New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-11

AMONG THE TUSC4RORAS.


attred in their attractive new uniforms, came to
serenade their Chief Sachem, and to consult over
the manner in which they should celebrate the
Fourth. They were a handsome lot of fellows and
no father could have been prOuder than was the pa
| triarch chief as decked in his Generals UNIFORM
| presented HIM few years since by member OF
General Grants staff he made IN his own dialect
speech filed with paternal advice, OF which the
| following is the substance:
This year is our Tuscarora Centennial Just one hun
dred years ago, 10 1880. Nation, which had been
| driven nv persecution from beautiful North Carolina
and dependent for homes on its klndced rive
Nations" r. cevcd from the Holland Purchase " Two
! square miles, OF this fertile reser-
Walton. Poor. indeed, were those our anGes
| tors. who first gathered on that llttle resting
place, from Oneida some from Four-rnile creek
and the remnant which had stayed 9ea IN NORM h @
lima. In that day, and for twenty-five years mere was
no Christian worship mere, and no music put hat winch
| accompanied the wardance and tue pagan rites
Changed as it has since that time, we have not made
| half the advance should have done, aud wnat we
forms and remember that the Fifth OF Juy which You
are TO celebrate. commentaries a DAY when many OF
your gIaudfathers helped to make memorable Dy the
battle and victory at Chippewa Creek, III 1914. when
400 Iroquols 400 Canada Indians. and from
which day u reward of 2l00 offered by the British
for the scalp Of my father, Captain Mount Pleasant
After some delightful music, supper, and much
discussion it was decided to attend picnic gwen
in aid of the brass band of Lewiston. Accordingly
the hegIra from the reservation on Monday was
complete All sorts an6 conditions, all ages and
both sexes all shades of color joined the cayal-
| cade which pursued its way over the ridge leading
down into the quiet, od-fashiOned little village OF
lewiston The family and guests of the chief had
received a special invitation to dine in one of the
| lovely old pioneer homes overlooking the blue
| Niagara River There spent most of the time
listening to stories of the 4" dark days the from
| tier" or in examining old relics The tall, old
| fashioned clock of that family mansion ceased In
those troublous times its ticking, and for three
| years was buried III tue ground with other valua-
bles to escape the general destruction; but when
the trump of peace sounded its resurrection it
forth again to proclaim its lesson Of Never, and
| Forever"
| The old families Of Lewiston have not forgotten
| how the Tuscarora Indians in those days had
been their co-sufferers and best helpers.
so it not strange that ON their
return from the picnic dusky
| friends were invited TO enter the grounds,
where after the band had played many National
airs, they were Hospitality entertained. Afterwards
| most of them Joined an excursion down the Niagara
| River for few miles sail on Lake Ontario. had
nearly forgotten to mention that a member OF the
Indian band won the foot-race Of the day. having
made forty rods in eight seconds.
While speaking of relics must refer to a very in
| terestIng cane and pipe which have come into my
| own possession. My brother Through my adoption
into the Nation), who is staunch Tuscarora.
s'aunch Bear, and the staunchest of all Presbyter-
ians never tires of church history, the following
il his account of the introduction of Christianity
| the Reservation
| Until 1905 the so-caed Pagan worship In which
some innovations had been made by the trance doc
| trne of the Seneca chief Handsome Lake." was
| the only worship known. But a good chief
! of the Tuscaroras named Sagarlsa dragging bavO-
! nett had in of his visits East,
become interested in the Christian religion, and re-
solved upon going to Boston in search of a mission
ary Upon his departure the adherents of the old
religion determined to make strong resistance, 50
| q dusky sister went into trance in which the
Great Spirit informed her that the Indian mode OF
Worship was much more acceptable in his sight than
that of the while man. and orders that for the
next thirty days the dancing should be kept up
stanty to avert the influence of the pale face "
who was to come among them SO when the good
Sagarisa returned in advance of the missionary he
found his whole nation engaged IN redoubled yig0r
| with their Pagan festivities Then" said my mar
| rator, he was mad: just like Moses when he came
down from the mountain, be could have dashed
some tables of stone" But he came off triumph
antly. The little church established and Saga
| risa was its first member, while the father of my
| host acted interpreter for the preacher
Sagarsa who had thus succeeded in
|
received at that time silver pipe bearing the fol-
| lowing inscription:
| From Mass. Baptist Mission
| To sagarIss
On the reverse OF the bowl is dove with an olive
branch and pair of clasped hands. Later he was
, presented with from the Presby teran Mis-
sion bearing the Inscription:
| l.. Sagarfsa,
Chief sachem OF the Tuscaroras,
1920
The good chief died in 1920, aged one hundred
! years. HIS name is held in great reverence by his
people, and all the old natives tell stories of his
| great proves hunting, saying he could always
chase q bear into camp instead of dragging il there
| In conclusion. would add that the church then
established is still ourishng, and that there is not
one family on this reservation which does not con-
tain within its household one or more members OF
one of the two orthodox churches here although it
| must be admitted that the church discipline which
! retains so many among its membership is far from
stringent for who dare throw the stone which
would be sure TO rebound on some member of his
| own family 7 The absence of all public opinion
against vice III some of its forms the only discour
| aging feature here, often law Of God and the
state IS openly violated without any fear punish
| ment.
To those who are generously contributing toward
the conversion OF the heather III 90 Borioboola-V
| let relate one little incident: young
| Indian camo to with verse from
| one of the prophecies. asking my explana-
| tion OF it. j answered him as well as
| could, expressing my regret that my library was
| so far away that could not consult IA commentary
| oh" said he. with entreating look, I" how long
| 1 have wished for commentary the Bible
Aud this in the Christian State of New York!
The superstition OF MANY OF the really intelligent
Indians Is astonishing much so that the question
sometimes arises in my mind, If this forced civii-
cation is not almost abnormal state aud il there
are not hereditary influences which time alone can
llfn fnHf fny haxyn fal..
move mountains" aud the most literal rendering of
the Bible p eases them beat So listen 10 their
interpretations almost with envy. always in siirncc