[Antoninus]

Torture was high entertainment for many Indians. So was war. Many (most) Indian wars were not over hunting grounds and scarce resources. They were for honor, for booty, to capture fertile women to increase the tribe.

True. Among the Iroquoian and Algonquin tribes, wars could spring up between two nations simply because a man of one had murdered a man of another. If the proper presents weren't made in recompense to the family of the murdered man, war would result. Once begun, wars seldom ended without the utter destruction and eradication of one tribe or the other. This was ensured by the practice of torturing and eating captives -- and creating more murdered victims to be revenged.

[dennisw]

Good info on "Black Robe" sources. The Parkman book is mentioned:

http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/rok6/rok6-source.html

http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/rok6/rok6-title.html

[longshadow]

Among the Iroquoian and Algonquin tribes, wars could spring up between two nations simply because a man of one had murdered a man of another. If the proper presents weren't made in recompense to the family of the murdered man, war would result.

This looks like a good opportunity to tell the "War Pouch" story:

Once upon a time, ther was an Indian Chief. He carried a leather pouch on his belt, and every time his tribe was offended by the actions of another tribe, he would bend oever, pick up a small stone, and place it in his pouch.

This would be repeated over an over, until one day, after yet another offense, the Chief discovers that there is no more room in his "War Pouch" for any more stones.

At this point, he empties out all the stones in the "War Pouch," calls together his "braves," they put on their "War Paint," and proceed to kick the crap out of whatever tribe was the last one to offend them.

After the war, the chief would repeat the entire process.....

I, of course, have no citations or documentation to back up this story, but it sure is a great story.