A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Re-printed from Vol. 20 # 35 September 2002 Barbara Gray (Kanatiiosh) HETF Environmental Researcher The smell of sweetgrass always brought a smile to my grandmother’s face. It also triggered in her mind many narratives. As a child, I sat at the knees of my grandmother and great aunties. I listened to them speak the language, and tell as I made black ash splint horses with tiny sweetgrass reins from the leftover basket making materials. I did not know it then, but as they made baskets and talked something wonderful was happening, it was the t...
Repeated from vol. 26 # 21 This is a Mohawk story that was told to children. A long, long time ago there was a Village on the bend of a river. On one sunny day, a hunter was out in the forest looking for game. While walking along a trail, he stumbled on a hole. He stood back, scratched his head, and thought to himself, "This wasn't here yesterday." He went uphill to get a better look at the hole. His hair stood up. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. That hole was not just any hole; it was the...
Reprinted with permission from Traditional Teachings by the Native North American Travelling College Teharonhiawako came to a spot that was open and found a being sitting there on a rock, looking into the mountains. As he walked up to the being, he said, “Who are you?” The being told him, “I am called Hadoui, I am the most powerful being on this earth. I have the power to change the natural life and being that live on it.” Teharonhiawako then introduced himself by saying, “I am the Creator of all that you see, the valleys, mountains, rivers, an...
The dolls made from cornhusk have an interesting story that is told to the children. As in most stories there is a moral that goes with it. Long ago, the cornhusk dolls had faces. Their job was to play with and keep the children amused. For many years both the dolls and children were happy playing their games, acting out the adult roles and just having fun. One day the adults noticed the children were not their usual playful selves and asked what was the matter. The children answered that their dolls were at the river looking at themselves in...
Reprinted with permission from Traditional Teachings by the Native North American Travelling College 1ST WAMPUM I, Hiawatha and the Sachems have planted a tree of Peace, which we will call Tsioneratisekowa, at your settlement, Atotarhoh, in Onondaga. Under the shade of this great tree we have prepared seats for you and your cousin Sachems to keep and watch the Confederate Council Fire; all business of the Hotinonshonni (People of the Longhouse) will be conducted here before you and your Sachems. 2ND WAMPUM From this Great Tree of Peace, four ro...
YEARS AGO THEY SAID: "Vast acres of land must be stripped for oil." THEY SAID: "Great forests of trees must be felled to make room for the growing population, and to make room for more roads, industries, parks, golf courses, country clubs and houses." THEY SAID: "Another country wanted all the timber it could get." They said: "They would plant stands of seedlings (to replace the trees removed), and give them forty years to grow - large enough to out again." THEY SAID: "The poisons used were not...
Author Unknown Reprint from 2008 Originally submitted by Tom Porter Rise with our Elder Brother, the Sun. Pray often. The Creator will listen if you only speak. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you. Treat the guest in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best f...
Reprinted with approval from the Native North American Travelling College. Continued from last week The Old Women’s Dance Karennaka:ion Tsionahthonwisenhneha The Old Women’s Dance, a sacred dance, is a little bit different from the New Women’s shuffle dance. The footwork is a shuffling motion in a sideways position instead of a forward shuffle. There are two types of women’s dances done at the ceremonies in the Longhouse. The first, the sideways shuffle, is done only at Harvest and Midwinter ceremonies. The second Tsionahthonwise...
Reprinted with approval from the Native North American Travelling College. Continued from last week Delaware Skin or Stick Dance Kanehwaien The Delaware Skin or Stick Dance is a very popular song and dance among the young people. This dance is a mixture of slow and fast songs. The singers, which can number two or four, begin by singing in a slow beat. There are several chants that are slow, but then the singers change to the faster beat. The song and dance continue this way until the dance is...
Reprinted with approval form the Native North American Travelling College Continued from last week Round Dance Tsiohthwatase:tha The round dance is a social dance that is always included in our social dances. It is a dance or song originating from the Western Nations of the plains, but has been amongst our Iroquois Nations' for all of a hundred years and perhaps two hundred years or more. The social round dance has of course been Iroquoinized so much that it would not be recognized as anything...
(Reprinted with approval from the Native North American Travelling College) Continued from last week Standing Quiver' or Stomp Dance Watahtshero:ton The standing quiver or stomp dance is usually the first of any social dance in most Indian communities throughout the Six Nations. It is a dance that gets everybody in a good mood for dancing and singing. The musical instruments used are your feet, stomping and shuffling, helping to maintain the beat of the song. The dancers follow the leader or s...
