Continu-
ing. Mi. Eliiottsays: "Tiie men of \Vessai,'Usset had utterly wasted
their st( res. and were drneii to hire tiiemselves to the Indians, tiiat
they mi;, ht share their food, jind stave off starvation: thev ended 1»\
loliliiii;,' hem. I'onfusion, distrust and exasperation ensued, and the
Indians 1 ccanie l)ilter. Sprin;; came i Iti'JiJ i. and they wanted si'ed
corn; tiie Indians refused to deal with them, and tiiere was (>vidence
tiiat they lad deleiinined to drive tiie colony fioin the coiintrv : we are
at a lo>s l(. conceive why they should not."

(iov. Bradford received intelliirence that tin' I ndiaiis. heeomiiiij
«>xas|ierateil, had determined to drive these hase white men from tiieir
Bliores. and that a widespreail condtinatiim or conspiracy had lieen
funiHHl fur that purpose, whidi was to incluile all the pale faces in the

WAIJS AND MASSACItKS.

(;4'.»

country. This intelligeiic*' hr liiiil iH^foiTi liis court, wliorou[>(Hi " tlits
unaniuious voice doclnrcd for \viir." Tiiis, it is siiid. tln^v did. kuowiii;:
Weston's ii. 'i> to Ix' in tlic wrontf. By order of tlio court, ('apt. Miles
Standisli, witli some ci<,dit men. watdied his tinu', proceeded to tlie
colons, and. liavinj; yoi tlie ciiief of the consi)iracv into a wiirwani.
yavo a si^nial, s[)ran<,' sudih-nly upon them, secured tiie diMir, and
buried his knif.' in the heart of /'ccLsiiol, one of th(> fiercest of the
chiefs. It is said the lialians died hard after inany wounds, one of
whom was hunj^ l)y Standisli himself.

Siiys Mr. Elliott: ••They retui'ned to I'lyniouth witii tin' head of
Wcldirannil, wiiich was set up on a [lole in the fort ; one of tlit> Indiiins
who iuid been seciii'ed was set at liberty with a detiant and tlii'eateniui,'
inessa;,'e; and the whole li^dit canieil such terror amon^^ the Indians
tind, they fled from their honu's, and. wantU^riuff in swamps and forests,
many perislu'd tlirou<fh s'ltferin^f and disease : iiinoii',' these were the
Sachems '^ 'a//ar»/;/. Asjiiiicl and liidiioinih."

TIms was th(! first conHict in New England between the Indians
and the whites, in which it is conceded the Indian was not the attack-
in<^ piiity. A reconciliation ainon^ the surroundin^Mri lies was effected
throni,di Massasoit, wliicii continued for nnmy years; but the enci'oacli-
ment and tlu> arro^'ant conduct of the Puritans was afterwards cariied
to such an extent that hostilities could no lon;i^ei' i)e averted. The conse-
(juence was tln^ iii-rce Peciuot war. which |)racticaily externunated that
tribe and tlieir allies.

If massacres were continued, or resistance prolon^'ed. on the part
of tiiH Indian a','ainst the white man. the reason of it is apparent from a
rational standpoint. Whilst in tln^ East the Pe(|uot war put an end to
Indian outbreaks. insti<;ated and led on by the Indians, at the sann'
time, upon the frontii^r settlemonts, Indian outrages on the West con-
tinued all the saiiH', l>ut, invariably, or with a very few lAceptiens. at
th(» instaiUM^ of whit.^ im'ii. The destrut'tion of Schnectady and Deer-
Held, and nnmy other like events, wtn'e led on by the French i white
iuen),and but for them such occurrences would not have happened.
The noted massacre of ("herry Valley, which is set down in the popu-
lar mind as purel\ aniinlian ontra<,M', was on(^ led on bv iridic iiicii.
called •• Pritish Tories.'' and it is noted in history tiiat one of the
tories who led in this affair boasted that in^ had killed one Mr. Wills
at prayer; and. from that time forward, until after the close of tiie
war of IsPi. Indian (Uitiaj^es and outbreaks were, in «;em>ral. instij^ated
by white nuMi. under thf iidluenct^ ami ern'ouraj^enu'iit of the Jbitish
govennnent. and. fre(|uently, the authorized airentsof that ijoverninent.

In taking leavt^ of this subject, it is sullici' it to lemark. in gen-

(;.■)(>

■I'MK A.MKIMCAN INDIAN.

pi'iil ttM'iiis, tluit tlif liuliiiii ill tliis loiii,' coiiHict witli llic wliitfs sviis
not tlif first ii^^riissoi', iiiitl tlmt. ns lie luis Iicom cuiuiii'lItMl to rev. cilc
i'lom l)is fountry stcj) hy stip liis wliolt* coiiiliict Iimh Iti't'ii iin'rcly what
111- coiisitlcrcil nets nf sfir-JdViisi'. It is sullicicnt Inr tin- |nir|to8i's
ln'n>. ill fliisiii>^ this snlfjt'ct. iiml ms fiU'ordiii"^ sonic cviiit'iico that tin;
ill-l'oiiii(h'(l jiri'judict' mikI iiii>ii'i»r«'scnt)itit'ii of Indian cuiKhici. in
ri'i^iird to Indian wars and iiiassacics. as against tlnMvliitt^ niaii, turt'tVr
to what is coiiinioiily calii'd the niassacro ot" Wyuinin^f. whii-h is
another l'"atiire in tin' uhiti' nian's history of the linlian. Iidd ii|) to
lis as iiiai'kin<; his dai'k and Itioody character. Tliere has lieeii some
faint ctT.irt. in later times, to correct liie erroneous ini|iiession created
ill tiie pnlilic mind in re<;ard to this alie-fed Indian massacre. 'Die
truth of history may Ix^ vindicated concerning,' tliisatfair in tlin siin|(le
a>sertioii that, accord in;,' to t lie [iroper iiiterprelatioii to tins term, there
never was an liitliaii mnssaoro at Wyoniiiii^; and, indeed, attention is
liert> called to the fact that no conclusions can he drawn from the vari-
ous histories that have heeii written on the subject of this alle<^red
iiiassacro. warraiitinj^ the im|ii' >sion, so i,'enerally e\istin>,' in the |)uli-
lic mind, that there was. at some time after its settlement, a horiilile
niasbftcrt^ of white |)eo|(le in tiie valley of Wyoiiiiiii,'. at the hands of the
Iiiilians.

The liistt>ry of Wyomin,:,' valley, so called, in which there is a
general concurnMU'e anion;,' them all. is simply this: that at its lirst
settlement, the land was claimed liy two conteiidiiii^ parties, one from
New Eiiirland and theothei from I'ennsv Ivania. The paitv fi'om ("on-
iiecticiit fomitled their claim upon the consent procured in the summer
of IT'")."), from the colony of Coi'iiecticiit. that colony hasin^f its claim
upon the i^rant which was derived from the I'lynionth ('om|iany. of
which the Karl of Warwick was |iresident. the ^romt lieiii",' made in
March. ItiiU. 'I'he claim of the party from Pennsylvania was liased
njion the charter ^Mauled liy Kiii^ Charles the Second, in Itlsl. to
\\ illiam I'eiiii. the proprietor and i^'overnor of Pennsylvania, his heirs
iind assigns.

It appeals to ha\'e lieeii simply a ipiestioii of l)oniidarii's in
ndvaiicinu' the extent of tin' two aforesaid ernnts. .\t the date of the
first attempts at settlements hy tiie whiles. IT')'), the valley was occn-
iiied liv portions of three trihes of Indians: the \inili<-nl:(s at the
foot of the vallev. on Die eastern side of the river: tin ' >rl,nrtirfs
aliove ,ii'd on the same side; the Slidinii'ts upon the western side.

The Shawiiees occupied their country on invitation of the |)ehi-
wares. In the lirst place, a contention arose anionj.j these trilies as to
therii;lit of occupancy ainoni; themselves. The Iroipiois or the Six

WAIIS AM) MASSACUKS.

t;r,i

Niitioiis claimed the suporior ri^'lit of coiitiol over (lie whole country
()C(Mii)it'(l by tlioso tliicc triln's. In tlif fontlict wliicli rollowfil imion^r
the Indifin tril)t>.s for su|)icni!i('y of possrssion. tin- Dcltiwdrcs wcro
triumphant, ami |M'iicc iinil (piiet wjis rcstoi't'd : whci'cupon. jihout the
yeai' IT-*).*), piiities from Connecticut, with their ffiniilies. removed into
tiM> vadey. under nuthority of the Connecticut ^I'ant afoicMiid. and
commenced a setth'ment.

Tiiey wero sul).-e(juently annoyed by Indian dopredations. an
occurrence common to all part^; of the coloni(>s exposed u|>on the
frontier, in coiise(|ueiu'e of the war existini,' between the English and
tlio French, the Indians liein^^r stiri'cd up to such action hv the ImimicIi,
as a nie.-ms of annoyini;- and con(pienni^- their t-oniinon eneiiiv, tlie
Entrlish.

Peac.' I)ein<„' (h'clared i)etween tlie Eniilish ami tiie French, and
the occupation of the country by tlie former bein^r ,„, h)ii<r,.r disputed,
parties from Peniisylvaina. under the Penn <,nant before mentioned,
remuved into the n'vondn;; vaUey. 'I'liis led to liostilities between the
two factions, tin* ConnecticiU p.'ople and Pennsvlvanians. For tiie
purposes of defense, eacii party l>uiit forts in lUtl'erent parts of the
valley as a means of protection from violence a;Lrainst each other.
Frecjuoiit battles or skiiinisiies with firearms occuiTcd. wlierebv much
property was destroyed and many persons killed. F;ir j,n-eater depi'e-
dations were connuitted. l)«)th as to destruction of life and propertv,
by these two contendin^r factions of irliilc people, tinin had ever
been <'omniitted by the Indians in that localitv.

Peace was finally restored, so far as open hostilities wei'e con-
ciMMU'd, betweiMi the conteudin<,' factions, wliich was brou^'ht about in
consecpu'nceof the <renei'al I'cvolt of thecoloides aijainst tlu' "•ovornment
of (ireat P)ritain. in the year ITTli. It seems that, after tln^ comnmiu'i'-
ment of hostilities between the cojoides and the mother countrv, a
lar^'e pi'oportion of the inhabitants of Wyomin<,' valley adhered to tlu^
authority of the I5riti>.h i;-oveninieiit ; in other wdnb. were, as then
styled, lon'i's.

Those who favore.l tlie cause of the coloides, and who w(>ro
attached to th.' Connecticut line. ori,'aidzed into ndlitarv companies,
aihl took u|) aims ai^^ainst the Ibitisli <^rovennneiit, and maile part of
the li'oops of that colony. This action increased t!ie bitterness lAistiu'r
between the two factioMS of cnloiusts, or settlers, in the Wvoniin-r
v.dley. rp<ui this, it setuns that the tory faction applied t(» the autliori-
ti''^ "' the Ibitisli ^'overnment, and asked aid in sup|iressin;r the
military demonstrations (pf their neighbors: whenupon. in i he sprin^f
uf 177^. a b)rce consistiiiir of about ^(M) mm. ciunposnl of iJritisli

n.-'i

THK AMEUICAN INDIAN.

I't't^uliirs. volunteer tories find soiiii' Sciiccii Indians, untler tlif v<>\t\-
nnind of liutlor. iisscniblfd nt Nifi^Nini. from wlience tlit'v miirclifd to
tlio Wyoniin",' Vidley. for the jmrpose of coniiielling that [leuph' to
submit to tlie iiutliority of the IJritisli <,fovernment.

It is Kiiid that tli<' Indians who joined this force were, in numln'r,
about 4<HI, and were eommanded liy llie eelebraled Mohawk chief,
IJraiit. The nund)er of Indians is. doidtth'ss, much overestimated.
and it is prol»ably not true tlnit Jhant was anion;,' them.

The Seneca Indians had ali'eady submitteil lo the authority of the
Britisli ;,'overnnient. reco^fiii/.in;,' it as tlie established ;,'overnment of
the country at that time; and, in consideration tliat tlie Britisli gov-
ernmi'iit would protect them in the jiossession of their lands in west-
ern New York, they joined tht* liritisli army as a military organi/a-
tion. submittin<j:, in all thin^^'s. to ie;;idar anuy ^ii^ci|lllne. Whc-ii tiiis
force t'utered tlie AV\tiniin<r vallev. thev found themselves at oiii-e rein-
forced by accession fiom the tory portion of the valley, who joined their
force;, to engage with the J?ritisli army in tigliting and subduing tlieii'
neighbdrs.

The colonists, or those who adhered to the cause of the colonists,
had H military force of about -M)0 in iiuml)er, which occupied a foit in
the valley called "Forty Fort." WIhmi tht^ JJritish army was discov-
ei'ed in the ixp[)er part of the valley, some four or fiv(> miles away, this
force, then in the garrison, under command of Zebuloii Butler, marched
out in regular military order, and met the Britisli with their Indian
allies, formed in line and gavt* them battle, in which, however, they
were defeated, and retreat»>d back to the fort.

During this battli;. as history shows, the Indians submitted to
military discipline, ami fought in the same manner as the Ibitish

ri'^rulars and volunteer torii

Tlie atrocities of the occasion, so far

as there were anv, in which all historians seem to a<rree, were com-
mitted by the tory white people themselves upon their neighbors who
had taken uj) the cause of the colonies. One instance in parti<Milar is
mentioned, where one man. a tory. pursued his own brother, and shot
him down, refusing him any (|narter (U' mercy whatever. There is no
instance recorded where the Imliaiis acted ditl'erently from the white
regulars and tories. throughout t\w whole atl'air.

The sole object of this invasion, by the J5ritish army, seems to
have been to com pel the colonists of the valley to submit to the authority
of the British gov(^n;nient. it was not a raid for plunder nor for
(extermination by massacre, as is generally supposed. It was occa-
sioned on application, as is understood, from the tory portion of Wni
inhabitants of the vallev to the British authorities, as befon^ remarked.

W.VItS AM) MASS.VCIIKS.

tio;?

m^^-:r

The foloiiirtts l)»'iiij^ (Icl'i'iitcd. a cupiciilatinii was t'lilt'itil into, wliicli,
heiiii; riiltillfd, tlio inviidiii^ t'oiro witlidrow. Tlie iit'oroHuid coiifln-
sioii is i'lii'thor Htreii<^tlit'iit!d by tlif written articli's of capitidatioii, in
wliicii a|)[H'»rs the followiiij^':

"It is agreed tiiat tiu^ scttlomt'iits lay down their arms, and their
■^'arrison l>e demolished ;" "that tlie |pi'o|>erty taken from tht* |)eo|)h'
ealh'd tovies, he made ^ood. and that they remain in tiit^ peaeealth'
possession of their farms and honirstead>. in free trath' throu^di this
setth'ment:" "that tho inhabitants which Col. Deniason capitulates
for, toi^ether with himself, do not take u[) arms during' this contest."
meaning tiie American llevohition. The teinis of this capitulation
are entirely inconsistent with the claim tliat this atluir was an Indian
massacre.

The burning of Joan of Arc, nn the trumped-up charge of
sorcery, is but one example in
the midst of innume'!d)le others
affording proof of "man's in-
liiinianity to man ;"' and, if his-
tory is to be relied u|ion, the
Indian, bari)ai'ous even as he
has ever been |)aiuted, has never jr' /^''
ap|)roached those exam|)les of
i)aritai'ism which the white man
has. by his own history, shown
himself to possess.

Tii(! ferocious or savage character we commonly give to the
Indian, seems to spring more or less from the assumed virtuous char-
acter of oui'selves; at least it aNSumes tiiat wt^ are not a peopjr of ///,r
barbarous character, and would not comnut such acts of cruelty as we
charg(! upon them, and herein lies, largeh', the cause of this preju-
dice instilli'd into us against the native I ndian. 1 f the ciiara<-ter of
the two races is to Im' judged l)y comparison of conduct, in the history
of thf past, the Indian certainly would not suffer in comparison with
our own. espt'ciaily when tested by our own iiistory. as written by our-
selves.

It is singular that, wiiilst we are thus berating the Indian for his
massacres .iiid savage conduct, we have not considtM'ed the standing of
our o\» II race in tiiis regard. Have we never been guilty of instigat-
ing wai'sy Have we nevei' beep guilty of massacres, whereby we
occupy that eligible |)osition befon^ tln^ woi'hl. that we are at liberty
to assail others for conduct of this kind? What defense have we to
otfer tor tho miissaore of 7().(H)() people at Jerusalem by an invading

BCH.M.NO OF JOA.N OK Alu;.

(i:.4

Tin: \Mi:i;i(AN iniuvn.

iiriiiy \iM(|ii' I'.tir tln' lli'i'init. calliil tin' Cnisiulr^. (Iiiiirii,' tliiit
('|ii(|tMiiic of rmiatical fxcitciiifiit in the prrtriuliil iittfm|it to rfsciit*
tli<! Holy IjhimI rniiii llic (iccii|)atiuri of irilitlfls. wliicli fi>st. in tlic cihI,
till' livfs of *J. 0(10.(100 iiicii ill an aiiiijrss |)iir|)osi'. Icmliiii,' to no ;,'o(.il
wliati'Vi'i' for till' rai't^ of nianUind';' What I'Xplanation is to lui otlVrcd
in lii'lialf of till' wliiti' iiian for tin' iiiiissiicrt' of TOJHKf lln^fffuits
tliroUi^licait till' Iciiij^'doiii of |'"i;iiici', atlcmlril w itii ciicmiistaiii'is of tlir
nioHt lioiriil tn'ariii'iy and criii'lty in loT'J. liy sri'irt oidrr of Cliarli's
IX. Kiii^' of Fraiici". at till' illstiJ,^•^tion of IIk; nuci'ii dowa^ji'i'':' And
who. ahovn all. shall answrr for tin' i-oiisi'ijiii'iii'i'S of what is calli'd tins
lliirlif i/rais' irar '\\\ l'liiro|ii' in iiiodi'in tiiiii'si lt(l> l•i!^l. in i'\rn oiir
i'nli;,diti'iird ai;i'. wln'irin it is rstiiiiati'd that twclvr niillion |M'rsoiis
wt'ro harharoiisly slain. >mt of a total ])o|iulatioii of only ICi.OOO.OOO ut
111.' start y

At till' talviii'' of Jsiiiacl l)v tlir Kiissiaiis. ;5(I.OOO. old and vouii<r.
wi'ri' slain in IT'.'O. In O'Ni'al's Kdu'llion in I irland. Octoltcr 'J;{,
Kill. ii|i\vards of liO.OOO wi're killnl in ilir coniiiit'iici'nnnt of thi>
rolu'Uioii, and it is said that lii'forc tiu' rrlu'llioii was eiitiri'ly su|)-
[ii'cssi'd, loi.OOO |)i'o|ilt' wi'ri' iiiassav'iid. IJiit it is not iicccssarv. for
|)ur|iosi's of coniiiaiisoii in this casi', to ^n hack to any aiirji'iit tiiiit's.
Imt \\i' may taki' I'Vi'iits in tin' n.rniory of tin' liviiii,^ of to-da\. 'I'aki'
as an i'xaiii|)li' the niassai-ri' at Andrrsonvilli'. ( ia.. diiriiiif tln' Into
<'ivil war, wlii'ii lIl.OOO mi'ii wm' staisrd to death, who siitl'i'rt'd and
dit'd II iiioif iiorrid and liiii,^'riiiij di'atii than I'vcii Inirniiiif at the
sfaki'. iiiidi'r tin' Indian ciistoni of deal in;^' with «'a|itiv«> I'liciiiii's. And
wlii'ii ui- havi' taken into acroiint all tlii' iiori'ors of that inhiiiimii
rclu'llioii. on tin- part of wliiti' nu'ii anionic' tlnnisflvrs. in tiiis ciilight-
I'lii'd Mf^o, and in what wi' call the most I'lili^diti'iii'd ;,'ovt'rniiii'iit in tho
world, shall wi' still insist that tlif Indians i)y coniiiaiison are the more
liailiarous |)i'o|i|i'':'

We have arraii,Mied the Indian for tiiat [leeiiliarity in his ehar-
aeter, in rotaliatiiie; for the injuiies he iiiia<,nnes he ha.s received from
the whites, in wliieh he takes revenue u|)i)n the iiiiiocciit. irrespective
of the (|iiestioii of their iinlividiial j,niilt. The dofeiiso for the Indian,
ill this ri'Ljard. is that he knows no distinction aiiioiiij the race who
have invaded his country and dri\eii him from ids possessions. In
this want of discrimination, it must iieie a^'ain lie asserted that the
Indian, in his prejudices and jiroponsitios. is not unlike the wiiite
man.

The people of all Christendom have, from nauiral instincts of
iiven<jjin<^ w ron<^s. looked Lack upon the otrense of that people who cru-
cified the Savior at Jerusalem 1 sOO years niro. as one demanding retail-

\VAl;s AM) .ti \ss\( iii;s.

•555

iitidii ii;.r)iiiist tlicui lis u |i('()|»lc. ami down tliioiiy;!! llir a^'cs fullipw iiiir.
timt sj.irit of rftaliiilii.n in llm C'liristinn niitid lias t-ontinufil ai,'ainst
tlii'ni and tlicir suci'i'rdin^f dt'sccndants ••-..■n to tlic [ii( sent diiv.
i^m>riji<^ tin- (|ncstion of individual ^Miill.

A<,'Hiii, \vt) may say foi' tin' Indian, that lit' \n not. in his natiii-i',
inclint'd to war; hut wlifii di'ivt'ii to cxtri'initics. or when In- iniatjiii.'s
liinisfir injurt'd, hn is. |icrlia|)s. as hnital in his instincts as niankin. I in
^•(•ncial. and Ik'couk's aliki- as dcsiiiTatc and fciocion^ in his ifsistaiico
and H|iii'il of retaliation.

Actini,' on til.' |irinci|.li' cnjoiin'd on that nottd occasion of na-nil
ti'achin-,' that "He that is without sin anion-,' you |.t liini cast tln' lirst
stone." it is su;,'>;ested that it ill i)econies t ht^ white man to i|Uestion
Indian character in this re<rard until he shall have cleared up his own
record in his inhumanity to man from the liei^inniiiiT "f his race. In
concliidiiii,' this sultject. let us derive some information from irood
autiiority :

llcv. I.snac MuCoy says: "Of similar character is the >illv suppo-
sition that tho Iniliiius are stroji«;ly predisposed ti» war. \Vii\ should
we think so? It would \)i) as alisurd to suppose that Indian children
came into the w<uld with a peculiar passion for war as to suppose that
they were Imrn hunters in miniature, or that white children were l.,--
cobblers or tinkei's. If tlu) Indians are a warlike people, tliev are
made so iiy extraneous causes, and not heredilaiily. JJut the Indians
are not a warlike people. The whole history of oiii' settlements in
America, and of our operations in foi'ciui,' them fioni their countries,
to which they are stroni,dy attached, shows that they were not a warlike
lu'oplc. I>y denrrces the tribes near the white settlements accpiired
coura^'e to ti<,dit, until their yell became dreadful to their invaders:
but the Indian in hisori^nnal condition is preciselv the reverse of what
lie has been represented to be. A few Spaniards could enter their
country, and eiislavii and butcher their hundreds of thousands. If the
natives had been as couraf,-(>()Us as civilized whitti men mualU are. the
task of destroy in<,' tlitnr invailers with sticks or stones would have been
easy. All along the coast of the Atlantic small coin[ianies of Iluro-
peaiis planted settlements, the natives, invai'iaiply. sooner or latei'.
resisted their encroachments; but their want of success, with their vast
advantages of numbers, provoil that they were neither disposed nor
aocustoiued to hard fiirhtin^r."

Mr. McCoy C(udd havt^ added, in proof of his position, that which
is apparent to the most casual observer of Indian history. The Indian.
in his primitive condition, had no thistructive weapons of war. He
had his simple bow ami arrow, simple, imleeil. as comiiared with the

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

////,

W-

t/j

1.0

I.I

1.25

1 o

2.0

IIIIM
IM

1.4

1.6

c*^

r •>

'■•?.;/

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WE>T MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 145^10

(716) 872-4503

,<" C^x

.•^ WJ

t/j

(i.j()

THE AMKIIICAN INDIAX.

like weapons of the ancient and warlike people of the Old World, the
arrow being tipped or pointed with Hint or back's horn. He had hia
stone ax, his spear, and his war club, which were the only imi)lenients
of dostrnction he possessed. Had the Indian been naturally warlike, it
W(mld seen) as if he would have sought out and manufactured more
destructive implements for this purpose tiian he had at his command.

]3ut when we coiitem[)lato the more fiiushed implements of human
destruction among civilized people of later times, it issul)mitted, which
has estabHshiMl the better and moni coni|)lete evidences of his warlike
disposition, the native red man or the civilized white man?

We have been accustomed to calling the Indian « .sa/v^r/r, a term
conveying to our mind that he is ferocious in his nature and warlike in
his disposition. These propensities we have acceptri^ as self evident
in Indian character, forgetful of the fact tluit. from our first ac([naint-
ance witli lum, he has been compelled to act on the defensive; that the
invadiiig race have ever been the aggressors, from Cortez down to the
latest time.

But wherein lies the consistency of the white man's com[)laint of
the barl)arous Indian ? He came to this continent with the avowed pur-
pose of taking possession of it and ap[)ropriating it to his own use, as
against the prior right of the Indian, in which he has been completely
successful; and it would seem to ill become him now to turn around
and complain of the hard blows dealt him by the conquered party, in
the progress of his aggression, in resistance to his unwelcome invasion.

PORT DEAKBORN, (cniCA(K)), IN 18;^;^.
FtrHt built 18111. Destroyed liy Incliain ISIJ. Relmiit IMIO.

CHAPTER LIV.

THE ORDER OF RED MEN.

Society Formed at Philadelphia —Before tlie Amerieaii Eevolution--A.dmirers of
Indian Character — Adoi)tiiij,' the ExampleH uf Tamnianeiul, a Delaware Chief —
Sometimes Called Tiiinmany -Character of this Chief as J^escrihed by Heeke-
welder— Aepouut of Preparation for Meeting,' — May 4. 1772, Old Style— Aeeoimt
of Meetioj,', Monday, May 11, 1772— Toasts Drank at this Meeting'— Patriiitio
Spirit of the Soeiety— Yearly Festivals— First of May, Old Style, now May 12th—
Members ^larched in Procession ThronKh the Streets - TIats Adorned with
Buek's Tails— This Association the Origin of the Later (Jrder of lied Men-
Other Societies Formed— In New York under the Name of Tammany — Place of
Meeting' called Wi^'wam — Object of Order of Bed Men — Social, Fraterual and
Benevolent — Founded on Customs, Traditions an<l History of the Aborigines —
Three Phases of this Orifanizatiou — First, Prior to Kevolution Sec(md, from the
Time of Peace to War of 1812 -Third, from 1813 at Fort JlilHin to the Present
Time— Name Imjjroved Order of Red Alen Adopted ]N[arch 4. 1835— Charter of
Great Council (iranted by Maryland Great Council of the United States
Orf,'auized March, 1847.

anidiig

^ OT WITHST A N D I N G

the projuiUcea Avhicli
yjh have existed n<;iiiust
the Ameriffin Imliiiu,
people of our own
race, from the beginning of
his resistance to the intrud-
ing white man, we have had
among tis since an early day,
a limited number of philan-
iN COUNCIL. thropists who have recognized

and admired the true ciiaracter of the Inilian, and contended for
justice in his behalf.

Some years before the American Revolution, a society of citizens
was organized in Philadelphia, composed of admirers of Indian
character, a(h)pting as an example in this regard that of a noted
chief of the Dc^laware tribe, uunied Tammanon or Tanimanend, very
generally in after times call(>d Tammany, said to mean in our language
"amiable" or "Beaverlike," and who was a leading chief of the

(657)

058

THE AMEUIC.VN INDIAN.

aforesaid tribe, called by themselves Leimi Lenape. He was present
among the other chiefs of his tribe at the fair jus treaty of William
Penn, at Shakainaxen, on the Delaware river, just above the site
selected for Philadel[)hia, since called Kensington.

Mr. Hockewolder, the historian of this tribe, says of this chief,
that he was, in the hi<rhest deijrree, endowed with wisdom, virtue, charitv.
meekness, hospitality ; in short, with every good and noble cpialifica-
tion "that a human being may possess;" that the fame of this great man,
at an early day, extended even among the whites, Avho fabricated numer-
ous legends concerning him, and his enthusiastic white admirers gave
him the title of saint, adopting him as the patron saint of America.
His name was inserted in some calendars in lieu of St. George, and
his festival was celebrated by this society, and his white admirers, on
the first day of May in every year, which was styled " St. Tammany
day."

In the Pennsylvania Chronicle, a newspaper published at Phila-
delphia before the American Revolution, issued Monday, May -tth,
1772, old style, a file of which paper is in possession of the author
of this work, is the following notice of this early American organiza-
tion :

•• On Friday, the 1st instant, a number of Americans, Sons of
King Tamany, met at the house of Mr. James Byrn, to celebrate the
memory of that truly noble chieftain whose friendship was most
affectionately manifest to the worthy founder and first settlers of this
province. After dinner the circalating glass Avas crowned with wishes,
loyal and patriotic, and the day concluded Avith much cheerfulness and
harmony. It is hoped from this small beginning a society may be
formed of great utility to the distressed, as this meeting was more for
the piirpose of promoting charity and benevolence than mirth and
festivity."

In a subsequent number of the same paper, dated Monday, May
11th. L772, continuing the subject, the following notice appears:

" The following toasts were drank at Mr. Byrn's on the first
instant by the Sons of King Tamany:

1. The King and Koyal Family.

2. The Proprietaries of Pennsylvania.

3. The Governor of Pennsylvania.

4. Prosperity to Pennsylvania.

5. The Navy and Army of Great Britain.

6. The pious and immortal memory of King Tamany.

7. Speedy relief to the injured Queen of Denmark.

H. Unanimity between Great Britain and her Colonies.

THE ORDElt OF llED JIEN.

(),■)',»

9. Si)eeily repoal <>£ all oppressive niul nnconstitutional acts.

10. May the Americans truly uiiderstaiici and faitht'iilly defeiul
their constitutional rights.

11. More spirit to the councils of Great Britain.

12. The great philosopher, Dr. Franklin.

13. His Excellency Governor Franklin, and ])rosperity to the
jirovince of New Jersey.

14. His Excellency Governor Tryon. and prosperity to the
province of New York.

15. The Honorable James Hamilton, Esq., late Governor of
Pennsylvania.

10. The Chief Justice of Pennsylvania.

17. The Speaker of the Honourable House of Assembly of
Pennsylvania.

18. The recorder of the city of Pennsylvania.

lU. The pious and immortal memory of General Wolfe,

20. The Pennsylvania Farmer.

21. May the Sons of King Tamany, St. George, St. Andrew, St,
Patrick and St. David love each other as Brethren of one common
ancestor, and unite in their liearty endeavors to preserve the native
Constitutional American liberties."

At the word sj^rdkcr in the foregoing toast, number 17, as printed
in said paper, is a sfar pointing to the following note, which is given
here as n curious incident in the proceedings, showing that some special
prejudice existed against the person referred to as speaker, but leaving
the reason therefor unexplained, to-wit:

'' This toast did not circulate. The kind genius that presides over
American freedom forbade it, and the Sons of King Tamany appeared
as averse to drink it as they would have been to swallow the Five Mile
Stone."'

But the understanding is that the speaker of tlie house of assem-
bly of Pennsylvania, at that time, did not concur with the admirers of
St. Tammany in the move of separating the coh)nies from Great
Britain, as was then being agitated by the Sons of King Tammany.

According to usages of this society, as before remarked, a regular
festival was held on the first day of May, ohl style, being now the
12th. On that day the members of the society walked together in
procession through the streets of Philadelphia, their h?' decorated
with bucks' tails, as a badge of their Indian admiration, and proceeded
to a handsome rural place out of town in the direction of the Schuylkill
river, which they called the in'ffwam, Avhere, after a lon(j ialk or speech,
in the manner of Indian custom, had boou delivered, and tiie pipe of

OfiO

TIIK AMEl'JCAX INDIAN.

r.
$■

pefice liatl been siudkeil, they spent the day in festivity niul mirth.
Aftor (liiiiier, Iiuliau douces, or chmces after the Indian style, were
indulijed in on the gre'jn in front of the wigwam; the pi[)e of peace
was iiifaiii smoked v.lien tlie company separated.

Tliis associatitm continued, in tlie iovm of its original organiza-
tion, for some years after peace between the colonies anil Great Britain,
when the public spirited owner of the wig.^am, who had generously
lent it every year for the honor of his favorite saint, having fallen
under misforame, his property, with this building, called the wigwam,
Avas sold to satisfy the demands of his creditors, and this truly Ameri-
can festival ceased to be observed.

This is acct^pted ns the origin of the present organization of the
Order of Red Men. now becoming so numerous throughout the United
States. After tlie discontinuance of the aforesaid organization, other
societies of like nr.ture were formed in Philadelphia, New Yt)rk, and
other towns in the Union, under the name of Tdvimaiiij; but theobject
of these associations soon drifted in the directicm of partisan politics,
and lost much of the charm which was attached to the original society
of St. Tammany, established only for pleasure and innocent diversion.
But these latter societies endeavored to preserve Indiim forms in their
organization and procedure in their meetings, their officers being desig-
nated V)y Indian titles, and their place of meeting being called a icif/-
■iraiii. Their distinguishing a[)[)e]latioa always l)eiiig the 7\i)iiiiiaiiij
socicli/: only cmc '^>f which is continutHl to the present day, existing in
New Yt)rk city, being that powerful Tammany organization in that city,
wielding such an influence in local politics.

Th<> Order of lied Men of the present day, like that of the origi-
nal socii'ty before referred to, is a social, fraternal and benevolent
organizatiijii, founded upon the customs, traditions, and history of the
al)origines of this contintint. Its primary object is to promote among
men the exercise and practice of the true principles of benevolence and
charity; the care and protection of the widow and orphan; and the
cultivation of friendly relations among maidiind. It is purely Ameri-
can, as herein shown, and is the oldest ju'otective and l)enevolent society
of American birth and growth. Its proceedings are secret, but only in
ilie sense that secrecy is proper; that is, as to those matters which
concern the private interests of a common family. In other words,
more properly speaking, it is not a secret s()ciety, but rather a society
having some secrets. Its organization, proceedings and mode of initi-
ating members are in imitation of native Indian customs, using Indian
terms for designating their officers and in conducting their ceremonies,
ns before reraarked.

THE nitDEU OF UED MEN.

(;(;i

Tlio Order of Eed Men, in its history, may properly be clnssed
into tliree phases. The Jirsf jtlaisr was that period of the existence of
the original order as first organized at Philadel[)hia, some time prior to
the Revolution, a.s before related, which we are infoiined, however, was
but little more than a rehabilitation of the old time May d,.y festivals,
whicli had been brought from the Old World by the early immigrants,
and which continued until some little time after the Declaration of In-
dependence. "When the American Revolution, and final determination
of the people of the colonies for a separate government had been
reached, it was the commencement of the second j)]i(ixc; Avhen it is said
these societies became intensely popular with the people, and their
amiiversaries bade fair to excel the Fourth of July in [)oi)ulnr esteem.

Under these auspices, says the historian of the Order of Red Men,
these societies were continued until a short time prior to the second
war of the United States with Great Britain, when Gen. Uearl)orn,
then Secretary of "War, considering the convivial feature of these
societies, which had gradually grown to excess, to be demoralizing to
the soldiers, issued orders prohibiting tliem in the army, wliereupon
the civic branches of the society commenced to languish and ceased to
exist.

The ihivd phase in the existence of this order is claimed to have
commenced in the year IS 1:3, at Fort Mitliin, on the Delaware river,
about four miles below Philadelphia, 1)y an organization among the
volunteer soldiers from Philadelphia, called tlie "'Junior Artillerists,"
Avho had entered the fort in the montli of March of that year, duly
equipped to aid in its protection against the British forces.

It is said that at that fort and from among those voluntters origi-
nated the society of Red Men. It is noticed, however, from the
information before us, tlat the society of Rod Men formed at this time
was a semi-military organization. The circumstances surrounding its
organization would naturally tend in this direction. "Whilst the charm
of the ideal native red man for his fidelity to his companion, and
enduring devotion to his tribe, became a feature of imitation in the
principles of this organization, yet the military forms of the white man,
in the practical workings of the society, were observed as a natural
consequence, instead of adopting those which pertained to the customs
of the native red man.

Their officers were known and took rank by military titles,
common in use in our own military organizations, as generalissimo, or
j)regiding chief of the tribe while in council, lieutenant genei-al, major
general, brigadier general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, captain, lieuten-
ant, etc.

662

Tin: AMKllICAN INniAX.

Much interest has been manifest, of hite years, in reiiard to the
origin and liistory of the present organization of Hod Men among our
race in this country. Its most iin[)ortaiit and inten^sting era, it -svouhl
seem, ihites from tiie beginning of what is called the lliird })li(t)^c of its
existence, of whicli we are now speaking; and it seems a little singular
that the history of an order of men which has grown to the importance
that this has attained at tlie present day. sliould be so much involved
in doubt and obscurity.

It a[)pears that an unbroken chain in the existence of the society
of Red Men, as formed at Fort Mitllin, before mentioned, continued
thereafter to exist in Pennsylvania and neighlioring states, yearly
increasing in numbers and importance; but with no particular effort
for concurrent action among tiie societies in general, until about the
year 1857. On the 21st day of October. Xs'u. a grand demojistration
of Ked Men, including a public parade in full regalia, with banner's
and other insignia appropriate to the order, took ])lace at Lancaster,
in the state of Pennsylvania.

An accomplished mend)er of the order, and a member of long
standing, of Virginia, was selected as the orator of the day, who, in
liis address on the occasion, presented a history of the order as far as
he was able to do so, from the meager materials then at hand, from
Avhich four distinct propositions were deducible ; first, that the society,
as then organized and existing, originated among the volunteers of
Fort Mifflin ; second, that it had been organized under the ins])iratious
of patriotism ; third, that the object it was designed to accomplish was
the disposition and promotion of harmony and good fellowship among
the members of the garrison ; and, finally, that it accomplished its
purpose through the soothing influence of its fraternal machinery.

It is said that the spirit of inquiry, which had been already
aroused, was stimulated by the discourse of the orator on this occasion,
from which an increased determination was aroused among the mem-
bers of the order present to unravel the story of their society's obscure
and Bomewliat doubtful history. Whereupon, in the year 18r)0, the
great council of the United States Improved Order of Red Men, which
was held in Baltimore, in the month of September of that year, took
action to the end of collecting and preserving a complete liistory of
the order by adopting the following i-esolution:

"That the Committee on the State of the Order report, during the
present session, 1st, the date of the Institution and Constitution of the
Order in the hunting-grounds of the Pale Faces ; 2d, the date of the
Institution of the Great Council of the United States; Hd, such other
statistics of the Order as the Committee may deem pertinent."

TlIK OH I) Kit OK Itr.l) MI.N.

i;t;:i

Under this resolution a thorough investigntion was niacle into tho
subject, antl much material was collected and reported to the (treat
Council, formi]ig tJie basis of subsec^uent inquiry, and whicli action,
it ap[)ears, led Mr. Morris K. Gorham, a member standing high in the
order, who was a member of the conunittee appointed to gather
information on the su])ject under the foregoing resolution, to pursue
inquiry into the subject; upon which he pre[)ared a l)ook tnditled,
" Tho History of the Improved Order of lied Men, from its organiza.
tion at Fort Mifflin, G. S. ~i^)l'S (A. 1). 1^13), and its reorganization
at Philadelphia, G. S. 5.j7G-77 (A. U. ISLO-ISIT)," which, with addi-
tions by William G. Hollis, after the death of Mr. Gorham, was pub-
lished in Pluladelphia in 188-4, containing much valual)le information on
the subject of this order; but yet, it must bo confessed, it is far from
being clear and satisfactory as a connected history of its oi'igin and
progress down to the date of that work.

This book, following the manifest notions of the Great Council
of Virginia in 18()0, as its title indicates, assunu's that the Order of
Red Men had its origin at Fort Mifflin, in 1813, whilst the a[)i)arent
fact is that the organization at Fort Mifflin was more properly what
may be termed the commencement of a fhinl phusc in the existence of
the Order of Bed Men. In pursuing inquiry on this suliject, we
should take a more general view of it. It is not mere forms that we
are searching for, but rather the pursuing of great princi[)les which
first inspired or induced an organization of this kind, end)odying the
cardinal points of friendship and fidelity, as understood to be embraced
and practiced in native Indian character, uncontaminated by the vices
of civilization, as has been well illustrated in the examples of the
native red nmn of North America.

In pursuing an inquiry upon this line, it is clear that the Order
of Red Men, or the idea of such an order, sprung from the original
Tammany Society, formed at Philadelphia, previous to the American
Revolution. Herein originated the idea of a society of this kiml under the
character it adopted, which has prevailed and been kept in view through
the various phases of red men organizations down to the present day
of its embodiment in the present Order of Red Men in the United
States. But the present title and system of orgardzation of this order
is of modern date, all of which has been perfected and matured in its
present form, as growth, circumstances and experience have seemed to
dictate or suggest, the Avhole forming a subject of interesting inquiry,
especially among those who have become members of the order.

It is said that, for some length of time prior to the orgainzatiou
of the Order of Red Men of this day, there existed at Baltimore,

(ICil

TlIK A.MKlilC.VN INDIAN.

Mnnluiul. (1 liul<,'o <ir Hocioty callod Red Men. Tlu*y had ilicir «vV/»vf>H
or i)lace of moiitiii^Lf iu tho ^iirret of a tiivcni, avIuto tlu^y mot onco n
weok, paid in thoir dues and initiated now nionihciH. Aftor the busi-
ness of the meeting was finished, tlio itMiminder of tho evening ^vas
spent in singing, telling stories, making speeches, and in convivial
enjoyment, in A.hicli tho old t'asliioned dfcdiifrr tigured largely. Tiio
ol)jt>c't of tho society appeared to be only convivial entertainment.
Many who were induced to join the society withdrew as soon ns they
found what its nature and objects were, whereby tho organization in
time became dissolved. The convivial feature of the aforesaid organ-
ization seems to have been common to societies of this nature in early
days, but, as would appear, was becoming less pt)[)ular fit the time this
society became dissolved.

In those days, says Mr. Gorham, secret societies were somewhat
of a novolt}', and could not so readily procure eligible places in which
to hold their meetings, as like societies can at the present day. The
fees from initiation and dues required of members were merely nomi-
nal, in compariscm with the amounts now derived from like sources.
They could not, therefore, well aff(,Al to meet the higher charges for
rent and other necessary expenses incurred by societies in later times,
hence they were compelled to accept such economical accommodations
as circumstances afforded them; furthermore, it was a custom for
friendly societies to hold their meetings at public houses, in those
days commonly called iarmis, where, in most cases, the host or land-
lord willingly furnished rooms for the purpose, in consideration of the
reckonings to be realized from the members at the bar. This was an
old English custom lirought over by the earlier members of these
friendly societies.

The Order of Red Men, as now existing, seems t(> have taken on
its ])reseut form from circumstances commencing at, and following the
organization of the "Red Men's society" tribe of Maryland, number
one, organized on the 12th of March, 18154. Eaily in the year 1835,
the members of this tribe, having in view the extension of its principles
beyond the jurisdiction of the state of Maryland, and its development
into a great social and benevolent order, according to the original
founders of the society of red men, took the necessary preliminary
steps towards "lengthening the chain of friendship," anil establishing
a legislative or sovei'eign head, under which the machinery for the
accomplishment of their purpose might be put in operation.

To this end, delegates were chosen by the tribe and vested with
ample power, in the premises, for the accomplishment of the desired
object. "Ou the 20th day of the fifth moon, in the season of the

Tin: oliDKl! or KKIJ MEN.

tlti,")

bloHKoms, 1S3.")," tliesp (lel('<,'iiteB mot at Bnltinioro for consnltiitiou on
the subject comiuitttMl to their chnrgo. At a subBtupient im'otinjj:, hh
ek'ctioii was iiehl, at wliich, we are informed, officers \v»^ro elected as
follows: Grand Sarheni, Grand Senior Sn^fainore, Grand Junior
Sagamore, Grand i'rophet, Grand Scribe, CSrand Cliief of Wani|iiini,
and Grand Guard of the "Wiirwam.

It seems that, at this time, the ])08ition of Grand Prophet was not
regarded with the consideration and importance Avhich it iias since
attained, but was one of subordinate significance. It is also noticed
that, whilst the ohl custom of conferring society names was recognized,
the old military title formerly applied to otlicei's became now for the
first time abandoned, and the more consistent and appropriate Imliaii
titles adopted in their stead, still continuing at the present time.

The second meeting of the Grand Council was held at the place
of first meeting, on the 25th of May, l!S35, when the mendx-rs l)eg!in
to concern themselves as to their authority. The old tribe at Phila-
delphia, it appears, had ceased to exist, and its mantle might have
been assumed to have fallen, with all its authority growing out of pri-
ority of origin and possession of the original work and "landmarks"
of redmanship, upon the revived system in Baltimore. P>ut one
branch of the old society, at least, continued working at Eeading, in
Pennsylvania, under the original "grant of power"' it had received
from "the mother tribe" at Philadelphia, and which is considered
quite as legitimate as the Baltimore society.

Mr. Gorham declares that, in the exercise of sovereign authority,
beyond the jurisdiction of Maryland, it would have been but courteous
to have consulted the tribe at Heading, but the change, if not the
re-organization, apjjears to have been jierfected without regard to, or
apparent knowledge of, the existence of a society elsewhere; and on
the 25th day of May, 1835, at the Great Council before mentioned, a
resolution was adopted, providing for the punishment of brothers who
might attempt to get up a spurious council. To what extent, if any,
resistance was made by the brethren of Pennsylvania, to the assump-
tion of authority by the brethren of Maryland, does not api)ear.

Mr. Gorham concurs that the assumption of su2)reme authority in
Maryland was legitimate, and not challenged by the older tribe in
Pennsylvania, which existed as late as the year 1850; and, thereby
being tacith' acquiesced in by the latter, it became the legal successor
of the mother tribe at Philadelphia, and its authority has been
acknowledged by the order ever since.

The convivial feature Avhich had attached to this order in the early
days of its existence, as before mentioned, having given rise to preju-

r.(')t;

THK AMKUICAN INDI \N.

(liri's agiiiiist it, to ii c'diisidttiablo (^vtciit, in tlic miiulH of tin* i-itizons
ill tlio mmmuiiit}', tlio <|iU)stioii an to tho propriety of cliaii<^iii^ tlie
iiHiiio or title of tlm onltu- iiroHo, to tlio end that tlu» aHHociation of the
name witli tiio otfciiHive prai-tices coinplaiiu'd of o[»oratiiij^ much to
iiiipiMln tll(^ pro>.M-i'SH of t'lti ordor ini^dit ccmkc. This h'll tho iiioiidx^rs
to rcrtt'ct upon the situation and con^^'der what was Ixist to do to over-
ooiuo this prejudic'O. It was proposed by one to drop the name lied
Men alto^ethiT and substitute Ahorii/iiK'n; but one brother, prominent
in tiie <irdei'. iuivin^ an inipodimont in his s[)eei'!i. objet-ted because ho
said Jio "couhl never pronounce that word." Tiie name "Order of
hiiprorcil Iltul Men" was tiiun proposed and adopted; I)ut another
brother, prominent in the fmler, did not like the name in this form, as
he objected to having the qualifying power of the word Inijtrorfil
placed in connection with the term lied Men, and, at the next council,
moved to reconsider the former action by which it was ado[)ted, and
to transpose the words so that the name should read J nijirorcd Order
of Red Men; but this was opposed for some tritiing reason of personal
j)rejudice agai;..' ...e member who moved to reconsider, and it was not
adopted.

It v^y \i length resolved to apply to the legislature for an act of
incorporation for the Grand Council of Maryland, and the member who
had moved the aforesaid change of name was selected to prepare i "d
Iu'.vl printed the petitions for the pur[)ose. Through this, availing
himself of the authority thus given him, the petitions presented to the
legislaturt^ asked for a charter ccjnstituting an organization to be called
"Improved Order of lied Men," whereupon the legislature granted a
charter to the "Great Council of Maryland. Improved Order of Eed
Men," on the 1-ttli day of March, A. D. 1S35, and from this, it appears,
comes the present organization of Improved Order of Eed Men, which is
spread over the country in its present form. By this act of incorpt)ra-
tion, not only was the title of the order changed, but other important
changes were made; thus the term "Grand," which had been used as
a (j^ualifying prefix v Mie council and superior chiefs, was abolished,
and the term (ircat adopted instead, as being more truly expressive of
the sense of the term used by the North American Indiaiis for such
purposes, for it must be understood that the Indian has no term in his
language corresponding to our word Grand as distinguished from the
Avord Great. The society names which, under the old custom, had been
conferred upon the members at their ado{)tion, gradually fell into dis-
use, and a settled policy to follow simpler forms, by retaining Indian
nomenclature and customs, so far as practicable, was determined upon.

The order being thus re-established, under authority of law, com-

Tin; OltUKK or Itl'.l) MF.N.

C.OT

nionood to iiin'oiiso in ni'mhcrs luid iiiiportiinr(>, when, in IS J.", jt had
urriviMl iit tliiit point wlitsn tlu! siil»jtH't of or<,ninizin^ u (Irrdt Council of
the United Htiitos was tiikcn into considomtion hy tlio Sul)<)rdiimto
CouncilH, whereupon niotisures were iidoptod towards ncconiplisiiinj^
tlmt ol)je('t. Dtdt'guteH were chosen who met at I3altiinore in March,
1S4-7, at wiiicli a Great Council of the United States was dtdy or;fanized,
by tiie election of ofticers for the term of one ytiar next ensuing. Tln»
officers proviiled were the Great Sa.'hem Incohonee, Great Senior
Sagimore, Great rr()[)het, Great Keeper of Records, Great Keeper of
Wampum, Great Tocakon, Great Minewa.

At this convention, it would seem, delegates were present only
from the state of Maryland and District of Cohindjia, since whicii, the
growth of the order has been sucli, that there are now Subordinate
Councils in nearly every state and territory of the United States, and
the order has extended its or<;anization into Canada.

Aside from tht ; rnnization of the Improved Order of lied Men,
there are independei. organizations of Red Men throughout the
country not nnder the jurisdiction of the Great Council of Improved
Order of Red Mi: of tlio Unite 1 States, but who derive their origin
from the same source o" ciTjumstances.

CHAPTEK LV.

VOCABULARIES.

