The Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson
By Subject
INDIGENOUS AMERICAN TRIBES / LANGUAGES
I particularly take great interest in whatever respects the Indians,
and the present state of the Creeks, mentioned in your letter is very
interesting. But you must not suppose that your official
communications will ever be seen or known out of the offices. Reserve
as to all their proceedings is the fundamental maxim of the Executive
department I must, therefore, ask from you one communication to be
made to me separately, and I am encouraged to it by that part of your
letter which promises me something on the Creek language. I have long
believed we can never get any information of the ancient history of
the Indians, of their descent and filiation, but from a knowledge and
comparative view of their languages. I have, therefore, never failed
to avail myself of any opportunity which offered of getting their
vocabularies. I have now made up a large collection, and afraid to
risk it any longer, lest by some accident it might be lost, I am about
to print it But I still want the great southern languages, Cherokee,
Creeks, Choctaw, Chickasaw. For the Cherokee, I have written to
another, but £or the three others, I have no chance but through
yourself. I have indeed an imperfect vocabulary of the Choctaw, but it
wants all the words marked in the enclosed vocabulary with either this
mark (*) or this (*). I therefore throw myself on you to procure me
the Creek, Choctaw, an4 Chickasaw; and I enclose you a vocabulary of
the particular words I want. You need not take the trouble of having
any others taken, because all my other vocabularies are confined to
these words, and my object is only a comparative view.
to Benjamin Hawkins, 14 March 1800
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