Tuscarora Annual Summer Picnic

This past weekend of July 11-13, we had the good fortune to visit the Tuscarora Indian Reservation and attend the annual Summer Picnic and Field Days.  The Tuscarora have many ties to Pennsylvania, migrating through here from North Carolina 300 years ago on their way to a new home with the Iroquois Confederacy.  They eventually settled in the Niagara Falls, NY area, but they periodically return to Pennsylvania at various times commemorating their ancestors’ migration. 

The festival is an annual gathering that brings families and clans together for a celebration.  The opening ceremonies were in “the grove”, across from their new community center.  The grove was designated for the festival about 80 years ago and now has a cement stage, food preparation and comfort facilities.  The Summer Festival celebrates its 170th anniversary in 2015.

The parade into the grove consisted of chiefs carrying flags and symbols of their nation, followed by the clan mothers.  Neil Patterson Jr. spoke in Tuscarora giving the opening welcome and prayer.  There are currently only six Tuscarora that speak the language but teaching their language has been a project that is in the forefront for the Nation.

The Big Drum Ceremony called all the people together and a special presentation was made to Lee Simonson.  His involvement in the December celebration of the Tuscarora Heroes Monument (http://www.TuscaroraHeroes.com) in Lewiston, NY was acknowledged with a fine plaque from the Nation.

The real festivities started when the dress and dancing contests began.  Children were clothed in traditional clan dress, handmade by people in their clan (such as grandmothers, mothers or even grandfathers).  Beadwork is always hand sewn and frequently depicts a clan symbol (such as the turtle, bear, snipe, deer or beaver) or a significant event relating to the clan.  Children are judged on their dress and show great deportment while standing in front of the audience of hundreds of people. The youngest, a one month old baby was held by his proud father.

The dancing contests began with the youngest (from 4 years old on up) showcasing their renditions of traditional dance.  It was impressive to see how serious the children were when it came to honoring their traditions of dress and dance.  They were taught the dance steps and worked diligently to do them correctly on that hot afternoon, while fully clothed in traditional regalia.

After the children showcased their dance, the adults entered serious competitions, especially in the traditional ‘Smoke Dance’.  The dances represent periods of the past or the transformation of a Tuscarora child into adulthood.  Dancing brings the community together and each has a symbolic meaning.  The Rabbit Dance is fast and symbolizes the hunter chasing the quick and clever rabbit while the Smoke Dance symbolizes the growth of a child to a man or a woman.

Community, camaraderie, food, renewing traditions and outreach are the spirit of the Tuscarora Annual Picnic.  The cares of the outside world are far away and left to be dealt with another day.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

The Tuscarora Nation is celebrating the 300th anniversary of their journey home by retracing the steps of their ancestors along a 1300 mile trail.

Tuscarora Migration Project

This week in Pennsylvania archaeology we are going to report on a visit from some very special people. On May 7, members of the Tuscarora Indian Nation visited The State Museum of Pennsylvania. They are part of a group of young people who are celebrating the 300^th anniversary of the Tuscarora’s journey home. Some of you may remember the Tuscarora visit in 2010. That event celebrated the meeting in 1710 where a delegation of Tuscarora Indians was dispatched from present day North Carolina to deliver a set of wampum belts to the colonial Governor of Pennsylvania. The delegation was seeking permission to relocate their people to Pennsylvania to avoid a war with colonists in North Carolina. The meeting was held on June 8th at Conestoga Town, Manor Township, Lancaster County where representatives sent by Lt. Governor Gookin and the Provincial Council met with the Tuscarora. The Tuscarora carried eight wampum belts symbolizing their desire to have safe lands for their children to play and young men to hunt, protection from slavery, freedom to travel in order to gather wood, food and water, and that they might find peace with their neighbors and the Provincial Government. The Governor and his representatives acknowledged the plan of the Tuscarora to live peaceably and granted them a safe place to live.

