SEALS

     Native Americian
       Freemasons

by Dwight D. Seals, MPS

The term Native American is unut-
tered by the majority of human beings.
The preferable term seems to be Indian
or Redman in place of the respectable
species title of Native American. De-
pending upon whom you may be talking
to, rest the laurel wreaths of victory or
the agony of defeat. They have been
branded as savages for the most part
throughout history. Our modern world
has delineated them on stage and screen
as ruthless and uncaring murderers.
The Indian heritage has been spit upon,
slandered, and considered in many
circles as the lowest class of human
form.

It is my own opinion, that they have
been perceived in this manner because
of misunderstanding. The Native Ameri-
cans were, and still are, a very proud
people. It is common knowledge that
they ruled America long before Christo-
pher Columbus and the Pilgrams. Their
language was foreign to the "white
man." Their religious beliefs uncom-
mon. The Indians were thought of as
nomads because of their living quarters
and conditions. We thought of them as
primitives because they didn't have up-
to-date weapons, relying on the bow
and arrow, homemade spears and clubs
to put food on the table, as well as
defense of life and property.

In today's world, a man is blameless
in defending life or property. Many
court cases are won and lost due to self
defense actions. The Redman did not
have the luxury of the present judicial
system in times past. The present day
Indians are still fighting battles, but do-
ing so in the proper manner. Even in
our modern world, such a fast-paced
society, and supposed to be more knowl-
edgeable than ever, look upon our Na-
tive Americans as less than a human be-
ing should be treated or admired.

Many Indians have names that will be
remembered as long as we have history
books to read and stories to tell. Sitting
Bull, Geronimo, Red Cloud, and Te-
cumseh are names very familiar and
names that will last eternally in the ar-
chives of our United States. Custer's last
stand and the killing of the Moravian
Indians will live in perpetual records.
There were many more battles and mas-
sacres than these two, some the white
man won, others the Indians won. Per-
sonally, I don't feel that either side won.
Unfortunately, we can not turn back the
hands of time. If we could retrace our
steps, would anything be changed? I dare
say not, at least not without more under-
standing than was relinquished from
both the white man and the Indian.

The Indians were very simple and
straight forward. When a child was
born, the newborn was given a name
from what was seen or what the "spirit"
told the parents or the chief. If a father
were to walk out of the teepee and see a
beautiful eagle flying proudly amongst
the clouds, he might name the baby
Soaring Eagle. A bear running across
the plains might give credit to a Run-
ning Bear. A white dove perched on a
tree limb might very well be proof for a
name of White Dove. Names that had
credence and worth to their heritage,
but quite uncommon and worthless to
many of the white race.

The Indians did much dancing, with
fervency and zeal, and costumes that
had pride and sustenance. They danced
to brmg rain during drought, to bring a
good harvest for an upcoming long win-
ter, and a good fall hunt to tide them
over during a hard winter. They danced
to give them strength, wisdom, and
wealth. Last but not least, they danced
for their amusement and entertainment.

The Native American believed in the
spirits, a very deep belief in a Supreme
Being. Many tribes believed in many
Gods. But they all had one thing in
common, that being a firm belief in the
hereafter.

The Indians were strictly hunters and
farmers by trade. As time progressed so
did their occupations and vocations.
They became traders, scouts, and inter-
preters just to name a few. One thing
was for sure, the Redman was happy to
be alive and wanted to be left alone.

I am not professing that all Indians
were saints, nor sinners, but merely a
very misunderstood society or people.
We, the white man, did not take the
time to try to understand them. Nor did
we give them the time to understand us.
Greed overtook us for the most part,
and history tells the rest.

Even with the perception we have of
the Native Americans, we are able to
call a number of them Brother, as a
valued member of the Masonic Frater-
nity. Tracing the lives of some of these
worthy Brethren can be a history lesson
in itself.

