Page images
PDF
EPUB

on account of annuity due from Great Britain to Indians of the six Nations resident in Canada.

During my life-time and in fact long prior thereto, and for a time before the War of 1812 as I under-stand it by traditions and history and verily believe, the Indians of the six Nations resident in Canada and the Indians of the six Nations resident in the United States, have been wholly and completely separated as to all matters of annuities due from the respective Governments and States of which they are dependents and as to rights in land. WILLIAM C. HOAG. Subscribed and sworn to before me at the Town of Salamanca in the County of Cattaraugus and State of New York on this 15 day of November, 1913.

F. A. RHODES, Notary Public.

EXHIBIT 293.

Affidavit of William H. Rockwell.

United States of America, State of New York, County of Monroe, City of Rochester, ss:

I, William H. Rockwell, being duly sworn, do depose and say;

That I am an Oneida Indian. I was born of an Oneida mother on the Windfall Reservation so-called, belonging to the Oneida Indians and located in the County of Madison in the State of New York. I was born in 1870. My mother and her maternal ancestors to the best of my knowledge and belief, always lived on tribal lands of the Oneida Indians in the State of New York. I am now forty-three years of age. I am residing temporarily in the City of Rochester because I am able to find employment there. I have never severed my membership in the tribe of the Oneida Indians of the State of New York. The Oneida Indians residing in New York State have always maintained their tribal organization notwithstanding that nearly all of their original lands have been sold. I am a Chief of such tribe and have been for the seven years last past. The New York Oneidas now have and have had for the seven years last past six Chiefs. These Chiefs are elected each to hold office during the pleasure of the tribe.

The tribe of the mother determines the tribe of the child under the rules and customs now prevailing among said Oneida Indians in the State of New York, and which has prevailed among New York Oneidas since the earliest times of which I can remember or

of which I have ever heard. There are at the present time about three hundred and thirty persons of all ages residing within the State of New York who are members of the said Oneida tribe. About one hundred and fifty four of said number still reside in the neighborhood of the location of the Windfall Reservation. There are about one hundred and twenty of said number who live more or less permanently on the Reservation of the Onondagas near Syracuse. None of the members of said Oneida tribe participate in the tribal councils of any other tribe of the Six Nations in New York, even though they may live on the Reservation of another tribe.

I have all my life been familiar in consequence of exchange of visits with members of other tribes of the Six Nations in the State of New York, and to my knowledge no tribe of the Six Nation Indians which still maintains itself in the State of New York has cast aside the ancient rule that the tribe of the mother determines the tribe of the child.

That as far back as I can remember no tribal moneys of the Six Nation Indians residing on the Grand River in Canada have ever been apportioned among any Oneida Indians living in New York, nor have any goods distributed by the Federal Government to the Oneidas in New York ever been shared with Onedias residing with other Six Nation Indians on the Grand River lands in Canada. W. H. ROCKWELL. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 22nd day of November 1913, at Rochester, New York. (SEAL.)

H. J. MENZIE,

Notary Public.

EXHIBIT 294.

Affidavit by Lena Shanks.

United States of America, State of New York, County of Monroe.,ss:

Lena Shanks, being duly sworn, deposes and says:

I am forty-three years of age and a Cayuga Indian. My mother was by birth a Cayuga Indian. My mother lived on the Grand River lands of the Six Nations in Ontario, and I understand and believe that she was born on those lands. I understand and believe that up to the time my mother was about thirty years of

age she was carried on the rolls of the Grand River Indians, and shared in the payment of interest moneys by the Government of Canada to the Six Nations in Canada; when my mother reached the age of about thirty years he came over to the Tonawanda Reservation of the Tonawanda Senacas in the State of New York, expecting at the time she came over to marry my father whose name was John Griffin and who was a Tonawanda Seneca. My father died on February 23, 1913, while he was visiting at my home in Rochester, N. Y., at the age of ninty-three years.

My mother and father were married a few days from the time my mother came over, as I have already stated. My mother told me after I grew up that as soon as she was married her name was removed from the rolls of the Six Nations in Canada, and that she never after that participated in any interest moneys of the Grand River Indians, and I know that that is true as to the time since I was old enough to have any recollection.

