Evening star., 1942-05-09
Uncle Ruy's Corner
Nv RAMON COFFMAN.


A question about Indians appears
IN this letter:
Dear Uncle Ray:
IT am q reader Of your paper, and
am interested in your column. Will
YOU please answer the following
ouestion-how many Indian Ian
guages were spoken in Canada and
the United States when this con-
tinent was first discovered and
explored7
Respectfully yours,
JOSEPH GLADDEN."
It seems that in early times there
were Sc Language families" among
the American Indians north of
Mexico. Some Of the language fami-
hes no longer have any Indians who
speak them, but they existed in
early times.
I can give you names of certain
Of the dead Indian languages, .
but the names do not mean very
much. Two of them are "Esselen-
tAn" and "Karankawan."
The Iroquois language family still
remains important. So are the
Sioux. Algonquin and Athapascan
Dozens of tribes speak these Ian
guages today.
In one language family, there
may be many special languages or
dialects. There were, for example,
So kinds Of Sioux Indian tribes.
These included the Mandan, Grow,
Omaha, Kansa, Iowa. Winnebago,
Missouri, Biloxi and Catawaba
tribes.
Members of the Crow tribe spoke
. language very much like that of
the Mandan or Omaha, but not ex-
actly the same. A Missouri Indian
could understand most of the words
(but not alb spoken by an Iowa
Indian.
The AthapaScan language family
was most widespread of all Among
the tribes which had this language
were the Yellowknives, the Dogribs
the Hares, the Coquilles, the Tolo-
was, the Hupas, the Navahos and
the Apaches. The homelands of the
AthapaScan tribes covered much of
Central and Western Canada, also
much Of Alaska, Oregon, California,
Arizona. New Mexico and Utah.
Some lived in Washington, Kansas,
Texas and Northern Mexico.
Alabama and Georgia were for
merly the homes of many thou
sands of Creek Indians. They dwelt
along the banks of small streams or
creeks. and English settlers gave
them the name of Greeks"
The Greeks were made up of sew
eral tribs which joined together to
defend themselves against their
foes. Five thousand bold warriors
could be mustered, and they beat
back the attacks of the Iroquois.
If you had paid visit to Greek
village two centuries ago. you would
have been interested in their BLACK
drink" They called 1t "assi," and it
WAS made from small leaves taken
from . plant.
The leaves Of the ASST were first
roasted in a pot Water was added
and the liquid was allowed to boil
Then 1t was taken from the fire and
beaten until 1t was frothy.
The Creeks-especially the medi-
cine men-liked to drink this liquid.
1t might be compared with coffee or
tea, but it had stronger effect.
When a man drank it. he grew ner-
vous. Many medicine man won
fame by drinking a large amount.
Afterward he would yell and dance
30 wildly that people said Spirits"
must have taken hold of him.
The Seminoles of Florida and the
Catawabas Of Carolina also used the
black drink. To this day it Is still
made In . few places. and some
white persons have tested it.
Before the American Civil War.
some Of the Greeks owned negro
slaves. Together with their slaves,
they were moved to the Indian Ter
ritory, now Oklahoma
II you want = free copy Of the
illustrated leafiet Stamps and
Stamp Collecting" send me a s.
cent stamped. self addressed en-
velope in care Of The Evening
Star.
1~<A Rad
Read Uncle Ray in The Junior Star