 

The Tuscarora are Iroquoian speakers and they believe they left their ancestral homeland in present day New York for the Carolinas between 700 and 900 AD and this is supported by archaeological evidence. At the Conestoga Town meeting, members of the Iroquois Confederacy invited the Tuscarora to move to their lands in New York rather than stay in Pennsylvania. War delayed the move but following its end in 1713, the Tuscarora started migrating north through Virginia and eventually the Susquehanna Valley. The Tuscarora Nation was admitted to the Iroquois Confederacy “on the cradleboard” (meaning that one of the five nations represented them in council meetings) in 1722 but the duration of the move lasted over 50 years.

In their sojourn through our state, the Tuscarora left a lasting legacy which honors their nation in the names of towns, streams and mountains. The Commonwealth appreciates their contributions to our heritage and wishes to strengthen our ties with the Tuscarora Nation. The Tuscarora Indian Nation is a federally recognized nation, acknowledged by the Federal Government as having a government to government relationship with the United States.

To commemorate the 300^th anniversary of their journey home, the Tuscarora Nation sent some of its young people to retrace the steps of their ancestors along the trail. They began their journey on March 24^th, 2013 at Fort Nooherooka, Snow Hill, North Carolina and will finish their trip 1300 miles later at the Tuscarora Nation, located in Lewiston, New York near Niagara Falls on June 1^st. Their goal is to share the Tuscarora story of amazing indigenous survival; bring attention to climate shift and raise awareness about the need for more "human-powered" movement.

Leymone Middle School presentation

They followed the Tuscarora trail through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and southern Pennsylvania by hiking, biking and running. They have covered about 700 miles in 40 days. Using a relay race strategy, they ran into Duncannon, Pennsylvania this weekend. On Tuesday, staff from the State Museum escorted them to Lemoyne Middle School for a presentation to about 120 eighth graders. They described their journey, including allowing students to carry their backpacks. They also described life on the Tuscarora reservation and there were many questions. Marta Hamme, the teacher who organized the presentation, told us later that the students continued talking about the journey and Tuscarora culture for the rest of the day.

Memorial Hall presentation

Next, they gave a presentation in Memorial Hall at the State Museum. With approximately 200 students in attendance, there were many questions and we are sure those 4^th graders went home and told their parents about seeing real Indians at the State Museum. At lunch we were joined by Francine Patterson, Clan Mother of the White Bear Clan and her husband, Neal Patterson who served as spokesperson. Afterward, there was a presentation in the State Museum to a mostly adult audience. The Tuscarora talked about climate change and how the forest environment changed as they traveled north along the Tuscarora trail.  As a result of global warming, the current climate of North Carolina will gradually move north also. The flora and fauna of their home in western New York will move towards Quebec.  The vegetation and animals will change. What should the Tuscarora do? – move north or stay and adapt to their new surroundings. They also discussed what they had learned about “human powered movement”. Every time someone walks or bikes to school or a store or work they are reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and contributing to a safer environment.

Lunch!

Finally, Francine Patterson is one of the most fluent speakers of the Tuscarora language. She has developed a dictionary and spoke on the importance of maintaining her native tongue. The language is taught in the elementary school on the reservation but there are few speakers. During the twentieth century, the speaking of Native American languages was generally discouraged. However, language is very important in maintaining cultural traditions and the practice is making a comeback with many Native American cultures.

Afternoon presentation to Museum Commission staff and interested parties

It was interesting that our invitation for the afternoon presentation to the public seemed to reach a number of individuals from the local Indian community. This is good because it represents a positive and non-confrontational interaction involving these groups. Later, we took the Tuscarora through the gallery and our lab. It was assumed that they would be tired but they stayed in the gallery until after 4:00 and we didn’t leave the lab until after 6:00.  It was a good day for the State Museum and the Tuscarora.

left to right: Neil Patterson, Francine Patterson, PHMC Executive Director Jim Vaughan, State Museum of PA Director David Dunn

The Tuscarora were attracted to the Commonwealth by the welcoming policies initiated by William Penn and that prevailed in the Commonwealth during the early 1700s. The meeting at Conestoga town 300 years ago was the beginning of a new life for the Tuscarora Nation. They were able to escape the strife in North Carolina and establish a more secure home in the Iroquois Confederacy. In granting them safe passage through the Commonwealth, we greatly facilitated this move. It is part of their heritage and also a significant part of the Commonwealth’s heritage. We feel this was an exceptional opportunity to celebrate the cooperation between the Commonwealth and the Tuscarora Nation in the same approach as our Provincial Government 300 years ago.

