A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Reprinted from “Traditional Dress” by Adolf Hungrywolf Most anything is easy to sew by hand, as long as you use common sense. Patience is the most difficult requirement. Anyone can produce fine work who has the patience to take short, even, and tight stitches. Tools In the old days the only tools for sewing were a knife for cutting, an awl of pointed bone for making holes, and strips of sinew to sew the materials together with. For inspiration, as well as for appearance of certain items (such as Medicine bags), nothing is better than the old...
Reprinted from Traditional Clothes by Adolf Hungrywolf "It has always been observed that all the various tribes have a close resemblance in their dress: that of the North Americans in their original state, consists entirely of furs and hides, one piece fastened around the waist, which reaches the middle of the thigh, and another larger piece is thrown over the shoulders. Their stockings are of skins, fitted to the shape of the leg: the seams are ornamented with Porcupines' quills: their shoes...
Reprinted from Traditional Dress by Adolf Hungrywolf Introduction The Native American People, back in the Old Days, dressed according to tribal traditional and personal desire. Like everything else in their lives, appearance was dictated foremost by Visions and Dreams. Sometimes a totally new article or method came about this way – often with spiritual meaning that was respected and not copied by others. More often, however, the Visions of personal appearance were based on pleasing articles and...
The Kaieri Niioriwake, Rotiianeshon and Kanistensera came together to set the date for Kakhowanen starting on Friday, November 4 and ending on Sunday, November 6, 2016. The leadership came to one mind and agreed how harvest ceremony will run for three days. On the first day, the three feather dances are done. The first dance will start at 6:30am for the Kaieri Niioriwake. They will go around once before the people join in the dance. Then we will take a break and come back at 9:00am. The ceremony will continue with the second feather dance for...
Submitted by Native North American Travelling College When we, the Haudenosaunee People, have ceremonies, we have certain obligations that we must fulfill. Each one of us has duties inside the house that must be respected. Here are some of the respectful ways that are expected of you. Wear traditional clothing Women: Women should always wear a skirt when they are at the ceremonies. The women are life givers and should be walking in her life circle. This keeps her connected with Mother Earth and...
The Ceremonial fires throughout the Haudenosaunee Confederacy will come together on October 2, 2016 to put though the Kariwi:io Ceremony for the leadership and people of Akwesasne. This will start on a Sunday around 2:00pm with the host Nation (Kanienkehaka) greeting all the other delegates from the other Nations throughout the Confederacy. The visitors will sit on the Wolf and Turtle side of the longhouse. Akwesasronon and all other Kanienkehaka will sit on the Bears and other clans side of the house. The host Nation will ask for the...
1. You need a speaker to do the Opening Thanksgiving Address, or Ohen:ton karihwatehkwen. 2. You need a speaker for announcing dances, the lead singers, and the lead dancers. This person is called in Mohawk, Rarihowanahtha’. 3. You need a person to be the Housekeeper. This person is called in Mohawk, Ratenonhsa ‘tsteristha’. 4. You need Elders or knowledgeable people to give information, knowledge and encouragement to the people in between dances. This person is called Ratretsiarens. 5. You need someone to make and keep the fire going. This...
Submitted by Native North American Travelling College A long time ago, there lived a group of Ojibway people who had a bountiful harvest of corn. So plentiful was this crop that the people became boastful. Their pride and arrogance made them wasteful. So wasteful were they, that they ate more than necessary. They threw good corn to their dogs. Worst of all they left much of their corn to rot in the fields. They allowed their children to use the corn as play things. After eating all they could, the people would bury the leftovers and then go...
In the early years of the Haudenosaunee there was a dark era, a time when our ancestors fought amongst one another. Our ancestors had forgotten all of the Creator’s instructions on how to live here on Mother Earth. The Creator saw how the Onkwehonwe (the Original People) were treating each other and this was making him very upset. At this time the Creator sent a man-being to be born with a specific set of instructions. Along with these instructions he gave him special abilities that were different from the rest of the man beings. This man is k...
Submitted by Native North American Travelling College The Iroquois people have what they call the three sisters, the “sustainers of life.” These sisters are corn, beans, and squash. The corn Spirit was so thrilled at being one of the sustainers of life that she asked the Creator what more she could do for her people. The Creator said that a beautiful doll could be formed from the husks. The Creator set to work to form the doll. When finished he gave the doll a beautiful face, and sent it to the children of the Iroquois people to play with, and...
After Satkonseriio, the Good Spirit, had created the creatures of the earth, he decided to inspect his work. As he walked over the earth, he saw a stranger who was a giant with a very large ugly face. Good Spirit asked the strange being who he was. The creature answered with a roaring voice, “I am master of the earth and all things on it.” ”If you are master of the earth, then the things of this earth should obey you. Let me see you show your power. Prove to me that you are what you claim to be,” said Satkonseriio. The monster said, “What s...
Submitted by Native North American Travelling College The little people who lived in the early world left their carvings to beautify rocks and cliffs and caves. And they helped the early Native Americans. Small though they were, the Little People were so strong that they killed many of the monster animals that were dangerous to man. “Our mission is to help you,” a Little Person once told a Seneca hunter. The bones of extinct animals found in their travels, the Seneca believed, were the bones of the monsters that had been destroyed by the Lit...
