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I believe that a factor which motivated
many Saponi to resist adoption into the Six Nations was the bitter
warfare which had existed between the Iroquois and the Saponi
for many years, going all the way back to the Mourning or Beaver
Wars of the 17th century. The attrition devouring the Saponi
from this bitter feuding was a major factor in routing them from
their homelands. It would seem natural that some of them
would have felt reluctant to capitulate so totally to their hereditary
enemies.
Another factor would be the precocious Anglicization of the
Saponi, which would have adapted them well for life within
the frontier economy. During
their stay at Fort Christanna (circa 1720) an “Indian School” was
instituted in which a number of children were taught by a Mr. Griffin.
Unlike the horrendous abuse associated with most 19th and 20th
century Indian schools, Mr. Griffin was reported to be a kindly teacher
much enjoyed by his pupils. Saponi children were also sent to a boarding school
at William and Mary College
There is a documentary associated
with archeologists at George Washington Forest (just above Roanoke
VA), “The Last of the Tutelo" in which the narrative characterizes
the northward bound Tutelo population as relatively worldly and
sought-after for diplomatic purposes, for their knowledge of English.
It was reported in this piece, that Shickellamy, the Six Nations
diplomat who coordinated the tributary tribes of Pennsylvania,
was married to a Tutelo woman. In 1747 Shickellamy's first
wife died in Shamokin of a disease that spread through there.
Shortly thereafter he married a Tutelo woman. He then died Dec.
12, 1748. She then remarried and is noted passing through Shamokin
with her new husband on March 20, 1749. This is from the Moravian
Archives,
I’ve been corresponding for some
years with the Mingo-EGADs
e-list, devoted to resurrecting Appalachian Iroquois, a close
dialect to the Seneca language, which was still spoken in some
isolated WV communities as late as the 1950’s. I was alerted to
subscribe to this e-mail list when posts were circulating called
“The Blackfoot of the Seneca.” Some of the list members
recalled seeing a roadside marker by this name in Elkins, WV.
The Mingo language informant, Dr. Thomas McElwain, states that
"literally everybody in the town of Mingo at the south end
of Randolph country [WV] is a Blackfoot.” Dr.
McElwain is a Professor of Comparative Religions, and a native
of Elkins, WV.
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