Indiau Dialects — Ojibway — Dakota— Comanche — Miami — Menominee — Shawnee-
Oneida— Onondaya—Blnckfeet TuRcarora — Mf)hawk - Cayiipa - - Muscogee —
Zuni— Delaware— Mandau — Arapahoe— Sheyenno — Osage-- Nootkian- Compari-
son of Dialects — Comparison of Pronotins — Words and Phrases— Catalogue of
Trees and Phmts— Catalogue of Animals.

Tlie

^WTTf/HIS cliapter is devoted to
C^ 1^ vJ* words aud phrases in vari-
ous Indian dialects of
tribes of North America,
object of it is, first, to
give such information in this
regard on this subject, in gen-
eral, as the limited space allotted
to a chapter in this work will
admit; ami, second, to show,
by comparison, the difference
existing between the dialects in use by the several tribes men-
tioned.

The phrases which are given are from the Algonquin language,
Ojibway dialect, and will serve to show, to some extent, the manjier of
forming sentences in this language, which, indeed, is much the same
as that of all other languages of the various linguistic groups of the
continent.

The Indians having no written language, as we express it, the
orthography, adopted in the use of our letters, varies according to tiie
notion of each writer, the object of writers, in general, in the use of
our letters a[)plied to Indian languages, being, as Avill be observed by
those Avho have given this subject attention, to adopt such mode of
spelling or putting letters together to form words as will convey ta
the mind an accurate idea of the sounds.

VOCABULAIUES.

6(i\)

OENEKAL VOC.'ABrLARY OF WOKDS IN VAHIOt'S INDIAN DIALECTS,

English.

God,

Devil,

Man.

Woman,

Boy,

Girl or maid.

Child,

Father,

Mother,

Hiisbaiid,

Wife,

Sou,

Dantjhter,

Brother,

Sister,

An ludi.iu,

White man,

Head,

Hair,

Face,

Eye,

Nose,

Hauil,

Fiut;er,

Town,

Lodf^e,

Chief,

Warrior,

Friend,

Kettle,

Arrow,

Bow,

War club,

Gun,

Knife,

Shoe.

Lefjrtriufr,

Blanket,

Pil)e,

Waiuiinm,

Tobacco,

Sky,

Heaven,

Siiu,

Moon,

Star,
Day,

Niifht,

Lixht,

Morning',

Evening,

Early,

Late,

Siirinp,

Summer,

Autumn,

Winter,

Year,

Fire,

Water,

Eurtb,

OjHyway.

Dakota.

Coinuiiclie

Gitcheuianito,

Wfikantanka,

Tahapee.

Matchemanito,

Wakausica,

Inniue,

Wicasta,

TooHvisbchee.

Equa,

Winobinca,

Wyapee,

Quewesance,
Equasance,

Hoksidan,

Tooanickpee.

Wicinyanna,

Wyape<>ohee,

Aubeuoozhe,

Koksiyokopa,

Tooachee.

Nosa,

Ate,

Neraki)ee.

NeiuKga,

In a,

Nerbeeab,

Nenaubatne,

Hibna; Hinaku,

Nercomakpee.

Neniindemoamish,

Tawicu,

Nerquer.

Ninggwis,

Cinksi,

Nertooah.

Nindauniss,

Cunksi,

Neri)atab.

Neoauniss,

Cinye,

Nertanui,

Nedougwa,

Tawinoht.n,

Nerpachee.

Uhniphenauba.

Tkeewicasta,

Alitahwitchee.

Wongaubeskewade,

Skawicasta.

Tosboptyvoo.

Osteggwan.

Itancau,

Paaph,

Wenesis,

Hin.

Par pee.

Tainkhoug,

Ite; Itoye; Itohnake. Koveb.

Skeinzbick,

Ista.

Nachich.

Jshaus,

Poge,

Mooi)ee.

Winge,

Nape,

Mowa.

Webenauquauoniug, Nai)sukaza,

Mowa,

Odanogh.

Olonwe,

Kanuke.

Wegewaum,

Wakeya or Tipe,

Kaiiuke,

Ogemau,

Wicastavatapi,

Taquinewaph.

(Titclu'ilau,

Akicita.

Tooavitehe.

Nitciiee,

Kcda; Kicuwa,

Haartch.

Akick,

Cega; Cegahuba-
tonwa.

Witwa.

Ussowwaun,

Wanhinkpe,

Paark.

Metigwaul).

Itazii)a.

Hoaate.

Paugaumaugau,

(,'auhpi.

Paukisbegun,

Mazakau,

Peiate.

Moconiaun,

Isan; Minna,

Weitli.

Maukeesin,

Canhanpa,

Maape.

Metoss.

Hunska,

Koosba.

Wabewyan,

Sina.

Opawguu,

Cotauka; Causnhupa, Toish.

Megis,

Wamnuhadan,

'I'slienip.

Ussamau.

Caiuli.

Pahamo.

Genick,

Mahi)iyato,

Ish|)enuug,

Mahpiya.

Gesisgezicke (day

Aupetuwi,

Taharp.

sun).

Gesistebick (night

Hauyetuwi,

Mush.

sun).

ITnung,

Wicanhpi,

Taarch.

Gesbegud,

Anpetu,

Taharp.

Tebickud,

Hauyetu,

Tookana,

Wassaau,

Izanzan.

Gehesbabe,

Hanbaima,

Puaarthca.

Onangwishee,

Htayetu,

Yurhumma.

Baugaug,

Kohanna.

Tshpe,

'I'ehaubisui,

Zegwon,

Wetue,

Taneharro.

Nel)in,

Mdoketu,

Taarah.

Taugwawgee,

Ptanyetu,

Yerwane.

Peboue,

Wanivetu,

Tohante.

Kononowin,

Omaka.

Isliooda,

Peta,

Kooua.

Nebee,

Mini,

Pahar.

Ahkee,

Maka.

070

THE AMEHICAX INDIAN'.

English.

OJibway.

Dakota.

Comanche,

Lake,

SaKiet'Kun,

Mde: Mdedana.

l{ivor,

Seebee.

Wakpa; Watpa,

Honope.

Stream,

Seebeeweesaine,

Kaduza.

I'otato,

Opin,

Mdo.

Piyeon,

Omenie,

Wakiyedan.

Ilobiu,

Opitche,

Sisoka.

Cow,

Eqnapeshekee,

Ptewanuuyanpi,

Pemoro.

Horse,

Papashef,'oguushee

Suktanka,

Teheyar.

English,

Miami.

Menomivee.

Shaivnee.

(>0(1,

Kasheheweah,

Keshamonayto,

Tapalamawalah.

Devil,

Machaniauato,

Maehayawaytok,

Maheheemnneto.

Mail,

Lanoahkea,

Enainniew

Eelenee.

Woiiiau,

]\[etaimsah,

Metamo,

Eekwaiwah.

]3oy.

Kwewasah,

Ahpayneesha,

Skeelfihwaitheetah

Girl or maid,

Kwauanswah,

Kaykaw,

Skwaithathah.

Infant or child,

Pelosau,

Neeheon,

Ahpelothah.

Fatlier, my.

Nosaw,

Nonhnamh,

Nothah.

Mother, my,

Niu^ea,

Nekeah,

Neekeyah.

Husbaml, my,

Nanawpamah,

Nenanhpeon,

Waiseeyah.

Wife, my.

Newowah,

Nayon,

Neewah.

Hon, my,

NenKwesah,

Nekeisli,

Neekwe(>tbah.

])anf;hter. my,

Netawnah,

Maytawn,

Neetahnathah.

lirotlier. my

Nesawsah,

Naiidmainh,

Nthathah.

Sister, my.

Nemesah,

Nekoshaynianh,

Nemeethiih.

An Iniliau,

Owuzawwelokea,

]\Iahmanchaytowe.

Ijenahwai.

White man,

Shemalsan,

Wayweah(iuouett,

Tukoseeyah.

Town,

Meuotene,

Meneekon,

Otaiwai.

House,

Wekoawme,

()wayah(pionaywaickWeekeewah.

Door,

Kwawutame,

Islupioteni,

Shkwahta.

Chief,

Kemawh,

Ohkaymowe,

Okeemah.

Warrior,

Mamekawkea,

Nainhnowwaytowe,

Nanahta.

Frieiul,

Nekawno,

Nayjuut,

Neekahuah.

Arrow,

Wepema,

Miiip,

Lanahlwe.

Bow,

Nateawjiemaw,

Mainhtoijuoop,

Eelawabkwee.

(run.

Pekwune,

Poshkeoheshekon,

M'takwah.

Shoe,

Keseue,

Mahtekniehkahshee

, Neemheekwabthow

Le^King,

Tawsama,

Metef'shshon,

Mutatah.

Pipe,

Pwawkawnaw,

Fainhnaywahwoh-

kah,
Xainhnaymowe.

Kwahgah.

Tohaccc,

Saimuiw,

Kthaimah.

Sky,

Keshekweeah,

Kaysliaick,

^Nleukwatwee.

Heaven,

Paniiu^'eah,

Kayshaliuionnayto

waick,
Kayshoh,

Menkwatokee. •

Sun,

Keelswaw,

Keesahthwab.

Moon,

Pekondakeel

Tay|)ainkahshoh,

Tupexkeekeethwah
Ah alikwah.

Star,

Lonywawh,

Ohuanhkock.

Day,

Kawkekwa,

Kayshaykots.

Keesakee.

Nwht,

Pekoudawe,

Waliiieto paykon.

Tupexkee.

Liifht,

Osakewe,

Wahshenahiiuot,

Wahthayah.

IMorninp,

Siepowwe,

Meej),

Kwalahwahpahlee.

Eveninj,',

Lankwekea,

Nainhkaw.

Walalikweekee.

Early,

Siepowwa,

Ishjiaintainwiek,

Kolahwabpanwee.

Siiriiif,',

Nepenowe,

Sheeipion,

Mulokumee.

Summer,

Malokawmawe,

Naypen,

Pelahwee.

Autumn,

Takawkewe,

Tah( uoahqnoawe.

Tukwahkee.

Winter,

Pei)onwe,

Painlipoh,

Peponewee.

Year,

N^otapeponah,

Neipiotokonmieek,

Kuto.

Wind,

Samthainwe,

Nohwahnen,

Meeseekkukee.

Lightning,

Popondawah,

Wahwahnahweu,

I'apnkee.

llain,

Petelouwe,

Kemaywon,

Keeniweewoiiwee,

Potato,

Panaw,

Ohpaneock,

MeealiBeethah,

Melon,

Aketawmingeah,

Oshkemaykwon,

Yeskeetahinaikee.

Beaver,

Mahkwaw,

Nahmin,

Amexkwah.

She,

Enaw,

Aynanh,

Weelnh.

They,

Weelwaw,

Wanonanh,

Weelahwab.

VOCABULAIUES.

t)71

EnijHuh,

Mitnni.

^fenomiHee.

Slidiriice.

White,

Wawpek".

Wahpishkiew,

Waxkanahkyah.

Uhiek,

Mahkottawehawko

■ Ahpeshew,

Mukutaiwah.

Old,

Ke,

Nawkawueuawkot-

twe,
Wahkenekotaw,

Keeshkeen,

Kyaitah.

Youug,

Washkeueeneek,

Oskee.

Pigeon,

Mameah,

Meme,

Pahweethah.

Duck,

Topawseawke,

Shaysliep,

Seeseebah.

Fly,

Oelieaw,

Ohdieeu,

Ocha.

Bird,

Wisseweanw,

Waislikayn(mh,

Wiskeelothab.

Wolf,

Whawawk,

Manhwawe,

M'waiwah.

Dos,

Lamwah,

Ahuaim,

Wissee.

Horse,

Nakatakawshaw,

Payshekokoshew,

M'siiaiwai.

Cow,

Laiiouzwaw,

Pesliiiiukiewohkoo,

M'thothwah.

EiKjlish.

Oil cilia.

OiioinliKja.

Bhu'kfcet.

Cxod,

Lonee,

Hawaneuh,

Kinnau.

Devil,

Onishuhlouuh,

Onishonknaiuuuk,

Man,

Louf,'wee,

Haingwee,

Matape.

Woman,

YoHgwee,

Wathoonwixsus,

Aipiie.

Boy,

Laktsuhyeksah,

Huxsaha,

Sacomape.

(rirl or maid,

Laktsahyeksah,

Ixesaha,

Aqueconan,

Father, my,

Lakeneeha,

Knehah,

Kinnau.

Mother, my.

Akhauolhii,

Uknohali,

Noehrist.

Husbanil, my,

Lona,

Haiwnah,

Couma.

Wife, my,

i'ehuedlon.

Tehnetai\\, wife.

Nitokeman.

Hon, my,

Loyanali, his.

Hohawa, his,

Nocouse.

Daut,'hfer, my.

Sagoyeh, his,

Sagohawa, his.

Naiiuecouan.

Brother, my.

Teliaihdanondal,

Taiakeadanonda,

Ninogpoj)!.

Au Indian,

Onj,'wahonwe,

Ungwahungwa,

Sifsicou.

House,

Kauusuda,

Kunosaia,

Napiouyis.

Lodye,

Yagoduskwuhele,

Wuakwaka,

Mouyeai.

Chief,

Loainil,

Hohsenowahn,

Nina.

Friend,

Hunadaiilu,

Untshee,

Napi)e.

Enemy,

Aeleeska,

Kihuniagwasa.

Cajleinena.

Kettle",

Oondak,

Kuuatia,

Iska.

Arrow,

Kiowilla,

Kahaiska,

Abses,

Bow,

Hauhnu,

Ahainda,

Namma.

War-club,

Ynuleohtaquagan-
hiuh.

Kajeehkwa,

Mauicpiapecacsaque.

Spear,

Hoshagweh,

Ajudishtah,

Sapai)istats.

Kuife,

Hashale,

Hasha,

Slouan.

Boat,

Kahoonweia,

Kuneaetali,

Ojquieojsacs.

Shoe,

Ajfhta,

Atahkwa,

Atsikin.

LeKwiug,

Kalis,

Kais,

Atsics.

ri|)e.

Konanawnh,

Koiioiiawehta,

Tacouenimau.

Tobacco,

Kalonia,

Oyaikwa,

Pistacan.

Sky,

Kakonia,

Kaaiwia.

Heaven,

Kokonhiagee,

Kaaiwiaga,

Sun,

Wohneda,

Aniklui,

Natos.

Moon,

Woluieda,

Assoheka,

Natoseouecmi.

Star,

Yugistokwa,

Ojistiuiahkwa,

Caoatos.

Dav,

Kwondagi,

Wundada,

Ai)inac'ousli.

NiKht,

Kwasuudegi,

Ahsohwa,

Coucoui,

Li^ht,

Wanda,

Teohahiaih,

Chist KN)uiapinacou8h

Darkness,

TediiUKftllas,

Teokaus,

Christicouicoucoui.

Morniuff,

Ostihts^'ee,

llaigahtsheck.

Apinaeoush.

Evening,

Ugallo^Huih,

Ogaisah,

Coucoui.

Spring,

Kunywedadeb,

Kugwedehkee,

Summer,

(Jwagunhage,

Kngenhagee,

Autumn,

Kuuuiiagih,

Kununahkce,

Stouie.

Winter,

Rohslagih,

Kolisahgih,

Stouie.

Wind,

Uwelondo,

Oah.

Soupoui.

Thunder,

Gasagiuuda,

Kawnndotate,

Christoc'oom.

Rain,

Okanotahseeh,

Oshta,

Ogquie.

Snow,

Oueahta,

Okah,

Poutand.

672

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

English.

Onoida.

Onondaga.

Black/eet.

Fire,

Ad.jintah,

Odjistah,

Sti.

Water,

Ohuagonuoos,

Ghnagonoos,

Ocqnie.

Ice,

Hoowissee,

Oweesoo,

Ocotosco.

Eiirtli,

Ogwunjeah,

Owhainjeah,

Otscouye.

Lake.

Kaneadalahk,

Knneada,

Om.-icsiquimi.

River,

Kehoadadee,

Kiiiadadee,

Nehetatfm.

Maize, or corn,

Oinust,

Onahah,

Bescatte.

Wheat,

Onadia,

Potato,

Ohuunuaht,

Onunuhkwa,

Tree,

Kelheet,

Kaiuuta,

Mistis.

Dotr,

Ailhol,

Tshechha,

Iniite.

Piyeon,

Oleek,

Tfihuha,

Partridge,

Okwais,

Oneagiehe,

White,

Owiskn,

Owikaishta,

Chriscouie.

Black,

Aswaht,

O.Himtah,

Sicsinatsi.

Cold,

Yathola,

Wthowe,

Stouje.

To-ilay,

Kawanada,

Anouk.

Sour,

Yayoyogis,

Otshewaga,

Sweet,

Yaweko,

Winiwaindah,

Napini.

English.

Tiiscarora.

Mohau-k.

Cayuga.

God,

Yawuhnueyuh,

Niyoh,

Niyoh.

Devil,

OnnaKaroonuh,

Onesobrouo,

Onesoono.

Mail.

Ehukweh,

Rougwe,

Najina.

Woman,

Hahwnhnnuh,

Yon g we,

Konheghtie.

Boy,

Kunchukweh'r,

Raxaa,

Aksaa.

Girl,

Yateahchayeuh,

Kaxaa,

Exaa.

Child,

Katsah,

Exaa,

Exaa.

Father, my,

Eahkreehn,

Rakeniha,

Ihani.

Mother, my,

Eauuh,

Isteha,

Ikuoha.

All TiidiaD,

lieuhkwehhehnweh,

Ongwehowe,

Ongwehowe.

Honsi',

Yahkeiihnunh,

Kanosa,

Kanosoid.

Door,

Oochalireh,

Kanhoha,

Kanhoiia.

Lodge,

Wahk'tahnahyeuh-
noii'gh.

Teyetasta,

Teyetasta.

Chief,

Yakoowahiiunh,

Rakowana,

Agbseahewane.

Warrior,

Booskeiihrahkehreh

, Roskeahragohte,

Osgoagehta.

Friend,

Enhniuihrooli,

Atearosera,

Aterotsera.

Enemy,

YcMihclinnht'Heh,

Shagoswdase,

( )ndateswaes.

Kettle,

Oomniihwi'h,

Onta,

KanadKia.

Arrow,

Ooteli,

Kayonkwere,

Kanoh.

Bow,

Nahchreli,

Aeana,

Adota.

War club.

Oociiekweh,

Yeanteriyohtakau-

yob,
Aglisikwe,

Kajihwaodriohta.

Spear,

Churets,

Kaghsigwa.

Ax,

Nokeuh,

Aghsikwe,

Atokea.

Knife,

Oosahkeuhneh,

Asa re,

Kaiuatra.

Boat,

Gohiiiihweh,

Knhoweya,

Kaowa.

Shoe,

Oocliekiiora,

Aglitn,

Ataghkwa.

Legging,

Oorestreli,

Karis,

Kaisra.

Pipe,

Cliairrshoolistob,

Kanouawea,

Atsiokwaghta.

Tobacco,

Chah'rshooh.

Oveaugwn,

Oyeangwa.

Sky.

Oorenhyah'is.

Ot.shata,

Otsbata.

Heaven,

Oorcnlivahkeuhf,

Karoughynge,

Kaohyage.

Sun,

Heteh. '

Fvaraghkwa,

Kaaghkwa.

Moon,

Aht'Heuhyehiih,

Eghnita,

Soheghkakaaghkwa

Stnr,

Oonesenhreh,

Omktok,

Ojishonda.

Day,

Awuuhueli,

Eghni.sera,

Onistrate.

Light,

Yniiooks,

Teyoswathe,

'i'eyohate.

Darkness,

Ynhwehtoahyenh,

Tyokaras,

Tiyotasontage.

Morning,

Tsooteh'rhunh,

Ohrhonkeue,

Sedetsiha.

Evening,

YahtRat'iienhhah,

Yokornskhn,

Oknasa.

Si)ring,

Wah'rwoohstroh'gh

Kennkwetene,

Kagwetijiha.

SunuiKM',

Ookenhhohkeh,

Akeanhage,

Kakeiihage.

Antunin,

RohtVelikeli.

Kanonage,

KaiKinagene.

Winter,

Koohsehr'iieuh,

Koghserage,

Kohsreghue.

VOCABULAniES.

078

English.

Tiiscarora.

3[ohawk.

Cnijuga.

Wind,

Ooreh,

Owera,

Kawaoudes.

Thiiuder,

Henunh,

Kaweras,

Kaweanotatias.

Rain,

Wiinetoo'eh,

Yokeanc-ough,

Ostaoudion.

.Snow,

Ooneetsreh,

Ouiyehte,

Onieye.

Firo,

Oochereh,

Yoteklja,

Ojista.

Water,

Ahwunk,

Oughnekanos,

Onikauos.

Ice,

Ooweseh,

Oise,

Oitre.

Earth, land,

Ahwunhreh,

Owheusia,

Oeanja.

Lake,

Hahnyahtareh,

Kauyatare,

Kanyataeni.

Kiver,

Keuunh,

Kaihoghha,

Kihade.

Mountain,

YuiiTinhyeuhtih,

Yonontekowa,

Onontowanea.

Meat,

VVahreh,

Owarough,

Owahon.

Dog,

Chee'sr,

Ehrhar,

ShaoH.

She,

Ayanuehteh,

Aonha.

Kaoha.

We,

Eahkwahyasunkteh, Onkyoha,

Onoha.

You,

Thwahyasunkteh,

Jiyoha,

Johha.

English.

Muscogee, or Creek

Ziini.

Dehtu'are.

God,

Heesahkeetamissee

Poshaiankee,

Welsheetmunet.

Mau,

Istee,

Oatsee,

Leuo.

Woman,

Hoktee,

Okeeah,

X(iiiai.

Boy,

Cheepahnosee,

Ahktsahkee,

Peelahachick.

Girl,

Hoktoochee,

Keeahtsahkee,

Xquaiehick.

Infant,

Istoohee,

Weehah,

Meemuns.

Father,

Chalkee,

Tahcho,

Nox.

i\Iother,

Chatskee,

Tseetah,

Nmixais.

Husband,

Chahee,

Homoeeyahmahshee, Neetilose.

Wife,

Chahaiwah,

Homoeeai,

Nuxahoshum.

Son,

Chapootsee,

Homochahwee,

Ngwees.

Daughter,

Chaehastee,

Homochahahlee,

Ndahnes.

Brother,

Chathlaha,

Pahpah,

Nuxans.

An Indian,

Isteetsahtsee,

Hoeotai.

Ahwainhukai.

White man,

Isteehatkee,

Ahkohonnah,

Sliuwununk.

Head,

Ekah,

Oshoipiinuee,

Weel.

Faee,

Tothlofah,

Nopcmiinee,

Wuslikingwh.

Ear,

Hfitsko,

Lalijotiunee,

Whitahwuk.

Eye,

Tothlwah,

Touahwee,

Wushkingwh.

Nose,

Yupo,

Nohahhnnee,

Wheekee eyuu.

Mouth,

Cliokwah,

Alnvalitinnee,

Whdone.

Hand,

Iukee,or Ingkec,

Ahseekatso,

Noxk.

Finger,

Inkeeweesahka,

Aliseoailahpalttonn

aiTelhuidge.

Breast,

Hokpee,

Pohahtannee,

Xtolhahe.

Body,

Enah,

Klooninnee,

Okkahe.

Heart,

Faykee,

Eekaiainannai,

Whtai.

Town,

Talofa,

Klooahlalnvai.

Otainahe.

Hcmse,

Chokko,

Tehaluiuinnee,

Week'.vam.

Door,

Ahowkee,

Clemmahteenee,

Skondehe.

Chief,

Mikko, (king)

Paiaieenahciuai.

Sahkeemah.

Friend,

Hissee,

Keeheh,

Neetees.

Arrow,

Chlee,

Shoailai,

Net'|).

Ax,

Pochoswah,

Kee eelai,

Tumahheegau.

Flint,

Chlouoto,

Ahcheeahtaiatlnh,

Malixhia.

Boat,

I'ithlo,

Klailonnee,

jNInxhol.

Shoe,

Isteloe))ikah,

Mocpiahwee.

Shuwunuxoksuu.

Pipe,

Heecheopokwah,

Taiiicikleeiiannai.

Opahokuii.

Wampum,

Lonuphatkee, (bend
white).

s Haipeequinnai,

Kaikwii.

Tobacco,

Heochee,

Annah,

Koshahtahe.

Sky,

Sotah,

Ah )oyannai,

Kuiiiokwh.

Bun,

Hussee,

Yahtokeeah,

Keeshkoueekeesho

xkwh.
Peeskrwaneekee-

INIoon,

Hassee,

Yahonaunai,

shoxhwh.

Star,

KotBotaumpii,

Moyahchoowai,

Allangwh.

Day,

Nittah,

Yahto,

Keeshko.

Night,

Nithlee,

Tatieeahkeeah,

Peeskaik.

074

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

English.

Muscogee, or Creel

Zuni.

Dchnrare.

Moruinff,

Hathayatkee,

Eeoheeteh,

AllahpabwHueee.

Evening,',

Yahfkee.

Soonnalikeeah,

LcKiuouee e.

Spriu^r,

Tasahtsee,

Tehlahquaikeeah,

Seekoiig.

Slimmer,

Miskee.

Oloeekeeali.

Neeping.

Antiimn,

Thlafohaks,

A hmeeaHlineekeeah

, Tahkoxko.

Winter,

Thlafo,

Taiahtsiuuali,

Lowuugu.

Year,

Miskee,

Taipepijuaikeeah,

Kaiting.

Wind.

Hotallee,

Ooltokeeah.

Kaislixiug.

Thunder,

Tinitkee,

CooUolomianuai,

Paithukowh.

Kain,

Oskee,

Lonahwai,

Sookelang.

Fire,

Totka. or Tatekah,

Mahkeeai,

Tundalie.

Earth,

Ekana,

Alnvaikailinnai.

Hukee.

Lake,

Okhassee,

Eechahtolokeeah,

Mniipaikwb,

Inland,

Otee,

Hekettoyai,

Munaliti;lie.

Potato,

Ahhah,

Chahpeemowai,

Gppunees.

Tree,

Eto,

Tahkoleepotee,

Hittokew.

Beav(>r,

Etshasswah,

Peehah,

Tumahkwa.

Dog,

Efah,

Wahtseetah,

Mowaikuuua,

Fish.

Thlalhlo,

Keeashsetah,

NuiuaiiH.

White,

Hatkee,

Kohaunah,

Oppai.

Black,

Lustee,

Quinnah,
Laheekee,

Sukai.

To-day,

Mu'-hauitta,

Yoo^vvaiki esbkweek.

To-morrow,

Poksee,

Taiwahnee,

Alluppali.

Yesterday,

Poksaugee,

Teshsooiiuah,

Lalikowiii

English.

Mandan.

Arapahoe.

Slieyeniie,

Ood,

Umahagnumagsbi,

Esoh hahneyahthar.

Aamahveho.

Man,

Numankosh,

Ananetah,

Hatan.

Woman,

Mihe,

Issee,

Haeo.

Boy,

Subnumankosb,

Anorhoye,

Kikuna.

Infant or child,

Subyamahe,

W( )nc h incbeehaes-

sah,
Nasonnah,

Maebevote.

Father, my,

Subyomahe,

Neoee.

Mother, my,

Nahe,

Nauah,

Nabcoee.

Husband, my,

Kobaro,

Nash,

Nab.

Wife, my,

Kuns (my wife
muns),

Nertersheeah,

Nahstcbira

Son, my,

Koruikosh,

Naab,

Nab.

Daughter, my.

Nuhaukosh,

Nahtahnnah,

Nabteli.

Brother, my.

Hoshimka.

Nasisthsah,

Nahsimniiihkah.

Sister, my.

Hoshimka,

Naecahtaeeah,

Nissishaeo.

An Indian,

Numahakake,

Eneneetah,

Voistanali.

A white man.

Wuashi,

Neeyahthar,

Vealio.

Pipe,

Ihiuke,

Achah,

Haeyoke.

Tobacco,

Manashe,

Sheeshahwah,

Siunamoii.

War club,

Mikasgesh,

Annathkabthar,

Wopeto.

Gun,

Watasherupa,

Keikereeah,

Mietano.

Bow,

Warairupa,

Babeetah,

Maliteka.

Legging,

Hnshi,

Wottabali,

Malituts.

Spring,

Ceheuude,

Bouueeahwanaee,

Mahtcbsecmieve.

Summer,

Easkeke,

Vaneecha,

Meameve.

Autumn,

Pitande,

Tabunee,

Otounoeve.

Winter,

Maana,

Cbarobeeneenee,

Ahaameve.

Morning,

Mapsita,

Naukfth,

Meabvone.

Evening,

Istuudellosh,

Eetherah,

Atoive.

Tree,

Manaininge,

Hahhimit,

Hoest.

Wood,

Mana,

Yahconnaistana,

Mahxt.

Pine,

Manayopeni,

Sas,

Shistoto.

Oak,

Manailahu,

Hahancba,

Ormsbe.

Ash,

Tabsa,

Haescbeebis,

Motoke.

Elm,

Warauit,

Beeit,

Game

Grass,

Hautoy,

W.ibcooee,

Moist.

Bread,

Wapabshi,

Chauchab,

Cococonnah.

Meat,

Maaskape,

Ahoo,

Onnovote.

Dog,

Mnuiserute,

Atb,

Otam.

VOCABULAlilES.

675

English,

Mandan.

Arapahoe.

Slicijiiinc.

Horse,

Umpamaniyse (looks Awourkerah,

Moinuiihham.

like an elk).

Fire,

AVarade,

Isshittah,

Oesth.

Water,

Mine,

Nutch.

Mahpa.

Earth,

Mahanke,

Betowaii,

Hoa.

Lake,

Meniuiyte,

Ahwhattat,

Haahne.

River,

Passanhe,

Nechei'ah,

Oha.

Knife,

Mahi.

Wharhcr.

Muteka.

]?oat.

Miuake,

Thiiaeewun,

Simon.

Friend,

Manuka,

Naterhaah,

Hoah.

Chief,

Nuniahagshi,

Nahchah,

Veounabe.

Warrior,

Kahrokanarehosh,

Nutteekunneennab,

Veutchhaton.

Town,

Miti,

Haeetan.

Motah.

House,

Oti (lodge),

Neroowah,

Mahveahu.

Sky,

Yareoto.

Dnnaii,

Voha.

Sun,

Mapsiminake,

Neesiieeish,

Isshe.

Moon,

Istmiiinake,

Beecosiieeish,

Tahisshee.

Star,

Ykeke,

Ahthah,

Otoke.

I>ay,

Hampe,

EeKlioe,

Navoue.

NiKht,

Istu,

Tutchah,

Tall.

Hand,

Unkeh.

^IhIm4io uii.

Maharts.

Fiuijer,

Uukirihe,

Nishstee,

Moieli.

Face,

Ista,

Nerhoreteh,

Neschin.

White,

Shotte,

Nouiiorchah,

Vocummi.

Bhick,

Psih,

Watlareyali,

Moketahvo.

Red,

Zeh,

Bahhah.

Malii, or Mi.

Ohl,

Tihosh,

Yatauhkaniu,

iSIaliahkis.

Young,

Yamahosh,

Woniiornee,

Monah.

Bad,

Yiggosh,

Wahsor,

Abseevah.

Good,

Shish,

Eesettee,

Pahwah.

Handsome,

Shiuashosh,

Yoyoethasee,

I'aivewah.

Cold,

Shiuihush,

Norkorsah,

Atouiut.

English.

Omije.

English.

yootkian.

Pipe,

Nonebaugh.

Man.

Check-up.

Tobaeco,

Noneheugh.

Woman,

Klootzmah.

Pouch,

Noneusheugh.

Father,

Noowexa.

Knife,

Mohee.

Mother,

Hooma-hexa.

Shirt,

Haaskah.

Child,

Tanassis.

Tomahawk,

Mohispeh.

Brother,

Katlahtik.

Moccasins,

Hompec'h.

Sister.

Kloot-chem-up.

Legging,

Heudingeh.

Daughter,

Tanissis-kloots-mah

Arm baud.

Mosescah.

Head,

Tauhat-se-tee.

Paint,

Wasseuge.

Eves,

Kassee.

Beads,

Wanepehomgreehe.

Hair,

Hap-se-up.

Hat,

Ograngesheah.

Nose,

Naetsa.

Gun,

Wahotah.

Ears.

Parpee.

Powder,

Neebheujeb.

Hands,

Kook-a-nik-sa.

Ball.

Mosemoh.

Sun or moon.

Ooiihelth.

Flint,

Mobeseuh.

Stars,

Tar-toose.

Water,

Oeurachera.

Skv,

Sie-yah.

Fire,

Pe-eche-he.

Water,

Toop-elth.

Rum,

Pegene.

Rain,

Meetla.

Dog,

Shonug-eh.

House,

Muk-ka-tee.

Wampum,

Wanaiugreche.

No,

Wik.

Head,

Werechree.

Yes,

He-ho.

Hair,

Poheugh.

Mountain or hill.

Noot-chee.

Eye,

Ishtah.

Earth,

Klat-tur-mifs.

Teeth,

Heel).

Iron,

Sick-a-miny.

Ear,

Nottah.

Fruit,

Chani-uiasB.

Hand,

Nompeeb.

Smoke,

Quish-ar.

Feet,

Seeh.

How many,

Oo-uah.

Bear,

Wasafcen.

I understand,

Kom-me-tak.

How do you do.

Hah, cou, rah.

To laugh,

Kle-whar.

(;Tf>

THE AMERICAX INDIAN.

SHORT VOCABtTLARY, SHOWING COMrAEISON OF WORDS IN THE DIALECTS OF SOME OF
THE NEW ENGLAND TRIBES OF THE ALOONQUIN OROITI'.

En(jliHh.

Man,

Woniau,

Ear,

Eye.

Nose,

IMoiitb,

Teeth,

House,

Shoes,

Suu,

Mooii,

Day,

Ni^bt,

Fire,

Water,

liaiu,

Snow,

Tree,

DoK,

Hear,

liiver.

Massachusetts.

Wosketoni]),

Mittamwosses,

Wehtanoff,

Wuskesukpl,

Wutcb,

Unttoon, my,

Meepit,

Wetn,

Mokissonab,

Nepauz,

NepansbJt,

Kesukod,

Nnkou,

Nntan,

Nippe,

Sokanuuk,

Koon,

Mebtug,

Aunm,

Mosq,

Sepu,

Narragansett.

Nnin.
ScinawR.
Wuttouwo^',
Wuske.-ukpi,

Wuttone,

Wepit, bis,

Wetn,

Mocnssinass,

Nippawns,

Mauepansbat,

Wonipau,

Tnppaco,

S«|natta,

Nil.,

Sokennni,

Sockepo,

Mintuck,

Annm,

Seip,

Moheyaii.

Neenianaoo.

P'gliainooni.

Towabfjne.

Ukees(pian.

Okeewou.

Otonn.

Upeeton.

Weknwnbni.

Mkissin.

Keesojfb.

Neepanbanck.

Wankannianw.

T'pocbk.

Staanw.

Ubey

Tliockiiatuu.

Meauneeh.

Jloobtok.

NMijau.

Mijncb.

Sepoo.

VOCABUIiARY COMPARING PRONOUNS AND OTHER PARTS OF SPEECH IN THE DIALECTS
OF VARIOUS INDIAN TRIBES, SHOWING THE SIMILARITY IN Nl'MEROUS INSTANCES.

Thou.

He.

r«'.s.

No.

Bbickfeet,

Nistoa,

Criston,

Amo,

Ab,

Sab.

CabTiilo,

Neb,

Eb,

Feb,

Hee,

Ki-il.

Caynffa,

Ise,

Aoha,

Effbe-a,

Te-ab.

Choctaw,

Uuo,

Cbisbno,

Yaw,

Ke-yu.

Clierokee,

Aynng,

Nebe,

Naski,

Ungung,

Tlah.

Chinook,

Naika,

Maika,

Jakbka,

Ikaa,

Ki.

Coniancbe,

Met-za,

Uu-nt,

Or-dzta,

Kaa,

Ke.

Dakota,

Mia,

Nia,

Dai,

How,

Ea.

Debiware,

Ni,

Ki,

He,

( 'o-bnm,

Ha-ceri.

Hiieco,

Abe,

Kid-de.

Kiowa,

No,

Am,

Kin,

Ho-o,

Hoa ni.

Maudan,

Me,

K-Loo,

Megosb.

Menominee,

Nay-nanb,

Kay-nanb,

Way-nanli,

Ay-ay,

Kawn.

Miami,

Ne-biw,

Ke-law,

Enau,

E-be,

Ne-sbe.

Mojave,

Ima-ta.

Inicak,

Pe-i)a,

Co-har-o.

Moliawk,

lib,

Ise,

Ra-<ju-ba,

Ea,

Yab-te-a.

Navajo,

Ni,

Sbi-dota,

Nil-bid,

Sbi,

Do-In.

Nez Percee,

In,

Im,

Ipi,

Water.

Ojibway,

Neu,

Ken,

Wen,

Aib,

Kau.

( )nei(la.

Ee,

Esa,

La-oon-ba,

Ha,

Yah-ten.

Onondaya,

Eeb,

Ee-sah-he,

Honrb,

Ae,

Zacb-te.

( )saj,'e,

Veen,

Dioa,

Hoya.

Honkosba.

Pi.aa,

Aban,

Manton,

Ye.i-Lab,

Ab-ab,

Ou-ut.

Qiieres,

Hi-uo,

Hish,

Web,

Hab,

Tsab.

Hiccaree,

Mauto,

Kay-bon,

Wite,

Nee-ooola,

Na-ka.

Sliawnee,

Ki-la,

Kilub.

Yab-nia,

Hab-bab,

]\[at-bab.

Sheyenne,

Kimeeobwab,

Niu-uee-bo

wahSisto,

Ha,

Wabbarn.

Tiiscarora,

Ee,

Eets,

Itawonroo,

Uhrub,

Owass.

Ynnia,

Nyat,

Mantz,

Nabiiitzk,

Abab,

Co-baniue

Ziiui,

Ho-bo,

Tob-o,

Lnk-ye,

la.

Ho-lo.

VOCABULARIES.

677

WOnns AND PHUASES — ALGONQUIN LANGUAGE, OJIBWAY DIALECT.

Fire — Ish koo dn. Fires — Ish koo daig.
Smoke of n distant fire — Puk kwa na.
Water — Nee be.
Ice — Mik kwuu.
Earth — Ah ke.
Land — Ah ke.

A little ground — Pun ge sha ah ke.
Big, big lake — Gitchegitchegnm me.
Wave — Te go. Waves — Te go wag.
Lake — Sah gi e gun.
Shore — Tid e ba.
On the shore — Cheeg a beeg.
Island — Me nis. Islands — Me nis un.
Eiver — Se be. Rivers — Se be wun.
Dirty pond — Pe to beeg. Small clear pond — Ne bis.
Rivulet — Se bo wis sha.
Rivulet, or small river — Se be ainse.
Up the river — O ge tah je wun.
Down tha river — Nees sah je wun.
Falls — Bow we tig.
Rapids — Sah sah je wun.
Boiling spring — MokidjeAvun nebeeg.
Crossing place — Ak zhug ga win.
Banks of a river — Kish kut te naunk.
Forks — Saw waw koo te kwi aig.

Left hand side — Mum mun je nik e nuh kuh ka yah.
Right hand — Gitche nik.
Portage — One gum.
Hill — Pe kwut te naw.

Mountain — Wud jn . Mountains — Mud j u wun,
Vallev — Nas sah wut te naug.
Valley — Tah wut te naug.
Path — Me kun nuh.
War road — Nun do bun ne
Stone — Us sin. Stones-
Rock — Ah zlie beek.
Sand-
Clay-

Dirt of houses — We ah gus so.
Mud — Uz zish ke.

me kun nuh.

-Us sin neeg.

-Na gow.
-Waw be gun.

e7fi

TtIK AMEniCAN INDIAN.

iiio gitche wuu uebeeg.
ke wa wa.

Ciiveni ill rock — Ween bah zho ke kah.

Cavern, or hole in ground — Ween baiah.

Salt — She wo tau gun.

Salt spring — She wo tau gun

Deer lick — Om wausli

Metal —Pe waw be ko.

Gold — O zaw waw sho neah.

Silver — Sho neah.

Coppei- — Mis kwaw beek.

Lead — Os ke ko niaung.

Iron — Pe waw beek.

Brass — O Haw waAV beek.

Pewter — War bush ke ko mah.

Birth — Mah chees kunk pe ninh te so win.

Death — Skwaw be mah te se win.

Love — Meen oo neen de win.

Hatred — Sheen ga neen de win.

Marriage— We te kun de win.

Hunger — Buk kud da win.

Blacking, or fasting — Muk kud da ka win.

Sickness — Ah koo se win.

Pain — Suck kum mun dum mo win.

A word — Ke ke to win.

Name — Ah no zo win.

Cold — Kis se nali win.

Heat — Ke zhe ta win.

Dampness — Slink kiz ze win.

Length — Uh kwaw Avin.

Breadth — Mun kwut tia ah win.

Height, or tallness — Ke no ze win.

Depth — Keen ween du mah win.

Shortness — Tuh ko ze win.

Circle — Waw we a ah.

Roundness — AVaw wi a ze win.

Square — Shush shuli wao.

Squareness — Shush shuh wa ze win.

A measure — Te bi e gun.

A hole — No ko na ah.

Calamity, had look — Mah nah bo wa wis.

Harmony — Bup pe she ko way win.

Playfulness — Paw pe niz ze win.

Mind — Gaun nug gus ke wa sine.

VOCABULAIUES.

679

Trouble — Sun nu<,' ge ze win.

Work — Ah no ke win.

LdzinesH — Gitdie misli ke win.

Strenjitli Mus kaw we ze win.

Sliiipe — E zlio ko win.

Breath — I'uk ke tah uah mo win.

Sleep — No pah win.

A person — Ah we ah.

A thing— Ka go shis.

Notliing — Kali ka go.

Noise — Be giz ze win.

A shriek — AVe suk wa win.

Howling — Wah o no win.

Voice — Mus se tah goo se win.

White (animate) — Waw biz ze.

White (inanimate) — Waw bish kaw.

Black — Muk kud da waw.

Red — Mis kwnw.

Blue — Me zhuh kwod ooug ; a zhe nah guwt, like the sky.

Yellow — O saw waw.

Green — O saw wus kwaw.

Great — Mit chaw, unimate.

Greater — Nah wud mit chaw.

Greatest — Mi ah mo mit chaw.

Small — Ah gah saw.

Smaller — Nah wuj ah gah saw.

Smallest — Mi ah ma ah gah saw.

Strong — Soang gun (tough).

Hard — Mush kaw waw.

Heavy — Ko se gwuu.

Light — Nairn gun.

High — Ish pah.

Low— Tup pus sah.

Damp — Tip pah.

Thick — Kip pug gah, as a board.

Thick — Pus sug gwaw gum me, thick as mush.

Thick — Kip pug ge gut, as cloth.

Thick — Kip pug ga big gut, as iron.

Shape — Ke uah.

Weak — Slia wiz ze.

Brave — Soan ge ta ha ; sfrong hcarfed.

Brave — Mahn go ta sie ; loon heart.

UhO

TIIK A.Mr.ltlCAN INDIAN.

Coward — Slmhgutiiii; weak hcari.

Old — K<i kiiw.

Younjj — O 8k« lie ge.

(.lood- -Oiiisli e shin.

Bad — Mali iiah tut, inanimate.

Bad — Mall iiah diz ze, animate.

Wicked Mutclio o ])0 \va tize.

HaiultiouKi -Kwo iialidj.

Ugly — Mali iinh diz Zf.

Healthy — Mo no pe niali diz ze.

Sit'k — Ah koo ze.

Alive — Pe inah diz ze.

Dead — Ne ])o.

Sensible — Ne Invaw knli.

Cunning — Kuk ki a ne ze.

Foolish — Ko pah te ze.

Happy — Pan pin an ne mo.

Cool — Tuk ka yah.

Cold — Kis se iiah.

Warm — Ke zlio ze, animate; Ke zho yah, inanimate.

Hot — Ke zliaut ta.

Thirsty — Kos kun nah pah kwa.

Hungry — Buk kut ta.

First — Neet tum [n-ij aizsli lent).

Second — A koo nee slunk.

Long — Keen waw; k<'rn icaizh, long in time.

Wide — Mun gut ta yah.

Deep — Keen ween dum mo {as water) .

I — Neen.

Thou — Keen.

He — AVeen.

She — AVeen.

It— E eu.

AVe — -Neen ah wind (excluding the person addressed).

AA^e — Keen ah wind (including the person addressed).

They — E gieu, or, ween ah waw.

Them — E gieu ,^to persons) ; e nieu (to things).

My— Our.

Thy— Your,

His— Their,

Its,

That — E eu, animate. That — AVah ow, inanimate.

(None).

'i«4aM

VOCAHULAltlEa.

681

TluH — Mahn dun. or. C) o (to thin<(H).

This— Wnli ow, or, Miih bum (to persons).

This person — Miili hum, if nciir.

ThiH pcu'soii — All wfih, if far otf.

Tli(!HO — Ah noon (hili, if near.

ThoHO — An ne well, if far off.

Wiio — Wa nain.

Which- Tall neen o eu.

Both — I eozhe.

Either — Wa go to gwain.

Othor ( None ), ah ue wo (nearly).

All — Kok kin null.

Many- Bah ti eem.

Much- Ne be waw.

Few — Pun ge.

A little — (The same),

More — Miu o waw.

Some — Ga go.

Several — Ne be waw.

AVliere — Ah neen de.

When — Ah nuh pe.

Here — O mah

There- -E wid de.

At — ( Inseparable ) ,

Above — Ish pe niing.

Below — Tub bush shisli.

Over — Gitche i e.

Under — A nali mi e e.

Within — Peenj i e.

Near — Ba sho.

Far — ^Vaw saw.

Now — Noang goom.

Soon — Wi e bull.

Then — Me ah pe.

Always — Mo zhuk.

Never — Kali we kaw, or. kaw ween we kaw.

To-day — Nong gum ge zhe guk.

Yesterday — Pitch e nah go.

To-morrow — Waw bunk.

Long ago — Shah shiah.

Hereafter — Pou ne mah.

Before — Bwoi.

682

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

After — Kah esJi kwaw.

Ouce — Ah be ding.

Twice — Ne zliiuff.

How — Ah neen.

Well— Kwi uk, strait.

Ill — Kaw'gwi uk.

Quickly — Wa weeb.

Slowly — Ba kah diz ze.

Why — Ah nish wiu.

With — A i yeesh.

Without — (None).

From — AVaiii je.

Towards— (None). Ah che waw?

Yes — Uh. Certainly — Me nuug ga ha.

No — Kaw.

If — Keesh pin.

And — Gi a.

Or — (None).

Also — (None).

Perhaps— Go ne mah, or, kah nah butch.

One — Ning gooj waw.

Two — Neezh waw.

Three — Nis swaw.

Four — Ne win.

Five — Nah nun.

Six — Nin good waw swe.

Seven — Neezh waw swe.

Eight — Shwaw swe.

Nine

-Shong

ifus swe.

Ten — Me dos we.

To eat — Che we sin it.

To be hungry— Che we buk kud dit.

To drink — Che min ne kwait.

To walk — Che pe mo sait.

To run — Che pe me bat toan.

To sit down — Che nam mad a bit

To lie down — Che shin ge skink.

To stand — Che ne bo wit.

To stay — Clia ah bit.

To dance — Cha ne mit.

To go — Cha mah chaht.

To come — Cha tali ko shink.

VOCABULARIES.

683

To ride — Che me zhug gaut.

To ride — Che pe mnh bi o goat.

To hunt — Che ke o sait.

To fight — Che me kwa zoat.

To smoke — Che sug gus swawt.

To sing — Che nug gah moat.

To smoke — Che been dah kwait.

To sleep — Che ne baht.

To die — Ciie ne bote.

To say — Che e ke doat.

To speak — Clie keke doat.

To treat — Clie to to Avaut.

To marry — Che we wit.

To think — Che nain dunk.

To know — Che ke ken dunk.

To Avish — (This is not a regular verb, in the Ottawa).

To see — Che wau bit.

To hear — Che uon dunk.

To taste — Che ko tun dunk.

To smell — Che me non dunk.
To touch — Che tahn je nunk.
To love — Che san gi unk.
To hate — Che shin ga ne maut.
To kill — Che nis saut.
To scalp — Che mah miz zhwaut.
To give — Che me naut.
To take — Che o tau pe naut.
To bring — Che be naut.
To carry — Che mah clie naht.
To cut — Che kis ke shunk.
To stick — Che wa po to waut.
To plan I:— Che ke te gait.
To burn — Che ohau ge zuug.
To bury — Che ning wo waut.
To sow — Che kus ke gnAv saut.
-Che pe me bo tote.
-Che guk ket tote.
-Che die bah kwait.
-Che nin ge taik.
To subdue — Che muk dwait.
To have — Che aiht.
To be— Che iaht.

To blow
To hide-
To cook-
To melt-

684

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

He is — Ween sah.

I am — Neeii sail.

I am cold — Neen ge kudj.

I am warm — Neen ge zho se.

I am young— Neen do ske neeg.

I am old — Neen ge kaw.

I am good — Ne meen no zlie wa bis.

I am strong — Ne mush kaw Avees.

I am hungry — Ne buk kud da.

I am sick — Neen dah kooz.

It rains — Ke me wun.

It is cold — Kis se nab.

Go — Mah jon.

Stay — Ah bin.

Bring — Pe toan.

Give — Meezh.

Give me — Me zhe shin.

Take him — O tab .pin.

Take it — O tab pe nun.

He drinks — Ween min ne kwa.

He runs — ^Ween pe me bat to.

He sings — -Ween nug gab mo.

I sing— Neen nug gab mo.

We eat — We sin ne.

I eat — Ne we sin.

I came — Neen ge tub koo shin.

He came — Ween ge tub koo sliin.

We came — Neen ge tub koo shin noam.

I have eat — Ne ke we sin.

Thou bast eat — Ke ke we sin.

He has eat — O ke we sinne.

He saw — O ke waw bo maun.

He is dead — Ween ke ne bo.

He has been seen — Ke waw bo maw.

He shall spenk— Oan jittah kahgeeketo (I make).

He shall go— Oan jit tab tab mah jab (I make, etc.)

He may go — Tab mah jab.

We may go— Tab mail jab men.

This dog — Maw bub an ne nioosb.

These dogs — Ah goon dab an ne moag.

This is mine — Neen een di eeni (mine it remains).

That is thine — Keen ke ti erne (it belongs to thee).

VOCABULAUIES. 685

Whose dog is this? — Wha iiain wha ti et?

What is thyuame? — Ah neeu a zhe ne kah so yuu?

What do you call this? — Ah iieen a zlie ne kah dah muu?

To whom shall lie speak ? — O wa na nan ka kun no nah jit ?

