--- title: Indian Records — Wigwam stories told by North American Indians · full text with trees description: Indian Records, «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The Leni Lennape, or Delaware Indians, kept a curious record of their early history by means of sticks which were notched and --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/8/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Wigwam stories told by North American…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/) / Indian Records # Indian Records Indian Records of «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole text, 26 sentences and 514 words. 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The Leni Lennape, or Delaware Indians, kept a curious record of their early history by means of sticks which were notched and painted; these sticks were about six inches long.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Each painted notch indicated some great event in their nation’s history.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") The meanings of the notches were taught by old chiefs to the younger ones, and the stories have been repeated for hundreds of years.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Leni Lennape means Men of Men or The People, and these sticks have been held to prove that their nation is one of the oldest among the red men.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Their chiefs were noted for their wisdom in war and peace.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") A white man, who proved himself a true friend to the Leni Lennapes, gained their confidence and they told him the secrets that were kept by the painted sticks.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") He had it printed, but had to leave out many words, as their language is very different from English.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") It is an easy matter to read the history now, and, although many words are omitted, any one can understand its meaning.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") This record, which the notched and painted sticks have kept for several hundreds of years, is an account of the travels of the Leni Lennape Indians from the Northwest across the Wide River.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") This must have been the Mississippi.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") They call it Namesi Sipu, the “river of fish.”[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") When across the Wide River, they found they had come to the country of the Great Serpent.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Numerous earth mounds in the form of an immense serpent are found in the valley of the Mississippi.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") These are believed to have been made by a people, long ago extinct, who may have fought the Delawares.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Other Indian tribes and nations have kept long records by means of similar sticks, but the account given by this people is the longest Indian history.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The last marks upon these painted sticks are said to mean: “The white men have come from the north and the south.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") They are peaceful; they have great things.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Who are they?”[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") These Leni Lennapes are the Delawares, with whom the Quakers made their treaty near Philadelphia.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") The Iroquois had conquered these Indians, and had refused to let them go to war as a punishment for their great bravery.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") The Quakers found them peaceable, honest, and faithful friends, and for forty years no white person was harmed who had never broken his promise to the Leni Lennapes, or Delaware Indians.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") The Aztecs, or Mexican Indians, had a serpent god, and some have said that these mounds must have been built by them.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The Leni Lennape stick records tell only that the country of the Great Serpent was conquered little by little.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The mounds are themselves the unsolved records of a great people.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") No Indian legends or histories have ever explained the meaning of these heaps of earth, which are shaped like animals or birds, and are now sometimes covered by huge trees.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The wampum belt tells its story by the pictures upon it, while the record sticks had only painted notches to help the memory of the tribe’s historians.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [How the Iroquois Built Their Log Forts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/7/) - next →: [Wampum Money](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/9/) - ↑ back to [Wigwam stories told by North American Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/)