The American Indians: Their History, Condition and Prospects, from Original Notes and ManuscriptsSchoolcraft, Henry Rowe
History
The American Indians: Their History, Condition and Prospects, from Original Notes and Manuscripts
Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe
Indians of North America
[18] This is certainly a dignified and wise answer; designed as it
was, to cover their disastrous defeat and flight from the St.
Lawrence valley to the north. The precedence to which he alludes,
on reaching the straits of Detroit, as having been theirs before,
is to be understood, doubtless, of the era of their residence on
the lower St. Lawrence, where they were at the head of the French
and Indian confederacy against the Iroquois. Among the latter,
they certainly had no precedency, so far as history reaches. Their
council fire was kept by the Onondagas.
3. What relationship do you acknowledge, to the other western tribes?
Answer by Oriwahento: We call the Lenapees, _nephews_; we call the
Odjibwas (Chippewas), Ottawas, Miamis &c., _Younger Brother_. We call the
Shawnees, _the Youngest Brother_. The Wyandots were the first tribe in
ancient times. The first chieftainship was in their tribe.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS TO THE INTERPRETER.
1. Are the Wyandot and Mohawk languages, alike in sounds. You say, you
speak both.
Ans. Not at all alike. It is true there are a few words so, but the two
languages do not seem to me more akin than English and French. You know
some English and French words are alike. The Mohawk language is on the
_tongue_, the Wyandot is in _the throat_.
2. Give me some examples: Read some of this translation of the Mohawk,
(handing him John's Gospel printed by the American Bible Society in
1818.) He complied, reading it fluently, and appearing to have been
acquainted with the translation.
Further conversation, in which his attention was drawn to particular
facts in its structure and principles, made him see stronger analogies
between the two tongues. It was quite evident, that he had never
reflected on the subject, and that there were, both grammatically, and
philologically, coincidences beyond his depth.
H.R.S.
TRADITIONS OF THE ARCTIDES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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