Notes on the Iroquois: or, Contributions to the Statistics, Aboriginal History, Antiquities and General Ethnology of Western New-YorkSchoolcraft, Henry Rowe
History
Notes on the Iroquois: or, Contributions to the Statistics, Aboriginal History, Antiquities and General Ethnology of Western New-York
Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe
Indians of North America -- New York (State); Iroquois Indians
It appears to me, very great difficulties are in the way of finding
out and becoming acquainted with the discovery of all ancient
traditions, and what original stock we came from. So far as our
recollections extend according to our traditions of many centuries, the
aborigines who inhabited the vast wilderness in this great continent,
now North America, were guided and led by a certain man, who stood
highest in dignity, and next to the Supreme Being, who is called
THARONYAWAGO, that is to say, being interpreted, the Holder
of Heavens. He was the great leader of the Red Men, and he regulated
and taught how to divide the country and rivers, and mode of their
living, and manners of costume and ceremonies, in many centuries.
The Tuscaroras were descended from the Iroquois; they emigrated from
the Five Nations to the Southern Country in North Carolina, and when
the Iroquois used to send expeditions and war parties to go to war
with other Indian tribes in that quarter, these parties went to the
Tuscarora towns in North Carolina, and found a resting place and
refreshment, and they used to be in the habit of intermarriage with
each other, they have never been to war against each other, and they
were always on terms of good friendship and connexion. And therefore
we considered that the Tuscarora nation belonged to the Six Nations
from ancient times. Before the discovery by Columbus the Tuscaroras
consisted of six towns, and they were a most powerful nation,
numbering more than twelve thousand warriors. But many combinations
and causes fell upon the Tuscarora nation, and they became diminished
in their numbers, by wars and pestilence, and were poisoned by ardent
spirits. The Tuscaroras had many years of enjoyment and peaceful
possession on the Roanoke river, until the Colony was planted near the
settlement; something brought up disturbances, and their right was
disputed to their territory. In 1712 the Indians of the Tuscaroras in
North Carolina, with their accustomed secrecy, formed the design of
exterminating in one night, the entire white population; the slaughter
on the Roanoke was great, Capt. Barnwell appointed, and sent troops,
who suddenly attacked the Tuscaroras, he killed 300, and took 100
prisoners, the survivors retreated to Tuscarora town, within a wooden
breast-work, where at last they sued for peace.
The Tuscaroras, soon after abandoned their country, and united
themselves with the Iroquois, and became the Sixth Nation. When we
first came into this country, we lived with the Oneida nation, (now
Oneida county,) and we called the Oneidas the Elder Brother, the second
is the Cayugas, the youngest Brother Tuscaroras.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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