From the Archives: Tehanetorens’ Letter to Redwing

Belonging(s): “A close relationship among a group and personal or public effects”

“Asco wequassinummis, neetompooag” (Hello my friends)!

Hello! Welcome back to another installment of the From the Archives series where Collections and Archive Manager Anthony Belz shares some of the more interesting material found in the Tomaquag Museum archival collections.

Recently, our Archive Assistant, Kate Cullen-Fry (Narragansett) has been processing the archival materials relating to the Narragansett Dawn, which was “published monthly in the interest of the Narragansett Indians” in two volumes from May 1935 to October 1936, for a total of 18 issues. This collection contains the original, handwritten submissions from Narragansett community members, which then became the content of the Dawn including - but not limited to - editorials, social news (Sunrise News), Narragansett language lessons, facts, humor, short stories, community announcements, milestones, recipes, submission requests, invoices and payments, general correspondence, history, and Narragansett Church notes, which cover a wide variety of topics. Some, but not all of these submissions were eventually published in the periodical. We have recently created a Finding Aid of the collection.

As part of the processing, organizing and preserving of the Narragansett Dawn materials, Kate has been also reading and transcribing a number of the interesting items in this collection. One of the letters of correspondence particularly caught her eye - a six page letter addressed to Redwing with the return address listed at the top as the Mohawk St. Regis Reservation, Hogansburg, New York. Her interest was piqued. The letter begins rather cordially, with pleasantries being exchanged between Redwing and the author, but on page three the letter takes on a more poignant tone and the subject changes to a sort of diatribe about the historical treatment and current state of Indigenous people in the United States.

The contents of the letter caught Kate’s attention because the subject matter was dealing with the rising tide of fascism and war in Europe and the extreme concern which it gave the author. Upon further reading, the author revealed that he himself was Mohawk, and recounts the story when white people took him from his home because New York state had a treaty that allowed Indigenous youth of a certain percentage of Indigenous ancestry to attend state run Normal schools for free. Normal schools, or teacher training schools, were located throughout the United States. In fact several states have cities and towns in the United States are called Normal after these teacher training schools, (including my own hometown of Normal, Illinois). The author then goes on to recount that after he was put in this Normal school, he was treated so badly that he was determined to become a teacher himself and help his own community, the St. Regis Mohawk.

The letter was so moving, so personal and insightful that we decided that it should be transcribed and shared with the world. It is posted in its entirety below. Also included is a scan of the detailed drawing the Ray Fadden added at the very end near his signature.

The letter was dated February 18, 1940, which means that it is beyond the scope of the Narragansett Dawn materials, due to the fact that the Dawn only existed for two years - 1935 and 1936. This means technically the letter belongs in the general Redwing archive, and not specifically the Narragansett Dawn collection.

Sketch of a Iroquois longhouse and pipe. Ray Fadden. February 18, 1940. letter to Redwing Tomaquag Museum Archives

The author’s legal name was Ray Fadden (1910-2008) with his Mohawk name being Tehanetorens. After some research, we discovered that he was a prolific author of books relating to Mohawk lifeways and history, including several in our own library such as Wampum Belts (image below). He also wrote children’s books including Sacred Song of the Hermit Thrush, which was most recently republished in 2020. Not only was he a teacher, but also a historian and culture bearer for the St. Regis Mohawk. In addition, he co-founded the Six Nations Indian Museum in 1954 with his wife Christine and teenage son, John. It is now known as the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center in Onchiota, New York.

Ray Fadden. Circa 1937. Tomaquag Museum Archives.

The immediate relationship between Redwing and Tehanetorens wasn’t known until many months after I had started writing this blog post. In one of Redwing’s autobiographies that was also transcribed by Kate Cullen-Fry, Redwing details how and where they met, and it was evident their friendship was a strong one.

Here is the full transcription:

“As I traveled to reservations up-state N.Y. with my Mohegan husband we were accepted by the Mohawk Senecas, Caynas [Cayugas] and Onnadagots [Onondagas]. Chief Clinton Richard, program com[mandant] for the “Border Crossing Ceremony” had his picture taken with me and sent it to Washington to BIA and declared me a blood sister. After that we were welcome on all reservations. And Ray Fadden Mohawk, named me god-mother of his only son.

He was teaching at the Mohawk School on St. Regis Res. And asked me to write a school song for them and asked for a picture of me to hang in the school. Last year I was told that they still have that song as the school song. I get up to St. Regis Reserve about once a year. Now my godson, John David Fadden is grown & married & has two children.”

Mampum Belts. Tehanetorens. Six Nations Indian Museum.

(Warning: outdated/offensive language typical of the era in which it was written.)

St. Regis Reservation

Hogansburg N.Y.

Feb. 18, 1940

Red Wing

Sago Euhn gwah wah lohn

(Hello, my good friend)

Your message came to me two days back and I was very glad to hear from you. I was very sorry to know that you had been sick. I hope that you are feeling well now. The Valentines arrived safe and sound and and the children were glad to get them. Thanks a lot Red Wing. It was very thoughtful of you to remember our little Mohawks that way.

