The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-03-17
We have just cause to be proud of
the aboriginal inhabitants of the

South.
Equal with the white race who set
tied South of the Line they were a
superior people. Whether it be that
soil, climate, strains of blood or all
three of these natural advantages con-
duced to greatness, the fact remains
that the South was noted for remark
able characters in both races.
Among the conspicuous figures in the
history of North American Indians,
Tecumseh, Osceola, Oconosta, Sequoia,
Pocahontas and Nancy Ward occupy
first rank. Doubtless the South pro-
duced a greater number of red-skinn-
ed heroes and heroines than any other
portion of our country. Long ago the
palm for intellectual superiority was
awarded by the United States govern
ment to the Cherokee Indians who oc-
cupied an area embracing parts Of
Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Ten
nessee and Alabama. The govern
ment theological reports to the Smith
sonian Institute unequivocably stated
that the Cherokee was the most intel
ligent tribe found on the North Am
erican continent.
Yet little is generally known Of the
customs, myths and legends of the
Cherokees, or of their pathetic his
tory, which exceeds, in the tragedy of
their forcible removal to the West the
sadness of the exile of the Arcadians
so touchingly portrayed by Longfel-
low in the poem "Evangeline." At
the same time it is observable that
interest in Indians and Indian life in
general is almost universal. Children
delight to array themselves in In
dian costumes; virtuosos find it not
beneath the dignity of their skill to
interpret Indian music; and Chautau-
quas annually entertain thousands
with Indian plays. Capitalists have
Joined purses to build splendid mar
BILE home for the brotherhood Of
North American Indians" in Wash
ington City; there are flourishing In
dian associations in mnny of the
st; ties, and the National Indian AS
ISOLATION has headquarters in New
York City, of which an ably edited
journal, The Indians Friend, is the
organ.
Nevertheless and Notwithstanding
the general interest in the fast-van-
ishing race of red men, one rarely
hears the Cherokee tribe mentioned or
sees it represented in any noticeable
degree in public museums or current
literature
In the american Museum of Nat.
ural History" in New York City, fol
example, enormous floor space is de.
voted to cabinets filled with Indiar
relics, and glass cases containing life
size wax figures of red men and wo
men engaged in every conceivable
pursuit of savage life. Almost ev
cry known tribe, except the Chero
kee, is there represented. Winneba
goes, Sioux, Blackfeet, Navajos, Alas
kan Indians and many others are il
evidence on every side, as large a
life and more ferocious looking thai
the originals.
The cabinets contain innumerabl
weapons of war, articles of clothing
household implements and specimen
of tribal art. Yet in all that vas
collection l did not find, after twt
DAYS of patient examination of cabi
nets and cases with the aid of off
Gals of the institution repeat,
could not find so much as one sinai
label marked with the word Chero
kee.
| came home and pondered. /
was only through recalling to min'
the hasty removal of the Cherokee
from their native land that coulC
find a reasonable cause for the tota
absence of Cherokee relics.
e horel por,,nIro1 h
the military of the United States l!
1888 will be given in a subsequen
number. Although the government
has since been at great pains to col
lect and preserve everything relatin!
to the native arts and handicraft 0
the tribe, the removal westward, hal
way across the continent, as sudde,
in its execution as the Israelitis
flight from Egypt, had allowed tn
driven people no chance to take wit
them any objects, however priced, be
yond the bare necessities of life. Still
another hindrance to the preservation
of Cherokee relics will be disclose
in telling the story of the removal.
Like other Indians, the Cherokee
were ignorant and superstition;
lHey nelu dDSuIu lucas CoIlCellll
the forces of nature, and believed i
sorcery, magic and spells, having n
religious convictions beyond their be
lief in Great. Good Spirit. How
ever, their dwellings of snugly-buiI
log huts were more comfortable tina
the tents and skin-covered wigwam
of other tribes. Moreover, from TIL
time of earliest contact with Euro
ueans it was observed that the Cherc
kee had an innate impulse towar
self-improvement No later than tn
year 1870 their king, Moytoy, wit
10000 warriors in council with 81
Alexander Cumming, agent for Kin
George II of England, pledged FRIEND
ship to King George, and immediate
ly dispatched the seven chiefs {
the seven Cherokee clans across tn
big water in an English vessel
visit the Great White Father in Lor