Previous to giving a detail of this interview, it seems necessary to observe, that some extraordinary ideas respecting witchcraft had prevailed among the natives for sometime, which were principally insinuated among them by an infirm old man named Connediu, a half brother to Cornplanter, who had the appearance of a simple man, and had been from his youth very intemperate. He had no influence in the nation till about three years before, when, after a long time of sickness, he was supposed by the Indians to be several times in a trance. After he had recovered therefrom, he asserted that he had seen angels, who communicated to him such things as the Great Spirit designed should be imparted to the Indians—that they must all quit drinking whiskey and other strong liquors—that they must revive the custom of their forefathers in eating dog’s flesh, and have frequent dances—performing their religious ceremonies, &c. This to a people naturally prone to superstition, was like oracles delivered from the Great Spirit, and to use their own language, “was the manner in which He was revealing his mind and will to the Indians.” Connediu had actually some of his imaginary interviews with the inhabitants of the spiritual world committed to writing, that they might keep it in remembrance, as the will of the Great Spirit concerning them.
Connediu frequently asserted that these heavenly messengers continued to favour him with frequent interviews, and he succeeded in propagating a belief among the natives, that most of their bodily afflictions and disorders arose from witchcraft, and undertook to point out the individuals who had the power of inflicting these evils. He was said to have wholly declined the practice of drinking to excess, and by an artful exercise of his pretended knowledge, he acquired considerable influence in the nation, so as to be appointed high priest and chief Sachem in things civil and religious.
Some of Cornplanter’s family being in a declining state of health, Connediu, (whom they now esteemed a great doctor, as well as a prophet,) was applied to for counsel. In his wild reveries he alleged that some of the Delaware Indians who lived at Cattaraugus possessed the power of witchcraft, and were the cause of their illness.
This brought on a quarrel between the two tribes, and some of the Delawares were taken prisoners, and threatened with death if they did not remove the disorder.
During the contention, Cornplanter wrote to the governor of Pennsylvania on the occasion, and the committee on Indian affairs being made acquainted with the circumstances, letters both from the committee and government were addressed to both tribes of Indians on the subject. A council was called between the contending parties, and Friends, with some other well disposed people on the frontier settlements, used their influence to have an amicable adjustment, and endeavoured to obliterate from the Indians’ minds, those superstitious ideas of witchcraft which appeared to have been the ground of their uneasiness. The result was, that the Delawares were acquitted, and all disputes buried between them and the Senecas. Cornplanter told them “that he had swept their beds clean, that they might lie down in peace—that he had swept their houses clean, that they might live comfortably in them—that he had swept clean before their doors, that they might go out and in, without molestation.”
About the time that Friends of the committee arrived at Genesinghuta, the Indians generally were met in council, about these matters; and although Connediu had advised them to quit drinking whiskey, he was otherwise endeavouring to propagate notions very inimical to the concern in which Friends were engaged, by recommending them to follow their old customs, and not allow their children to learn to read and write; that they might farm a little, and build houses, but must not sell any thing which they raised on their land, but give it away to one another, and especially to their old people; and, in short, enjoy all things in common.
With this doctrine several of the young chiefs and others were not satisfied; and one of them judiciously observed, “they had better hold councils about fencing in fields, and clearing land, than about witchcraft, and other strange notions of Connediu.”
The committee, who now visited the settlement, were pleased, on passing down the river, with the view of fences, where not long before there were none to be seen; and instead of the bark cabins, that formerly stood in clusters along its banks, there were now good houses, with shingled roofs; and the tinkling of cow bells, which they heard in various directions, denoted an increase of cattle, and had a cheering effect on their minds. It was in the spring of 1801, that the Indians first began to use the plough for themselves. They took a very cautious method of determining whether it was likely to be an advantageous change to them or not. Several parts of a large field were ploughed, and the intermediate spaces prepared by their women with the hoe, according to former custom. It was all planted with corn; and the parts ploughed, (besides the great saving of labour,) produced much the heaviest crop; the stalks being more than a foot higher, and proportionably stouter than those on the hoed ground. The corn was now gathered in, and as their stock of cattle had much increased, instead of leaving their corn fodder to perish, as formerly, they preserved it for their cattle in winter—and several had mown grass, and made small stacks of hay. They had made a fence, about two miles long, which enclosed the lower town, and a large body of adjacent land fronting on the river, and several other fences were made within it, to separate the corn from the pasture ground.
With the exception of houses and fences, the improvements at the lower town, (Jenuchshadaga) did not bear a comparison with the upper settlement, where the Indians lived more detached from each other. Their thus separating, was evidently more to their advantage, than crowding together in villages. A chief, who was not ashamed to be seen at work by the women of his own family, would probably have been much mortified when discovered by a number of other females, who on such occasions do not always refrain from ridicule. Yet this false shame on the part of the men, and ridicule of the women, gradually wore away as they became familiarized to each others’ assistance, in their little agricultural labours.
The Indians now became very sober, generally refraining from the use of strong liquor, both at home and when abroad among the white people. One of them observed to Friends, “no more bark cabins, but good houses—no more get drunk here, now, this two year.”