After my mother had resided on the Tonawanda Reservation for about two years her name was placed upon the tribal roll of the Cayugas of New York, and so remained down to the time of her death for a short period during which she was visiting in Canada, and during such short period her name was suspended from the roll of the New York Cayugas. Each one of my mother's children, (which were seven in number) were added as they were born to the roll of the New York Cayugas.

I have never known of a case, and have never heard of a case occurring within my lifetime of any Indian of Six Nation descent residing in the State of New York and affiliated with any of the New York bands or tribes of Six Nation Indians, receiving either from the Canadian Government officials or from the Six Nation Indians residing on the Grand River, any moneys paid by the Canadian Government as interest or annuities on account of sales of lands set apart on the Grand River or elsewhere in Canada to Six Nation Indians. I have never known of a case, and have never heard of a case occurring within my lifetime of any Indian of Six Nation descent residing in Canada and affiliated with any of the Canadian bands or tribes of Six Nation Indians, receiving from the State of New York or from the Six Nation Indians residing in New York, any moneys paid by the State of New York on account of annuities due Six Nation Indians.

My father was an ordained Minister of the Baptist denomination, and was a Preacher on the Tonawanda Reservation since he was about thirty years of age. And my father has frequently told me about the affairs and doings of the Six Nations, and the information upon which I make this affidavit, so far as the same is not within my personal knowledge, is information thus given to me by my father.

Never within my recollection has there been a case where any Grand River Cayuga has ever presented himself at the time of the payment of New York State annuity moneys to the New York Cayugas, or at any other time, and demanded any part thereof for himself; nor, within my recollection, has there ever been a case where any New York Cayuga has ever presented himself at the time of the payment of interest or annuity moneys by the Canadian Government to the Six Nation Indians of the Grand River, or at any other time, and demanded any share thereof. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 9th day of October, 1913 at the City of Rochester, N. Y.

[blocks in formation]

United States of American, State of New York, City and County of Albany, ss:

Arthur C. Parker, being first sworn deposes and says:

I am thirty-two years of age and was born at Iroquios upon the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca Indians in the State of New York; my father, Frederick E. Parker, was a nephwe of General Ely S. Parker; my mother was not an Indian woman; I received my education at the White Plains High School and the Williamsport, Dickson Seminary, Penn., and subsequently pursued a special course in anthropology under Professor F. W. Putnam of Harvard University. I am now on the staff of the State Museum of New York in the capacity of archeologist and

have held that position for seven years last past and I am also secretary of the Society of American Indains and have been for two years last past.

I have had opportunity to be thoroughly familiar with the customs of the six nation Indians who reside in New York State. Thos Indians uniformily in their tribal relations adhere to the custom of determining tribal allegiance by tribal allegiance of the mother and has been the custom to my personal knowledgeobtaining among the New York State six nation Indians during the period which I can remember and from my research and familiarity with Indian history I can say that the same was true as far back as records reveal of traditions of these Indians speak. ARTHUR C. PARKER.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 7th day of November,

[blocks in formation]

United States of America County of Onondaga City of Syracuse, ss: I, Baptist Thomas, being duly sworn do depose and say:

That I am an Onondaga Indian, having been born of an Onondaga mother on the Onondaga Reservation of the Onondaga Indians in the State of New York. My mother and her ancestors before her, to the best of my knowledge and belief, always lived on the lands which are now embraced within the State of New York. I am in my seventy-fifth year and I have always resided on the said Onondaga Reservation, and I have always been a member of the Onondaga Nation of Indians, which is now commonly called the Onondaga Nation of the State of New York. I am a Sachem of said Nation, having succeeded to that office on the death of my grandfather, Lewis Joe, and I have been a Sachem ever since I was twelve years of age. I have been attending the councils of said Nation ever since I was eighteen years of age.

The New York Onondagas continue to maintain the ancient tribunal form of government of the Onondagas, and they do this

« PreviousContinue »