MOHICAN SEMINAR 3 Sitting for a portrait in 1735, Tishcohan, a Delaware chief, wore a deco- rated tobacco pouch made of flying squirrel skin, a symbol of flight. In the pouch, he carried a ceremonial pipe. Only a few years later, he and other tribal members in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley were cheated out of their land through an elaborate scheme called the “Walking Pur- chase,” perpetrated by the sons of William Penn. Changes in Native American clothing are discussed in Chapter 7. (Painting by Gustavus Hesselius. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Collection, the Atwater Kent Museum of Phildelphia.) MOHICAN SEMINAR 3 The Journey–An Algonquian Peoples Seminar Edited by Shirley W. Dunn New York State Museum Bulletin 511 2009 The University of the State of New York The State Education Department Albany, New York 12230 www.nysed.gov THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Regents of The University ROBERT M. BENNETT, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. Tonawanda MERRYL H. TISCH, Vice Chancellor, B.A., M.A. Ed.D. New York SAUL B. COHEN, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. New Rochelle JAMES C. DAWSON, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. Peru ANTHONY S. BOTTAR, B.A., J.D. Syracuse GERALDINE D. CHAPEY, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. Belle Harbor ARNOLD B. GARDNER, B.A., LL.B. Buffalo HARRY PHILLIPS, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. Hartsdale JOSEPH E. BOWMAN,JR., B.A., M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D. Albany JAMES R. TALLON,JR., B.A., M.A. Binghamton MILTON L. COFIELD, B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. Rochester ROGER B. TILLES, B.A., J.D. Great Neck KAREN BROOKS HOPKINS, B.A., M.F.A. Brooklyn CHARLES R. BENDIT, B.A. New York BETTY A. ROSA, B.A., M.S. in Ed., M.S. in Ed., M.Ed., Ed.D. Bronx LESTER W. YOUNG JR., B.S., M.S., Ed.D. Oakland Gardens President of The University and Commissioner of Education RICHARD P. MILLS Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education JEFFREY W. CANNELL Director of the New York State Museum CLIFFORD A. SIEGFRIED Director, Research and Collections Division JOHN P. HART The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran sta- tus, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services and activities. Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234. Requests for additional copies of this publication may be made by contact- ing Publications Sales, Room 3140, Cultural Education Center, New York State Museum, Albany, NY 12230. iv © 2009 The New York State Education Department Printed in the United States of America Copies may be ordered from: Office of Cartography and Publications New York State Museum 3126 CEC Albany, New York 12230 Phone: (518) 402-5344 Fax: (518) 486-2034 Email: [email protected] Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008943114 ISSN: 0278-3355 ISBN: 1-55557-240-5 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ................................................................................ xi INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 CHAPTER1 ............................................................................... 5 The Ancestral Lure of the Hudson Estuary TOM R. LAKE CHAPTER2 .............................................................................. 19 Evidence for Settlements along the Kinderhook ERNEST R. RUGENSTEIN CHAPTER3 .............................................................................. 25 Expressions of Community: Reconstructing Native Identity in Seventeenth-century Central Connecticut through Land Deed Analysis TIMOTHY H. IVES CHAPTER4 .............................................................................. 39 The Seventeenth-century Sachems of the Wapping Country: Corporate Identity and Interaction in the Hudson Valley J. MICHAEL SMITH CHAPTER5 .............................................................................. 69 Fort Kitchawanc Archaeological Preserve at Croton Point SCOTT P. HORECKY CHAPTER6 .............................................................................. 77 Indian Ownership in and around the Catskills SHIRLEY W. DUNN CHAPTER7 .............................................................................. 95 Historic Indian Clothing JENNIFER LEE CHAPTER8 ............................................................................. 103 Algonquian and Iroquois Uses of Plants and Other Materials to Make Fire BARRY KEEGAN CHAPTER9 ............................................................................. 115 James Fenimore Cooper and the Mohicans HUGH C. MACDOUGALL CHAPTER10 ............................................................................ 