“To the American Indian: Reminiscences of a Yurok Woman” by Lucy Thompson.
The book has a remarkable section, linked above, entitled “Traditions of the Ancient White People.”
WHEN The Indians first made their appearance on the Klamath river it was already inhabited by a white race of people known among us as the Wa-gas. These white people were found to inhabit the whole continent, and were a highly moral and civilized race. They heartily welcomed the Indians to their country and taught us all of their arts and sciences. The Indians recognized the rights of these ancient people as the first possessors of the soil and no difficulties ever arose between the two people. Their hospitality was exceedingly generous in the welfare of our people and all prospered together in peace and happiness, in their pursuit of human cxistance.
It would appear that there was some intermarriage; when the Wa-gas left, they took the children who were mostly White, but left those who were 3/4 Indian with the Indians.
Supposedly the reason the Indians trusted the later Whites as much as they did was because of the good experience they had with the earlier Whites.
A deep mystery, this.
Laurel
