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Volume 3, Issue 3
Volume 3, Issue 3
September 2007
T H E R E G IO N ’ S A R C H A E O L OG I C A L , C U L T U R A L A N D H I S TO R I C A L R E S O U R C E INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Studying Wampum
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Before Sullivan Marched Part 2
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Spanish Hill Presentation
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4th Drumbeats & Bus Tour!
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Sloat Family Donates Collection
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New Spanish Hill Book
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SRAC Around the Community
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Our First Home
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Coming Events
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Check Your Sources (Editorial)
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SRAC Crossword Puzzle
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SRAC Visit to NYS Museum
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Membership Form
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to plans Make aturday, S spend r 13, 2007 e b o t c ts O mbea at Dru Time & h g Throu l BUS specia e page 8 ! Se TOUR ore info! for m
S T U DY I N G W A M P U M : A V I S I T T O T H E O N E I DA INDI AN N AT ION BY M A RSH A LL B E CK E R, P HD During the winter of 1674-5 members of the Five Nations Iroquois made their most disastrous raid into Pennsylvania. Ever since they destroyed the Erie, around 1653, they had been battering the Susquehannock. With the complicity of the Maryland colonists, who coveted the lands to their north, the Five Nations scattered the Susquehannock Confederacy and left all of central Pennsylvania wide open. Some of these Susquehannock took refuge among the Lenape, who protected their autonomy in exile. These Susquehannock may have returned home in 1699. In 1700 the Five Nations Iroquois demanded a visit from the Lenape, who had sheltered one remnant of the Susquehannock Indian confederacy. The reasons are unclear, but we know that after a ten year delay the Lenape organized an expedition to the Five Nations. The party was led by the young Sassoonan (Allumapees), and they brought with them four belts and a number of strings of wampum. This Lenape delegation
Marshall Becker examines wampum belt stopped first to treaty with the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania, and to show (Continued on page 2)
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE SULLIVAN MARCHED PART 2 BY DICK COWLES
• Our Vision The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies (S.R.A.C.) is dedicated to education, research and preservation of the Native American archaeological, cultural and historical assets of the Twin Tier Region of Northeastern PA and Southern NY.
By the spring of 1778 all of the known Tories had left the Wyoming valley, but their raiding along the entire Pennsylvania frontier, although continuous, had not been effective in driving back the remaining settlers, or even slowing their steady migration. Frustrated by the virtual stalemate, the British commanders at Ft. Niagara made plans for a decisive campaign down the Susquehanna to clear out the entire Wyoming area. Colonel John Butler was placed in command of 450 Tory Ranger and 800 Seneca Warriors under chief Kayingwaurto. This sizeable expedition ren-
dezvoused at the head of the Canisteo River where they made dozens of dug out canoes and proceeded down to Tioga and Queen Esthers Town. Here they picked up many Seneca warriors including Gencho, the only child of Queen Esther by her Seneca husband Egohund. Gencho had recently arrived at manhood and was being groomed to be a chief. This would be his first battle, his initiation as a warrior and his mother decided to join the expedition more as a spectator than a participant or a leader. (Continued on page 2)
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Volume 3, Issue 3
STUDYING WAMPUM: A V I S I T (Continued from page 1)
them the belts and recite the orations that accompanied these important pieces that would be presented to the Five Nations. They wanted the Council to understand that this was a peaceful mission that was being undertaken. Nearly 300 years later another Lenape made a parallel trip, but a very special trip to see the wampum bands held by the Oneida Indian Nation, Inc. The arrangements took only a few months, rather than ten years, and the travel time was a leisurely two days rather than two months. As the Lenape who made the trip this time around, I can truthfully say that the results were equally successful. There are three central questions we can ask about each of the approximately 300 surviving bands of wampum. First, who made it; second, to whom was it given (presented); third, why was this “belt” presented. We now know that wampum bands (and strings) made for diplomatic purposes, commonly called “belts” in English and collier in French, were the most common
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type of wampum. Diplomatic belts are only one category of bands that features a panel of wampum beads, but they had elaborate protocols for their use. Another type of wampum band was used only within the Catholic convert communities. These “ecclesiastical” bands were made for presentation to other groups within the Catholic Church, being presented as “calls” made to the faithful. We often know who produced ecclesiastical belts and to whom they were presented because the missionaries involved in their fabrication recorded these events, and the recipients often made note of their receipt. A third category of wampum includes ornamental or decorative bands of wampum (“personal” wampum) made and used within the same tribe. These generally remained among their makers, but some may have been given as personal gifts to people outside the community. The Five Nations of the League of the Iroquois formed the center of the Core Area of wampum use. Within the League the Oneida people generated,
HAPPENED BEFORE
(Continued from page 1)
