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Canasatego's Speech to the Delaware, 1742

Canasatego's Speech to the Delaware, 1742

From Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania, volume 4 (Harrisburg: Theo. Penn, 1851), 578-80.

The Indians who lived at the Forks of the Delaware were dispossessed by the Walking Purchase in 1737. At a treaty conference in Philadelphia in 1742, the Penn family relied on the Iroquois, who described themselves as the overlords of the Delaware, to force these Indians to remove themselves to new homes in the Susquehanna Valley. Canasatego, an Onondaga headman, delivered the following speech to Nutimus and the other "fork Indians."

Then turning to the Delawares, holding a Belt of Wampum in his Hand, he spoke to them as followeth:
"Cousins:
"Let this Belt of Wampum serve to Chastize You; You ought to be taken by the Hair of the Head and shak'd severely till you recover your Senses and become Sober; you don't know what Ground you stand on, nor what you are doing. Our Brother Onas" [Thomas Penn] Case is very just and plain, and his Intentions to preserve friendship; on the other Hand your Cause is bad, your Heart far from being upright, and you are maliciously bent to break the Chain of friendship with your Brother Onas. We have seen with our Eyes a Deed signed by nine of your Ancestors above fifty Years ago for this very Land, and a Release Sign'd not many Years since by some of your selves and Chiefs now living to the Number of 15 or Upwards. But how came you to take upon you to Sell Land at all? We Conquer'd You, we made Women of you, you know you are Women, and can no more sell Land than Women. Nor is it fit you should have the Power of Selling Lands since you would abuse it. This Land that you Claim is gone through Your Guts. You have been furnished with Cloaths and Meat and Drink by the Goods paid you for it, and now You want it again like Children as you are. But what makes you sell Land in the Dark? Did you ever tell Us that you had sold this Land? Did we ever receive any Part, even the Value of a Pipe Shank, from you for it? . . . for all these reasons we charge You to remove instantly. We don't give you the liberty to think about it. You are Women; take the Advice of a Wise Man and remove immediately. You may return to the other side of Delaware where you came from, but we don't know whether, Considering how you have demean'd your selves, you will be permitted to live there, or whether you have not swallowed that Land down your Throats, as well as the Land on this side. We, therefore, Assign you two Places to go–either to Wyoming or Shamokin. You may go either of these Place, and then we shall have you more under our Eye, and shall see how You behave. Don't deliberate, but remove away and take this Belt of Wampum."

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