Page 297 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

SKETCII OF THE BROTHERTOWN INDIANS, 293

and degraded condition of those tribes, and ended by intima-
ting, that unless they soon emigrated to some more friendly
clime, wherc they would be more free from the contaminating
influence, and evil cxamplc, etc., of their white brethren, and
be farther removed from that great destroyer, worst of all,
"Eire- Water," they would become wholly extinct. The Oneida,
chief listened with deep emotion to the pitiful, yet truthful tale,
of the many wrongs and oppressions, insults and stratagems,
that had, from time to time, been unsparingly practiced upon
them, and saw at once, that not a glimmering beam of hope
shone along their pathway, to cheer their gloomy condition, and
beckon them onwards to a prospect of a brighter future ; and
at the close of the narrative, very generously gave to Mr.
for
FOWLER, thc benefit of his eastern brcthren, e very valna-
ble tract of land, about twelve milcs square, situated fourteen
miles south of where the city of Utica, N. Y., now stands ; at
the time instructing him to return without n moments' delay, to
his own tribe, and spread the glad news among the other
tribes, and endeavor to prevail on as many as possible, from each
tribe, to emigrate as soon as convenient, and take possession
of the same. These instructions Mr. FOWLER carried out, and
in due course of time, a few from each of said tribes emigrated
and took possession of the tract, a,nd comrnenccd a settlement ;
and in consequcnce of the good wishes, and kind and brotherly
feelings that actuated and bound them together, they unani-
mously concluded to call the new settlement by the name of
Brothertown, and thus a new Nation sprang into existence,
phcenix-like, from thc ashes, (if I may so call it,) of six different
tribes, and they were ever after, while they remained in the
state of New York, known as the Brothertown tribe of Indians.
Here, sir, I might leave them, and let it be again supposed
that they had become extinct; but the fact that the writer
hereof, (who is a Narragansett,) united with them in 1825, and
has continued with them until the present time, he trusts will
be deemed a sufficient apology, if he feels inclined to continue