The Wyoming settlers had by this time become aware of an army moving towards them, but did not know how large. So, they dispatched a runner to Stroudsburg, the nearest source of help, and started working frantically day and night strengthening their defenses. There were several, so called forts in the area but only two of them were strong enough to be of any use holding off a large attacking force. One of these had the strange name Forty Fort. It was on the west side of
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presented and received enormous numbers of diplomatic wampum bands, generally called “belts.” Most of those received by the Oneida may have been held at Onondaga, where the Moravians Charles Frederick and David Zeisberger were resident in 1754 into 1755 to learn the language. During that period of the mid-eighteenth century the “Six Nations Council at Onondaga had custody of a ‘whole pile’ of wampum belts” that were temporarily in the cabin occupied by the two Moravian brethren. Although most of the diplomatic belts may have been held at Onondaga, condolence wampum, wampum used in ornamentation, and any possible ritual items would have been held at various Oneida and other villages. Also of note is the fact that very few examples of wampum now can be found within the Core Area of wampum use. Thankfully, the Oneida are actively interested in gathering and preserving any examples of these now rare items, and in understanding how, when, and by whom they were used. (Continued on page 3)
PART 2
the river across from present day WilkesBarre and here they decided to make their stand. So it was here they feverishly strengthened their stockade and collected all of their guns, ammunition and supplies. The first shots were fired at a skirmish a few miles up stream where a small group of farmers had insisted, against wiser advice, on doing some last minute crop tending. A party of Butler's Indian scouts stalked and killed several of them, and when a mounted party later went out to recover the bodies they, in turn, found and killed two young Indians. One of
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them was shot in the river, the other was killed on land, and it was on him they took out all of their vengeance, scalping him and mutilating his body. He was Gencho, Queen Esther’s only son. A short time afterward Queen Esther discovered her son's mutilated body. The young man in whom she and Echohund had invested their most cherished hopes lay dead, before her unbelieving eyes, his mutilated body dishonored. What happened next is part of what is one of the more intense of many ongoing debates to come out of the revolutionary war. During the next two days the raiders captured three of the smaller outlying forts without a fight and burned and (Continued on page 4)
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
STUDYING WAMPUM: A V I S I T (Continued from page 2)
Since every small bit of data helps us to understand the general issues relating to wampum, I recently made a study trip with Deb Twigg to examine the two wampum cuffs held by the Oneida Indian Nation, Inc. (OIN). The results of this specific piece of research, which included making note of two important belts also owned by the Oneida, deserves to be shared with all people interested in the Oneida as well as the general subject of wampum. Anyone interested in any of the kinds of objects made by Native American peoples, especially objects that continue to be of importance in understanding our shared history, will be pleased to know what was learned. The four bands of wampum that we observed in June 2007 were purchased by the OIN during the 1990s, in two separate transactions. The cuffs now held by the OIN had first been reported by Beauchamp in 1898. “ In 1895 S. H. Goodwin sent the writer three small belts for examination, which he had from near the Georgian bay [sic], Canada. Fig. 254 shows one of these, being an ordinary belt of seven rows, having five rows [slashes] of white beads arranged diagonally on the dark ground. The others were of unusual form, an expanding basket shape, broad at the top. Fig. 169 shows one of these [that is] 28 rows deep, having five open white diamonds on a dark ground. Fig. 170 is of the same general form, and is 27
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rows deep. It has nine open squares of white beads arranged diagonally. The foundation of both is of twine.” (Beauchamp 1901: 426) The caption for Beauchamp’s Plate 23: fig. 254 identifies the long band with five slashes as an “Ordinary belt of seven rows from near Georgian bay, Canada.” Beauchamp (1901) illustrated these two cuffs, and many of the other items that he identified, with drawings rather than photographs. After the 1901 publication, these cuffs and the related belt that came from Georgian Bay with them disappeared from public view. Recently these two cuffs “re-emerged” together with the long, 7-row, five slash dark wampum belt that had been secured in Canada by Goodwin. In 2005 the cuffs were prominently featured in a section of the website of the Oneida Indian Nation under the heading "Wampum at the Shakowi Cultural Center." The Center is located ca. 35 miles (50km) east of Syracuse, NY. By January of 2007 an even more detailed photograph of these cuffs was posted on this website (www.oneidanation.net/culture/wampum.html) allowing for better descriptions to be made. Dr. Anthony Wonderley, then the Tribal Historian, put me in touch
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with Brian Patterson (Bear Clan Representative to the Tribal Council, OIN and recently elected President of the United South and Eastern Tribes) to make arrangements to have access to their collections specifically for research on wampum. Mr. Patterson kindly made all the necessary arrangements for this study to be conducted for the purpose of scholarly publication. In addition, copies of all relevant documents were generously provided by the OIN for this research. One of the two most important pieces of information learned from studying the Oneida wampum concerns their origins. What I had called The “Beauchamp Cuffs” are now known to have come from near Georgian Bay, Canada ca. 1895. This region, once home of the Wendat (Huron), strongly suggests that they were made by the Wendat, most of whom were long gone from the area by 1895. Groups of Wendat who did not leave may have retained these bands. The possibility that in 1895 these bands were in the hands of members of another culture is possible, but more likely they were held by traditionalists among the Wendat, who now are recognized as the only makers of this category of wampum band. The second important finding is that both cuffs at Oneida include only
