Woodland Indian Education. Supplied by Martin.

Savage, the French term used for woodland Indians. They did of course have their own form of education, but they were also able to make speeches that would make a modern politition envious. Here below is a story supplied by Martin, a fellow blog follower.

Your account of James Smith's adventure reminded me of the following story:


When Ben Franklin was in Paris he wrote a short article on Indians that told of an exchange, possibly apocryphal, between Virginian leaders and representatives of the Six Nations at the treaty negotiations in Lancaster, PA, back in 1744. The Virginians made a dramatic offer to educate six Indian youths at the College of William and Mary and bring them into the fold of white civilization. The speaker for the Six Nations responded politely - any other form of response would be unthinkable from an Indian chief - but he made it clear that his people were not interested in the white man's offer:


"Several of our young People were formerly brought up at the Colleges of the Northern Provinces, they were instructed in all your Sciences; but, when they came back to us, they were bad Runners, ignorant of every means of living in the Woods, unable to bear either Cold or Hunger, knew neither how to build a Cabin, take a Deer, or kill an Enemy, spoke our Language imperfectly, were therefore neither fit for Hunters, Warriors, nor Counsellors; they were totally good for nothing. We are however not the less oblig'd by your kind Offer, tho' we decline accepting it; and to show our grateful Sense of it, if the Gentlemen from Virginia will send us a Dozen of their Sons, we will take great Care of their Education, instruct them in all we know, and make Men of them."


There is no record of the Gentlemen from Virginia taking the Iroquois up on their offer.
Yours,
Martin