HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 139 



The Maskoutins, or Assistaeronons, were the Fire Nation, 

 more properly that of the prairies, and were also called Odislas- 

 tagheks. They lived in Michigan, and looo Maskontins and 

 Outagamis were reported as massacred near Detroit in 1712. 

 They were foes of the Neutral nation, sufifering much from them. 

 The Nipissings, or Nipissiriniens, had this Algonquin name from 

 nippi, water, and were called Squekaneronons by the Iroquois, 

 from Lake Skekouen. The Sacs and Foxes, of the Algonquin 

 family, at first lived north of Lake Ontario, but went west. The 

 Iroquois called the latter Quaksies. 



The Catawbas were termed Flatheads, and some give the same 

 name to the Choctaws, Cherokees and others. The Saponies 

 and Toteros or Tuteloes were branches of the Catawbas, who 

 removed to New York. 



The Nanticokes may have been the Tockwoghs of Virginia. 

 They were called Unechtgo, Tawachguano, and by the Iroquois 

 Skaniadarighroonas, afterward going west. Some consider the 

 Conoys a part of these. After a brief residence in Pennsylvania 

 both lived for many years in New York, on the' Chenango river. 



The Cherokees were the Oyadagaono, called also T'kwentah- 

 euhnane. People of a Beautiful Red Color. 



The early writers classified our northern aborigines as nomadic 

 and sedentary, the latter having towns continuously inhabited 

 and fields steadily cultivated. These remained for several years 

 in a place, removing when fuel and fields were exhausted. 

 Agriculture was rude, and the staples were the three supporters 

 of life, corn, beans and squashes, with tobacco, added as a solace 

 in rest or an aid in council. Squashes were dried for winter use, 

 and corn and beans were kept in chests in houses, or in deep pits 

 in the ground. The Iroquois found fish abundant in the waters 

 and game in the forest, but could only dry or smoke these for 

 preservation, not knowing the use of salt. Fruits were dried and 

 nuts gathered, the latter furnishing an agreeable oil. 



When known to the whites, the Iroquois had almost abandoned 

 the use of earthworks, preferring instead their strong palisades. 

 Their houses were long, narrow, and of bark, nor did they adopt 



