Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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INDIAN HISTORY AND INDIAN RESERVATIONS OF WISCONSIN By George H oilman Mnny year ago there were probably ten thousand Indiana living within the prv»ent bound-trim of our state, Wisconsin. which wn being explored by the French people. Then: were several tribe and families in thia state which then belonged to these Indians. We. white people, usually classify a people depending on the lungu-age .poken. Those, who apeak English, Dutch or German are called Germanic and thox© who ►peak Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish are culled Scandinavian and the French, Spanish, ami Italians are called Latina. The families of the Indian aft clarified in the ■nine way u» Algonquin . Iroquois, and Dakotas. The tribes were divided in several divisions or family groups because often one separated from another on account of hunting or fishing. The Dakota lived chiefly to the west of the Mississippi and the others to the ea t. The Winneba-goc . n branch of the Dukotu . lived near the northern part of Green Fay and in the valley of the Fox und Wisconsin Rivers. The other Indians culled them. The Men of the Sea a it wn believed that they had come from near the wean. The Winnebago . have been known to the white people since 1634, when Nicolet, the French explorer, found them neur Green Hay. They are the earliest known Indian inhabitants of this itato and have probably been in Wis-con in for more than a thousand year . Now Green Fay, one of the oldest cities in this state, is only three hundred years old. The Algonquin , the biggot Indian family in Wisconsin, i the most intelligent, too. To this family have belonged many of the celebrated Indians of hintory such us King Philip, f'owhat-tan, Tammany. Pontiac. Tecumsoh und Black Hawk. The Ojibway . now called the Chippewa , were the least savage of thi-- family. They lived along the shore of Luke Superior and a far south a the Black River. In the northwest lived the quiet and genie Menominee , and they were called Wild Rice Eater . From south of Green Pay along the shore of Lake Michigan where the Pottowattoxnlc lived. Were the mor-t restless of the Algonquin-- tribe The San , lomctimo known a the Sauk and the FoXfc and also as the Outagamie , wer other important tribe- They were the only onei- that were unfriendly to the French explorer . Today wo learn about the early Indian in Wisconsin through legend and tradition from generation to generation IwcauM their history wn not recorded. If wo want to know much about the Indian ; their Ufc. manners, custom , belief and also historical places, wc mui-t go to the record of the French explorer and missionaries who first vi«u d them and traded with them, and alio lived among them. We all hava heard of Marquette. Louis Joliet. Nicolet, Father Alloucz and Kcnc Menard. We learned that Wiaconnin was once the home of three of the greatest Indian tribe . They were the Iroquois, the Sioux und the Algonquin . The Indian hud been reduced In number la-fore the white man came by famine, pestilence and many war . Wc know that the Indian tribe fought against other tribe , notion against nation, kinsman against kinsman n» their white brothers have done In the same way for a long time. Hut when the Indian hud war. it didn’t reduce their number as much us pcstib nee did. Hut naturally disease came from the war und in a settlement of savugc people who didn’t know much about mnitation. «n epidemic couldn’t be stopped so many died of small pox. typhoid fever a ml meads . If these diaeaxo kill people when they have the best medical care and sanitation, it is easy to imagine the great lon»e» of life among the Indians from diseases, especially contagious diseases. Nowaday the Wisconsin Indian Reservation are supported by the government of the United State through grant . Wisconsin really belonged to the Indian »o the United State should provide them thing that they need. Wisconsin has several Indian Reservations. They arc at Red Cliff, La Pointe, Lac Court Oreille, Lac Do Flambeau. Menominee, und Oneida. In Wisconsin, nt the present time, there are six reservations with a total of 337,624 acres of land where the Indian once owned all of the stnto. Imagine, he now own only about one per cent of the whole of Wisconsin. After the Black Hawk War in 1832. th - Indian wi n •• H to reservation in the Western states and also in Wisconsin. A mnll number of Indian have stayed on the laic Do Flambeau and the Lac Court Oreille reservations in the northern woods of Wisconsin. They make a living by sidling bend.-, basket and other trinket , und by going to fair , and exposition , and by guiding tourist on fishing und hunting trip . The percentage of Indian in the population of Wisconsin I small when we remember that three hundred years is a short time in the life of a race of people. —lU— N I X E T E E N TH1RTY-F1 V E

