“Brothers, we cannot tell you how much we want you to improve in all things—we know you cannot do every thing at once, but we want you to hearken to our counsel—we love you—we desire your good, and that you may increase and leave a good name behind you, when the Great Spirit shall take you away.
“Brothers, remember we can only counsel you for good—if you take our counsel the Great Spirit will help you.
“Brothers, you have now witnessed a little of the rewards of the Good Spirit, in taking our counsel and the counsel of our brother Oatnus—our counsel to you is, that you continue to improve as you have begun.
“Brothers, be sober, be industrious—love to improve yourselves, and the Great Spirit will bountifully assist you.
“Brothers, we want you to mind the Great Spirit, to be industrious—to try to learn yourselves—to keep out of bad company—to avoid strong drink—to counsel with brother Oatnus, who will never deceive you, but counsel you for your good.”
Signed, &c.
Fifth mo. 29, 1828.
By a report of the committee on Indian affairs dated the twenty-seventh of the Fifth-month, 1830, and presented to the Yearly Meeting held in the same month, it appears that during the past year, the Onondaga tribe have received their care and attention as heretofore, and that those Indians are realizing in an unprecedented manner, the fruits of their own industry, being stimulated and encouraged, by the care which Friends have extended towards them, for a few years past, which affords great cause for encouragement. There is a striking contrast between their situation now, and what it was seven years ago, when their only buildings were two small barns, and a few inferior huts. The lands which they then had cleared, were very imperfectly cultivated, and the state and quality as well as quantity of their stock, as also teams and utensils of husbandry of every kind, were correspondent. Since that time, they have greatly increased their quantity of cleared land; this season they had about three hundred acres of wheat—their crops are more abundant, furnishing more than a supply for their people. The fencing and arrangement of their fields are farmer-like and judicious. The number of their barns is increased to about twenty—their teams of horses and oxen, are numerous and efficient—they are pretty well supplied with wagons, harness, ploughs, and other farming utensils, and these articles are kept in tolerable repair. Many of their present dwellings, though small, are comfortable frame buildings, and their household furniture consists mostly of useful and plain articles—such as are used in civilized life.
On a good mill stream within their territory, which consists of a reservation of about ten thousand acres, the committee’s superintendent, during the past year, aided by the individual labour of the Indians, raised a substantial dam, and by a discreet dispensation of their resources, and by a general economy introduced among them, has collected about five hundred dollars, which defrayed the expenses of erecting a good saw-mill, which the Indians find to be highly useful and productive.