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
The Indians from abroad arrived at the council-grounds, or the immediate
vicinity, two days previous, and one of the most interesting spectacles
of the occasion was the entry of the different nations upon the domain
and hospitality of the Senecas, on whose grounds the council was to be
held. The representation of the Mohawks, coming as they did from Canada,
was necessarily small. The Onondagas, with acting Todotahhoh, of the
confederacy, and his two counselors, made an exceedingly creditable
appearance. Nor was the array of the Tuscaroras, in point of numbers, at
least, deficient in attractive and improving features.
We called upon and were presented to Black Smith, the most influential
and authoritative of the Seneca sachems. He is about sixty years old, is
somewhat portly, is easy enough in his manners, and is well disposed, and
even kindly towards all who convinced him that they have no sinister
designs in coming among his people.
Jemmy Johnson is the great high priest of the confederacy. Though now
sixty-nine years old, he is yet an erect, fine-looking and energetic
Indian, and is hospitable and intelligent. He is in possession of the
medal presented by Washington to Red Jacket in 1792, which, among other
things of interest, he showed us.
It would be imcompatible with the present purpose to describe all the
interesting men who were assembled, among whom were Captain Frost,
Messrs. Le Fort, Hill, John Jacket, Dr. Wilson and others. We spent much
of the time during the week in conversation with the chiefs and most
intelligent Indians of the different nations, and gleaned from them much
information of the highest interest, in relation to the organization,
government, laws, religion and customs of the people and characteristics
of the great men of the old and once powerful confederacy. It is a
singular fact, that the peculiar government and national characteristics
of the Iroquois is a most interesting field of research and inquiry,
which has never been very thoroughly, if at all, investigated, although
the historic events which marked the proud career of the confederacy have
been perseveringly sought and treasured up in the writings of Stone,
Schoolcraft, Hosmer, Yates and others.
Many of the Indians speak English readily, but with the aid and
interpretations of Mr. Ely S. Parker, a young Seneca of no ordinary
degree of attainment in both scholarship and general inteligence, and
who, with Le Fort, the Onondaga, is well versed in old Iroquois matters,
we had no difficulty in conversing with any and all we chose to.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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