Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-05

distinct in an eddy Of vast civilization
that has beat about it.
-.
This is the only tribe in Virginia that
has maintained itself as such, and there
are few like 1t east Of the Mis@is Tippi.
It's lands are held under grant from the
state They are owned in common, anu
the privilege of occupying a given 'T IT,
tribe governs itself through laws ana
regulations that are made by ITS own o.
f1icials and II is rare indeed that state
authorities have found it necessary to III
terfere with it's affairs.
In reality, it is little republic In 1t
self, self-directing. self-suppoctns unde'
the nominal control of the state or VIZ
ginia. but in reality unaffected by ira
Control The government is still Indian
in its manner of working out. 1t is IN
dian in it's reverence for the Great White
Father. 1t pays no taxes to the s,ate o.
nation, yet each year 1t SENDS an ii'uIafi
tribute to the Governor of Virginia IN
the form OF a brace of ducks, Wlld
turkey or a bear. This has been done
since the time of the t1rst treaty, ana
the act today is one Of the chief ceremo-
MES of the tribe.
and Indian custom. the Pamunkeys OF to-
day are without language CT their own
They speak only English. They have
forgotten the language of their fathefs.
There is hut an occasional word that has
persisted They may speak of son Ill
terms Of endearment as ''tonshee, which
is a tribal word ''kenaanee means
friendship, and the old men of the tribe
NAV use it occasionally. 'Moccasins"
and "tomahawk'' are words that the Eng
lish language added through this Identical.
tribe. but the tribesmen know of them
only through the English There is a
state school in Indian Town. taught by
NO nd
Of Indian Town read and write English.
Their educations in that language are
similar to those of other people living
in very rural communities They are In
this respect on par with the rural
whites.
But by nature they are still free, wild
Indians. They scorn work on their farms
as did the naughty braves of yore
But there are no huntsmen or fisher
men in America superior to the Pamun-
keys few sportsmen know this and go
into their country each season, secure
Pamunkey guide and are initiated into
the wood lore of the aborigine. X cEard
Croker was in his prime an annual Wis
itor to Indian Town. There Is duck, wild
turkey and, deer. Occas5 onaliy bear IS
killed The Indians exercise little care
over their hogs and those that remain in
the woods are Outlawed and become the
prizes of the hunters Here is rare sport
indeed.
The capture of the 'sora" or reed bird
has the flavor Of the old Indian days. A
"sora horse" is the means Of this and is
made of clay. 1t is merely an affair the
size and shape of clothes basket. which
is set up in a marsh or boat and fire
built in it. The sora are attracted TO 1t
in the same way that moths come to a
candle in the darkness. They fly about 1t
in great numbers and the hNnter knocks
them down with paddle.
But the first love of the modern sons
of Powhatan Is the water. They the
greatest fishermen that the Atlantic
coast hnows. When the shad begin to
run, then is their harvest time. All the
waters from Norfolk to New York know
them for they readily dare the open sea
In their open boats. Yet the men with
whom they deal do not solve the mystery