My Native American Heritage:
This is the first of several posts I plan to make about my ancestor, "Running Deer," a Native American of the (most likely) Mohican/Mahican tribe who lived in Massachusetts during the 18th century.
Discovering that I have Native American roots was one of the most sublime moments of my life, as I always felt some sort of connection to my Native brothers and sisters in addition to being surrounded by reminders of American Indian culture while growing up in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
Native American art and beliefs had a strong influence on the paintings I created in my early 20s, as can be seen in my painting below, entitled: "The Hearts of the Fathers Have Turned to their Children."
Without further ado, here is my Native American lineage (according to FamilySearch.org):
Josnorum Scoenonti or “Running Deer”
1719-1786
LZ21-PDH
Jane Tryphena “Darker Mother” (Squawman?)
1740- Unknown Death Date
LZD1-98D
Mary Lewis
1763-1835
LZJX-S6J
Sally Hulet (Whiting)
1787-1846
LZJG-HPH
Edwin Whiting
1809-1890
KWJW-7B9
Lorenzo Snow Whiting
1860-1920
KWZR-3GR
Alfred Reese Whiting
1897-1960
KWCP-1PT
Melvin Ray Whiting
1945-2005
KWHR-CY6
Johnathan Reese Whiting
1982- Living
KW6P-VSX
In addition to a family connection, this discovery also struck a chord with my religious beliefs. Being a Mormon, I believe in the record of The Book of Mormon as an actual history of some of the pre-Colombian peoples of the Americas, and that they are "among the ancestors of the American Indians."
Discovering that I am a descendant of (or "son") of Lehi has opened my eyes to understanding many of the spiritual experiences and feelings I've had throughout my life. My hope is that someday we, the descendants of Running Deer, can piece together the missing links of her lineage and finally be able to fully tell her story and the story of our fathers.
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Update (2-17-2020):
Some updated information has recently been added to the profiles of Jane Tryphena (Darker Mother) and Running Deer:
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LX7F-NM4
Tryphena was undoubtedly born in her mother's village along the Hudson River. As a half-white child, she was probably ostracized, so she probably went to Lee where she would have met her husband. Nothing is really known of her birth. Birthplace was not Onondaga, NY.
-per Emily Christensen
Indians at that time did not travel in white man's territory, too many bad feelings. Delaware is far from the Hudson River. No life events were recorded for any of those Indians.
-per Carl Cox
Alternate Name of "Jane Squawman" Removed by Christopher Lee Ogden
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZ21-PDH
Alternate Name: Running Deer Or "Ahoth Pumusuw" In Mohican
Tribe: Mahegan or Mohican, from village in Hudson River valley, not Lee Massachusetts
Running Deer Life Sketch:
Running Deer was from the Mohican Indian tribe which lived along the Hudson River (the tribal name means Running Water, never still), west of Vermont. She had a child with a white man, of whom we know almost nothing. Her daughter, Jane or Tryphena, evidently moved to the Stockbridge area. Running Deer came to our family genealogist, and gave him such information that we have, along with what we have been able to find out from history. Her great grand-daughter visited her village as a young girl.
What we know about Running Deer:
FROM PITCH PINE TALES:
-Lived in New England
-Named Running Deer, don't know Indian name
-Husband built a Log Cabin
-Grandma of Rosalia.
-Sally Hulet, great-granddaughter of RD, went to RD village of Wigwam, bent poles and bark, was given buckskin dress, Moccasins, Maple sugar.
FROM FAMILY TRADITION:
If my memory serves, Mary Lewis and her daughter, Sally Hulet, each visited RD village.
The name of RD spouse could be Charles (NOT Charles Crosby. No connection between Crosby's and Running Deer.)
FROM RECENT HISTORY:
Not Mohawk. The Mohawks were the Mohicans' historic enemies.
Hudson River valley, S of Lake Champlain, about down to Connecticut. Several villages along there.
Name Mohegan or Mohican, means running water, like the Hudson River.
Book, Last of the Mohicans, may be fairly accurate. The population of that tribe was decimated by disease, war, and other problems.
Remnants of some tribes settled at the Stockbridge Indian Mission, Lee, Mass, in the Berkshires. Some of those tribes now near Green Bay, Wisconsin, others scattered.
"Josnorum Scoenti" is Running Deer in an entirely different Indian language family, no relation to the Mohicans. The name recently found by Carl Cox is from Mohican Indians trying to revive their language.
In the 1950s and 1960s O C Day, the family genealogist, was trying to separate the two candidates Mary Lewis girls. The Mary Lewis born near Boston has a good genealogy, which
does not include any Indian blood. Our Mary Lewis was 1/4 Indian living around Stockbridge or Lee in Western Mass. The mixup between our Mary Lewis' and the Crosby family had
happened before that date, so it is not surprising that the old Pedigree has erroneous information.
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Update (10-18-2022):
Recently learned I'm directly descended from Chief Massasoit (Wampanoag Tribe)!
More on this later, but for now, here's my lineage chart from FamilySearch:
