The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-11
CHIEF OF MOHAWKS.
Interesting Facts Connected
With the Six Nations
RELIcs FROM QUEEN ANNE.
p.etor orsnhyssskhs sent TO Oxford
University by the Prince of wales
Indian Traits.

nection with the Independent Foresters.
OF which he is supreme chic. ranger, has
most interesting history connected with
the six Indian nations over which be pre-
sides as one of the chief counssllors- The
SIX nations ere the Mohawks. Oneidas,
Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas and Ius-
caroras.
s.The.e SIX nations" said the learned
doctor TO q reporter for the PosT-IsTELLE-
sKxcEa the day Of his visit here. ARE the
most advanced in point of CIVILIZATION OIL
any Of the many Indians OF this country;
especially is this the case with my own
nation. the Mohawks, who lead the others
and whose language or dialect - the only
one spoken in council, 80 that IL - recog-
uized bv all the nations as the court lam
guage.' for Il is necessary for representa-
five to the general council from any
of the other tribes 70 know the
Mohawk dialect before he can 50
cit. The six nations are located
on the Grand river. near Branttord. ID
tario, while a part OF the Mohawks. about
loo strong, Is located near Kingston, on
the Bay OF Qninfe. These six nations all
follow agricultural pursuits. The men
and women are all hardy and thrifty.
many of the men have trades and all are
apt mechanics. especially so IS carpenters.
The population Of these several nations Is
growing. the Mohawks on the Bay OF
Quinte having doubled in the last thirty
years. The total number of the SIX ma
tions now aggregates about 800. With the
Mohawks as the head Of tho confederacy.
"a portion of the Onondages. portion
of the oneidas. portion of the senecas
and Tuscaroras are still living in New
York state, but their condition or numer-
ical strength know nothing OF.
.The Mohawks, II my home, support
four schools from their own fund and
earnings. and two English churches under
the charge Of one rector. We are all Pro-
testants and We support our own mis-
sionary.
'.Ail the nations govern by hereditary
chiefs, except the Mohawks OF the Bay of
Quinte. who have abandoned that mode
and elect a chief every three years. prae-
tically a municipal counsellor.
at may be of interest TO your readers,
continued the doctor. warming up TO his
subject, ITO know that the first Protestant
church ever built in Upper Canada-nos
the province of Ontario--was the Mohawk
church, erected early in the century.
I'VE have with Us a Communion set,
presented TO our tribal ancestors by Queen
Anne while they were still living in the
wiids of New York state in the year l7i2
NY wife's mother. who Is the grand
daughter OF the celebrated Mohawk chief,
Joseph Brant, of revolutionary fame and
captain of the British army. is today the
custodian OF this communion set. Great
stock was set on these gifts of the good
queen, so much so that for fear of these
sacred vessels being captured or stolen
during the revolutionary war they were
buried in New York state and the secret of
their hiding place entrusted TO but
chosen few. When peace vas restored
and when this first church was erected I'm
Canada, party was sent back to unearth
the treasures and bring them back, which
they did safely.
"The set as received from her gracious
majesty, the queen, consisted of two
pitchers, two goblets and two chalices.
They are solid silver. quaint IN oonsiruc-
ton, and duly engraved with at inscrip-
ton which, 10 the best of my memory,
runs as follows:
Presented by Anne. by the grace of
God Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and
France, TO her Indian chapel In the
plantations of America.
''one-half of this set is used nj the Grand
River reservation and the other half at the
Mohawk reservation.
The Grand River Indians have twelve
or fourteen schools. all supported by them
selves without any aid from the govern
meat; two English churches. two or three
Methodist churches and one or two Bap-
list churches.
THE Grand River reservation covers
territory of about fourteen miles long BY
SIX miles wide. while that Of che Bay of
ouinte is about three miles wide by twelve
long.
The Indians are all law-abiding, and
every generation shows marked improve
ment in education and condition. Inter-
marrying with white men Is discouraged
as much as possible, for the simple reason
that. as = rule. the class of white man who
come there 20 marry an Indian woman are
not desirable.
ssNo: advancement aud civilization is
not breeding caste with Us. We are one
and all extremely democratic aud uncoa-
Ventional.
''ln riding through our country the only
difference a stranger will note on reaching
the reservation will be the better oondi-
ton of the fences en- the Indian farms
Everything about the place wiil be found
ia better order and nsaies than on the
white mems farms. In other words, they
are methodical law abiding. or course
We have some who, il they can get liquon
become very troublesome. bat that traffic
Is well under control. and as the penalty
Tor selling liquor 20 Indians IL very SCI
we're the profit hardly jast.dss the risk
ssYes, the lndian has voice In the gov
eminent Of the dominion. Some four os
Eve years ago the government snfranchised
every Indian. so that today be is voter.
and as such. OF political importance
"A that country. They quality
ON their holding To show yon
how eonsesenseiously the ladians felt The
importance 81 the ballot Il Is Noted fact
that al the first election not one Of their
ballots Was spoiled. showing she eIcec1-
ing care exercised by each before gong
into the booth 10 thoroughly understand
where hlS erosses were so he puG Of
course they ean't read. but as We use the
Australian ballot system. IL vas no. dsili-
ealt 60 teach them where 90 insert their
cross marks. a. the second election some
body tried 90 hTihs them. bps their under
standing o. the lsw carries with il such 8
reverence that no money could induce
sheen 10 DO anything ia violation Of their
obligation. 50 thai now IL has become an
accepted tact shat taey wul nos accept
hFibes. and they ere let alone
.rheindian vote contvo. sHhres rulings,
or three mero~gs q parliament. 50 Yea
zee II il quite Important"
The docfoF explained that each Z alton
il divided into tArae fritse. knnwn "a