Chapter I: Front Matter

NOTES ON THE IROQUOIS:

OR, CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE

STATISTICS, ABORIGINAL HISTORY, ANTIQUITIES AND GENERAL ETHNOLOGY

OF

WESTERN NEW-YORK.

* * * * *

BY HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT,

Hon. Mem. of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, Copenhagen;
Hon. Mem. of the Royal Geographical Society of London; Vice-President
of the American Ethnological Society at New-York; Member of the
American Philosophical, of the American Antiquarian, and of the
American Geological Societies; Hon. Mem. of the New-York Historical,
of the Georgia Historical, and of the Rhode-Island Historical
Societies, &c., &c., &c.

* * * * *

NEW-YORK:
BARTLETT & WELFORD,
ASTOR HOUSE.

1846.

SENATE DOCUMENT, TWENTY-FOUR.

In giving a more permanent form to the original edition of this document, a more convenient reference title has been prefixed to it.

The aboriginal nation, whose statistics and history, past and present, are brought into discussion in the following report, stand out prominently in the foreground of our own history. They have sustained themselves, for more than three centuries and a half, against the intruding and progressive races of Europe. During the period of the planting of the colonies, their military exploits gave them a name and a reputation which are coeval with Europe. These events are intermingled, more or less, with the history of each of the colonies, and impart to them much of their interest. But while we have made an extraordinary progress in population and resources, and gone far to build up a nationality, and commenced a national literature, very little, if any, progress has been made in clearing up and narrowing the boundaries of historical mystery, which shroud the INDIAN PERIOD prior to 1492. This forms, indeed, the true period of American Ethnology.

It was a desideratum in American statistics, that a complete census of one of these primary stocks, who had lived in our neighborhood all this time, and still preserved their nationality, should be taken. This task New-York executed in 1845. It appeared desirable to the agent appointed to carry the act of the legislature, embracing this feature, into effect, that the opportunity should not be lost of making some notes of the kind here indicated; and it is in this feature, indeed, if any thing, in the report now presented, that it aspires to the character of research, though it be intended only to shadow forth outlines to be filled up hereafter.

_New-York, Feb. 7, 1846._

MEMORANDUM OF PAPERS.

Page.
Letter from the Secretary of State, laying the result of the
census before the Senate, 1

Statistical report, communicating the census returns, 3

Letter transmitting supplemental report on their past and
present history, 21

I. HISTORICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL MINUTES, 25
_a._ Sketch of the Iroquois Groups of Aboriginal Tribes, 25
_b._ Ethnological suggestions, 33
_c._ Indian Cosmogony, 36
_d._ Gleams of their ancient general history, 38

II. ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE IROQUOIS, AS A DISTINCT PEOPLE, 41
_a._ Mohawks, 43
_b._ Oneidas and the Oneida stone, (with three engravings,) 46
_c._ Onondagas, (with a figure,) 54
_d._ Cayugas, 57
_e._ Senecas and their origin, 59
_f._ Tuscaroras, and their flight from North Carolina, 64
_g._ Necariages, 69
_h._ St. Regis colony, 70

III. EPOCH AND PRINCIPLES OF THE IROQUOIS LEAGUE, 73
_a._ Considerations, 73
_b._ Era of the confederacy, 73
_c._ Principles of their government and Totemic Bond, 76
_d._ Ancient worship and system of astronomy, 85
_e._ Witchcraft, its theory and practical evils, 87
_f._ Wife’s right to property—limited nature of marriage
contract, 88

IV. ARCHÆOLOGY, 91
_a._ Vestiges of an ancient French fort in Lenox,
(with a plan,) 93
_b._ Ancient site of the Onondagas at Kasonda,
(with a sketch,) 96
_c._ Antiquities of Pompey, Camillus, &c., 103
_d._ Ancient fort of Osco at Auburn, (with a plan,) 106
_e._ Vestiges of an ancient elliptical work at Canandaigua,
(with an outline,) 109
_f._ Fort-Hill, Genesee county, (with a plan,) 111
_g._ Rock-citadel of Kienuka, in Niagara county,
(with a plan,) 116
_h._ Circular fort at Deoseowa, Erie county,
(with an outline,) 120

V. ANCIENT STATE OF INDIAN ART, 125

VI. RELICS OF ABORIGINAL ART IN WESTERN NEW-YORK, 133
Class 1. Nabikoagunä, [medals,] 134
Class 2. Medäekä, [amulets,] 137
Class 3. Attejegunä, [implements of art,] 139
Class 4. Opoagunä, [pipes,] 140
Class 5. Minäce, [beads,] 142
Class 6. Peägä, [wampums,] 143
Class 7. Mudwämina, [jingling dress ornaments,] 143
Class 8. Otoaugunä, [ear jewels,] 144
Class 9. Æs, [shells,] 144
Class 10. Ochalis, [nose jewels,] 145

VII. ORAL TRADITIONS OF THE IROQUOIS, HISTORICAL AND SYMBOLIC, 147
_a._ Ancient shipwreck of a vessel on the coast, 147
_b._ Forays into the Cherokee and Cataba country, 148
_c._ Exploit of Hiadeoni, 150
_d._ Seneca embassy of peace to the Cherokees, and exploit
of Awl, 153
_e._ Grave-yard serpent and corn giant 154
_f._ Allusion to the siege of Fort Stanwix and battle of
Oriskany, 155
_g._ Defeat of the Kah-Kwahs, 155
_h._ Epoch of the confederacy, 156
_i._ Some passages of their wars with monsters and giants, 156

VIII. TOPICAL INQUIRIES, 163
_a._ Who were the Eries? 164
_b._ Building of the first vessel on the upper lakes, 166
_c._ Who were the Alleghans? 168
_d._ War with the Kah-Kwahs and their retreat down the
Allegany, 176

IX. MISCELLANEOUS TRAITS, 181
_a._ Infant Atotarho, 181
_b._ Red Jacket and the Wyandot and Delaware claim to
supremacy, 182
_c._ Brant and the Buffalo church, 183
_d._ The county clerk and the wolf scalp, 184
_e._ Specimen of Iroquois picture writing, 132

X. MORAL AND SOCIAL CONDITION AND PROSPECTS, 185

ABSTRACT OF CENSUS RETURNS, 191

DEAF AND DUMB, IDIOTS, LUNATICS AND BLIND, 201