Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-22
INDIANS LAY ASIDE BLANKET.
The Stockbridges Emigrate From
Massachusetts, to Wisconsin.

la Crosse Corrcspondence Minneapolis Iournsl
Deciding to abandon their tribal form
OF government and adopt the white man
way of doing things. the remnant OF tina
StockbrtdGe tribe OF Indians. numbering
6o men, women and children. will shortly
become citizens OF Wisconsin and cease
to Ne under the supervision and guardian
ship OF the federal government
The Stockbridge Indians will have a
whole township to themselves. east Of
Lake Winnehago. and other land that
the government intends giving them.
Already they are planning the organi-
zation of a town government and thew
have written to various federal and stats
officials about the state for information
respecting civil government. parliament
AIRY practice and whatever else may hs
useful TO them IN solving the problem
before them.
Originally the Stockbridge Indians w-ers
a part OF the Mohican confederacy. AMI
were known under the name OF Housa-
tonic. When the Pilgrim fathers landed
at Plymouth Rock. the Stockbridges oc
cupied part of the Housatonio valley ~
Berkshire hills. Massachusetts. Soon
after the famous missionary. SerEeanf.
went to work among them they wers
collected on n tract reserved by the Eng
lish government.
The French and Indian war. which
broke ont in l7s+. marked the bes1nnin
OF the declines of the Stock bridges. The
sided with the French and thus aroused
the ire of many other Indian tribes. At
the close of the war they were forced u
move, partly because the war had reduced
their numbers and partly because tina
New Englanders desired they should
leave that community.
Their number reduced to a beggariy
band OF 300 and their villages pillaged
and burned by their enemies. IL was with
jny- hot ha, tal tr,| eaf inn an,
1855 To join the Oneidas in Oneida and
Madison counties New York.
In 1883 the Munsee, Oneida and Stuck
bridge Indians Joined forces. otter being
gradually driven westward by the march
OF civilization for century and settled
on a tract OF land near the head OF
Green bay, Wis. which they had pur-
chased from the Menominees. Since that
date they have become one tribe. and
are known as the Sto, rorfdges
After years of pickering between fac
tons in the tribe which fought constantly
over the question of securing individual
allotments OF land or establishing a town
ship and living In one community, the
proponents of the township idea have
won out and the result Is decision
to have what remains of their original
land east of Lake Winnebago and what
the government intends to give them, re-
served for this purpose.
The Interior Department has given its
approval Of the plan, and the Stock
bridges are planning to lay aside soon
the blanket, tepee and other marks OF
the "only real American" and take up
the white mans duties. In word. the
famous Munsee and Stockbrdge Indians
will pass into oblivion SO far as the
government records are concerned. and
the town Of Stockbridge. Shawano county,
Wis, is to spring upon the map
The descendants of Konkapot and other
famous chieftains are to take "a place
in history. and In the future they will
be known. not by their deeds of daring
as hunters and warriors. but the
pioneer residents OF what was the first
Indian township IN North America