A religious primer in Mohican, 1818

The Assembly's Shorter Catechism; Shorter Catechism for Children.

This small textbook contains two separate works. The Assembly's Shorter Catechism was originally compiled in 1647, at the height of the English Reformation, so parents and clergy could train their children to be good Protestants. It contains more than 100 questions and answers about God, sin, human nature, Jesus Christ, the Ten Commandments and other doctrinal subjects; the final questions teach and explain the Lord's Prayer. It became a popular work among Protestant missionaries. In this edition, after the text of the Assembly Catechism are printed Rev. Isaac Watts "Shorter Catechism for Children," excerpts from the gospels of John and Matthew, and selected Psalms. At the foot of page 34 is the note, ""The foregoing is printed in the Moheakunnuk, or Stockbridge Indian language." This translation into Mohican was made by Stockbridge Indian sachems John W. Quinney (1787-1855) and Capt. Hendrick Aupaumut (c. 1757-1829), before the Stockbridge moved to Wisconsin. It is one of several works in or about American Indian languages to be found at Turning Points in Wisconsin History. Readers should note that this is a historical document rather than a modern one; students wishing to study the language should rely on materials produced by the tribal language office.

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