American ethnologist, born in Albany county, N. Y. In 1817–18 visited the mining region west of the Mississippi (described in his Journal), and in 1820 went with General Cass to Lake Superior as geologist. In 1822 he became Indian agent for the tribes about the lakes, and in 1823 married a wife of Indian blood. In 1832 he commanded an expedition which discovered the sources of the Mississippi (Narrative, 1834). While superintendent for the Indians, he negotiated treaties by which the government acquired 16,000,000 acres. In 1845 he collected the statistics of the Six Nations (“Notes on the Iroquois,” 1848). For government, he prepared his “Information respecting the Indian Tribes of the United States” (6 vols. 1851–57). His other works include poems, a Life of Cass, “Algic Researches” (1839), “The Red Race of America” (1847), “Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes” (1851), etc.

Personal

  Mr. Schoolcraft was a conspicuous figure in the scientific life of the early part of the century. A pioneer in some fields, the immediate follower of the pioneers in others, he was, in all the branches of research to which he gave attention, earnest, ready, diligent, sagacious, original, and modest. As among his titles to be remembered, the biographer who prefaces his Personal Memoirs names the early period at which he entered the field of observation in the United States as a naturalist; the enterprise he manifested in exploring the geography and geology of the great West; and his subsequent researches as an ethnologist in investigating the Indian languages and history.

General

  We believe Mr. Schoolcraft, at first, feeling some distrust whether the Tales would be acceptable or popular in their present shape, thought of submitting them to some polished pen, which, like the pencil in respect to many of the Indian portraits that have been given to the public eye, would have detracted from their merit in proportion to the embellishment thrown over them. It is fortunate for the public, that he did not yield to this idea. The standard which we now have for measuring Indian intellect, and judging of the Indian imagination and powers of invention, of Indian mythological notions and superstitions,—a true standard, as we are fain to believe,—would have been falsified and erroneous. We should still have been left a prey to the fancies of authors, who could paint the Red man enbeau, with little chance, among their readers, of discriminating the creatures of the brain from the realities of the forest.

  Mr. Schoolcraft’s ethnological writings are among the most important contributions that have been made to the literature of this country. His long and intimate connection with the Indian tribes, and the knowledge possessed by his wife and her family of the people from whom they were descended by the maternal side, with his power of examining their character from the European point of view, have enabled him to give us more authentic and valuable information respecting their manners, customs, and physical traits, and more insight into their moral and intellectual constitution, than can be derived, perhaps, from all other authors. His works abound in materials for the future artist and man of letters, and will on this account continue to be read when the greater portion of the popular literature of the day is forgotten.

  We have the highest authority for stating that Baron Humboldt, having had occasion to examine the work, expressed in strong terms his opinion that it was a crude and worthless compilation, and his great surprise that it should be allowed to appear with the sanction and at the expense of the government of the United States…. The appropriation of nearly thirty thousand dollars a volume for the ill-digested and valueless compilation that lies before us [“The Indian Tribes”], rich though it be in its exterior and costly in its illustrations, is enough to discredit the whole system of publishing works at the government expense. We have done our share in exposing the nature of the evil; it is for Congress to do the rest.

  It may be fairly said that by this great national and Christian undertaking [“The Indian Tribes”], which realizes the aspirations of President Jefferson and carries out to their full extent the labours and efforts of a Secretary of the Treasury, the Hon. Albert Gallatin, the government of the United States has done more for the antiquities and language of a foreign race than any European government has hitherto done for the language of their ancestors. Certainly scarcely any single man has done more for collecting and digesting the materials than Mr. Schoolcraft, whose own observations and inquiries form the most important part of that publication.

  To Henry Rowe Schoolcraft the world is more indebted for a variety of knowledge of Indian history, ethnology, archæology, character, customs and costumes, than to any other man.

  The various and valuable writings of Mr. Schoolcraft, to whom the literary world is greatly indebted for his indefatigable zeal in rescuing from oblivion so much of the legendary lore of the Indians.

  His great work is his “Historical Information concerning the Indian Tribes, etc.,” published by act of Congress, in six large quarto volumes, profusely and handsomely illustrated. The work contains an immense amount of information upon everything relating to Indian manners, mythology, antiquities, language, etc., but so poorly digested and so deficient in philosophic method as to be, in the words of Humboldt, “almost worthless.” The volumes are a mine from which the gold is yet to be extracted by some future explorer.

  The great thesaurus of information (“History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States”) concerning the Indian races east of the Rocky Mountains. The author was an enthusiast in the study of the habits and character of the Indian; and his huge volumes will be a permanent monument to his name. The labors of the author were carried on under the patronage of the government; and, although the work is more picturesque than scientific, it can never cease to have considerable value.

  The total number of his publications, as his widow informed the writer, was thirty-one; and as the historian of the American Indians, he will always be considered the leading authority.