Milford chronicle., 1922-12-15

The Nanticoke Indian Association
held their first annual anniversary a
River Dale Park on THANKSGIVING Day
November 9Oth.
w. R. Clark, chief, made the address
of welcome. The first Thanksgiving
Day was held just 300 years ago, anC
o nthat day was the first meeting Of
the Indians and the white men. They
came together on that day in peace
On this Thanksgiving Day they have
once more come together in Indian
fashion, Out-Of-dOOrs, in peace, and in
the name of the Nanticoke Indian AS
ISOLATION, 1 welcome you all, both red
and white.
But we come together today not to
celebrate an event which happened
300 years ago, but one that is far more
important to us than that far off
Thanksgiving Day. One year ago to-
day due to the efforts of many of our
people, our race who has long fought
for unity among ourselves, the Nanti-
coke Indian Association, came into
being. For many years we have felt
the necessity of forming some sort of
a TRIBE organization whereby we
might be officially recognized as the
descendants of the Nanticoke Indians
who for so many years roamed these
lands. Today we have that Organiza-
ton.
Today the Nanticoke Indian Asso-
citation is reconized by the State of
Delaware, as an organization working
to develop it's social and tribel well
fare, also for their literary and moral
developments. During the past year
we have held meetings socially; we
have also had recognition from sew
eral social and scientific bodies from
Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
and New York. We have had commun-
ication from our Indian brothers from
Virginia, Maine, South Carolina and
Connecticut; some of whose delegates !
intended to be present today. We have |
Miss Tantaquidgeon, a delegate from
the Mohegan tribe, with us.
We, as the Association, have already |
taken action in behalf of our Indian |
brothers in New Mexico, in helping to |
defeat the outrageous Bursum Land
Bill. We are planning for ourselves to
improve our social and educational
condition and we want our fellow cit
liens of Delaware to know as descend
ents from the NanticOke, and to know /
that in us beats the same warm and \
sympathetic hearts, that greeted the
first white men that landed on the 1
shores of this continent. We want to
be known for what we are, as law
abiding God-fearing, respectable,
honest citizens of the State. With good
feeling to all, and malice toward none. t
And we hope in the future when re- (
ports are made that we may be rec s
Onized as an element in the population Y
Of our beloved county and State. We S
are pleased to have Miss Tantaquid- t
geon, DR.. F. G. Speck and others from L
distant places to visit us at this time e
and we welcome our guests and Y
friends most cordially. /
DR.. Frank G. Speck spoke of the his Il
tory Of the NanticOke Indians from 1
he time of their first discovery down S
% the present time. The account Of Y
Capt. John Smith, 1903, we hear for b
he first time of the tribe, then after A
| period of hostilies between 1641 and O
648, the NanticOkes are seldom men n
Toned. But by 1741 many of the Mary Ii
and Indians started on journey to Of
canada where they Joined the tribes Il
f the Six Nations there. The Indians 81
in Sussex country are the W
ffsprings of that part of the Tribe m
hat remained at home. h,
In 1893 Thomas Jefferson took an o;
interest in the Nanticokes, then re-
iding on ChOptank River, and he had M
DR.. Murray to visit them and take re
own their language after tracing the M
istOry of the Nanticokes and their VIC
lodern descendants. DR.. Speck spoke tiC
the other organization in the east he
nd how they were trying to pre- tn
srve their blood and traditions. He an
lentioned the debt the world owes to wi
lie American Indians. They were the m,
rst to give to the world such i'm of
1rtant articles as corn, tobacco, po- up