Which of us shall go? — Owanain keeshaut?

Who shall go? — Tali neeu a ow ka e shaut?

Either of us shall go — Ne got wa hi ao o tai a slion.

Who saw these — Wa ne wi ah bo mik?

He — Ween.

My father — Nos a.

My brother — Na kau nis ; n'dau wa inah, by the women.

Elder — Nesiah.

Younger — Ne she ma.

My sister — N'dah wa mah.

Elder — Ne mis sail.

Younger — Ne she mah.

My son — Ne gwis.

My daughter — Ne dan nis.

My cJiild — Ne en jah nis.

My head — Ne o ste gwon.

My feet — Ne o zit tun.

My dog — Neen di.

My shoes — Ne niuk ke zin nun.

I saw you — Nee ke waw bo min.

I love you — Ke zaw ge in ; to a woman only, ne ma ne ne min.

I will marry thee, (a man to a woman) — Neen gah we te ga mah ;
(a woman to a man)kuh we te ge min.

He is taller than me — Na)i wudj ween ke nose a ko zeaun.

Ho is a stranger in the village — Mi ah mah mush kaw e zeet o da
nin iioiig.

My wife is called handsomer — Ne wish nah wuj kwo nahj a zhe
nah ko zi ian.

Your wife is younger than mine — Ke wis nah wudj os ke ne ge
neen a pe to zit.

My brother is with his wife — Ne kaun nis o we je waun we wun.

My hatchet is in there — Ne waw gaw kwut peeu dig at ta.

Where is he ? — To ne e peezh at taik ?

I am here — Maun di pe eeu di ah.

I am a man— Een da nin ne ne ew.

I am a good man — No min no a nin ew.

Thou art a woman — Keet e kwa o.

There is a God — Man i to sah iah.

686

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

I am that I am — Neen goo sail ueen.

He sings well — Ne tah nug gali rao.

He sings ill — Kaw'nit tali nug gnli mo se.

He sings slow — Se bis kautcli e nug gab mo.

He sings quick — Ka tah tub bull uni.

sings

his

death song-

-O be mah tuh se win

e nug gah mo

toan.

him).

I see him — Xe waw bo maw.

I see a man — E niu ne ne waw bo maw.

I see near — Pa show n'duk wawb.

I see far ofE — Was saw iiMuk wawb.

He came on foot — Ke bim me to sa.

He came on horseback — Ke be pe mom mi co.

You came on horseback — Ke ke be pe mo mik.

He came by land — Ah keeng ke [)e e zliaw.

He came by water — Ke be pe mish kaw nah.

He came before me — Ke be ne kauae.

He came last— Skwi ahtch ke ta koo shin.

He came without me — Kaw'neeu ge we je we goo se.

I struck him — Neen ge wa po to waw.

I struck him with my foot — Neen ge tun gish ko wa ; (I kicked

I struck him with a stone — Us sin neen ge wa po to waw.

I struck him with a hatchet — Wawgawkwut neen ge wa po to
waw.

I gave it to him — Neen ge me nah.

I did not give it to thee — Ka ween keen ke ke me nis se noan.

He gave it to me — Neen neen ge me nik.

What I gave him — Wa go to gwain e to ge gaw me nuk.

What he gave me — Wa go to gwain e to ge gaw me zlii.

And did he give it to thee? — Ke ge me nik in nah?

Hast tliou given it to him? — Ke ge me nah nah ? (Didst thou
give) ?^

Wilt thou give it to me? Ke kah me shin nah?

May I give it to him? — Kaw nuh neen dah me nah se?

I wish to go with thee and catch his horse — Op pa tus we je win
naun che tah ko nuk o ba zlieek o guli zhe mun.

Give me some venison to put in his kettle — Me she shin we yos,
che po tah kwi aun o^hkekoonk.

We conquered our country by our bravery, we will defend it with
our strength — Ne munk kund wa min ain dun uk ke ung. e zhin ne ne
wi auiig, (our manliness), or, ne mahn go tah se we win ne naum, (our

-rnyttJt.: t.T.a'ai h «v

VOCABULARIES.

687

loon Iiearteduess), ne kah kono aiiidahmeu ue nius kaw wiz ze wiu
ne uauu.

Good morning — Me gwaitch wi ah bah me non ; (I am glad to see
you).

How is it Avith thee ? — Tah ueen keen o wnw aiz zhe be mah te ze
aik? — (If two or more, ke me no be nah te ze nah? — how dost thou
live) ?

He is a good man — Me no pa mah tiz ze e uin ne.

Dost thou live well? — Ke men no pe mah tiz ze nah?

What news ? — Ah heeu aiu e kum me guk ?

I know him — Ne ke ken ne maw.

I understand — Nekekendum; (weeds and small things; of a
tree, or a large stone, they say, ne ke ken ne maw).

She is a good woman — Men no pa mah te se.

It is a large tree — Gitche me tik: (large tree).

I see it — Ne waw bo maw, if a man, a tree, or a large stone ; Ne
waw bun daun, if inanimate, or a very small animate object.

I give you this canoe — Ke me nin maun dun che maun.

Take it — O tau pe nun.

I give you this deer — Ke me nin maw buh waw waw wash gais.

Take him — O tau pin.

Give me meat — Me zhe shinwe yos ; give or hand to me, pe doau.

Give me that dog— Me zhe shin owan e moose.

Bring water — Ne beesh nah din.

Bring the prisoners — Beesh a wuh kau nug.

This is my father's canoe — No si ah maun dun o che maun.

I gave corn to my father — Mun dah me nun neen ge me nah noas.

I i)lanted corn for my father — Neen ge ke te go waw noas.

I love my father — Ne sah ge ah noas.

I took corn from my father — Neen ge o tah pe nun no waw noas
mun dah min.

I came with my father — Ne pe we je waw noas. (I accompanied
my father).

I saw a deer — Neen ge waw bo mo waw wash gais.

I saw two deer — Neesh waw wash gais e wug ne waw bomaig.

I killed a deer — Waw wash gais neen ge ne sah.

I killed him with my hatchet — Ne waw gaw kwut ne ke oon jin
nee sah.

I took the skin from the deer — Neen ge puk ko nah, (if he saved
the meat) ; neen ge gitche ke zwo ah, (if he threw it away).

It is very cloudy, I think it will rain — Ningwahnukwud ahpeche,
tahkemewun uiudeuandum.

688

THK AMKHICAN INDIAN.

It is hot weather — Kezhahta.

It is cohl weather — Kezeuah.

The wiiul blows — Noodin.

This is good bread — Oiiesheslie suh mahbah buhqiiazliegun.

Please give me something to drink — Meiniheshin.

There is no cup — Kahween menequanjegun ahtaseuoon.

Do you want tea?— Me nuh uhuebisliahbo wahmenequayun?

How are you to-day? — Ahueen e/Jie bemahdezeyun iioongoom?

Are you a little better, do you thiuk? — Ashkum nuh kemenouhyah
punge, kidenaiidum?

What is the matter with him? — Ahueen audid?

Where shall we pitch our tent? — Ahneende die kuhpasheyuug?

Lend me your knife — Uhweeshekun keemookoomauu.

Is the kettle boiling? — Ahzhe nuh ke oonsouhkik?

Make the fire blaze up — Piskahkoouanjegan.

Fetch water — Nebee nahdin.

Get the dinner ready — Chebahquan che weesening.

Let us smoke; have you tobacco ? — Suhguswahdah ; Ahsamah nuh
kiduhyahwah ?

Yes, but I left ray pipe behind — A, ningewuhuekanun dush nind
opwahgun.

Can you lend me your pipe? — Kegah uhwe imh kid opwahgun.

The mosquitoes are bad here — Suhguhmakah suh omah.

The mosquitoes don't like smoke — Egewh suhguhmag kahween
ominwandunse nahwali puhquana.

Where is Jack? — Ahneende Jack?

He is gone back in the bush with his gun — Noopeming keezhah
opaushkesegun kemahjeedood.

Is he g( )ne hunting ? — Ke uhwe goosa nuh ?

I don't know, he did not tell me — Anduhgwan kahween ninge-
weenduhmahgoose.

Where do you suppose he is now? — Ahneende dush noongoom
ayahgwan kedonandum ?

I am sure I don't know— Tebeedoog.

What bird is that calling? Is it a partridge? — Ahwanau owh
penase masetah goozid? Pena nuh?

No, it is a loon on the lake — Kahwasuh, maung suh ween owh
ewede kechegummeeng.

What animals are there about here? — Ahwanan doowuh ahwasee-
yug ayahjig omah?

All sorts of small game — Ahnooj goo doowuh ahwaseensug.

Stt)p, are we going right? — Pakah, ke quuhyukooshenoomin enuh?

VOCABULAniES.

689

eguii.

yun?
ngoom ?
lenouliyah

islieyuug ?

amah null
usli uiud

aliguu.

kahween

I see ft sugar camp through the trees — Newahbundauu eiusebah-
kwudookaum magwayahquah.

The Indians are making sugar — Sinsebahquudookawug egewh
ahuishenahbag.

See, the sap is running — Enuh, oonjegdlimuhgud sinsebahquu-
dahboo.

How far is it to the shore ?—Ahneen apeechaug ewede uhguh-

ming ?

About five miles — Kagah nahnim debahbaun.

Have you shot anything? — Kegeneton nuh kago?

No, I saw nothing — Kah, kahween uhweuyh ahwase ningewah-
bumah se.

That Indian is hunting beaver — Nundoomiqua owh ahnishenahba.

Good day, it is a fine day — Boozhoo, meno kezhegud.

Yes, it seems a long time since we have seen you — A kagat, kuh-
bauhyee suh enewag kah uhko wahbumeegooyun.

INDIAN NAMES OF COLORS, OJIBWAY DIALECT.

Black— Mukadu.
White— Wahbe.
Blue — Ozah Washquah.
Yellow — Osuhive.
Red — Miskiou.

CATALOGUE OF TREES, PLANTS AND ANIMALS.

keezhah

u ninge-

aongooni

lan owh
sen owh
liwasee-

n enuh ?

Algonquin language; Ojibway dialect; with the English names

for the same.

Metik rjoag — Trees.

Shin go beek — Evergreens, or cone bearing trees.

Ma ni hik — Norway pine.

A nee naun duk — Balsam fir.

Kik kawn dug — Spruce. The black pheasant feeds on the leaves.

Mus keeg wah tick — Hackmatack, swamp wood.

Kaw waun duk — Single spruce.

Mis kwaw wauk — Red cedar.

Ke zhik — White cedar.

Kaw Avaw zheek — Juniper bushes.

Kaw wah zheen sha, or All kaw wunje — Yew.

Kaw kaw go wingz — Hemlock spruce.

Puk gwan nah ga muk — White pine (peeling bark).

Shin gwawk — Yellow pine.

690

XHK AMElilCAN INDIAN.

Xr hi.-il! nil — Trees Avith broad leaves
Niii au tik — Sugar maple (our own tree).

She she gum maw wis-

-River maple (nap flows fast).

Shah shah go be rauk — Low-ground majjle.

Moons omais — Striped maple (moose wosd).

Sha shn go be muk oons — Spiked maple (little shah shah go be
muk).

We gwos — White birch.

Ween es sik — Black birch.

Buhwiemenin awgawwunje — Red cherry (the wood of the
shaken down fruit, or berry).

Sus suli way meen all ga wunje — Choke cherry.

Bull wi me nah ne gah wunje — Black cherry.

Nai go wim me nah gaw we zheen — Sand — cherry bushes.

Me tik o meesh (Mait e ko ma Menominee) — Black oak (wood
cup).

Meesh a niish — White oak.

Ah sail tia — White poplar.

Mall nu sail tia — Balsam poplar (ugly poplar). Mat he me toos
— Cree. Franklin's narrative, p. 78.

Be zliew au tik — Coffee bean tree (wild cat tree). Found only
in the south.

Way miche ge meen ah ga wunje — Honey locust, southern.

Uz zhuh way mish — Beech ; none northward of Mackinac.

Me tig wawb awk — Smooth hickory (smooth wood bow tree).

Nas kun nuk a koosit — Me teg waAvb awk — Hickory (rough bark
bow tree).

A neeb — Elm, white.

O shah she go pe — Red elm, two varieties; the bark of one only
used for sacks.

Wa go be mish — Linn (bark tree).

Bug gaun awk — Black walnut.

Ke no sha bug gaun awk — Butternut (long walnut).

Aim za bug gaun awk — Pecan, southern.

Suz zuh wuk ko mist — Hackberry.

As semp nun — Pawpaw.

Boo e nuk — White ash.

We sug auk — Black ash.

Bug gaun ue me zeesh ah — Hazel bush.

Waw bun wah ko meezh — White arrow wood.

We ah ko meezh — Arrow wood.

Mus kwaw be muk — Red ozier.

V0C.VHULAIIIE8.

()'.»!

1 go be

of the

(wood

e toos
I only

bark

only

O to pe — Alder. O to peen— -Alders.

Sis 86 go be iiiisli — Willow.

Bug ga sah ue mish — Plum tree.

Mish she min null ge wuuje — Crab apjile tree.

Mish she min au tik— Crab apple wood, or tree.

Ne be min ah ga wunje — High cranberry bush.

Pah tall to niun a ga wunje — Black haw bush.

Ke teg ge maiiito — New Jersey tea (red root).

Koose gwaw ko mizhe ga wunje — High blueberry bush.

O zliusk ko mi zheeu — Muskrat berries.

Be ma gwut — Grajie.

We gwos be mah gwut — Birch grape.

Manito be mah gwut, or manito meen a gali wunje — Cissus, a
climbing vine, with scattered berries, somewhat like grapes.

Mus ke ge min — Cranberry, crane berries (swamp berries).

Sa zah ko mo nah gah wah zheen, pi. — Saccacommis, or arbutus.
The leaves of this plant, the wa wcsa of the shops, are commonly
used by the Ojibways, in whose country it abounds, to mix with their
tobacco.

Waw be ko meen ah gaw wunje — Nine bark, or spiraw.

Wis seg ge bug, sing, Avis seg ge bug goon, ^j/.— Bitter leaf; an
andromeda, very highly esteemed by the Indian, as a remedy, and by
them, said to grow only about the Grand Traverse, in Lake Huron.

Ne kim me nun — Swamp whortleberries.

Sliug gus kim me nun — Thimble berries, or flowering raspberries.

Kaw wah be ga koo sit — White bark, a small tree at Lake Tra-
verse.

Ut tuh be ga zliin nah gook — A shrub said to be found only in
the north.

Pah posh geshe gun au tik — Red elder, (popgun wood), very
common about Me nau zhe taun naug, and the islands in the Lake of
the Woods.

Bwoi jim me nah ga wunje — Whortleberry bush.

Ne kim me nah ga wunje — High blueberry bush.

Mus keeg o bug goan — Labrador tea, (swamp leaves) one of the
most esteemed of the products of cold and swampy regions ; used in
decoction as tea.

Pe boan meen ah gaw wunje — Winterberry bush, a prinos.

Mun no mun ne chee beeg — Red paint root.

Me nais sa gaw wunje — Thorn apple.

Buz zuk ko me nais, sing., buz zuk ko me nais ug, pi. — A kind of
thorn apple growing in the north, which sometimes kill bears when

692

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

they eat them in large (juaiuitios. The IinUaus suppose that it is in
consequence of the strongly adhesive quality of the pulp, that they
have this deleterious property.

Moen — Blueberry; nieen un — Blueberries (fruit). This is a
word that enters into the composition of almost all which are used as
the names of fruits or berries of any kind; as me she min, or me she
meen, an apple, o da e min, a strawberry, or heartberry, etc. The
word ga wunge, added to the name of any fruit or berry, indicates the
wood or bush.

Meen ah ga wun's — Black currant bush.

Mish e je rain ga wunje — This is a bush growing at and about
the Lake of the Woods, which bears red currants, like those of the
gardens : but the currants are beset thickly with hairs.

Shah bo min nun — Gooseberry; shah bo min ga wunje — the
bushes.

Mis kwa min — Easpberry ; mis kwa min nug — Raspberries.

O dah tall gah go min — Blackberry ; O dah tali gali go me nug —
Blackberries.

Muk kwo me nug, or muk kwaw me nug — Bear berries; muk ko
me nah ga wunje — The mountain ash, or American service tree.

O gin ne mee nahga wunje — Rosebush. The fruit is much eaten
in winter by the starving Indians in the north.

All these are called me tik goag, or woody plants.

Wcah gush koan — Weeds, or herbaceous plants.

Me zhusk keen, (Ma zhus koon of the Menorainees) grasses.

Na bug us koan — Coarse swamp grass.

Anali kun us koan — Bullrush, (mat grass).

Be gwa wun us koan — Soft coarse grass. The name of the Be wi
o nus ko river and lake, called Rush river on some of the maps, is
from this word. This word seems, in some districts, to be used as
the name of the cow parsley.

As ah gu nus koan — Bug gusk — Iris.

Puk kwi usk oge — Flags.

Zhusk gwut te beeg — Muskrat root (a grass).

The following are not called Me zhus keen:

Maz zlia uush koan pi. — Nettles. — Ma zan, sing.

Skib waw we gusk — Artichoke, a species of sunflower.

Ke zhe bun usk koan — Rushes.

O kun dum moge — Pond lilies.

Ma ko pin, Ma ko pin eeg, sing, and pi. — Chinkapin, or cyamus.

Waw be ze pin neeg — Arrowhead (swan potatoes). The roots of

VOCABULARIES.

{Y.)S

the cDiumon saggittarin, as well as the bulbs of some of the crest
flowering lilies, which are outeu by the Indians, receive this uume.

Mu8 ko ti pe neeg — Lily, (prairie potatoes).

O kah tahk — Cicuta.

Manito O kah tahk — Sison? heracleura?

O saw wus kwun wees — Green small balls.

Sag gut tu bo way — Sticking burs ; houmls' tongues, etc.

Nail ma wusk — Spearmint, (sturgeon njedicine).

Wis se giche bik — Indian's physic, (bitter root; callistachia).

Mis kwe wis clie be kug guk — Bloodroot.

A zluish a way skuk — Square stem scrophularia.

Be zhew wusk — Wild cat medicine.

Ke na beek o me nun — Snake berries; Dracaena borealis.

Main wake — Angelica, or cow parsley.

Me tush koo se min — Ap[)le of the prairie of the Canadians,
(Psoralia ) much eaten by the Crees and Assinnelwins, in wiiose country
it abounds.

Mah nom o ne gah wah zheen, pi — Wild rice (the grass).

Muk koose a mee nun — Young bear's berries.

We nis se bug goon — Wintergreen.

Mus kee go bug goon — Swamp wintergreen ;
rough wintergreen.

Be na bug goon — Partridge flower.

Mus ke gway me taus— Side saddle flower, (swamp bottles, in
allusion to the pitcher shaped leaves).

Muk kud da we che be kug guk — Black roots.

Pa ta sis koo see men — The flower that follows the sun.

Pe zhe ke wusk — Buffalo medicine. — Wild carrot?

She wa bug goon — Sweet cicely, (sour leaf).

A nicli e me nun — Wild ])ea vine.

O da na me no gaw '.vun zheen, pi. — Strawberry vines.

Se booi gun nuk — Cornstalks (chaw sweet).

O pin — Potatoe. — O pin neeg — Potatoes.

O guis e maun — ^Squashes. O zaw waw o guis se maun — Yellow
squashes.

Mis kwo de se min —Bean. Mis kwo de se min ug — Beans.

As ke tum mooug — Melons.

Gitche un ne beesh — Cabbage (big leaf). Gitche ne beesh un —
Great leaves.

Skush kuu dah min ne kwi uk— Plaintain ; the leaves of this are
particularly observed by hunters, as they show, better tlian anything
else, the age of the tracks of game.

perhaps the little

m>4

Tin; AMKItlCAN INDIAN.

i^lii^ f^iiu <.;ii win zhct't^, pi -Ou'umH, (skunk woecls).

O kiiii tiiuk — Currotri.

Kitcho niiiH ko ke nieen — Uod popix'r, ( <,'reat niediciiio bony).

Bh s<i kwiiiik -TluH is n rod astrinjjft'iit root, much vidue«l l)y the
ludiniis as an a|)|)li<rati()n to wounds. Avens root.

Siiah i)o ZH gun — Milkweed. The ()jil)way word signifies j)iini(i-
iivv.

Waw be no wnsk — Yarrow, ( Wawbeno medicine).

Ke ziio bun usk kon sun — Small rushes in prairie.

Nah nail gun e wushk — Fern. Nah nah gun o wuslik koan —
Ferns.

We se bain jah ko nun — Usnaco.

Wah ko nug — Lichens; the edible gyrophora.

Ween do go wah ko nug — Gyrophora, ine<lible.

Waw bah sail ko nick — Sphagnun, used by the women to make a
bed for young children.

Ah sah ko nik — Marchantia, and green mosses, on tlie shady sides
of trees.

O "husk kwa toan suk — Reindeer moss, citrariac, etc.

() zliiish kira lo innj — Fungi.

Waw Imt to — Pine touch-wood.

Me tik o inish O zliusk kwa to wug — White oak touch-woods,
much used to burn mortars for pounding corn.

Sug gull tall gun — Spunk.

Je bi e push kwa e gun — Xylostroma; dead people's moccasin
leather is the literal meaning of this word, wliicli is applied to the
leather-like substance in tlie fissures of old trees.

O je bi e muk lie zin — Ghost or spirit moccasin; puff ball; dead
man's shoe : sometimes called Anung Avug — stars.

Ah ivcx sic iKj — Animals.

The diminutive termination is used for the young of animals, and
is, in the Ottawa dialect, generally in the sound of /(s, or ncc, when the
noun ends viSi a vowel. Thus, Gwin gwaw ah ga, a wolverence;
Gwiii gwaw nil ga giance. a young wolverence; the a in the last
syllable jftaining the same syllable as in the word without the diminu-
tive termination. Wlien any distinction of sex is made, it is commonly
by prefixing the word i ah ba and no zha, very similar in signification
to our male and female; thus, I ah ba Gwin gwaw ah ga, is tlie male
wolverence ; No zha Gwin gwaw ah ga, a female wolverence.

Na nah pah je ne ka se — A mole, (foot wrong way ).

Gwin gwaw ah ga — Wolverence ; (tough beast), Carcajon, French,

VOCAnrLAUIES.

<5{»5

iinrlhmi ijliillon, n vory sHj^'HcioiiH iiiul iniscliiovouH luiiiiDil. hut not of
fOMiiiioii occurriMico; now [a'incipiilly I'oiiiul niiKtii^' tlu' liiki's.

Bo tiiicli (!li« pin j^wis sii (roplitir. ( blow u|» \.\w i^round ).

MnnitoMuk kwaw -Gront^^rizzly Imur, iilwayH fouml in tho prnirio.

Mil mis ko "riili /lio nmk kwaw Ilnd niiil hour; vciry fierco and
(lunifoi'oiis, nion; f'BiinHl l»y tiio IndiiuiH tliun tlin foinit'r, wiio vt>ry
rui'i'ly uttack.s a inuii, unless wounded; but the red nailed bear attacks
when uiii)rovoked, and pursues with ^reat speed. He lives in rocky
()lHces in woods.

Muk kwaw -Common bear; On wdsit ah, of the Meuoniineen.

Muk koons. or Muk kooneti Cub; On ini slid sIki, of the
Meniuninees.

I (11(1 hn koons and No ziia koons, are used by the Ottawas and
Ojibways to distinj»uish the male aiid female bear, where the Menomi-
noes would use On iivi slioli f'J no! iic iroir and On ini sIkiIi. Mo liii
mo shall.

Me tun nusk, (Ojib). — Toothless. |

Mish she mo nah na, ( Ott). — Great burrower. \ "* ^^^'

Mus ko tai Chit ta rao — Prairie squirrel.

iUus ko tai Ah j^win (jfwoos — Prairie stri])ed squirrel; small ^'J' Ir-
rel, with stripes and spots, burrowing in the prairie, sometimo- *'h
the Ch iff (I mo.

Ah gwin gwoos — Chipping squirrel.

Atch e dah mo — Red squirrel.

O ziiug gus kon dali wa — Flying squirrel (strikes flat on a tree).

Sun nail go, ami Muk kud da As sun nah go, and Mis kwaw sun
unh go— Tlio grey, black, and fox squirrels, not found in the country
north of Lake Superior,

Uk kuk koo jees — Ground hog, smaller than in the states.

Me sau boos— -Hare, white in winter,

AVaw l)oos — Rabbit. Meezh way. Meezh way ug, ,s///, and pi.
Soutliern rabbit.

Pish tall te koos — Antelope. Tliis is reckoned the fleetest animal
in the prairie country aljout the Assinniboin.

Pe zhe ke — Buffalo. No zha zlia pe zhe ke — A cow that has a
young calf following her. O neen jah nis pe zhe ke — Farrow cow.

•Tall ba pe zlie ke--Bull. Pe zhe keence — A young calf. O saw
wawKooshance — A calf, Avhile the hair is red. Poo nah koosli — Calf,
a year old. Ah ne ka Ijoo nah koosh — Two years old.

Gitclie pe zhe ke — Fossil mammoth.

Ma nah tik — Big liorn.

Gitche mail nish tah nish — Rocky Mountain sheep.

600

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

An nc moo shiKj — Dogs.

Na ne nio why, (Ott. ) ? c- n i* • ■ • x •

„. , , '^ W. \ hniali woli, in prairie countries.

Nishtuhtahsi, (Ojib.) S

Mi eeii gun nug — Common wolves.

Mi oen gun — Common wolf.

Muk kud da mi een gun — Black wolf.

Waw be mi een gun — White wolf.

Slioou sho — Long-eared hound.

-Common dog.

O saw waw goosli-
Muk kud da waw goosh-

Au ne moosh-
Ta t'lh koo gaut ta was sin — Short leg dog.
Be gwi wa wes sim — Long haired dog ; Newfoundland.
Ke wis kwa mi een gun nug — Mad wolves, sometimes seen, but
rarely bite, unless attacked.

Waw goo sIukj — Foxes.

-Common red fox.

-Black fox.

Muk kud da waw goo shug — Black foxes.

Wa whaw goosh — White foxes, fur long, but of no value.

Ne ke kwa tug gah wa waw goosh — -Gray fox.

Pis tall te moosh — Swift fox (small dog).

Kali ziie gainsp — Common house cat (little glutton).

Pe zhew -Wild cat.

Ko tall gall gab. pi; zhew — Lynx (spotted wild cat).

Me she pe zhew — Panther (big wild cat).

Ah meek — Beaver Naub ah meek— Male beaver.

Noazh ah meek — Female beaver.

beaver.

Kin waw no wish shug, Cree. ]

Muk kud da waw wash gais, Ojib. S

W^aw wash gais — Rod or Virginia deer.

O mush koons, (Ojib.) ) t,,, f\ n ^ • t»t • i.i

^ •• / Elk. On Red river, Mouse river, the

ueshaway, (Ott. ) • t. i • i.

*'/''( Saskart'jawun, etc.
Waw was kesh.( Cree ). )

Ah dik — Reindeer. Ca ri bon, the French — Tlie feet very large

and bi'oad, fitting the animal to travel over smooth ice, or deep snow;

found on all the shores of Lake Superior, and sometimes ai the upper

end of Lake Huron ; but most f recpiently farther north.

Moose. The nasal sound at the 'iid

Ah meek koanse — Your/g

Black tailed deer.

Mooze, or Moonce, (Ojib. )
Moon swah, (Cree).

of this word is common in these
dialects; but it is ditKcult to repre-
sent by the letters of our alphabet

^e^a|H

VOCABULARIES.

(;ii7

a, but

milt

the

irge
ow;
»j)er

lese
)re-

I aw ba niooze — Buck moose. No zlia mooze — Deer idookc.
Moouze aince — Little moose, etc.

A yance — Opossum, only in the south. The word a yance meaus
cmfli/.

8hiii goos — Weasel, two kinds.

Ne gik — Otter. Ne gik wug — Otlevs.

Keen wall no wa waw wnw be gun o je — Long tail leaping mouse.

Waw waw be gun o je — Mouse.

Ah mik waw waw be gun o je — Beaver, or diving mouse.

Kali ge bin gwaw kwa — Shrew. Two species are common about
St. Mary's in winter.

Kahg — Porcupine. Kahg wug — Porcupines.

Sliong gwa she — Mink.

Wall be zlio she — Marten.

A SB bun — Raccoon.

She galig — Skunk.

O zhusk — Muskrat.

All puk kwon ah je — Bat.

Ojeeg — Fisher weasel, very stupid, easy to kill.

/>'a /)((/( via Id jccij — Eoptiles.

Nau tu way — Thick, short rattle snake. Sha no we uaw — Tlie
rattler.

ksliB she gwa — Common rattle snake. Both these are occasionally
kept tame by the Indians. They sometimes make feasts to them, and
they are said to be very docile and intelligent.

Me tik o she she gwa — Adder.

Na wa — Moccasin snake.

Pill kun — Prairie snake. At the head of Mouse river, and in the
prairies towards the Missouri. These snakes are more than six feet
]s/!!g. and proportionately large. Pih kun un, common snakes, but
never half so huge as the above.

Mis kwan dib — Red head; copper snake,

O zha wus ko Keni' 'eek — Green snake.

Mnk kud da Ke m. I. k — Black snake.

O mus siiu dum mo — Water sjiake.

Wa in jo tall Ke na beek — Garter snake (right or true ge na bik).

O kaule Ke id;, boek — Lizzard (legged snake).

Gee kut tail naung — Lizzard of some kind.

Que we zains — Little boy (also a lizzard).

Nib be \w. O nuih kuk ke — Orbicular lizzard (medicine frog).

Wain je tah O nuili kuk ke — Right frogs, or common frogs.

698

THK AMERICAN INDIAN.

Dnin da — Bull frog, and haituic Z. 19.

Mis ko muh kuk ke — Red toad. From O muk kuk kr (toad ), aud
Ah koo sc icin (sickness), is probably derived the word Ma lunk kc ze
win (^the small ])ox).

Boos kui tail wish — A tortoise with round deep shells.

Mis kwaw tais sa — Terrapin.

Sug gus kwaw 're ma — Le ech.

B<' iKiiH se v'U(j — isivds.
Ke neu — War eagle; tliH master of all birds.
Me giz ze — White headed eagle. Me giz se wug, plural.
Ka kaik — Spotted hawk.
Be l)o ue sa. ^Ottaw.) ( ^y- , j j^
Ke bu nuz ze. (Ojib. ) \

No je ke na beek we zis se — Marsh hawk (snake eating).
Wa be no je Ke na beek we zis se — White marsh hawk.
Mis ko na ne sa — Red tail hawk.
Pish ke neu — Black tail hawk.
Muk kud da ke neu — Black hawk.
Bub be nug go — Spotted tail liawk.
Be na seen's — Small pheasant hawk.
Cha een sa — A small hawk, so named from its cry.
Pe pe ge wiz zain's — Smallest hawk.
We nong ga — Turkey buzzard.

Kah (jah ge, (Ojib. ) / ,>

n 1 , t\l,- \ ■ Raven.

Gau gau ge she, [Uu. ) \

On daig — Crow. On daig wug — Crows.

As sig ge nawk — Blackbird.

Mis ko min gwe gun uali Sig ge nauk — Red wing blackbird.

O pish kah gaii ge — -Magpie. O pish kah gah ge wug— Magp'os.

Gween gwe sha — Similar in habits aud locality to the fonuer,
aud closely resembling in size and color.

Teen de se — Bluejay. These begin to lay their egga before in i
snow is off the ground in the spring.

Be gwuk ko kwa o Avais sa — Trush.

Ail lu(!k — Similar to the thrush in habits.

Ween de go be nais sa— Kingbird (the biril that eats his own
kind).

O pe die — Robin.

INla mall twa — Cat bird.

Cha\im ma wais she — Another of the same size.

Kos kos ko na ching — Ground bird? A small bird S' •::ai)M'd
from its note.

Kah gah ge wug — Ravens.

VOCABUI iVRIES.

a\)\)

Waw be niiig ko se — Snowbirds.

Che ki die gau ua sa — A very small lively bird, peculiar to the
north.

Mis kobe ua sa — Red bird.

Sa ga bun wau uis sa — Waxen chatterer.

O zha wus kobe na sa — Green bird.

O zaw we be na sa — Yellow bird.

Ma ma — Red headed wood pecker.

Paw paw sa — Spotted wood pecker.

Mak kv'\ da paw paw sa — Black pawpawsa. The male of this
kind has a bright yellow spot on the top of the head. They are
found about Lake Superior in winter.

Mo ning gwun na — Yarril (highhold).

Ke ke ba na — Small spotted wood pecker.

Clie gauu do wais sa — Brown wood pecker, confined to cedar
countries.

Shin go beek ai sa — Cedar bird.

Gitche o gish ke mun ne sa — Great king fisher.

O gish ke mun ne sa — Common king fisher.

Shaw sliaw wa ne bais sa — Swallow.

O kun is sa — Loxia enudeator, found at Lake Superior in Febru-
ary.

Pe, sing., Pe ug, pi. — A fringilla, smaller than the waxen chat-
terer. The female has a spot of red on the head ; the male, the whole
head and neck of tlie same color. The tail feathers are bent outwards
near the ends. Found about Lake Superior in tlie winter.

Bosh kun dum moan — Parakeet (croch perons).

Moash kah o se We kum mo (Menominee) — Stake driver, (bit-
tern).

Kun null waw be mokee zhis wais sa — Fly up the creek (sun
gazer).

Me nom i ne ka she — Rail (rice bird).

Pud dusli kon zhe — Snipe.

Gitche pud dush kon zhe — Wood cock.

Che dices chc mc iik — Waders.

Mo boke — Curliew (a foreign word).
Mus ko da che chees ke wa — Upland plover.
(Wain je tah che chees ke wa- — Yellow leg plover.
Che to waik — Bull head plover.
Che chees ke wais — Tern.
Wawb uh die v-linAvk — White crane.

700

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

O saw waw clie chawk — Saud hill crane.

Me zis sa — Turkey.

Be ua — PliOHsant.

Mus ko da sa — Grouse ; confined to pine and cedar coiantries.

Ah gusk (Ojib.) Ke maw ne (Ott. ) — Prairie hen.

O me me — Pigeon ; o me meeg-

-Pigeons.

Amemi, Z. 19.

Ko ko ko 0(jc — Owls.

Waw wain je gun no — Great horned owl.

Wain je tah koko koho — Right owl.

Koko oause — Little owl ; gokholit, Z. 18.

Bo dah wall doam ba — Size of a pigeon (membrum virile).

Kaw kaw be sha — Brown owl.

Waw be ko ko — Snow owl, very large.

Wah o nais sa — AVhippoorwill.

Baish kwa — Night hawk.

She she bug — Ducks.

Waw be zee — Great swan.

Mall nah be zee — Smaller swan, not common. Their cry resem-
bles the voice of a man. Tlie word means ugly or ill looking swan.

Ne kuli — Brant; ne kug, j)L

Pish ne kuh — A smaller braut.

Wa wa — Goose ; Wa waig — Geese ; Waw be wa wa — White goose ;
"Waw be wa waig — White geese.

An ne nisli slieeb — Duck and mallard.

Tah gwaw ge she slieeb — Fall duck, red neck.

Mall to gun she slieeb- -Scraper bill iluck.

Scab mo — Wood duck.

Wa weeb ge won ga — Blue wing teal, swift winged.

Ke nis te no kwa slieeb — Cree woman duck.

Mr'v kud da sheeb — Black duck.

Kitche waw Ave big wa wya — Large blue wing duck.

Pe gwuk o she sheeb — Large bill, or blunt arrow duck; from pe
gwuk, the blunt or unbarbed arrow. This species has a large bill, and
head of a leaden color. They are found throughout the winter in the
rapids between Lakes Superior and Huron.

Ma muh tway ah ga — Whistling wing.

Koe no gwaw o wa sheeb — Long neck duck.

A ha wa — House duck.

Wah ka we sheeb — White duck.

Gaw waw zhe koos — Sholl iluck.

V0CABULAKIE8.

701

)sein-
swuu.

oose

a pe

and

I the

All zig wuk — Fishing duck.

Sail gah ta — Mud hen.

Shin ge bis — Greebe ; Gitche shin ge bis — large greebe.

Mahng — Loon.

A sha mahng — Small loon.

Gaw gaw geshe sheeb — Cormorant,

Sha da — Pelican ; sha dajg — Pelicans.

Shuh slnih gah — Blue heron.

Gitche gi aushk

Gi aushk wu(j — Gulls.

■Great gull. Gi as koo sha of the Ottawas.
Paush kaw gi aushk — Black headed gull.
Nas so waw gwun nus kitte kwah gi aushk — Fork tailed gull.
Muk kud da gi aushk — Black gulls.

Man (' foansc sug* — Insects.

Bo dush kwon e she — Large dragon fly.

Bo dus kwon e sheense — Small dragon fly.

Gitche me ze zauk — Large horse fly.

Me zauk — Common horse fly.

Me zauk oons — Gnat fly.

Gitche ah mo — Humble bee.

Ah mo, siiuf., ah maag, ;;/. — Wasps, hornets, etc.

Waw waw tais sa — Lightning bug.

An ne me ke wid de koamf — Miller, sphinx, thunder's louse.

Pah puk ke na — Grasshopper.

Ad de sail wa a she — Locust.

Mow wytoh e ka se — Beetle (dung worker).

Gitche o mis kose — Great water bugs.

O mis — Common water bug.

Ma maing gwali — Butterfly.

Metig onishe moan ka she — (He that sleeps in a stick). Found
in the bottom of springs.

Sha bo e ya sa — Rowing water bug.

Man e toanse o ke te beeg pe me but toan — Literally, the
little creature, or spirit that runs ou the water.

O mush ko se se wug — Grass bugs.

*Man e toanse BUg, or man e toanse ug, amall spirits; not exactly synonymous
in this application with our word insscts, but used to designate, indiscriminately, all
very small animals.

tThis is one of those clumsy sphinxes, or moths, that are found on the ground, in
damp weather, or after showers of rain, and the Indians imagine that they fall from
the Annimekeeg, the beings whose voice is the thunder.

702

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

O o chug — Blowing flies and house flies.
Sug ge ma — Mosquito.

Pin goosh, pin goosh ains sug — Gnats ami sand flies.
Mat wa nuh kai luoag — Swarming flies.

Sub be ka she — Spider (net worker). A a be ko — Large black
spider.

An e go — Ant.*

Mis ko manetoanse — A little red bug common in the north.

Me nah koo sit manetoanse — Strawberry bug.

Pull beeg — Flea; Puh beeg wug — Fleas.

Eze gang — Tick.

E kwuh — Louse; E kwug — Lice.

Mo saig — Worms.

O zah wash ko mo sah — Green worm.

Way rank kwah na — Great catterpillar (bear skin).

Gitche mo sa — Great white grub ; gitclie mo saig, pi.

Me shin no kau tait mo sa — Millipede.

Pe mis koo de seence — Snail.

Ke (joi yu<j — Fishes,

Nah ma — Sturgeon.

Mas ke no zha — Muskallunge, or pike.

O zhaw wush ko ke no zha — Green pickerel, only found in the
north.

Ke no zha — Pickerel ; from Kenose, long.

Nah ma goosh — Trout.

Na zlium ma goosh — Brook trout.

Ne git che — Buffalo fish.

Bush she to — Sheepshead ; bush she toag, pi.

Mou nuh she gun — Black bass.

Ad dik kum aig (attai kum meeg, Menom. ) — White fish.

Buh pug ga sa — Large sucker.

Mis kwaw zhe gun no — Red horse.

Nah ma bin — Sucker. Mis kwun nah ma bin — Red sucker.

Ug gud dwawsli — Sun fish.

Sah wa — Perch, (yellow). Sa waig, 2)1.

O ka ah wis — Fresh water herring.

We be chee — A flat fish larger than herring ; only lound in Red
river.

♦The Nantoway Indians have a fable of an old man and woman who watched an
ant heap until they saw the little insects changed to white men, and the eggs which
they carry in their mouths to bales of merchandise.

VOCABULABIES.

7o;>

black

Q the

Red

id an
rbiob

Mon iium maig — Great cat fish.

Ah wa sis sie — Little cat fish. The Indians say this fish hatches
its young in a hole in the mud, and that they accompany her for some
time afterwards.

Ke na beek gwum maig — Eel, (water snake).

O da che gah oou — Gar.

Shig gwum .aaig — Shovel nose, only in the Mississippi.

Kuk kun naun gwi — Little toad fish; Lake Huron.

O gah suk — Little dories; Lake Huron.

O gah — Dory.

Bug gwut tum mo goon suk — These are small fishes that make
their appearance in ponds having no connection with rivers or lakes,
and which are sometimes quite dry. But, though they all perish in
times of drouth, they reappear when the ponds are filled,

Shaw ga she — Craw fish.

Ais — Clam. Ais sug— -Clams.

Ais ainse — Little clam.

Mis koan sug — Red clams.

MINERALS.

That the Indians are less observant of inanimate substances than
of orgauis hI beings, will be manifest from the following meag\^ cata-
logue of minerals:

Bin gwaw beek — Lime stone, (ashes stone).

Mat toat wah nah beek — Granite.

Muk kud dah waw beek — Black stone.

Mik kwum me waw beek — White flint, (ice stone).

Pish ah beek — Sulphuret of iron. They often find this passing
into sulphate of iron, and make use of it for dyeing black.

O poih gun us sin — Pipe stone; further distinguished accordirg
to color.

O skaw shut waw beek — ^Gneiss, (vein stone).

Mis kwaw sin — Red sand stone.

Gan gaw wusk — Gypsum.

Waw be gun — White clay.

O num un — Ochre.

Mis kwaw be gun — Red earth.

O saw waw be gun — Yellow earth.

Muk kud da wuk kum mik — Black mould.

Waw be gun uk kaw — Clay ground.

CHAPTER LVI.
INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

Definition of Indian Local Names — Names of States— Counties— Cities— Towns—
Eivers — Streams— Lakes — Moiiutaius — Rjiuges.

[The matter contained in this chapter is derived from information obtained from
the writings of Heckewelder, Schoolcraft, Trumbull, Morgan find others, aided by
that from the Indians themselves, as well as from a knowledge of the Indian dialects
acquired by the writer through patient study in the midst of a busy life.]

AuBRKViATiONs,— The language from which words are derived is denoted bjr abbreviations, thus: Alg.
for Algonquin, Dale, for Dakota, Irq. for Iroquois.

BACOOCHE, this word is supposed to be
derived from Oscoochee, one of the
ancient bands of the Creek nation. Name
of a river in Georgia.

Abanaka, Ahcnakr, (Alg.), "the east
land." A post-office in Ohio, from a tribe of
Indians, sometimes known as Wabenakics.

Abaguage, (Alg.), "a flaggy meadow."

The name of a pond in Connecticut, near the source of a stream
called Little River.

Abitibi, (Alg., Cree dialect), "intermediate water." Name of
lake in British America; from the root abif, "middle half," and nipi
(pronounced nc pc) "water," which makes ipi in composition, whence
Abifipi, "water at half distance;" the name of this lake comes from
its position at the level of the laud between Hudson's Bay and the St.
Lawrence.

Abhiqada, (Alg.), "shelter," "hiding-place." Name of a hill in
Waterbury, Conn., having ou its side a deep cavern-cliif called "the
Indian house," whence the name.

Absecon, .46s6'cum, (Alg.), "the place of the swan." Name of a
creek in New Jersey.

(704)

INDIAN OKOOR.VPHIC.VI, NAMES.

705

Abscoda, (Alg. ), "portainintj to fire;" post-office in Mii'liigaii.

Abwoina or Ahu'oiiuiv, (Alg.), from nhiroiii — a Sioux, ami fiiikc —
land, "the landof the Sioux."' Aterni formerly applied to the country
lying between the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers, and north of the
St. Peters liver, formerly occupied by the Sioux.

AccoHANOC, (Alg.), "as far as the river." Name of a river in east-
ern Virginia, from a tribe of Indians of that name dwelling on this
river.

AccoKEEK. "small kettle;" it may come from aclioirrkik, "a
thicket." A post-ollice in Maryland, from a creek of that name, tribu-
tary of the Potomac.

Accomack, (Alg.), corrupted from Acluianicrk, "a broad bay."
Name of a county in Virginia. Some authorities say from (lanini-
(uikc, "on the other side," or "the other side laud," or derived from
(ICO, limit, (ink, wood, and (iiikc, land, and means "tiie limit of the
wood-land."

AccoTiNK, "within a small place;" from aco, "limit," and ink or
in;/, "at or within." A post-village in Virginia.

AcEYEDAN or Ocoijcddn, "place of weeping." So called by the
Dakota Indians, because of weeping there the death of some of
their relatives. Name of a large creek in the northwestern part of
Iowa.

AcHAFALAYA, "long river." Name of the principal western out-
let of the Mississippi river. The word is sometimes si)elled Atcha-
falaya.

AcuQUANCHlcoLA, signifies in the Delaware dialect, "the brush-
net fishing creek." A creek in Pennsylvania. This word is sometimes
spelled Aquanshicola.

AcHSiNNiNK. (Alg.), "standing alone." Name of a place in west-
ern Pennsylvania.

AcHWiCK, Achici'ck, (Alg.), "bushy," "difficult to pass." Acreek
in central Pennsylvania.

AcKEEKSEEBE, Akcckscf'hc, (Alg.), said to signify "kettle stream."
The name of a northern tributary of Ptum river, which enters the
Mississippi some distance above the Falls of St. Anthony.

AcoMEQUES, (Alg.), "the land on the other side." The name of
a district on the east side of the Thames river in Connecticut, and
near its mouth.

706

THE AMKKICAN INDIAN.

AcoMES, (Alg. ), "a rest," or "n place oi stopping.'" The name
of a fall in the Amariscoggin river in Maine.

AcQUACKANONCK, (Alg.), from aco, limit, misqunk, red cedar, (ink,
wood, Htunip or trunk of a tree, i. e., "the limit ot the red cedar stump
or trunks," or possibly n better translation woual be, "the limit of
the red cedar wood." Name of a village on the Passaic river in New
Jersey. This word is also spelled Aquackannonok.

AcQUlA or Aquln, (Alg.), cqiiiivi, "between," or "in between
something." Others say tlie word is derived from mike, "earth," and
means literally "earthly, or muddy creek." Name of a creek in Vir-
ginia.

Acton, in the Dakota language is the word Akton, signifying
"more than." A town in Minnesota.

Adirondack, (Irq.), name of a tribe of Indians, signifying "he
eats bark." Name of a post-office in New York.

AoAMENTiGua, (Alg.), " OH the other side of the river." A moun-
tain anil river in Maine.

Agawam, (Alg.), contracted from Agawntraum, "around the
point," "the other side." Other authorities say it signifies "low land,
marsh, or meadow;" also "place below or down stream," with refer-
ence to some place above or up stream. Name of a town in Massachu-
setts and other states.

Agicomook, (Alg.), "inclosed place." The Indian name for
Stony creek in Connecticut.

Agiochook, (Alg.), "place of the spirit of the pines." One of
the aboriginal names for the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Agogebic, (Ii'q.) The same as Gogebic, (which see).

Ahiki, or Oiihcgcc, "sweet potato mother." The name of an
eastern tributary of the Chattahoochee river.

Ahnapee, (Alg.), "when — when is it?" Said to be contracted
from Ahnincopci-, "when will you return or come back?" A town
in Wisconsin. In the Shoshonee dialect is the word Aneepee, signi-
fying "elm tree."

Aisahatcha, "deer river." This was formerly the name of a river
in Florida.

Alabama, "thicket clearers." Tlie name of a state and ri /er in
the United States. The name was first applied to a tribe of Indians

',r-^ JV ' « [

INDIAN GKOailAPHUAI, NAMI'.S.

707

who formerly resiLletl iii the junction of tlie Torabigbeo and Coosii. or
Ahibimni. Other iiuthorities sny it means "here wo rest."

Alkmpioon, supposed to be the same as Nipei^on, a bay ami small
lake on the north shore of Lake Superior. Nipegon seems to contain
the roots iiihcc, "water," and (/aii, "lake."

Algansee, (Alg. ), ''the lake prairie," o'- -'the prairie resembling
a lake." The iianu* of a township in Michigan.

Alipkonck, (Alg. ), from ancient ma[)s this was the name of an
Indian village Avhicli, in KJoU, stood on the east bank of the Hudson,
between Sing Sing and the influx of the Croton river. It appears to
be a derivative from two words in the ancient MoLegan, unccb, leaves
(elm leaves), and o«//, locality.

Algoma, (Alg. ), from Algonquin and ///a///, "waters," "Algonquin
waters;" other authorities say "Lake of Algons." Name of a town in
Michigan.

Algona, probably the same as Algoma. A town in Iowa.

Algonac, (Alg.), pertaining to the Algonquin language. Other
authorities say from Algonquin and oxAv, " land," "Algonquin coun-
try," "land of Algons." Name of a town in Michigan. i\Ir. School-
craft says in this word the particle itc is taken from dulcc, "land," or
"earth," and its prefixed syllable, Algon, from the Avord Alg(mquin.
This system by which a part of the word is made to stand after, and
carry the meaning of the whole, is common to Indian compound sub-
stantives.

Algonquin, from a tribe of Indians of that name. A post-oflice
in Illinois and other states.

Allamakee, (Alg.), "thunder." Name of a county in Iowa.

Allegan, or AllcfjlKin, (Alg.), name of the oldest tribe of Indians
in the country of the United States, of which there is any tradition.
Name of a county, toAvnship and post village in, Michigan.

Alleghanv, (Alg.), corrupted from Allcfjeirl, name of an extinct
tribe of Indians who dwelt along the river of that name, and in the
country west of the Allf.;li<'.iy Mountains, along the tributaries of the
Oh'.o river and numeroi, . oranches. In New York this river was
called by the Indians ^l>uv'?/o, "the beautiful rivei*." Allen's creek,
N. Y., was called by the Indians Oaika, "the opening."

Alpena, (Alg.), from prmiise, "a bird," and the Arabic «Z. A
county and town in Michigan.

70S

Tlir, AMKIiK-AN INDIAN.

Amamaha. "the pluoe of tlic villago;"' •'uIuti^ tin* villago i.s."
Niinio (if (I rivt'i' in (loorj^ia.

Am. I'M J>ANK. till' wtn'il .Mill III coiin's from n (^uiimbmi^' caittuiu,
ineauiii^' ■•tlic fox." Naiiu) of a |)o.st-orti('o in l'oiiiis}lvaiiia.

A.MAKAi.i.i. or Aniiifdllfc. "tlic sli(liii<,' or tiiiul)liiii,' water."
Tributary of tlm Flint river in Mississippi.