127 The Impact of John Van Gelder: Mohican, Husbandman, and Historic Figure DEBRA WINCHELL Table of Contents vii CHAPTER11 ............................................................................ 145 The Interconnected Lives of Stockbridge Indians Mary (Peters) Doxtater and Peter Pohquonnoppeet RICHARD NIEMI CHAPTER12 ............................................................................ 159 The Divinity of Eagles TOM R. LAKE CONTRIBUTORS ........................................................................ 167 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES ILLUSTRATIONS: Cover illustration: Drawn by Patricia Kernan, New York State Museum. The bald eagle was revered by Native Americans. Thunderbird symbols, representing protection or strength derived from the eagle, appeared as artifacts, on deeds, and in rock art in the Hudson Valley and in New England. See Chapter 12, “The Divinity of Eagles.” Frontispiece: A painting of Tishcohan, a Delaware chief. Figure 0.1. Photograph by Cliff Oliver of Elsie Fox-Foggo, a descendant of Native AmericansexiledtoBermuda. ........................................................................... 2 Figure1.1.Rainbowsmelt. .............................................................................. 7 Figure 1.2. Herring from the sea: alewives, blue-back herring. 8 Figure1.3.TheAmericanshad,aspringfood. ............................................................. 8 Figure1.4.Stripedbass. ................................................................................. 9 Figure1.5.Atlanticsturgeon(longnose)................................................................... 10 Figure1.6.Chainpickerel. .............................................................................. 11 Figure1.7 Shortnosesturgeon .......................................................................... 12 Figure 2.1. Cross-section of the Kinderhook Creek. 20 Figure 2.2. A typical landscape along the Kinderhook Creek. 21 Figure 2.3. Boxed artifacts included gouges from the Kinderhook Creek area. 21 Figure 2.4. Many hammerstones were found among artifacts in the Magee Collection. 21 Figure 3.1. Map of Central Connecticut Native American settlements. 27 Figure 3.2. Map of Central Connecticut towns, reservations and dates of incorporation. 29 Figure 4.1. Map showing Wappingers and neighbors. 42 Figure 5.1. A French map of Croton Point with additions by the Westchester County Department of Planning. 70 Figure 5.2. Map of former location of Kitchawanc Indians. 73 Figure 6.1. Map of about 1630 showing “Cats Kil” with mountains located at rear. 78 Figure 6.2. A map of 1757 shows twin lakes in the Catskill Mountains. 81 Figure 6.3. A turtle drawn by Nanisinos appears on a 1706 document. 83 Figure 6.4. Detail from the painting called “Van Bergen Overmantel.” . 87 Figure 6.5. Close-up of Native Americans shown in the “Van Bergen Overmantel.” . 87 Figure 6.6. Map of patents by Simeon De Witt showing lands of Vincent Matthews. 88 Figure 6.7. Map submitted to governor by Mohawks at Schoharie. 89 Figure 6.8. A 1795 map of the Hardenbergh Patent by Cornelius Wynkoop. 93 Figure 7.1. Author shows Native-American style mantle. 95 Figure7.2.Indiancapescouldbetrimmed. ............................................................... 97 Figure 7.3. Abenaki-style hood and trade shirt. 99 Figure 7.4. Strap dress in wool crepe and ceremonial tobacco pouch. 100 Figure 8.1. Touchwood, also known as punky wood. 104 Figure8.2.Truetinderfungusonabirchtree. ............................................................ 105 Figure8.3.Falsetinderfungus. ......................................................................... 106 Figure8.4.Anativehanddrillformakingafire. ......................................................... 106 Figure8.5.Handdrillmethod. ......................................................................... 107 Figure8.6.Abowdrillkit. ............................................................................. 108 List of Illustrations and Tables ix Figure8.7.Bowdrillhelpsmakefirequickly. ............................................................ 109 Figure8.8.Abarkwhorlordisc. ........................................................................ 109 Figure8.9.Apumpdrill. .............................................................................. 110 Figure8.10.Fireplowdevicemadeofagave. ............................................................ 110 Figure8.11.Alinedtinderbundle. ...................................................................... 111 Figure 9.1. Portrait of the young James Fenimore Cooper.. 115 Figure 9.2. Natty Bumpo makes fun of officers. 117 Figure