Seneca Chief Big Kettle Letter Signed, Plus

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American Historical Ephemera and Photography

By Cowan's Auctions

Nov 19, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-11-19 10:00:00 2020-11-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American Historical Ephemera and Photography https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-historical-ephemera-and-photography-5894
Cowan’s Auctions, a Hindman Company, is pleased to present the November 19 Fall Auction, featuring over 400 lots of historically significant photography, manuscript material, artwork, and other ephemera dating from the 18th through the early 20th century, including the Civil War. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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• Lot Description
  Lot of 2. Seneca Chief BIG KETTLE. Letter Signed ("His Mark") to "Hanyinhgwah." N.p., n.d., [ca 1837]. 6pp, 7.75 x 12.5 in. Transcribed by "a Seneca Chief who is receiving an education at Dartmouth College."Chief Big Kettle (late 18th-first half of 19th century) writes at length regarding the treatment of the Seneca by white people and the federal government. The letter opens, "the letter grows out of the difficulties thrown in the path of the Indians by the policy of the Government of the United States, and by the efforts of a company of individuals who some years since purchased the pre-emptive right to the Indian land, and whose interest it is to get the people away as soon as possible." He addresses the obvious inequities: "There are some strange things about the business which surprise me exceedingly. We have very well understood the laws of the State, which fine a white man twenty-five dollars for cutting a single tree. Well they are catching the timber thieves very frequently. They prove it out clear against them – they make them pay the fine. But who is it that pockets the money? The Indians get none of it."In a heartbreaking passage, Big Kettle presciently predicts how the Indians will continue to be treated: "For myself, I mean to stay here as long as God’s providence will let me stay any where in the world. If we should remove, we can easily see how it would be with us. Here is something which makes it very plain. A few years ago, the government told us that at Green Bay we might live and flourish forever. Some of us went and put up our cabins, and just began to live and then the government sent and told us 'this land is not quite yours; you can have a stronger title a little further West.' And as far as I can see, so it will be forever. They will tell us, a little further, and a little further, and a little further, till our grand children shall be plunged in that salt ocean beyond. It is plain to me that the white people will never change their disposition. They are so selfish that they can never get enough; and they will tell our children just as they have told us. We began at the East Salt Ocean, and have sold out to them now and more and more and more, and yet they are not content – and they never will be contented, till the red men are all in the West Salt Ocean. The more I see, the more I am convinced that the white man is coming to continue many ways for cheating the Indians." He closes his letter with a plea: "These are my honest feelings, and I wish friend Hanyinhgwah, that you would either send them to Washington, or else publish them to the world." His request was honored and the letter was published in part in Niles' Weekly Register (Baltimore) in the June 24, 1837 issue and the Buffalo Spectator.[With:]Speech of a Missionary to the Indians at Buffaloe, and the answer thereto, by Red Jacket. N.d., ca 1834. 5pp, 7.75 x 12.5 in. A manuscript transcript of a series of addresses which begins: "In the summer of 1805, a number of the principal chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations of Indians, principally Senecas, assembled at Buffaloe Creek, in the State of New York, at the particular request of a gentleman Missionary from the State of Massachusetts: - the Missionary being furnished with an interpreter and accompanied by the agent of the United States for Indian affairs, met the Indians in Council, when the following talk took place."The agent introduces the missionary who delivers harsh criticism to the Seneca people: "Brothers,- I have not come to get your land, or your money, but to enlighten your minds, and to instruct you how to worship the Great Spirit, agreeable to his mind and will and to preach to you the gospel of his son, Jesus Christ. There is but one religion, and one way to serve God, and if you do not embrace right way, you cannot be happy hereafter. You have never worshipped the Great Spirit in a manner acceptable to him; but have, all your lives, been in great error and darkness. To endeavour to remove these errors, and open your eyes, so that you might see clearly, is my business with you."After consultation with the other chiefs, the Seneca chief and skilled orator Red Jacket (Otetiani, and later Sagoyewatha, ca 1750-1830) responds with a fiery rebuke: "Brother,- our seats were once large, and yours were small. You have now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets. You have got our country, but are not satisfied. You want to force your religion upon us. Brother, continue to listen. You say you are sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his mind, and if we do not take hold of the religion which you teach, we shall be unhappy hereafter. You say that you are right, and we are lost. How do you know this to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book. If it was intended for us as well as you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us? And not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it rightly? We only know what you tell us about it. How shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by the white people. Brother,- you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agreed, as you can all read the book? Brother,- we do not understand these things." The powerful speech was first printed in Monthly Anthology in 1809 and reprinted frequently thereafter. 
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