A.MAiusfOGOiN. (Alg. ). from ikihkios. "fisii," /.vv.s, *'lii<^ii," niul
ftiikc, ••|)laco." A river having its souree in New Planipsliire.

A.MliOY, (Al<^. ), called ]>y the Ind ..o dwelt there cmholc,

which si<^iiifies. if Indian, "round and liollow." Accordinj^ to Mr.
Heckewelder from cniholi. ''a place resembling a l)owl." Name of
towns in New Jersey and Illinois.

Amicolol.v. the word (iiiiiro signifies " hunting grouuil." A town
in Georgia.

A.MiKAlNDAXb. ( Alg. j, "beaver house." Name of the most eastern
of the Beaver Islands in Lake Michigan.

Amixicon. (Alg. ), "the seed of anything." A river in Wis-
consin.

Amo, (Alg. j, "a bee." Post village in Indiana.

Ammonoosl'c, (Alg.), " fish story river ■' Name of a river in New
Hampshire, tributary of the Androscoggi >r. Others say it signi-

fies "the stony fish place."

A.MOsKEACt, (Alg.), from (i»iiish\ in the Merrimack dialect, signi-
fying "a beaver," and ca;/ or ecu is an infiection for the plural of
inanimate nouns; it also signifies "pond," "nnirsh," or ''a small body
of water or overflowed land." Name of falls in the Merrimack river;
also the name of a post village in New Hampshire. Others say it sig-
nifies "swampy."

AxAMOSA. (Alg.), "you walk from me." Name of a town in lown,
or it ma) come from AikiiikjosIi, " tlog," or "species of fox."

AxxAMosiXG, (Alg.) The Indian name for Fox Islands of Lake
Michigan, meaning, "place of the little dog."

Anawauk, Avdwankd. (Dak.), 'to gallop onto." Name of a post-
office in Minnescjta.

AxDEs, Anfd, "copper." Name of a town in New York. This
name was applied by the Indians to the mountains near Cuzco, the
ancient capital of Peru.

INDIAN' (!ri)(;i:\riii('Ai, namkh,

i\y.)

Anduoscoooin, '\1j,'. ), "Hsh Hpearing." Nmno of n riv(>r iiml
county in Miiiiu\

Annaton, AiKihni. ( Diik. ), "charge," "attack." Name of a town
in WiHconsin.

A.NNAWAN. ( Al<j^. ), i)rol»al»ly fi'oni tlio word iiiniv. "fo<;." Naiin'
of a town ill lllinoi.s.

Anoka, (DaU.), "both sides." Tlic word (inoLr, ( Alir. I. si<niifit>s
"he workH." A villa','o in Minnesota, on both sides of I'uiin river.

AoNTAdiLLoN-, (Irq. ), "creek at point of rocks." A branch of
Fish creek in Oneichi countv. Now York.

Apache, "men." Tiie name of a tribe of Indians; post-ollice in
Arizona.

Ai'i'ALACiui:. supposed to be derived fi'oin (iixildchcc ()kh\ "tiiose
(people) on tlio otlier side," or "the peo|.lt^ on thf other side." Tlin
term was formerly applied to a town on .\ppalacliee Bjiv, Floiida. It
is now the name of a rivir in the [lortheni [lart (jf (Jeor<,na.

Ai'ALACHicoLA, A/HI Idlcluil.ld. "ohl towii." a river in Florida.
This river was named after an Indian town standinj,' on oi near its
banks.

AlTANEK, in the Ojibway dialiH't, means '-a slave cai)tured in
war." A river in Canada, falling into Lake Ontario, in the bay of
Quinte,

Al'PANOO.SE, Alihciioqjc, ( Alg., Ojibway dialect), moaiuiig
"child," or "a chief when a child." Name of a Sac chief; a town in
Illinois.

Appolacon, (Alg."), corrupted from Aprlnf/dcnii, "whenco the
messenger returned." Name of a stream (>mptying into tlie Susque-
hanna from the south, in Suscpielianna county, Pennsylvania.

Aptakishik, Jlahila Opsliirh; (Alg.), "half day," or "sun at
meridian." A post office in Lake county, Illinois.

Aquanshicola, (Alg. ), corrupted from Aj-lHjHoanscliicola, "wliere
we fish with bush-net." Name of a stream em^jtying into the Lehigh
from the northeast, in Carbon county, Pennsylvania.

Aquapauksit, (Alg.), this word probably means, "at the end of
a small pond." Name of a place in Connecticut.

Aquasco, (Alg.), probably corrupted from Arlioirasquif, "grassy,"
"overgrown with grass." A post village in Maryland.

710

Tfin AMFIUCAN INDIAN.

AQL'ASinroLA, (Alg. ), corrupted from Arliquonschicohi, "\^'here
we fish with tlie busli-net." A town in Pennsylvania.

AQUKHArAUo, Aqitabcpatifi, (Al<^. ) This worJ may mean either
"before the pond," ov tlio "pond before" some otlier pond. The name
of a pond near the Jiead of Pawcatuck river, in Rliode Ishuid.

Aquidneck, (AI«^. ) The name by wliich the Narra<fansetts called
Rhode Ishmd, the meanin<j of whicli could never be obtained.

Aqtjia, from Eqniivi, ( Wg.), "between." A post-office iu Vir-
ginia. (See Acqiiia).

AuENAC, is a compound of the Iiatin arena and the Indian f/nA-^
"earth," or "land." A county of Michigan.

AiiKANSAs. from Kansns, with tbe French prefix of air, "a bow."
Name of a river, and one of the states of the Union.

Akkanhaw. Name of a town in AVisconsin, same as Arkansas.

AiJAPAHOE, "pricked" or "tatooed people." Name of a county
in Colorado, from a tribe of that name.

Ahoostook, (Alg.), "good rivei," "clear of obstruction." Name
of a county and rive?' in Maine.

AscuTNEVViLLE. Ascutucij, (Alg.), "fire mountain," from having
been burned over. Name of a post village in Vermont.

AsHAWAY, u-''v)? the same ns Assawog, "place between," or "in
the middle." A vil'age in Ilhode Island.

AsHKUM, (Alg.), "more and more," speaking increasingly, thus,
Ash-kinii'dli-koosc, "he is getting worse (more sick);" Asli-htin-ic((-
hiiilt-kdli, "it is getting worse." Name of a town in Illinois, from a
Pottawattamie chief.

AsHOWUQH, CiDiiiiiockr, ( Alg. j, "the half way place," or '-the
place between," that is, " the islaml between the large island and the
main land." Name of an island near New London, Conn.

Asi'ETUK, ^lsj)alork, (Alg.). "a height." The name of a river iu
New Mdford county, Conn. Tiiore is a ridge dividing the two priii-
cipal branches of tliis river, called "Aspatuck Hill." and the proba-
bility is the rivt-r look it-! name from tha liill.

AsriioOM, (Alg.), "high," "lofty," or "elevated." Name of a
mountain in Connecticut.

AssAWA Lake. The word Asscnm here signifies in the Ojibway
dialect, "perch," this species of fish boin;'- found in this lake. The
source of the Plantagenian fork of tlie Mississippi.

INDIAN GEOGKAPHICAL NAMES.

711

AsHAAVASsuc, .Is.sa/ra suck, or XasliKao suck. (Alg. "), "tlie fork of
tliH brook." or "the place between the forks of the brook."' Xfiine of a
place in East Glastenbury, Conn.

AtiSAWOG, or Asluiicoji, (Alg. "l, "place between.'' Name of a river
m Connecticut.

AssiNiBOiNE, (Alg. ), "stone roasters;" from a tribe of Indians
of that name. A name given this people, it is said, from cooking
their meat by roasting on hot stones. The name of a river in Bi-itish
America.

AsTOUENGA. A Mohawk name for the Little Falls of the Mohawk
river, said to denote "compressed channel." OtJier authorities say
they called these falls Astenrogen, signifying, "the rock iii the water."

Atabaska, "place where there is an amount of high grass here
and there." Name of a river in British America.

Atalaposa, (Alg.), "the slippery place." Inditui name for
Tonsrue Mountain in Warren countv, N. Y.

Atesi, Atassa, "war club." Name of a town in Indian territory.
Called after an old town on the Tallapoosa river.

Athapasca, or Amhdaca, "lake of the hills." A lake Howing
north through an outlet of the same name into Slave lakt> and Macken-
zie's river.

Atoka, in the Dakota language is tiie word Alok(tn, signifying
"in another place," "to another place." Name of a post-office in
Indian territory.

Attapulgus, Ifiipitlfja, "boring holes into wood to make tire."
Name of a village in Georgia.

Attica, (if Indian), probably from ^Ifh'kti, "white." Name of a
town in Mii ligan and other states in the Union.

AUGHWICK, (Alg.), corrupted horn Arkm-ck, (Alg.), "brushy,"
"overgrown with brush.' ISaiiie ot a tributary of the Juniata river in
Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania.

Bann.vck. X town in Montana territory. The same as Bonak.
Coming from a tribe of Indi; ns of that name iidinbiting the country
on the western slope of tlie U»>cky Mountains, nieaiiiiig "root diggers."
They are so calli'd from subsisting upon roots which they di^.

712

THE AMEIUOAN INDIAN.

Bantam, -om, -iidi, BaiilalKnii, etc., (Alg. ) A name given to
the place iit wliicli Litchfield, Conn., was Kettletl; afterwards, to '"Tiie
Great Pond" and river in that township. In the first ileed recorded
in Litchfield town records, ^NJaj-. ITl'.*. the plantation is called Ihnihi-
InCII.

BawateeCi, or ]\iirat<'('!/. The Ojibway name for the falls of the
river St. Mary's, Michigan. The term is descriptive of '"shallow water
njnin a rock." and. is a common Avord to designate ra[)ids of that par-
ticnlar class. The rreiich, <ni the discovery of the country, gave
the name of Mary, as a tutelar saint to the village; and, as n con-
sequence, named the ivqads SaiiH <lc Haiiilc Marie, Avhich is usually
and ]n'o[)erly abbr.n-iated Sdiilt S' Mdvir. The word is generally
heard from the natives, in its \ positional form, in /////, M'hen it
means, al Ihc piacc of flic Jalh. Tiie true Chippeway pronunciation
is Bawateej;.

Bezhickeseebe, (Alg.), "butfalo river." Gem^rally known to the
whites by tlic latter. A siame tributary to Sandy lake on the west of
Lake Superior.

Bif.oxi, iriiiksi. Liikfrln\ "turtle." The signification of the par-
ticle B is lost, but the word, it is said, has some allusion to the catch
of turtles. Name of a bay and town in Mississippi.

BoriiEQfET, (Alg.), "corner of the bay." Name by which the
Ojibways called the place where the town of Green Bay now tands.

Cacogsixo, Coconshi;/ (Alg.), "place of owls;" from a creek of
that name. A town in Pennsylvania.

Calami's, ( Alg.), corrupted from calamo, "honey wood." A town
in Wisconsin.

Cai.i.icoon, from CuirUvooii, said to signify "turkey." A town in
New Yolk.

Can, in the Dakota language, sigiufies "a tree." "trees," or
"wood:" it also signilies "a night or day." Name of apost-ofiice in
Michigan.

Canada, (Irq. ), 'a village" or "town." Nanmof a town in Kan-
sas, and British Province, also the name of two several streams in '.he
state of New \ork, putting iido the ^Mohawk river, kno.vn at^ the East
and West Canada creelvs. It is said that when the French first visited

INDIAN OEOGKAPHICAL NAMEH.

(13

111

" running

that country now known us Cannda, liaving jn'^ceeiled up the St. Law-
rence river to the point now called Montreal, they found a considerable
village of the Iroquois people at that place. They inquired of t]i(>iu
as to the name by which their country was known. The Indians, mis-
taking the inquiry by supposing tliat they referred to the name by
AvhicJi a village or town was designated in their language, replit-d that
It was CaiuHlaj accepting this as a correct answer to their iiupury,
they applied the word Canada as the name of the country at large.

Canadasaga, (Irq. ), the Indian name for Seneca Lake. It app.>ar^
to have been so named from Canada, town, and ar/r,, a place '
allusKm to tlie Seneca capital, near its foot or outlet.

Canadawa, or Camiddtraij, daiiadairao. (Irq.),
through tlie hemlocks." A creek in New York.

C^NAJOHAUIE, (Irq.), "the village of the l)ear; "' others ,hv the
words mean " tiie pot that washes itself." A town on tlie 3Iohawk
river in New York.

CAXANDAiauA. firq.), "a town set off," or -separated." from the
rest of tlio tribe. Name of a lake and town in New York.

Canaseuaoa Ckeek, Kanasfumi/a, (Irq. ) A stream in Chenan-o
county, New York, "several strings of b,.a,ls with a string Ivin-
across." There is another creek of this orthography in Livin-'.ton
county, said to be derived fr<mi nannsi/ai/o, and to signify " anion.r
the milk waeds." Both roots, with their signification; are obtained
from very high authority, and the probability is the similaritv in tlie
modern ort]iogra[)liy is a mere coincidence.

Candoto, Candafowa, (A!g.), " higli land."' Name of a rid-re
upon whicli the town of Ri.lgefield, Connecticut, stands.

Caxoadoa, corrupted from Gao>,adro, (Ini), "where the heavens
rest upon the earth." Name of a stream in New York.

Canahtota, Knnrhfa, (Ivci.), -pine tree standing alone.'" The
name of a creek and town in New York.

_ CANiSKHAiKiA, (lr<i.), "among the slippery elms." Mr. Mor.ran
m us "League of the Iroqm.i.s." „Mys the name bv wliicli this creek
and the viUage of Dansville was known to the Senecas was Oami.-
m,o, " among the milk wee.ls." Name of a creek emptying into the
Genesee river, near Mt. Morris, New Y\)rk.

CVNIHTEO "board in the water." A l,ranch .,f the Chemung
river m New lork. "^

714

THE AMEKICAX INDIAN.

•1

Cankapoja, (Dnk. ), '-light wood." The uame of a small lake at
the head of Vex-millioii river, Dakota.

Canoe, a Avord by which we designate an Indian boat for navi-
gating the water. It comes fnjm some dialect of the natives of the
West India Islands. One of the oldest Spanish writers on the Indians,
Peter Martyr, a cotemporary of Columbus, says that the Indians called
their boats hollowed out of trees Cono(is ; the word is altered by the
French into C(iuo.\ and by the English into Canoe. Name of a town
in Pennsylvania and other states.

Cannonpa, (Dak.), "two woods." The name of a chain of small
lakes in east Dakota ; so called on account of having two small groves
of timber on their banks.

Cannouchee, from the Creek word ikano dashi, "graves are
there." The name of a river in Georgia.

Canoga, Gano(jch, (Irq.), "oil flowing on the water." The name
of a town on Cayuga lake, New York.

Capac, probably corrupted from the Algonquin word Kcpcc or
Kcpalx, " being shut," when applied to a place means " a place that is
shut in or surrounded by hills or elevation of ground." A town in
Michigan.

Casco, (Alg. ), an abbreviation of Ancocisvo, "the resting place."
Name of a bay in Maine ; significant of many retreats among its 305
islands; some authorities say it signifies "crane."

Cassacubque, Kiissukohskc, (Alg.), "high rocks." Name of a
great ledge of rocks in Colchester, Conn.

Cassadag.\,G' (/s(/ar/o, (Irq.), "under the rocks." Name of a lake
and creek in New York.

Cataraque, Gndaioqnc, "fort in the water;" a river in New
York. The name by which Lake Ontario was known to the English at
an early day.

CATAitOQUi, (Irq.), "a bank of clay rising out of the water."
Ancient name of Kensington, Canada.

Catasatqua. (Alg.), corrupted from Gotioshdclt, " tlie earth
thirsts," viz. : "lorraiii ;" <.,'A\qv authorities say it signifies " parched
land." Name of a t'nvn in Pennsylvania; also an affluent cf the
Lehigh river in Delaware.

Catawissa, (Alg.), corrupted from Gaitawisi, "growing fat."
Probably the Indians who named the place killed a deer along the creek
in the season when deer fatten. A creek in Pennsylvania.

INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL XAMKS.

iio

mail lake at

graves are

Cattaraugus, "bad smelling shore/' The name of a county and
river in New York.

Caucomgomic, Kaukonmunik, {\\-^.), "at the big gull hike."
Name ot a lake in Maine.

Caughnawaga, (Irq.), "st^ue in the rapid water." Name of a
town in New York.

Caughwaga, Gdfjwaga, "creek of the cat nation." Name of a
small river in Erie county, New York.

Cawanehque, (Irq.), "at the long island." A branch of the
Chemung.

Cawanshanock, Ownnischhamu-, (Alg.), "green briar stream."
Name of a creek in Armstrong county, Penn.

Cayuga, (Irq.) Mr. Morgan, in the appendix to his "League of
the Iroquois," says this word is derived from (jircuf; 'i, in the Ca-
yuga dialect, and signifies "the mucky land;" other authorities say
"long lake," also "canoes pulled out of the water." Name of a
lake in New York.

Cazenovia. a creek in New York; was called by the Iroquois
Indian ^ Gaamindehta, "a mountain flattened down."

CegaIyeyapi, (Dak.), "kettles are found." The name of the
lakes and country near Fort Wadsworth, Dakota.

Changwatana, (Dak.), supposed to mean "the straight place," as
the straight path, road or river. A town in Minnesota.

Chanhasan, (Dak.), "pale bark wood," "sugar tree." The name
of several small rivers in Minnesota and Dakota.

CuANKA, (Dak.), "fire stone." The name of a western tributary
of the Dakota, formerly Jacques or James river; so called from a very
hard rock consisting of senii-fuseil or vitrified sandstone, found near
its mouth.

Chanshayai'I, (Dak. j, -red wood." literally "a post painted red."
The name of a western tributary of the Minnesota river.

Chanssnsan, "tumbling" or "rapid." The Dakota name of what
is now called Dakota river.

Chapa, (Dak.), "beaver." The name of a river in Minnesota.
Chappaqua, (Alg.), "an edibh> root of .some kind." A town in
New York; country residence of the late Horace Greeley.

■i

Mti THE AMEIIICAN INDIAN.

CiiASKA, Cdskc, (Dak."), "first born boy." Tlio namo of a town in
Minnesota.

Chateaugay, probably tlie same as CliHutuuquu, " place where one
was lost.'' A lake ami town in northern New York.

Chattahoochee, Chatahnchi, "pictured rocks." The name of a
river in Georixia.

Chattanooga, said to mean "crow's nest."' The name of a creek
in Georgia; also the name of a city in Tennessee.

Chautauqt'a, (Irq. ) spelled by different writers, in different
languages, and in successive periods of time, Cli<il(ikoiiiv, Cliafdconii,
and Shdidcoiii. The Indian chief. Corn Planter, pronounced the name
as though it were spelled Chaud-dauk-wa, which is very near the pop-
ular pronunciation at the present day. The meaning of the word has
been interpreted to signify "a pack tied in the middle," and "mocca-

■■,» Ki.^ -i*^ ""■ xj -— jc:---- •-• .>^■^~■'^ ;r -■ ^ -■ ' \

BIUUS EYE VIEW OF LAKE CHAUTAUQUA AND HUKKGUNDING COUNTKY.

sins tied together," from the shape of the lake by that name, which is,
in reality, two small lakes united by a narrow strait, as will be noticed
by n reference to the accompanying cut. But from the best authori-
ties the name, doubtless, sigiafies "foggy place," from u legend con-
nected therewith, which makes it mean "where one vanishes away,"
"where one was lost."

Chautauqua is the name of the most westei'n county of New York,

)f ;i town ill

e where oue

iKime of a

) of li creek

11 different
Chdfdcoiiif,
il the iiaiue
ar tliB 2'"p-
o word has
d "mocca-

■5^4^

piJY.

Iwliic'h is,
|e noticed
authori-
3iid con-
away,"

hv York,

INDIAN GEOQUAI'HICAL NAMES.

717

and the lake, ahove referred to, which is situated in the center of the
same, and which is said to be the most elevated navigable body of water
on the western continent, being 1,300 feet above the level of the ocean,
and over 700 feet above Lake Erie. This i« the seat of the famous
Chautauqua Assembly Grounds, or Summer School and Assembly,
organized on its banks by a congregation of people in 1S7 1.

Chebanse. (Alg. "), "Little Duck;" name of a Pottawattaniit>
chief. Name of a town in Illinois.

Chebeague Island, probably from Chvlweg, (Alg. ), "great waters,"
or "wide waters," "wide expanse of water." A post-offic.> in Maine.

Cheboygan, Clt('j)n/iriau, (Alg.), "big pipe." Name of a town in
northern Michigan. From Ch<; "great," nud ]>oijf/(iii, "pipe."

Chectenunda, (Irq.), "twin sisters." A stream iu Montgomery
county. New York.

CilEDi, C('(U, (Dak.), "swamp canoe." The name of a small lake
in Dakota.

Chee'^towaga, same as ('lii('i(iic<iii(i<i, (which see). Name of a
town in New York.

Cheeseohankamuck, (Alg.J, "the great fishing place at the weir."
The name of the east branch of the Farinington river in Hartland,
Connecticut.

Chehalis, "sand," takes its name from a tribe of Indians who
lived at the mouth of Chehalis river, on account of the sand there.
A post-office in Washington territory.

Chehtanbeh, or CItcfanhr, (Dak.), "sparrow hawk's nest." The
name of a tributary of the Minnesota river.

Chemung, (Irq.), "big horn," from a fossil tusk found in the river.
The name of a river and county in New York.

Chenango, Ochcvatuj, (Irq.), "bull thistles." The name of a
river and county in Now York,

Chepachet, (Alg.), "a ])lace of separation;" as where a stream
divides. The name of a creek and village in Rhode Island.

ChepultepeC, "grasshopper hill." The name of a high elevation
of gnmnd iu the vicinity of the city of Mexico; also the name of a
post-office in Alabama.

Chequamegon, Shngoicnvniicoinj, "shoal water," or "place
where the water is shoal," "where the bottom comes nearly to the

71S

Tin; AMERICAN INDIAN.

surface.'" Name of an island and bay on Lake Superior; the name
also by which the locality of La Poiute, Wis., was known to the
Indians.

Chesapeake, (Alg.), "place where there is a great body of water
spread out." The name of a bay off the coast of Maryland. Some
autliorities say it signifies simply "great water."

CiiESDNCooK. (Alg.), "great goose lake." The name of a lake in

Maine.

Cheyenne, "speaking a different language." The name originally
of a tribe of Indians recognized as a part of the great Dakota family,
although their language indicates that they sprung from tlie Ojib-
way or Algonquin stock. Tlie capitol of Wyoming territory.

Chicago. The word Chicago is understood to be an Indian Avord.
What its precise meaning is, or whether it has any particular meaning
in its present form, is a matter about which there is considerable dis-
pute among those who liave given the subiect attention. The word
comes to us through the early French explorers of the west, as an
Indian word, from the language of the Algonquin group. Whilst
this group of the North American tribes had one general or generic
language by which they were distinguished, yet each tribe had its
dialect, diffyring more or less from that of the other tribes of the same
group. The standard or parent language, however, since this people
became known to the whites, w^as that spoken by the Ojibways (Chip-
peways ), the most powerful and numerous of the various tribes of this
group.

Those who pretend to make any positive assertion as to the cor-
rect meaning of this word, as an Indian word, seem to have confined
their investigations on the subject to the Algonquin language, as
spoken by the Ojibways, without reference to other dialects, seeming
to ignore the fact that it could come from any other source ; where-
upon, they reach the conclusion that it means onion, garlic, leek, or
skiDik.

So far as appears at this day, there seems to have been no special
inquiry into the origin or meaning of this word, until about the time
of the re-building of Fort Dearborn in 1810. The year following
that event. Col. Samuel A. Starrow visited this place, and, in a letter
to Gen. Jacob Brown, of the United States army, refers to the river
here as "the River Chicago (or, in the English, 'Wild Onion
Eiver')."

Mr. /Scliooleraft, the Indian historian, in his "Narrative of an

INDIAN GEOdlt.U'inCAL NAMES.

"lU

tlie name
\vn to tlie

y of Avnter
id. 8onie

£ a lake in

originally
)ta family,
the Ojib-

lian word.
f meaning
rable dis-
The word
est, as an
. Whilst
)r generic
\e had its
the same
lis peojjle
ys (Chip-
)e8 of this

the cor-

confined

juage, as

seeming

}; where-

■', leek, or

special
the time
allowing

1 a letter
he river
I Onion

ve of an

Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi lliver in 1820," in giving
an account of visiting Chicago on the return of said expedition, speak-
ing of the Chicago river, says: "Its banks consist of a black arena-
ceous, fertile soil, which is stated to proiluce abundantly, in its season,
the wild species of cepa or leek. This circumstance has led the natives
to name it the place of the wild leek. Such is the origin of the term
Chicago, which is a derivative by elision and French annotation from
the word clii-k(iU(/-on(j. Kaug is the Algonquin name for the hystr'x
or p()rcu{)ine. It takes the prefix clu\ when applied to the mustela
l)utoriu8 (pole cat). The particle chi is the common pi'efix of nouns
to denote greatness in any natural object, but it is employed, as here,
to mean the increase or excess, as acridness or pungency in quality.

(^HIC'AOO IN 1820 - SKETCHED BY Mli. SCHOOLCKAl T.

The penultimate onp denotes locality. The putorius ie so named from
this plant."

Bishop Baraga, in an appendix to his Ojibway dictionary, says thd
word Chicago is a word in the Crec dialect, a tribe of the Algonquin
group, called also Knistenos. "From ChicnQ or Hikat/, a skunk, a kind
of wildcat, a word which, at the local term, makes Chlcdf/ok,''^ In his
dictionary mentioned, he defines an onion, in the Ojibway dialect, as
' kitchijigagmanj.' (French orthography ). English orthograt)hy, kit-
che-zhig-a-gam-anzh. The definition of onion, by Rev. Edward F.
Wilson, in his dictionary of the Ojibway dialect, is keclic-she-ffuug-uh-
wnnzh. He defines skunk as zhc <j(in(j.

John Tanner, for thirty years a captive among t]w Ojibwajs,

THK AMKltlCAN INDIAN.

aiul many years I'liitoil States Imliaii interpreter, in a "Catalogue of
Plants and Animals found in the Country of tlui Ojibways, witii
English names," appended to the narrative of captivity, detines skinil:
&B site (jiilij/. Ho defines ox /r;» as slic-jidii-nd-iriiizlir, (skunk weed).
In a note thereto l)y Dr. James, editor of Tanner's narrative, it is
added: "From ^liih-tjau-jid-ivinzlic, this word, in the singular number.
sonic derive the name Chicaijo.'''' The Indians, it seems, at least the
Ojibways, called the onion, (/(irli'c. and otiier weeds of uke odor, by
a luime which sigintied sknnk-irccd, and in the Ojibway dialect, the
words used so exjjiess it.

It is noticed that all who contend that tlie word Chicago, as
applied to the river and city of that name, means skunk, onion, or the
like, ilerive tluMr convictions on the subject from one or more of the
authorities which arj before citetl, or from some one familiar with the
Ojibway dialect, who forms his convictions to the same effect from the
mere coincidence of sounds. History is so unsatisfactory and varied
in regar to this word, that we are left at this day to determine its
meaning solely upon the basis of similarity of sounds; for there
seems to be no fact or incident narrated or mentioned in history, that
leads with any degree of certainty, either to the original meaning of
this word as intended, or to the dialect from which it is derived;
and it is to be confessed that, upon the theory aforesaid, coucediug
that the Avord comes from the Ojibway language or dialect, no one is
prepared t(» dispute the assertion, so generally made, that the word is
derived from skunk. The word skn)ik being in the Indian tongue
simply ,s7/f' k(in<f. In order to make Clii-cd-tjo, the theory adopted is
that on;/, an Ojibway local termination, is added, which makes Chi-cag-
ong, meaning at the skunk — the sound of n<j being dropped in com-
mon speech, leaving the word in the form now used. Whilst this is not
inconsistent in practice, in dealing with Indian names, there is another
theory, it is suggested, which may be adopted in this connection, that
would seem to be e(jually consistent. The word Chi-cujj-o, without
adding /)//, would be a fair Ojibway expression. The sound of o adtled
would denote the genitive, and might be rendered thus: him of flic,
skunk, in which case it wt)uld probably be the name of an indivitlual,
and it is stated that this word is the name not only of some one Indian
chief, but the name also of a line of chiefs during several genera-
tions.

It is to be remarked, however, that there are some facts in history,
in regard to this word, not in harmony with the definition generally
contended for, as before stated. The word is first mentioned in early
western history by Hennepin, in his account of La Salle's expedition

tnlogm* of
ays, witli

Ilk weod ).

itive, it is

r numbei'.
least the
odor, by

iiilHct, the

liicago. aa

on, or the

ore of the

r with th«i

t from the

iiul varied

ermine its

for there

story, that

leaning of

i derived;

conceding

no one is

e word is

in tongue

opted is

Chi-cag-

in coni-

lis is not

s another

tion, that

without

f o adiled

III of ihc

ividual,

le Indian

1 genera-

iiistory,
generally

in early
cpedition

INDIAN OI'OOIiAnriCAI, NAMES.

721

which he accomjtaniod, chaijter 31 i London edition, H'>!tU), the head-
ing of wiiich is as ftdlows: '* An account of tin* building of a new
fort on tiie river of tlie Illinois, named by the savages, <'lic-i-iiii-<i(>n, nwd
by us, Fori Crcn'roriii'.''^ This was in .faniiaiy. I'lSO. This i'ort was
at or near the place where Peoria in this state hdw stands. \V»' must
believe that the Indian word niiiitioned, given by tlie savages as tiieir
name for this fort, could not, in this coinnu'tion, mean .s7,« ///,■, nor sl,iiiil:
in-cd. The definition of the French word mentioned would mean
'"broken heart." Hennenin remarks tliat the many diHiculties tiiev
labored und(>r had almost broken their hearts. May we not, therefore,
suppose that the Indian word tlius applied was intended tu i)»^ of sim-
ilar import?

Tiienaine < 'Itc-kd-i/on, tliereafter, appears on a iiia[>by Fran(|ueiin.
in 1(»S 1, aj)plied to a river putting into the l)i'sj)laiiies from the east.
at a point just above the Kankakee river, while at tlie iirad of Lake
Miciiigan. on this mai), is the word ('hrcdfioinmiiKdi. At a later date,
what is now called the Desplaines river, was called by the early French
ex[)lorers, the river ClicktijioK. This W(ml. as a local name, did not,
US would appear, reach the river at ])resent so named, nor ■tiie point
where Chicago now is, until at least thirty years after the time of
Hennepin, as before mentioned: and, of the circuni.stances under which
this word was lastly so applied, from what dialect it came, or what
its intended meaning was, if any, in its changtul ap])lication, no
account whatever is transmitted to us. The most that can be said of
the word, with any degree of certainty, is that it is of Indian origin,
and comes from some dialect of the Algonquin group, so called. It
must be noted, however, that in the Ojibway dialect, this word Chi-
cago, or that which is essentially the sanu', is not confined in its mean-
ing to that contended for, as before mentioned. The word may mean,
also, in that language, to fovhcar, or (iroid, from kdh-f/o, forbear, and
die, a prefix answering to our preposition io. Or it may mean soinr-
fliiiiji fircdf, from l\d-(/o, somcfh'nuj, and cho, from (jil-clic. grcul.
Besides this several other words or expressions nwiy be found in
this dialect of the same s(mnd, yet of different meanings. Cht'-cd-fiiid
was the name of a noted Sac chief, and means in that dialect, lie flidl
sfau(h hij iJtc free.

In the Pottawattamie dialect, the word clioe-ca-go, withoul cidui-
tion or abridgement, means (IcKiiiiifc, or "got none."

Now, if this word was applied to the river which at present bears
this name from the local circumstance, as claimed, that of the abun-
dance of sJcnnk weed upon its banks, it would seem to follow that it
must have been so given by the tribe who then inhabited, or dwelt in

Tin: A.MKItlCAN INDIAN.

tlio vicinity. At tlio timo this word first !i|)|M'iirL'tl in this loi-aliiy, tlu;
couiit.v iihout was iiilial)itt!il, we aro iiifoniu'il, by tlin trilm of MiauuH.
in wliosti dialect tlin word for skitiilc or ixtlcial was Kc-knir-Liniir. Tiie
Miainis, it Ht'iMus, were succeedt d bv the Pottawattaiuifs. We linvf
no account from any source tliat the ()jil)\\ay nation, from whose
diah'ct tiie attempt is made to tU'tine tlie meaniiif,' of tliis word, evi'r
iidiabiti'd tliis part of tlie country.

Mr. Hiirlbut, in his book of C'liicago Anticjuities, refers to an
artich' in Potter's Aiucn'cdn Moiillil/i, wlierein it is stated tliat in early
(hiys this phice was caHed "Tuck ('hucai,'o." and in wiiich it is said
that Tiicl:, in the IniUan dialect, means iroml or liiiihrr. That tlii>
word Chica<(o means (/one, (ihsciil^ or without. That the M'ords Tiirl:
('liic(i(/<>, si<^nifiod, therefore, the waste prairie, or, literally translated.
wood (join: The Indian dialect referred to, it is understood, has refer-
ence to that of the Pollmvdlhniiic)^, Coiicedini,' this to be so, there is
much force in this definition. Properly, however, in that dialect, it
would be Tuck Choc-cn-go (no tree or not n tree). In the Ojibway
lanijfuage, Mii-h'ck-(j(i-(j(i-(jo. As a matter of history, the locality
about Chicago was the only place on the western shore of Lake Mich-
igan, where there was an entire absence of trees. The country along
the lake, at this point, for soTue distance south of the mouth of the
river, was clean naked prairie, with not a tree to obstruct the view; and
it is fair to suppose that some name would be given this place by the
natives, suggestive of this circumstance.

Chickahominy, Cliirkamaii'honij, (Alg.), "turkey lick," or "the
lick at which the tui'keys are plenty." Name of a river in Virginia.

Chickamauqa, "river of death." Name of a river in Georgia.

Chickaming, (Alg.), "big lake." The name of a town in Michi-
gan.

Chicomico, is formed from site, die. "great," and kouiiih\ or coiiki-
co, "house," or "enclosed place." Name of a creek wnich runs north-
westerly through Pine Plains to\vnshi[), Connecticut.

Chicopee, (Alg.), "cedar tree," "birch bark tree." The name of
a river, falls and town in Massachusetts.

Chictauwauga, Jiilcdowni-hfirl (Irq. j, "the place of the crab
apple tree." Name of a to m Erie county, N. Y.

Chikisalunga, (Alg.), '|)osed to mean place of crabs, or crab-
fish," or "the creek on whicli i • gr iid is full of holes made by the
crab-fish." Other authorities say it means "long piece of land where
rabbits burrow." Name of a creek in Pennsylvania.

INDIAN (ii;()i;i; M'liicM, wmks.

••_»:{

ClIIKMCOMlKA, now ('liic(U'oiuii'i). ( Al;,'. ). •'tlic |iliici' nf tiiikoys,"
or "tilt* )>lii('o wlicrc tiirUt'vs iiro pltnity."' Naiiic ol' m strt'imi uii tln"^
euattMii slioro of Marylaml.

(-nir,i;s(.)rA<H'i'.. ( Al;;. ), •'ros<M't(it' snow hinls." Niiiiii> nf u crci'k
in PeniiHylviiiiiH.

CiiiMiowAfi, (Cherokeo tlinlect), "dfier mouiitnin." The imiuo of ii
iiioiiiitaiii ill Kontlieni Tennessee and noitlu'in (rt'or<,'ia.

CuiLllowEE. Tlio iiaiao of a town in Tennessee. (Snmt> as Chil-
ho Willi ).

Chilhowik. The name of a township in Missouri. I Same us
Cliilhowfth ).

CmNKECLAMOOHt;, iiow shortened into Moose, corrupted from
Acltlsrlii)ikicl(iiiniir, (Alg.J, signifyiii<; "itahnost joins," in allusion
to a horseshoti bend in the stream, whose extremities almost unite. A
stream emptyinj^ into tlie Susquehanna from the northeast, in Cleartield
county, Penn.

CuiPi'AQUlDiHCK. or Cliippoquiddick, (Al>,'. ), "separated ishvnd."
Name of an ishmd separated by a narrow strait from Martha's Vine-
yard.

Chippewa, Cliipprirdy, Ojibicay, (Alg. ), "puckered shoes," oi-
"he who wears puckered shoes;" other authorities say it signitias "he
overcomes," not in battle only, but in any undertaking, or ""he sur-
mounts obstacles." Name of a county iu Michigan. From an Indian
tribe.

Chippecoke, (Alg.), "brush wood." The Indian name for the
place where Vincennes, Intliana, now stands.

Chissenessick, Chusscnesik, "the place of blue-birds;" or "the
place where blue-birds flock together." Name of a river in Georgia.

Chittenango, Chudomnng, (Irq.), "where the sun shines out."
Other authorities say "waters divide and run into." Name of a
creek in New York.

Choctaw, Chactas, "charming voice." The name of a tribe of
Indians, probably given to them on account of having an aptitude for
music or singing. Name of a county iu Alabama; also a town in
Michigan.

Choctawhatchee, from Choctaw, a tribe of Indians, and liufchcp,
a creek, or river, meaning "Choctaw river." The name of a river in
Alabama.

mifgm

T'Ji

'JlIM AMKIIICAN INDIAN.

(!iii)i[\VA.ilCA, (Dak.), "willow."' Name of a .-^Ireaiii and lake in
-MiiinBsiita.

CiroKio, CV)Aa//a, (Dak. K "the middle." The name o!" a station on
till) road to Brt)wu'8 valley, Dakota.

CfiOKlx, (Dak.). " roastiiii,'," or ''tlio place of tin- roastiuj; ;"
probably so called from the Dakotas roastinjf here Ircpoiiiiid. a root
luucli used by tliem for food. Name of a lake in Minnesota.

Chowax, Cltdinnninhi; (Ali,'. ), "south, or southern country.'"
Name of a river in Virginia. The name was <jfiven to this stream l)y
Oapt. John Sinitli. It was, howovor, applied by the Powliatans and
neighborin<j tribes to the country soutli of liiem.

CHU.iENUNDA, (Irq. ), "twin sisters;'" so named from the coinci-
dance of two streams tlowing i"to tlie Mohawk river at tlie same
)).<int on the oppi.sito siiles. Tiie name of a stream in Montgomery
CJiinty, N. Y. This word is someHmes spelled Cliiicllc/iKdicdd.

CilvooKs, "the oldest planted ground." Tiie name of the place
wl.i-re 13(!nnington, Nmv York, now stands.

Cisco, ( Alg. ), is accepted ns the name of i;, fish taken in northern
sti'cams; coining from the Ojibway word Srrskoii. plural. tii(j: kind of
ti'out of an oily nature. \am(( of a town in Illinois.

CirouHssiNc. "the fishing place." The Indian name of Lewis
creek, Delaware.

Clallam, is a corruption of an Indian word signifying "strong
people." A i)08t-ortic6 in Washington territory.

('oAQl'ANNOK, (Alg.), "gi'ove of tall pine trees." This name was
a|>plied l)y the Indians to tln^ spot wheri^ I'hiladelphia iio<v stands;
till' place was subsecjuontly called by them QiiiilKdliiinik. "pbme of
(Quakers.""

CocALiro, corrupted from .Iclinonkimlico. (Alg.), 'where snakes
gather together in holes or dens tu pass the winter." Name of a creek
in Pennsylvania.

('ociiF.CALKCHEic, " bvokeu arrt)w." A tributary of the Chatta-
hoochee river, Georgia.

CociiKCTON, originally called Ciisltiiiuiltnilx, (Alg.), "low
ground." A town in New York.

CocillTUATK, (Alg.), "laud on or near falls, or rapid streums."
A town in Massachusetts.

C()(;()osiNQ, GokliosiiKj or Oolclionsink, (Alg.), "place of owls."

;'3

e of Lewis

le Clmttu-

IMilAN (iKociKAI'lIICAI. NAMKS. 7->-

Nam.* of u sinal! stivam that rises in Mc.jitvilie, Com... ,u..l tlows into
the Tliames river.

CODOHUH, sai.l t<. moan "rapid water." Name of a streai.i in
Boutheri, P.Miusylvauia, on which the town of York is situated. Prob-
ably of Iroquois or)<rin.

CoiL^riSET, ( Alir. ). "phice of pines." Name of a town in Massa-
chusr-tts.

CoHocvo.N. Cohochfn. I Alg.), "trees in the watei." A branch of
the Chemuug river.

CoiiOEs, Gahuoo><r, -shipwrecked canoe." Falls and town on the
Mohawk river in New York.

CoKATO, (Dak. ). pronounced Choknliln, "at tl e middle." A town
in Minnesota.

CoM'HAi.DEE, -red dirt," "red earth," a wor.l of Creek ori-nn.
Name of a place a few miles west of Taladegn, Alabama.

CONK.U-HT, "snow lake." Name of a lake in western Pennsvl-
vanin.

CoNEDoowiNrr. or ('n,o:lo,,,.lnil. -for ,, I„ng way notldng but
bonds, "continued bends." Name of a strean, in Pennsylvania.

C(,XE.MAiT.ii, (Alg.), "otter creek." Name of a stream in Penn-
sylvania.

CoNKQUi^KssiNo. f Alg.), "for a long wav stnught," or "runnin-^
a straight course." xName of a creek in Pennsylvania.

Conkst.ioa: it may I)o that this wor.l. which is <renerallv sun
posed to be of Iro-iuois origin, is a corruption „f rann.l,„io,rnr -thH
great magic land." The English settlers applied this n.n.e to a .streMu.
and creek in Pennsylvaiua.

CoM.:wAo...r/,n..m,/., ••long strip." or -long reach." Name of a

arge creek in Pennsylvania; also the name of rapids in the Husc.ue-

hnnna. near Mid.lleton, an.l also name of a creek in York county. Pa.

CoNEWANOo. (lnn<Hn,n,,o. -t|„> rapids;" other authoriti.>s sav

"they have been gone a long tin>e. ' \ river in New Y.rk; also'a

creek in reniisvlvaiiia.

('..NEcociKAoiK, Kourkorhcn,, (Alg.), "indeed a long way:"
he word seems to refer to som,. occasion when a partv of Indians
'•"'•"me impatient on their journey. xN'ume of u stream in Pennsvl-
vania.

•it;

THF, AMEiaCAN INDIAN.

CoNEWANTA, (Irq. ), "tlipv stay a long time," i-onupttHl from
f'idiicuiKjd, a stream eiii[)tyiii<.( iiito tlie Susquelianiia in Peiiusylvauia.

CoNNEAUT, corrupted from (liiiiiiidli. (Al«j. ), signifying, "it is a
loiij; time since lie or tliev are iroue."" A branch of Froneli creek, and
town in Pennsylvania.

Connecticut, "land on the long tidal river." or "land on the river
without end."' Name of a river and state in this Union. The country
along the banks of the Connecticut was called l)y the Indians Qnimicli-
iiKliil, inid Roger Williams in Itl-J-H calls the nati^-es who inhabited the
territory. (JiiinliJ^uofL-.

CoNNEsus. (hiiic'i^'us, "place of nanny-berries."' Name of a
lake in New York.

C()Noi)0(iWisKT. corrupted h\nn(iinniii><liiclJi'inii('l. signifying "for
a long way notiiing but uends." A branch of the Susquehanna in
P'-nnsylvanin.

CoNONODAW. c( rrn]ited from Oniiniddtt. { Alg. i. signifying " he tar-
ries long;" one of the head branches of the Alleghany river in Pcnii-
sylvania. A name ex[)ressive of some Indians when halting along the
creek to await the return of one of their companion.^.

CoNoiK'KssiNii. corrnjited i'rom (TiiiKiclniiiciicKiitl:, (Alg.). signify-
iuiT "for a lou'' wii\ straiijl.t." A branch of the Alleijhanv river in
Pennsylvania.

CoNuv. corrujjted from (tiiik'u, signifying "long."' A snrill creek
emptying into the Susquehanna in Lancaster county, I'cnn.

CoNi'oi ooK. I Alg. 1. "crow rivei." The name of a river and jiost
village in New Hanipsiiirt\

CooK(;rA(io. I Alu'. I. "liig owl."" Name of the west liranch c-f the
Di.'laware I'iver.

("oos. I Alg. I. " plae ■ ()!' pines." Name of a county and town in
New liain[ishire.

Coosa, saici to signify tlie same as (J'oos, the same word iieiiig
spelled in two dilfereiit ways by i-aily writers. Name of a river in
Alabama and posi-ollice in (ieorgia: the river takes its name from a
banil <if Imlians.

CoosAiiA iciili:. from <'(in.<ti. the name of a band of Creek Indians,
and liiihliir. a creek oi' river. Name .ij' a ri\er in South Carolina.

Coi'i.KV. I .\lg. I. from a snnill c-eek. the proj)er name of which Ib
('ojx'crliini. "a tine running stream."" Name of a town in PeiMisvlvanin.

INDIAN GEOOKArmCAL NAMES.

upti'tl from
suusylvaiiiii.

iug, "it is H
h creek, ami

(111 the river

The country
ans Qiiiiiiich-
inhabited the

Name ot a

^r,iifyin^"ft»r
.sqiiehauua in

fyinij •• he tar-
river ill P<'iii>-
Itiiig along the

Alg.). siguify-
L'hfuiy river in

A siinll oreek

Mill.

liv'.'r ami J'ost

4 branch ri th(>

itv ami town in

iiii.> wovil being
le of a river in
its name from a

,r Creek Imlians.
nth Carolina.

laiiu' of which m
in ri.'niisvlvaiiia.

C'nUArKciiKN, ('ohipcchcii, ( Alg. i. "fierce nmuiiig Htrefim.'' Name
of a creek in Maryland.

Coshocton, (Alg. ), given by Mr. Heckewelder. the Moravian
missionary, as forks of the Muskingum ; in otiier words, it a[)i>ears
that tliis [ilace was so called, being a jilace where the rivi'rs ..aite.
meaning '•union of the waters."' Name of a county and town in Ohio.
Other authorities say it signifies '"finished small harlior."

CossAVUNA, (Irq.^). signifying, acc(U-ding to the St. Francis
Indians, "the lake at our points." Name of a lake in Washington
county. N. Y.

Coyote, a species of dog, in the dialect of the Cushiun and other
tribes inliabiting the upper portions of tiie Sacramento valley. A
town in California.

CoWAMPS, ro)('0)ui)sqii(; I Alg. ), "a whet-stone, or rock suitable
for that purpose.'' Name of a jilace on the south side of the Potatuck
river in Connecticut.

CowANESQfE. I Alg. I. '"In-iery," ••thornbushy." Name of a creek
in northern Virginia.

CoWAsiT. Coirissrck, ( Alg ), "place of small pine trees." The
name now ajiplied to a small stream in Connecticut.

CoWAUTACLTK, I Alg. ). "pine wood land." Name of a river in
ConiiecMcut.

CowEssETT, (Alg. ), probably corrupted from Coirassif, "place of
small ]'ine triM's." Name of apost-oltice in Rhode Island.

Cowii.LKiA, said to signify "willow." A creek in Montgomery
county. N. Y.

CoxsACKlE, derived from ('<)<il:!«)rl:cii, signifying '"owl hoot." A
town in New York.

Ckoton. I .\lg. I. • the wind.'" A river in New York. The word
appeals to be derived fioni a sachem who lived at its inoutli.

CrNNEVAUT. ('innicaiil, (liiiiiifdif. i Alg. i. "it is long ince they
went." Name of a creek in Pennsylvania.

CtU'P.VCOM.Ml'cK. "a refuge or hiding [>lace." literally, "a dose
])lace.'' A swiiiiip in the southwestern part of Ledyard, Connecticut,
called by the English the Pine or Mast swamp.

CiTsiri'ic. (Alg.). "the act of drawing a seine while fishing."'
Name of the most northern of tlie I'liibaifoy chain of lake.s.

72.S

THE AMKlilCAN INDIAN.

CussAWAGO, " snake with bi^' belly." Name of a creek in Penn.

CussETA, Ildsihla, '-coming from the sun." A town in Alabama.

Cuyahoga, (Irq.), from K(iilio<fli(i., a won! in the Moliawk dijilcM't
signifying "river." Name of a river and ccmnty in Oliio, In the
Moiiawk dialect also occurs the word C(i.rriho<j(i, which was the name
of an Imlian at Canajoharie, who married the widowed mother of the
noted Indian Brant, the meaning of which is "news carrier."

CrYAHOHA, (Irq.) The name given by the Indians to Trenton
Falls, N. Y., meaning "falls of the glancing waters."

Dacaim, supposed to ba the same as Dakota, (which see). A
town in Wisconsin.

Dadexoscaha, (Irq.), "trees having excresences." A creek in
Montgomery county, N. Y.

Dahlonega. TdiiJdiinrca. "yellow money." A village in Georgia,
near the gold mines in that stare.

Dakota, "leagued," or "united people." Other authorities say
it means "many in one government." Name of a territory of the
United States. Takes its name from a tribe of Indians.

Damauiscotta, (Alg.), "ale-wife place." A town in Maine.

Decoua. Na ne of a town in Michigan. (See Dekorra).

Decohah. N.ime of a town in Iowa. (Sen Dekorra).

Dekouha, (Winnebngo dialect), believed to be the same as
DckiD'c (U" Dcrarc. Name of a, AVinnebago chief as signed to treaties
between the United States and that tribe, spelled as l)efore given
and defined ns "the spoon." A town in Wisconsin.

Dks Moines, so called by the French from ^^oinf|^•na, derived
from ail Algon([uin word, Miku)i<ing, signifying "the road." Name
of a citv and river in Iowa.

Ein'iNTXK, (Alg.), " the place where the wearing apparel is dis-
tributed." A town in Pennsylvania on the Delaware river.

ElilK, "wild cat." Name of one of the great lakes of the fjuted
States. Name of an extinct tribe.

Escanau.V, (Alg.), "flat rock." Name of a town in W isconsin.

EsroiFEAG. f Alg. ). is supposed to signify "origin of three rivers."
A town in llhode l.sland.

IM)IA:x GEOOllAPHICAL NAMES.

12U

EsHQUAGENDEG, ( Aljj^. ). "uuter islniuls." Nume of one of tli(^
Apostle IsJaiids in Lake Su})erior.

Esoi-rs, from Scrpii, name for river, in the Delaware dialect. A
town in New Yovk.

EsTABOGA, "where people reside." A town on tlie Coosa river in
Alabama.

Eyota, lijotah, (Dak.), "greatest," "most." A village in Min-
nesota.

FiNHOLOWAV, Finhalui, "high bridge," or " high foot log." Name
of a swam[) in Georgia.

Gaaschtiniok, (Alg). The Indian name for the place wlierc
Albany, N. Y., now stands.

