The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-02-01
THE LAST or THE TRIBE.


by the wreck Of the Cirraaaian, tribe
Of Indians whose history is "a strange one
IN practically oblitrmted Ten stnlNart
young men ui thr Shuuoruck tribe, which
before the disaster numbered isT souls,
lost their lives un that night, aud the VII
lngc ~ now d,sulntr indeed. being brrril
Of IT. most active and energetic workers.
The history uf the Long Island ludinus
is one Of peculiar interest
Al thr tame of the European discovery
Of Long Island there were twelve distinct
tribes of Indians iHliabiting IT, On the
north shore uf the island numbering
from west u east, there were the Matn-
ccock, Nlrarquag, SrtalcUtt and CurchRng
Jrihrs On the south side, IN the rame
order, the We're the Cauarsee. Rpckawav.
Mvrrc MHrsapraglr. SecAtJgue, Patch
ugur, Sllnuccuck aud Muutauk tribes
Thus latter tribe hal subdut,d all those
east ui tauarsrr, and one ut It's chiefs.
WNandHuL 10y name, Was the grand
Sachcm of Long Island. This cuuieler-
alton was, however, itself under tribute
10 the more powerful Pequot nation If
eastern Connecticut. the CAnarsee tribe
being under tribute H. the Mohawk uu-
tun, and obliged tp pay AN ANIMAL assess
meut ui wuupum and dried CLANS. Re-
tusng T. DO tins uu one occasion. they
were wiped trum existence by the Mo-
hawks II NAV have been tins affair
which induced the other tribes oi the
island e. appeal Ia the white man for pro-
lection IA lG64 however, the chiefs uf
all thc Eastern tribes placed themselves
under the control oi the commissioners
Of the colonies ui New England for conn
sci Eud protection II Is probable that
the Iaysrcs Of "a terrible disease IN 1866.
which DESTROYED nearly tWu-tlllrib uf the
Indians ui Long Island, was the cause uf
tins movement These Indians had. how
ever, from yAe very iirAg been un friendly
terms with the whites. which h. attributed
10y the several NrteIs uf histories ui
Long Island T. the kind and Jua. course
invariably pursued toward them ly the
Eurpelus. They a,re very little inter
trrci with hN the whites, the Dukc's Law.
made ia 1905, winch prohibited the par-
yur, form 81 WorsAIp g. thc devil
being the only interference recorded ia
early history uf their dealing With the
white men. Civilization among them
WIS thus made a comparatively casy mat
ter, ana iIum the iira!, the tribes at the
eastern end ut tile island exhibited lu-
dustTIuus habits. none more 80 than this
poor tribe the Shlunc.pcks. who lnhAbit-
"a thr barren hills and adjacent country
Iu what ls now tAr township uf South
amptlu. Suffolk county
On uc sixteenth uf August. 1893. the
people Ui southampton purchased ui tins
tribe the land they occupied. and gave
them a Thousand yeaTa lease of what was
called shmuvc.ck tract. and which in-
cludc,l the hills. with the meek of land
uu the southeast By the terms
81 this lease they We're allowed the
privilege %; plowlng, plaut.nn aud cut
ting timber Tor fencing and fuel; also 10
cu, hnes. huluShes, and such grasses as
they usr iu making mats aud houses.
The township reserved o. itself meadows.
marshes. grass, heritage. feeding pastIIr-
age timber, Stone and convenient high
Wava That the poor Shuucr1ck tribe
improved itself, even under these disal-
vantage is proved by their subsequent
history and hy the rising up among them
: Somewhere ,lsoui 1880 R#N Peter John.
q native ui thc tribe. scent forth o. labor
among h.s Indian brethren, and sue
ceclei il establishing churches al Nai-
ng rycF. Fpu~cia'uck and ishp. Peter
John was followed iu 1890 by the famous
Paul tufivr nl-1 q Shlner,ck.
After one hundred and fifty wears uf
living under thc embarrassing terms 81
ihls lease the Suuuvcaeks sought for
better terms. ami un March IL. 1852
there was o change made IN the lease
aud they we're gwen Ia, absolute owner
ship of that portion - SAinnecpck mock
which lies "a thy s.u'h.a.t boundary oi
thn hills
The last census pat Their uumber at
lS7 men. women and chiliron. the pro-
portions beng about the same as with
white people Five children in each
family ls ihc average The majority are
partly African: lui one family is pure
Indian. that ~ John Walker. who per
Ishcl ln the wreck He left wife and
airh: children III, father was n SHINE
,oCl and his mother a Man;auk. HIS
wife is pnre Indian.
The men are mainly employed IN fish
ng AMI whaling. q iow hiring as farm
hands The former are noted as excel
lent cooks, and furnish most uf the do
ncstc service of that region. The tribal
organization is very simple They are
governed hy three trustees. who are
elected annually At The regular township
The three last elected trust.
,cs. including John Walker. veac lost IN
The wreck. The home lots ami farms
vary in n small gaulen T. twenty-five
acres. Their allotment rests entirely with
.hc trustees. who may. at any time, H.
'rcaSc or decrease the amount ui land IN
he possession oi any person.
The leases not being perpetual. when
, Shinuccock dies all the improvements
IA the shape Of cultivation, clearing,
.cncing and huiliing revert to the tribe.
md the trustees NAV rcailot them 10 per
sons who are utter strangers g. the dead
nan. Moreover. an Indian" cannot lease
lr suh-lct the land allotted t. him. These
acts have had a very depressing influence
lpm the attempts Of the ahongincs %
utvntr the reservation. and have driven
hem to settle outside. Numbers Of them
ire now scattered all over the United
states They have NJ their Long Island
iome two ordinary district schools and
wo churches. One of the latter ls Con
aud the other is of the Sec
nd Advent denomination
The singular organization Of the Long
Island Indians seems q have been
,Grccted with but little help from the
whites. The Moutauks ON the end of
he island retain their old tribal system
intact. but only twelve of them remain.
md one of these i King Pharaoh. He
holds ~ a pcrquisite the right of pastur-
.ge on the M1utauk hills. and persons
wishing to pasture have - "scc the
ling. When Pharaoh s father died, ten or
wclyc years ago, the uncle Of the pres
mt king succeeded q the throne, but
made courageous and vicious
ny whisky. gath red his familiars and So
orjhcl his uncle by threats that the
after resigned. and "phamch rcigncd
II his stead. These Montauks were
lwnys known ass warlikc tribe, but they
we're crippled and most Of them slain in
no hy the Pequots Of Connecticut,
.gninst whom they wse marching, and
Who lurcd them t. destruction by an
An attempt was made about five years
Igo by the Oneida Indians Of New York
o institute intcrmarriage between their
ribe and the Shinnecocks. A deputa-
ION Of Oneidas came to Long Island,
with them some specimens of
heir young women. But the big In
Inns of Long Island turned up their
loses at these dnmse's, and they de