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BURIAL CUSTOM OF AMERICAN INDIANS By Carmello Di Chiara The Indian; venerated their dond and hold peculiar ritci und ccrotnoniw at their burial. It has been aid there were two hundred different lungiiug. - among the Indiana, which shown there were many different tribe- who •mint IMve halt more or U ;-- different burial ceremonies. The accounts of writer.-), who traveled among the Indian-, and what hM been (Uncovered in the burial tnounde of there people, hive u some idea of their corumomei;. Some of the Indian placed their dead on platform.- ju»t to prevent the bodies boing molested or eaten by wild animal or dog . Th. Slout put the IhxIIio on the branches of trees. Other tribe built small pyramid under which the chief lay with plenty oI upplh- . which the Indian thought he could use m hi Jour-noy to the Happy Hunting Grounds. When an Indian died, it wtu a frequent custom for tint medicine tuau to - et him in u sitting position in front of u poxt or tree m ho looked like a live man. In the Last of the Mohicans Cooper gives on account of the burial of Corn and Cnc s, two of the principal character of the story. The body of Uncos, arrayed in tho movt gorgeous ornament that the wealth of the tribe could furni h, was put in a sitting position while directly n front of him hi father sat and during the wholi coremony kept a -toady gnr.r at the countenance of hit ion So quiet and eadfaat was he thut one could hardly tell between the living ond the dond. A warrior renowned for his bravery ndvanced -lowly from tho crowd, composed of ••h« whole tril-v, and placing him -If before the dead I'ncnj spoke of bis bravery and achievement nnd th. orrow of tho tribe in losing him. Most of the lending men of tho tribe followed him und upbke their tribute to the departed. Young Itidinn women spoke of Cora and her virtues and their hope that she would be happy In the hereafter. They then joined in n haul to the dead after which the bodies were taken to their lost resting place. George Cntlin, who traveled extensively among the Indian . -peak of the burial ground of a Mamlrtn Tribe. When one of the tribe died, the body wtu wrapped tightly in fresh buffalo robe securely bound und placed on a raised platform. ope of Hundred in thi Indian cemetery, nnd toft there until in tho course of time tho platform decayed and rnmc tumbling down. The ikull of tho dec cared was then taken nnd preserved while the re t of tho bom are buried. The skull, with many others, wa placed in a large circle, twenty or thirty feet In diameter. All faced the middle. Fresh age was placed under the sJculi nnd renewed from time to time. While tho body wa on the platform relative of the dnerus-I :l como out to the grave yard nnd throwing themselves on the ground with theh faces in the dirt gave vent to their grief in loud cries und bowling, tearing their hair nnd cutting themselves with kttiVttt. After the -kull had been placed in the citric, the wife or mother of the dwcuwod would mine out und it down on the ground before it nnd peak to it in a pleasant tone of voice ns if the wan talking to n living person and wi.-died to make thing us pleasant for him ns h« could. In some tribes ut a funeral the Indian made a great noine, howling and rhoulinvr n loud n» they could. They did thi s that the spirit could escape from the dead body und go to tile Happy Hunting Ground where there wu,« nothing 10 do hut hunt. flnh. cal, dunce nnd ring, add play games. Tlu Grr.it Spirit was their God. There Is an account of a Crow Chief who died. The Indian of the tribe a mil.led around the body and cried for nt out five day . They killed the chieT three horse- and gathered plenty of food nnd mipplh for hi Ion;- trip to the Happy Hunting Ground . Every one put hi hands on the brad of tho deceased und mini how sorry be vv» . Then the body WO buried in a crpvjcc. HI mother, cut off her hnlr dose to her head to show her orrow. The Indians of the different tribe realiy ro-peefced their dead und mourned the departure of loved one . They differed from os only in their mean of showing their reaped und grief. The memory of noted person of the tribe wa cherished for a lone time and in some rase- accounts of tho feat nnd adventures of the departs! were told over and over again until they became Iq-gend . bike u they believed there was one God, the Maidtou, or Great Spirit, nnd n life in the hereof tor. —IS— THE TATTLER

