Indian Life and Indian History

George Copway

A. Colby and Company, 1858 - Ojibwa Indians - 266 pages

What people are saying

User Review -

Reading the chapter titled "Their Language and Writings" is very helpful. Copway knew the Ojibway people lived in far off locations. White historians have confined the original territory of the Ojibways to Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. Yet Copway knew the Ojibways lived in Maryland and Virginia some 300 years before his time (1850), or about the time of the initial white invasion. His information about the Ojibway people adopting the customs of the original native tribes, portrays ancient events in which Ojibway soldiers conquered those tribes then intermixed both languages. The same also happened in the western part of North America. An example is the Algonquian-Salishan-Wakashan Language Family of British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington. In California, the Wiyot, Yuki, Yurok, and Wappo are also partly Ojibway, as are the Yokuts people or Penutians. The Penutians include the Alsean, Cayuse, Chinook, Coosan, Kalapuyan, Klamath, Maiduan, Modoc, Molala, Sahaptian or Nez Perce and Yakama, Siuslaw, Takelma, Tsimshian, Utian, Wappo, Wintuan, and Yuki. In Mexico, the Penutians are the Mixe-Zoque and Huave. Those tribes won't accept being Ojibway but they are! In fact, they are predominantly Ojibway. As a result of a long period of no contact and different foods, the Ojibways of those locations are no longer as tall and ill tempered as those Ojibways who stayed in their original territory. 

Contents

• I: 13
• II: 28
• IV: 33
• VI: 49
• VIII: 61
• IX: 73
• XI: 81
• XII: 87
• XIII: 95
• XIV: 120
• XV: 135
• XVI: 145
• XVII: 168
• XVIII: 186
• XIX: 194
• XXII: 220
• XXIII: 237

Popular passages

Page 223 - I found in this cave many Indian hieroglyphics which appeared very ancient, for time had nearly covered them with moss, so that it was with difficulty I could trace them. They were cut in a rude manner upon the inside of the walls, which were composed of a stone so extremely soft that it might be easily penetrated with a knife, a stone everywhere to be found near the Mississippi.

Page 225 - The country around them is extremely beautiful. It is not an uninterrupted plain where the eye finds no relief, but composed of many gentle ascents, which in the summer are covered with the finest verdure, and interspersed with little groves, that give a pleasing variety to the prospect. On the whole, when the Falls are included, which may be seen at the distance of four miles, a more pleasing and picturesque view cannot, I believe, be found throughout the universe.

Page 221 - This town is the great mart, where all the adjacent tribes, and even those who inhabit the most remote branches of the Mississippi, annually assemble about the latter end of May, bringing with them their furs to dispose of to the traders.

Page 195 - His departure was immediate, (AD 1660) and with few preparations ; for he trusted — such are his words — ' in the Providence which feeds the little birds of the desert, and clothes the wild flowers of the forests.

Page 224 - ... of my companion. The prince had no sooner gained the point that overlooks this wonderful cascade than he began with an audible voice to address the Great Spirit, one of whose places of residence he imagined this to be. He told him that he had come a long way to pay his adorations to him, and now would make him the best offerings in his power. He accordingly...

Page 99 - A number of warriors were deputed to go and see what it was. They went, and on their return, said it appeared strange and somewhat like a bird. A committee of the wise men were called to inquire into it, and if possible ascertain the meaning of the strange phenomenon. "They feared that it might be the omen of some disaster. Some thought it the precursor of good, others of evil, and some supposed it to be the star spoken of by their forefathers, as the forerunner of a dreadful war. "One moon had...

Page 50 - ... of rawhide, two inches deep, just large enough to admit the ball which is to be used on the occasion. Two poles are driven in the ground at a distance of four hundred paces from each other, which serves as goals for the two parties. It is the endeavor of each to take the ball to his hole. The party which carries the ball and strikes its pole wins the game. "The warriors, very scantily attired, young and brave, fantastically painted — and women, decorated with feathers, assemble around their...

Page 229 - Department, and accompanied by several scientific gentlemen, started on an expedition, the object of which was to explore the river St. Peters and the country situated on the northern boundary of the United States, between the Red River of Hudson's Bay, and Lake Superior.

Page 219 - For it would not only disclose new sources of trade, and promote many useful discoveries, but would open a passage for conveying intelligence to China and the English settlements in the East Indies, with greater expedition than a tedious voyage by the Cape of Good Hope or the Straits of Magellan will allow of.

Page 206 - About thirty leagues above Black River, we found the Lake of Tears, which we named so, because the savages who took us, as it will be hereafter related, consulted in this place, what they should do with their prisoners, and those who were for murdering, cried all night upon us, to oblige by their tears, their companions to consent to our death. This lake is formed by the 'Meschasipi,' and may be seven leagues long and five broad.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Indian Life and Indian History
• Author: George Copway
• Publisher: A. Colby and Company, 1858
• Original from: the University of California
• Digitized: Nov 14, 2007
• Length: 266 pages