Oneida-Goodwin-Beauchamp Wampum Cuffs (Continued on page 6)
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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plundered outlying farms. Inside Forty Fort there were almost continual arguments about whether to march out and engage the enemy or to wait for the hoped for relief column. Nobody realized they were outnumbered three to one. The senior officers generally advised caution and waiting but the younger ones were chaffing for a fight. Finally, after some taunting charges of cowardice the officers agreed to fight and they sallied forth in good marching order. A lot of interesting history has been written about the tactics and the progress of the battle but it all can be summed up in a short sentence: They marched straight into a classic ambush. The first volley was a total surprise and took a heavy toll, particularly among the officers. John Butler's hidden crescent shaped line not only had the marchers outnumbered, it also had them partly flanked before the fight even began, and it steadily closed around them as the battle progressed. The marchers fought bravely and with cool determination for a considerable time but when they finally realized they were being surrounded they broke and ran in panic. Most were run down and killed as they fled. A few were captured alive and held as prisoners. Less than a hundred made it back to Forty Fort. Most of the officers were killed. By a twist of fate, one of the casualties of the battle is now known by historians to have been one of the Paxton Gang. Later that day fourteen of the captives were brought to a spot along the riverbank where the bank drops steeply about fifteen feet to the flood plain. Here also is a large oval shaped flat rock setting near the bank. The rock,
a little larger than the average coffee table, is still there today known as Queen Ester's rock. One of the fourteen prisoners was named Lebius Hammond and another was named Joseph Elliot. Lebius Hammond tells that small groups of the captives were forced to kneel with their heads on the rock while Queen Ester, still crazed by the death and dishonoring of Gencho, carried out her vows of vengeance. She personally executed them, one at a time, by smashing their skulls with a large war club. Lebius Hammond's version of the story goes on to say that he and Elliot were at the rock together and were about to become the last two victims. He noticed that whenever Queen Ester was poised with the war club high over her head, the Indians seemed to become transfixed by all of the gore, the sheer drama of the event and the anticipation of the coming blow. He whispered to Elliot, "When she gets that club over my head, lets bolt and try to get out of here." With cool nerves, precise timing and a surge of fear driven strength, that is exactly what they did and in an instant they were both free, running desperately for their lives down the steep bank and into the woods in the lower flats. After a few minutes of desperate sprinting they separated. Elliot
headed for the river and Lebius kept on a path through the woods. Then he tripped and fell headlong down a low bank into a tangled mass of brambles and brush. His thoughts at the time were that surely he would now be caught and killed, but to his surprise his pursuers ran on by him and he was able to remain hidden until darkness allowed him to make his way back to Forty Fort. Elliot in the meantime made it to the river and, being a strong swimmer, was able to make it out into the main stream before his pursuers started firing. Then by swimming under water as much as possible he avoided all but one of their shots. That one hit him just below his right shoulder and disabled his right arm. Although painfully wounded he was still able to swim on his back and keep going until he reached safety on the far shore. Once on land he stopped his bleeding by stuffing moss into his wound and made his way cautiously back to Forty Fort. There is an opposing side to this story told by all of my Indian friends, both Delaware and Seneca. They insist that Queen Ester was much too refined and gentle a person to have ever taken part in such a brutal orgy (Continued on page 5)
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
WHAT HAPPENED PART 2 CONT.
BEFORE
(Continued from page 4)
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of human slaughter. They are familiar with similar versions of this story which are told in virtually all of the white history books, and which are all deeply hurtful and disturbing to them. They further point out that the executioner was described as a very tall muscular woman and Queen Ester, although tall and regal, was refined and slight of build. They also point out that she would have still been in mourning at this time and unable to take part in any such public display. My final comments will be based on another episode still to come, and so must wait until then. On the 4th of July 1778 Colonel Butler demanded the surrender of Forty Fort and all of its guns, ammunition and other military supplies. He promised to protect the lives of the survivors in hIe fort providing they would, in turn, sign a sworn statement that they would never again raise arms against the king. He refused to promise to protect any of their property. They, of course, had little confidence in his promises. They were the kind routinely demanded in all similar situations, and history records they were just as routinely broken. But they had no option, and after some token attempts at negotiation they accepted his terms with only slim hopes that he would keep his promise about their personal safety. The Indians of course were flush with victory and wanted more bounty from scalps and prisoners. Butler, however, was able to persuade them that if they wanted any more help from the king they would have to obey his orders. There are many stories of atrocities after the surrender of the fort but most historians today believe them to be exaggerations, amplified by every retelling. There was plunder on a grand scale, as was standard practice by all sides in warfare at that time. The Indians and Butlers Rangers both took part in the looting, and everything of value was either carried away or burned. The owners watched helplessly as their most prized possessions were carried away, often demanded and physically removed from the wearer. Finally the buildings and crops were all burned and destroyed. When all of the looting, burning and destroying was finished, Butler and his army headed back to Niagara, confident they had at last taught the rebels that their