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THE INDIAN OF TODAY By Chnrlottn llnlpcrin The purpose of this OMoy is to present a picture of the Red Man as he is in the present era, and to show what jurat pro gres alone some lines hi race has made since the advent of the white man into his midst. Whether this progression has served thr Indian to his advantage or not renutinn to he seen. The fact that there an1 a many Indians in the United State , now. as there were in 1804, prove that Indian arc far frotn being a “vanishing n»cc’ anil (hut the introduction of various health and sanitation mnunirei has aided in preserving this race. The foundation of any civil is cd people is education, ami. over since the In dians have romc under the control of th government, th establishment of missions and then of Federal institution in Indian territories has boon the keystone of the program for thr Indians Two types of schools, Itoarding und duy. hove boen established, and modem methods of tesehing are employed. Facilities fur the initrue-tion of various vocational trade in th. .•• school make the outlook for the future generation) of Indian. considerably brighter. Vocational guidance and placement is given erjou- attention, an I n great many Indian upon graduation from these schools, puss directly from school into the economic world. Ktni-curi iculur n c t i v i t j e , whirh i»i«l in the development of good citizens, are also stre-wed In the hop , that the young r generation of Indium, may : eive their country in other ways beside breaking laws. What have the people of tin United State done to solve the problem of helping the Indinm eam their own living in our civilization? Tlir answer Is Very little”. The Indium who now earn their own living are mainly those who e way of eurning it wiu not dcvtroyod by the pre--sure of white clvilxation. Many of them, especial-ly in the Southwest, depend Inrgely upon the salos of their handwork as a means of tuiatonanco. Many of the Indian iribt have been com pelied to submit to one of the most demoralizing Influences to which any people could be subjected. The government hm destroyed their mean of subsistence, ami has moved them to restricted reservations when it fe« d« and clothe them at the expense of the taxpayers of the nntion. Thii seems to instill into thr Indian , a profound conviction that the government owes them a living, and. as a consequence, it relieves the men of all u ii c of personal responsibility. Time and time again, Indian leader have bogged the government to keep liquor away from their people. Tbunkenesa il ls caused a lot of trouble in Indian families and communities. This is only another instance in which the white man ha succeeded In lowering the standard of the Indian’s way of llviug, for liquor wa- introduced by the white people. Evidence u! u tends to show that vurioui. disrates with which the Indians are afflicted now were introduced by white people. Tuberculosis and smallpox, e.penally, have taken their toll of red meiiV live- and were brought to them by the whites. No immunity hai been built up u-guinsi tuberculosis, und iu a result, the death rate from this dlronw incroa’ « yearly. The government ha established sanitarium where patient . can l«e treat i] for thi. tdeknesa, In th olden time each tribe of Indians wa-force:) to protect it elf ngainst the encroachment of rival tribes. Therefore the tribe rcarod warrior und if an Indian boy achieved his ambition of becoming a great fighter, hi' name wa ro-knowned for getieratinmi to come T« da the only e.lmnce of Indian youth in war time is to be u buck private in the United Status' army. Many white refur - to have unylhing to do with Indians arc bad. The assertion, that Indians do not keep them«eivr-5 chan and arc diseased, is commonly made. People who investigate UNUnlly find that the l»n»i» of the t mu bio b that the Indians cannot afford tin clothe and living conditions that make for cleanliness Perhapi if the government had used different method of giving the Indian- an opportunity to earn their living, moral conditions would In better. In conclusion, let me my that the result of the impart of white civilization upon the Indians has been, that native Indian ambitions, initiative, und rrqionnibility have been largely destroyed. Indians have little chance for leadership in constructive channels, as community oontiment and public opinion among them huvo been Inrgely ••liminuted n an impelling moral force. Many ne-tivitien by the government in behalf of the Indians, although conducted with the best of in tenuous, hare tended to di rupt and to destroy rather than to strengthen and develop the life of the Indian of today. —20— T II E T A T T L K K