One of the most notable Native
American Freemasons undoubtably is
Brother Ely S. Parker. He was born on
the Tonawanda Indian Reservation in
New York in the year 1828 . Brother
Parker was the son of a Seneca Indian
Chief by the name of William Parker,
and the Grandson of the famous Red
Jacket. Brother Parker's Indian name
was "Hasanoanda," which was changed
to "Donehogawa" when he became a
sachem and the eighth Chief of the
tribe. He was a Union Brigadier Gener-
al during the Civil War. Brother Parker
was a professional engineer. He was
present at the surrender of General

Robert E. Lee, which ended the Civil
War officially. It was Brother Ely S.
Parker, an Indian, who wrote the offi-
cial document of surrender. He was ap-
pointed as Commissioner of Indian Af-
fairs by President U.S. Grant in 1869.
He was also very active in the City of
New York and the State of New York by
holding several political positions over
the years. Brother Parker was raised a
Master Mason in Batavia Lodge No. 88,
Batavia, New York in 1847 at the age of
19. He was very active in the Masonic
Fraternity. His Masonic memberships
and accomplishments are numerous
and well-documented. Brother Parker
passed away on August 31, 1895.

The Philalethes-August, 1990
Brother Os-Ke-Non-Ton was a Mo-
hawk Indian. His Indian name transla-
ted to "Lewis Deer." He was a profes-
sional singer, bearing a baritone voice.
Brother Lewis Deer was raised to a Mas-
ter Mason in Putnam Lodge No. 338,
New York City, New York on April 6,
1917. He was also a member of the Scot-
tish Rite, Valley of Buffalo, New York
where he received these degrees in 1923.

Brother Peter P. Pitchlyn was born
January 30, 1806 in Hush-Ook-Wa,
Noxubee County, Mississippi of a white
father and Choctaw Indian mother. His
Indian name was "Hatchootuekee,"
meaning "Snapping Turtle." He was
reared as an educated Indian boy in
Tennessee. He graduated from the Uni-
versity of Nashville. He later became a
Choctaw Indian Chief. His father was
an Indian interpreter for Brother George
Washington. It has been recorded that
his Christian faith caused him to be the
first Choctaw Indian to depart from the
practice of polygamy, or having more
than one wife. Brother Pitchlyn signed
the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit in 1830
and the Treaty of Washington in 1855,
among others. His home Lodge is un-
known, as are the dates of his initiation,
passing, and raising. It is recorded that
he was knighted in Washington Com-
mandery No. 1, Knights Templar,
Washington, D.C. on May 27, 1854. He
was also a Scottish Rite Mason, having
received his 32nd degree at the hands of
well-known Brother Albert Pike. Broth-
er Pike conducted his good friend and
Brother's Masonic funeral service when
he passed away on January 17, 1881.
Brother Pitchlyn is buried in Congres-
sional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Brother Joseph Parker was an Indian
Chief and Grand Sachem of the Six Na-
tions. OnJune 24, 1853 he was recorded
as a visiting Brother of Friendship Lodge
No. 153, Owego, New York. His home
Lodge is yet unknown, but that is not
terribly uncommon for that era.

Brother Maungwandaus was an Indi-
an Chief from the state of Maine. He
was raised a Master Mason in Jordon
Lodge of Danvers, Massachusetts on
March 27, 1850. He received all three
degrees the same day.

Brother George Washington Finley
was a Piankesha Indian Chief whose
tribal name was Te-Wah-Guah-Ke-
Mon-Gab. He was born October 7, 1858
near Paola, Kansas. Brother Finley was
raised in Miami Lodge No. 140, Miami,
Oklahoma on September 24, 1913. He
was also a Scottish Rite Mason and
Shriner. Brother Finley died on Novem
ber 16, 1932 .

Brother John Konkipot was an
Oneida Indian, the son of the Grand
Sachem of the Oneida Tribe. It has
been suspected that he was initiated into
the mysteries of Freemasonry in a Lodge
at Newburyport, Massachusetts. He was
a member of the "Munsey" Division
during the American Revolution. He
impoverished himself to assist the Amer-
ican Revolutionary cause. He later
received financial aid from his Masonic
Brethren.

