southern, and of which traces may be found amongst the northern nations, deserves particular consideration. Independent of political or geographical divisions, that into families, or clans has been established from time immemorial. At what time, and in what manner, the division was first made, is not known. At present, or till very lately, every nation was divided into a number of clans, varying in the several nations from three to eight or ten, the members of which respectively were dispersed indiscriminately throughout the whole nation. It has been fully ascertained, that the inviolable regulations, by which those clans were perpetuated amongst the southern nations, were, first, that no man could marry in his own clan; secondly, that every child belongs to his or her mother's clan. Among the Choctaws, there are two great divisions, each of which is subdivided into four clans; and no man can marry in any of the four clans belonging to his division. The restriction amongst the Cherokees, the Creeks, and the Natches, does not extend beyond the clan to which the man belongs. There are sufficient proofs that the same division into clans, commonly called tribes, exists amongst almost all the other Indian nations. But it is not so clear that they are subject to the same regulations which prevail amongst the southern Indians. According to Charlevoix, "most nations are divided into three families or tribes. One of them is considered as the first and has a kind of preeminence. Those tribes are mixed without being confounded. Each tribe has the name of an animal. Among the Hurons, the first tribe is that of the Bear; the two others, of the Wolf and the Turtle. The Iroquois nation has the same divisions, only the Turtle family is divided into two, the Great and the Little."* The accounts are not so explicit with respect to the Lenape tribes. Mr. Heckewelder indeed says, that the Delawares were divided into three tribes; but one of them, the Wolf or Minsi, principle may have had its origin in the primitive Patriarchal government. A chief is wanted in a state of society which is one of perpetual warfare with the adjacent tribes. Whatever cause may be assigned for the fact, the most ancient accounts and traditions agree in representing barbarous people, when first appearing as independent communities, under a kingly government. The heroic times of Greece, and the petty kings, cotemporary with Abraham, are familiar to all. *Vol. III. p. 266, had altogether separated from the other, and was a distinct nation or tribe, and not a clan in the sense now under consideration. According to Mr. Johnston, the Shawnoes have four tribes, the Chillicothe, the Piqua, the Kiskapocoke, and the Mequachake. The first two, from having given names to distinct towns, would seem to be living in separate places; but the fact, that the Mequachake can alone perform the religious ceremonies of the nation, gives it the character of a clan. Whether the Totem, or family name of the Chippeways, descends in a regular manner, or is arbitrarily imposed by the father, has not been clearly explained. But Dr. James informs us, that no man is allowed to change his Totem, that it descends to all the children a man may have, and that the restraint upon intermarriage which it imposes, is scrupulously regarded. "They profess to consider it highly criminal for a man to marry a woman whose Totem is the same as his own; and they relate instances where young men, for a violation of this rule, have been put to death by their own nearest relatives."* But the Chippeways and kindred tribes are in this manner much more subdivided than the other Indians are into clans. Dr. James gives a catalogue of eighteen Totems, and says, that many more might be enumerated. The most direct testimony we have of the similarity, of the institution amongst the northern and southern Indians, is that of Loskiel, in his History of the Moravian Mission.† "The Del awares and Iroquois never marry near relations. According to their own account, the Indian nations were divided into tribes for no other purpose, than that no one might ever either through temptation or mistake, marry a near relation, which at present is scarcely possible, for whoever intends to marry, must take a person of a different tribe." That a similar division existed amongst the Sioux tribes, had escaped former observers. But Dr. Say, who resided several weeks among the Omahaws, informs us, that they are divided into two great tribes, the Hongashano, and the Ishtasunda.‡ The first is divided into eight, and the other into five bands. Each of these derives its name from some animal, part of an animal, or other substance, which is considered as the peculiar sacred object, or medicine, as the Canadians call it, of each band respectively. The most ancient is that of the red maize ; Part I. Chap. v. *Tanner's Narrative, p. 313. Major Long's Expedition, Vol. I. Chap. xv. ; the most powerful that of the Wase-ishta (“male deer"). The Puncas are likewise divided into similar bands. Dr. Say does not mention how those several bands or clans are perpetuated; but in another place he says, that "even a very remote degree of consanguinity is an insuperable barrier to the marriage union."* I am indebted for the first information respecting the object of that institution among the southern tribes, to the manuscript notes of Mr. Mitchell, formerly agent amongst the Creeks, communicated to me by Mr. Forsyth; and it has been since fully confirmed by intelligent natives of the several nations. Since, however, the Cherokees and the Creeks have attempted to substitute, for their ancient customs, written laws on the model of ours, the institution is falling into disuse, though very recent instances have occurred of its being enforced. According to the ancient custom, if an offence was committed by one on another member of the same clan, the compensation to be made on account of the injury was regulated in an amicable way by the other members of the clan. Murder was rarely expiated in any other way than by the death of the murderer; the nearest male relative of the deceased was the executioner; but, this