New book details rich history of Tuscaroras

by Susan Mikula Campbell
Niagara Frontier Publications, April 5, 2007

Shown are the authors of the new book “Tuscarora Nation,” Neil Patterson Jr. and Bryan Printup.

Bryan Printup and Neil Patterson Jr. have completed one journey with the recent publication of their book, “Tuscarora Nation.” There’s still another journey of the heart ahead as they work on plans to commemorate the 300th anniversary of their ancestors’ settling in New York with a recreation of their trek from North Carolina.

Patterson, 32, and Printup, 30, are members of the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force. Patterson is the director and Printup heads the geographic information systems department for the Tuscarora Environment Program, located on the Tuscarora Nation.

Arcadia Publishing as part of its “Images of America” series, published their book.

“Tuscarora Nation” officially went on sale March 19 and so far response has been good. The authors took 100 copies to a book night last month at the Tuscarora Indian School that quickly sold out. They ordered another 50 copies that already are almost gone, Printup said.

Few books are sold with information about the Tuscaroras. “This one is written by Tuscaroras for Tuscaroras,” he said.

The Story

The book opens with a history of how the Tuscaroras ended up in Niagara County. The rest of the book is filled with photographs dating from the late 1800s to the 1990s, showing the Tuscarora Nation and its people. They range from the beautiful, craggy face of Chief Elton Greene to the array of young people who made up the first graduating class at the Tuscarora School in 1954. There are photos of Tuscaroras who served in the U.S. military, photos of clan mothers, and photos showing Tuscaroras at work and at play, including the annual Tuscarora picnic, lacrosse, beadwork, agriculture and fishing. Each photo is accompanied by informative text.

A 1945 shot of a huge sturgeon caught in the Niagara River is Patterson’s favorite.

“I think the best thing is that it stirs peoples’ memories and brings back a lot of stories, which is nice,” Patterson said. “We are in debt and gratitude to the families who donated the photos.”

Actually, the collection of photos came before the book. Patterson had been collecting photos as part of an oral history project. Printup said they also collected and scanned photos from Tuscarora elders while they were interviewing them in connection with the state Power Authority relicensing. Photos were a way to jog people’s memories. The book includes photos from the original construction of the Power Project, which took Tuscarora land. Other photos came from sources such as the Niagara Falls Public Library.

The idea to write the book came from Porter historian Susan Dietz who had contacted them for information about the Tuscaroras for her own book. Patterson and Printup spent much of last year working on the text. It was exciting to finally hold their own book in their hands.

“It was pretty amazing to think we accomplished that,” Printup said.

North Carolina Link

The first chapter of the book tells how the Tuscaroras were the first native people to be disposed of their land in North Carolina during the colonization of the United States. Many were put into slavery, killed or wounded before the survivors began trekking north after a second war broke out with the whites in 1713. The book tells how in 1714, chiefs of the Five Nations in New York delivered a wampum belt to the governor with the message that the Tuscarora “come to shelter themselves among the Five Nations.”

Printup said the plan to recreate their ancestors’ walk north came while working with school faculty and the seventh and eighth grade after school history and culture club. By the time 2013 arrives, these youngsters will be old enough to lead the walk, he said.

Patterson, who enjoys backpacking, said he discovered that most of the route they will take in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, already is an existing trail network called the Tuscarora Trail. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club maintains it. While the modern trip will be more high tech than that of their ancestors, Patterson said, effort will be made to give the hikers the experience of what it would have been like 300 years ago.

Patterson and Printup say they don’t know if another book is in their future.

Impressions

“We know that we just kind of captured the tip of the iceberg with these photos. There’s a lot of collections out there,” Patterson said. “We hope to encourage people to let us continue scanning their photos. That’s always ongoing.”

The two hope their book will have a positive impact.

“I only wish that everyone, including our own Tuscarora people, would gain a positive insight to how Tuscaroras retain their conviction and perseverance,” Printup said. “It’s not easy maintaining our traditions that have been in place since before America was formed and then be able to follow through with them into a 21st century society.”

Proceeds from the book “Tuscarora Nation” will go towards the collection and preservation of Tuscarora history.

Locally, the book is available at the Three Sisters Trading Post and the Book Corner in Niagara Falls, the Village Bake Shop and Canterbury Place in Lewiston, Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown and through the Niagara County Historical Society. It also is available through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling (888) 313-2665.