Brother Pleasant Porter was a Creek

Indian Chief and General of that Na-
tion. He was a member of Muskogee
Lodge No. 1, Eufaula, Oklahoma.
Brother Porter was born in 1840 and
passed away in 1907. He received his
Scottish Rite Degrees in 1886.

Brother Baptiste Powles was an Onei-
da Indian Chief. He received his three
Masonic Degrees in one day, that being
June 5, 1840 in Manhattan Lodge No.
62, in the state of New York.

Brother Alexander McGillivray was
born in 1740 of a Scottish father and a
Creek Indian mother. He became Chief
of the Creek, Seminole, and Chicka-
mauga Indians. He was at one time a
British Colonel, a Spanish General, and
later an American General. Brother
McGillivray was educated by his father's
brother who was a Presbyterian minis-
ter. He received a personal invitation
from Brother George Washington to
assist in the American Revolutionary
cause. It is not known where he received
his Masonic Degrees, but on his death
on February 17, 1793 he was buried
with Masonic honors in Panton's Gar-
den, Pensacola, Florida.

Brother Carlos Montezuma was born
in 1867 in Arizona of Apache Indian
parents. His father was Co-Lu-Ye-Vah.
Brother Montezuma was taken captive
during his youth by the Pine Indians
and sold for $30 to a Mr. C. Gentile,
who gave him a most impressive educa-
tion. He graduated from the University
of Illinois in 1884 at the age of 17. In
1889 he received his M.D. degree from
Chicago Medical School. Not only was
he an excellent physician, but also a
scholarly author and editor. He wrote
several books on Indian welfare and
folklore. He was the editor of the Indian
magazine "Wassaja." Brother Montezu-
ma received his Masonic degrees in Bla-
ney Lodge No. 271, Chicago, Ill . in
1907. He passed away in January of
1923.

Brother Arthur C. Parker was born
430il 5, 1881 on the Cattaraugus Indian
Reseniation, New York. His Indian
name was Ga-Wa-So-Wa-Neh. He was
the nephew of Brother Ely S. Parker,
the Seneca Chief. Brother Arthur Var-
ker was an archaeologist and museum
curator by profession. He was also a
consultant on Indian affairs under
United States Presidents Roosevelt,
Taft, Wilson, and Coolidge. He was
also an accomplished author of books
and magazine articles. Most of his
writings dealt with museum and Indian
subjects. He was an organizer of the
Society of American Indians. ln 1911,
he founded "American Indian Day,"
the second Saturday in May. He also
founded and edited the American Indi-
an Magazine. After becoming a mem-
ber of the Masonic Fraternity, he
became a proficient Masonic author.
Brother Parker was raised in Masters
Lodge No. 5, Albany, New York. He
was a member of both the York and
Scottish Rites. He received the honorary
33rd degree on September 16, 1924. He
also was a member of the Royal Order
of Scotland and a life member of the
Philalethes Society. Brother Parker
passed away on January 1, 1955.

Brother Red Jacket was a Seneca In-
dian Chief and Chief of the Six Nations.
He was born in 1751 and passed away in
1830 at Seneca Village, New York. He
was famed as an orator and was most
knowledgeable of Indian tribal customs,
language, dress, and religion. During
the American Revolution he sided with
the British, which is where he picked up
his name as "Red Jacket." He was for-
merly called "Otetiani" meaning "pre-
pared." He then took the name of "Sag-
oyewatha," which translated to "he who
keeps them awake," which referred to
his being an eloquent speaker, when he
was elevated to Chief of the Wolf Clan.
In the War of 1812, he sided with the
United States. Brother George Wash-
ington presented him with a medal.
Although his Masonic membership has
yet to be established, it is widely ac-
cepted by Masonic scholars that he was
definitely a member of the Fraternity. It
is suspected he received his degree work
from a British military Lodge. Brother
Red Jacket owned a silver Masonic
medal which passed down through his
family. Brother Red Jacket's family
lineage includes Brother Arthur C.
Parker and Brother Ely S. Parker.

