SKETCHES oF THE HISTORY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS oF TRE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. BY JAMES BUCHANAN, Esa. HIS MAJESTY’S CONSUL FOR THE STATE OF NEW YORK. LONDON: PRINTED FOR BLACK, YOUNG, AND YOUNG TAVISTOCK-STREET. Moceexxtv.DEDICATION. TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUT.-GENERAL THE EARL DALHOUSIE, G.C.B. COVERNOR.GENRRAT. AND CONMANDRR-IN-CHIRF OF ALL HIS MAIRSTY'S ‘POSSESSIONS IN NORTH AMBAICA, Se. Hes eu Well aware, my Lord, of the effects produced by splendid talents, great personal worth, and hereditary rank, in promoting any work of benevolence, I solicited and obtained permission to dedicate the following pages to your Excellency. It is quite unnecessary to speak here of your Lordship's deeds; they-are too recent, too illustrious, too intimately connected with the history and the glory of the British Empire. Wishing your Excellency long to enjoy a reputation thus acquired and merited, Ihave the honour to remain, Your Lordship’s Most obedient, humble servant, JAS, BUCHANAN. Now-York, ist May, 1821.PREFACE. In attempting to lay before the Public a sketch of the History of the Red Indians of North America, with a view to excite a general sympathy in behalf of an oppressed and suf- fering people, I am aware of the great importance of my undertaking, and sensibly feel my inability to stand forward as an advocate, in any degree equal to the task I have thus imposed on myself. ‘With but few exceptions, the American Indians have been abandoned by the Christian world, as a cruel, blood-thirsty, and treacherous race, incapable of civilization, and therefore, unworthy of that attention which the inhabitants of other barbarous climes have received from the zeal and devotion of many learned and pious members of society.—Thousands have raised their voices against the wrongs of our black brethren of Africa, From one end of Europe to the other, the humane have been aroused to a sense of their injuries, and are now actively engaged in the prosecution of every measure calculated to alleviate their sufferings ; while but few have been stimulated to similar exertions in behalf of the Red American Indians, from whose native soil the wealth of a great portion of the civilized world has been derived. The African is submissive; his patient endurance of labour renders his servile and debased state important to us; he is therefore, preserved. The North American Indian, on the contrary, prefers banishment, and even death, to slavery; but Ais lands are serviceable to us, therefore his extinction beviii PREFACE. seems to be desired. The one submits to the yoke,—we oppress and pity him: the other disdains to become the servant of man—and his whole race is devoted to gradual extermination ; for such must be the inevitable consequence of all those measures which have been, and still are in operation against him, though their infliction is marked by different shades of guilt, In a few ages, perhaps a few years, these sons of Edom will be so far removed from the reach or eye of any but those engaged in the work of destruction, that no trace will be left to posterity of the wrongs which have been perpetrated upon the Aborigines of the great American Continent, I confess that I had no other idea of an American In- dian, than that he was the most ferocious of human beings. Whenever he became named, his scalping-knife, tomahawk, warwhoop, and irst of blood, were at once associated in my mind; and hence I was led to concur in the almost universal opinion, that he was totally incapable of being ren- dered subservient to the arts of civilized life. n the course of my travels through the United States and Upper Canada, I met with several Indians, whose external wretcheduess in- duced me to make inquiries as to their present condition; and although many persons to whom [ addressed myself ap- peared to be perfectly indifferent on the subject, and spoke of them in the most degrading terms, I was led to seek for further information respecting their character, in the pursuit of which I have been engaged for three years. Little did I imagine, that one of the most interesting sub- jects that can present itself to the human mind, would open upon me; the full developement of which would require the united and extended labours of men of talent and research, the absolute devotion of their time and energies, to place before the world an impartial view of the Indians of North America, whose virtues, independence of mind, and nobleness of cha- racter, have procured from their oppressors, as a justificationPREFACE. xi thereby be induced to view with jealousy, reports which may be prejudicial to the Indian character. Let him also remem- ber, that they have no historians, to record their wrongs, or plead their cause against their oppressors;—yet they believe, as I do, that the Great Spirit hears their sighs and regards their sufferings, and that He will appear to the oppressor and the uppressed as a God of Justice. Many recent acts of barbarity which have been committed upon the Indians, I have deemed it prudent to omit in the present work; but those who read the speeches {in Con- gress on the late war against the Semanole Indians, will find therein much to excite their sympathy, My object is not to awaken national feelings or prejudices, but to unite the efforts of all good men in behalf of these oppressed children of the wilderness; so that. societies may be formed, to watch over their rights, and, by the powerful agency of the press, to re- strain lawless power from further acts of cruelty and injustice. —Happily this feeling has of late been extended in the United States; and the humane and just sentiments promulgated by His Excellency De Witt Clinton, Governor of the State of New York, the unwearied zeal of Mr. Colden, the mayor, and the humane disposition of many persons of the highest respect- ability in the United States, lead me to avoid even the appear- ance of wishing to allow any sentiment to mingle in this work, which might attach to it an air of nationality. The kindness and civility which I have experienced from all ranks in the United States, I shall ever be ready to acknowledge. With this exposition of my motives, sources of information, and desires, 1 trust my feeble efforts will be supported by all classes of people; and, entreating a favourable feeling towards the execution and arrangement, I commit the cause of the American Indians to an enlightened and benevolent Public. New York, 1 May, 1821.