"Those Who Came Before"
by Charles Van Buskirk
on WSKG Radio's OFF THE PAGE
L I V E  Tuesday, November 27 at 1pm
(Rebroadcast at 7pm)

          It should come as no surprise that subject people would be misunderstood by the dominant society. Guilt, ethnocentrism, haughtiness and apathy can all contribute to stereotyping and distortion. This has often been true of the attitude of the wider American society toward the American Indian - or Native Americans, or Amerindians, the nomenclature itself being another impediment to true understanding. Sometimes the image has been idealized into a "noble savage" or Hollywood bad guy. A corrective to this can be an open mind and accurate history.
           Charles Van Buskirk of Savona, NY has been researching and writing about the original inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere - and specifically his own home state - for many years. His articles for the Steuben County Historical Society's quarterly publication Steuben Echoes have been collected in a book entitled "Those Who Came Before". Mr. Van Buskirk states that his writing is "inspired by a profound respect, admiration and affection for the peoples who proceeded us (and lest we forget, still live) in the land we now call home."
          The first chapter attempts to convey as much as is known about the first humans to come to this corner of the world, the Paleo Indian Hunters, who arrived 10,000 to 14,000 years ago. It was a culture that seems to have spread widely across North America but they have left few traces beyond some stone tools and seem to have disappeared around 6500 BCE. The first people to settle in this region and leave their mark were the Lamokans, named for the lake near their settlement in what is now Schuyler County.
          It is naturally difficult to establish the history of "prehistoric" times and to determine the ancestry of the modern indigenous people, but the proto-Iroquois appear to have been settled in the New York region around the year 1000. They would establish agriculture - corn was the first crop to be grown - and the often-bloody conflict among the nations gave rise to the Iroquois Confederation, which would much later serve as a model for the United States government even as the rise of the new republic would devastate the native social and political structures.
          The relationship between the aboriginal population and the Europeans was never easy, and there was constant conflict as well within the native population. The Europeans also brought their own discord. Van Buskirk writes about the astonishment some white settlers felt when one of their own - often a child - was kidnapped or otherwise taken captive by an Indian tribe. The captive was customarily accepted into the tribe and might later refuse to renounce that identity when given the chance. Though the Europeans tended to see the Iroquois family as disorganized, Van Buskirk writes that they "were so accustomed to their own nuclear families that they were unable to discern any family structure" even though the People of the Longhouse had a clear, matrilineal structure. They were also gentler in their child-rearing practices than the English and had a strong sense of personal freedom. "The Europeans may have been ahead of the Indians in some areas of technology, especially as applied to war and transportation,´states Van Buskirk, "but the Indians were far ahead of the Europeans socially and politically." (Go here to see the layout and construction of the Haudenosaunee longhouse).
          As Van Buskirk clearly points out, despite the loss of much of their land and attempts to rid them of their culture, descendants of "those who came before" are still active and important in New York State. A genuine understanding of their history, culture and contributions goes beyond (but certainly must include) countless place names and the turkey, squash, beans and potatoes on the dinner table.
          In addition to his writing and lecturing about Indian history, Charles Van Buskirk is a ringmaster with Shrine-sponsored circuses, an announcer for fairs and exhibitions and a voice-over performer. He joins Bill Jaker on OFF THE PAGE to answer questions and clarify the myths surrounding those who came before. To join in the program call during the 1:00 PM live broadcast to 888/359-9754 or send an e-mail to WSKG.Radio@gmail.com.

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NEXT TIME: The institution that is today Binghamton University has gone through tremendous changes in its first sixty years. Much of that development happened on the athletic field. A new, illustrated, 350-page "coffee table book" covers all the teams and players, excitement and frustration "From Colonials to Bearcats". The author is Tim Schum, a retired professor of Health, Physical Education and Athletics at BU. He visits OFF THE PAGE on Tuesday, December 11th .

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