Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora IndiansJohnson, Elias
History
Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora Indians
Johnson, Elias
Iroquois Indians; Tuscarora Indians
"Article 1. This society shall be denominated the Temperance Society
auxiliary to the general Temperance Society formed at Cattaraugus, March
1st, 1832, by our red brothers from five different Reservations.
"Article 2. It shall embrace individuals of both sexes of men, women and
children.
"Article 3. We who sign our names to this constitution, solemnly pledge
ourselves to abstain entirely from the use of intoxicating liquors, and
persuade others in an affectionate, faithful manner to do the same, not
suffering it to be used in our families, nor purchasing it for those in
our employ.
"Article 4. It shall be the duty of those who were appointed a committee
by the general Temperance Society to visit the members of this Society
individually, and enquire whether they adhere to or strictly obey the
articles of the constitution, and converse with others on the subject of
temperance, so far as practicable, and make a report of their doings to
the Society.
"Article 5. The officers of this Society shall be a President, Vice-
President, Secretary and Treasurer. The duty of the President shall be as
follows, viz: To open the meetings by calling the assembly to orders to
appoint the time for meeting; to settle questions in any discussions made
in the Society; to appoint the speakers. The duty of the Secretary shall
be to minute the proceedings of every meeting, and read the report at the
close of every meeting, and to keep in record the names of the members of
the Society. The Treasurer shall keep in charge the revenues of the
contributions, and attend to the lights."
Names of the first officers of this Society:
President--Nicholas Cusick.
Vice-President--William Mt. Pleasant.
Secretary and Treasurer--James N. Cusick.
Names of Chiefs at that time:
William Chew, William Printup,
Jonathan Printup, Mathew Jack,
John Mt. Pleasant, John Johnson,
John Fox, George Printup,
Isaa Miller.
This united Temperance Society held a yearly convention on the different
Reservations, alternately, for a number of years, but the interest in the
convention gradually declined, until the convention was entirely given
up. Afterwards they somewhat remodeled the constitution to suit their
circumstances, and added the following article, viz:
"In the temperance assemblies the following subjects are to be lectured
on: Temperance, Industry, Education and Moral Reform."
We have also a cornet band, which is connected with the temperance
society, which enliven and cheer the meetings by the sweet strains of
their music, and adds very much to the interest of each meeting. This
band goes by the name of the "Tuscarora Temperance Cornet Band." It was
organized in the year 1842, and has existed continually to the present
time, in 1880.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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