While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
I will here give the boundary of the Seneca Nation
domain, according to the treaty entitled:
"A Treaty between the United States of
America and the Tribes of Indians called the Six Nations"
"The President of the United States
having determined to hold a conference with the Six Nations of
Indians, for the purpose of removing from their minds all causes
of complaint, and establishing a firm and permanent friendship
with them, and Timothy Pickering being appointed sole agent for
that purpose, and the agent having met and conferred with the
sachems, chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, in a general
council, now, in order to accomplish the good design of the
conference, the parties have agreed on the following articles,
when ratified by the President, with the advice and consent of
the Senate of the United States, shall be binding on them and
the Six Nations. Article I. Peace and friendship are hereby firmly
established, and shall be perpetual between the United States
and the Six Nations. Article II. The United States acknowledge the lands reserved
to the Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga Nations, in their respective
treaties with the State of New York, and called their
reservations, to be their property; and the United States will
never claim the same, nor disturb them or either of the Six
Nations, nor their Indian friends residing thereon and united
with them, in the free use and enjoyment thereof; but the said
reservations shall remain theirs until they choose to sell the
same to the people of the United States, who have the right to
purchase. Article III. The land of the Seneca Nation is bounded as
follows: Beginning on Lake Ontario at the northwest corner of
the land they sold to Oliver Phelps, the line runs westerly
along the lake as far as O-yong-wong-yeh creek, at Johnson's
landing place, about four miles eastward from the fort of
Niagara; then southerly up that creek to its main fork; then
straight to the main fork of Stedman's creek, which empties into
the Niagara river above fort Schlosser; and then onward from
that fort, continuing the same straight course, to the river
(this line from the mouth of O-yong-wong-yeh creek to the river
Niagara above Fort Schlosser, being the eastern boundary of a
strip of land extending from the same line to Niagara river,
which the Seneca Nation ceded to the king of Great Britain at a
treaty held about thirty years ago, with Sir William Johnson);
then the line runs along the river Niagara to Lake Erie; then
along Lake Erie to the eastern corner of a triangle piece of
land which the United States ceded to the state of Pennsylvania,
as by the President's patent, dated the third day of March 1792;
then due south to the boundary of that state; then due east to
the southwest corner of the land sold by the Seneca Nation to
Oliver Phelps; and then northerly along Phelps' line to the
place of beginning, on Lake Ontario. Now, the United States
acknowledge all the land within the aforementioned boundary to
be the property of the Seneca Nation; and the United States will
never claim the same, nor disturb the Seneca Nation, nor their
Indian friends residing thereon and united with them, in the
free use and enjoyment thereof; but it shall remain theirs until
they choose to sell the same to the people of the United States,
who have the right to purchase. Article IV. The United States having thus described and
acknowledged what lands belong to the Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga
and Seneca, and engaged never to claim the same, nor disturb
them or any of the Six Nations, nor their Indian friends
residing thereon and united with them, in the free use and
enjoyment thereof, etc. Proclaimed January 21, 1785."
You will observe in the treaty above that the name of the
Tuscarora Nation is not mentioned at all, and yet speaks of the
Six Nations, which includes the Tuscarora Nation. The reason is
this: In Article 2 you will observe that all the nations that
have their lands on the east side of what is known as the Phelps
line were named, and west of that line was the land of the
Seneca Nation on which the Tuscarora resided, and were
considered as being merged into the Seneca Nation, and have the
benefit of the laws enacted for them.
This site
includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes
reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These
items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied .
Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations and History of the Tuscarora Indians