BrotherJohn Ross was a Cherokee In-
dian Chief. He was born October 3,
1790 in Rossville, Georgia of a Scottish
father and Cherokee mother who was
three quarters white. His Indian boy-
hood name was "Tsanusdi" which
meant "Little John." This name was
changed to "Guwisguwi" or "Coowces-
coowee" when he reached manhood. He
was the uncle of Brother William P.
Ros ,, another Cherokee Chief and Free-
mason. Brother John Ross received his
education at Kingston, Tennessee. He
was once described as "civilized, highly
educated, accomplished, devoted, ur-
bane, and temperate" by the Indian ar-
tist, George Catlin. Although his Ma-
sonic degree dates are unknown, there is
no doubt he was a member of the Fra-
ternity. According to the Grand Lodge
of Arkansas, he was a member of Chero-
kee Lodge No. 21, Tahlequah, Chero-
kee Nation, Indian Territory. There
seems to be some thought that he was a
frequent visitor of this Lodge and not a
member of it. While Brother Ross was
the Cherokee Chief, he approved the
appropriating of ground to be donated
to the board of trustees for the building
of the first Masonic Temple at Tahla-
quah. He was given a Masonic burial at
his death on August 1, 1866 in Wash-
ington, D.C.

Brother William P. Ross was also a
Cherokee Indian Chief. He was born
August 28, 1820, the nephew of Brother
Chief John Ross. He graduated from
Princton University in 1842. He taught
school in the Cherokee country after ob-
taining his education, which was paid
for by Brother John Ross. In 1871 he
became Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
He was editor of numerous Indian mag-
azines during his lifetime. He received
his Masonic degrees in Federal Lodge
No . 1, Washington, D . C . in 1848 . He
was a charter member of Cherokee
Lodge No. 21, Tahlequah, Cherokee
Nation, Indian Territory. He was that
Lodge's first secretary in 1849, and serv-
ed as Worshipful Master of the same in
1851. He passed on to the Celestial
Lodge above on July 28, 1891.

Brother White Seneca was a Seneca
Indian Chief who was raised to the sub-
lime degree of a Master Mason in Man-
hatten Lodge No. 62, New York City,
New York on June 5, 1840 .

Chief Shabonee was a Potawatomi In-
dian Chief. He was born in 1775. His is
said to have been a great friend of white
settlers. In 1832 he saved the settlers of
Chicago from massacre by Black Hawk,
when he warned the settlers of the up-
coming attack. At one time, he was one
of Chief Tecumseh's lieutenants, and
was with him when he was killed at the
Battle of the Thames. He was a British
sympathizer until incensed by the treat-
ment given to Indians as a whole by the
British. This caused him to transfer his
allegiance to the American cause. He
saved many white villages from Winne-
bago attacks. He was a grand nephew of
Chief Pontiac. Although we have no
proof, it is suspected that Shabonee
received his Masonic degrees in a British
military Lodge, thus making him a
member of our great Fraternity. Broth-
er Shabonee diedJuly 17, 1859 in Dealb
County, Illinois, where he had retired
on land given him by the United States
government as a reward for his services.

Brother N.T. Strong was a Seneca In-
dian Chief who was raised to a Master
Mason on April 15, 1840 in Manhatten
Lodge No. 62, New York City, New
York.

Brother Tecumseh was a Chippewa
Indian. He was initiated into the mys-
teries of Freemasonry on February 22,
1851 in Valley Lodge No. 109, Roches-
ter, New York. He and his family were
traveling and giving exhibitions on Indi-
an customs. The night of his initiation
into the Masonic Order, so was his blood
brother, Peewauk, initiated as well.
These were the sons of Maungdwais, who
is said to have also been a Mason. This
Brother Tecumseh is not to be mistaken
for the infamous Tecumseh, who was a
Shawnee Indian.