Submitted by NNATC It’s late June, children are playing outside roaming in the fields and suddenly they find the Strawberry ripened on the vine. They tell their parents it’s time to pick strawberries. This information is shared with the chiefs, clan mothers and faith keepers. The chiefs will gather all the clan mothers and faith keepers and say it’s now time to set the ceremony for the Niiohontehsa. The chiefs, clan mothers and faith keepers gather at the longhouse. A man will be chosen to open the meeting. The faith keepers will gather at on...
Submitted by NNATC Wesakaychak was a harmful person who had the power to change into any form to accomplish his use. To prove his intelligence, he often found himself in trouble. His main purpose was to set things right in the world, but he did things to fulfill his satisfaction. Wesakaychak called everyone his brother and sister and was able to communicate with the plants and animals. He never found one place to call home because he was always travelling around the world. Wesakaychak was...
Submitted by NNATC A young man of the Bear Clan and a young woman of the Wolf Clan plan to get married. This is proper, and their children will become good candidates to become Faithkeepers, Clan Mothers, or Rotiianehson. A couple cannot marry unless they have the consent of both their mothers. In traditional marriages, you can be forty years old, but you would still need the consent of your mother. A couple desiring to get married must make a request to the Council of Chiefs and together set a date for the wedding. When the Council of Chiefs...
Before there was an elected system of governance in Akwesasne, the community was governed by Community Life Chiefs. These Life Chiefs were known as the Rotinonkwiseres, which means "They Have Long hair." These men were chosen by the Clanmothers, as is tradition among the Haudenosaunee. For centuries, this was the way the Mohawk community of Akwesasne had decided to choose their leaders. The newly formed government of Canada had a different plan and a law to determine Akwesasne leaders that were...
As Mother Earth awakens the people prepare to plant the seeds given to us by the Creator. The Faithkeepers will call a meeting to set the ceremony. The Chiefs and Clan Mothers are invited to come as well as all the other Faithkeepers. A man will open the proceedings with Ohenton Karihwatehkwen after which all the Faithkeepers will gather to one side and set the date of the Seed Ceremony. A male Faithkeeper will be chosen to enlighten the Chiefs and Clan Mothers of the date chosen. The Chiefs and Clan Mothers will deliberate as to wether this...
Submitted by NNATC The Great Feather Dance belongs to all life and is one of the Creator’s truly great songs. I have heard some of our elders and this is what they said: “The Great Feather Dance is so powerful that when it is sung and the people dance to it, the entire life forms of the world become instantly energized.” They told us that the turtle rattle is the instrument used and is representative of the Earth Mother. As the rattle is played it is said that all the earth wakes up and earth’s life moves exactly as the turtle rattle moves....
Submitted by NNATC This legend happened long ago on an island in the St. Lawrence River. The island is called by the Akwesasne Mohawks, Tekatarenre, and lies opposite the point where the St. Regis River meets the St. Lawrence River at Akwesasne. Long ago, a man, his wife, and his daughter lived alone on this island. They had a garden where they raised corn, beans, and squashes. One day, as the three were working in their garden, the sky became very dark. Glancing up at the dark clouds, the...
Submitted by NNATC Thunder Ceremony is held twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Tobacco is needed from everyone who attends. Food items are: strawberry drink, fried bread, and corn soup. Candy, fruit and cookies for the Ratiweras is brought. Preparation for inside the long house goes like this: First a large bench is placed in the middle of the floor and boxes or baskets (2) are placed on this bench. This is where the people who bring items (cookies, candy and fruit) for the Thunder are placed. A stick is also placed on the...
The celebration of the Maple Sugar is the first event that takes place after the Midwinter Ceremonies have taken place. It is held in the month of February before the 2nd celebration of the Sap that runs takes place in March. The meaning “Hathisesthata” interprets as “putting the sap in.” The purpose of the Maple Ceremonies are to give thanks to the recurrence of the sap that still runs. The other is to ask for the continuation of the sap runs and that we be blessed by seeing it come year after year. The other trees and bushes that exist o...
As I know it, this story happened long ago. It was the time of the “Great Tardiness” of the year (Ennisko:wa) and people were hungry. Hunters left the village looking for game to feed their people, however, game was scarce. These hunters were away from their village for several days. Some of the men returned back to their village discouraged and hungry. One young man said he would stay behind a little while longer to find game. Two days went by and the young man became ill from hunger. As he lay by his camp fire, he watched this aro:sen (sq...
When the world was new, long ago, an old man was wandering around. This old man had long, white hair and wherever he stepped the ground grew hard as stone. When he breathed the rivers stopped flowing and the ponds became solid. The birds and animals fled before him and plants dried up and died as the leaves shriveled and fell from the trees. Finally this old man found a place where he could set up his lodge. He made the walls of ice and covered it over with snow. He sat inside his lodge in...
Submitted by Native North American Travelling College As far back as people can remember, the waters of the Niagara have been falling into the deep gorge, its thundering stream swallowing up everything it manages to catch hold of. And yet the Natives who know Niagara - who hear the rumble of the waterfall on their long voyages, by the fire, as well as in their sleep - are not frightened of the Niagara. That is so because they know this story… There once lived a beautiful maiden. Many good, brave, and daring young men tried to woo her, but h...
Submitted by Native North American Travelling College Back when the Iroquois still lived in their Longhouse villages, they used to endure long and harsh winters. They say in those days that the snow would be higher than ones head. The people would, for the most part, be stuck in their longhouses all winter due to these harsh conditions. It is said that in one village there was a couple of men who began to argue over a bowl of soup. They became very angry with one another and began to argue and fight over this. Incidents like this started...