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cause was doomed, and their only safety lay in leaving the Wyoming valley forever. The survivors, stunned by the overwhelming loss of so many husbands, sons and fathers were now homeless, without food and with only the clothes on their back. Many of them were too elderly, sick or wounded to consider the sixty-mile trail over rough, mountainous wilderness to Stroudsburg. But there was no alternative. Most of them banded together, and only a few of the weakest perished on the trail. Among the survivors was a twelve-year-old girl named Mary Whittakar. She and her father had moved to Wyoming from Minisink, only a few years earlier and they both made it back to Stroudsburg and Minisink. Mary insisted for the rest of her life that Joseph Brant had saved her life while the Indians were pillaging inside the fort. All of the set-
tlers were cowering in corners, expecting to be killed when Joseph Brant held her up by her hair with one hand while he painted her face red with the other. "That will save you," Brant told her. However, Mary was mistaken. Joseph Brant was never at Wyoming that summer. He was known, beyond all question, to have been 70 miles away with his Mohawks at Oquaga. Probably, the Indian chief who painted her face red was Kayingwaurto, the Seneca Chief. Furthermore, a thoughtful reconstruction of the scene leads to the following set of reasonable conclusions. Mary was probably not the only girl to have her face painted red by the Indian chieftain and the painting was almost certainly done in plain sight of all the other frightened survivors in the fort. So Mary's mistaken identification of Joseph (Continued on page 7)
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
STUDYING WAMPUM: A V I S I T (Continued from page 3)
wampum beads. No glass beads have been used in their construction, either intentionally or accidentally. This suggests that they were not purely decorative. Decorative wampum bands may include glass and/or brass or copper beads as part of the construction. Wampum bands used in diplomatic contexts have only pure wampum beads, although an accidental inclusion may appear from time to time. This leads me to believe that wampum cuffs may have been official badges of office, worn only as coat cuffs or gauntlets by ritual or political leaders among the Wendat. We believe that wampum cuffs were made and used only by the Wendat, but diplomatic belts generally were made for presentation. Although the cuffs probably were made by the Wen-
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dat, the long band appears to be typical belt made for formal presentation (“prestation”) at a diplomatic meeting, or treaty. If the five-slash belt from Georgian Bay was “held” by the Wendat, and is of the size generally used for significant requests made at treaties, it most probably had been made and given to them by one of the Five Nations Iroquois or by a colonial government. The important question is now - who made and presented this belt?
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match the description with a known band.
We continue our studies of wampum as an important part of understanding Oneida cultural history, and the history of each of the many cultures that interacted in interesting ways within the area that forms the present State of New York. Our slow progress towards answering some of our questions depends on the co-operation of many people. The generous cooperation and shared interest of Brian Patterson and Over the years I have found that very the Oneida Indian Nation in pursuing few of the hundreds of diplomatic belts these goals and in furthering wampum that are mentioned in treaty minutes research is deeply appreciated. are described well enough to allow us to match a surviving belt to a specific event. Most are noted only as “A Belt” to indicate that a belt had been presented at that point. The few belts that are described at all are noted only as “A Large Belt” or as “A Belt of Seven Rows.” The two belts now held by the Oneida Indian Nation are of a size that could be called “medium.” In the many surviving documents such belts are usually noted only at the end of a statement or request, where the scribe notes “A Belt” to indicate that the particular speaker at the treaty has made the presentation. A “small” belt is sometimes noted in association with a minor request, and a “large” belt may be noted after a very significant request has been made. In almost all cases the design elements, if any, are Marshall Joseph Becker, Ph D is an not described. Only in exceptional SRAC Advisory Board Member and a cases do we have a record that allows Senior Fellow in Anthropology at the us to know what the belt really looked University of Pennsylvania. like, and in even fewer cases can we 25 July 2007.
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SRAC is sponsoring a presentation by Ted Keir and Deb Twigg, on Sunday September 23rd at 3 pm at the Waverly Opera House in Waverly, NY. At 3pm, Twigg will give a one hour presentation concerning her ongoing research on Spanish Hill, and Keir will be on hand displaying actual artifacts found at Spanish Hill and the surrounding area. This presentation is great for young and old alike and is free to the public. Twigg will also offer a book signing for her new book " Spanish Hill and Carantouan: The History, the People, and the Politics." This book is a follow-up to her "Carantouan" booklet and the 2005 article in the Pennsylvania Archaeologist on Spanish Hill.
Deb Twigg and Ted Keir
Donations to SRAC will be gratefully accepted and will go to support their new building on Broad Street Waverly, NY. To learn more, visit www.sracenter.org. The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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gain a lot or extra PR if Queen Ester played the staring role?