Ganawada, (Irq.), meaning "on the rapids." The Indian nainc^
for the place where Fonda, N. Y.. now stands.

G.^NOWAUGEs. or Condirdiifiiis, "fetid waters." Name of a town
in New York.

Gaudow. (idViUiu, G tdao, (Irq.), "bank in front." Name of a
place in New Y'ork.

Genesee, (jciniixliciio, llrq. ), "the beautiful valley." Name of
a river in New Y'ork.

Geneheo, (Ir(]. ), "beautiful valley." Name of a town in Illinois
and other states. Mary Jemison, the cajitive white woman of the
Genesee, says it comes from (Iciiinlitni, Chcnc.^cco. (icinicsco. as pro-
nounced by tl)e ditl'crent tribes, all meaning substantially the same,
shining, clear, opening, pleasant, clear opening, clear valley, or
pleasant open valley, relating more particularly to Genesee Falls.

Geauga, may comefrom CanrdiiHd, meaning "dogs round the tire."
Name of a cliief of tln^ Six Ircxpiois Nations who signed the treaty at
Fort Harmer, on the Muskingum river. Namt> of a couutv in Ohio.

GrrcHEGUMME, ( Alg. K "great water," "wide water." Name of a
bay extending into the land on tlie south side of Lake Superior.

GoGEHlc. A(/o(/chir, supposed to be a corruption of Jf/ojrliir.
"rockv," or "rockv shore." Some authorities sav tin? word isdo.re-

bing, meaning "dividiii<f lak

A lak.

e in Micliigaii. upper peiiinsidi

780

TIIK A.MKliK A.N i.NDIAN.

1-1

INDIAN GEOr.nAI'IIICAI. NAMKS. *<31

GoWANDA, ( Inj. ), "a town among the hills by the water sidp." A
town in Now York.

GiiANi) Kaukm'KALIX, fAlg. ), pronounced by the Frent-h K'uho-
l(ii(. by the Indians Kdiikoinicc. meaninjf ••[•ickerel tishini'-."' A [jjace
on Fox river, \\ isconsin.

HamI'A, lldiijui. (Dak.), "moccasin." Name of a small stream
near Aberdeen. Dakota.

Hackknsack, supposed to be derived I'roni Hdiirqiumsdiik, \ Al^-. ),
"hook mouth." The name of a channel l)y which the waters of New-
ark Bay find their way around Bergen Point to New York Bay,
Others say the Avord is derived from hdckinktiaqiiiiik. ami signifies
'■a stream M-liich unites with anotlier stream in a low place or on low
ground, that discharges almost inii)erceptil)ly into another stream."

Hali'ataokkk. "alligator wat(>r." Name of a swamp in Florida,
made of snudl islands, surrounded by water of various depths.

Hatchechubbee. derived fi'om lid/cliic, "a creek." ami clmhhd,
"half way," "the middle." A post village in Alabama.

Hattebas. (.riginally, it is said, the mime of a band of Lenuape
Indians. Name of a post village in North Carolina.

Hiawatha, "wi.se man." The name of a post village in Kansas.

AxIo'".VM"M, y-ilg). The original name was 'roiiilirfinoiiiiiskiil.
and mean,-, ••at tiie ax or tonuiliawk rock."" Name of a brook and
village in Connecticut.

HoiiOKEN. (Alg. 1, ••smoke pipe:" others say
Name of u town on the Hudson in N(nv Jersev.

HocrANr.M, ov Ilorkdinnti. ( Al>
Name of a river in Connecticut.

hook" or

'tobacco pipe."
•hook siiaiKnl.""

HocKHOCKlNG. I Alg.), "a l)ottic."" or -ijiaceof tiic gourd wliich
lesemlil.'s a bottle." A river in Ohio.

HociiKLAdA. ( Irq I. Former name of Montreal, signifvin;,^ ■■l>eaver

tlaiu.

irocKKNDAiin'A. corrupted Irom l',<ickimiu(hwliiri\ ••searcinng for
land. " Name of a strt>am in Pennsylvania.

HoCKlNT,. from Tlork/iock, "a gourd." and iin/. a local termination
in the Delaware dialect, meaning "at the gourd."" or ••place of the
gourd." Hockingport. nanu' of a post-office in Ohio.

■p;!' '

i'.Yl TIIK AMKllICAN INDIAN.

HuKAii, \ Diik. ), •'gar-fish.'" Nuino of a stream in Miunesota,
also calknl lluut river.

HoKAMAN, [\)i\k. ), "where horous sot, or breed." Name of hikes
in Minnesota.

HoKKNDAUQUA, "searching for land." Name of a town in Penn-
sylvania; takes its name from a small creek.

HoKA, "horn." Name of a small tributary of tiie Mississippi
near its sonroe.

HoNKovK. Hdiirtif/cli, (Dak.), "finger lying." Name of a hike
and creek in New York.

Hori'KNY CuKKK. Jlohhcnisiiili, (Alg. ), "potato creek," or "the
place where the wihl potato grows." Name of a creek in eastern
Pennsylvania.

HouU'ON, " tht^ lake of silver water." TJiis name is applied l)y
some writers to Lake George, in New York. A town in New Y'ork;
also the name of a lake in Wisconsin.

HousATONic, (Alg.), "stream beyond the mountains." Other
authorities say it is comjnised of inissa, "pr<md." afoii, "a channel or
stream," and /'•/>•, from (izliccln'c, "rocks," that is "proud stieam fiow-
ing through the rocks." Name of a county and river in Massachusetts.
It is also stated by some that it means "bright stream fiowing through
rocks."

Idaho, "sun-ri.se mountain." Name of a territory of the United
States; takes its name from a higii mountain so called by the Indians.
Othei' authorities say it means "the gem of the mountain."

Im.inois. From the Algonquin word fiiini, or lllini. pi. Jllhii-
iriii/. "inMn." and French adjective terminaiion oi's. The French sub-
stituted / foi" II. From tradition, it was intended to mean or have
reference to rt pcrfrcl nittii, as distinguished from the Inxj^uois nation,
wlio were considered by the wc^stern tiibes as beasts Man^uette, in
descending the Mississi{)pi, touclnnl on the west bank of that river at
a place near the mouth of the Dcs Moines, where he found marks of
inhabitants, which he p»nrsued Avestward a few miles, Avhen he arrived
at an Indian village, where ho was received with demonstrations of
great friendship). Ho communicated with the iidiabitants, it would
appear, in the Algoncpiin language, but as their dialect differed from
that of any of the trilu's lie had before met with, he asked the chief who

INDIAN (iKOCillAI'lllCAl, NA.MKS.

-:{;{

ropoivt'd liiin wlio tln'v were. Hn answorod in tlic Alj^'oiKiuiii Imiij,miii<^i'.
'• Wt' an* men.'' as (listiiij^'iiislu'd from tlm Iroquois, wlioiii tlicy looked
ii[)on as l)eastH in eoiisiMjneuct! t)i: their cruel conduct in their invasions
upon thn western triiies. Hence the term Iiiiiii, "num." or as the
French rendered it, llliiii. Tiiereafter tlie tribes of this vieinity
became Icnown amon<^ the French as flliiirsc or [lliiiois.

Imni.ia. or /•Jiinicjd, "roclv;'' properly, "ii rock washed l)y water."

I.MNl.rASKA, or hJiiiiK'jdKhi, "white rock." The Dakota nami; for
the city of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Inki'A. Ei'iikfxili. iDak. ). "end" or "])oint." A tributary of the
Minnesota river entering from the southwest near Laccpii Parle, which
WH8 formerly considered tlie iiead or end of the Minnesotii river.

iNVANBOsD.vrA, or Eitij(uil)()s(l<(l(i, "stone standinij on end." 'I'iie
J)akota name for Cannon river in Nebraska, and the name of a vilhif,'e
near it.

In VAN Kaha. fsdii/idli. ( Dak. i. "rocky hills."
peaks in western Black Hills.

Invax IIeakah. ( Dnk. ). -river of the rock."
Minnesota.

Invansiiahsiiaiiwaki'a. "river of red stones."
for the Des Moines ri\' r.

The nauje of some
Name of a river in
The Dakota name

Invantankinkinvanmdi;, (Dak.), "lake of big stones," so called
from the rocky mounds found near the lower end of the lake. Name
of H lake in Minnesota.

Invan Yanke, (Dak.), "stones there." The Indian name of the
Little Sioux river.

loKA. ])r(jbal)ly corrupted from loijn: from /<>. "beautiful," and
(j<K '"a place." N .1110 of u town in Iowa.

Iosco, (Alg.), "water of light." A county in Michigan.

Iowa, from a tribe of Indians called by the French Ajoiica, "the
sleepy or the drowsy ones." Name of one of the states of the Union.
This Jianie was ai)plied by the Dakotas to several Indian tribes.

Ii'AKSHAN, " crooked." The Indian name for the Ijig Sioux.

luoxDKQroiT, named fnmi a bay called by the Iroquois AVfx/aox-
lUiqudl, signifying "a bay." A town in New York.

InoQUois. The name of a linguistic stock of Indians, applied
especially to the six nations of the state of New York. The French at

Tin: AMKIilC.V.N INDIAN.

first fxiivf to tho tivo iiatiniiH and Hnroii.s tlio jiaiin' /linxjiidis. In mi ii
woi'd used in tlu'ir H[i('t!ciii'.s, and tinir usual cry of warninj^. Hint
wart H word or oxclaniation uhimI in flosin<^ tlu-ir sjuu'clu's. like the Dixie
of till' Latin, and »///(// was a i-ry of warnin;,' or alarm given by sentinels
oi' persons posted out to warn their assend)la<^es of approach in<^
intruders. Naint^ of a eouuty and town in Illinois.

IsAN. I iif/iiiisiii)(i, or tH(ini/(ili, (Dak.), '"pah^ stone."' The name
of a small lake near the lieail of Hum river in Minnesota, upon the
hanks of which probably were found the tiint from which the Dakotas
nuide their knives and hatchets, as the word ixan is said to si<;nify
knife in their lan<(uage.

Ih-VNTF, fsdiiijali, (Dak.), "dwellers at the knife." or "at Knife
lake." Name of a county in Minnesota. This is the name of one of
the four dialectic divisions of the Sioux nation, comnioidv called the
Sautees.

Itaska. (A1<^. ), a name formed by Mr. Schoolcraft for a lake at
the supposed stmrce of the Mississippi river; from Jd, "to be," and
tulusli, "the female breast," with a locative inflection.

IzuzA, (Dak.), "white stone." Name of a tributary of the Min-
nesota entering that stream a short distance below Big Stone lake.

Jamaica. CciiprKWd, or Kayiiidcfi, said to mean "a country abound-
ing in s[)rings." Other authorities say it is a corruption of the word
XdijdDidcd, "land of wood and water." Name of a town in Now York
and other states.

K.\0IN0OUMAUG, ( Alg.), "long water lake." The Indian name for
the lake which is the source of the Crow-wing river in Minnesota.

Kakagon, (Alg.); the proper word is 0(jdkd(iini, from oija, a
dorry, a kind of fish or wall-eyed pike, and kdjfim, which signifies a
place where this kind of fish can be taken plentifully. A river in
Wisconsin running into Che(juamagon bay.

Kakiweonan, pronounced ])y the French Kdhiirroiid, signifying
"a country traversed by a cross water communication, and a portage
for small lakes." A portage through the copper regions of Lake
Superior was so called from Xiiikfikincc, "I march across."

Kalamazoo, Ncfjikanamazo, (Alg.), a term derived from stones

IMH.VN (ii;o(il; AI'IIUAl, NAMKS.

;{5

river iii

HflHii tlinmj^li tlio wator. wliicli. fniin ii rofnictivo power in tluwurrent.
reseinlilf an otter s\viiiiiiiin<^ uii(lt;r water. A river, eouiity and town in
Mielii^'fin.

IvAMAS, a kind ot root ;,'atlii'red for tood hv the I ndians on llio
Piicifie coHHt. A post-otliee in I tali tt^rritory.

KamI'Kska, (Duk. ), "erystal." -"eliar."' A lake near Watertown,
Dakota.

KA.NAItKC, (Alg. ). "snake." A eounty in Minnesota. \ river
paKses tiirou>^h this eoiuity ealled Snake liver. I'roni wliieii tlii.s county
seeuiH to tako its name, hy heinj,' transferred to tlie Iniliaii language.

Ka.nawii.v. said to sit'iiifv "'river of tlie woods." A eonntv in
West Virginia, from a river of tiiat iianu'. The word, it is lidifved,
takes its name from a tribe of Indians iidud)iting tht^ eountrv in tlie
vicinity of this river, spelled variously as (J((ii(ii, (.'(tiuii^. ('(iii(iirii;is.
('(iiKiirfsc.

Kaxdiotta, (Dak.), •■many buffalo tisli." Name of a lake in
Dakota.

Kandiyohi, (Dnk.), from /,w(r//, •' bulfalo Hosh." and ///f.-///. "to
reach to nie." A town in central Minnesota.

Kandizohi. (Dak."), "that which the buffalo f.sh come into."'
Name of a lake in Minnesota.

Kankakkk. ( .Mg ) A town and county in Illinois, which takes its
name from a principal river known at this day by the same name. It
is spoken of by Charlevoix in 1720 as tlie 'J'licdkilxi river. He snys it
conies from llicdh-, " wolf."' a iiaiiii' by Avhicli some tribe of liulians
were called by sonn^ other tribe who lived upon this river; but this is
a mistake; the word fhcak does not signify wolf in any language of
any tribe who were ever known to inhabit or frecpienf this part of the
coiantry. Charlevoix remarks that the l''rench Canadian by French
corruption called it Kiiikihi. Kankakee is not an Indian word.
Kdiikckcc is a word in the Algoiujuin language, and means "raven.""
Ill the treaty with the Pottawattamies and other Algon(juin tribes at
Cainp Tippecanoe, November Mrd, ISiVJ, this river is called the Kaii-
kdkc. Other authorities say it is an lro(|Uois word and comes from
kanfdkc, signifying "among the meadows."

Kansas, "smoky," "smoky river." Name of a jirincipnl river
mid state of the Union, coming from a tribe of Indians of that name
who dwelt upon this river. Other authorities say it signifies "good
potato."

IPBP

(.)ii

Till; AMKKICAN INKIAN.

Kaskaskia. Niiiiic 1)1' )i town ill soiitliiTii Illinois, Hituiited mi n
river «>F tlmt niiiiif, nciir its coiifliu'iico with tlin MisHissi|>|>i. This is
ht'lit'vt'ii to 1mi tliti uhh'st town in tlin IMississippi viilh'y. liii\ in^ ho(>n
t'oiuiih'tl ill Ids:} by tin- Frt'iicli. (imicr Lii Sulh». It was i-oiisideird
the (•fi|)itiil of tilt' Northwest Tcrritoi y, and was the ctMitcr of the
Flench population of that re<,'inn. Ipon the formation of Illinois
Tevritorv, Jvaskaskia hecanie the capital, niui so continued until the
state of Illinois was admitted into the rnioii in iNlN. It is also the
name of one ol the Illinois trilie of Indians who were first visited by

*-/iH

FIUST STATE HOUSE AT KASKASKIA.

Marquette in U\lii, then inhahitiiii; the country aiiout what is known
as Starved Kock. on the Illinois river, wheie they had ([uite a lart,'e
town, which the French speak of as Kaskaskia. or the town of the
Kaskaskias. Soon after the arrival of I.a Salle, this trihe reniovt'd to
the site of the present town ()f Kaskaskia, which <,nive to it, also the
river on which it is situated, their present names. Several early
writers speak of an Indian town of the same name on Beaver river in
western Fennsylvania, about the year 1T4N, referring to it as '*n large
Indian town." If it is an Indian word in this form, which is doubt-
ful, and ever had any signification, it is now lost.

Kasson. ( Dak.), "to use all uj).'" A post-olKce in jNJiiiuesota.

Kasota. (Dak.), said to mean "clear," or "cleared otf," "as the
sky clear from clouds." Name of a small stream and tow n in Miunesotn.

Katahdin, Kaictddciii, (Alg, ), "the greatest," or "chief moun-
tain." Name of the highest mountain in Maine. Other authorities
say it signifies " the highest place."

Katonah, "sickly." A post-village in New York.

nted (III a
. This is
viii<( hetMi
■iiiisitlercd
L>r of (ho
)f IlliiioiM
until till)
s also tiic
visiteil by

is known
e ft larjtje
n of tlio
moved to
also tlie
•id early
• river in
" n large
s donht-

ota.

"as the
innesota.

f moun-
thorities

INDIAN (iKUtiUArmCAL NA.MKS.
Katchenaha, "turkey lake." Nanu> of a lake in FK.ritla.

TMi

KAiADAiiAiK, (Trq.), "broftd." A htreani in Moidgoniery county,
New York.

KAiKAfNA, ( Alg. ), "ft portage."' or •• long jiortage." In tlie
()jil)\vay dialect then* is a word of tiie same sound, which si-nulioH
''all." Name of a town on Fox liver. Wisconsin.

Kr.AlJSAIUii;, ( Alg."). "sliar|) or pointed pine niounialn." or merely
"the notched or peaked mountain." Name of a mountain in New
Hampshire. Otii.'r aidhoritics .^ay it sigidties ••the higiiest place."

Kkhp Hanni:, ■• |)rincipal oi' greatest stream." This name was
given In tht> Lenna LcMiape Indians to the Delaware liver. Tiit» same
name is said to have been given bv the Delawai'es. on th(> lianlcs of (he
Ohio, to that stri am.

Ki;\AW\v. ( .U;,'. I. •• whirii.oo!."' or "swallowing up." Some
Indians have it tiuit an evil spirit lived in the water which drew suii-
stances f roni the bottom of the river. Name of a liver.

Kknxkhaoo Lvkk, ( .\lg. k probalily from K,;i(il,i</,/(,. plural of
snake. A post-otlict! in Maine.

Ki:nm;saw. k'iinicsdh was the name of a Cherokee chief, who
signed tiie tn-aty bi>tweeii the I'niteil States government ami that
mdion on duly "Jnd. ll'Jl. tln^ meainng )f who.se name is "iven as
"cal)in.'" su[.posiMl to lie the same as Kennesaw. A post-ollire in
Georgi,'!.

KkxNK1U;c. lAlg. I. -long water." -long lake." Name of a river
and county in Maim*. IJishop Baraga, in his ;lictionary of the O/r/iipin-
langua;,'e, says Kennt>bec is a word in the ( "ree language signifying
" snake." or "serpent."

KKNNHlifNK. (Alg. 1. '-long watei' place." Nam.' of a town in
Maine, also in several other states of the Union.

IvKNM'.KfK. a c(U'ruption from Ki'duiichiik. ■•the foi-eniost man,"
from the name of a great Kickapoo propliet. A town in Kansas.

Kenosha, (Alg. ), "a pike." or -pickerel." Name of a town iji

Wi^

sconsin.

IvENTrcKV, "at tlie head of the river." Barber, in his history of
Virginia, says it is an Indian wcml signifying •'dark and bloody
ground." from the fierce and savage contests, in this part of the <'(mii"-
try during the early settlements, between the Indians and tiio whites.
Other authorities say it is derived from KcnhikfLumi, "the prairies."

mmm

',fiH

Tin; .\MI.I!I( AN INDIAN.

Nanii' of one of the stiitos nf tlif rnion, ■iiiil u principal rivtT in tin'
statf.

KknZI'a. or Ki'iijiiii. hciilsfliinilc. (AI<f. I. " tlii'v <,Mlil)lr." tli'it is.
"tin- w iiil turkuvs gi>bblo." Maiim of a crt'ck in ci'iitrai rciiiisylvHiiia.

Kr.oKUK. (Al<;.), ''watciiful fox."' N;nii(> of a r\\\ in Lnva. ]t
laivt's il.s iiaiiio from an Jndiaii cliii'f of the Sac trihc. who inliahittd
tiiat part of tlio countrv at its lirst s>'ttlcniciit l>v tlio whites. It is
interpreted as "watciiful fox." in two treaties between the United
States ifovernineiit an<l tliistrilie. wliicli are si;^Med \ty this cliief. In
anotlier ti'eatv it is inler[trett'(l as "liiiwho lias lieen everywlicre."
which is not lielieved to bt^ correct, Mr. ("ahd) .\twater, in his ac<'ount
of a tour to Pi'iiirie dii (Jhien in l^'J'.'. says tiiat it means "river fox:"
tiiat III: means "river."' ^Ir. Catlin sa\s it nn'a'is "the rnnnini^ fox.""
Ail authorities, it seems, concnr that tiie word f<ix is ii'.cinded in the
term Iveokuk.

KilosAQl'A- This word in tiie Ojiliway dialect would mean "a
woman that jiunts." .V [lost villa;,fe in Iowa.

Ki'.oTA, jtrobably corru;;li-d from tin' .Vli^'oiupiin word kntlila,
"the lire is ".joiie out."' Name of a post-ollice in Iowa. It mav also
mean ""^'oik^ away,"' "gonn to visit. "

Kksmkna. In tiie Ojibway di.dect this word meauK "aja'fttense
of pain. " Nann* of a town in Wisconsin.

Ki;\VANl'.i:. (Alg.) This name is j.,nveii by .lohn Tanner i.i his
narrative of thirty years' captivity amoui,' tht» Indians, as "piaiiie
hen."' Mr. Schooh-raft j,Mves the same word in tlie .Miami dialect,
hi^'iiifying "nose."' The Indians mark it as the soiii,' of Hie prairie
hen. hr-ira-iii!'. Lr-irn-iirf. si^^nify iiij^ in their lan<fuaije "where I got
lost."" This being (he constant song of tln^ )>vairie Ikmi. (ne\ e;dl it
by that nann'. Otiier authorities say it is a Dakota word, from kiinnii,
"winter again : " said of snow coming in the s|)ring after the winter
is supp.osi (1 to be over. Name (d' a town in Illinois.

Ki:\V\si,tM, ( .Vlg ), " returning track." A town in Wisconsin.

Kr.w \iNi:i;. A town in Wisconsin. (See Kewanee |.

K I'.WKi'.NAW. I .Vlg. I. jifoliably corrupted from iiiiniivi-iiiuin. ••h^'k
again." A county in Michigan. It may also come from hnraiiiniKin,
hignifying a detour (U- returning aroiiinl u point, or to go out and come
back around the point.

Ki;v\ Paha, i |)ak. K "turtle iiills " Name of some hills and a
htroam i.i northern NebniHka.

<Vk:.

INDIAN lii:()(il;\l'lll(Al, NA.MI.S.

7 HI I

KlCKAl'uo. Xc(ii/,;ih(i.<, ('Ali,'.), '• <rlio8t nf ail otlcr." a plmi ..• jcst-
in','ly !iji[)lio(l, it is said, liy othor tribes. A town in Wisconsin an. I
other stiitcs.

KiNNi IviNNicK. I Al^r. I Tiio proper wonl is K'liirl,- k"in,'L\
inBHiiing ■•mix." A jiin,! ,,f w.t.I ns.-.l hy the Indians to siiioiv^ as
tolmcco, or t!ie inside l)arlv of willow used for tiie sain.> |>iirpose. wlie,.
dried and ])ulverized , nixed witii foltacco. A post-oHice in Ohio.
Tiiis word is v/irious!y spell. 'd as Kiniiick Kinnick. A town in Wis-
consin.

Kiowa, in tli.' Ojihway dialect, woiil.l mean -tliv hodv." A
town in Knnsas and other stat.'s.

Ki,>.;il( OQrii. IS. •■till' snali.'s liave already g.it into tiieir dens."'
A creek Ml P.^unsylvaiiia.

KisinvAi Ki:i-, t.\U'.) I'll.- in.lian nam.' in tn.^ I'.ittnwattaini.' dia-
lect for syciiinoro tree. Name of a river in nortliern Illinois; als..
iiam.^ of ,t station on the ('. \ N. \V. l{y i„ McH.Miry c.)mity, in that
state.

KlsKATAMKNAKo.tK. k'cskdloinw Icankc, (Al-,r. I. ••th.' pla. f

Bhelleil iiiits." Name of a l.)calitv umr tho Ciitskill ni.)iintaius. New
York.

K\s\iiMi\KT.\s, (iicsfimtnn'ifo, i Al^'. ). ••niak." dayli>r|it." Name
of a stream in I'eiip ylvaniu. I'radition says a warrior .mi. •ainijiiii,' ..n
its banks said this dnrinj,' tlio iii^rht to his comrad.'s. s.. impatient was
ho to mova forward.

ivirt'iil (Ia.iII. or Kcchc fiininni-r. ••the i^reat .)r chi,.f lak.v" The
Ojibway iiamo for ].ak.' .Siiperi.>r. ( Sei^iitcliegumme i.

KitcuoI'ai'AaI, •• wh.M-e tin- Mai/.' \V.io.l river is spreail out."
Name of a trib.'.tary of tin- Tallapoosa rivi-r.

Krn-ANINO. lAli,'.), corrupt. -d from k'illiinnniiL\ •■at. or on. the
niain stream."' Other aiitlioiities say it is fr.un k'illdiniiii. ■• voii have
abiindani-e," .ir •■you an' rich." A riv.'r and town in Pennsylvania.

KlTTATlNNV, I Al<r. I, "the ^'reatest. or .-liicf niunntain."' Nam.'
of an extensive mountain ran^re in easL-rn i'enns\ Ivania. .•ontainin-,^
the ne!;i-,v;iv> and |jehi<fii vat.r ^fr.uips.

Kll'lAToN. ( Wii. I. ••th.' ^'reattown or villa-,re." Nam.' of a cre.'k
oi \ir-,nnia, eiil.'niiL,' the j'otoiua.', ..pp.tsil.' I' .int of Kocks. I'n.ba-
bly so nam.'tl on ac>'ount ..f an in.iian villa;,'.' .ni its banks.

Kll'TH.MAfd. "frreat lishiiij,' place."' A Ku-ality .ui Ihe.'ast liankof
the Thames river, in Coiiii.'cticut.

?4(i

Tin: A.VI.KUAN INIllAN.

IviWAJlN, lAl<,r I. "noi'Mi wind.'" "wind ^'oiii;,' Imck."' Nann' <it'
n (iisti'ict of couiitrv in Uiitisii Auit'i'ica

KiiKOMd, ■•viinn^ ifriindnintliff." A town in Iiidiaiiii. In tlit>
xVl^iin.ndii liiu<^u».i(o tiiis \\ord would mean "owl's roost.''

Kooi;kwi:\awkiiii. i .\.li,^ ) 'I'hc nanu' wliicli the I ndiniis ;,'avi.' to
tin place whrrc l*liila<Ud|>iiia now is. nn-anini; "the j^foNc of tlit> loni;
|)ini" tii'cs."

K<isiiKt)MtN'(;. (Alj:;. ). f'"oni kosK'ii, " seartHl," and (imj, " plarr."
"II fri;,'lilt'id placf." "u^dy jilaci'." I'(>rlia|is from l.iLiisliLo, "Im -^ot
iiway." or " was rtdcasod."" and out/, "a |ilaci';" tliat is. "the jilaci'
wlidi' he <,rot away or was released." A lake in Wisconsin.

Ki MliN. 'to l<i:ow.'" .\ uiii'd in tin' Chinook jai'j^'on. A post-
(illiie in \N asl'ini;toii te!-i'itor\.

KrirrcK. Kchii'luh-. -^reat rivei." I'ln" Indian minn' of the
Ulacksloiie liver, in ( 'oimect ient.

L\( K \\\ \\N \. I Aiij. I. " forked stream." or " tiiof:i . ■■a tlmt forks."
Name of a ef'-'k in eastern Pennsylvania tlowin-.; .he Snscpn'-

haiina al>ove W'ilkesharre. 'j'lu' word I'lirhiurtnin is a word in the
Mohawk dialeef. and means "a chiei." or "head man."

I. \ci\ \w '.MA. I A li;;. I. " where the I'oads |iart." Name of a river
and lo^^ II ill l'eiin>\ Ivaiiia.

1. \<K WVANAK. Ldi'kiiiiiiiniuil,-. i Alj,'. i. "tin* forks of two str.'ams."
or "tin place of the fork." Name of a m oil n til in in eastern Peiinsvlviini'i.
The mountain orii,Miiates at the junction of the Lackawanna river with
the Sii-.(| iieliaiina. Mild fidiii its location at the fork of those streams,
mav !if <aid to h.ive an appri ^ liate name

!,\l\o|'\. I |)ak.. Tironwaii dialect i, same as ■ hnhnln." \ j)ost-
ollicc ill Nehraska.

I.i\\ii, I Mi;. I. "oii;riiiiil." " tirst." "ori^^inal people." ■• \
f'K'e of piople who are the same as they were in the lie^iniiiii<^,
iiiiclianeed. iinmi\ed. " A post -oHice in I'eni.nv Iviiiiia ; also in Kiiii.siis.
'Cakes its name from a trihe of Indians ori;;! mlly iiiliiil»itin;( Peiiii-
svlvaniii. afterwards called i hlninins, tlm Hiime with whom William
Peiin made his famous treaty at Shakaumxoii.

I.KWWrr. in t!ie Shawnee dialed, Hi;jiiines "Indian." Name of
a cimiitv in .Miclii^'an.

INDIAN (.i:i)(;ilAI'lII{\l. NA.MI'.S.

r-ti

Lii.i.EWAlTP, " falling wnter."' Tak.-s its iiaiiiH from tli.' falls <,i,
a stream oji Hooirs canal, Washiuglon territory.

Lima, a corruption hy tlio Imliaus or Spaniards of the native
name nhi„tr. \ city in South America, and name of towns in Ohio
and other states of tlie rnion.

LoACiiAi'oKA. -the place when' terrapins are killed."' A town
Alabaniii.

eorgin.

LoNOTo CijKKK. "tiint creek." an alHiK'iit of Flint river. (1
This word is the Indian name for that river.

I.oosiiTooK. '-Ion- river." Nans.- of the principal rive,- nf New
Brunswick, iietter known as St. -lohn's river.

LoVAllMiANNA. Lnirrrlli,nn„: I Alg. ), ••niiddh' stream." Name ,,f
a creek in \\'estniorelaiid ( niv, I'tun.

LoVAI.soCK. from L,nris,H,„ih: l .\lg. ). •• the <'ivck that empties
itself l).'tw.H'n ..tilers." or -mi.ldle creek." Name ,>f ,. nwk in
Lycoming county. I'eiinsylvania.

J.\(n.MiN(i. L,;ji,,iilt<i„,ti'. (Alg.), -'samly stream." Name of a
creek and county in Pennsylvania.

Ma(III:.\iooI)Is. i.Vlg. I. MalrhrnHnlosr. -there is a had noise,"
or -the place of hadnoiaes," Name of a locality in East IJaddam.
Collliecticut.

Macii IIanm;. i Alg. ). -the large, or largest si,-e,Mn." The na
given t.. the largest of the tlire. streams which iu.it(i to form t
Lc^high river.

MAriii.iA.M.Mi. 1 Alg. ). -large hike." Nam.- of a lake in northern
A\ isconsin.

MAciiltiA.MKi. I Alg. I. "lar-e lal .-.or - larg.- lak.- stream." Name
of astieam flowing fiom Lak.- .Machigai-imi in Wisconsin.

Ma.ki.svw. in s.ime of th.- .Vlgoii.inin dialects means ••turtle."
Name of a tow n in Illinois.

Macoii-in. I .Ug. 1. nam.- from a small stivani in lllinoi.s. "Indian
nam.- of a hulhoiis root lik.- th.- potato, foun.l growing along this
strtMim." Name of a county in Illinois.

^Iacinoh:. (Alg. i. ci.rrii|.t.-.l from M(i,lil:inis<-in'. ••th.- feeding
place of i..-;irs." Nam.- of a post-olli.-.- in l,.-high (•..iintv. i'.-iiiisv Ivania.

enm

^imiffM*

TIIK AMKUICAN INDIAN.

Mai>a\vaska, ( Ali^. ). from Mnlmrnshd. "tli' inoiitli of ii rivcM",

whoro tln'i'i' is ;l,'Viiss luiil liay.'' Naiiic ol' ii town ii Miii

lie.

Maciatankamuk. (Ddk. ), "swan Itiko." Naiue oi a lake in M

uesota.

Mahotty, or }[(tij<ilhij, (Alji;. ). "a small plain or ])r!iirie devoid of
timht'r." A river in Maryland.

Maiianov. ( .U^'. ). (Mjrruiittnl from Malioiii, "a lick." Name of ii
stream in I'tMuisvlvania.

^Iaiianiick, M()iili(tiiftck\ [XV^.], "a siirtice swamp,"' or "cedar
swiinn)."' Name of ii swamp in tlie southwestern [)art of Newtown,
Conn.

MaiiaM'AI"(1A. from MoIkiiiI'Iiiiio. ••where we iiad plenty to eat."
A stream in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania.

Mahaska. ••whit(! cloud." Nanu^ of nn Iowa Indian chief. A
county in Fowa.

.M MlASKAKooK, ('.\1<;. ). ••a crippled bush." Name of a |)lac(^ in
Cohunliia county. N. V.

MAHoNiNd. or Mdlioiiji ( .\1<^. ). corrupted from }f<ili(>niiiL\ "whore
there is ii lick." ••at the lick." A county and river in Ohio.

Makaoi. I Dak. I, • brown earth." Name of a western tributary
of the Minnesota.

Maka.MDK, ( Dak. ). "suidi lake." A lake in Dakota.

MakoN, prol>al)ly the same as Mikiiioii. an Algoncjuin word ft)r
"feathei'."' A town in New York.

Makia. (AI;,'. ). ••l)rar." or ••a bear." A town on the shon* of
Lake Michijfan.

Ma.maciii.mins. M(ini(irliiiiinns, f.Vlj;. ), ••biirn'n." •■waste." or

iiioccupied little island." \ small isl.ind near Norwalk. Coi

in.

M\MA(lloA<i. II brook in New London. Conn., which was so called
bv tile Kurdish settb'rs. probai)ly from their abundance uf small lisli.
popularly known by a corruption of their luvlian name as " Miininid-
r/(Oi;.s." ( -Vl;,'. )

Mam AiocK, variously spelled as MininiifiKh'l:. Mmiiiunil:. Mahn

III-

h'ciihf. I W^. I. ••M j^Ment hook." Name of a creek in East Lyme, west
of Black I'niiit. Conn.

Manauv. or Minrndn, Mciiiifltni, ( .\.1<^. I, "an island." Name of a
Ol'oek in Daupliiii count\. I'ciiii.

INDIAN (ii:0("il!.\riII( M, NA.MF.S.

Man AKAN, (••iri'U|)t<'(l from McnchinKl. (Al^'. ), "whoro licjuor luid
])i'('ii dfank." A luaiicli of n strt.-aiii cfillnl Vi-llow JJrt'cclit's. in York
«'ouiity, I'ciiii.

Manai.ton. MciKilliitl:. (Al<,'. ), '"at tlic plact^ wlicrc w«' ilranU
liquor to exciss." Naiuo of a [)lac(3 in western I'oiinsylvaiiia.

Manawa. (^Alg.), "back again." A town in Wisconsin.

Manatauk, (A1<^. ), ''a placH of ohsorvation," or "a look ont
place.*' Name of a high hill in Watcrfonl, Conn.

M.VNATirur, or MoiKtlaiinof, prohalily thn sainn as MiiiKifnck, "a
place of observation," Name of a Knuill river in Baintroo, Mass.

Manatawnv, corruj)te(l from Mfiihiillniiliik. lAlg. ), "where we
drank licjuor." A branch of tlio Hciuiylkill, in Berks countv. Beiin.

Manayunk, Moii-iiiiih; "place of rum," or '■ place of drinking
li(pior." A locality wiiL'in the present limits of Pliiladelphiii. Benn.

;Mamian. ( Alg. ). -an island." Nameof ariver in East Hampton,
Mass.

^[ANllANNoc'K, Miinnnlt(iti(nik(\ ( .Vlg. ), "island place." A section
of Gastoid)ury, Conu., formerly an island in the Connecticut river.

Maniuttan, Miinn<th(il<ni. (Alg.), "the town of tiie island."
Nann^of a town in Illinois an<l other states of the Union. Other
authorities say it is from M<iiili<iclil(iiiich\ " tln^ place where we all <'ot
drunk or becanm ininxicated."" Maidiattan, X. V., is .said to i)e the
place where tiie Indians first tasted whiskey, o;i meeting the EuropeauH
who first landed at (iiat place. They gave them whiskex to drink,
whereby they became iidoxicatinl and. therefore., it is said, so named thia
place.

M ANilCMsc^rKKd. ( Alg. ). '-in the whetstone country." Name of a
hicality in Connecticut.

MANi'ssiNd, MiiiiihiIkiii. (.Vlg. I. "an island." oi' ••the island."
Name of an island in Jjong Island Sound, X. Y.

Manimoisii. (Alg.). "bad spirits." A river in northern Wiscon-
sin, running into the Chip|>eway river.

ManistKK. ( .Mg. K from Mdiiislcil: ,,v Miniislii'h. in tin' i'vi>t>
dialect, meaidng "island." or "island in ihf rivei." .\ town and river
in .Arii*lii;,'an.

Manistu^i'i;. I .VIg. I, same as Manistee, ••island in a rii-er." \
town in Michii:an.

Tnr. AMKUICAN INDIAN.

M.VMTKAr. ( Al<'. I. the sail

.Maiiitii. A I'oviiitv and town in

issniin.

Mami'disa. i A1«j;. ), from Mdiiiloii-dda, "tin; strait of tlin spirit;"'
from a lako of that namo. TJiis lak;' is so callcul on ac<'ouiit of 8traii<.je
things sin'U and heard in the strait wiiich joins tlio hike ^^ith anothor
one. ill tlie ohl tinios. Afcording to Scliooifraft, from Mdiiituinni,

'spirit voice.

A district of coiintiv in JJritisli Aniorici

Mamto. or Mdiiiloii, (Ali,'.

lirit," usuallv understood, liow-

ever. to mean ••the (Jreat S[)irit." Name of towns in various states.

MAMi'ori.lN, ••spirit island." Name of an ishmd in Lake Huron,
east of Mackinaw, south of the Nortii (Mmnnel.

Manitowoc. ( .Vlg. ), j^iven by Schoolcraft as Miiiiloirdiikc. \ a-
rions detinitions are <riven to tliis word, andtiiere is much dispute and
ilitference of opinion as to its correct meaning in its present form.
Manilo, means '"spirit." the word anL' means "a tree staniiing ah)ne."
This termiii. lion added to Manito would mean "spirit tree."' or '•a
tree; uiuh'r some mysterious iiitlueiice." Tiie word r/^/Av would signifv

'earth

place

lis w<

inl added to the word INIaiiito,

won

mean "jilaceof the spirit."' MduildirdiKj. from wiiich the word in its
present form is supposed hy some to he derived, wcuild mean about the
same thing as "place of tiie spirit."" Mdiiitoiiiiii would be the plural
and would nn^aii "[dace of the spirits."" Tin; letter ir in tliis word is
thrown in for eupiiony. having no eil'ect in changing the nieaiiiiig of
the W()rd. it being a rule in the Indian language, from wiiich tiiisword

is derivi'd, tlu.t two vowel sounds in a word are not

allowei

I t

o come

together, but a con.sonant, usually ir. is thrown in for euphony, as ii
this case. Name of a town on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.

Mil

Mankato. fnmi Mu'ld and /o. ( !),•
iliesota.

blu(> eartl

A t

own in

MwoKiN. (.\lg. I, "an encloseil [ilace.''" The Indian name of a

river 111

ai'VlaiMl

IMami'.no. I .\1'

pro

babi

V II

corruption of Mdiiiloii or Minnli

"spirit." .\ni>tli( r authority states that tlie signitication of Mdiilfim.
in the j'ottawattamie dialect, is "soldiers village."" Name of a town
ill northeastern Illinois.

Mamnka ('mink. ( .VIg. I. probably corrupted from Mdiinnkrliu'k,
or Miiiiiidirlitillcdi(<i, "that which manures land." referring to fish
which the Indians used in fertilizing their corn lands. A village in

ew .Jersc

INDIAN (;i;i)(il!AI'III(AI, NAMKS.

7 4, J

Maquon. 1)1- Mc(iii()ii. (Al^'. ). '-a (luill or fffithcr."' Tliis is tlin
nnino wliicli liin Dehiwiirt' Imliaiis j,'!ivt» to Williiiiu J'riiii, from tliocir-
c'lmistaiico of Ki<fiiiii<,f tho iiii'iiionil)lu treaty iiuidd witli tlicni on tlie
Doluwarfi

(liiKi.rnii.

river at u place, siiu'O called KeiiKiii-^'toii, called hv tlii'iii
[)iit Ills iiamo to this treaty with a quill }»eii. w hicli

also the liidiaiiH touched in niakin<; their mark thereto, in the nsui
form in cases whei'O persons cannot write, Iumkm^ they <;Mve iiim this
name. Nann; of a town in Illinois.

j^rouni
vania.

MAS(iKi;KKA\NK. (All,'.), '"a strejini tlowinij tliroii<f|i swiimpy
rt^am on iiroad Mountain, south of Seranton, I'ennsyl-

I " A St

MaSIIAMHI^IKI', M<ISS(((IIIIIIII(IIiI. ( \\'^.

place." Name of a hrook in Poinfret, Conn

It the <,'reat fishing

]MASiiAl'Af(i. (All,'.), from inn

.V.SV(,

lari,'

e. and I'din/. ••sl;inding

water." A i)ost-otlict3 in Connecticut.

^[ashim:!;, pT'obal)ly corrupted from Maxi-lin/n'. ( Alj;. i, •corals."'
"beads." A town and post-ollice in Massachusetts.

MassamT-SIC. ( \\ir. ). denotes "a place at a I I'elativeh i ^ri,.j|t rivu-
let, or hrook." A post-otlice in New ifampsliire.

MA.SHAMr.sii;. I .\.1<,'. I. prohahly tiie sanu) as
see). A lake in New Ham[(shire.

.1/

(i.tftnhrsir. I winch

MASsAcilArd. Miisch(uiti. | .\.1<,'. ), prohahly corrupted from the
Nanaifanset equivalent o.' .Moheijan, Mii.njiinldiiji, "place where
ruHhes f,'row." Nanu) of a pond in Westerly. Uhode Island.

MAssACursKPTs, (.Vl>jf. ), an aiifjjlicized plural of Mnssurlnisrl.

sij^nify

in<r

it or near tho irreat liilU

■the iriciit hill coiintrv." from

///

ansa "irreat" and irmlclin [ in composition »"/(•// /^ i. plural

'mountain^

nils, a

ml siillix (7 or ,7,

■on or near.

llllilclKlsl

ccorduii'

to Ho,'j;er Williams, it si>.,'nilies "hlue hill.-

Josiali Cotton wa^

informed that tlie term specially helonged to '-an hill in the form of
an arrowhetid." Other authorities siiy it is supposed to conn' from

the word Mai'lililxchirnniiir, as tln^ Indians tliiiil'
of islands." with c

•\. nieaiiiiii^ •• a cluster
lannels tverv wav. Accordiii'' to tli<' hest authorit,-

tlio nn)anin;:r of the name, no doiiht.
one of tin* states of the I'nion.

it the i^rciit liil

ame o

MASSAl'i'.Aii, Mii.'^sdprinil:. ( .Vlg. ) ••<;reat water land." or •land
tho great cove." A post-otHce in Connecticut.

MASHAriTNNCH'K, (Alg. ), '* place of lish-hawk

W!is the name hv

740

Till", A.MKIUCAN INKIAN.

wliicli Fiilcoii IhIhikI. soutli of ( iiiiirord. ( '(nmccticnt, is riTordod ii
oiirlv Iiisturv.

SSAWAMASOti,

.U(i

Sfiiiiromn.ssii

/.•. (Al.

•;,'!•. 'lit

'livity.

'Htet>p liill.sidn or liiiiik/' Tills imiiio is now )t|)|>lii-d to a brook iiiul

covo wt's

t of tho TliHiiios rivi>r in Montvillt', Conn.

MasTIIOI'K. corrupted from ninsclKiiii. '■ bends of >,'1iiks." A post -
oflice ill I'ciiiisylvjiiiid. Former ortlio«,'r(ipliy. Miisliope.

Mat\('()MA('()("K, ( A1^. I. ''bad |>hi<'e liind," or. possibly, " wliero tlio
[mtli is liiid.'' Tin* name of ii locality in Windsor Uounds, Conn.

IMaiawan. (

Al«.),

'it opoiis ( a river ) : it arrives in a lake." A

town in New .lersev.

Mai'oaca. Mnloiihi; ( Al^. |. "snow featlier." Tlie ori^niial name
of the Indian "^irl. diiu<,'liter of Powhatan, afterwards known anion','
the whites as Poealiontas. Name of a town in Virj^inia.

Ma'I'oax. probably tht^ same as Malodcti. A town in Yir^'inia.

M A roAKK. meaniii'' '"snow feather." or " si

low

ilak.

lis IS

another mo<le of spelliiij,' the name of Pocahontas, the daii^'hter of J*ow-
luitaii. chief of one of the Vir>,Miiia trii)es, who is reported to liave
SHvedthe life of Capt. Smith. This was al.so the name of her motlnM'.
and Ixith were represented as bein>r very "graceful and swift of foot.
Name of a post-otVice in Virifinia.

;\I A ro.MDi:. I Diik

a ufiav hear.

^t-olli

io- ill .Minnesota.

M \r<)W\, said to mean same as Mnloiiidi
in Carlton coimtv. Minnesota.

aiiie of a nos

t-oiH(

MaI'IM'oiskt. ( .Vlj;. I, probably from nKilrhciu-r^rl. "a place
favorai)le for tiie pas8a;,'e oi shelter of canoes."' .V river in Con-
necticut; also a town in Massachusetts.

Mai'I'aI'ONV. ( .Vlj;. I. "no bread at all to be iiad." .\ rivi-r in the

Koiitlieastern par

t of V

irirmia.

Mai tawaks. i W^.] Here, it is said, the Indians obtained Iheii

niatenal

for

wampum.

'th

e perow

ink

The Indian i

lailie

for

.Oll^r

Lsl;

lllil

Matiawa.mkkac. I .Vlt;. i 'I'he |)robal)le nn^anin^' is, "it opens
into or |)asses into a swamp,"' as "the river of this name I'uiis into or
passes throu'^li a swampy place." Name of a river and town in Maine.

'M\r!AWAN. I .\1^'. I. supposed to be the saiue as JA(//(/»v/», which
is {\w iiHiiie of a town in Miclii<raii.

IMHAN nr.OOIi.M'IlIl'AI. NAMKS.

747

Mai TAWIN, supposed to 1h' till- saiiH- (IS Mnhnnni. \ wliicli H«e).
Nmiiii' o|' (I post-ollift' ill l'('iiiis\ Iviiiiiii.

Ma ITKAWAN, HU[)p()s<'(l to l»i tho siiiiio as Malinriin. Xami' ^f a
j)Ost-oirnM> ill tin* state of New Yolk.

^Ia I I Tl't'CK, Maliililiii/h, ( .\l<f. ), "a pla«'e witlioiit wood," ox*
"hailiy wooded." A post villaj^'e in .Siitrolk county, N. Y.

MAr( II ('inNK. -hear nionntain." A town in IVnnsylvunin.

.Maimi:!;. (hiiiinniicii, pi., ( Al^. i. "people who live on the penin-
sula." A livi r in Ohio.

MwAl'AWNV, coiTupteil from iimcliksHli(iiint; HitiinUin^^ "hour's
[lath slieaiii." A liiaiieli of Simeon ciook, in Berks county, Poun.

.Mavaimi, "very largo water." Name of a lake in Florida.

Mavawaki'.n, (Alg. ), ''snorod or mystorious lianks." A lar<fo
tributary of the Minnesota, more frecjiiontly called the C'hippowu river.

Mav I. ICK, a corruption fiom the Indian word imiiKirrckrodkc,
"tisliin;,' placo." NaiiKs of a small stroum in East Windsor, Conn.

Ma/,()Mama, (Dak. I, "tho walker on iron." ''walks in motal."
Name of a town in Wiscunsin. Nanuul after an Indian i-liief.

Ma/,o\, (All,'. I. "a nettle," "akind of weed," wliicli originally
grew in almndanco along u small stream putting into the Illinois river
fii>m the south, in (iriindy county. Illinois. Name of u town in Illi-
nois, taking its name from the stream aforusaid.

Mi'.Di). I Dak. I. prohaMy corruptod from Milo, "an esculent root
eaten hy the Dakotas, in appearance and tastti something like sweet
potato. " A post-olllce ill Minnesota.

MKr>rxxAKi",ACr, (.Mg. I, "the iioiso nnulo hy tho water wIi'Mc it
touches the linihs of trees."' A river in Maine.

Mi'.r.cil FIwNH, ( Alg. ). " main sti'eam."" 'J'lie name applied l»y
the Indians to the largest arm of the Lehigh river flowing hetween
Munroo and Lackawanna counties. Penii.

^Ir.K.Mi:, (hiicrnic, (Alg.), "a pigeon." .\. town in Wisconsin.

.Mk.mI'IIKA.M UK)(i, ( .VIg. I, "lake of ahundance." .\ lake in \'er-
moiit.

MrSAN. (.Mg. I, (diaiid Meiiani. Miiiniohiui. "th(> island." The
word (iiaiid is an Lnglish pretix. The name of an island opposite
i'assaiiioi^ noddy hay.

Mi:\\sii\. " island." or "on the island." .\ town in Winnehairo

i4^

llll. \.Mr.l!l(AS INI>I\.S.

('(iiiiity, Wiscdiisiii. Ill till! Maiidaii liiiif^un<jf' is tlio word Miiiaslni.
iijL'aiiiii;; ■• toliaci'ii."

Mi:Ni)i)r\. M'thild, M'lloir, i Dak.), ■•tlic iimiitli." or "tin' moiilli
of a rivrr." or, inort^ t"rt'<jut)iitly. "at tin' jiinction," orij^'inally tlic
iiamo ol' (it'll. H. il Sildcy's trading; post at the iiioiitli ol tin' St.
r<'t»M*s. and traiisft'rrt'il t'roiii tluit to a iiunilu'r oldtln-r |ilac»'s. Naiii»>
of a town in I lliiioi.^.

Ml'.NKKAfNKi;. I .Mt'iioiiiiiict' diait'c't). '-tlif placo wlu'rc tin' lodf^cH
art':" iitiTally. " tin* vdla;,'t's." A town in Wisconsin.

.M iMii:i;i:iNti. or Mfniit'n'in. "on tlm island." Nmn'of a slicaiii
in st)iitlifastt'rii Virj,'iiiia.

Mr.NNO. proliaiily frtmi tin- AI;,'oiii|iiin wtirtl iiiiiiiKi. "^ootl."" \
town ill I't'iin.sylvania.