Brother William H. Rockwell was
born May 10, 1870 in a log cabin in
Oneida, New York. He was Chief of the
Oneida Indians. He was a tool designer
by trade, retiring at the age of 73. He
was an extremely proficient orator on
Indian customs and medicines, lectur-
ing frequently on these subjects. He was
a member of Oneida Lodge No. 270,
Oneida, New York. He passed away on
July 30, 1960.

Tecumseh was a Shawnee Indian
Chief. His life is well documented and
needs no representation in this paper,
other than to say he led an infamous
life. He joined with his blood brother,
Tenskwatawa, in an effort to unite the
Western Indians against the whites. On
November 7, 1811 they were utterly de-
feated at Tippecanoe. He then sided
with the British, and was killed at the
Battle of the Thames on October 5,
1813. He was born in 1768. Many have
claimed he was a member of the Mason-
ic Fraternity. It has been reported that
he was made a Mason while on a visit to
Philadelphia, Pennsyvania. The Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania disputes this
claim saying, they have no record of the
event. Others assume he was made a
Mason in a British military Lodge, and
very few records are available for mili-
tary Lodges, either British or American.
This information is included because it
is properly recorded that Tecumseh
Lodge of New York was named for h;m.
Tippecanoe Lodge of Tipp City, Ohio is
named in honor of the Battle of Tippe-
canoe, of which Tecumseh was highly
involved.

Brother John Brant was a Mohawk
Indian Chief, and the son of the famous
Brother Joseph Brant, also a Mason. He
was born in 1794 at Mohawk Village,
Upper Canada. His Indian name was
"Ahyouwaighs." He served the British in
the War of 1812 with honor. He suc-
ceeded his father as the Principal Chiel
of the Six Nations in 1807. He died of
Asiatic cholera in 1832, just after being
elected to the parliament of Upper Can-
ada. He was supposedly initiated into
Freemasonry about 1815 in Union
Lodge No. 24, which first met in Flam-
borough Village. This Lodge later mov-
ed to Dundas and then to Ancaster. He
received the Fellowcraft and Master
Mason degrees in 1818 .

Brother Joseph Brant was a Mohawk
Indian Chief and later Principal Chief
of the Six Nations. He was the first Indi
an Freemason of record. He also is re-
nowned for his actions during the Ameri-
can Revolution. He was born on the
banks on the Ohio River in 1742. He
was only 29 years of age when he be-
came Chief of the Six Nations in 1771.
During the war, Brother Brant saved
the lives of several Freemasons who ap-
pealed to him Masonically. He received
his Masonic degrees in Hiram's Clifton-
ian Lodge No. 417, London, England
early in 1776, when he was sent to
England by the government. In 1798 a
charter was issued to Lodge No. 11,
Brantford, Mohawk Village by the
Grand Lodge of England. Brother
Joseph Brant was the first Worshipful
Master of this Lodge. He passed away in
1807 at Brant Mansion in Wellington
Square, Ontario, Canada.

Brother Crazy Bull was a Sioux In-
dian Chief. He was the great grandson
of the famous Chief Sitting Bull of the
Dakota Plains. Brother Crazy Bull is
said to have been a member of Suffolk
Lodge No. 60, Port Jefferson, New
York.

Brother Holmes Colebert, Sr. was a
Chickasaw Indian Chief. His home
Lodge is unknown, but it has been re-
corded that he was a member of the
Scottish Rite, having received his 32nd
degree AASR from Brother Albert Pike
in the spring of 1860.

Brother S.H. Cone was a Seneca In-
dian Chief. He received his three Ma-
sonic degrees the same day, that being
June 5, 1840. He received these degrees
in Manhattan Lodge No. 370, New
York City, New York.

