I am involved in genealogy research. I am told that when my great
grandfather was dying in Pawnee Oklahoma, a number of American Indians
(don't know which tribe(s) they belonged to) came to the house (but
never entered the house) and sat outside his bedroom window until he
died. They seem to know when he died as they immediately left the
grounds after his death not having been told by family members that he
had died. This occurred in the early 1900s. Is this gathering outside
the home of a dying person, a ritual of a particular tribe or of all
tribes when one of their tribe dies? Is this ever done for a person
who is not of American Indian descent? My great grand father seemed
to have a recurring illness. The medical remedy was a paste made of
mullen (sp?)leaves. This paste would be applied to his chest. In
several days he would have relief. His daughter would bring the leaves
from Missouri via the train to Oklahoma when he
"got in a bad way". I assume the leaves were not available in
Oklahoma. I would like to know if you can find any
information on the use of mullen leaves for respiratory or other
illnesses and also if mullen leaves were a remedy used by American
indians.
Thanks |
Request for Question Clarification by
pinkfreud-ga
on
16 May 2003 11:04 PDT
Based on the information you've given, it is going to be difficult to
identify precisely which tribe may have conducted the death vigil.
Additional details would be very helpful.
Is it possible that the medicinal poultice was made of mullein leaves?
Mullein leaves are used by Native Americans as a remedy for chest
congestion and cough. I live in Oklahoma, where mullein is often sold
by herbalists. A few years ago an herb gardener from out of state was
arrested by a Craig County police officer who mistook a cargo of
mullein for marijuana.
Here is a bit of information about mullein:
http://www.geocities.com/littleflowers_2000/mullein.htm
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Clarification of Question by
saabster-ga
on
16 May 2003 12:15 PDT
thank you for the info on mullein leaves! I am afraid I don't have
much more information about the vigil than I have given to you
already. This information was provided by my 90 year old great cousin.
We believe that my great grandfather was at least part American
Indian, but we are not sure which tribe. His brother's name was
Powhattan, which would seem to be a misspelling of the name of the
Powhatan tribe which I believe were based on the east coast. My
ggrandfather came from North Carolina. There are were numerous
reservations in Oklahoma during the period he lived there late 1800's
and early 1900's. I suspect the indians who sat out the vigil came
from one of the reservations near Pawnee, Okla, but whether they were
from one tribe in particular or several I don't know. If this type of
vigil is held only for indians, then that goes a long way in telling
me something about my ggrandfather's racial background. From what I
understand tribes are very particular (as they should be) about who
can legitimately claim indian blood. I am not interested in making a
formal claim with regard to indian heritage only trying to put the
ancestral puzzle together.
Thanks for your help thus far.
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Request for Question Clarification by
pinkfreud-ga
on
16 May 2003 15:26 PDT
Regarding the first name "Powhattan," I used to administer aptitude
tests for a division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Over the years,
I encountered several young Cherokee men whose first name was
"Powhattan" or "Powhatan." They typically pronounced this with only
two syllables, as if it were spelled "Powtun." Do you know of any
possible Cherokee connections in your ancestry?
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Clarification of Question by
saabster-ga
on
17 May 2003 05:55 PDT
Interesting! There had always been talk about my ggrandfather being
part cherokee, but I started to move away from that idea when I saw
the name of his brother several years ago and found there was a tribe
with a similar name. I have been trying to nail down where he was born
and who is parents were. I do remember distinctly an old picture which
my grandpa had of his father in a large black hat, braids, high
cheekbones and a string tie, the quintessential photograph of a
westernized American indian. Unfortunately this interest in genealogy
started after they and many of my older relatives had died, so I am
unable to ask questions. My ggrandfather's name was Robert Morris and
he died in 1920. I think there are numerous Morrises on the Cherokee
rolls.
I had hoped to connect the type of vigil, if distinctive enough, to a
particular tribe. That information might then lead me to a reservation
or tribe that lived in or near Pawnee, Oklahoma during the time Robert
Morris lived there.
As you may know involvement in genealogy research is so ephemeral. The
information on the mullein leaves was another confirmation that the
info my late cousin gave me was true and leads me to believe her
version of vigil is also true. I am just trying to put bits and pieces
of the puzzle together.
Thanks for your help
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