3Ii:noki;n. (A1^. i. "ajfooti ;,'rowinj; place. " or Miiiinuini. Ojib-
way ilialfct. nn-anin;,' "il >,'ro\vs well."' t,r "fortunate." "tlt)in^' well."
^ianlt' of a town in Kansas.

Mr.NtiTl. probalily from till- Dflawarc word Mnnilcii. "an islanil "
A post-otlict> in Iowa.

Mi.No.MiNKr., ( .\lj,'. I 'I'lit' nann' of a river emptying' into (Ireen
Bay on tlit^ north, anil the name of several towns in various states ol
tlit^ Inioii. Tlit> river take> its nanit> from a triiie of Imlians living"
in tlit> vicinity, nn'aniiij; "the people who eat wilil liee." from iiiciiniiiiii.
'wild rice." which ahoiimlK in the niar>li(s and overflowed laiuls in the
\i(inity of (JretMi Bay. in tlm ctiuntry of thislriho. a lar<,'e proportion

)f the suhsistence of which

was wild lift

M i:m'NKi:1'1"i1\. MiniiKilKiiKililfiin. |A1<,0. "that whicli fertiliy.i>s
or manures land." This is the linlian name ftu' (iuilford West lliver.
in Ctuin. l''i'oni a tratlition we learn that some of the Indian trihenof
( 'oniieeticiit resitlin^ on the larjfer streams, used lisli. when ol)tainalih>.
for fertili/iii',' purposes.

Ml'.t.»ii)\. MiLinni. ( .Vl<^'. |. pi'ohahly same as Miuiiitni. mav come
from ctiiikkiriiii. "a stone." A town and river in Wisconsin.

^iKlir.v CllAWifK. "the sandy heach." Name of the place where
I'rooklyn. New York, now stantls. The |irt)l)al)ility is that the name
was first ap|)lied to the santly heach.

MiMtiMMAi'. This wonl is <;ivon in t>arly Now En>;lantl history as
Marine tn- Mitiiidc. Name t)f an Ojiltway chief, si^neil to the treat\
of Julv kli. ls()."j. on tlio St. Marv's river, between the I'nited Static

INDIAN tiKoiii; AI'IIIiAI, NAMI.S.

j^ovt'iiiii.'iit aiiil tlif si'Vt'inl tiilx's of rmliiiiis. to wliicli tlit> iin'iii'iu;;
is ^'ivi'ii (IS "i'ld Hsli." Niiiiit' (>r II rivt'i' in N<'\v I'^iij,'liiii(l and tnwn in
WiM'iinsin.

to (il'rrn
stlltt'S ol

IS living-
iiiriiiHiini.
■^ in thr

upol'tiiili

iifiy coiiit'

u !■ where
III' Miinie

.M ri;i;i.\l ACK, a counly in New lliini|isliiie. 'I'lie sann' as Mrrriiiinc.

( \vlii( li >.•!• 1.

M isiioi'i'KN, ( Al^'. I. "i^'lass l)eails." Name of a sti'eani tlowinir
into the Sus(|Melianna, in Wyoniiiii^ cciinity. I'enn. It i.-- sai>l that tli.'

Ill

nun was <;i\en to d iiiiini'iiiorate ,'i ilislrilnit ion of siieii trinkets

i,'ia>s lienils aiiiojiif tin' Imlians. Oilier antlioi-itit!s say it is coiriiiited
I l( i|il iiKlirslnnii. " ec iIi

'/'

i| or reed sir

eani

M i.sdNiio. (ir Mi.soNdi;. i .Ml:. ;, "' where we kilh'd the th'er." "••^o; d
liiintiii;,'." A creel; in .Maryland.

.MrrilA, (Al^. I. "Kiss me." Name nf a iiost-oilice in Indiana;
takes its name from a I'ottawaltanMe ehief. It luav lie tlu^ .same as

iiK'iln or nil Id. "n |iro|iliel ui [iiiest.''

Miiiiii\woN. I .Vl;^. I. "an obstruction." Falls of llonsiitonic
river, at Ni'w .Milford, Conn.

M i:\l('(», said to mean "the home or seat of Mextilli. the .Vztec
god n| war." Name of a town in New York.

Miami. I'r.'neh ortlio^'ra|ihy. the same as M<niiii<c. from a trilie
of linlians. I which .-eel. .\ river in Ohio

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

/!/

^5^

^ /^ig.. '

to W^-'

i/x

1.0

IBM IM
IIIIM |||m

1^ 111112.0

1.8

1.25

1.4

1.6

^ 6" —

►

^i ^

f^^

%:'

■/r

Photogr-aphic

Sciences

Corporation

-b

n>^

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

71r > 372-4503

h M- ^

m^.-

•^^m

750

THK AMElilCAN INDIAN.

MlANUs, (^Alg. j, "lie who gntliers together."' The litth' river in
Connecticut to which this imiue is now !i[)[)lie(l. and tlie neck of land
at its junction witli tlie Coscobcove, were so called from the Indian
proprietor Mayanno or Mayene.

Micco, in the Creek dialect, signifies "king" or "chief.'" A
post-offi(^e in Indian territory.

MiCHAUX, from Mirlidti, (Alg.), "great." A post-office in Vir-
ginia.

MiCHiGAMME, or MirhiniDiivic, (Alg.), "great water," or "wide
water." Name of a lake or bay in the upper peninsula of Michigan,
on the south of Lake Superior.

Michigan, (Alg.) Mr. Schoolcraft says it signifies •• big lake,"
irom inichi, "great," and saijaieaan, "lake." Other authorities say
it means "fish weir," or "place for catching fish." Mcchcffun, in the
Ojibway dialect, signifies "a fence." One of the great inland lakes;
also the name of one of the states of the Union.

MiCHiLlMACiN.VG, (Alg.), "great turtle." An island in the straits
between Lake Huron and Michigan.

Milwaukee, (Alg.), "good land."" "rich land." The earliest
mention of this name is by Hennepin. He refers to a river in Wis-
consin which he calls Milioke. The tribes who lived about this river
two hundred years ago, at the time the name first became known to the
whites, had no sound of / in their dialect, they used the sound of n
instead. It is fair to suppose that tlie word is derived from some of
the tribes living about this river at the time stated, and that the French
used the sound of / instead of ii. Miiuriutkc(\ or Mliniodiikcc. would
mean "good earth," "good place," or "good country." Miiimikcc
would mean "country of berries." Mitfiim-aukakcc would mean
"forest." Name of a river and town in Wisconsin.

Mingo, a name a{)])lied by the early English inhabitants of
America to the Indians of the Iroquois stock. It became afterwards
confined as a name designating the Cayuga tribe of that stock, most of
whom, after leaving their original country among the six nations,
removed to the vicinity of Scioto river into Ohio, where tliey became
known exclusively by the name of Mingoes. It is not strictly an
Indian name, and has no signification as such. This tribe were called
by the Delawares, MciKjicr, from which tlia word Mingo is undorstooil
to be derived by the English. A town in several states of the
Union.

XNJnAN (iKO(il!.\l'HICAr, XAMKS.

Tol

I the straits

MiMsiNK, (A1-), '-the place „f tl.e Minsies," or "the liome ..['
the Miiisies." A town aiul post village in New York.

MiNNAHAUOCK, (Alg.), "at tho island/' or "the island home"
This was the Indian name of Blackwell's Island, near the site of New
York.

MiNNECHADUZK, Miniraduzr, (Dak. I, -running water."' Name
of a braji.'h of the Niobrara river, Nebraska.

Minnehaha, " laughing water,"' from miui, "water."' and "(Vr,r/,"
"to laugh." which ])ec'ame changed to its present form, Mi>nwh<,lm
Name of a waterfall in Minnesota. It is said to liave Ix-en oricrinally
tlie Indian name for the falls of St. Anthony, but afterwards became
transferred to the small waterfall before mentioned. (Dak.)

Minne-Lnne-Opa, (Dak.), "second Avater." The nameof a beauti-
ful watei-fall above Mankato. It is the lower of the two near to-ether,
hence the Dfdcotn name. °

Minneiska, (Dak.), "white or clear water." Name of a town on
the Mississippi river in Minnesota. The Dakota name for this word
was Minnoika.

MiNNEKATA, (Dak. ), " hot water." Name of some springs in the
Black Hills.

Minneopa, the same as Minneinneopu, (which see). Name of a
railroad station near Mankato.

Minneota, (Dak.), "much water." Name of a station near
Maivshall, Minnesota.

MiNNEQUA, Minmqmt, "good woman," minnaqua, "he drinks."
A post village in Pennsylvania.

Minnesota, (Dak.), "cloudy water." From minni, "water," and
.so/r/, which is understood to mean "mixed or mottled." signifying a
condition or appearance of the river of that name, when affectedly 'the
floods of the Mississippi. Some liave assigned it to the hazy or sinoky
appearance of the atmosphere over the valley of that river at certain
seasons, which is signified in the Dakota language by the word sofa
added to the word mimu. Name of one of the states of the Union,
and of a principal river.

Minnetonka, according to Mr. Eiggs wf)uld mean "great water;"
according to Jonathan Carver it would mean "pond of water," or
"lake." A town and lake in Minnesota.

MiNNEWAKEN, (Dak. ), the name ,if a lake in Minnesota, which is

10.

THE AMEKICAX INDIAN.

IXDFAN OEOGRAPHIC.VL NAMES.

To;?

H
Id

■/;
r.

Ed
U
■72

ti.o source of a river call.,l Rum river, jmttiug into tl.e Mississir.pi
I IS suppose,! to take its name from the wonl "spirit water:" s.mie say
alluding to ardent S2)irits.

MiNNisKA, (Dak.), "clear Avater." xName of a trihutarv of tlie
Minnesota river.

MiNNi WAKIN, "spirit water," so called by the Dakotas; known
also as Devil's Lake. A large sheet of water in nortl>ern Dakota, on
the south edge of what is known as the Salt Water Region. Its waters
are brackish, and, like the lake of this name in Wisconsin, it has no
visible outlet.

MixoxK, ( Alg. ), from minh, "an island,"' meaning "an island in
a give,i direction." It might also signify "g..od place," or "go.-d lo-
caJity. or -good land," from nunmu "goo.l." and onk, a local termi-
nation, meaning in some Indian dialects "place or h.calitv." Other
authorities say it signifies " a star." Name of a town in Illinois.

MixooKA, Mcmnh'h-, "maple forest." In the Man.lan dialect is
the word munxilau meaning "friend." It mav also come from mino-
nkc, "good earth." Name of a town in Illinois.

MiSHAMOKWA. (Alg.), "great bear." A town in Wisconsin.
MiSHAWAUKA, "red earth." By some authorities said to si.r„ify
"country of trees,'" which is doubted. A post village in Indianar

MisPAu, fAlg.), "raccoon," "the raccoon." A tributarv ..f the
Delaware river.

MISQUAMICUK, t^qnomncnk, Mi^hqunuunui. (Alg.), "a place for
taking salmon." Name of a locality in Westerlv township. Rhode
island, near the mouth of the Pawatuck.

MrssAUKlE, probal)ly takes its name from a tribe of Indians )//s
.;;'N.sw»,/„. ( Alg.), "people of the wide mouthed stream."' A countv in
Michigan. ^

MissiNiii, (Alg.), "the whole water." Other authorities sav it
signihed "great water." A river near the sources of the Mississi.mi
ilowing into Hudson's Bay. ^

MissisAGiE, (Alg.), "wide mouthed stream." Name of a river
emptying into Lake Huron on the north shore.

Mississippi, (Alg.), "great water," or "gathering in of all the
water.s." According to other authorities "an almost endless river
spi-ead out." Name of one <,f the principal rivers and one of the states
ot the Union.

■18

TlIK AMEai;"AN INDIAN.

MlssiSQUOl, (Alg. 1, understood to be 3I!siiskircir.
woman."' A river in Vermont.

■the big

Missouri, "tnrind wnter" or "muddy." The Dakota word for
this river is Miniiishosha, signifying "muddy water." One of the
j)rincipnl rivers in the United States, also the name of one of the states
of tlie Union, which takes its name from this river.

MisTUCK5UCK, Misfitcksrt, (Alg.), "Mistick brook," or "at Little
Mistick." Name of n brook about two miles east from Mystic river in
Connecticut. (See meaning of Mystic).

MiTCHAWOX, (Alg.), "an obstruction," "a turning back." The
Indian name for the falls of the Housatonic river at New Milford,
Conn.

Moccasin, (Alg.), "an Indian shoe or covering for the foot."
Name of a town in Illinois.

MocKEsoN. Name of a town in Tennessee. Supposed to be the
same as Moccasin.

Mohawk, said to mean "men eaters," literally "eaters of live
food." A name given by the New England or Eastern Indians to the
Iroquois. By some authorities it is given as Mohoc, meaning
"savage." or "*erocious," which was the character of this tri])e.
Name of a rivei in New York, from a tribe of Indians commonly
known by that name.

Mohegan, (Alg.), "wolf," "a wolf." A town in Rhode Island,
taken from a tribe of Indians.

Mohican, signifying the same as Mohegan, "wolf." Name of a
town and river in Ohio.

MoiNGONA, (Alg.), signifying "the road." From this comes the
word in French orthography Des Moines. Name of a river and town
in Iowa.

MoKENA, (Alg.), "turtle." Name of a town in Illinois.

MoNADNOCK, (Alg.), said to mean "bad," from the badness of the
ascent of a mountain. Name of a detached mountain in New Hamp-
shire. Other authorities say it means "the spirits' place."

MoNASKON, probably corrupted from mnnhacan, " a spade, or any
implement used for digging the soil." A post-office in Virginia.

MoNDAMiN, (Alg.), "corn," or "corn-field." A post village in
Iowa

INDIAN GEOGItAPIIKWL N.VMKS.

too

MoNEGAN, probably from mouacan, "a spade." A town in Mis-
souri.

MoNEE. Name of a Pottawattamie woman, the wife of an Indian
trader, Joseph Bailes, a French Canadian, ii person of intlnence and
note in the early days of the Northwest. In the latter part of his
career he was livin<j in the Calumet country, near the Indiana statt^
line, at the place known as Baileytown. Tiio baptismal name of his
wife was Mary, pronounced by the French Mdnrcc, and so called by
lier husband. In the dialect of the Pottawaltamies tiiere is no sound
of rj it is supplied by the sound of ii. The Indians could not, tliert;-
fore, pronounce the wonl Maurce, but pronounced it M(tinicc, ovMoiicc.
It is said thattiie Indians derived many favors at the hands of Bailes,
through the influence of his wife, which, as a natural consequence,
made her a great favorite witli them, by whom she Avas known as
"Monee." In one of the treaties between the government and her
trJbe, she was allowed a reservation of land in the vicinity of her hus-
band's trading post, in the Calumet country, in which she is mentioned
as "il/o?/cY', the wife of Joseph Bailes." Name of a town in Illinois.

Monica, (Alg. ), corrupted from inonakee, "spirit land." A town
in Illinois.

MoNiTEUA, probably from Manito, "the Great Spirit." Name of
a county and town in Missouri.

MoNOCACY, or MoNOCKisY, Mcnahisi, (Alg.), "stream containing
many large bends." Name of a river in Maryland flowing into the
Potomac; also the name of a creek in Butler and Northampton coun-
ties, Penn.

Monody, corrupted from meiiatcij, ( Alg. ), "an island." A In-anch
of the Swartara, in Dauphin county, Peim.

Mononoahela, corrupted from mcnaungihrUa, (Alg.), "high
banks breaking off in some places and tumbling down." Others say
"falling in banks." A river iu southwestern Pennsylvania.

Monongalia, supposed to be the same as Monougahela, (which
see). A county in AVest Virginia.

Montauk, (Alg.), "manito tree," or from nunuiuch, "a tree."
Other authorities say from monaiiaake, "the islanil country," or "the
country of the islanders." A post-office in Missouri.

MoNTENO, probably a corruption of Muniton or Maiiilo, an
Algonquin word for " spirit." Another authority states that Manteno
is the Pottawattamie word for "soldiers' villaije." A town in Illinois.

,.)li

Tin: A.Mi:i;u'AN' Indian.

MoNTOWKSK. Tliis luiino is derived from uiiinloirrsc, the name of an
Iiidiun of some local prominence, -whose name is the diminvitivo of
Manito, "little god," or "little spirit." A post-otUci) in Connecticut.

MOODUS, a contraction of the word iiuifhi'inoodns, (Alg. ), "the
place of noises." A post-ofUce in Connecticut.

MoosKLEM, or Mooselum creek, ( Alg. ), "trout stream." A creek
in Berks county, Penn.

MoosHANNE, ^loshaiiiiic or Mosh<tiinoii, "elk stream." A creek in
Center county, Penn.

Moosup, so called from nidUtitiiiji. The name uf n chief of the
Narra<ninsett Indians. A river in Connecticut.

MowEAQUA, a term occurring in both the Ojibway and Pottawat-
tamie dialects. In the former it signifies "weeping woman;" in the
latter "wolf woman," or "woman of the wolf totem." The proper
word is Mowacqua. A town in Illinois.

MoYAMENSTNG, (Alg.\ "tlio place for maize." The name of a
di.strict within the limits of Philadelphia, Penn.

MuKWA, (Alg.), "bear." A town in "Wisconsin.

MUNCIE, (Alg.. Delaware dialect ), '-wolF." A town in Indiana.
From a band of Indians of the Delaware tribe who were classed under
this iulcni.

MuxNO.MiN, (Alg. ), "rice." The name of a locality in Michigan.

MuscODA, (Alg.), "prairie," Otlier authorities say it takes its
uame from mushkoosic, "a grassy plain." A town in AVisconsin.

Muscogee, "a Creek Indian." A county in Georgia.

MusroNETCONG, Mnsconrcoii, (Alg)., corrupted from iiaskhaiui-
cinik, "rapid running stream." A river in the northern cart of New
Jersey, tlowing into the Delaware, below Easton, Penn.

MuscoDAH, (Alg)., "prairie," or "grassy plain." The word
comes to us in various forms in ditrerent Indian dialects, and accordiiii;
to various changes, pronounced as Muscatine, a town in Iowa; Mus-
coda, a town in Wisconsin; Mascoutah, a town in Illinois, and Mus-
cotah, a post village in Kansas.

MrsKEESEBEE (Alg.), "the river of marshes." A river putting
into Lake Superior, near Ashland, Wisconsin.

MrsKEOO, "swamp," according to some authority; also by some,
'•place of cranberries." A town in Wisconsin.

INDIAN (llXMiK.Vl'HICAl, NAMKS.

<•)«

name of a

MrsKKGON, J/».sAvvyo/,f/, (A1-), "swampy;- or -'at the swamp."
A town m Michigan.

Muskingum, (Alg.), "moose-eye river;" according to some authori-
ties, '-town on the river." A river in Ohio.

MusQUAKA, (Alg., Sac dialect), "red earth." A town in Iowa.
Mystic 1//..//., " the great stream." Name of the principal river
Howing into Boston bay. From MissHuk, "great tidal river."

1 ,pM^"?;f''' ^^^'--^ According to Madore Beaubien, an educated
half-blood Pottawattaraie, the word would mean "he is walkin.^ and
praying, or '•he is praying as he walks along." It mav conn^'^how-
ever.from the Ojibway word nm/ansh,', >-a i.oint of land." \ town-
ship in Kendall county, 111. The name of a Pottawattamie chief.

Nahaxt, "at the point." A town in Massachusetts.

Namekagox, (Alg.) From na>uu. "sturgeon," signifvin.^ '-a
place where sturgeon are plenty." A lake in Wisconsin. ' ^ ^

of fi^^^T^ "^'"'"^l: ^rnncaukc, (Alg.). "fi.hing place," or "place
ot nsh. A town m Illinois.

Namikong, from amik, "beaver," and on,, -place," "a great place
for beavers." A noted point on Lake Superior. ^ I ^"^

we Jr'T"''^ 7" ^^^^^"^^-^■^^°^'^- ynunscln,nrn,l (Alg.), "from whence
Ave tied, from whence we were driven otf." A county in Virginia.

Nanticoke, " tide water people." A town in New York : Ilso the

iiame of a nver m Delaware, from a tribe of Indians of that name,

who, when firs known to the English, had their suit on the eastern

oi-eof Maryland^ They were of Iroquois origin, and finally joined

the five nations in New York. They called themselves Nentigo.

counu'x'T'r' ^y^'"'^*^'"'"/'' ""maiden's bosom." A river I Macon
county, iSiorth Carolina,

xXAinjAGANSKTT, Accurmmoake, and with fuk, it forms acawrntuk,
other side nver; other authorities say the word is a corruption of

Nashota, (Alg.), "twins." In the Dakota language, same word
means "kicks up smoke." A town in Wisconsin.

Nashua, (Alg.), "between" (the river); it may also come from

758

THi: A.MKKICAN INDIAN.

ju'slicird, "lio kills," "killoil/'' Other uutliorities say, "a river with iv
pebbly bottom." A town in New Hainpshiro.

N.vrcHAua, (Al<jf.), "place between," "in the middle." A river
ill Coiiuecticut, formed hy the union of Bigelow's and 8till rivera.

Natchez, "a hurrying man," "one running, as to war." A
county boat in Mississippi; takes its name from a tribe of Indians.
Some authorities say the word is derived from )i(tl;sik(i, "aside," " away
from."

Natick. (Alg.), "the place of hills." A town in Massachusetts.

Naubuc, said to be corrupted from (Ciipduk, (Alg.), and to sig-
nify '"flooded," or "overflowed." A village in Connecticut.

Naugatuck, said to be derived from Hcqutfuiik, (Alg.), signifying
"one tree." A small river in Connecticut. The probability is, the
tree, which perhaps stood on its baidvs, was of great note or interest.
Otiier authorities say the word signifies " fork of the river," "point
between two rivers."

Navasixk, from onaira, "water," "between the waters," and sink,
"a place." A post-oftice in New Jersey.

Nawbesetuck, a corruption of )nip})crifolikt: (Alg.), "land at the
pond." Name of a locality in Mansfield, Conn.

N.VYAUG, Xciia;/, (Alg.), "the point," or "the corner." Name of
a point at the junction of Roaring and the Connecticut rivers in Glas-
tonbury, Conn.

Nayatt Point. The word Xaijaff is probably corrupted from
NdjidiKj, Ndiid(jc. or Xdid(/, (Alg.), "apoiiit," or"coruer." Name of
a post village in Rhode Island.

Neaii Bay, called Dccdh by the Indians there, but Ncdii h\
others: from a chief who lived and owned the place twelve or thirteen
generations ago, but no further meaning can be found. A post-oftice
in Washington Territory.

Nebeesii Rapids, (Alg.), "bad water," in other words, "bad
rapids," from ncbcc, water, and cesli, the derogative. Rapids on the
St. Mary's river, upper peninsula of Michigan.

Nebo, (Alg.), "dead." A town in Kentucky.

Nebraska, (Dak.), "water valley," "shallow water." Other
authorities say it signifies " flat or broad water." One of the states of
the Union.

Necedah, (Winnebago dialect), from ?;f', water, and crddli, yellow,

wpp"»pi

INDIAN (iiiodiiAi'irrrAr, na.mks.

7 nit

iver with a

isacliusetts.

or "yellow water," from which, i)rohal)ly, the Yoli,>w rivor takos its
name. A town in Wisfoiisiu.

Nkenah, (AViunobago dialect), "water." A town in Wisconsin.

Nkkz.iodahkkpee, (Alg.), "twin rivor," was calleil by the traders
Two-li.;art.ul Kiver, from („ln, "a lioart," and vrrzli, "two." A river
running into Lake Superior on the southorn shore.

Nkoaunek, (Alg.), "before," -ahead," "ho goes before." Name
of a town in Michigan, upper peninsula.

NF.KDti, probably from Nokomis. "grandmotiier." A town in
Wisconsin.

Nekoma, probably from Nokomis, "grandmother," or from the
Cree word meaning the same thing as Nokomis. A town in Illinois.

Nekousa, is the name wliiclithe Winnebagooa gave to theAViscon-
sin and Mississippi rivers. Thus, Xrkonso, tlio Wisconsin river, and
Hadddddnhuckoum, Mississippi, or Bi;/ Xckonsa.

Nemekan, (Alg.), "sturgeon." The name of a lake in northern
Wisconsin.

NE.MUJITIGEOG, ( Alg. ), " left hand." Name of a river in Wiscon-
sin running into Black river.

Neoga, from Nco, the "Deity," and or/o, "place," "place of the
Deity." Name of a town in Illinois.

Nepaug, supposed to be a corruption of either HiDuu'ixnKj, "forest
pond,"' or ivonirpdUji, "good pond." The name of a village in Con-
necticut.

Neponset, Ncpowsct, "he walks in his sleep." Name of a town
in Illinois.

Nepeuskun, Ncpeashkum, (Alg.), "more water." Name of a
town in AVisconsin.

NE.SCOPECK, or Nescopec, Nacshchoppck, (Alg. ), "blackish colored
and deep still water." The name of a creek in eastern Pennsylvania,
flowing into the north branch of the Susquehanna.

Neshaminy, XisrlKuiilunntr, (Alg.), "two streams making one by
flowing together." The name of a creek in Bucks county, Penn.

Neshannock, Xislunuiok, (Alg.), "two adjoining streams." The
name of a creek in Lawrence county, Penn.

NESHonA. or Nashoba, Xr^hoha, "gray wolf." The name of a

rco

Tin: AMKIilCAN INDIAN.

ii,

.11

tribntnrv 1)1' tin' Yazno river in Mississi[)|)i ; nlso ii county in MiKsis-
Hi|i|ii.

Nksiioia, (AI<^. ), "twins." Ilcferrin^' to tlio two rivurs of Wis-
conisin.

NKsgri'.iioNixo. S'i'xknitniiii. i .vlj,'. i, ■•hliick licii,'" or "n lick the
water of which has a blackiHli color." Name of a creek in Carbon
county, Peini.

Xi:vEi!siNK, (Alt,'.), ''high hind between waters."' Name of a
t(!wn in New York.

Nkwichawanxack, (Alg.), "ntthe fork of the streams." A hill
in the southeastern part of Pomfret and northeastern [)art of Brooklyn,
Conn.

^iMiXlw. oiicdirfidra. (Irq. j. "the neck." The term is derived
from an Irocjuoip word for the human neck, and was applied to the
entire Niagara riv<^i, which connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario,
as the huina;. 'leck connects the head with the body. Name for the
great falls, 'ihoso falls were called by the Senecas ihifcciirslvsd.^d,
"the highest falls."

NiANTic, said to signify '"at a j)oint of land on a tidal river."
Tli name occurs several times in Connecticut.

NiOBliAltA, /(/, "water," ohnint, "broad or large," "the broad or
large water." The name of a river in Nebraska.

Nli'PENOSE, Nipenoiri. (Alg.), "like unto the summer," "a warm
situation," "where the cold does not penetrate." The name of u
remarkable valley in Lycoming county. Penn. ; also the name of a
creek in the same county. Other authorities say, "very little water."

NirPEiJSiXK, (Alg.), "small stream," or "little current water." A
stream in northern Illinois.

NiPissiNG, (Aiy.^, from nippc, "water," or "still water," and /////
or /»/i', "place," "the place of still water." The name seems more
particularly to apply to a wide [)lace in a I'iver where the current
slackens. Possibly Nipissing lake, in Canada West, may derive
its name from the same root. Bishop Baraga says, "in a little water."

NiPSiC, Nipsnck, (Alg.), from nips, " a pool," and aiikr, "place,"
"the place of a pool." A location in Glastonbury. Conn., so named
from a magnificent spring of water Avhich here bursts forth.

NisHN'ABOTANA, evidently derived from Unislmaba, the Ojibway
word for "Indian." A town in Missouri.

INKI.VN <iK(»(ill.U'llI(,'.VI. NA.Mi:.S.

li>[

Name of ii

Nisoi'A.K, Xrrsliai„n>!f, <Alg.;i, "two ponds." A imin.> tn>-
queutly occnrriii<,' in Connecticut.

Ni/ii\vakwini)I(isi:kmki:. (Alf?. ), "two island river." 'I'lie imnie of
a river on tho nortiiorn slioro of Luiio Superior.

NlKKAYUNA, XrrA-in. sij,'nifies "black." A town in New Voriv.

NocKAMIXON, XorlKtiii.riiik, (\h^.), "whore tlu^re nre tlnve
houseH." "at the three houses." Tiie name oi a township in JJmlis
county, Penn.

NoDAWAV, (Alg.), "a kind of adder," "a very venomous roptih'."
It was a name applied to the Iroquois nation of Indians hy the sur-
roundinjr Al^ron(iuiii trih.^s. It is n doro^rutive term in the Algonciuin
lan<,nia;ro eciuivalent to that of viper or beast. It is a compound
word, having its apparent origin in iiado, "adder," and n/ra,s/r. "a
beast." Name of a county ii Missouri.

NoKOMis, (Alg.), "grandmother." A character menti.nied in
Longfellow's poem of Fmwatiia. Nam- of a town in Illinois.

NoK.j.,£US, (Alg.) Name of a (..wn in Iowa. (Same asNokcmds).
which see).

NoLAMA-T-.NK, (A\p;.), "the silk worm place," or "the silk worm
land." Tli(! Uiime ot n tract o^ land in N(U'thampton county, Penn..
which formerly abounded in juulberry trees.

NoNNEWAUO, (Alg.;), from nunnawcmkc, "dry land." Tiie east
branch of Pomperaug river, in Woodbury, Couji.

NoozAPOOE. Some authorities say it comes from nrcalKijHiiu/, or
noomppmig, " beaver pond." Name of a 2)ond in AVesterly, Rhode
Island.

NouRiDGEWOCK, (Alg.), "place of deer." The name of a town
in Maine.

NoRWALK, Norwnuh; Nonmvck, (Alg.), "the middle land," (n,
tract between two rivers). Name of a town anil river in Connecticut.
Other authorities say the word is supposed to be derived frcMu iiajdiin,
"a point of land."

NuNDA, (Irq., Seneca dialect), from nundao, "hilly." Name of
a town in New York and Illinois.

Oahe, (Dak.), "foundation." The name of a post-off e in Da-
kota Territory.

1&2

THIC A.MEUICAN INDIAN.

Oanancock. or Onancock, Auwannakn, (Alg. ), '' fog<i;y place."
The afiine of n town in Accomac county, Virginia.

Obscob. This word, it is said, means either "at the white rock,"
or " at tiie narrow passage of the rocks." Tlie name of a vilhige in
Connecticut, near the mouth of Oyster river.

Occapogue, Acciq), (Alg.), "a creek." The name of a stream on
Long Island.

OccoHANNOCK, WoakkanuG, (Alg. ), "crooked, winding stream,"
"a stream with large bends." The Indian name of a stream in Vir-
ginia.

OcEYEDAN, or AcEYEDAN, "place of weeping." So called by the
Dakotas because of weeping there the death of some of their relatives.
Name of a creek in Iowa whicli Hows into the Little Sioux river.

OcuEYKDAX, (Dak.), "place of mourning." A lake and stream in
Iowa.

OcKLOCKONEE, "yellow water." The name of a river in Florida.

OfML'LGEE, or OiotULGi, "the river," "the water course;" other
authorities say it signifies " boiling watei*." Name of a river in
Georgia.

Oconee, "water course," "small river;" others say it is a Shaw-
nee word signifying "bone." Name of a town in Illinois.

Oconto, (Menominee dialect), "the place of the pickerel." A
town in Wisconsin ; also the name of a river and county in the same
state.

Odanah. (Alg., Ojib. dialect), "a town," or "village." Name of
a post-office in Wisconsin.

OoALALLA, (Dak.), "cast in." The name of a band of the Titon-
wan Sicrtx. A town in western Nebraska.

Ogeha, "chief," or "Indian chief." Name of a town in Wiscon-
sin.

Ogemaw, same as Ogcma, "a chief." A county in Michigan.

Ohio, (Irq. ), the name of one of the principal rivers of tho United
States, the name of one of the states of the Union, and applied to
counties and towns in various states, an Iroquois word, meaning "beau-
tiful," or "beautiful river." The river of that name was originally
known as the Alle<;hanv, from the Allesjhan tribe of Indians. The
name was bestowed by the Iroquois tribe after their conquest of the

INDIAN GEOGRAl'HICAL XAMKS.

li)3

country in nllinnce witli the Lenapes or Delaware Indians. The
term was applied to the entire river, from its confluence with the Mis-
sissippi to its source in the broad spurs of the Alleghany Mountains, in
the states of New Tork and Pennsylvania. In the form given it is
French orthography, sound of / like the English c, long; its meaning,
in short, is "beautiful," liberally defined "how beautiful" (a scene),
or as we would express it, O! how beautiful. This river was called by
the French La Belle, meaning the same thing as witli the Indians,
showing a concurrent opinion as to its beautiful scenery. In the early
French maps of the country this river, as it approaches the Missis-
sippi, is laid down as the Ouhacli (Wabash).

OmorYLE, or OmorLE, Ohiopihelle, ''white froth upon the water."
The name of a cataract on the Youghiogheny river in Fayette county,
Pennsylvania.

Ojata, (Dak.), "forks." The name of a station beyond Great
Forks, Dakota.

OiiXBE^iA., Hokubout, (Dak. ), "heron rookery." A lake in Min-
nesota.

Okaug Mountains, from /i'a»//, "a porcupine." Mountains on the
south coast of Lake Superior, called by the whites Porcupine Moun-
tains.

Okaw. The upper portion of the Kaskaskia river is called the
Okaw. Judge Breeze, in his history of Illinois, in speaking of the
post at Vincennes, ou the Wabash river, says: "The priests kept u[)
their intercourse with it, and occa«ionally a villager of Cahokiaor Kas-
kaskia migiit be heard to say he was going "«(( 7)o,s7," that is, to the
[)ost, and some one at the post would go "a;( /vV^.s" (okaw"), whence
the word ukmr. "Kas" is an abbreviation of the word Kaskaskia.
The word Oj/dh occurs in the Ojibway dialect, meaning "pickerel."
In the Choctaw language this word would signify "brandy." Name
of a town in Illinois.

Okauchke, (Alg. ), "very long." A town in Wisconsin.

Okechouke, or OKiTiMfODl, "large water." The name of a lake in
the southern part of Florida.

Okke, (Alg. ^ A. word m this form occurs in the dialect of a
New England tribe, Avhich signifies "devil," or "evil 8[)irit," a chief
£■^0(1 of this class among tiieso tribes, which they worshiped. They did
this til appease his wrath and divert calamities he might bo disposed
to bring upon them. It may, however, come from (tiike, "eartli," or
" place." Name of a town in Wisconsin.

7(U

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Okemos, Oi/cwii. ( Alg. ), "a chief." A post village in Micliigiiii.

Okifenokee, "weaving, shaking Avater." The name of an exten-
sive swamp in Georgia.

Oklahoma, "the place of Indians," or "home for all Indians." A
territory of land cadjoining the Indian Territory.

Oklokonee, Ocl;lockon''nce, "yellow water." The name of a river
in Georgia.

Okoboji, Hiili'hojii, (Dak). The name of the southern part of
S[)irit Lake, Iowa. ALso the name of a creek near Fort Sully, Dakota,
signifying " field of swamp grass." (The Iniliha is a short heavy
grass having a three-sided stem ).

Okoni, or Oconee, Ekiioni, "great, large water." The name of a
river in Georgia.

O'ley, Oblink, Wahliuk, OIo, Wall Jo, (Alg.), " a cavern or cell ;"
also "a tract of land encompassed by hills." Name of a township in
Berks Co.. Penn.

Omaha, (Dak.), "up stream." The name of a city in Nebraska.

Onahga. If Indian, is probably an Iroquois word: if i^o, it would
mean "a place of rocky hills." A town in Illinois.

Onawa. This word in the Ojibway dialect would signify "al-
though." Name of a town in Iowa.

Onekama, (Alg.), "a portage." A town in Michigan.

Oneida, "people of the beacon stone." Name of a county in Now
York.

Oneota, Onioia, (Dak.), "many lives." Name of a place in Min-
nesota.

Oneyagine. Oncya, "a stone." The Indian name of Stone Creek,
Schoharie Co., N. Y.

Onida, OInircddij, "hunted, looked for." A [)ost-office in Sullen
county, Dakota Ty.

Ono, or WoNOO, (Alg.), "these." The name of a town in AVis-
consin.

ONONDAiiA. "on the hills."" A countv in New York.

ONTAitlo, (Irq. ), "beautiful prosiu^ct of rocks, hills and water."
Name of one of the five great lakes of North America. Others say
this word is from the Wyandot dialect, meaning "how beautiful is the
hill or rock Btandiiiir in the water." The Mohawks called this lake

Micliigiiu.
£ Hu exten-

ndians." A

e of a river

em part of
ly, Dakota,
liort heavy

3 name of a

rn or cell ;"
township in

I Nebraska.
?o. it would

signify "al-

iinty in New
[ace in Miu-
Itone Creek,
?e in Sullen
wn iu Wis-

and water."

Others say

utiful is the

mI this lake

INDIAN GEOGIIAPHICAL NAMKS.

765

Cndaracqiii. Others say this word is derived from tlu^ Mohawk woi'd
Sk<)ita<l(irio, and sigaities "beautiful lake."

OxTOXOGOv (Alg.), "away goes my dish." This river is said to
be so named from the circumstance of an Indian girl goin<r down to
the stream with a dish to dip up some water; tlie current being strou"-
tho dish was wrenched from her grasp and floated down stream, upon
which she exclaimed iiondonogon, "away goes my dish." Name of a
town in Michigan, upper peninsula, from a river of that name which
puts into Lake Superior at that jjlace.

Opelika, from opiJna, "swamp," laikatn, "to bd stretched out,"
"large swamp." or "great swamp." Name of a town in Russell
county, Alabama.

Opelousas, Opcliisa. This word is sai.l to mean "black leg-
gings or moccasins." The name of a town in Louisiana.

Opeqcox, (Alg. ), "the back <if anything." Name ..f a t.wn in
Virginia.

Opicon. or Opquax, Oprrkhmi, "a stream of a whitish color."
Tlie name of a stream iu Virginia, tiowing into the Potomac.

Opillako, "large swamp." Name of a stream flowing into Flint
river, Georgi;i.

Oqcawka, a corruption of the word ozankcc, meaning "yellow
earth."' Name of a town in Illinois.

Oeiskany, "river of nettles." Name of a town and creek in
Oneida county, N. Y.

OnoxoKO or Orinoco, "ilescribes a serpent which enfolds itself
in circles within circles." A town in Michigan, from a river of that
nanii* in South America.

Osage, (Miami dialect), "the neutral," "the strong." A town in
Illinois and various other states. Takes its name from a tribe of
Indians.

Osakis, from r>,sa»Avr, "yellow earth." A town in Minnesota.

OsAW.^TTOMiP, the na^io of a town in Kansas; a combination
from the words Osage and Pottawattamie, the names of two rivers that
unite at the point where this town is built.

OscEOL.\, "rising sun." Name by which the Seminole or Creek
chief was known, but whose true name was Asseohi. A countv in
Michigan; also applied to numerous other places in the United States.

TfiO

THE AMEUIC.VN INDIAN.

fir

Oscoda, (A1<,'.), "stony prnirie," from mitscoda, "a prairie or
meadow," and oss///, "a pebble," or ''stone." Name of a county and
town in Michigan. Others say the word comes from iscoc/o, "fire."

OsHAWA, (Alg.), according to Peter Jcnies, an educated Ojibway
missionary, shouhl be (luzluiliinili, "ferry him over." The word, a.s
given by him, is otherwise defined as "across," or "across the river."
It may also mean "anything yellow." A town in Minnesota,

OsiiKKBTTOESEBE, "new leaf river," is the name by Avhich the
Indians called the St. Peter's river.

OsKODA, the same as Oscoda, (which see). A town in Wisconsin.

OsHKOSH, (Alg.), "brave." Name of a town in Wisconsin.
Takes its name from an Indian chief. In the Algonquin language is
the word Oskuzh, signifying "the nail, claw, or horny part of the foot
of beasts."

OssEO, (Alg.), jierhaps from osscgo, "beautiful view." A post
village in Wisconsin.

OssiNEKE, "stony land." A post-office in Michigan.

OssiPPEE, from ossin, "stone," or "pebble," and sipjicr, "river,"
"stony river." Other authorities say it comes from cowtsA, "pines,"
and s/jw, "a river," "river of the pines." A lake and town in New
Hampshire.

OssiNiNG, probably takes it names from assin, "stone," or "stony,"
and ing, "a place," "stony place." A town in Virginia.

OsHO, probably contracted from ossoiva, "white waters." A town
in Virginia.

OswAYA, Osoajjch, "pine forest." Name of a creek and post-
office in New York.

OswEGATCHlE, (Irq. ), supposed to be a corrupted Huron word
and meaning "Idack water." In the Mohawk dialect, /Sw-'e/at/st. Name
of a town and river in New York.

Oswego, ^/;;ro 7a, (Irq.), "where the valley widens." Name of
a creek and town in New York.

OswEYA Creek, Ufschija, (Alg.), "place of flies." Tlie name of
a tributary of the Alleghany river in McKean county, Penn.

OtahoujU, (Dak.), "oak grove." The name of an old trading
post on Jim river, Dakota, not far from Aberdeen.

Otsego, (Irq.), derived from an Iroquois particle denoting

INEIAN GEOGHAl'HICAL NAMICS.

767

''bodies ..f .ate.." Name of a county in New York; also the name of
towns in various other states of the Union.

Otselic, an Indian name signifying " Plum creek :" other authori
ties say it signifies "capfull." A town in New York '

tne budge. Name of a stream in Montgomery county, N. Y.

Ottawa, (Alg.), "traders," from a tribe of Indianl. Name of a
town in Illinois. -'<<iuit. oi a

OwANEco. In the language of the Indians found bv Captain

alak^-fN^w'^r ^''^-^^ "^«^-t the floating bridge." Name of

OwAscus, WanwashkisJ. (Alg.), "adeer." A town in Wisconsin
. ^''-'^'O^Onrmscw, (Alg.), "he that is afar off;" others sav it
signifies "glittering water." A town in Michigan. ''''' '^'^ '^

OWATONNA, (Dak.), "straight," from a stream of water called by
the Dakotas Ouvianna. Name of a town in Minnesota. '

OWEGO, (Irq.), "swift river." A creek in New York.

OwoBOPTA "where they dig roots." The name of one of the
largest tnbutanes of the Minnesota river, called by the French Po. J
< Terra and by the Dakotas Tecpsinna, which words are the names
in those languages of the roots dug there for food.

OwoTANNA, "straight river." The name of a tributary of the
Cannon river m Minnesota, commonly written Owatonna.

consim '""''' ^^^'^'^' ""^'""^ '"''•" ^^^ "^^^ °^ ^ «-^-ty i" ^^^i-
0.au^7:;hieh^:);^^'^^ °^ ^ '- ^" ^-- ^^^^ -e as

Pachauo, Pachaumcke, (Alg.), "a turning place." The name of
liver in Connecticut..

Pahawaken, (Dak), "the sacred hills," or "the sacred round

1KB!

?68

THK AMKllK AN INDIAN.

-\
n

topped hills." This iiniue is applied to several high, mound-like hills
in Dakota, called also medicine hills.

Pahcupoo, otherwise called Cnrkiiiiip<iu(i, takes its name from
jHiiiqudpaiiff, "clear, or open pond." Name of a pond in Charles-
town, R. I.

Pajutazee, (Dak.), "yellow root." The name of a western
branch of the Minnesota, often called "Yellow Medicine."

Palatka, or PiLATKA, "spilled," "thrown down." The name of
a town in Florida, on the St. John's river.

Pamunky, Pihmimija, (Alg. ), "where we were sweating," or "in
the sweat-house where we sweated." The name of a stream in
Virginia.

Pan A, may be corrupted from Pcna, (Alg.), "partridge." A town
in Illinois.

Papago, " hair cut people." Name of a station in Arizona, from
a ti'ibe of Indians.

Paquabaug, (Alg.), "clear, or open pond." Name of an island
in Slippaug river, Connecticut.

Pascagoula, "bread nation;" the name was first applied to a
tribe of Indians who settled near Mobile. The name of a river in the
southeastern part of Mississippi.

Pascoag. Dr. Trumbull says of this word, the name belongs to
••land at the branch," or "crotch of the river." Name of a river and
post village in Rhode Island.

Paskack, probably the same as Pascoatj, "land at the branch."
A town in New Jersey.

Passaic, (Alg. ), from Pasaic, or Pa .ssryV'V'A', signifying "a valley."
A town in New Jersey; also the name of a river in that state.

Passamaquoddy, (Alg.), "a great place f'^-" - " " '" OH'ov
authorities say "pollock tish," and "pollock g.uanct." Name of a bay
at the southeastern extremity of Maine.

Passadena, (Alg.), "the valley." Name of a town in California.

Passumpsic, (Alg.), "much clear river." Name of a river in
Vermont; also the name of a post village in the same state.

Patoka. This word is the name by which the Ponca Indians
desiirnate themselves, who are a branch of the Dakota or Sioux stock.
Name of a town in Illinois.

INDIAN GKCJGRAPHICAL NAMES.

(60

Patapsco, Patapsqiii, (Alg. ), "back water" or "tide water con-
taining froth," or "a long deep stretch in a stream caused by back or
tide water containing froth." The name of a river upon which the
fity of Baltimore stands

Patchoque, Pauochaiiofi, (Alg. ), "the place where they gamble
and dance." A town of Sutfolk county, \. Y., near the southern shore
of Long Island.

Patkaskaden, (Dak.), "the tortoise or turtle." The name of a
western tributary of the Dakota.

Pattaquonk, (Alg.), "round place," meaning an Indian's wigwam
or sweating-house, or possibly only "round hill." Name of a hill near
Saybrook, Conn.

Pattaquoxset, P(di(jH(insi't, seems to be the diminutive of
Paftaqnoiik; if .so, it would signify "at or near the small round place."
Name of a pond near the village of East Lyme, Conn.

P.\TUXENT, (Alg., Delaware dialect). This is probably the same
as P\luksif, meaning " round foot," a Avord which the Dehiwares used
to signify "wolf," having a round foot like a dog. A branch of the
Delawares were called Minsi or Munsey or Muncie, meaning "wolf,"
but they frequently used the word P\lii}x!<if to signify the same thing.
Name of a river and post village in Maryland.

Paucamack, (Alg.). "clear or open fishing place" A pond
between Voluntown and Exeter, R. I.

Paugwonk, Pogwonk, (Alg.), "crooked pond." Trumbull says
he is inclined to think it signifies "cleared land," being corrupted from
Poquanac. Name of a small pond in the southeastern part of Salem,
Conn.

Pauquapauq, from Paquapamj, (Alg.), "clear or open pond."
Name of a brook north of New Milford, Conn.

Pautapauo, Ponifnpoge, Potabaiige, (Alg. ), "a bay or cove that
has a narrow inlet from a river or the sea." This was originally the
name of the North Cove, an arm of Connecticut river,

Pautibauq, (Alg.) This word is supposed to signify "boggy
meadows," "miry laud." The name of a district in Connecticut.

Pawcatuck. Dr. Trumbull says of this word, whether the name
originally belonged to the river, or to the territory west of it, cannot
be positively determined. If the name belonged first to the territory,
Xhe eastern part of the Pequot country, it certainly stands for Paqnat-

THE AMKlilCAX INDIAN.

alike, "Pequot luiul;" but if, ns is on the whole more probublo, it
belonged to the river, the first two syllables stand either for panqiKi,
"clear, open," or for jxq/ird, "shallow," and the last syllable, iiich\
denotes a "tidal river." Name of a river in Connecticut.

Pawiiatan or Pawatan, PdiKiihaunc. fAlg. ), "at or near the falls
of the stream." From the falls of the James river, near where Rich-
mond now stands, named as above, Capt. John Smith says the great
king Powhatan took his name.

P.\WTUCKET, ( Alg.), "the falls," or "at the falls." The name of
a river of Pihode Island having on it a fall of fifty feet, from which it
is supposed it took its name. Above this fall the river takes the imme
of the Blackstone, and below the fall the Seekonk. It may also mean
"clear river."

Pawtuxent, (Alg. ), "at the little falls." Falls on Pawcatuck
river, near Westerly, R. I.

Pawtuxet or Pautuxet, "at the little falls." The name of a
river in Rhode Island.

Paxton, Pcckaliink, " place of standing or dead water." The
name of a creek in Dauphin county, Penn., and a town in Illinois.

Paw Paw. In the Algonquin language is the word ■pahpah, "go
about." Name of a post-office in Illinois.

Peagscomsuck, (Alg.), "mouth of a great brook," or " a great
brook." An island in Quinebaug river.

Pecan, (Alg.), the Indian word for "nut." A post-office in
Alabama.

Pecatonica. Name of a river in Illinois, at first known as Picka-
lolicd. Caleb Atwater says it takes its imme from a fish, something
like n rock fish, found in the Delaware river. The two words are
undoubtedly the same, coming from different dialects of the Algonquin
language. Some tribes of this group have in their dialect the sound
of /, whilst others have the sound of n ins'^ad. The Sacs and Foxes
would call the word Pickaiolicd, whilst the Pottawattamies and Ojib-
ways would call it the Pecatonica.

Pegumock, Pcckhannc, (Alg,), " dark stream." Name of a creek
in New Jersey.

Pembina, (Alg.), "watery berries, or "high bush cranberry." A
county in Dakota, from a river of that name along which this class of
berries are found growing abundantly.

INDIAN OEOORAl'HICAL XA.MKS.

771

•obtible, it
r paiiqua,
able, luck.

,r the falls

lere Rich-

tlie ^reiit

le name of

m which it

3 the name

also mean

Pawcatuck

name of a

iter." The
[lliuois.

ahpah, "go

or "a great

)st-oflfice in

n as Pkka-
something
words are
Algonqiiin

the sound
and Foxes

and Ojib-

e of a creek

iberry." A
his class of

Pemigewasset, (Alg. ), "thecrookod mountain place,'' from jxii-
nciqiu's, "crooked," tvadchcc, "a mountain," axxisli, "pines," and r/NAv,
"a place." A river in New Hampsiiire.

Penequa, probably corrupted from pcnmiqiii, "crooked." A
town in Dakota.

PEXXEi'Af'K, supposed to be a corruption from prmmdprckd. I Alg. ),
"n body of water with no current." The name of a creek in Philadel-
phia, flowing into the Delaware.

