The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-05-14
CLAIM OF cAueHNAwAeAs

the lands in northern Vermont which
they claimed to have been their hunt
ing grounds taken by the white man,
was made in 1880, and many people
in Montpelier and about the state re-
member that affair But very few re-
member the previous attempts to Sc
cure payments and the embassies
that were sent to the Vermont legis-
lature to secure justice for the lndi-
ans
In 1885, which appears to have
been the last year any large delega.
ton was sent here, the entire hill
back of the State House was covered
with woods and the Indians camped
there. as they had done for several
years previous. The presence OF
band of Indians was a wonderful at
traction TO the boys of the town,
while the older people made frequent
visits to the encampment. me
Caughnawagas were superior class
OF their race, member OF the Ola IN
dian confederation which it Is claim
ed gave the idea for the confederat-
ion that became the United States
The Iroquois we're powerful because
of their intellectual superiority to the
other tribes and the Caughnawagas,
though the last organized remnant OF
the old confederation had not been
broken by conquest and retained the
pride and the high sentiments that
animated the confederated tribes In
| their time of power. They were tail,
well built, stately men, the KIND OF
! Indians Cooper delighted to describe
having some of the best qualities OF
their race and but little contaminated
by contact with the whites.
Vermont suffered little, comparar
lively from Indian depredations and
Indian hostilities the Burning of Roy
alton and the taking of prisoners
there being the most important affair
OF the kind. The Indians had had
their experiences with the whites be-
fore the settlers had made any large
invasion of Vermont and instead OF
resisting gradually fell back before
them. The power Of the lroquois
confederation had been broken be-
fore many settlements had been
made inVermont and the last rem
nant of the nation retired TO Canada.
The Caughnawagas made their home
at the village of Sault, st. Louis, dis
trict OF Montreal, Lower Canada and
during the negotiations with the auth
critics of Vermont were about $500
people.
The first attempt of this tribe to Sc
cure payment from the state was
made in 1898. A memorial, dated
September 20 Of that year. reads
thus:
his Excellency, Isaac Tichenor
Esq, Governor Of the State of Yer
mont:
Great Brother: We. the chiefs
and councillors of the Seven Nations
Lower Canada Indians, send our love
and respect to you and your famil!
by five of our agents, which We thu
chiefs have sent to you, to trea
about our hunting lands that lie II
your state-beginning on the cas-
side OF Ticonderoga, from thence t
the great falls on the Otter Creek ant
continues the same course to tn
height OF land that divides tn
streams between Lake Champlain ant
river Connecticut, from thence alon
the heights OF land opposite Missi'
quoi and then down TO the bay. Tha
Is the land belonging to the seven Nt
tions which we have sent to settl
for with you as we have settled wit
York State. SO we hope you will b
, pleased TO receive our agents and tina
p il will be settled so that both side
will be contented.
Signed by 22O chiefs of the diffe
ent nations
7 The governor referred the matte
. 10 the legislature and the India
claims were referred to specii
committee. OF which Paul Brigham
was chairman. which reported ths
while the Indians had a claim to III
above described lana. by title ari
ps ing from an agreement entered inf
J., this country. they cannot ascertal
> whether that title has been extin
uished by purchase. conquest der
y LECTION OF occupancy or IN any wa
whatever"
This did not AFFORD a sufficient b
sis for action by the legislature, .
an act was passed authorizing q
= governor TO obtain full informatiC
/, fromNew York In regard to the lnC
4 an claims In that state, The act all
authorized present of 500 to u
FIVE chiefs in attendance on the lie
islature and not more than $3.50 f
their expenses.
New York had settled with the
dams for their lands previous to IN
time. but the settlement was n
complete and final. Some claims a
still pending. or were pending on
a few years ago. New York paid
the remnants OF the lroquois a.
pounds. shilling 4 pence and agree
TO pay 2l2 pounds, shillings $ pen
annually.
Governor Tichenor, reporting to q
legislature the next year, 1893, ST.
ed that New York In It's settleme
was governed not SO much by prln
pies OF justice as by policy. He CO
ceived the rights OF the Indians, no
ever acquired. to have been extir
ulshed The Caughnawagas, he sa
had separated from the confedera
and Joined the French so that the
rights were extingulshed by I
treaty that terminated the war
tween the French and British.
Again Joint committee Of the I
islature took up the matter
long consideration they presor
report which was adopted, sta