gress lost some of its interest. The costs were too high and the difficulties Brant as the Chief who saved her from of such a large wilderness campaign death or captivity was not just her mis- So, is it time to rewrite history? Strong too uncertain. Then in November of arguments and equally strong passions that same year the Tories and Indians take; it was almost certainly the commonly held belief of all of her compan- still rail to provide an objective jury with struck again. This time at Cherry Valley a convincing answer to that haunting ions in the fort. in New York, led by Captain Walter drumbeat from our past. Butler and Joseph Brant. This time The following year, however, Joseph there were more civilian casualties, Brant and his Mohawks did raid Minis- But there is another drumbeat from our most of them carried out by Butlers ink and burned and destroyed all of the past which is becoming clearer as I Rangers. Congress was turned on buildings and property. This time, Mary, grow older. It is a patiently relentless again and Washington soon appointed now thirteen, hid with others in a potato drumbeat telling me that those ConMajor General John Sullivan to comnecticut settlers had no business being hole over which boards had been mand the campaign. To guarantee sucin Wyoming in the first place. Only a placed. She remembered being close cess he authorized one third of his engeneration earlier, it had been given to tire regular army, over 5,500 men, orenough to have touched the Indian's the Delaware people on the promise feet as they stood talking on the ganized in four regiments; one each that; if they would leave their ancestral from Pennsylvania, New York, New boards, but, fortunately, they never homelands along the Delaware, they looked under the boards. Jersey and Massachusetts. Each comcould have the Wyoming Valley for manded by their own Brigadier GenEighty-eight years latter Mary's great their new permanent homeland. So, if eral. great granddaughter, Marrietta Doan, some internet hacker ever manages to married a great grandson or Lebius reach PearlyGates.com, I've got an e- There were several other reasons motiHammond; a young man named Jeffery mail standing by for Grandfather vating Congress to approve the camSly. Hammond that's even more urgent paign, and debating the relative importhan the Queen Ester question. "Dear tance of those various reasons is an I remember Marrietta Doan Sly. She Grandpa Hammond, now that you have ever-popular pastime among historians and Jeffery were my great-grand parlived for a while in a plane where the and reenactors. I am personally conents. level or enlightenment and understand- vinced that, without the powerful stimuli ing is so much higher, can you explain of the Wyoming Valley and Cherry ValSo that makes Lebius Hammond my what happened, almost universally, in ley massacres, all of the other reasons great-grandfather's great-grandfather, the minds and consciences or all or the combined would not have been suffiand Mary Whittakar my firth greatthousands or your friends and cient for Congress to have approved grandmother. You can be absolutely neighbors that allowed all or you to, 'Do the necessary funds and manpower to certain that through all or those generaunto the Indians as you would NOT like carry out the campaign. tions there has never been any doubt them to do unto you."' that Grandpa Hammond told the truth about his escape from Queen Ester. I nurture the hope that such a question After all, he and Elliot were the only two would not embarrass Grandpa white people known to have witnessed Hammond. In fact I nurture the further that show and live to tell about it. Some hope that his answer might start out histories point out that they both proba- with, "I thought you'd never ask." bly knew Queen Ester because she was known to have come to Wyoming One or the final outcomes or the Wyoto trade. Yet, on the other hand, they ming Valley massacre was the loud both also reported that the body and and continuous demand for the Contirace of the woman executioner was nental Congress to authorize a counter heavily painted with all kinds or weird invasion or the Iroquois League, large garish designs. We know Grandma enough to stop forever those frontier Whittakar, and probably all or her com- raids. Congresses' reaction was, at panions, were mistaken about the iden- first, favorable and Washington was tity or Joseph Brant. Could Grandpa officially instructed to start plans for a Hammond and Elliot have been equally major campaitn starting the following mistaken about Queen Ester? After all, spring. There was even some discusif they had even heard a suggestion sion about a winter campaign, but that that this gruesome apparition or a was quickly dropped because of insuffiwoman might have been Queen Ester, cient time for all of the necessary planMr. Dick Cowles, SRAC CoDirector wouldn't they have been quick to adopt ning, organizing and procurement of of Archaeology/Curation such a rumor? Their story would indeed supplies. During that fall, however, con(Continued from page 5)
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
4 T H A N N UA L D RU M B E AT S T H RO U G H T I M E & B U S T O U R ! SRAC's 4th annual "Drumbeats Through Time" is just around the corner and this year we’ve included a bus tour! This year SRAC members are invited to a special sneak peak at some of the latest donated items. The doors will open for SRAC members only at 9:00 a.m. During this private session there will be refreshments and a meeting for members to talk with the board, ask questions, offer ideas, give feedback, and for us to tell you some of the things we are working on. This is also a chance for our members to get to know other like-minded people in our community. Members are encouraged to bring a friend to join SRAC, and to participate in this exclusive portion of our annual event. If you are not a member and want to be a part of this special preview, join now with the form on the back of this newsletter or just come on October 13th and join at the door. We look forward to seeing many of you there! The doors open at 11:00 a.m. for the general public. We’re excited about the many artifacts that will makeup our museum this year. In addition to several private collections, SRAC will have the privilege of sharing some of the recently donated items in our collection. As usual, we will include new and different local collections that are always the most popular draw for our event! Do you have a collection that is from our region you would like to show at our event? Contact Ted Keir at 570-888-2718! We’re also excited about the presentations this year. This year we will have some familiar faces presenting, like our own Ted Keir, and some new faces like Ralph Rataul, NYS Archaeology Collections who will present "Caretakers of New York State History - The Role of the NYS Museum.” We met Ralph at a recent visit to the NYS Museum in Albany, and he’s quite an interesting fellow. We think you’ll enjoy him as much as we did. The speakers will end with our good friend and local expert on the topic, Earl Robinson giving a presentation explaining the points of interest concerning the events that led up to and included Sullivan's March through our region in 1779. Afterward, Earl Robinson will be your guide for a tour relative to Sullivan’s March, taking us to see where the events occurred. The buses will board at 2:45 p.m. and follow the route Sullivan traveled, taking riders from Queen Ester’s Flats to Newtown Battlefield. Tickets for the tour are $8.00 for SRAC members and senior citizens, $10.00 for general public. Not a member? Join now! Go to http://www.sracenter.org/Join/
S L OAT F AM I LY D O N AT E S CO L L E C T I O N Special thanks goes out to Sam and Barbie Sloat of Milltown, PA for donating two frames of fine points as well as several unframed miscellaneous points and one broken pestle from Cayuta Creek in Sayre, site number 36BR20. This is SRAC's fourth official donation. This is another welcomed donation made in the effort to preserve the evidence of our local history. The frames will be forever noted as the "Sloat Collection" within the SRAC collection.
