The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-03-13


According to Mr.. Fawke's report:
"The results, though sufficiently def
mite on a number of points, fail to
furnish satisfactory knowledge of the
nationality Of the former occupants.
1t is clear, however, that the people,
even if not of the same stocks as those
associated historically with the region,
did not differ greatly from them in
habits, customs or other features of
culture, and the occupancy was con-
fined apparently to single period
ending with the final expulsion of the
red man." 176 years ago.
At the beginning of the historic era
this section was within the territory
claimed and occupied by a sedentary
Iroquoian tribe known as the Erie or
Cat Nation The Jesuit Fathers called
the tribe Eriechronon, or Riqueronon,
signifying people of the panther
This nation, with allied tribes of
Hurons, inhabited the territory from
the Great Lakes to the Cumberland
river. The data for the history of the
Cat Nation are meager and fragmen-
tary. The Jesuit relations, however,
give Illuminating glimpses of them at
the time Of their habitation of the
Lake Erie region, their emigrations
and their last wars with the Iroquois
confederation. Indian tradition reveals
the probable fact that the Erie were
formerly branch of the Iroquois Ma
ton, but having incurred the bitter
hatred of neighboring tribes, they
were pursued everywhere and thought
to find security only by retreating to
the very end of the world, so to
speak" In this we have the explana-
ton of their migration, during the
first half of the fifteenth century, to
the lower Ohio, and to the north and
south branch river valleys.
For how many generations the Erie
dwelt here in peace we do not know
We read from the Jesuit relations of
1654-56 that 'the Ehriehronnons
which we call the Cat Nation because
Of the prodigious number of wildcats
in their country, two or three times as
large as our domestic cats, but of a
handsome and valuable fur It have
at the south and at the west a great
number of tribes that cultivate the
land and are entirely sedentary. i <
They have welI-peopled towns, stu
ated near each other"
Their towns and villages were scat
tered along the principal water
courses, where the fertile bottoms
were easily titled, and great herds of
deer and buffalo found rich pastur-
age.
The Iroquois, or adders, the confed-
Grafton known in history as the Five
Nations, comprising the Cayuga, Mo-
hawk, Oneida, Onondaga and Seneca
tribes, occupied the territory to the
east, The Iroquoian name for this
confederation was Ongwanonsionni, ;"
1--WE of the extended lodge" This con-
federation was formed about the year
1870, and made up what might cor
rectly be called the federal union of
the North American wilderness.
At the time of the formation of this
league the Five Nations occupied the
territory extending from the eastern
watershed of Lake Champlain to the
western watershed of the Genesee
river, and from the Adirondacks
southwark to the territory Of the
Conestoga,$ on the Ohio. The Iroquois,
feeling the strength of their united
power, began Immediately to make
war upon the allied tribes of the Neu-
trail Nation, sedentary people, made
up of many tribes, banded together
for protection against their common
enemies, and who had forty villages
or hamlets scattered along the banks
of the Niagara river.
According to the reckoning of the
Jesuit fathers, who made an attempt
to establish a mission among the Neu-
trail Nation in 1926, there was at least
twelve thousand souls in the whole
extent of the country, which relies
upon being still able to furnish four
thousand warriors, Notwithstanding
the war, famine and sickness which
for three years have been unusually
prevalent there."4
The Neutrals held their ground I'M
til after the coming of the Dutch,
from whom the Iroquois procured fire
arms. There was thus begun a new
ira of terror, years" said young
brave, ain which death follows US
everywhere, and is always before our
eyes" About the year 1643 the Neu-
trails were finally defeated, their vii
lagos burned, and their lands laid
waste. There are numerous theories,
most of which are based on Indian
tradition, regarding the surviving
remnant Of the Neutral Nation. The
most feasible and generally accepted
conjecture is that those who escaped
death or captivity migrated westward
and were united with the Erie, be-
coming part Of the implacable tribes
known to the Iroquois as Jego-sa-sa,
"the Cat Nation"