Brother George Copway was a Chip-
pewa Indian Chief. He was born near
the mouth of the Trent River in Ontar-
io, Canada in 1818. His Indian name
was "Kah-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bowh." His fath-
er was the tribal medicine man. Brother
Copway became a Methodist missionary
among his people, and converted many
of them, including his father, to the
Christian religion. Brother Copway,
although a full-blooded Chippewa Indi-
an, married Elizabeth Howell, a white
woman, who traveled with him on his
many missionary trips. He also authored
extensively on subjects he liked or dis-
liked. He was a very opinionated man.
He loved his family, his Indian culture
and heritage, nature, his Christian reli-
gion, and the Masonic Fraternity. He
disliked immensely whiskey, tobacco, the
Sioux Indians, and cash given to the In-
dians by the government. He was made
a Master Mason in Federal Lodge No.
1, Washington, D.C. He passed away in
1863.

Brother Philip Deloria was a Sioux
Indian Chief who became an Episcopal
priest . He was born in 1854 . He was
known as "Tipi Sapa" to his people.
There is a statue of him in the marble
reredos of the Jerusalem High Altar of
the National Cathedral in Washington,
D.C. He was converted to Christianity
in the early 1870s. He was a teacher at
St. Paul's School for Indian Boys. He
spent 40 years at Standing Rock Reser-
vation, laboring as the superintending
priest. He became a Mason in Aberdeen
Lodge No. 38, Aberdeen, South Dakota
in 1911, having been raised onJune 27.
He was also a member of the Scottish
Rite. He died on May 8, 1931.

Brother William Penn Adair Rogers,
better known simply as Will Rogers, was
born November 4, 1879 in Oologah, In-
dian Territory, Oklahoma. He was not
full-blooded Indian, but very proud of
his Indian heritage. His great grand-
mother on his father's side was a full-
blooded Cherokee Indian. He is best
known for his humor, both on stage and
off stage. He was also an actor, author,
entertainer, and circus performer among
other things. His most quoteable saying
was "I never met a man I did not like."
He once commented about people brag-
ging that their ancestors came to Ameri-
ca on the Mayflower, but that he was
very proud to say his ancestors met the
Mayflower on American soil. Brother
Will Rogers was a member of Clare-
more Lodge No. 53, Claremore, Okla-
homa where he was raised a Master Ma-
son on March 13, 1906. He died in a
plane accident near Point Barrow, Alas-
ka on August 15, 1935.

Brother Elias C. Boudinot was a
Cherokee Indian Chief and one of the
most noted characters of Indian lore.
He was born August 1, 1835 in Chero-
kee Nation, Rome, Georgia. He was or-
phaned at a young age and reared by
relatives. He was well educated, study-
ing law. He was admitted to the bar in
1858. He then turned to journalism, be-
coming an accomplished author and ed-
itor. In 1863 he was elected as a dele-
gate from the Indian Territory to the
Confederate Congress. His Lodge mem-
bership is unknown, but it is of known
record that when he died on September
27, 1890, Masonic honors were per-
formed at his burial by Belle Point
Lodge No. 20, Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Brother Louis Annance was Chief of
the St. Francis Indians, a vigorous and
powerful Indian tribe of the Canadian
province of Quebec. He was born at St.
Francis du Lac in the county of Yamas-
ka, Quebec, Canada in 1794. He was
educated by the Jesuits. In 1817 he re-
nounced Catholicism and joined the
Congregationalists, and shortly there-
after connected himself to the Metho-
dist religion. He succeeded his father as
Chief ruler, but was looked down upon
by his people due to his protestant reli-
gious beliefs. This caused him to flee
Quebec, finding refuge in Hanover,
New Hampshire. He was made a Free-
mason in North Star Lodge, Lancaster,
New Hampshire in 1834. He passed
away in 1875 . The Grand Lodge of
Maine issued a dispensation to Doric
Lodge which erected a tombstone over
his grave in Greenville, Maine near
Moosehead Lake.

Brother Joseph J. Clark was born
November 12, 1893 of Cherokee Indian
blood. He was a 1917 graduate of the
United States Naval Academy. He pro-
gressed through the military ranks to at-
tain the rank of Vice Admiral of the
U.S. Navy, and Commander of the U.S.
7th Fleet. He was raised a Master Mason
on December 6, 1945 in Chelsea Lodge
No. 84, Chelsea, Oklahoma. At the
time of his receipt of the Master Mason
Degree, there were many old-time Cher-
okee leaders present.