            To learn more about the Tuscarora, visit their web site at TuscaroraMigration.org and their Face Book page is 2013 Tuscarora Migration Project where they post regular updates on their journey

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Archaeology Day at the State Capitol

Wrapping up our celebration of Archaeology Month in Pennsylvania this year was the annual Archaeology Day at the State Capitol on Monday November 8th, held in the East Wing Rotunda. With so much happening in the world of archaeology, we just couldn’t contain everything to the month of October. Archaeology Day at the Capitol is one of the few times a year when the archaeological community has the opportunity to interact face to face with elected officials to impress upon them the value of archaeology and “make the case” for bolstering legislative support.

An additional aspect of the program included undergraduate students from Indiana University of PA, Edinboro University of PA and West Chester University presenting posters on recent archaeological fieldwork from their respective institutions. State Museum Section of Archaeology staff was also on hand with a new poster highlighting the past five field seasons of investigations at Fort Hunter Mansion and Park. The now nearly-famous cannon ball recovered there in 2008 was also on display.



Invited as featured guest speakers, Neil and Francine Patterson of the Tuscarora Nation gave a special presentation to third and fourth graders from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School and 7th graders from the Catherdral School in Harrisburg. Students were introduced to the heritage and culture of the Tuscarora including learning the difference between native corn and modern hybrid varieties, and the significance of wampum to native peoples. Thanks to Neil and Francine for making the trip from upstate New York to share their history of the Tuscarora with us.

Afterwards the students participated in an exercise to produce cordage, an everyday yet essential material in prehistoric technology. Hands-on activities such as this engage young people and can open the door to an enriched appreciation for indigenous cultures.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the Tuscarora Nation’s Journey Home

Tuscarora talk to students at a recent visit to Cedar Cliff High School

In June of 1710, a delegation of Tuscarora Indians was dispatched from present day North Carolina to deliver a set of wampum belts to the Governor of Pennsylvania. The delegation was seeking permission to relocate the tribe to Pennsylvania to avoid a war with colonists in North Carolina. The meeting was held on June 8th at Conestoga Town, Manor Township, Lancaster County where representatives sent by Lt. Governor Gookin and the Provincial Council met with the Tuscarora.



The Tuscarora carried eight wampum belts symbolizing their desire to have safe lands for their children to play and young men to hunt, protection from slavery, freedom to travel in order to gather wood, food and water, and that they might find peace with their neighbors and the Provincial Government. The Governor and his representatives acknowledged the plan of the Tuscarora to live peaceably and granted them a safe place to live.

After some discussion, members of the Iroquois confederacy invited the Tuscarora to move to their lands in New York. War delayed the move but following its end in 1713, the tribe started migrating north through the Susquehanna Valley. The Tuscarora Nation was admitted to the Iroquois confederacy “on the cradleboard” in the early 1720’s but the move lasted over 50 years.

To commemorate the 300th anniversary of their journey home, the Tuscarora Nation is sending some of its young men to retrace the steps of their ancestors along the trail. At 11:00 on June 8, 2010, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will host a ceremony in Memorial Hall to honor the meeting at Conestoga Town held 300 years ago. Officials from the Nation, including a Clan Mother, will be present, along with some of the individuals who will walk the route from North Carolina through Pennsylvania to New York. Featured will be a party of Tuscarora dancers who are renowned as the best of the Iroquoian dancers. The Tuscarora are Iroquoian speakers.

In their sojourn through our state, the Tuscarora left a lasting legacy which honors their nation in the names of towns, streams and mountains. The Commonwealth appreciates their contributions to our heritage and wishes to strengthen our ties with the Tuscarora Nation. The Tuscarora Indian Nation is a federally recognized tribe, acknowledged by the Federal Government as having a government to government relationship with the United States.



The meeting at Conestoga town 300 year ago was the beginning of a new life for the Tuscarora Nation. It is part of their heritage and also a significant part of the Commonwealth’s heritage. We feel this is an exceptional opportunity to celebrate the cooperation between the Commonwealth and the Tuscarora Nation in the same approach as our Provincial Government 300 years ago.



For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .