Historical and statistical information respecting the history, condition, and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States

827 Pages·1854·53.598 MB·English

by  Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

ETHNOLOGICAL RESEARCHES,
KKSl>ECTIN(i
THE RED MAN OF AMERICA.
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HISTORY CONDITION AND PROSPECTS
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INFO U M A T N
1
Hr,«1'Kl'TIN(I TIIV.
UISIOUV, CONDITION AND PUOSPKCTS
INDIAN TJUBES OF THE UNITED STATES:
('••I,I,KCTi;I) AND I'ltKrAUKl) LNDKll TII lO DIUKCTION
OK TIIK
BUKEAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS,
1'i:It AIT 111' ((iNilltCSS (IF M.\ I!(II :ii>, IS17,
13V 1IKX]{V IJ. sen 00 LCHAFT, LL.D.
ILLUSTRATED B7 S. FHTMAN, CUPT. IJ. 8. A.
|hibliiiliri'i liij 5liit!joritij of €iini]rf03.
TART
IV.
rillLADELPIIIA:
1< I I> 1' 1 N C T i , V. U A M 15() .«t C () M P A N Y,
En
.
TO
FHANKIJN IMEKCK, KSg..
!•HES11)EXT OF TH K lN IT I-;I) STATKS.
Siii
III (li'ilicfitinjr tliis viilniiic (u yciii, liy tlio piitriarcliHl title of Kosinax. tlic
liijilii'Nt term known to tlio Ifxico^'riipliy of the Iiuliini trilx's li)r iKtIitical sovcrciiintv
null yot 11 word wliicli is intinmti-ly iiM^oriati'il. in tlicir niiml,-. willi all tli.' ol)ii;;alions
nnd I'lidcarnKiits of tin- fatlit>r of a family, I advert to tlio doulile tie liy which
the iihorigines re^.-'ard you as Uk' Fatiiimi or tiik I'nio.n.
It is hut little over three-fourths of a century since these trilnrs have liecn the
l>ecniiarehar;;e of American Kxeeutive and FiC^Mslative care. Too loeblo in themselves
toexert a [irudent or wise uh> of their [lower without lejial tutoraLM',yet Iiavin.i;' had,
at all |)c>rio(!s, larjre suiierlluous territories to cede and alienate, thereliy rising to the
rank of independoMt conummities, theyo-cupy an anonnilous |K)sition in our relations.
On the «.ne hand, lx>ing deemeii as wards ol' the government; anti, on the other, as
(/ii((si I'oreiLMi nations.
They haveoccupied this peculiar position from the daysof Washington. Nor have
the most timely and persevering en;>rts Injen wanting ^ > fullil these diverse duties
faithfully. Not only has the government directed its hest eflbrts to this end. I.ut
it has, from its inception experienced the full concurrent moral and Itcnevolent
induences of the community. Yet it must he acknowledged, on a review (.f the
whole period of ourpropimpiity to this race, that the means employed toelevate them
in the scale of nations haveoften measurably, andoften totally, failed.
This is not attributable, I apprehend, to the want of zeal, constancy, or faithfulness
in enforcingon the Indian mind the superiorityof our laws, arts, industry, or religion.
—There is rea.son to fear, thatwith everyell'ort to render themwiser, happier, and lietter
tosnatch them, as it Avere, from theirfate, and toexalt them to thegolden sunlight
(V)
DEDTfATTON.
rl
of civilizntion. li'ttevH, and riiristianity, we Iiiivc not. it is tobe fi-arod, wolconicd tliom
witli {\n) saini- live and i'i|iiul dH'iiswliicli are iiiadi' unreservedly to the rest of the
oiHnvssed liimily of mankind.
1 sliould not. 1 eoiifes.s. feel authorized toenntloy theseexpressions, if cireumstanccs
had nut jilaeed me in a position,on the frontiers, tojudgeof the race by a longperiod
of closeproximity and intimate relations. puMic and personal. I am persuaded, from
these ()I)servationson the man; from tlie operation of «uir laws on the frontieix; and
from liis mental liahits and idosyncraeies, that if lliere Ix? one leading measure more
tiian anyotiier, orall others, as[)iring to control liis destinies, whicli it is in ourpower
to hestow. it would be toextend the frame-woik of ourcode. ei\il and criminal, over
every organizetl foot of territory possessed by tiiem. The experience of mankind
tenches, in every latitude of the globe, that, to be elleetive, protection of theolKHlient
classesofsociety, as well as punishmentoftiievieitus, mustalike accompany thereign
of law; and thereisnoexception tol)e made. If 1 have madeany valuableobserva-
tions, in relation tothe Indian tribes or if there Ik- excej)tions, they are such as an
advanced stateofarts and letters recpiire; which make the concession ofprivileges and
iimiiuMities to them, meansof exaltation in the scale of civilization, rather than the
final rewaixlsof them.
Ihave the honortolie.
Most resi)ectfully,
Yourobedientservant,
IIknky R. Schoolcraft.
FOURTH UKPOUT.
WAsiiiNnroN, F. Sine/,Oct. 1, 1853.
Tothe lIo\. GKoiinE W. Manvpk.nxt,
(Jitmmi«Hi<m(:rofImJumAfairfi, Ikpartmenfofthe Interior.
Sm:
I liavo the honor to hiy bfloro 3011, to Iw Mibinittt'tl to the Department, the
following inibrniation, in continuation of thiit heretofore presented, ivspeetins tlie
Indian tribesof the United States, prepared inok-dienoe to thedirectionsof Congress.
It has been myobject in conducting this investigation, strictly to follow the obvious
meaningof theoriginal act, in its directandsimple intentions, bycollectingabody of
KiKMEXT.viJV ixroKMATioxOn the topic. Todothis, the subjecthasbeen systematically
divided, by sectional and diacritical marks (vide formula herewith.) in each volume,
thusconnecting kindred with kindred matter, and in this maimerpresentingthedata
collected, relative tothe history, statistics, languages, and otherleadingcharacteristics
of the tribes. The discussion itself has been placed on broad,yetdistinct grounds;
paperfollowingpaiwrin itsstrictnumerical and alphabetical order. Thesame topical
method hasIjeon pursued, in the materials nowsubmitted,avoidingtheories an.l specu-
lations, which have tended so much,on this prolific topic, to mislead judgment and
distort opinion.
FOURTH REPORT.
viii
Cc'iK'rnli/.ation on tin- .siilijcrt. to lie productive of practical or valuable result!', it is
conccivi'il. should lolk>\v iiii[)licitly tlic accumulation of tlic materials, and it is a lalH)r
tliat mav well Ik?deterred to a more matured state oi' the in((iiiry. Toenable this to
be done, complete tribal views are re(|uired of the whole pmnps or liimiliesol'triln's. in
llieirnnillifariousextent,from Minnesola to XewMexico,(.'aliibrnia,and OrV'ion. It IS
to Irilial, sectional, and characteristic details,thatwe must look fordistinctive views to
test theiriictual history and traits, as well as to determine their [iresentcoiulition and
prospects, and to intimate their opinions on life and futurity. On such data alont',
whateverbethere([nisition3ofasublimatedrationalistjihilosophy.forwhichchrouolo.iiy
is too short, and Christianity too simple, practical minds nuist rely for the iounddiness
ofthepolicy tobepursuedrespectiniithem. It iseminentlyapractical,notaspeculative
question; and upon this basis the anticipations of benevolence andeducation must also
rest. U,«eless is it,forthepresentgeneration to bemoan thefadingaway,and iterishing
of tribes, in the by-gone history of the country, if we are not prepared, by wiser or
better i>lans, founded on facts, to avert the fadingawM\' and perishingof trilws for the
future. The appropriatit)n oflarge.sumsofmoney annualh, in annuities to the trilu's.
without securing the highobjects forwhich political economy contends, and on which
humanityinsists,isbut aggravatingt]ie evil it professes tocure. Toexpectbarbarians
prudentlyto manage their luiances, and become political economists, is to look forwhat
never has,and neverwill hap[)en. We must notoidythinkforthem,but compel them
toact in accordancewith thedictatesof sound thought.
From full and free comnumication.s with the originatorsof this mea.sure, .such were
the viewsentertained by ('ongress. resjwcting the general (piestion, and touchingwhat
was recpiisite to I.)e done,toensure bctli'r results. We areourselveson the highwayto
national prosperity, foundedon ageographical aivawhichoncewas their.s. Wecannot
doubtthehonesty,orzeal, of efl'orts nuide fortheirreclamation, through a longcourse
oftime, bySpain, France, England, andAmerica; yet those elTorts, even from the days
of Las Casas, and the apostolic Eliot, have, it must beconfessed, proved acomparative
failure. There must, necessarily, ifwe incpiire closer into the subject, be .some miscon-
ceptionsormisapprehensions. Is America absolved from hergreat moral obligations
I
FOURTH REPORT.
ix
—
tothe aJjorigiiml race, by those laihircs iiiaik' in otiiertimes, and with far h>i.<imeans
ol" securinf,' trinni])hsV
I'hilosopliyhasilocinod the historyofthe Indiantril)es anenij^nia. There is nothing
to I'oiiiioi't it, liy any sohi-r chain of testimony, with theirorigin or resiih'nro in any
otiier partoftiieworld,ifweexcept i\u' little that philology, and perhaps inomimental
indicia, have contriiaited. Civilization was not satisfied, when these inipiiries were
ordered, that the characterand claims of the Indian trii)cs hail licen adeipiately })re-
—
sented. Education promised rewards to further exertions Arts, Agriculture, (.'hris-
tianity. were constant in assertingtlie practiealiilityoftheirreclamation. Should legis-
lation alone fail of its aims, orpersist in lines of policy, which the .roundest principles
of political economy lia<l exposed, ifmorality it.selfhad not condemned?
I cannot Ije mistaUen in these inii)rcssions. No misconci'ptionoftheolyectscontem-
— —
plated noinjusticeof allusion nomisai)prehensiou oftheellicacy and valueofthe
—
means pursued tocollect anil prejjare this information no want ofappreciationofthe
claimsof the trihes themselves, upon our public sympathies and attention, eitherlicro
orelsewhere, have, fora moment, diverted my attention from the object, orslackened
my zeal ordiligence in its prosecution. Tliere are persons in Anu'rlca who believe,
thatourduties to the nnenlightened aboriginal nations are overrated persons, whose
;
intellects or fancies are employed in the contemplation of complicated and obscure
—
theories of human origin, existence, and develoitment denying the very chronology
which binds man toGod, and links connnunities together bv indissoluble moralobliga-
tions. There are persons, unaccpiainted with their truecondition and character, who
wouldnot feelgreatsympathy,ifthewhole aboriginal race,tribeon trilx",were hurried
—
into perdition that which the false maxims and practices of the tribes strongly
threaten. With individuals of this mode of thiidiing, it is confes.sed we have few
predilections,believing thatwhateverourdutiesmaybetotherestofthe unenlightened
nations of the world, they are emphatically duotothe ignorant, benighted and erring
huntcr-tribt>s who are the subjectof the.se investigations.
Iwas notcontent,in undertakingthetaskofcollectingthe materialsofouraljoriginal
history,withthe—opportunitiesofmylongresidenceintheIndiancountry,andmyhaving
I'T. IV.