New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-10
MORE ABOUT H.4.WATHA.

otl,e VVyfSF
Una -, has been read by thousands who, bat
sn' oe.spd.ink warfare, would never have looked
w ~. .ao.s By this time it has been dispatched
sPsa boIn reading public and 1t has afforded nearly
uy - rstScntion to its iraducers as to IT. admirers
% IT. ieSend Of Hawatba was tint related to the
,sy OF this by the Onondaga chiefs, Captain Frost
IOssal,rto, and Abram La Fort lDeAGSa.on'l lntae
smrner Of is43. During the Winter OF lsA3-4, wrote
aout in fun and read the paper before the members
pftbe Nanlius Lyceum and in the month OF March
fowing repeated the sumo before literary associ-
atom at the Village Of Fayetteville, having at tna1
time not the rem0test idea Of ever publishing anything
IN permanent form relative TO the Onondaga Indians
In March. 1914. furnished TO the New-York His
torical Society paper giving the indian names TO
iocsities 10 Onondaga County aud vicinity, at the
srcccstion of a committee which had been appointed
Nv fbe Society TO secure 60 desirable object Mr.
Henry r. Schoolcraf, as chairman Of the committee,
by letter dated March 10 1914, acknowledged the re-
CENT Of my communication with the thanks OF the
committee saving further " Permit us TO ask q
.nuancc of your researches far relates TO the
HOnOndaga tribe" &c. In my communication To the
committee animated that had IN my possession
ses and traditions illustrative of Indian character and
history In postscript to the letter above referred to-
Mr. SchOolcraf adds; AS am collecting the traditions
Of the Indians ina 2Dative as well Us historical,
should be gratifed for any contributions you may make
"in Mis- way; send Inc copy ofthe tradition of Green
4" Pend Upon this sent him copy of the tradi-
ton requested, it having been previously published by
me in The NJ y. C0mmerciat A3verttser, at the in
stance 1enC, the dtf NO w stone, "a other
pieces Of ike character furnished by had been be-
fore. In letter from Mr.. Schoolcrah dated April
10, 1874, in TO one from me short time prev
GUS be further says: This letter shows you to be too
"much at home the subject of Aboriginal names to
allow us to think Of excusng you from further
ayices of this kind"
In ls45 Mr.. Schoocraft. under the authority and
patronage Of the State, visited the several tribes Of
Indians in Western New-York for the purpose of as
eertainug their true condition to property schools
resources, manner Of living, &c., or in other words 10
take complete census far as possible Of these pe0-
pie and furnish series of statistics necessary TO form
full and comprehensive data, respecting their circum-
stances, wants and requirements, well az their adj
vancement in the arts, agriculture and civilization;
and if possible to recover from obscurity somewhat Of
their mysterious history. On that tour Mr. SchOOcrait
on yariou. occasions by letters in my possession
solicited information from See also " Notes tie
T0gu0is," pp 1872, s65.l In latter under date of
July "a, l545 after his visit to Onondaga, he says:
IL should feel under many obligations 10 You if YOU
would give Inc some account from personal observa-
ton of the ycstlges of ancient occupancy in your
vicinity" and afterward adds, II know Of no one
"whO a. well qualified to give il as yourself"
Now it is well-kno1n fact that persons acting in
the capacity of official agents among the Indians
always looked upon by them with suspicion and dis
trust Mr. SchOocraft most cmphatically asserts
much when he says, "The census movement was con-
sequcDty the theme of no small number of suspicious
81 and eavis and objections Without any certain or
generally fixed grounds of objection, it was yet the
object Of a fixed but changing opposition See
Vas looked upon with suspicion by the Onodage In.
dams, and by none 40 than by Capt. Frost and
Abram La Fort, principal chiefs of the Onopdaga Ma
ton. Hence il became essential to the advancement
of his labors that some in the confidence of
The Indians should act in concert with the State Agent
in order efectuay to secure the whole information de-
sired. Besides, he remarks that far more time than
was at my command would be required TO cultivate
this attractive field Ofiesearch' (See "Notes on
"ithe lrOquOis, p. 1921
By reference to the "Notes on the IroquOis" any
one may at glance that many items received
from me which he considered of value in his researches
were adopted in his official report made 20 the Legis
hture, and which were retained in his subsequent
Notes on the IrOquOs," which were considerably en-.
larged and improved, though embracing nearly all OF
The report For many of these items the customary
acknowledgements We're made for Others no sign OF
recognition given. The tradition of Hiewatha,
which he had previously received from Inc through the
editor of The Commercial AdrcTttseT in manuscript
FORM was among this latter number and it is inserted
as if CLEANED by his own labOrous research
Mr. SOhOolcrafts report on the subject of the New
York Indians was made to the Legislature IN 1916
His enlarged and improved version, the Notes on
the lroquos," was published in 1s47. During the
wears 1876 AZ and 4s, train of accidental, though
uygeLt circumstances thrown around me which
eyeptuated in my bringing out history OF "Onon-
deoa" from materials already in my possession, with
the addition of contributions from susdry individuals
throughout tho country. My "Onondaga" was pub
hshed in ls49, and my version OF the tradition OF ma
yatha ia there inserted in volume at page 81 Al
page 80 is the following note:
The substance of the foregoing tradition may be
found in the Notes on the lrOquse, PIP. 271 TO 2e3
II is but simple justice TO the author of this work to say
that the article in the Notes was famed from
manuscript furnished by the author of this, to the
editor of ~ y. Commercial Adrertser for publication
in that paper"
have been thus minnie in the foregoing remarks,
IN order to show substantially the relation that existed
between Mr. Schoolcra and myself relative to Indian
affairs during his researches among the Indians Of
estern New-Yo1k in the years 1874, As and 40, and
TO show that had some knowledge OF the tradition OF
Hawatha long before Mr.. Schoocrafts visit OF n'pee
hon among the New-fork Indians IN le4o.
What am about to say, would not at this eteday
he said were it not for the fact that the tradition of
Hiawatha Notwithstanding the note in Clark's =" On
sndaga," vol /, at page 3d. has been transferred
from the Notes of the lroquOs to Mr. SchOotcraits
larger work entitled History, Condition. and Prospects
Of The Indian Tribes in the United States published in
1853 Csee page 3l4, third part and is there entitled
Hiawatha, or the Origin of the Onondaga Council
Fire" at which place is appended the following note;
E" Derived from the verbal naITations OF the late
Abraham lie Fort, an Onondaga Chief who was
graduate, it is believed Of Geneva College," and be-
eauSc the substance Of Mr. SchOorafts note Is reite
rated in note at the end of Mr.. Longfellow's poem,
"The Song Of Iliswatha" at page 2s9; and because,
in a letter dated, Washington, Dec. 7, 1855, 10 the
a. Editor of The National fHfeLlgeHcer" copied in
Tgy TRIBUyE of Dec Is, Mr.. Sch0ocraft says:
Every author is responsible for what be utters and
aoap The reference is exclusively to the originality
Of the legends quoted by the author Of Iliawatha.
Now, if Mr.. SehoOlcraft means las the books de-
clarel that 10 had the OnOndaga Tradition OF hla.
watha as it 10 related in his Notes on the Iroguos,"
and as ii is transferred to his larger work History,
"Conditon and Prospects OF the Indian Tribes IN the
"United states" a" Derived from the verbal nara
" tions of the late Abraham lie Fort, an 0nondega
NChief who was graduate, it is believed, Of Geneva
College" then say, unequivocslg that he it most
egregousy mistaken, and asserts what, upon rehec-
non be would be unwilling to repeat.