I also expect to work at a private camp near Old Forge in the Adirondacks. It is a very nice camp, beautiful surroundings and in the old hunting grounds of the Mohawks. Your camp sounds good. Being a wealthy camp you will undoubtably be supplied with all of the material you ask for which makes it a lot easier. I know that you will be able to teach these young white children real Indian lore, especially the truth about the Indian people, a thing which they know nothing of. It is really a sad thing the way young Americans today think of the old Indians. Some day I hope history books will teach the truths about the old people. 

I will ask Louis Bruce to send you a set of lessons on counsellor training that I know he has. He is Indian superior of N.Y.A. Indian counsellor training and is Mohawk himself.

The program you outlined in your letter for your youngsters sounds good. 

Johnny is coming along fine and can walk now. He has been fretting lately because three new teeth are appearing. He is all over the place into something every minute. Certainly keeps Christine and me busy watching him. I sent a little snapshot of him to you at your old address. Guess you did not get it. I will send you another in tomorrows mail. I am also sending with Johnny’s picture, a picture of our Scout troop which I hope you like.

If you have the Indian Day at the Rhode Island Fair on Aug. 28 - Sept 2nd, we will be able to come. It will work out just right for me as my camp closes about 26th or 27th Aug. and I can head right for Rhode Island, I will bring my wife, son, and my wife’s mother who is the best basket maker from this reservation. We will sell baskets. Let me know right away about the date of the fair so I can start making baskets and souvenirs. I will get a tent to camp in while we are there. My wife and the mother have never seen the big ocean and it would be a treat for them. I am looking forward to that time.

I attended the conference in Rochester Six Nation Association and was the acting Secretary there. I will let you know in advance the next conference. Several from here attended. 

I hope that I will be able to attend Indian Defense League Celebration this July with my scouts. I think we will make it this year.

It amuses me the way Dr. S[illegible] and S. H[illegible] are sucking around you now after all the the trouble they tried to make you at the celebration two years ago. As for me I can’t forgive them for that insult to you and also Chief Richard. I wrote them a letter, at the time, that they will never forget. They sent a letter of apology but I never answered it. You are more Indian than they will ever be and have done more for the Indian race than they. And as for the Negro blood, I personally can see no reason for looking down on the Negro people. They are human and I think have kinder hearts than white people. They have never done to the Indian people those things that the white race have done. It wasn’t their fault that the early whites brought them over here to make slaves of them without their consent. I think as a race, they have more right to hold their heads up than the white race. There are bad people in all races and the white race is no exception though they would have the world believe they are the only children of God and incapable of doing wrong. What is taking place in Europe today shows what their inner souls are, and since they have spread all over the world, the same condition exists there where formerly there was peace of mind and contentment. Because they have wronged the Negro, they look down on him. If you hurt someone, you hate him. If you help some one, you love them. There are good white people but they are not the only race who have good people. I lose my respect for any one who will run the Negro down just because he is colored. I say that a person who does these things is color blind. Well, so much for that. If I get started I will write all day.

We had a scout program in our school this last Thursday and we made enough money so that we got our troop 12 pair of scout pants, 5 scout shirts, 6 necker chiefs and 25 pamphlets on merit badges. Our boys have practically all got scout uniforms now which makes them look much better. It is a task getting complete scout uniforms for 27 boys at $7.50 a uniform - amounts to a lot when our people here are so poor.

I notice that the days are getting longer here and also that the sun is getting warmer. It will not be long before old man winter will go back home. I always love spring but I get awful restless and long to head north or go to the mountains. You see when I was a boy I lived back in the bush with an old Onondoga Indian. They, the whites, forced the old man to send me to school but I never forgot my first home and I just get restless after being in a school room all winter. 

It is a peculiar thing, me being a teacher, when I hated school so, as a boy. But I can see now that you really need an education. New York State has an old treaty which makes it help those who have 1/2 or more Indian blood through a state run school. That’s how I got through school and that is why I am a teacher, because the only state schools were normal schools and teachers colleges. At 1st I wanted to be independent and would not take help when it was offered me but when I used up what money I had managed to save, I accepted help and then got through. I am glad that I got work on the reservation as that is the only place I would care to teach. Because of that I have enjoyed my work. 

Now I want to go back to school and get more education but being married and with a son, it is hard to do this.

In the spring when the snow melts out scouts are planning a little tour up into Canada to visit about nine Indian reservations. We are all looking forward to that trip. We will, if we do as we plan, go up the St. Lawrence River a ways and then head inland toward Hudson Bay as far as we can go. We often take trips like this during good weather, camping out & cooking our own meals. Sometimes I wish I had a truck so that I could take whole troop along.

Well, Red Wing, I will close this message now. I hope that it finds you well & happy.

I and my wife & son all send out love to you and yours

Your brother,

Ray

Funded in part by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission

Funded in part by the USDA Rural Development.