Brother GeorgeJameson was a Seneca
Indian Chief. He received his Masonic
degrees in Manhattan Lodge No. 62,
New York City, New York on June 5,
1840. He was also a Royal Arch Mason.

Brother William Augustus Bowles
was a white man who became Chief of
the Five Civilized Tribes. He joined the
Creek Indians and married an Indian
woman. He was born in 1763 and pass-
ed away in 1805. He was made Provin-
cial Grand Master to the Creek, Chero-
kee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Indians
by the Grand Lodge of England. Al-
though his home Lodge is unknown, he
was "admitted an honorary member" of
Prince of Wales Lodge No. 259, Lon-
don, England onJanuary 20, 1791. It is
suspected that he received his degrees in
a British military Lodge, as he was a
British sympathizer and at one time a
British officer.

There is no doubt that this list of
Native American Freemasons is but a
small gathering of our worthy Brethren.
If we could trace our heritage or geneal-
ogy back farther than most of us like ~o
relate to, many would find their roots
somehow have Native American blood
flowing through them. This heritage
should be proudly accepted, not de-
spised, and definitely not forgotten.

In today's modern society, we are told
that a good example is the best solicita-
tion our Masonic Fraternity can have.
The days of old wel e no different as they
had worthy Brethren setting a steadfast
example for others to follow. Mission-
aries who gave their time and effort to
educate the Indians in both scholastics
and religion such as Brothers Samuel
Kirkland, Benjamin Kavanaugh, Joseph
Murrow, George Hunter, andJohn Chiv-
ington just to name a few, were instru-
mental in the development of the Indi-
ans. They taught them about life in gen-
eral and were highly respected among
the tribes they dealt with daily. They
were a living example of a just and up-
right Mason.

Indian Affairs officers such as Broth-
ers William Craig and Harvey Peairs
were just as important to the Indians as
were the missionaries, but in a different
way. Often times, more important were
the Indian Affairs of ficers as the Indians
were dependant on them for tangible
goods such as food, clothing, and hous-
ing. It has been often said that to feed
the soul spiritually, one must first feed
the body physically. These Indian Af-
fairs officers touched the lives of many,
both physically and Masonically as they
gained the respect of those they worked
with and for.

How many British officers such as
Brothers William Johnson and Guy
Johnson among others attained a degree
of respect and admiration that carried
over into the Masonic Fraternity. How
many Indians were made Masons in the
British and American military Lodges
during the war years? This paper has
mentioned many Indians, the majority
of whom were Chiefs, but as we well
know, there is no rank or class divisions
among the Fraternity. Of ficers as well as
non-commissioned soldiers had the op-
portunity to set a worthy example and
show the tenets of our institution to the
Indians .

Last but not least, how many Indians
had their lives touched in some way by
the examples set by Brothers William
(Buffalo Bill) Cody, Christopher (Kit)
Carson, and Alfalfa Bill among others.
These worthy Brethren met and dealt
with the Indians frequently as explorers,
frontiersmen, entertainers, and scouts.

We as members of the Masonic Fra-
ternity are very proud of our Masonic
heritage. I have no doubt that the Indi-
ans who came to know our glorious ins-
titution had just as much pride. We the
"white men" of the Fraternity should ac-
cept our "Redman" Brothers, and be
proud that all can join together in
Brotherly Love and Friendship.  In the
process, I hope that we of modern times
can touch the lives of others, as the In-
dians were touched by the Masons they
came in contact with.  May we now be
the ones setting the example worthy of
merit to others.

As we stand in the Northeast corner,
hearing it said that we stand as a just
and upright Mason, may that phrase
mean as much to our Native American
Brothren as it does to us "white men."

May we try to be more understanding,
and not be afraid to shake their hand
in token of Brotherly Love and Friend-
ship.  May we never forget our true
heritage.

The Philalethes -August 1990
