The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-01
Shaughnasii, a POttawatOmie
Indian, In Topeka.
Claims to Be Descended From
Old POwhattan.
HE CLAIMS A FORT UNE
Shaughnasii Says That There
Is Nearly 100000
Due Him on a Government
Claim so Years Old.

Topeka people have noticed on the
streets in the past few days an in
dividual wearing an old army overcoat
and a SLOUGH hat with band of beads
around it in which are stuck several
feathers. The popularity of the mans
dress always causes a second glance,
but there is nothing about his features
to betray his nationality.
The man is w. J. Shiloh-that is his
English name-and he is a Pottawato-
mie Indian, although his color does not
indicate it, and he has not the breadth
of face of the average Indian.
According to his story his Indian name
is Shaughnasii. and he was born in
Michigan on the Indian New Year, 1854.
He is well educated and talks English
with only a slight accent.
There was an old legend among the
Indians he said in telling the story
of his life to Journal reporter, that
white child would some day be born
among the Indians, on the first day of
the new year, who would be the white
chief. The Indian year begins on July
IL, with the commencement of the new
corn, and is celebrated by the green
corn dance.
When 1 was born it was heralded
that the legend had been fulfilled, and
four chiefs, one from each point of the
compass, came and assisted in christen-
ing me The White Chief. One was a
chief of the PaW-Paw band in Illinois,
another was a Huron chief, the third a
Sioux, and the fourth was the Potta-
Watomie ShaughnasSaa, grandfather of
Shaughnassaa who now lives up in
jackson county on the Pottawatomie
reserve.
The green corn dance began on my
birthday. There were about 700 braves
there at its commencement but thew
soon began coming from all tribes all
over the country and from Canada For
three weeks the dance was kept I'D
without intermission. The tom-tom was
not stu a minute during that time. At
the end of three weeks upwards of 3 600
braves had collected and the govern
ment began to get afraid they were
going on the war path. So a. lot of
troops were sent there to dispense them,
and my band was scattered and has
been so ever Since.''
Shiloh's parents settled at what is
now North Saranac, Michigan where
ne received a common school educat ton,
and he afterwards graduated from the
Grand Rapids business college Then
ne dr1fted west and a few years ago
discovered that the Shaughnassaa up in
jackson county is his uncle.
Shiloh believes that he has a large
fortune due him from the government,
and he has it all figured out just how
much it is. He says that when the GOV
eminent negotiated to move his hand
west from Michigan it agreed to nav
them $1,000 each head money for their
reservation, but when the band was dis
persed in the midst of the corn dance
great many of them never got the
money, among whom were his parents
and himself. He says he still has that
claim against the government and the
interest on 1t now amounts to nearly
$1O0,OOO The exact figures which he
claims up to April II are S9S $50 81 He
also claims that a reservation was to be
granted to some of the tribe in the
copper and lumber regions along Lake
superior, but in some way mining
company got hold of the grant, and
them is no way by which the Indians
can get it back.
Shiloh is now trying to get enough to
prosecute his claim against the gov
/ eminent. He is distrustful of agents
and prefers to look after his own case
rather than let some one else work If
for him. He settled among the Poncas
down in the Indian Territory three
years ago, but claims that the agent
drove him out during the past year
Il have learned a great deal about
roots and herbs" he said land when
went among the Poncas I became their
medicine man. But Istaught the Indians
TO let whisky alone, and caused a great
many of them to stop drinking, and this
did not suit the agent. He got a rake
off from the man who sold the whisky
and he did not want the Indians to
stop drinking. So he took all my pro-
perty away and began to prosecute me-
L went to an attorney to see if 1 couldn't
do something about it, but he said no
the agent could do anything he liked. So
L came back up to Kansas and went out
to my people on the reserve in jackson
| county, but 1 think the agent up there
set them against me, for 1 was told that
1 could not stay there but would have
| to leave the reservation
Shiloh has a vast store of Indian leg
! ends stored away in his brain, and has
added to them all he can learn from
books on Indian history. In speaking of
; the history of the Pottawatomies he
| said:
AT one time my tribe was a powerful
nation and extended from the Mississip-
i pi to the Atlantic, through the heart of
| what is now the Atlantic coast My
band was the direct descendants of the
/ old Powhattan band which is famous in
| history. When William Penn made his
! treaty with the Indians they did not
sell him the land, but allowed him and
/ his followers to settle on it as adopt
! ed country. The broad brimmed hat
was to be the sign of adoption, and a
| man who wore the Quaker hat was new
er molested by the Indians.
"A Quaker by the name of John
Schnively married a daughter of Pow
! haitian and a sister of Pocahontas 1t
( was from them that L am descended
I have traced the geneology down SO
! that I am absolutely sure of it,
Shiloh wears q great deal of Indian
/ finery on his person, all of which has
4 some significance to him. On his right
wrist is a bracelet of German silver.
| curiously engraved, and the engraving
he claims shows to the Indians that he
| is a medicine man. Around his neck he
I wears several strings of ivory beads
| which he got from the Kaws, which are
also connected with his standing as a
medicine man, as are the silver ear
/ rings in his ears. The beaded hat band
! is another relic of his visit to the Kaws.
/ 1t was presented to him by the Kaws
4 for staying a plague among them
Happy is the man or woman who can
/ eat a good hearty meal without suffer-
| ing afterward. If you cannot do it.
! take KodoI Dyspepsia Cure. 1t digests