Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-01-09

I hAtN tAtsAAsAit51 vi tAtp f4i4NslbfiaiA'St pLi
.iso ;.ncieut and time honored beliefs of
their OWL ancestors.
And even now many of the Indians.
and particularly the Senecas. hold quiet
! ~ to what he taught, and among these
are not ii few who are nominally Chris
tians. Remnants of absolute paganism
/ ssh :uryiyr. too, among the Senecas. and
/ in TIE Cattaraugus reservation there is
/ u very common belief in witchcraft.
| IN oil woman was but few months
since murdered there, and searching
Investigation on tho part of the United
/ STATES authorities disclosed the fact that
she was killed because OF being a dan
gerntss witch, who by her malign infiu-
enre caused sickness and disaster.
| Her funeral. too, was conducted with
striking ceremonies, the Indians burying
her in accordance with ancient savage
| rites Food was laid ont to sustain her
during her weary journey to the land of
spri;s. Bright lights were burned to
| aispcl the darkness from the gloomy
1 path. There We're moccasins to keep her
feet from bruising. There was clothing
To keep her warm.
This case, however. was very unusual,
as the pagan beliefs and customs are in
general kept out of sight
The Cattaraugus reservation is mostly
in Erie county. 1t extends for some
twelve miles along both sides of Cat
taraugus creek, contains little over
10000 acres, and has population of
/ about 800, mostly Senecas, with a
sprinkling of Csyugas and Onondagas.
Although paganism still has such root
among them, it has not prevented them
from becoming quite fairly advanced in
agriculture. and many Of the Indian
farms are quite well cultivated The
! land, indeed, is very much better
farmed and worked than that of the Al
leghany reservation. although that res
eryation is also of the Seneca tribe.
Both reservations are owned by the
Seneca Nation as a body and all the land
is held in common. There is no indi-
vidual ownership.
Individual Indians obtain tho right to
work and occupy certain portions, and
are allowed to dispose Of tho right to
others
Tho presiding officers of the nation
are president, clerk and treasurer, and
in addition to these there are upon each
reservation eight councillors, marshal.
an overseer of the poor and three peace
makers, all holding office for one year.
except the peacemakers, who hold for
three. Note the word 'peacemakers."
Has it not an odd and agreeable sound
rs compared with general beliefs regard
ing Indian character?
The homes, as rule. are fairly we'll
made and comfortable. but somehow
there is always about the doorway of
rven the best Indian homes an intangi-
BILE something which spoils the general
effect and gives an air of grimincss and
musiness to the whole.
Public schools are kept up by the gov
ernment. and although there is no cont
pulsory attendance. and therefore CON
siderable laxity regarding regularity,
there is yet A fair number present on
each day.
We stepped one day into one of the
little school buildings-wbite and one
story, with little bell in a little bclfry
on top--aud found the class engaged in
a geography recitation The way in
which the little children answered re
garling rivers and cities and state boun-
iaries was pleasant indeed.
There is rpon this reservation fine
boarding school for Indian children. II
w,s endowed l., - ;s:.,
and 10 a1sn i;;o'i,, p'.',''e ~, ~, Au'''''
''ato ,rhiot, IT. ,o ]f y ~ 'iie
na;,,tnra,,n, - os,1, ;, ~ ~ ''''i'''''
,.;,l;,,s ~ pa"
RI - -. VI 'l. 'e9.I'rs'
of -. 80 ,ii'''ien, rfr'ts 'i'''" ''''
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i;,ia - i'''''' : S.'i '''l
rci.,.1 .t,,.; - .. ~ .''. H',',' ,.',lat
IN .,,.- s,.l,l'.f a., It. 'e'''
IT,, ~ " -
Ia 49,, '','''e ~ ''.,i
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nI,.,-..i,,t,s .,,,,, go -, ~" = 80
hi. ,,..,i. ',,'d ,,, "o"'','e. II ".Hiih'
We, w., -, - -: rs ,ters
Would s,,r,,r., t,os ,n, No. ,nlere''
tb.t il 80 ,,,,,,. -, ~ ~ "sle
aud or,.i",,l "a III " ''' 'i'''o' e'e'
r., ~ 80 LUZ .s, 'a'i''
many n.,nas which n,,, se
c;ant ti,nas IT, 49, ' ~ g. Va aii
Poi ca. 80 n, Gu" e 'hs anu
ST., Hoais - d r. il'',i io"h anu
Tbo. ,,,,,,,,,.,,I - g ~.
,.bosh in,,as ~ ~ 'aNa - @i,n ,.'sh
brn,a ,t,o ,,,o,,+,, -, IT, u m ,,e I"'e
IL ,th,r hoal,r.J -. t ~. Ine nose
rnrni,a, -, =. ~ ,-o oFpo9,'e g ~,
onits ~a,,o, ~ ~ -. Ny eliu mere Is
and so,na sac.ss orc go a, Jopis' ''ioi'
m - - ~ Wy o','h'-
The won,s,, arc Z, ,,n,.a.,t az '.'s my.
we,, f,rn,aa NJ = ~. s.Ienh'ss
arc sof, ,oicna 80. -, ~. .'.e ..lu,a,i snH
s .;s.,l 1891 s'i' eyed ana reaiiy beau.
o,,;... av,.ress;o,, -, "s = IN .. d''"
,,,,r,,oso a,,d ssis -, -. S'iiess vi
The nsar,Io 49,, 'S =, lam "a
old fasbio,s5 ;n5ssd y a.. ehe's Mass
whom we nnticad was ,,or;rv h;a Ella |
with vol-. ~ ,,-,,;,, p,'san nus ns,a
-, ">'iA. 'sha hos q lew