Framed points from the newly acquired Sloat Collection
N E W S PA N I S H H I L L B O O K A VA I L A B L E S E P T E M B E R 2 3 Deb Twigg has just completed the latest volume of her research concerning Spanish Hill, called “Spanish Hill and Carantouan: the History, the People, and the Politics.” This book covers the people and events that have affected our local history. Over 100 pages of actual documentation and little known facts that make it a must read for anyone wanting to know the Spanish Hill story and our rich local history. The book will be available beginning September 23 at 3pm, when Twigg will offer a book signing at her presentation at the Waverly Opera House. To order the book online go to www.SRACenter.org/store/. All proceeds benefit SRAC. The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
SRAC ARO UND
THE
COMMUNITY
It has been a very busy summer for those of us on the SRAC Board! Many of you may have seen us at the Sayre Farmer’s Market this summer. We also had a booth at many special events like Arts in the Park, the Newtown Battlefield Reenactment, and others. We continue to make new friends and we are grateful for the all of the positive feedback and support from the community we’re so proud to be a part of!
Deb talks with John Borits after her recent presentation “The Mystery of the Blue Amulet”
New friends and participants at the Newtown Battlefield Reenactment. Inga Welles, Mark Madill, and Tom Valilee at a recent Bradford County Andaste Chapter meeting in Burlington, PA
Ted and Dick at the Newtown Battlefield Reenactment
Deb and Marcia Cowles share a moment after “The Mystery of the Blue Amulet” presentation
Jessica, Dick, and Marcia at the Corning Historical Society Wingblinger Event
Who’s that dashing fellow in the bonnet? Proof that SRAC has fun!
Deb speaks to a group at the Waverly Methodist Church on her favorite topic, Spanish Hill.
Inga and Susan on an day in the SRAC booth
Jessica Quinn talks with a visitor at one of our summer events.
SRAC traveling mini-museum. Dick and Ted bear the heat at an event. The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
OUR FIRST HOME Over the past two years, SRAC has been trying to raise funds towards one goal. A place that we can call home. We’ve found it at 345 Broad St. in Waverly! While many of you have come to see us at local events in many different places, what you do not see is all of the thousands of artifacts and rare books and documents we cannot share in that type of venue. Without a building we cannot provide the services that we envision for our communities . Our Education and Research Center will be dedicated to providing regional history and archaeological evidence that begins as early as the first hunters who entered this area hunting such animals as the great elk and wooly mammoth. It will house artifacts from hundreds to thousands of years old; and Future Home of the Susquehanna River Archaeological Cenwith the right funding, one day may even house a locally unter of Native Indian Studies covered wooly mammoth skeleton. We hope to provide classes for children and adults in not only scientific and his- other section, we see our collections on display with people torical topics, but cultural topics as well. from miles around saying "I never knew…" SRAC will open its doors to professionals and students of archaeology to allow them to use our artifacts and library to continue research that is relative to this region. We’re planning a monthly lecture series, a kid's club, field trips and workshops for young and old alike. As you can see, the Center will be a place of activity. Not only will it be a place where tourists will want to stop, but it will also be a place for our communities to use for educational and cultural purposes. Phase 1 - Initially, we will have a small museum, a gift shop and visitor center, and a lecture workshop area on the main floor. As you can see in the picture from a few months ago, while the merchandise from the last business was still on the floor, the area will be more than adequate for our initial needs; but it will take a lot of work and expense to get it ready to open. Yet amidst the rubble we will need to clean up, the walls we will need to paint, and a floor we will need to fix, we already envision interactive learning workshops with kids of all ages, sleeves rolled up, making pottery or carving soapstone sculptures... we hear music filling the air from a Native Indian musician brought in to teach us about this music; and in an-
These are indeed exciting times for not only SRAC, but for our community as well. After all, this is OUR history that we all should take pride in. How can you be a part and/or help support this effort? There are many ways that you can help. Here are just a few: • Join SRAC by using the form on the back of this newsletter • Volunteer to help us with cleaning, painting, or other jobs as we get the building ready • Donate funds to help get this building ready • If you are a contractor, donate labor to help us get our bathrooms and lighting set up • If you are a business that sells items we may need, donate fixtures, flooring, building materials, etc SRAC is a nonprofit and materials and monetary donations are tax deductible. For questions or more information about how you can be a part, please visit us at www.sracenter.org, call us at 607727-3111, or email us at info@sracenter.org. You may also send mail to SRAC, PO Box 12, Sayre, PA 18840.