Penohscot, (Alg.) It is said that this name is reported by the
French in sixty ditferent ways during their occupancy of the country
in that vicinity, in 1(504, the principal among which was PdiKiiKtvslicL:
The English, the New Plymouth coloiusts, caught up the word Pntoh-
scolc, by which it was known as early as 1(J20. The true Indian
name, it was said, was Pciiohsccai/ or Poiolisrodlc, suggested by the
rocky falls just above Bangor, irom pcnohstj, "rocky," and uttcml, "a
place," or "the rocky place." In another dialect penapsc, "stone,"
and (lulcc, "place," "the rocky or stony place." Applied originally
to a place near Castine, near to the river. A river and county in Maine.

Pensacola, Pa7.s/(oo/,7a, a Choctaw word signifying "hair peo-
ple." The name of a city and bay in Florida.

Pens.\UKEE, (Menominee dialect), "the place of the brants."
Name of a town in Wisconsin.

Peoria, (Alg.) Name of a principal city in Illinois, on the
Illinois river, situated at the place mentioned by Hennepin, which, he
says, "the savages call Pimitcoui; that is, in their tongue, ^(i phicc
ivlwre there is an abunddiicc of fat hrasis,^ " from which the word
Peoria is supposed to be derived. It also became the name by which
one of the Illinois tribes subsequently became and continued to be
known. The name was also given in early times, to some extent, as
Peirarre.

Peosta, in the Algonquin language Peostara, signifies "gorge in
the rock." A post village in Iowa.

Peotone, (Alg.), from Pefone, meaning "bring," "bring here,"
or "bring to this place." Name of a town in Illinois.

Pequea, corrupted from Picueu, a Shawano word. Name of a
town in Pennsylvania.

Pequabuck, (Alg.), supposed to mean "clear or open pond."
The name of a river in Connecticut. The name was doubtless trans-
ferred from the pond at its source.

« i.

THK AMKIIIC.W INIMAN.

Pequan.vc. "cloarod luiid." A post-otHcc in Ni^w .Tei'Hoy.

Pequannock, f Alg. ), "a cleariu'^'."'' or •'cleareil laud.'" Tlio name
of u town in Morris county, N. J.

Pi:i!KioMi:\, Pakihmink, (Alg.), "crnnberry-place." Tlio uanio
of a creek in Montgomery county, Penn.

Pkscattaway, (Alg.), wapccs, "white," koirat or tpiard, "a pine
tree." or '• the place of tlio piiin tree," "the place of the white pine
tree." The name of a town in Middlesex county, N. J,

Pk.siitigo, (Menominee dialect), properly Pcshctiyo, "snap[)ing
turtle." The name of a town in "\Visc(mbin.

Pkv. (Dak.), meaning "elm." The Dakota name for Elm creek,
a tributary of Jim river, Dakota.

Pewaki'V, "Elm river." The name of a western branch of the
Dakota river.

PiASA, or PlusA. Name of a town in Illinois. It takes its name
from the image of a huge bird painted or carved, seen by the early
French explorers, on a smooth faced rock on the east bank of the Mis-
sissippi river, some distance above the mouth of the Illinois. An early
writer, referring to this picture, says: "Near Alton, 111., there is a
narrow pass confined between two high hills, at the bottom of which runs
the Piasa, a rivulet which flows into the Mississippi river. At this
place is a smooth per[)endicular rock, upon which at some distance
above, an immense image of a bird Avitli outspread wings is chiselled
in tlie stone. This image, from which this rivulet takes its name,
is called by the Indians Piasa, that is to say, 'the man devouring
bird.""

PiccowAXEX, Pijcnwaxen, (Alg.), "torn slices." The name of a
creek in Maryland.

PiQUA, from Piiijficd, "ashes." A post-office in Ohio; also in
Kansas.

PisCASSET, WajH'cs, "white stone." The name of a stream in
Maine.

Pisc.\TAQUA, (Alg.), "great deer place." A river in New Hamp-
shire.

PisCATAWAY, Pisgattfuitci, (Alg.), "it is darkening," "growing
dark." The name of a river in Prince George's county, Maryland.

PiSHATiPAUG, Pissatapaug, "muddy or miry pond." A pond in
Durham, Conn.

INiilAN (lK();ll!.\l'llll Al, NAMKH.

;{

PlssETUNK. Tilt) iiaiiu) (l()ul)tloss cmim I'roiii mi liulinn liot-houst'.
Namo ui II liill in tli6 soutlnvestern part of Huntington, Conn.

PisTAKKK, (Al»^., KfiskdHkiii (liiiliH't), "fox.'' A hiko in nnrtlu'rn
Illinois iH'iir tho line of Wisconsin, wliich Fox river pussi's tlirou>,'li.
Understood to bo the same as J'cslckoni, the Indian name of Fox river
na given by the French.

PlsTEPAUQ, PishaiijiiKipaiKj, (Alg. ), "muddy or miry [)ool.'"
This name has been transferreil to a mountain in Connecticut. Doubt-
less originally the name of a lake or pool in the vicinity.

PocASSET, (Alg. ), the place "whore a strait widens out." The
name of a village in Massachusetts. Tiiis name occurs frequently in
New England. A post-office in Massachusetts.

PocATALiao, or PocoTALico, (Alg."), "plenty of fat ducks." The
name oi a town in West Virginia, from a tributary stream of the groat
Kanawah river.

PocoTALico. A town in West Virginia. { Soe Pocataligo).

PocHAUO, Posliaoy, (Alg.), "where they divide in two." The
place where the PochaugandManunkateset rivers meet in Connecticut.

PocoHANTAS, or PocAHONTAS, Pockohanics, (Alg.), "streamlet be-
tween two hills;" compounded of porliko, "a rocky hill," and hdiiiic.
"stream;" the latter root rendered a diminutive by the suffix frs. The
princess Pocahontas doubtless derived her name from this stream.
The name of a town in West Virginia.

PocoMOKE, Pockhanniiokik, (Alg.), "knobby," "broken by knobs
and hills." The name of a river in Maryland.

PocONO or PoKONO, Pokohannc, (Alg.), "a stream issuing from a
mountain," or "running between two mountains." The Broad Moun-
tain, south of Scranton, Pa., receives its name of Pd'cono, from a stream
of the same name, contiguous thereto.

PocosEN or PoccosEN'. This word is supposed to be derived from
2i(h(ckassni, (Alg.), "a place Avhere balls, bullets or lead were to be
had." The name of a river in Virginia.

PocoTorAUG, Pohqiiacpdiifi, (Alg.), "divided pond." The name
of a large pond in Chatham, Connecticut, nearly divided in two parts,
connected only by a short and narrow strait.

PoHOPOKA, Pockhaporkd, "two mountains biitting with their ends
against each other, with a stream of water between," as in the case of

774

Tin: AMKItlCAN INDIAN.

n
i

tlif lii'lii''li Wiitt'i' Criiii. Niiinc of u stit'iim in ('jxrhnii coniitv, Poiin-
HylvHiiiii, llowiiij,' into tlio Lt'liigli rivtM".

PoKKOOMA, (Al<^. ) The imiuo wliicli tlif IikUhus j^hvo to luiy
lake coiuHMitiHl witli aiiothor by u ruiiiiiii;^ streiini or short outlet cou-
iiectiiif,' tlit^ two. Niiiuoof a jihice in Wisconsin.

PoKKTO, PdcliiiUti, (Al<,'. ), " tlirow it HWfty," " iibiiiulon it." The
name of a creek in .\ll<>j,'hany county, Penn.

PoKOMOKA, l\)c<jiicii)ii()k(\ (Al<,'. ), "i)lac<> of sliflU fish." The
Indian name of a river in Maryland.

PoMi'KUUNO. Poiiipcrdini. This word probably means " place of
otferiii",'.'" or " place of contributin>^." Name of a river in Con-
necticut.

Pd.mpton. riiiiiifnii, (Al>^. j, '• crooked mouthed." The nnme of a
small river in New Jersey.

PoxKAPoa, (Al<^. ) Said to mean •■sweet water." A town in
Massachusetts.

PoNTlAC, P()ii(h'(((\ Name of an important town in Michigan;
also name of a town in Illinois, so named from Pontiac, Mich. Derived
from the celebrated Ottawa Indian chief, the signification of which is
lost.

PoNToosrc. J'()inilii(isiirlx\ (Alg. ), "falls on the brook." A hill
in (ilastonbury. Conn., now bears this nnme. Also the name of a town
in Illinois.

Poi'ONOMlNG. Papvnnamink, (Alg.). "where we are gazing." The
name of a small lake in Monroe county, Penn.

PoQUKssoN, or PoQUissiNG, (Alg.), "at the place abounding in
mice." The name of a creek in Bucks county, Penn.

PoQUANATUCK, P(iqii(iiili(rh\ (Alg.), "cleared land." Name of a
river two miles oast of the Connecticut line.

P()(jroNO(^K. or PoQi'ONXoc, (Alg.). "cleared land." Thenameof
a village near Parmington river, Conn.

PoQUETANUCK, (Alg ), "land opened or broken up," "land ready
for planting." The name of a town in Connecticut.

Pout Tobacco. Pootuppd;/, (Alg.), "a bay or cove." The name
of an inlet on the Potomac river, in Maryland.

PoTlcH, Podnrli, or Poffnck, (Alg.), "round." The name of one
of the plains in Catskill county, N. Y.

INDIAN (ir.Odl; AI'IIICAI- NAMKS.

773

Potomac, Polownidh; or Pchilniiok, (Al^'. ), "tliey iiro rnniin^ l)y
wiiter,*' "ilrnwiii^ npiir in crafts or ciiiuh'h." TIio iiimm of u li\r<,'«
rivi'r foriuiiif^ tlio lumiuliiry lino Ix'tweon Marylaiul and \'ir;^inia.
Other (lulhoritii's wiy it Higuifios "tlio plnco of tho l)urnin«^ pino,
reHBinhlin;^ aooiiucil fire."

PouOHKEEl'HiE, ( Alg. j Tlie original word, it is said, was Apo-
kft-psiiiL; " pleasant liarbor." Otlit^r authorities say it signities ' shal-
low inlet." A city in New York.

Poweshiek. (.Vlg.), from a Fox chief of that name, signifying
"to dasii off the water." A county in Iowa.

PoYQAN, (Alg.), "i)ipe." A town in Wisconsin.

PsTMMDSE, ( Dak. K "rice lake." The name of sevtu'al lakes in
Miuuesota, so called from the wild rice growing on tluur lianks.

Ptansinta, (Dak.), "otter tail." Tiie name of a peniusnhi
between L:io Traverse and the Minnesota river, so called from its
reseiublance to nu otter's tail.

Ptansk.v, (Dak.), "white otter." Tiie name of a lake in Iowa.

PucKAQAMA, (Ojibway dialect), "a portage across an elbow of
Inud formed by tho |)assage of a river around the t;ai. \" Name of
falls on a stream near Sandy Lake, northern Minnesota.

PrcKAWAV, from Piickirl, the Ojibway name for rushes or cat-tail
flags, from which they make a kind of matting for covering tiieir
lodges. The Ojibways of the upper Missis8i[)[)i calltnl it ojxiliL'iriiruk:
Name of a lake in Wisconsin.

Pueblo, takes its name from a tribe of Indians, sijinifvini; '"Vil-
lage Indians." Name of a couuty in Colorado.

PuQ.\.TABAMINNls, (Alg.) The iiamo of one of the islands in
Lake Superior, called Apostle Islands, meaning "fishing lino islands."

Punootegue, or Pungoteaqite, PiinnlKiftrJ.c, (Alg.), "the place
of powder." In the Delaware dialect the word judhi signifies powder,
also ashes, dust and fine sand. Owing to the extremely sandy char-
acter of the country, it is highly probable the Indians in this case
intended the word to signify not the place of powder, but rather tlie
place of fine sand or dust. Die name of a town and island in Acconme
county, Virginia.

Punxutawney, Ponksnteneij, (Alg.), "habitatim of sand-flies."
The name of a town in Jetferson county, Penn.

Pym.\TUIXO, Pihiutoinink, (Alg.), "the crooked-inimthed man's

^^mm

770

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

I'i

■'i
■t

dwelling place," or "the dwelling place of the rnan with the crooked
mouth." The name of a tributary of the Chenango river in Mercer
county, Penn.

QuADDic, a corruption of PaHaquoffurk, (Alg.), "at the round
place on the tide water." Name of a village in Connecticut.

QuAKAKE, corrupted from CuwenkeeJ:, (Alg.), "pine lauds."
Name of a creek in Carbon county, Penn.

QuANTlco. If this is the same as Guentico, Gcniican, it means
"dancing." Name of a town in Virginia.

Qi'EBEC, (Alg.) The name of a village in Loinsiana; from a
principal city of that name in Canada. Bishop Baraga, in his diction-
ary of the Ofchiripirc language, says, "from Kepcc or Kcpac, "being
shut;" Kipnw, "it is shut." The Indians of the Gulf of St. Lawrence
yet call it Kcpcc. In fact, in that place the river looks shut uji by
Diamond Cape "when going up, and by Orleans Island when coming
down. Other authorities have it that the word Kchcc means " nar-
row." The word Quebec is French orthography, pronounced Kebec.
Other authorities say it signifies "the fearful rocky cliff." Some say
this word was derived from the French word Quclbcc, "what a beak."

QuEMAHONiNG, corrupted from Cuwci-mahoni, (Alg.), "pine tree
lick," or " a lick in among pines." A branch of the Conemaugh, or
Kiskiminetas, in Pennsylvania.

QuErONCO, CitirctipojKja, (Alg.), "ashes of pine wood." Thn*
name of a creek in Maryland.

QuiccoANE, pronounced Krkoino, "running river." A south-
western branch of the Missouri.

QuiDNic, Aquecdmick, (Alg.), "place at the end of the hill," or
"place beyond the hill." A river and pond in Rhode Island.

QuiLUTAMEND, (Alg.), " wB Came unawares ujKjn them." Name
of a spot in Luzerne county, Penn., lying between the Susquehanna
river and a mountain, where the Delawares say they surprised a body
of Indians of the Five Nations and defeated them.

QuiNAMOGiiE. This word is supposed to be a corruption of Qninn-
(iDKiiKj, "long fish pond." or the place whore lampreys (long fish) are
taken. Name of a locality near Charlestown, R. I.

QuiNDARO, (Alg.) It was the name of an intelligent Delaware
woman, wife of a white man, whom the town projectors had employed

INDIAN QEOOK-VrHICAL NAMES.

777

;(, it means

to purchase the land of the town site from the "Wyandots. She trans-
acted negotiations so skillfully that her name was perpetuated in the
new city. It signifies "a bundle of sticks — strength in the union."
A town in Kansi s.

QuiNNEBAUG, (Alg.), "long pond." Name of a river in Con-
necticut.

QuiNNiriAC, "the surrounding country." A river in Connecticut.

QuoNEPAUG, or QuiNNiPAUQH, (Alg.), "long pond." Name of a
pond in the northeastern part of Guilford, Conn.

Karatan, (Alg.), "forked river." Name of a river in New
Jersey.

Rappahannock, Lappihanne, (Alg.), "the current has returned,
or flowed again," or " where the tide water flows and ebbs." The
name of a stream in Virginia. Other authorities say it signifies "a
river of quick rising."

Restigouche, Eestcryoosha, "the river which divides like the
hand." The name of a river in British America forming the northern
boundary of New Brunswick, so called because a short distance above
ith point of discharge into the bay of Chaleur, it divides like the hand
into five branches.

Roanoke, (Alg.), equivalent to i^ear/, "sea shell," or "wampum."
A river and county in Virginia.

Rockaway, supposed to be 'derived from rcckairackes, or ackcwck,
(Alg.), " bushy," or "difficult to cross." The name of a river in New
Jersey.

Sac, (Alg.) This word is also spelled Sauk, which is the name
of a county and town in Wisconsin. It is an abbreviation of the word
Ozaukee, signif;' 'ng "yellow earth," and is the name of a tribe of
ludii'us, and means as applied to them "people of tlie yellow earth."
The word was abbreviated by the French as Sac, the English speaking
people, adopting their abbreviation, spelled it Sauk. A county and
town in Iowa.

Saccarappa, (Alg.) It was originally written Sacarihi[i(j, said
to signify "towards sun rising." A village in Maine.

Saco, Sank'^nguok, (Alg.), "pouring out." The root signifies

778

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

the plnce of diseliarge or {)ouriii<^ out of a river or lake. The name
of a river in Maine. Other authorities say it is a contraction of so»'a,
"burnt," coo, "pine," and (mkc, "place," "place of the burnt pine."

Sacondaga, (Irq. ); said to signify "drowned lands," from a great
marsh whicii lies along its shore. A river in Fulton county, N. Y.

Sagadahoc, (Alg. ), "ending place;" mouth of the Kennebec.
A county in Maine.

Saginaw, Sdiik-sahcooit, (Alg.), "at the mouth," or "pouring out
at tlie jnouth." The Saginaw river discharges through Saginaw bay
into Lake Huron, the bay forming tlie place where the river pours out
into the lake. Very probably the bay gave name to the river; that is,
the Europeans gave the same name to the river which they found
attached to tlie bay. Mr. Schoolcraft says the word is derived from
Sdiikinoiif/, from tlie Sac tribe who once lived in that vicinity. It may
come from S(i</(/(ni(isli, the Indian word for Frenchman. Name of a
river in Michigan.

Sago, an Iroquois word of the Mohawk dialect. Their usual
word of salute, and signifies "welcome." Name of a town in Ohio.

Sagule, (Irq., Oneida dialect), correspon^^ing to the word s(t<i<t
in the Mohawk dialect A post-office in Wisconsin.

Sandusky. Many have declared this word to be of Indian origin.
Some say it is from a Wyandot word, So»»(/Hs/fr, "water within water
pools," or from Scthiunliiskcc, in the same dialect, signifying "clear
water," the definition of the former name being peculiarly applicable
to Sandusky bay. But in Vol. 1 of a periodical, entitled the "Ameri-
can Pioneer," appears a communication from Jacob J. Green, of Tiftiii,
Ohio, under date of February 28, 1842, giving quite a different theory
of the origin of this word. He savs: "At the time the French were
establishing posts on the Wabash and Mauniee rivers, nearly one hun-
dred years since, connecting their operations on the Ohio with these
settlements at Detroit, a Polish trader by the name of Samlusky, or
more properly sjielled Sdiidiiski, established himself near the present
site of Lower Pandusky, at the foot of the rapids of the river. His
operations in trading for fur, etc., with the Indians, being entirely
confined to the river and bay, they soon became known to the Euro-
peans, and afterwards to the Indians, as Sanduski's river and bay.
Sandusky, quarreling with the Indians, was forced to quit the country
for the settlements beyond the Ohio for safety. The Indians, Boiiit>
time after, followed and killed him in Virginia. So far as I can loiini.
there are but two of the name in this countrv. his grandsons. One

IXDIAX OEOfiaAPHICAL NAMES.

771>

e word sago

lives in Kentucky, the other ii few miles from Dniiville, VermiJliou
county, Illinois." Reliable authority, however, states that the name
of the person referred to was not, originally, Sanduski, but Sodowsky,
which became changed, after coming to this country, to Sandusky, in
consequence of a deed of land being made to him in that name, by
misunderstanding his correct name; whereupon, to prevent any uncer-
tainty as to the title attaching to him, he at once assumed or answered
to the name of Sandusky, by which he was thereafter known, and so
transmitting the same to his descendants, while his brother Isaac and
his descendants, whose interests were not affected by the aforesaid
transaction, retained the name of Sodowsky. The name Sandusky is
a[)plied to an important town in Ohio; also to a bay or body of water
opening into the southwestern part of Lake Erie, upon which the town
is situated.

Sangamon. Investigation has induced the opinion that this is a
corrnptiou of some word in the Algonquin language, and the conclusion
arrived at by many is that it is derived from the -word sdclidnio, or sag-
(iiiio, a word in the Delaware andAbanakie dialects signifying '-a chief,"
which has become corrupted into the word s<i(i<()ii()r<'. This word is
given in some ot the early gazetteers and local histories as sdiKjiuiiu.
The name of a river and county in Illinois.

Sankinack, Sankinak, corrupted from sfmkhamu; (Alg.), "flint
stream." Name of a stream in Pennsylvania.

S.v.rpA. (Dak.), "black." Name of a tributary of Eepublican
river, Nebraska.

Saranac, "river that flows under rocks." A lake and river in
New York.

Sahatoga, (Irq. ) Various dotinitions are given as to the meaning
of tills wcu'd, as "place where the track of the heel may lie seen." in
allusion to a locality in the neighborhood where depressions, like in-
steps, may be seen in the rocks, "on the heel;" a A-ery good authority
says that the definition of this word is lost. Name of a lake and town
in New York.

Sasco, supposed to mean "marshy land," "swamp." Name of a
creek in Wost[)ort, Conn.

Saskatciikwan, (Alg.), "the swift current." Name of a river in
Manitoba, British America.

Saucon, or Saconna, corrupted from Saknnk, (Alg.), "where a
smaller stream empties into a larger." hence its "place of outlet."
Name of a creek in North Ham|.>ton. Poun.

780

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

Sauqatuck, (Alg. ), "outlet of a tidal river;" other autiiorities
say it means ■•nt the mouth of the river."' Name of a small river iu
Connecticut.

Saukunk, (Alg. ), "at the mouth," that is, at the mouth of the Big
Beaver river, where it flows into the Ohio. This spot was a well
known rendezvous for Indian war parties.

ScANTic, supposed to be derived from 2)L'shatiik, (Alg.), "where
the river branches." Name of a river and town iu Connecticut.

ScATACOOK, (Alg.), "the confluence of two streams." Name of a
river in Connecticut.

SCHAGTICOKE, "the confluence of two streams." Name of a tov-n
in New York.

SCHAKAMAXENS, or Shackamaxon, Sckachamcsiiik, (Alg.), "the
place of eels." The name of a locality near Kenrdngton, Penn.

Schenectady, (Irq.), "over or beyond the pines." The name of
a town on the Mohawk rivei', New York. Iu early colonial times there
was a portage from Fort Orange, or Albany on the Hudson, across the
peninsula formed by the Hudson and Mohawk to this point, Schenec-
tady, Avhich leads through pine forests, Avhence the name. Others say
this word is derived from skanehfade, and signifies "beyond the
openings."

Schoharie, Skoharc, (Irq.), "flat-wood." Name of a creek and
county in New York.

SCHOHOLA, or Shohola, Schauwihilla, (Alg.), "weak," "faint,"
"distressed." Name of a creek in Pike county, Penn.

SCHOODIC, (Alg.), "burnt lands," from large fires about 1(575.
Name of a river and several lakes in Maine.

SciTico, (Alg.), "at tiae branch." Name of a post village in
Connecticut, on the Scautic river.

Sebago, (Alg.), "place or region of river-lake." A town and
lake in Maine.

Sebethe, supposed to be derived from scjwesc, (Alg.), "small
river." Name of a river in Middletown, Conn.

Sebewa, or Sebewan, (Alg.), "running water." Name of n
township and post-office in Michigan.

Sebewaing, (Alg.), "rivers," or "at the rivers;" it may also
mean "rushing water." A town in Michigan.

INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL XAMKS.

rsi

uth of the Big
)t was a well

Seekonk, Scfjwong, (Alg.), "spriug," "uext spring." A town in
Massachusetts.

Sego, Sago, (Irq., Mohawk dialect), word of salutation or greet-
ing, as "welcome," "good cheer," and the like. A town in Ohio.

Seminole, Islisimanoh; "separatist." or "run away," the
name given to those who separatetl or ran away from the Creeks.
Albert Gallatin says the word signifies "wild men," because they sub-
sisted largely y hunting and fishing., while the Creeks generally were
engaged in agriculture and subsisted largely by it. Name of a post-
otiice in Wyoming territory.

Senegai!, Sinnih', (Alg.), "stony." Name of a creek in Mary-
land.

Senachwine, Senactcin, said to mean "red cedar." Name of a
lake iu Putnam county, Illinois.

Sensinik, (Alg.), "the place of the stone," or perhaps more prop-
erly, " the stony place." Name of a locality in Westchester coui'tv
N. Y. ^'

Sequoyah, takes its name from the Cherokee Indian who invented
the Cherokee alphabet, called by the English "Gues.s." A post-office
and county in Kansas.

Shakopee, (Dak ), "six." Name of a town on the Minnesota
river, called after a chief of that name who formerly dwelt there.

ShaxMokin, Schahamoki, or Schahaimkink, (Alg.), "the place of
eels." The name of the spot where Sanbury, Peun., now stands; also
the name of a creek flowing into the Susquehanna at Sanbury,

Shamong, probably the same as Chemung, an Iroquois word sio--
nifying "big horn." A town in New Jersey.

Shandaken, "rapid water." A town iu New York.

Skaneateles, Skam'udice, (Irq. ), "long lake." A lake and town
in New York.

Shannock, Shnwimnk, (Alg.), "the place where two stieams
meet." Name of a river in North Stonington, Conn., formed by the
union of the Assekonk and Phelps' creek, in Milton villa^re.

Shantuck, supposed to be derived from mishunfiujkri, (Alg.).
"the place of much wood." A location near Montville, Conn.

Shantituok, (Alg.), "the woody place." The name of a small
stream in Rhode Island.

^^•"wm

782

THE AMEllICAN INDIAN.

SnAAVAX, (Alg.), "south." A town in Marylnnd.
Shawanounk, "in the south;'" others Kay it menus "white stone."
A town in the state of New York.

Shawano, (Alg. ), "southerner," or "him of the south.'" A town
and county in Wisconsin, taken from the name of a noted Menominee
chief.

Shawnee, (Alg.), is corrupted from shau'ono, "southerner."
Name of a town and county in Kansas.

Shawnees, Slidwcnii, (Alg.), "the southern people." This word
is derived from the Lenaj)e language. The word Slioii'dn or Clioiran,
the name of a river in North Carolina, possibly comes from the same
root.

Sheboygan, (Alg.) Name of a town in Wisconsin. Various
definitions are given to this word. Schoolcraft says it appears to
have its termination from the word f/f*», "a lake" (sagaiegan), and
the combination denotes a river or water pass from lake to lake.
SlichifihKiijcfiiin means "a spy glass." Slt('houi(i(in is an instrument
for boring or piercing, as a needle. It is said by a local writer that
the oi'igin of this word was sliewaiiuruigiin, meaning "the place where
the water runs into the ground." Other accounts say the name is
slin('hic(tuir(((jun, which was generally shortened by early settlers to
sh('pw(ut(jiin, and afterwards became contracted to its present form.
According to Mr. Hathaway, a local writer of Wisconsin, the W'Ord is
corrupted from shawbwajjkiin (half accent on the first, and full accent
on the last syllable), expressing an Indian tradition that a great noise
coming under the ground from the region of Lake Su[)erior was heard
at this river. The better opinion is that the name signifies a water-
way or passage between the lakes from Sheboygan river, having its
source very near Lake Winnebago, and was a route frequently
traveled by Indians in their canoes.

Shenandoah, Schincfhandowi, "the sprucy stream," or "the stream
passing by or through spruce pines." There is another definition to
this word derived from ouoihIci, "a mountain," and (/on, "great," and
signifies " a river flowing alongside of high hills or mountains." These
latter roi-ts are of Iroquois oi-igiu, and as there is no evidence that the
Iroqiiois Indians ever inhabited the banks of this stream, or even
visited the region it traverses very often, it is not likely they are
the origin of the word. A river in Virginia.

Shepaug, Shi'ppaug (Alg.), "great pond." Name of a river in
Connecticut. This river rises in a pond in Connecticut, known a.s

aeoi

INDIAN OEOOUAIMIICAL NAMES.

[s;j

, "white stone."

outh." A town
)ted Menominee

, " southerner."'

ie." This word
nvannr Clioinni,
i from the same

ionsiu. Various
i it appears to
sa>;aiegan), and
B hike to lake.
5 an instrument
local writer that
"the place where
say the name is
early settlers to
ts present form,
iisin, the word is
, and full accent
lat a great noise
perior was heard
rnifies a water-
hver, having its
[oute frequently

or "the stream

ler definition to

\n, "great," and

mtains." These

Evidence that the

stream, or even

likely they are

lie of a river in
Iticut, known m^

"great pond," and doubtless the Indian name has been transferred
to the river.

Sheshecjuin, (Alg., Delaware dialect), "mysterious rattle." Name
of a town in Pennsylvania. This rattle is the customary badge be-
stowed when one is initiated into the degree of doctor or brother.

Shetucket, SlKiwinrkcf, (Alg.), "confluence." Name of a small
stream in Connecticut, which receives the Quinnebaug and unites witli
the Yantic to form the Thames.

SiiEWATUCKET, SlicwatitcJc, (Alg.), "confluence." Name of a
small stream iu North Kingston, K. I.

SmcAWAKPA, "bad river;" called also Teton, and Little Missouri
river. Name of a river in Arkansas.

Shintaka, (Dak.), "tamarack." The name of several marshes
in Minnesota. So named on account of the tamarack growing sponta-
neously in them.

Shippauo, (Alg.), "great pond." Said to have been the Indian
name of Litchfield Pond, Connecticut.

Shkotpa, (Dak.), "hollow," or "bowl." Name of a lake iu Min-
nesota, now called White Bear Lake.

Shobonier. The name of an Indian chief from the French word
Chevalier, pronounced by the French chcrolyd. The Indians, using
the Ojibway and Pottawattamie dialect, would render this word Sho-
ho-na, having in their dialect no sound of r, using h instead, and no
sound '' * /, using n instead. In rendering the word as it is given for
the naiiio of this town, Shobonier, the Indian pronunciation is retained,
with the exception of the last three letters, wherein the French orthog-
raphy is retained. Name of a town in Illinois.

Shohakin, or Cheocton. There was formerly a place in Dela-
ware county, N. Y., known by this name, spelled in the two different
ways aforesaid, meaning "union of the waters." The name was after-
wards changed to Hancock.

Shohokin, Schohacan, (Alg.), "glue." The uami of a stream
in Wayne county, Penn.

Shoneau, (Alg.), "silver," or "money." Some tribes of the
Algonquin group, as the Ojibway s and Pottawattamies, called money
shoneau, their word for silver, because the first money they saw was
silver coin. When, afterwards, on seeing gold coin, they called it

(84

THE AMEltlCAX INDIAN.

osdirn shonemi, ineauiug "yellow money;" copper coiu they called
misqiKibik shoneati, ineauing " red money." A town in Wisconsin.

Shoshonee, " island Indians." A county in Idaho territory.

SiBAWAlNG. The same as Sebewaign' (which see). A town in
Michigan.

Sing Sing, (Alg., Delaware dialect). Said to be from an Indian
village called Osing Sing, from osshi, "a stone," and 'sing, "a plnoe; "
that is, "place of stone," or "stone upon stone." A town on the Hnd-
sou river, in the state of New York. Other authorities say that this
name is derived from "a friendly Indian."

SiNNEMAHOiNG, Acksimiemahoni, (Alg.), "stony lick," or "the
place of the stony lick." Name of a stream in Cameron county, Penn.

Sioux. This is the name which the French and Canadians gave
in early days to the tribes of the Dakota nations, being an abbreviation
of the word iKKloupssioiu; French orthography. The name which the
Ojibways gave to tiie Dakotas, signifying, in the Ojibway dialect,
" enemies." The word has been given by the French and others in
various forms, as nndoncscioitz, nadonehionck, midsiicssiouck and
midoHuisiong, the former being a plural form of the word. Name of
a river in Dakota.

Siskiyou, "bob tailed horse." A post-office in California.

SisKOWiT, (Alg.), '-a kind of fish resembling a trout." A lake
in W' .i,onsin.

SissETON, (Dak,) sisiii, 1oniv(myan, "fish scale mound village."
Name of one of the clans of the Sioux ; also of a fort and an Indian
agency in Dakota.

SiTKUM, (Chinook word), "half," or "a part." Name of a town in
Oregon.

SiWASH, in the Chinook language signifies "an Indian." A
post-office in Washington territory.

Skokomish, "river people." A post office in Washington terri-
tory.

Skaneatice, Skaneadice, "long lake." Name of a lake in New
York.

Skippack, Schkipuk, (Alg.), "stinking pool of water." Name of
a creek in Montgomery county, Penn.

Skookumchuck, (Chinook word), "a rapid," or "strong, smooth

INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

.^.)

runuiug stream;" from skooki(iii, strong, nnd chuck, water, river, or
stream. A post-office in Washington territory.

Skowhegan, (Alg. ) Name of a town in Maine.

Skunk Guove, (Alg.) The word skunk is from an Indian word in
tiie Abenaki dialect, contracted from sc(f(nihi(, a carniverons animal of
the genus nicphitix. A place in Racine county, Wisconsin.

Sleepy Eye, from a Sioux chief, whose Indian nanie was Eshta-
humleali, meaning "sleepy eye." Name of a town in Minnesota.

SoDUS, called by the Indians AsxorodiiK, of which sixliis seems to
be a contraction, meaning "silvery water." Name of a town and bay
putting out of Lake Ontario, in the state of New York.

Somonauk, ( Alg., Pottawattamie dialect ), h\mi cssonidiik; '-paw-
l)aw tree." A town in Illinois.

SouHEGAN, contracted from SoithckciKisli, ( Alg. i An Iiulian noun
in the plui'al number, meaning "worn out lands." Name of a river in
one of the New England states.

Squam, a contraction of the word iroiiiK'Stiitantsmikc, ( Alg. ), "the
l)leasant water place." A lake in New Hampshire.

SuAMico, (Menominee dialect), "the yellow sand." Name of a
river in Wisconsin.

SusPECOUGH. supposed to mean "muddy, dirty water." The name
of a creek in New Jersey.

Susquehanna, "the great bay river," so called l)y tlie Delawares,
from its flowing into the great bay. Name of a principal river in
Pennsylvania.

SuwANEE. It is sup|)osed to come from sIkiwoiio, " south or southern
people," from which comes Shawnees, a tribe of Indians who once lived
in Florida, from whence they went to Ohio. This is also the name of a
riverin Florida, U[)on which it is understood these Indians formerly lived
before they came to Ohio. John Johnston, Indian agent at Pitpia, O.,
in 1819, says of the Shawnees, that they came to Ohio about sixty-five
years before that time, from west Florida and adjacent country, and
formerly resided on the Suwarey river, near the sea. This river, he
says, was doubtless named after the Shawanoes, Siiinnirij being a cor-
ruption of that word. Otlier authorities say it is derived h'omsuivani,
"echo." A town and county in Florida.

SwAMPSCOTT, contracted from iromiesqunmsaukc, (Alg.), "the
pleasant water-place." A town in Massachusetts.

780

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

Tacoma, Tahonut, "nlmost to lieavoii," "tall penk." It wiis the
name given by the Indians to Mount Ranier on account of the great
height of that mountain, which is put down as fourteen thousand feet
above the level of the sea. Name of a town in Washington territory.

Taconic, "forest," or "wilderness." The name of a mountain
range in MassachuBetts, Avest of the Housatonic.

Taghkanick, (Alg., Mohegan dialect), pronounced Tosltlxouiiick,
supposed to signify "water enough." On this side of IVJount Tom was
formerly a spring and favorite resort for the Indians for drinking this
water, and hence the name. A town in Columbia county, N. Y.

Talladega, "the border town," or "the town on the frontier."
Name of a county and village in Alabama.

Tallahassee, "old nation," "old town," "waste place." Name
of the capitol of Florida.

Tallahatchee, "river of the rock." Name of a county in Mis-
sissippi.

Tallapoosa, supposed to be derived from the Creek iaiepula.
"stranger," "newcomer," alluding to the arrival of other Indians or a
tribe; other authorities say the word signifies "swift current." Name
of a river in Georgia.

Tallassee, derived from idlofau, "a town," and esse, "taken."
Name of a town in Alabama.

Tallula, "leaping waters." Name of a town in Illinois.

Tama, Tioma, "bear, whose voice makes the rocks tremble," from
a Fox chief of that name. Name of a county in Iowa.

Tammanend, Tammancn, Tammany, (Alg.), "beaver-like," or
"amiable," takes its name from a chief of the Delaware tribe, spoken
of in history as the patron saint of America. Name of a post-office in
Pennsylvania.

Tamaqua, Tamaquehanne, "beaver stream." Name of a creek in
Schuylkill county, Penn.

Tampa, Ifimpi, "close to it," "near it." Name of a bay on the
west coast of the peninsula of Florida, named by De Soto Espiritu
Santo.

Tanqipaha, "those who gather maize stalks." The name of a
river in the southeastern part of Louisiana, named after an Indian.

It wfiH the

ise, "taken."

of a creek in

INDIAN aKOOltArHICAL NAMES. 7><-

Tankhanna, or Tankhanne, (Alg.), •' tlm smaller stream." Name
ot a creek lu eusteru Peuiisylvuuia.

Taopi, (Dak.), "wonnde.1," probably takes its name from a SiouK
chief who vvou notoriety by befriending the whiten in the Minnesota
massacre. Name of a town in Minnesota.

Tappan, "cold stream." Name of a post-office in Ohio.

Tatnick, (Alg.), >'at the great hill." The name of a hill and
1)1 ook m Worcester county, Mass.

.rrp^M'Tn^'V "^'^'"?'^*"^"'""""I'*"^^ ^'''"^ '''''■'?"''' «^' '^f^<^< "at the
great Jnll. Name of a hill and town in Massachusetts.

Tawas, (Alg.), "trader," contraction of Ottawa. Name of a
township and city in Michigan.

Tawaseutha, (Irq.), "hill of the dead." Indian name for Nor-
mansville, N. Y.

^^ Tawawa, supposed to be the same as Ottawa, "traders" or
people that are given to trading." A town in Ohio.

Taycheedah (Winnebago dialect), is a corruption from fnjal,

lake, .nd chedak, "camp." Name of a town near Fond du Lae

^Visconsin It was used by the Indians to denote those Winneba^oes

who were living around Lake Winnebago, of whom there were mo?e or

less at all times.

Tecumseh, Takuhmosah, "he who walks over water." A town in
Michigan and other states; the name of a distinguished Shawnee chief.

Telmocresses, Tahiamidchasi, "new town." The name of an
Indian town on the west side of the Chattahoochie river.

Temegame, (Alg.), "deep lake." The name of a lake that dis-
charges Its waters into the Ottawa river, Canada.

Tennessee, meaning, according to some authorities, "curved
spoon, by others, "river of the big bend." Name of one of the states
ot the Union, from a principal river of that name.

Tetons, ( Dak. ) , the name of a tribe of the Dakota group or Sioux
meaning "boaster," given to this tribe in consequence of the habit of
bragging which is said to prevail among them. Name of a loftv
range of the Kocky Mountains in Idaho territory. Other authorities
say the word signifies "dwellers on the prairie."

Tetonka, (Dak.), "big house." Name of a lake in Dakota: also
the name of a place on Jim river, Dakota.

lS^

Tin; AMKltlCAN INDIAN.

Tkxas. lu'cordiii^' to (nivtuiior Iiiliiml. ut tliiit Htatc. nieaiiH "wol-
CDiUH." He HiiVH tlmt, on the l(iiHliii<f of the first wliitc nu'U on tli»«
const of TtiXHH, the IntliiiiiH t^reeteil them with the exehiiimtion
"Texas," or "welcome." Other authorities, iiowever, wiiile recogni/-
in^f tho word as of liulian ori^Mii, j^'ive a ditfeient tlieory of its 8i<,'iiiii-
cation. In tlie aiieient S|>anisii arciiives. stored away in the hind
otliee at Austin, it appears tiiat certain hinds were situated "r« el ixiis
<lc hiK 7V/a.s," or in the country of the Texas or Tejas Indians, and of
b»Mii<^ pronounced alike. It is well known that the Texas or Tejas
Indians were a tribe liviii;.^ in the valley of the Ilio Cfrande, and who
were exterininnted or driven out by a more savaije tribe. Tho word
Tt'xas or Tejas is supposed to be the root of the names of the Indian
tribes of Texas and Mexico, the prefix indicating; the locality of tlie
tribe. Tlius: The Astejas or Aztecs were on the hij^'hlands of Ana-
huac. the Toltejas or Toltecs as far south as Yucatan, and the Huas-
tejas on the irnlf coast. One authority also sug^'ests that the word
may be of Spanish origin, as the word hja in that language may
be construed to mean the light shed covering of the dwellings of the
natives.

TiNTAii. •• prairie,
in Minnesota.

Name of a station on the Manitoba railroad.

TiMOOA, "lord." "ruler." "master." The name of an old Indian
town on the tributary of the St. John's, Florida.

TicoNDKitofiA, ( Irq. ) The name is said to have been derived
from Tsiiioiidrosic or L'lu'omiiviKjd, signifying "brawling waters," or
"•noise of the rapid waters;" other authorities sny the word signifies
"place of the separation of waters." Name of a town in New York.

Tioga, (Irq.). from t('0(j(u "swift current." Name of a river in
Tioga county, Penn., HowJng into the Chemung river in New York.
Other authorities say the word signifies "meeting of the waters."
Mary Jemison, the captive white woman of the Genesee, says it is de-
rived from i((i;(,'ii(i, "at the forks."

TioiNVTi, (Ir ,.), "beyond the point." Name of a small tributary
of the St. La\' re-iCe river, New Y'ork.

Ti()RO;w).v. "the place where two waters meet." Name of a
locality near Fishkill, N. Y.

TiouoHNioGA, TroliHffdi-fid. "meeting of the waters." Name of a
river in Broome county, N. Y.

Tippecanoe. The proper word is said to be KHIdippi krinniiil,\
meaning "at the great clearing." Name of a river in Indiana.

INIiIAN (IIUHIIIAI'IIICAI. NAMKH.

I HO

oba railroad,

.11 old Inditiii

'I'rrANKA. ( Diik. I. •• bijjf lioUHe." Nuiiui of an Jiuliiiii villnj^o <
the Dakota river.

)ii

'I'lsKiLWA. SoiiiiMuitlioritieH Hay it HignilioH a kin(l<»f l)ir(l; otlifis
Hay it (!()ines from cliilchiHlikiid. a kind of bird onlind plover. It iiiny
also coine from rhi»lil>iiiirti. an old hoy. aw an old bachelor. Nanio of
a town in Illinois.

TrTANKAHK. ''bi«r liouse stands," or "where the bi;,' houHe stands."
Nanit of some lakes west of the IJijr Sioux river.

ToMYIlANNK, Tnju'li

Kiniii:

(Ah

ahUjr stream :"' so named from

the abundance of that shrub ^rowin^ on its hanks. Name of n creek
in Leliiifji county. I'enn.

'rDlllCKox. TohiclidH, or ToliickJininic. I Al<;. ). "the stream over
which we pass by means of a bridj^e or driftwood." Mame of a creek
in Bucks etmnty. Penn.

ToMA. The better authority seems to lie that tills word comes
from the name of a chief of the Menominee tribe, wlio died at Michi-
limackinac in .Inly, ^ ''!(), whose full name was Thomas Carron. His
first name was pronounced by the French Tomah. Name of a town
in Wisconsin.

Tomahawk, (A1<j. ). "a savat^e implement." or "implement of
violence."' Bishop Bara<:fa says, in his dictionary of the Ojibway hm-
»^uage, that this word comes from ((hniidlnik ( houki, "strike them," or
ofnnKiltirdw, "he is stricken." Name of a town in Arkansas.

ToMBK'ON, "place of crab apples." Name of a creek in Berks
county, Penn.

To^imoBE'E, It U)iihi-l)ih-j)(\ "coffin makers." The Choctow Indians
had their old men with very long nails to clean tlie bones of their
dead, and j)lace them in boxes, when they were <leposited in "bone
houses," whence the name. A river in Mississi[)pi.

ToNAWAMxv, TaiKinoniida, (Irq. ), "swift water." Name of p,
creek in New York.

TONICA. Diiiuik('(\ (Ojibway dialect), "he lives in such a place or
country," "a place or c(mntry inhabited." A towji in Illinois.

TooKTAY, Ti(kh; (Dak.), "where." A post-otfite in Dakota.

TooTO, from loohio, " a corn house." A town in Alabanm.

TOPEKA, from a bulbous root like a potato, originally growing
abundantly in this part of the country. A city in Kansas.

7(10

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

ToHONTO, nil Iroquois term denoting "oak trees rising from the
lake." A post-ofKco in ArkniiBas; takes its name from a city in
Canada.

TosKOOEE, "jumpers," or "warriors." Name of an old Indian
town on the great Tennessee river.

ToTAWA, from fosairri, "to sink, dive, or go under water to rise
again, as timbers do when carried over a waterfall." Name of falls in
New Jersey.

ToTOGATic, (Alg.), "place of floating bogs." Name of a river
in Wisconsin.

ToTOKET, may come from Jiietukct, "on the great (the principal)
tidal river." Name of a mountain in New Bedford, Conn.

ToWANDA, Tdiciinclcitnk, (Alg.), "at the burial place," or "where
there is a burying." The Nanticoko Indians are said to have buried
their dead at Towandn, Bradford county, Penn., whence the name.

TucKAHOE, Tiirltdlioirc, (Alg.), "deer are shy," "hard coming at
the place where deer are so shy." Name of a creek in New Jersey
flowing into Great Egg Harbor bay.

TcLPEHOCKEN, (Alg.), "land abounding in turtles." Name of a
creek flowing into the Schuylkill river near Rending, Penn.

TuMWATEB, Tumwata, (Chinook word), meaning "a waterfall." A
post village in Washington territory.

TrxKHANNE, (Alg.), "the small, or smaller stream." Name of a
stream in Wyoming county, Penn. This word is sometimes written
Tunkhnnnock.

Trri'EEKHANNA. (Alg.), "the stream that flows from a large
spring." Name of one of the sources of the Little Lehigh river in
Pennsylvania.

TcscOLA, (Alg. ), "a level plain." Name of n town in Illinois.

TrsKEGEE, probnbly derived from idskiaUji, "warrior." Name
of a town in Alabama.

Tuscaloosa, "black warrior." Name of a city and county in
Alabama.

Tuscu.MiUA, ( Cherokee dialect), "grand battle ground." Name of
a town in Alabama.

TlHCAROiiA, "shirt wearing peo[)le." Name of a town in New
York and other states. From an Indian tribe of the Iroquois stock.

wir«i.f-T*

iiiff from tho

INDIAN uEOGilAPHICAL NAMES.
U.

791

UCHEE. (Creek dialect), "corn." Name of a towu in Alabama.
UiUKUFKi, » muddy water." Name of a stream in the Indian ter-
ritorj. TI113 word was tlie Creek name for the Mississippi.

Umbagog, meaning "clear lake, shallow." Name of a lake in
Maine.

U.vadilla, Dcunadillo, "place of meeting." Name of a town in
Utsego county, N. Y.

Upotog, "covering," "spreading out," as wall paper, carpets,
etc. Tlie name of a creek in Muscogee county, Alabama.

Utuhu, (Dak.), "oak," or "the oak." The name of a small lake
near Lac Qui Parle, Minnesota.

Vexango, " interesting mark on a tree." The name of a creek in
western Pennsylvania.

Wabash, Tl «»&/«//, (Alg.), "white water." Other authorities
say a cloud blown forward by the equinoctial wind." Name of a
river passing through Indiana; also the name of counties, towns and
post-offices in very many states of the Union.

Wabasha, (Alg.), "red leaf," or "the leaf." Mr. Catlin says
It means "the leaf," from the name of a noted chief of the Sioiix
.mtion Otlier authorities say it comes from «T,;.a/,r,sa, "a standard
ot battle. Name of a county and towu in Minnesota.

n ABAUNS..M, Wnuhansr, (Alg.), "dim daylight." A town and
county in Kansas, from a noted Indian war chief of tho Pottawattamie
tnbe. A name given to this cliief from surprising and capturin-
an enemy's camp just at th- break o^ ■ v. 10

Wachachkeek, (Alg.), "hilly land, ' or "high land." Name of
one of the plains in Catskill, N. Y.

Wachusetts, WnchHscH, (Alg.), "the mountain." Name of a
post village in Massachusetts.

Waco, "a heron." A t.nvn in Mississippi and other states of
tlio Union.

r92

THK AMEllICAN INDIAN.

AVaconda, same as Waucondd, (^ Omaha dialect). Kev. Mr. Iliggw,
in his Dakota dictionary, gives the word in the Dakota language as
WaknnUmka, "the Great S|)irit," "the creator of all things, and the
God of war." Name of a post-office in Kansas.

Waconia, IVakoriia, (Dak.
in Minnesota.

'living spring." Name of a {)lace

Wacouta, Wdkide, Dak.), ''shooter." Nrtrr.e of a toAvn in Min-
nesota. This [)lace was so named ."rom a Siou.^; c'.iief who lived at Red
Wing, Minnesota.

Wadena, probably from Odena or Oddua, " town." Name of a
town and county in Minnesota.

Waga, (Dak.), "cottouAvood." Name of a western tributary of
the Minnesota river.

WAaoosHANCE, (Alg., Ojibway dialect), "little fox" The name
given to a point of land in Lake Michigan, near Midiiiiniackinac.
known to some extent as Wobhlcsliaiiks, having much the sound of the
correct name.

Wahhay. (Dak.), " j)lace of hatching." Name oi a lake and
post-otUce in Day county. Dakota.

Wahpeton, lV((lii)<'f<)iur(ni, (Dak.), "leaf village." A town in
Dakota.

Wahoo. a word of the same sound occurs in the Micmac dialect,
meaninj; "eiT<j," A town in Geortfia and Nebraska.

Wakenda, (Dak.), " worshipped." Name of p. place in Minnesota.

Waki'A Shicha, WakjHi Hiva, (Dak.), "bad rivet" Name of a
stream em[)tying into the Missouri at West Pierre, Dak.

WAi.LEM'AurACK, Waui.lenpaupack, or Paupack, (Alg.), "deep
and dead water." Name of a creek in northeastern Pennsylvahiii.
tlowing into the Lackawaxen near Honesdale.

Walpack. Walpci'k. (Alg.), "a turn hole," "a deep anJ still
]>lace in a stream." Name of a township in New Jersey.

Wa.mdusiika, (Dak.), "snake." Name (jf a lake southeast of
DeviTs Liike. I);ikota.

Wami'.sit is derived from irdiiic, "all," or "whole," and <nik<\ "a
place." with the letter .s- thrown in betwi.\t the two syllables for [)nr-
poso of the .sound. Name of a place embraced in the present ' u
of Tewkesbury, and the city of Lowell, Middlesex county, Mass.

INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

• Its

Wampum or Wampam, (Alg. ), "white." '-small beads made of
sliells, used by the North American Indians as money." A post village
in Pennsylvania.

Wanari, Wahnamjhe, (Dak.), "ghost." A post-office in Dakota.

Wanaqtie, understood to bo the same as Wcnicka, (which see ).
Name of a tcwn in New Jersey.

WaxataIi, (Duk. ), "he that charges on his enemies," from a
noted chief of that name. A town in Indiana.

Waneka, Wauirja, (Dak.), "the son." Name of a noted Win-
nebago chief, known to us as Red Bird. A town in Wisconsin.

