The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-20

~ the Indians of this part of North
carolina recently published by Col. r.
Olds. He places the Tuscarora
indian among the ~Algonquins. L
,tink he is in error in that statement.
I resume he follows a number of
historians who wrote to the effect.
In 1910 the United States Government
puhlshed under the supervision of the
Smithsonian institute and the Bureau
NJ Ethnology a Hand Book of Amer
i,Yn Indians" One of the most in
teresting articles in that york is the
ehaptcr on the Tuscarora tribe of In
dianS. The statement is there made
That the TuscarOraS are I~rOquOian,
"speaking language cOgnate with
those of the Iroquoian linguistic group
and dwelling, when first encountered
OF the Roanoke, Neuse, Taw and
pamlico rivers Of North Carolina.
Fixing the Tuscaroras as of the great
Ircquois Indians has been lone by
Mr. James Mooney, a highly educated
Indian employed by the bureau of
American Ethnology. i have several
interesting letters from him on TuS-
carora history. He has never been
able to make me a promised visit
when we are to open some Indian
FANtN III III - ooNAo oS>NAOii Va
BERTHE county,, lying on the Roanoke
river. The Tuscarora league was COM
posed of three tribal constituent mem
berS. each having an Independent and
exclusive appellation. The North Car
olina membership was combined I'M
der the name of Tuscarora, which is
the same as Esaurora. Mr.. Mooney
infers that Esaurora is a synonym of
Skaruren. From the latter word we
find that the name TuScarOra in its
primary sense means Hemp Gather
crs. The secondary meaning of that
word is shirt wearer." The TuSca-
rur1 Indian is said to have worn that
primitive garment. in which it was
not customary to put a pocket. This
tribe of Indians lived ON the eastern
bank Of the Roanoke river. Some
years after the Indian massacre ir
III Governor Charles Eden nego.
tiated a treaty with that branch o.
the Tuscarora tribe friendly to ths
white people. That treaty placed tn
friendly Tuscaroras on a reservation
IN BERTHE county containing 1890
acres of land. The boundaries of tn,
tract were definitely fixed by an &C
OF the General Assembly held at New
In that act the Roanoke river i
called Morattosk. We have thi
couplet of the names Of three river
in BERTHE county: "Cashie and Cash
oke, MorattCck and oanoke. On
der the treaty negotiated between
James Blount and Governor Eden tn
TuscarOras were given the liberty G
selecting their "own spot of ground.
They wisely selecved the lands in Ber
tie county The lands are now Gale
the Indian woods. They were. tw
hundred years ago, an ideal spot fo
an idle and non-prOductive race. TIL
tense forest was the abode Of gam
of Ill sorts Deer coon SnuirrQ1 will
turkey are there in tOda,
The many streams within the terri
tory were we'll stocked with fish. ]
severe winter 1t has always been
place for wild ducks to come for foe
and shelter. Within its limits are Sc,
eral springs that have wonderful me-
ical and curative properties. One
them is a specific for skin diseas'
another for indigestion. In the mit
die of this territory lived King BlOun
chief Of the tribe. and here for yea
the friendly Tuscaroras lived, the SUI
1ect of constant pillage and depred
zion on the part of their white neigl
bors. There was no racial intermin
ling. There were no half breed L
dams born in BERTHE. The only e
ception to this was when the Tusc
roras killed a slave belonging to Re
ekiah Stone, father of Governor Dav
Stone, they made good his loss by gi
ing him an Indian man. This man
married to one of his slave wome
Their descendants live in BERTHE cou
ty. They lay great claim to respet
ability on account of their Indi
blood. The Tuscaroras finally decid
10 leave BERTHE county and join thu
kindred in New York State, the fl
Indian nations there.
In 1856 they did remove to tn
state. From time to time they h
leased small areas of their reSerN
uon to the adjacent settlers. T.
Increased their many i~ncOnvenient
and made it easier for the whites
perpetrate numerous acts of injusti
In 1855 the General Assembly ratif
and confirmed those leases and a
confirmed a lease of the residue
the lands for $50 years to Rob
JoneS. Iun William Williams a