COMING EVENTS Thursday, September 20 (begins noon) Roots of Peacemaking: Indigenous Values, Global Crisis, An International Day of Peace at the birthplace of democracy day-long program at Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool, NY. It is free with a Waters Ceremony by Taiko Drummer Koji Kakamura from the Miho Museum in Japan leading everyone to the lake, followed by all kinds of featured speakers. http://rootsofpeacemaking.syr.edu/ Saturday, September 22 (11am – 6pm) Tutelo Homecoming Festival welcoming Cayuga, Tutelo, Saponi, and kindred Indian Nations at Tutelo Park, Bostwick Road, off
13A, west of Ithaca. Contact Audrey Cooper ajc39@cornell.edu or 607-272-2292, ext. 135. Sunday, September 23 (3pm) Spanish Hill Presentation at the Waverly Opera House. Deb Twigg will present an hour long discussion, followed byTed Keir displaying and discussing artifacts found at Spanish Hill. For more information go to http://www.spanishhill.com/Operahouse.htm Saturday, October 13 (9am – 4pm) 4th Annual Drumbeats Through Time. The largest collection of local native Indian artifacts in one location, special member’s only activities 911am, followed by speakers and a bus tour.
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
CHECK YOUR SOURCES -
AN
EDITORIAL
BY
DEB TWIGG
Recently, I read a news article from Kansas about a Malcolm Webber, aka Grand Council Chief Thundercloud IV – selfdeclared chief of the non-existent “Kaweah” Indian Nation.
about Native Americans, their history, and their beliefs.
Reports state that Webber claimed to be born in Oklahoma to Sioux-Cherokee parents. When investigated, the Bureau of Indian Affairs found his birth certificate stated that he was actually born in Maine to non-Indian parents and could find nothing to substantiate his claim of Indian ancestry.
Honestly, I am part Dutch, and I have never considered myself knowledgeable of Dutch customs, history or beliefs just because I have Dutch blood, (or think I do.) Instead I would have to have to be a student of it; because even though my grand parents had tons of wooden shoes and those cute little porcelain kissing Dutch kids, it still wouldn’t make me feel as though I could teach anyone anything about them. And I certainly don’t use any of it to define who I am.
If this sounds outlandish and that the people he fooled must have been fools too, you are wrong… A gentleman claiming to be Chief Lightfoot Talking Eagle, a graduate of Yale and thought to be the last Susquehannock alive in the 1960's, but later rebuked, made the following statements in an article in the Evening Times in July, 1966: "The following information may be helpful to you and your associates n your efforts to save the Susquehannock Bear Clan Peace Temple prayer mound, mistakenly called "Spanish Hill" and to have it rededicated to its preColumbian purpose as a sacred hill upon which peace and brotherhood ceremonials were conducted. During our conversation over the talking wires last night was pointed up that at one time a temple and a Holy of Holies stood on top of the mound. These should be restored to their original purpose as proposed in Micah 4:1 8, Zachariah 8:3, and Isaiah 2:2 to 4, Isaiah 13-32. The sacred hill or mound south of Waverly is one of the Biblical references listed above. There are many such on this hemisphere that must be restored and rededicated to their original purpose before the truth and lasting peace can come to Earth. The Susquehannock (Andaste) Bear Clan Mound in the beautiful "Valley of Peace" is one such mound." Whether or not Mr. Applegate (aka Lightfoot Talking Eagle) scammed anyone out of money, or defrauded our government, to me there is a much greater crime that is committed by scammers of this sort. That is dispersing misinformation. I have to be honest here, I have met people who claim to have some small amount of American Indian blood, yet never studied Native American cultures or history, and because they had an uncle who had “high cheek bones” or a grandfather with “long dark hair,” they somehow have inherited some inner wisdom
But more importantly, if I were to decide that being Dutch was “cool” and that people wanted to learn about my heritage, and that I was part Dutch and therefore had some inherited wisdom about that culture, there would be no benefit to anyone, with the exception of my own expanded ego by sharing what I thought I knew. Worse yet, I would be making the truth a lot less clear to people who were merely seeking it. One truth that I found when researching Spanish Hill for years is that we all must understand that all that was written, just as all that someone may have told you will not always be true. That even scholars make mistakes, and certainly no blood line allows anyone to skip the study in their journey to seek wisdom about any topic. We at SRAC feel a great responsibility to not only teach our communities with factual information, but to indeed check the sources that we use. Rest assured that when it comes to what SRAC stands for, we have no interest in making “self proclamations” without backing it up with the real thing.