AVannupe, from Anupaun, (Alg. ), "overflowed," or "subject to
overflow." An island in the Housatonic river, near New Milford, Conn

Wantage, (Alg.), "piece of timber land." Name of a township
in New Jersey.

Wapatoe. The edible bulb of i^iujUtarid niriabilis, called by
the Indians IVajxiloc, by whom it is used as food; wiitten also AVap-
pato. A post-office in Oregon.

Wapklla, (Alg.), "he who is painted white." Name of an
Indian cliief of the Fox tribe. A town in Illinois.

WAi'i'ANOcrA. The Lenni Lenapes or Delawares were so calK-d by
some Indians, signifying "people at the rising of the sun," or, more
briefly, " Eastlanders." Name of a toM'n in Arkansas.

Wappasuning, corrupted from IVdjidchsinfiink, (Alg.), " w-here
there are white stones," alluding to a deposit of silver ore, the Dela-
ware wcml for silver being irodjxa'lisin, "the white stcme." Name
of a creek in Bradford county, Penn.

Wapsii'inecon, \Vtij)!^io})iiij)('C(nL (Alg.. Sac di'decti. Name of
a river in Iowa. "A white bulljous edible root found growing along
this stream of a nutty character, commonly called ground nut," from
ir,i})si\ "white," (,))iii. " bulbous root," or "potato," and jwcan, "nut."

Wapwallopen, corrui)ted from ^awpdiniollcnd, " the place where
the messiMigers were murdered." Name ot a creek in Luzerne county,
Penn,, near which was murdered Thon'MS Hill, a messenger from the
governor of Pennsylvania to the Indians at Wyoming. Other autliori-
ties say it is corrupted from mtpJiallucJipink, "the place where white
hbiup grows."

Warpueh, W(t})oni^, "a hare or raljbit." The name of a tract of
land on Manhattan Island, supposed at one time to abound in rabbits.

■■■

794

THE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Wakwarsing, usually abbreviated to Warsink, is said to signify
" blackbird's nest." A town in New York.

Waseca, (Dak.), probably a corruption of wauseda, "a pine
tree," or washccha, "red earth." Name of a town in Minnesota.

Washecha, "Vermillion," or "red earth," or "paint." The name
of several small streams in Minnesota and Dakota.

Washita, "male deer." In the Mandan dialect this word signi-
fies "flour." Name of a river in Arkansas.

Wabhta, WasHe, (Dak.), "good." The name of a place in Iowa.

Washtenaw, Washtenong, "river that is far off." Name of a
county in Michigan, and the name by which the Indians called Grand
river.

Wasioja, or Wa^toju, (Dak.), "pine grove," so named from some
] V rees growing there. The name of a village and creek in southern
iii I'.sota.

Wastedon, WcisHcdo, (Dak.), "good." The name of a place in

Minnesota.

Watab, according to Bishop Baraga's dictionary of the Otchipwa
language, is "root of fir or pine to sew a canoe;" by some pronounced
Wutap. Name of a town and river in Minnesota.

Wataga, in the Pottawattamie dialect, would signify "I heard;"
it may also come from the word (ihweaiaga, "he has gone to gamble."
Name of a town in Illinois.

Watauga, said to mean "the river of islands." The name of a
river in North Carolina.

Watonwa, Watonwan, (Dak.), "sees," the name of a tributary of
Blue Earth river, Minn., for which a county and town in that state have
been nanied.

WauBaY, Wahe, "place of hatching." A town and lake west of
Milbank, Dakota Ty.

Waubeek, Wauhic, (Alg.), "metal," or "metallic substance." A
town in AVisconsin and Iowa.

Waubeka, Waiibishka, (Alg.), "white." Name of a place in
Wisconsin.

Waubesa, (Alg. ), "swan." Name of one of the lakes in the vi-
cinity of Madison, Wisconsin.

Wauboo, Waiibo, (Alg., Ojibway dialect), "liquor," or thf juice

INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.

795

of anything, as iscoda, icatiho, "fire liquor," ( whiskey j, mishemin
wanbo, "apple juice," (cider). Name of a town in Wisconsin, on the
Wisconsin Central Railway. It is generally supposed that the term
"fire-water," as used by the Indians, has reference to the fiery or strong
nature of the liquor. It is said, however, that when the Indians first
began to use whiskey, as supplied to them by traders, they discovered
that by touching it with a flame it would ignite and burn. Later, the
traders began to dilute their whiskey by mixing it with water, and as
the Indians noticed that the diluted article did not taste like that form-
erly furnished them they applied to it the fire test, and found that the
phenomenon before mentioned was wanting, which circumstance gave
to the pure article the terra "fire-water."

Wauconda, (Dak., Omoha dialect), "the Good Spirit," or "master
of life." A town in lUinr is. (See Waconda).

Waukabusa, the name of a stream in Kansas, and was originally
the name of the town now called Lawrence, in that state, signifying
"hip deep," or something to that effect. Albert D. Richardson, a cor-
respondent of the Npw York Tribune, in his book "Beyond the Missis-
sippi," 1SG7, thus refers to the name of this stream: "Many moons
ago, before the white men saw these prairies, there was a freshet.
While the waters were rising, an Indian girl, on horseback, came to
the stream and began fording it. Her steed wrut in deeper and
deeper, until as she sat upon him she was half immersed. Surprised
and affrighted, she ejaculated waukarusa, (hip deep). She finally
crossed in safety, but, after the invariable custom of the savages, they
commemorated her adventure by re-naming both her and the stream
Wdukdrnsa. On reflection, the settlers decided not to perpetuate the
story, and changed the name o* their town to Lawrence, in honor of
one of its most generous patrons, Amos Lawrence, of Boston."

Waukau, "habitually," "often." This word may be derived
from Wakauahkah, the name of a Winnebago chief, who formerly lived
near Waukau, meaning "snake hide," or "snake skin." Name of a
town in Wisconsin.

Waukegan, Wakicgan, Wakiagan, (Alg.), "a house," or "fort;"
in other words, " the white man's dwelling." The Indians speaking the
dialect from which this word comes, called their own house or dwell-
ing n'igxrdm; the white man's habitation they called irakicffan, vari-
ously pronounced according to different dialects, and this was the
name they applied indiscriminately, whether it was a block house or con-
structed as a fortification, place of defense, dwelling or trading house ;

79(5

THE AMEIJICAN INDIAN.

INliIAN (iK()(il!.\l'lllC.\l. NAMi.S.

in wlmttn-er form, it was called by the miuuo iiaiiic. it built by tlie uliito
man. W^diikcjidii is the name of a town in iiortlitn-n Fllinois, situatotl
on Lake Michi<;an, orijjjinally oalltul Liffir Fori.

A French tvadinj^ post was establislii-d at the point where the city
of Waukt'ffan now stands, somewhere about the year ITlWI, perhaps a
few years earlier, and was the first tradinfi^ post established on Lake
Michigan. The occasion of selectin*; this point as a trading [)ost
seems to have been with ref-rence to its favorable location as such,
being in the vicinity of excellent hunting and tra[)ping grounds,
especially the latter, ami was found to be the nearest point of any for
reaching the Desplaines river from Lake Michigan, where a good,
short, easy portage could be made on the route to the Illinois and
Mississippi rivers, saving forty miles of lake coast, when going by
way of Chicago. It was continued as a French pcjst until probably
about 1700. After the English succeeded to the country, the point
became known as Little Fort, and the town subsequently built here
took that name. When, in 1847, it having grown in population, and
becoming a [)laceof importaiu;e. the name became changed to its [>resent
name of \Vankc(j(iH, the intention being to substitute the Indian woj'd
for Lilllc Fort; but failing to get accurate information as to the cor-
rect )neaning of words in this language, the present name became
adopted instead of ti e word IVdiikicudiicc, which would signify
"little fort" in the dialect it was sought to obtain a name from.

It is evident from the acccmnt given by Hennepin of La Salle's
expedition while coasting ahmg the western sh(U'e of Lake Michigan,
during the month of October, 1079, that the point now called Wauke-
gan was visited by La Salle and those composing hisex[)edition during
the forepart of that month of the year aforesaid, and from the knowl-
edge then gained of the country on the west, that tiiis point was
marked by La Salle and his associates as a favorable point for a
trading post, which led to the establishment here of a post of this
kind a few years later.

This place, wl.iich is on the line of the Chicago & Northwestern
Ilailway, now a flourishing city, is becoming quite a po{)ular summer
resort, especially so from its mineral springs, among which is the
Sdfiduudslt, so called from the noted Pottawattamie chief of that name,
called by the whites BiHij (^ildircll, whose favorite camping ground
iu his frequent hunting excursions in this locality, it is said, was in
the vicinity of this s[)ring; hence the name.

W.vrivESllA, WdUjiooslion;/, ( A\g.). "at the Fox.'' or "Fox river."
A town in Wisconsin. This place was originally calleil Prairieville.

71».S

THE AMEHICAN INDIAN.

Tlie inhabitiints, desiring to change tlio name of the place which was
to become the county seat of a new county, and wishing eacli to bear
the same name, sought to find an appropriate Indian name, the aim
being to adopt some word to signify a place or locality at or on Fox river;
to which end, it is said, the late Solomon Juneau, of Milwaukee, long
au Indian trader in that vicinity, who was familiar with the local

VIEW OF WAITKESHA.

Indian dialect, was ap[)lied to, who gave them the word Waucjooslioitcj,
meaning, in the Ojibway dialect, a place on Fox river, or "at the Fox,"
which, it ap[)ears, became changed by misunderstanding of the person
to whom the word was given as Wankcslia, which, being pronounced
quickly or not clearly, would be nearly the same sound.

Waukon, Wakou, (Alg. ), "moss on trees that is eatable." A
word of the same sound is also found in the Dakota language, mean-
ing "spirit," "supernatural." Name of a town in Iowa.

Waumbec, (Alg.), "white rock." The Indian name for the White
Mountains in New Hampshire.

Waunakee, Wahnuhke, (Alg.), "he lives in peace." Name of a
town in Wisconsin.

Wauneta, Waniti, (Dak. ), "winter camp." The name of a place
in Nebraska.

Waupacca, (Alg.), "pale water." The name of a town in Wis-
consin.

Wauponsee, the same as Wabaunsee. Name of a town in Illinois.

INDIAN GEOGItAPHICAL NAMES. iUU

Waltun, (Alg., Sac dialect), "early day," "break of day," or
"early," alluding to a time past. A town in Wisconsin.

Wauregan, (Alg.), "agood thing," or " a pleasant thing." Name
of a village in Couuecticut.

Wausau, (Alg.), "rar off." A town in Wisconsin.

W^vusAUKEE, (Alg.), "distant land." The name of a river in
Wisconsin.

Wauzeka, Waziktu (Dak.), "pine;" the Av; is merely an ending.
Name of a place in W^isconsin.

Wawayanda. Said by some to be an Indian corruption of the
English phrase " away over yonder." A town in New York,

Wayzata, Wazujaia, (Dak. ), "at the north." A railroad station
on Lake Minnetonka.

We.vtogue, corrupted from weiuauke, (Alg.), "wigwam place."
A post-olfice in Connecticut.

Wec'HQUETAnk, Wikqni'iank, (Alg.) The name of an ohl Indian
village in eastern Pennsylvania, called after a species of willow proba-
bly found on its site in former years.

Wecuppemee, (Alg.), said to mean "basswood." The name of a
small river in Connecticut.

Weeh.uvken, Weachin, (Alg.), "maize land." The name of a
town in New York, on the Hudson river.

Wepatuck, Weepatuck, Weepivoiiintohki, (Alg.), "place at the
narrow pass or strait." The name is now applied to a mountain in
Connecticut.

Wepoiset, (Alg.), "at the little crossing place." The Indian
name for the narrows of the Kekamuit river, Ilhode Island.

Wequapaug, (Alg.), "at the end of the pond." The name of a
small stream in Ilhode Island.

Wetaug, (Alg., Ojibway dialect), "a gambler." Name of a town
in Illinois.

W^ETUMPKA, "waterfall," "tumbling water." Name of a post vil-
lage in Alabama ; also the name of a post-ottice in Tennessee.

Wequatucket, Wcqudhikqitf, (Alg.), "head of a tidal river."
The name of a cove and tidal river near Stoningtou, Conn.

Wewoka, "barking water." Name of a stream in Indian terri-
tory ; also of a village on its banks.

^■P

bOO

Tin; AMEKICAN IMHAN.

WKVAfWEOA. Tliis is one of the words imssiiig for an Indian
name, which in its present form is not an Indian word. The word,
according to the hite Governor Doty, is Wriidiiwci/.i, as given by him
to the post-ofHce department at AVashington. when ihe post-otHce at
that place was established. The department mistof)k t'le letter // in th»»
last syllable for (j, rendering the name as it now is. The word
intended is an Algonquin word of the Menominee dialect, and signifies
" whirlinir wind." It was the name of a faithful Menominee Indian
guide long in the service of Governor Doty, whose name he sought
after death to perpetuate through applying it to this town.

AYheatogue, (Alg. ). "wigwam place." A post-office iu Connec-
ticut.

Wheeling, Weeliiuj, (Alg.), coraes from the Delaware dialect
and signities "place of the iiead," frona wed, "head," and the local
termination iiuj, "place." Name of a stream flowing into the Ohio
river at the point where the city of Wheeling, W. Va., now stands,
from which the name is derived, from the circumstance of a white man
being killed by an Indian at this [)lace, on the ground of being an in-
truder upon his land, when his head was severed from his body and
placed upon a pole erected near ♦^^he mouth of this stream, as a terror to
subsequent intruding white men in the country.

Whu'PANY, Wliij)]i(iuii<\ (Alg.), "arrow stream." Name of a
river in Morris county, N. J.

WiccoPEE, (Alg.). "long hill." Name of a mountain in New
York.

Wicomico, Wikonickcc, (Alg. ). "where the houses are building."
Name of a small river on the eastern shore of Maryland.

WicoNlsco, Wik<'nkiiisl:<'ii, (Alg.). "wet and muddy camp."
Name of a stream in Dauphin county, Penn.

Wikailako, hi, "water," kaya, "rising," hiko, ■■ great." "large."
"large spring." The name of a town of the Creek Indians in the
Ilidian territory.

AViLLiMANTic. Authors say this word may mean either "a good
lookout." or "good cedar swamps." Name of a river in Connecticut.

WiLiPQUiN, "place of interment of skulls and bones." Name of
a stream in Maryland. The Indians residing on the banks of tliis
stream, and, indeed, the Delawares generally, were in the habit ^t
taking the skulls and, whenever possible, the other bones of their

INDIAN OEOGHAPHICAL NAMK8.

hdl

nee Iiuliiin

(Iftfid conijminons to certain spots, nnd l)uryi)ig them in caverns and
deep lioh's.

WlNAMAC, (xilg. ), "cat fish." The name of a Pottawattamie
chief, wlio was sent as a bearer of dispatches ])y Gen. Hull to Capt.
Heald, at Fort Dearborn, in Aujjfust, isl'i, advising liini to evacuate
thr fort and proceed to Ft)rt Wayne witli his command, after distrib-
uting the stores among the Imlians in the locality. A tow Indiana.

Win VMKAG. Understood to be the same as W^innemac. Name of
a town in Ohio.

WiNO()H()('KlN(J, Wiirjclidck'niii, I Alg. ), ''favorite place for plant-
ing." Name of the south branch of Frankfort creek in Pennsvlvania.

Name of a

ans in the

SCENE ON WINNEBAGO LAKE, NEAB NEENAH AND MENASHA.

Winnebago, AVinnebeego, or Winnehccjiofi, the jilural, (Alg.),
"people of the dirty waters." Name of a county in Illinois; also the
name of a lake in AVisccnsin, from the name of a tribe of Indians
found by the French on their first arrival at Green Bay. which they
called "stinking bay," for some cause not explained, whereby these
Indians became known as "the people of the dirty waters."

WiNNEBEEGOGisH, (Alg.), "very ^(1 •.; or roily waters." Name
of a lake in Minnesota. The word or inflection ish, is used in the
Ojibway language the same as in the English, to express or add quality
to nouns.

WiNNEBOsHO, Mamihosho, Nanabosho, (Alg.), "an Indian god or

802

THK AMEHICAN INDIAN.

(liety. who. iis the IiuUiiiis boliev«, iiiiuUj the earth." Niime of ii town
in Wisconsin.

WiNNKi'K, Wciichctiiislicsliiiiify '' n [Ance ol dirty waters." Name
of H liilvo ill Miiinesotii.

VV^lNNErKO. (^Alij, ), "roily," or perhaps, more properly, "suit
water," " unclean water." A lake in British America. The Indians
call Lake Winnepeg "the j^rrt^at Avater," "the <.M-eat sea." and use i\\o
same expression to speak of the salt water or the sea.

WlNNETKA, (Alg.), "beautiful place." Af " in Illinois, on the
Milwaukee branch of the C. it N. W. Ky.

WiNNli'AUK, IVinnipdiin, { Wj:;.), "tine pond." Winnipank, saga-
more of Norwalk, is supposed to have taken this name from the place
where he lived, and subserjuently his name was ado[)ted as the name
of a village in Norwalk, Conn.

WiNNlPiHEOGEE, iVinniiiippisnnkc, (Alg.), "good water discharge
or outlet." The name of a river and lake in New Hampshire, the
river to which evidfaitly the name first belonged being the outlet for
the lak It is said by some that, according to Indian tradition, the
word would mean "the smile of the Great Spirit." The beauty of this
lake is said to be suggestive of this idea.

WiNOCA. This is the name given by Schoolcift to a cave found
by him and his party in the country of Arkansar ing an exploring

expedition in the geological research in the ye' .8. He says it

is an Osage word for an underground spirit; in other words, mean-
ing "underground spirit."

Wtnona, Wenoiw, (Dak. \ meaning "firstborn," if a daughter.
Name of a city in Minnesota and Illinois.

WiNOOSKi, "beautiful stone river." Name of a post village in
Wisconsin.

WisACODE, (Alg.) The name of a river putting into Lake
Superior on the noithern shore, meaning "burnt wood river," or "fire
river," from iscodd, "fire."

WiscASET, (Alg.), "place of yellow pine." Name of a town in
Maine.

WisAMEKiNG, or WisAMEEK, (Alg.), "catfish camp." There was
a place so called at or near where Washington, Penn., now stands, and
for many years was the residence of a noted Indian called Catfish.

INDIAN (IKOni! MMircM, NOlI'S.

so:?

town 111

WisroNK, Wisijiioiil:. ( Al*;. ), ••tlio clliow."" Thf najue of n riv(^r
in Now Jerntiy.

Wisconsin, ( Alg. ) Tho mime of one of the states of tlio ruion, nml
a |)riii('i|)al river theroin. Tho word was j^ivoii hy Marfputto as Mcsh-
lioitsiiin ami MislikoiixiiKj, tho lt;ttor .// l)oi'()iiiiii;f afterwarils ohai'.jfod
to //•, and the letter it became changed to ;/, making it \l'islik'()iisiii(i.
Tlie original word, as given by Marquette, is supposed to mean "strong
current," a feature which especially marks tliis stream in high water,

WiscoY, (Irq. ), "many fall creek." Tho name of a town in New
York, and the name of a stream of water in that state,

Wiss.viucKoN, ^fist|||l('l^•ll(lll, (Alg.), "catfish stream," The name
t)f a stream in Phihulelphia county, Penn.

Wissayek; (iiissurh\ "a rock," /cA-, " place," "the rocky place or
country." Tliis was the Indian name of Dover, Westchester county.
New York.

WiTAKANTU, (Dak.), "high island." The name of a lake and
also of its outlet which Hows into the Minnesota river, so called from
a high, wooden island in the lake,

AVitchita; in the ^laiidan language, is the word ivashUa, signify-
ing "v>'hite man," A < >unty in Kansas.

WiTHLocoocilEE, or "WiTHLACOOCHEE, "little river." The name of
a river in Florida.

WiTUMKA, Wetumpka, "tumbling water." The name of a triliu-
tary of the Yuchi or Euchee creek, a branch of the Chatahuachi or
Chattahoochee river.

roaring water.

AVnvoKA; nt, "water," wokis, "it is roaring,"
The name of an eastern tributary of the Coosa river.

WoNEWOK, (Alg.), corrupted from woneauke, "pleasant i)lace."
Name of a town in Wisconsin.

WoNGUNK, (Alg.), "abend," or "at the bend." This word refers
to a great bend in the Connecticut river, between Middletown and
Portland, Conn.

"WoNKEMAUQ, (Alg.), "crooked pond." The name of a small
lake in Connecticut.

WuNNEOUNSET, (Alg.) This word is Said to signify "dish," or
"bowl." It is now, however, applied to a high hill in Lebanon,
Conn. The probability is the name has been transferred from some
dish or bowl-shaped valley adjacent.

,^()i

THE AME1{U;.VN INliIAN.

WvALL'.siNG, ( Aly., Delawiue tlialecti. the [irojx'r Indiiiii imnie of
whic'li is M'i'hirihiliisiiK/, meaiiiiii^ "})eautit'ul liuutiii<f-jfrouiul.s."
Name of a towu iu Pennsylvania; takes its name from a creek. Other
authorities say it signifies "at the dwelling place of tlie hoary
veteran."

Wyankt. ( A.lg. I. "beautitul." Name of a town in Illinois.

\Vv(^MlNo, (Alg. j, a corrnjition of the name given to Wyoming
V'alley. Pi'iir.., by the Delaware Indians, who called it Minjli-irdii-ird-nic.
The word is a com[K>und of nuiiKj-Jnvdii, meaning '-large or extensive,"
and ivd-iiic signifying "plains or meadows," so that it may be trans-
hiti'd •■tlie large plainy."" The eariy settlens, finding it difKcult to
proi'ouiu'e the name correctly, spoke it W^dHirdiDitic, then W'inxinmie,
then \V i(>)}i i(\ iwid. lastly, Wjioinhuj. Name of a town in New York;
also tlie name of one of the territories of the Cnited States. Other
;iulIiorities say tliis word is a corrixption from ircckirdlotu'ii;/, meaning
'•within." or "within a habitation." or from irccaln)iiii(i, referring to
t!ie locality within a valley, or place encompassed within the hills.

WvsAL'KiNG, (Alg.. Delaware dialectK signifying "the place of
grapes." A town iu Pennsylvania.

Wysox. irijKdiikhi. ( Alg. 1. from /r/,s7/('/(r/('w/, "place of grapes.''
Name of a stream in Bradford county. Penn.

Yankeetown. the name if a i)ost-offico in New York and Wiscon-
si.i and ado[)ted to designate various other localitii^s in the United
States, as Yankci' Doodlf, a post-olHce in Missouri, Ydiikre lliiin, u
posf-otUce in California, etc. This name comes from the mode of
uroiKMiucing the wuvd Ennlish, by the New England Indians. On the
first arrival of the Puritans, the Indians being informed that this
[)eople were "English," in attempting to pronounce the word, having
no sound of / in their dialect, they pr.inounced it Vdnijccs, which
l)ecanie changed, by continued use. into Yankees or Yenkee, so that
whilst th's wofd is not an Indian word, vet it is of Indian ori''in, as
before explained.

Yankton, flidiiu-tonirav. (Dak.), "end village." The name of
the Capitol towji of Dakota territory

Yantic. This word may signify either "on one, side of the tidal
river." or " extending to the tidal river." The name of a small river
ill Connecticut.

T^^

INDIAN GEOGHArmCAL NAMES.

S05

80(5

THE AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

Y.vzoo. in the Dakota laii<,niage jiazo signifies "to blow on an in-
strument,"' '■i)lay on n fife or flute."' It is supposeil, however, that
tills word more properly signifies '"lenf," or "leafy." Name of a post-
office in Iowa; also a river in Mississip[)i.

Yrmashee, Ytinuistti, "mild," "gentle." "peaceable." The name
was tirst applied to a tribe of Indians inhabiting Georgia, and is now
the name of a town in South Carolina.

Yolo, probably corrupted from ijoliolo, which signifies, in the
Creek dialect, "possession of royal blooil." A county in California.

YosEMiTE. Name of a valley in California; meaning, according
to A. D. Richardson, "grizzly • .ar." It was the name of a small
tribe of Indians inhabiting that part of the countr}-.

YOUQHIOOHENY. corrupted from jahwi idnitc. ( Alg. ), "the stream
flowing in a contrary direction, or in a circuitous course." Name of
a river in Fayette county, Penn.

Yuma, "sous of the river." A county in Arizona, taking its name
from a tribe of Indians.

•9iKiVfne;*mn>cr^

INDIAN GEOQllAPHICAL NAMES.

807

INDIAN NAMES BY WHICH LOCALITIES HERE GIVEN
WERE FORMERLY KNOWN.

of J:"''- "°" """«• "^ '"^ i-««- '>■-"•«'■'■■■ a.,,, .■„.„..

Uiq.j, "place without a name." "«w.'/'«,

a.ot~"hr,'' /., ^'l """ "°"'"' ''y "«■ I'"""'"' ««".■»«•/,„„„„,

U»q- j' uead of the stream." '^".'/".yf",

"con^r:!!:.::"'^-'^^"^ ^^"^^ '^^ ^^^^ ^-^^'"- ^^-"-''''- ^w).

TnH^^'''.r^'?" ^""''''" P«»"^yl^'"'i«- «as calhd by the Delaware
In.hans U a,,alanr,ra,±.r/nW/>a,„n, , Al..) " the stream If Trn
eagle'H nest." '^'r,-^ "le stieam ot the bakl

Batavia. x\. Y., was called by the Indi

"the jrreat hearing place."

bans Dcnoiiifowd, (Irq.),

Bath N. Y.. was called by the Indians Donalanwnuh, flrn )
"openniir in an on.M.iiur" ./"('iiiri, Uiq.j.

opening in an oiK'ninir.'

808

THE AMEUICAN INDIAN.

Bay Cheek, in Oneida county. X. Y , wns called by the Indians
Tcguanotayomi, (Irq. ), "big morasses."

Beaver Dam, a branch of the Kiskiraenetas, in Westmoreland
county, Pennsylvania, was called by the Indians Amochkpulinsiuk,
(Alg. ), "where the beaver has shut up the stream."'

Beaveii Eiver, in New York, was called by the Indian^ Xchftsane,
"crossing on a stick of timber."

Beaveh Riveu, Pennsylvania, was called by the Delaware Indians
Amoclikicisi2)i(, (Alg.), "beaver river," or Amoclikhannc, "beaver
stream."'

Beech Creek, a branch of Bald Eagle creek in Pennsylvania; in
the Delaware language is Sckcmiceminsclihannc, (Alg.), "beech
stream."

Bio Beaver River, in western Pennsylvania, was called by the
Indians Amochkwisipn or Amochklumne, (Alg.), "beaver stream."

Big Tooth Creek, Pennsylvania, was called by the Indians
Mawfipisink, (Alg.), "the place where big teeth are found."

Big Salmon Creek, N. Y'^., was called by the Indians Gahenwaga,
(Irq.j, "a creek."

Bixghampton, N. Y., was called by the Indians Ochenmnj, (Irq.),
"bull thistles."

Black Creek, in Alleghany county, N. Y., was called by the
Indians J(t<jos(jcli, (Irq.), "place of hearing;" (this is feminine).

Buffalo Creek, in Erie county, N. Y., was called by the Indians
DoshoH-ch, (^Irq. ), "splitting the fork."

Black Lake, N. Y., was called by the Indians Cluuju-cuja, (Irq.),
"in the hip."

Black Lick Creek, in Pennsylvania, was called by the Dela-
wares Nacskalioni, "a lick of blackish color."

Black River, N. Y., was called by the Indians i^a/<Ha/(f/o, (Irq.),
"great or wide river."

Black Strea.m, in Jefferson county, N. Y., was called by the
Indians K((lnialt(jo, (Irq.), "great,"' or "wide stream."

Blackstone River, Conn., was formerly known by the Indian
name Kutfntiivk, (Alg.), "great, or principal river."

Blackwell'8 Island, in the East river, N. Y., was formerly known

the Indians

estmoreland
hkpahasink,

b Xchascnie,

rare Indians
2(\ " beaver

sylvania; in
.), "beech

lied by the
stream."

he Indians
I."

kihenicmja,
mg, (Irq.),

ed by the

linine).

the Indians
u/ii, (Irq.),
the Dela-
xjo, ^Irq.),
ed by the
the Indian
eriy known

^XDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL \AMES. ,s„f,

>mi., ^A]g. ), isliiml place," or "ijlace ou the iBla.ul '

icography, a description of the %ure of tie ne. in«nl ,

had, to the red me,,, „ „triki„« res6,„bl„„ce to the ri,„,,e of the l„,,n
«to,n„eh, w,tl, tl,e p,j,„„,s „ttaehed. I„ the cogn.t dial rt

tl,. t'^"""""]''' ^'- ■^- "'O pi"™ where that dtv stands was called l,v
the I„< ,„„s J/„.,,,c/,«„-,c*-, , Alg.), from „,c, "«,„," „,■/,", " 1 "
^oA, -place," or "localitj-,". .the 8a„d,- place." ' '"'

S,-„7,w'™''°.?fT' " P™™)'™"". was called hv the I,„li„,„
^ y-^ig-), oiusJiy, or "overgrown with brush."

"couf::™"' ■' ''• ''■■ '" °"""' "^ '"^ I""-- ^'■''""«''"". (i.q.).

•■apit^ut;!,:-'^-' ™ ™"'" ''^- "'^ '»<«»- "."""-. (I.-.I.).

Cazenovia CitEEK, in Erie countv \r v n i i

i-.dia,.s «»,„„„„,.„, (ir,.), ..ar„:i,f,a^:„:r,i::".r' "^- '-^
nee, aX'itrcru,::"''^"- ^-'^ ™ -■'^•' ^^y "■» i-"-- ■'"«•"■

deed'^7™" ""f; "' ""'""■'"■' """"'J- P'"" ■ W"« .-ailed i„ early

calle,?"''''!'";?:' "'"■'"f ,"'"'" ■^"''S"""^ '" Pe„„sylva„i„. ,vas
ca,,e,l m the Delaware ladians 0<i,nniM-l,/„i„,„. n , .

stream," -the »tre„.„ whose bank, are overgrow.*:;ii; ulJ^i^L b.^:"

810

THE A-MEUICAN INDIAN.

ClJNTON, N. Y., was called by the Indians Kadain'sddf/, (Irq. ),
"white Held."

Clyde Rivek, N. Y., was called by the Indians Ganafiirrli, ( Irq. i,
"river at a villa<i;e suddenly spruuj^ up."

C-OUTLAND, N. Y., was called by the Indians Ottminoijiislcd, (Irq.),
"shag-bark hickory."

Crooked Creek, Pennsylvania, was called by the Indians W'ouk-
hdinic, ( Alg. ), "crooked stream."

Crooked Lake, N. Y., was called by the Indians OtjoijiKja,
(Irq. ), "promontory projecting into the lake."

Cross Creek, in Washington county, Penn., was called by the
Indians Wunfxchisdfiiiik, (Alg. ). '"two streams emptying themselves
into a river on opposite sides."

Cross Lake. X. Y., was called by the Indians Unccndo, (Irq.),
"hemhjck tojjs lying on water."

Ciiow Wing River Avas called by the Ojibway Indians Kcujaiujc-
ur(jtvon, "crow's feather."

Dansville, N. Y"., was called by the Indians Qanusgofio, "among
the milkweeds."

Darien, N. Y"., was called by the Indians Osooiitfjch, (Irq.),
"place of turkeys."

Deer River, in New Y'^ork, was called by the Indians Gancr/oiodo
(Irq.), "corn pounder."

Deposit, a place in Delaware county, N. Y., Avas called by the
Indians Cokcosc, (Alg.), "owl's nest," a name corru|)ted by the
English into Cookhouse, by which it is still designated by the old in
habitants.

Detroit, called by the Indians Tcnchfiayrdndic, also W(trrc-
iunouij. (Alg.), both words signifying "the place of the turned chan-
nel." It has been remarked by many vi.sitors who reached this place
by boat at night, or in dark weather, or who were inattentive to the
currents, that owing to the extraordinary involutions of those currents,
the sun appears to rise in the wrong place.

Devil's Lake, called by the Wiunebagoes (a tribe of the Da-
kota stock) Mininu'cdiOii, "spirit water." This is a small lake in Wis-
consin, northwest of Madison and near Baraboo. It is a popular
summer resort, situated on the Chicago & Northwestern Raih'oad.

r/. (ii'q-"*'

7', (Irq. I,

•(', (ii'q-)'

IS Woak-
OtjoiUKja,

id by tlie
lipinselves

k), (Irq.j,
Ka<jan(jc-

?, "among
/', (Irq.),

h\ by the
by tlie
He f)kl ill

INDIAN (iKOdlt.U'llICAI, NAMKS.

(nrc

lied chnii-

lliis place

e to tlie

currents,

the Dft-

in Wis-

popular

(Railroad.

It lies in a gorge 400 feet deep, and is heinnied in on nil sides l)y
rocks of prodigious size. The lake is about a mile and a half in
ItMigtli and half a mile in width. It has no perceptible outlet. Near
the eastern extremity is an interesting relic of the mound builders — a
large mound in the shape of a bird with (mtstretched wings.

SCENE ON DEVIIi S LAKE, WIS.

Duck Cheek, in Delaware, was called in early deeds Qning
(i>»/Hr/».s', corrupted from r//f(V^»('«//»s, (Alg. ). the Delaware name for
the ''mallard, or common wild duck."

DrNKiKK, a town in New York, was called by the Indians Gdtui-
ddivao, "'running through the hemlocks."'

DuitiiA.M. Conn., was called by the Indians C<></iiich<ni(j, (xVlg. ),
*'long swamp."

Easton, Penn., was called by the Delawares LcclKinirihink, "the
place at or within the forks."

East Canada Chekk, N. Y., was called by the Indians Tccarltu-
harlodd, (Inp), "visible over the creek."

Eel RivEif. Ind. This river was called by the Indians Sltodiui-
qiic, (Alg.), "slippery fish."

Eighteen Miee Cheek, in Erie county. N. Y.. was called by the
Indians Tdiuiiinondo, (Ir(|. ). "full of hickory bark."

812

THK AMEIUCAN INDIAN.

r
P s

1
u

Elbiudge, N. Y.. was called by the Indians Kaiiowdija, (Irq. ),
"skull lying on a shelf."

Elk Ci'iEEK, Ind., was called by the Indians MnosluDDU', (Alg. ),
''elk stream." Moos is tlie name for elk in the Delaware language.

Elk Lick Cheek, in Pennsylvania, was called by the Indians
MosiiiKilioiiliainii; (Alg.), "elk lick stream."

Ellicott Cheek, N. Y., was called by the Indians Gadaoijadeh,
(Irq.), '"level heavens."

Ellicottville, N. Y., was called by the Indians Deashcndaqna,
(Irq. ), "place for holding courts."

Elmira, N. Y., was called by the Indians Skwcdowa, (Irq.),
"great plain."

Erie, Pennsylvania, was called by the Indians Gushaicaga,

(Irq.), "on the body."

Fayetteville. N. Y., was called by the Indians Gdchcayo,
(Irq.), "lobster."

Fishing Creek, in Center county, Penn., was called by the
Indians jVaH»('('s/(rt«H<', (Alg.), " fish stream."

Fish Creek, in Oneida county, N. Y., was called by the Indians
Tegeroketi, (Irq.), "between the months."

Frankford Creek, in Pennsylvania, was called by the Indians
WliufoliockiiKj, or WiiKjcliockiiifj, (Alg.), "choice spot of ground for
cultiv;ition."'' "a favorite spot for planting." Allusion is had to the
fertile banks of the stream.

Fonda, a post village in Montgomery county. N. Y"., was called
by the Indians Gduatradd, (Irq.), "on the rapids."

Fort HrNXEit, N. Y^, was called by the Indians Tcondaloga,
(Irq.), "two streams coming together."

Fort Plain, N. Y., was called by the Indians Ihcadaalahala,
(Irq.), "fort on a hill."

Geneva. X. Y.. wa'A called by the Indians Gavundasofja, (Irq.),
"new settlement."

Geneva Lake, or, as latterly called. Lake Geneva, Wis., it is said
was called l)y the Indians of the Pottaw^attamie tribe Kishiroiikctfo,
signifying "clear water;" but the better authority gives the Indian

INDIAN fii:o(ii:.\riiifAi, nami-.s.

813

iiaiiif of tliis lake in tho dialect of the triho aforesaid as Kit^likdlx-kit,
iiieHiiin<f '• steep or l)old banks^," where there is little or no l)eac'li
or bliore. A favorite summer resort on the line of the Chicago «fe
Northwestern Hallway.

^»w??S»!3pp5S?S^!???

SCENE ON LAKE OENTIVA (KISH-KA-BK-KA ).

GitEAT Valley Cheek, in New York, was calleil l)y the Indians
Oddsquddossd, (Ir([. ). "aiomid the stone."

G'tAXD Isl,AND, a post-ofRce in New York, was called l)y the
Indians Cidircltiiojjcli, (Irq. ), '• on the island."

(li'JNUKTON'E Cheek, New York, was called by the Indians Ilcah-
haiclit; (Irq.), '-apples in crotch of tree."

Ha.mii.ton, N. Y'., was called by tiio Indians Ddiidcvosdfjicdnosr,
(Irq. ), ''rounil house."

Hasket Cheek, in N. Y., was called by the Indians Osadireiillid,
(Ircj. ), '"by the pines."

Hemlock Lake, N. Y., was called by the Indians OnrliHa. ( Inp),
"the hemlock."

Hehkimeh, N. Y., was called by the Indians Tci((ir(id, (Irq.),
"at the forks."

HoMEH, N. Y., was called by the Indians Tctiistfuioonisdnehd,
(Irq.), '•place of tho silversmith."

HoKEOYE Falls, in N. Y., were called by the Indians SiMsaisto,
(Irq.), "falls rebounding from an obstruction."

Hudson Riveu was called by the Delaware Indians Mohiccanet-
iucJx, (Alg.), "the river of the Mohicans."

814

THK AMKllICAN INDIAN.

Indian Kivki!, in Lewis county, N. Y., was ciiiltHl l)y tho ImliauH
OJcflUdcIt, (ln|. ), "uut river."

Is("HrNA CuKEK, CntturiiugUH county, N. Y., wn« callccl by tiio
ImlianH Jlcsoli, (Irq. ), "floating notthis."

Ithaca, N. Y., was called by the Indians Ncodiiklwdi, (Inj.),
"nt the head of tlie lake.''

James RivEif, Va. The Indians call this stroani Pawnihamw,
(Alg. ), "the river of pregnancy." The noted chief Powhatan is sup-
posed to have been named after this stream.

Jamesville Cheek, N. J., was called by the Indians (rasunto,
(Inj.j, "bark in the water."

Johnson's Cueek, N. Y., was called by the Indians AJuyolcfa,
(Irq. j, "fishing creek."

JoRDON CnEEK, N. Y., was called by the Indians Hananio, (Irq.),
"small hemlock limbs on water."

Lafayette, N. Y., was called by the Indians Tekaicistowa, (Irq.),
"tinned dome."

Lancaster, N. Y., was called by the Indians Gassqiii'mlagrli,
(Irq.), "place of the lizard."

Leech Lake, Minne.sota, was called by the Indians Galu/nsgivah-
choiiakdii;/, (Alg.), "the place of leeches."

Lenox, N. Y., was called by the Indians .S/vYm-a/s/a, (Irq. j, "a
point made by bushes."

Lerc N. Y., was called by the Indians Osoonfjjdi, (Irq.),
"many rapids."

Lewiston, N. Y., was called by the Indians On(ino(/clt, (Irq.),
"on the mountains."

Licking Creek, Pennsylvania, was called by the Indians Mciho-
nink, (Alg.), "the place of ihe lick."

Lima, N. Y., was called by the Indians Sk<ili(isc(i(to, (Irq.), "once
a long creek."

Lime Lake, in Cattaraugus county, N. Y., was called by the
Indians Tccanioicundo, (Irq.), "lime lake."

Limestone Creek, in Onondaga county, N. Y\, was called by the
Indians Dcdoiohe, (Irq.), "where the creek suddenly rises."

1M>I.V\ (ilOOfiUAl.HICAr, NAMKS.

"little elk Htream." ^ ^"''""'' TaM'.uoos/unwr, (Alg.),

Little Salmon Creek N y , „ , ,

tas/.-o.:a, (Irq.^, u j,^,.^,^ ^^^J' ^- ^-'« '^^"^.l l>}' the Indinus Gu,u,u-

Little Valley Cheek, i„ CattarauLms countv TV v
h} the Inchai^s O./a^^ua^.a/M, (In, ) u,,^ J""'^' ^; ^^ ^^'"^ called

Liverpool N Y w , , ''"""«*""« beside a large one."

"agreatswa";,.?-''"™^™"^''^'^*^- Ma- ^«n«».,«, (Irq.),

Liverpool Crefk ts: v
(Ir*), "throwa out" ' ' ""' °""''' ''^ 'l"I"Ji»n« r-m/n,/,,,,,,,.

Long Island was callpd h,r +i t ,.

■■biltenrSr,'^;/' "■"' """'"' •'>■ "'" I'""»™ f,,/*,, (l„,.^.

Middleport N V

Mohawk River N v i tt
% the I..di„,„ Ww,.4:^747":-^;"' '"«' =«e, w». e„I,e,,

Montezuma NY, n , ^

^■■a.),''place„ff„u\;™ """'•' "^'l"' I-lia- r«,,.;,W.„„„.

Moose River TVr v i, ,

(I'q.), "Clean,,, a. "■..ir--' "" '"*""' ««*""*«</„,

8 It)

THK AMKIflCAN INDIAN.

Moscow, N. Y., wns ciillod by tlin Iiuliuiis ISiinduUionticeh, (Irq. ),
" where heuilook wiih Kpilled."

Mount Mar^^y, N. Y., was culled by the ludiiiiiH Tdlutioas, (Irq. ),
" lin s[)litH the hUv."

Mount Moiuils, N. Y., wns cdllod by the IndiiuiH Sonojnwannd.
(Irq. ), "biji; kottle." This wns formerly the rosidtMice of n Senecn
chiof of that name.

Mount Toby, Mass., wns called by the Indians QiinkwaMni,
(Alg. j, "high monntain."

MusKHAT CitEKK, N. Y., was called by the Indians Squoijrinid,
(Irq ), "a great way np."

MrnpY CliF.EK. in Y^jvli county, Penn., is said to have been called
by the Indians Aclisccsjxinkoli, (Alg. ), "muddy water."

MruDEK Cheek, in Erie county, N. Y., was called by the Indians
ScciuKjiit, (Ii'q.), "noise," or " roar of distant water."

Naples, N. Y''., was called by the Indians Nutiddirao, (Irq.),
"great hill."

Newbuhoh, N. Y., wns called by the Indians Qiidssair, QudHsuck,
(Alg. ), "the [)lHce of tlie rock." The location of the town on a high
roi'ky blutt justifies the same.

New Castle, a town in New Y'ork, was called by the Indians
('liiij>j>(((lii(t, Sh(ij)j)(i(]iid, (Alg.), "a vegetable root." Name of a
town in New Y'ork ; countrj- residence of the late Horace Greeley.

New London, Conn., was called by the Indians Ndiiicvcli; or
XdDH'dtik, (Alg.), '•fishing place," or "where fish are taken."

Niagara Falls, N. Y., was called by the Indians Ddtccdvskosdsc,
{ Irq. J, " the highest falls."

Nine Mile Creek, in Oneida county, N. Y., was called bv the
Indians Tcjjdninisoke, " a beech tree standing."

North Sterling Creek was called by the Indians Doiskdhc,
(Irq. 1, •' hard talking."

Oakfield. N. Y'.jWas called byt' ..- Tecdrddiiadiik, (Irq.),

"place of many trenches."

Oak Orch.\rd Creek, N. Y., was call -d by tiie Indians Dageano-
(jduiii, (Irq.), "two sticks coming together."

INDIAN (IKOdltAl-llUAl, Na.MKs.

mail. "" "^'""- -LL'^'f'tid „1 H .InnvMin.r

Ox™,nj,.Y..w„„™l,,,„, %(,),„ I,„|i

' tliick-uecked ^'iaiit.

luiim Sodcuhlowanukv, (Ir,j. ),

the™:"'"''"' ^- ^- """ '•""»•• "^"■o i.'."-» ".-.-/„ ,1,,,.,, ..„„

enclosure," i„ „„„.io„ t„ .l^'fLStio,: " " " '""""•■' -""

of the plumbs." ' ' ^ ^-^ Pi"'"'> stream." or "at the ,,lnce

"piiTli;: J,;.r -"«" "^ «- i-i-^ "■■. ,„;„„ ,,„,,

P..«.™ no 0„rKN. Th„ I,„li„„ „„„,„ f„,, ,,,

(Alg.). mean„,K ".he i,l„„„ „t the j,t „,■ ovcHol „£ the ri™'"

■^IP

RHD

818

THK AMKllICAN INDIAN.

PuLAyivl, N. Y., WHS called by the Iiulimis Oahvuicafia, (Irq.),
"a creek."

Raccoon Cukek. in western remisylvania, was called by the
Iiuiians Xdchcniimlumnc, (Alg. ), "raccoon stream.''

Rackft Riveu, N. Y., was called by the Indians Taimwadch,
(Irq.), "swift water."

Hed Stonk Ckeek, in western Pennsylvania, was called by the
Inilians Mdchkachsiuhnnne, (Alg.), "red stone stream."

ItlUGEFiELD, Conn., takes; its name from the Indian word Candoio,
(Alg.), otherwise written Candfiion'd, or Crtwda/o/utt, signifying "high
J.and," "the top of a hill," or " highest place."

RocFE«TF!{, \. Y., was called by the Indians G(i>ilc(mi(jo, (Irq.),
"at the falls."

Rov vi/roN Centre, N. Y., whs called by the Indians <)<jeaw(itekae,
(Irq.). "place of the butternut."

Samna, N. Y., was called by the Indians Tqidjikluido, (Irq.),
"place o!! salt."

Salmoj' Cuekk, N. Y., was called by the Indians Gadokcna,
(Irq.), "a place of minnows."

Salt Lick Ckeek, in western Pennsylvania, was called by the
Indians HikliririDidlioiii, or Siklicilidnur, (Alg.), "salt lick stream," or
"a stream flowing from a salt lick."

8ani)» Cheek, N. Y., (Monroe county), was called by the Indians
Onehchiticlu (Irci. ), "long ago."

Sandy Lick, h streum in Venango county, Ponn., is a translation
of Sciidairinidltoni, (Alg. )

Sanijekfield, N. Y".. whs called by the ludinns Skduawis, (I'*q.),
"a long swHnip."

Sassafkas Riveu, in Mnryland, is a translation from the Indian
name of this river, Winid^htnuic. (Alg).

Sciii'.nectady, N. Y , was called by the Indians Owxdaifonend,
(Irq. ). •Ix^yond the op«Miings."

ScoTTsvii.i.E, N. Y., WHK cHllod by the Indians Oafka, (Irq.),
"the opening."

itmra, or

INniAN OEOOUAPHICAI. NAMES. j^jp

"'< (Aig.), -iere „,.,.»; f ;' ,:i:"; f ";" '"'""- ■>'■'-'-

stoue." ''^^ '''°"^' »>e place of the hr^o

to tlie Indiana hy the sa.no i.^no ^^ ^^'^"•^ ^^"^ '<"«'^vn

'^■■"^~r.^ZlJ^J;- .-,,„„„„„,

qqpi

820

THK AMEIUOAN INDIAN.

ToNOUK Mountain, in J»je\v York, whb called by the Iniliaiis Ata-
InpoHci, "the sliding place."

Trenton Falls, N. Y., was callod by tiio Indians DaU'wasunt,
(Irq.), '-great falls.''

Trenton, N. Y., was called l)y tlio Indians (hcivadaqv.r, (Irq.),
" in the boue."

TuLLY Lake, in Onondaga county, N. Y., was called by the
Indians Tclcdncddahc, (.Irq.), "a lake on a lull."

Turtle Creek, a west branch of the Conemaugh, in Iu»^.ana
county, Penn., was called by the Delaware Indians Titlj)civls{j)U, (Alg. j,
"turtle river."

Two Licks Creek, in western Pennsylvania, is translated from
the Indian word mischahoni, or uisli'ilioniuk, (^ Alg. )

Two Sisters Creek, in Erie county, N. Y., was called by the
Indians TcvdriuKjiun', (Irq.), " black waters."

Vernon, N. Y., was called by tliH Indians Skaniisunk, (Irq.),
"place of the fox."

Vernon Centre, N. Y., was called by the Indians ShiDuuidowd,
(Irq.), "great hemlock."

Verona, N. Y., was called by the Indians Tcoiudalv, (Irq.), "pine
forest."

Victor, N. Y.. \siV6 called by the Indians Gdosdjjao, (Irq.), "in
the basswood country."

Wamdick, from irdinhi, (Alg. ">, "white." The Indian name for
the White Mountains, New Hampshire.

Warsaw, N. i'., was called by the Indians CItinoschchfich, "on tho
side of tlie valley."

Wi:sT J3LooMriELD, N. Y.. was called by the Indians (hminiddnk,
(Inp ), "village on tho top of a liill."

West Canada Creek and Mohawk IIiver were called by the
Indians Tc(di<t!i<; (Inj. ). "at the forks."

Wiiitestown Cheek, in Oneida county, N. Y., wae called by the
Indians Clicijainddkd. (Inp ), "kidiu'ys." Wiiitestown. a villagt^ in
the same county and state, is known by tiie same name.

iliuiis Afa-
aicwasuni,
He, (Irq.),
3d by the

u IiK..ana

•M, (Alg.j,

ited from
sfl by the

INDIAN OKOORAPHICAL NAMES.

821

Wjiite Dekk CiiEEK, miiptyii,- iMto tlu, Susquelmiu.u from the
west, m Un|on county, Pe.m., was culled by the Luliaus IVoaptuchanuc,
(AJ^r.), "white deer strpum."

White Fish Point, on Lake Superior, was called by the Indians
lyanukoni,, (Alg ), meaning, according to Mr. Schoolcraft, -'excellent
beaver place, from »., "excellent," ami/c, "beaver," an.i ouo, "a

WiLLlAMsviLLE, N. Y., was called by tlie Indians Gaskosmlaneo,
(irq.), "many tails."

Ml Y*'.^^,^"''^f' ^«"»-' ^^«« «'^11«<1 by the Delawares r,mmemk,
(Alg.), 'where there is a wolf," -the place of wolves."

m?o»/, "place with a sign post."

^', (Irq.),
nnndowd.,
. ), "pine
rq.), "in

lame for
, "on tin*

iitmhiok,

by tile

\ by the
llagt* in