being done as under the authority of the clan, there was no further retaliation. If the injury was committed by some one of another clan, it was not the injured party, but the clan to which he belonged that asked for reparation. This was rarely refused by the clan of the offender; but, in case of refusal, the injured clan had a right to do itself justice, either by killing the offender in case of murder, or inflicting some other punishment for lesser offences. This species of private war was by the Creeks called "to take up the sticks," because the punishment generally consisted in beating the offender. At the time of the annual corn-feast, the sticks were laid down, and could not again be taken up for the same offence. But it seems that originally there had been a superiority amongst some of the clans. That of the Wind had the right to take up the sticks four times, that of the Bear twice, for the same offence; whilst those of the Tiger, of the Wolf, of the Bird, of the Root, and of two more, whose names I do not know, could raise them but once.† * Vol. I. Chap. xiv. The Cherokees, according to Mr. Boudinot's information, were divided into seven clans, the Deer, the Wolf, &c. It is obvious, that the object of the unknown legislator was, to prevent or soften the effects of private revenge, by transferring the power and duty from the blood relatives to a more impartial body. The father, and his brothers by the same mother, never could belong to the same clan as their son or nephew; whilst the perpetual changes, arising from intermarriages with women of a different clan, prevented their degenerating into distinct tribes, and checked the natural tendency towards a subdivision of the nation into independent communities. The institution may be considered as the foundation of the internal policy, and the basis of the social state, of the Indians. It must have contributed towards preserving the southern nations entire and compact as we found them. It certainly was not preserved in its purity amongst the Lenapes; and this circumstance may have had its share in the great subdivision into small, independent tribes, and consequent impotency, of that numerous nation. There were also amongst the southern nations other institutions intended still more effectually to check the spirit of revenge and retaliation, so universally indulged by every barbarous people; and calculated to preserve either internal or external peace. Such was, among the Cherokees, the City of Refuge and Peace, Echoteh, where even murderers found at least a temporary asylum. This place, where a perpetual fire was kept, was the residence of a peculiar class of men, known by the name of the "Beloved Men," in whose presence blood could not be shed, and who, even out of the city and wherever they went, secured against any act of violence those under their protection.* Such was also the division of towns or villages amongst the Creeks, into White towns and Red towns, distinguished from each other by poles of those respective colors. Whenever the question of war or peace was deliberately discussed at Thlcocotcho, the general seat of government, it was the duty of the representatives of the White towns to bring forth all the arguments that could be suggested in favor of peace.† * Information given by M. Boudinot. These "Beloved Men were entirely distinct from the hereditary Mingoes and other chiefs. Mr. Hawkins, under the modest name of Beloved Man of the Four Nations, did, during his life, govern or at least exercise a very considerable influence over the Creeks, Choctaws, and even Chicasas and Cherokees. Information from Mr. Mitchell and Colonel Hambly. But it refers to customs falling into disuse, and of which traces only remain. The aristocratical feature of the institution of clans appears to have been general. Some superiority is everywhere ascribed to one of them: -to the Unamis among the Delawares; to the Wase-ishta among the Omahaws; to the Bear tribe among the Hurons and Five Nations. Charlevoix says, that when the Mohawks put to death Father Iogues, it was the work of the Bear clan alone, and notwithstanding all the efforts of those of the Wolf and of the Turtle to save him.* But it is among the Natches alone that we find, connected together, a highly privileged class, a despotic government, and something like a regular form of religious worship. The Natches occupied a territory of moderate extent on the Mississippi, and lived in three villages near the site of the town which has preserved their name. The number of their warriors, which was estimated at twelve hundred, appears from the details of their war with the French to have been rather overrated. They were divided into four classes or clans, on the same principle and under the same regulations as those of the other southern Indian tribes. They worshipped the sun, from whom the sovereign and the privileged class pretended to be descended; and they preserved a perpetual sacred fire in an edifice appropriated to that purpose. The hereditary dignity of Chief or Great Sun descended as usual by the female line;† and he as well as all the other members of his clan, whether male or female, could marry only persons of an inferior clan. Hence the barbarous custom of sacrificing at their funerals the consorts of the Great Sun and of his mother. Her influence was powerful, and his authority apparently despotic, though checked by her and by some select counsellors of his own clan. Charlevoix says, that most of the nations of Louisiana had a perpetual fire in their temples. He and Du Pratz describe as eyewitnesses the temple and sacred fire of the Natches. Tonti saw the temple of the Taensas, then living on the west side of the Mississippi, and which is described in his relation with its usual exaggeration. The worship of the sun and fire by Vol. I. Year 1646. Father Iogues was the victim of his zeal. He had with difficulty been saved three years before by the good offices of the Dutch commanding officer at Fort Orange. Char Amongst the Hurons the dignity of chief is hereditary through the female line. They believe him to have issued from the sun. levoix, Vol. III. |