COMING EVENTS http://www.sracenter.org/Announcements/drumbeats2007. asp Saturday, October 27 Native American Arts & Culture Festival at Colgate University (Sanford Field House) Sherri Hopper w/Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers, the Blues group Corn Bred, and Inca Son performing Andean music and dance. Contact Carol Ann Lorenz, clorenz@mail.colgate.edu. Saturday, December 8 (7pm) The Valley Chorus presents "The Voices of Christmas". Athens High School Auditorium. Members will perform the cantata “The Voices of Christmas” along with their usual holiday oriented fare. With Spe-
cial Guest Instrumentalists: Monica Spishock - Tympani and Percussion, Tom Hines - Oboe, Ed Wargo – Flute, Corky Klinko and his Brass Quartet
Would you like to receive email notices of upcoming events? Email info@SRACenter.org and ask to be added to our announcements list.
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
SRAC CROS S WORD PUZZLE This puzzle is a bit tougher than the previous one! Test yourself to see just how much you are learning about our regions pre-history! (The answers to last issues puzzle are below.)
ACROSS
DOWN
1 Geological material once used by Indians for paint 4 Something made in the shape of a spirit 7 SRAC's website is www. .org 9 Louise Murray 12 Six Nations 13 Material commonly used to make arrowheads 15 Who murdered the Contestogas in 1763 17 Mr. Cowles 18 Mohawk Chief who fought against Sullivan 19 Queen Esther's son
2 "Place of the Big Horn" 3 Algonquin home 5 Once "Teoga" 6 Indian Rock Art 8 Earliest (spear) point known 10 Once lived on the Delaware River 11 In archaeology it means "ancient" 14 Early man was a hunter and 16 Material that made canoes light to carry
Answers to last issue’s crossword puzzle: Across 2 - mortar 7 - Newtown 9 - atlatl 11 - Esther
13- mammoths 16 - Champlain 18 - Tioga Point 19 - Susquehannocks 20 - Delwares
Down 1 - Faces 3 - Andaste 4 - Cowles 5 - three
6 - Smith 8 - Murray 10 - Carantouan 12 - Seneca 14 - Spanish Hill
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
S R AC V I S I TS T H E N YS M U SE U M In July of 2007, three of SRAC's Board Members, Ted Keir, Susan Fogel and I made a journey to Ted Kier and Ralph Rataul, of the the NYS Museum NYS Museum in Albany, NY in order to record all Native Indian artifacts from our surrounding NY counties. We had heard that a prominent local collector from the early 20th century, LD Shoemaker had donated his collection to the NYS Museum, and we felt that it was important to record these artifacts with SRAC. This is because we believe that a researcher should be able to come to SRAC one day and have a pretty good idea of the artifacts that may not be here anymore, but were found in this region. Once we got there, we were signed in and met by a representative of the archaeology department. Then we were allowed into the highly secured area where the artifacts are stored by county in hundreds of large flat file cabinets. Truthfully, I was impressed with the volume from just Tioga, Chemung, Chenango, and Steuben counties. It took us several hours to digitally record each drawer and some specific items - in total 182 high quality photos for detailed records. One interesting item from the Shoemaker collection, which for the most part came from the Chemung River area between Waverly and Corning, NY, was a face item. (see image 1) It also had a sunburst on the reverse side, which to my thinking is relative to the Sun/Sky spirit belief system. It is approximately 4 inches in height and 3 inches in width. Interestingly though, there was yet another of these faces found within the drawers of the counties I mentioned above (see image 2)
BY
and again - it had a face on one side and a sunburst on the other. This is the power of recording ALL of the artifacts we can that were found in our region. We hope to be able to offer researchers not only the artifacts that we can preserve and save from auction, but we also want to be able to help with showing whatever trends we can. Already we have two faced items recorded that we were unaware of which begins to show a trend of the use of these faced pieces in our region. I am sure with more research; we will find the true meaning and possibly even the specific use they had.
Image 1 - Courtesy of the New York State Museum, Albany, NY
The last request of our research at the museum was to see all of the birdstones they had. (see image 3) We were impressed with several high quality birdstones they have, and all the different shapes that they were made in. While many still have no idea what the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center actually strives to be, I hope that those that read this article realize that our goals are set high. Simply put, while we plan to have a museum space open, we are also striving to be the preeminent Native Indian archaeological research and educational center in the region for all ages. With several hundreds of rare books and pages of documents and letters already in our archives as well as several hundreds of artifacts and hundreds more records of others that were found in our region, we believe that this is a goal we can achieve. If you believe this is a just cause and a good one for our community, I urge you to join SRAC and support the effort today.
Image 2—Courtesy of the New York State Museum, Albany, NY
Image 3—Courtesy of the New York State Museum, Albany, NY
*Special Note: Ralph Rataul, will present: "Caretakers of New York State History: The Role of the NYS Museum" at Drumbeats Through Time. SRAC will return the favor and give Ralph full access to view all of our collections before the event.
T H E S R AC B OAR D Deb Twigg - Executive Director Dick Cowles - CoDirector of Archaeology/Curation
DEB TWIGG
Ted Keir - CoDirector of Archaeology/Education and Chairman of the Board
OF
DIRECTORS
Susan Fogel - Chief Financial Officer Inga Wells - Secretary Sharon Franklin
Jessica Quinn Tom Valilee
SRAC WELCOMES TOM VALILEE TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. TOM BRINGS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL ARCHAEOLOGY. The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Volume 3, Issue 3
SRAC PO Box 12 Sayre, PA 18840
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The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org