The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-11
ABORIGINtS AT
BUFFALO'S FAIR.
Colony Of Indians VIII Be One
Of the Great Features
Of the Pdn-Amefi(dn
Exposition.

II T is the determination 10 make the
Indian exhibit at the Pan-American
correct historical representation
OF the life and customs of the abor-
IL iginal people who inhabited the
territory where the Pan-American
exposition is located when the whites
invaded their domain and occupied
their possessions. 1t is q very common
idea that the white man has practically
exterminated the red man In this part Of
the country. That this impression is to
large extent erroneous is shown in the
fact that the tribes descending from the
ancient Iroquois and now scattered upon
various reservations number about 1900
which Is nearly as great as the estimated
strength of the same people when Robert
Cavelier de la Sale came this way on his
celebrated voyage OF discovery, more than
TWO centuries ago, The chief council
house of the rroquois Indians was at Onon-
daga. Originally the 1roquois confederacy
comprised five nations = the Mohawks,
Onondagas, Oneidas, Cayugas and Sene-
cas-. The Tuscaroras were admitted to the
confederacy about It's. Readers OF James
Fenimore Cooper's romances will remem-
Der the interesting relations between men,
bers of these confederated tribes de-
scribed in his various novels.
In fiction more or less play IS given to
the imagination in the description of In
dian lffe. So far as possible, in the por-
trayal of these customs at the Pam
American the picture VIII be an absolutely
truthful one. The Indians Will live ac-
cording to the traditions handed down TO
them by their pagan ancestors. and, In
fact, Will be pagan themselves as the
pagan Indians have kept more strictly to
tribal customs than their Christian BROTH
ers. who. naturally enough. have adopted
more or less OF the white mans customs
along with his religion. For this reason pa
gan Indians rather than Christians will be
chosen for this exhibit. They will make
weapons. utensils, tools and knickknacks
as their ancestors made them In the time
described by Fathers JoKues and Fremin.
Corn will be ground in stone mortarA 400
or 500 years old. Bread will be made in
the crude way customary among the Iro-
quois 3c) years ago. They will themselves
build the houses they viii occupy on the
exposition grounds, making them out OF
bark and putting them together without
the use of nail. Thongs OF bark and
roots we're used by the Indians in fasten-
ing the bark, and IN this way structure
was made which would Withstand the as
saults Of the tempest and last for many
years. The Iroquois did not have wig
vans. built In circular FORM. a. many
tribes did. They were the people OF the
long house." and built their houses In a
sort OF oblong form. Those at the PEN
American will be Of this character and
VIII represent all the various houses the
Iroquois used for different purposes Al
ready more than 200 cords OF elm bark
have been collected-which must have
come from more than 1000 large elm
trees-a number OF carloads Of poles have
also been obtained for the purpose of
building this village. II win be az large
as the average Indian village was among
the tribes Of tho IroQuois 800 years ago
There will also be grounds for the Indians
to play the games and engage In the con-
so great a part in the life Of their ances-
tors. and OF which the Indians OF today
are also very fond.
The prehistoric Indian exhibit near by.
the mounds, will be. except as 10 size,
exact reproductions of several OF tho
most famous Indian mounds These
mounds were in form generally typical
Of some animal or object in nature.
Thus one mound win represent the mas
todon mound In Wisconsin: another the
mound portraying tho serpent swallowing
an egg; another tina spread eagle mound
and stiil another the burial mound.
II IN the intention 70 have the burial
mound an exact reproduction OF one OF
the original mounds of this character.
showing the burial pit and the crena-
ton chamber and relics In them such as
are found In the mounds The customs OF
the aboriginal tribes. as TO disposal OF
the dead. differed widely. as Ia we'll
known. some exposing the bodies In trees.
others burying them and others employ
ing cremation IN various forms. That
nounlnr novel. .sro Have and To Hold"
gives the reader some vivid giimpses of
the cremation customs Of the aboriginal
peoples inhabiting Virginia at the time
Of its settlement by the English. some
what similar were the customs OF these
mound builders. The visitor TO the ex-
position will have an opportunity TOT
study OF archaeology and ethnology ny
mean. OF reproduction 81 relics the ORIG
trails OF which he could not see except
=, vrnas expenditure OF time and trouble.
one ~ the ornate colonnaces In the
saan.tfpi Fthnoiogy building VIII have
= bmipstrade containing statnsry repre-
seating the ethnol0gie types 81 the hNe
,,tpctnai races In other features tne
srrhitec.ure OF this Building VIII re "
Illustrative 81 the purpose o. th~ 3n.aA-
ing and exhibits. Indeed. the same 'aea
IS carried out largely Throughout az w
architecture OF this remarkable cNP"si-
ttcn one OF the features 81 the nam
eoor ~ fhe rttnolegy budding vii -
a larxe model Of the Niagara froEteF
80 fmYnad IN history. and tins scene 81
memorable conflicts between Dol onss
ne aboriginal tribes ard the white set,
tiers but between the forces 81 hnflhna
and OF France wh4eh struggled foF aoin-
NATION over this portion o. the con.
ttu.nt and later hetween the troops 9,
Great britain and those ef the inla4t
yersgfaac of the United states lhss
snsSi 81 the Niagara frontier win show
the sst.e ~ sixty aboriginal VILLAGES
Real wafer win how through tae ~
asnra river and at night camp Tres
viii 10 Indicated ~ red tDcandeseeh'
lights.
Besides the indian EXHIBIT wiinin we
exposstsen proper. there VIII - o'se
Ct the leading features on - A1r@s
- fnsian congress ia which the visitor
win ace the various types ~ Tire North
AunersrAn Indian a. they exist To-Day us'-
-. vgaxf rnriu9Hd In