The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-08-20
NEW YORK INDIANS.
REMNANTS OF THE DREADED
lROQUOlS NATION.
About 5000 of Them on Their
Keservation-They Are Civilized.
hut Retain Their Tribal
Characteristics.
Tn This State, says tho New York


though most of them refus, to
be entirely like white men, and al
though they further incur the dislike
of some of their neighbors 10y declin.
ing to get of of the rich lands which
remain theirs by treaty, they are re-
markably good lot, as Indians GO, aud
would be accounted as good ms the
average of humanity If they were only
white.
These Indians are the remains, in
the United States, of the once dreaded
lroquois Nation, and they are very
proud of their ancestry. Although
they wear civilized clothing instead
OF blankets, live in houses rs good as
those of ordinary white farmers. and
get their modest living by working
for 1t, they adhere jealousy to their
old tribal distinctions, and TO the
ancient cus.om of having a full force
of war chiefs" and council chiefs. -
and the various tribes, or nations, ms
they call themselves, combine to
maintain still higher order of digni-
taries, called sachams.
One of these sachems, who is very
proud of the distinction, is Colonel
and Brevet Brigadier General Ely
Parker. Mt present nu attache of the
Police Department of this city, but
who was AN esteemed civil engineer in
Illinois before the late war between
the North and South, and was one of
the first staff officers of General Grant.
who retained him throughout the war,
and later made him Indian Commits
siouer.
About the goodness Of these Indians
some people differ, but their worst
enemies cannot deny that nowhere in
the United States is the life, person
and property of a white man safer
than in or near the reservations. They
are respectOrs of women, too. Most
of the teachers of the schools on the
Indian reservations of this State are
young white women, and they agree
in testiIying that they never are sub
lected to any OF the annoyances which
befall schoolma' ans in many other
districts.
These Indians are philosophers.
after n fashion, and one result of if
troubles some of their white neighbors
greatly. Their wants are few and
simple, and, as they have not vet
acquired tho virtuc-or vice OF
accumulation, they generally regard
'enough is rs good as feast" A few
of them are ambitious, work hard and
save money, but the majority live on
the hand-tO-mouth principle. All do
n little planting, rs their ancestors
did before them from time i'm
memorial, and some of them work for
wages rs loggers, berry-pickers, etc. ;
but when there is no immediate need
for effort they take TO "sport" of
some kind, and enjoy it as heartily as
lot of schoolboys. They are great
ball players, foot racer, swimmers
and dart-throwers, and such of them
as have horses delight in racing, no
matter how poor the animals or how
slow the time that can be got out of
them.
Their most important diversion,
however, is the dance, of which there
are several each year Mt stated periods.
Some OF the music for the dance is as
odd as any ever described by African
travellers. One of the instruments is
the Indian drum, which resembles n
tambourine; another is turtle skin.
dried and dIstcnlcd, aud containing n
few shot pebbles or peas. USING this
rs rattle, the turtles head being the
handle, the leader, who is generally
the ''medicine man" of the tribe
"shakes time" for the dnucers, occa-
sionally giving special emphasis with
the drum, which he holds in the other
hand. This medicine man, bv the
way, Is n most hideously picturesque
character. lie wears n gown, but the
most striking article of his costume is
mask, carved from wood and con.
tanning two small holes for the ewes.
As the musk entirely covers the fea
lures, is much larger than the human
face, and of course has unchanging
TEXTURES, which are framed wildly in
long hair, it is something to be
dreamed about for days by the small
white boys, who never lose an oppor-
tuujty To- behold the dances.
Unlike similar festivities ar1ono
white people, there arc no stimulants
served ut % dance given by the New
York Indians. The law of the State
uni th. United States forbils the sell.
ING of liquor TO- au Indian, and, al.
though thcra nre some trausgressors.
null % drunken Indian ie about m,
drunk man as any policeman would
like To avoid, thcrcis very little drunk
cuucss.
Among the various tribes is och,
Mohawk Temperance League" an or.
gnuizatlOn containing 400 or 500 mem
bers, which Is about ms lurgc nm aver.
age of PLEDGED nbsttiucrs as any white
community cIu show.
These Indians nre ns proud MS thov
| arc simple. Although they never
thrust themselves forward ], mo- chance
visitor ever has an excuse TO complain
of their hospitality, and their arcc.
tionnte regard for any whitc man who
does them any favor is touchingin the
extreme. Muy OF tiicm prctenl ua'
To- understand the English LANGUAGE.
but the few white men who have
paiucd their confidence shy that they
never have met ono OF them who
could NOT converse fairly well i'm Enc
| lish
One OF The tribes, and the largest.
the Seuecas, has National form of
government, with President, u House
ot Compress, aud Constitution. writ.
fen end printed, the whole having
0ecu FULLY approved by tho Govern