(Reprinted with approval from the Native North American Travelling College) Continued from last week SINGING SOCIETY RONTERENNOHTHA In almost every Iroquois community there are groups of men, women and young people who come together in their respective communities to sing social songs. These groups of people are referred to as the Singing Society. This Singing Society is a social and community organization. Some Iroquois Nations may have more than one singing society. For example: there may be in one community a society composed of men and anot...
Reprinted with approval from the North American Travelling College Continued from last week OHSTAWA'KO:WA TURTLE RATTLE There are two types of turtle rattles and both are used for the Great Feather Dance, the larger by the Hato: wi Society. (Hato:wi are carved wooden masks used to doctor people). The smaller turtle rattles are preferred by the singers of the Great Feather Dance because they are lighter in weight and can be handled better without the singers' arms becoming tired. It is said that...
OHSTAWA' – RATTLE The regular horn rattle is used to complement the water drum. There is a modern evolution of the rattle used today. The first rattles were made from hickory tree bark. This bark was cut in a rectangular pattern with the two ends tapered. Small stone pebbles were inserted into the bark casing of the bark to make a noise. In the early years the buffalo horns were cut into approximately two-inch sections and capped on both ends with inlaid woodcarvings. A handle was carved and tig...
Reprinted with permission by the Native North American Travelling College Continued from last week Kana'tsio:wi The Water Drum The Creator has given messages to our people over the years. One important message was, "Don't ever use or consume anything that alters or changes Teka'kikonhrhate:nie's the natural state of mind. "We generally refer to the words "Mind Changers" to describe any and all alcoholic beverages or narcotics (drugs). In our sacred teachings we are told what the Creator expects...
Reprinted with permission by the Native North American Travelling College HOW TO HAVE A SOCIAL DANCE 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, Raiihowanahtha’. 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 dance...
Continued from last week Election Members of the Grand Council Wampum 54. When a (Chief Statesmanship) title becomes vacant through death or other cause, the Royaneh women of the clan in which the title is hereditary shall hold a Council and shall choose one among their sons to fill the office made vacant. Such a candidate shall not be the father of and (Chief Statesman). If the choice is unanimous the name is referred to the men relatives of the clan. If they should disapprove it shall be their duty to select a candidate from among their own...
Their hearts shall be full of peace and goodwill and their minds filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the Confederacy. With endless patience they shall carry out their duty and their firmness shall be tempered with a tenderness for their people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodgment in their minds and all their words and actions shall be marked by calm deliberation. Wampum 27 All (Chief Statesmen) of the five nations must be honest in all things. They must not idle or gossip, but be men possessing those honorable...
Continued from last week APPORTIONMENT OF CHIEF STATESMEN (The number of Chief Statesmen was set by the Peacemaker, not apportioned by population. No direct taxes existed. Slavery was illegal. The idea of some people considered less than whole was foreign and never accepted. Note “Indians not taxed” were considered separate, a status still widely asserted and Defended. )“According to the great immutable law the Iroquois confederate council was to consist of fifty royaner (civil chiefs of Chief Statesman)” (Parker p. 10): Elder Brother...
Continued from last week Over 200 years ago an Onondaga Chief advised Benjamin Franklin and other colonial representatives saying, “Our wise forefather established Union and Amity…this made us formidable…we are a powerful Confederacy, and if you observe the same methods…you will acquire fresh strength and power.” Franklin challenged the colonists to create a similar united government. It would be a strange thing if (the) Six Nations should be capable of forming …such a union… and yet a like union should be impracticable for…a dozen English c...
BY GREGORY SCHAAF, PH.D. From the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the opportunity to create and to establish a new government challenged people to search for the roots of democracy. One of the little-known secrets of the Founding Fathers is the fact that they discovered a democratic model not in Great Britain, France, Italy or any of the so-called “cradles of civilization.” Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and others found the oldest participatory democracies on earth amo...
10’s to Modern Times The 20th century demonstrates the continuing evolution of clothing styles here at Akwesasne and other native communities in the region. We must differentiate, of course, between the clothes of our people wore in their day-to-day lives and that which they wore as performers or in ceremonies. For everyday wear, native people wore whatever was available in stores or sewed what they needed. Photography shows them in non-native clothing with non-native hairstyles. Some ironworkers were known to look quite stylish because t...
15’S The trend of hybrid native/colonial clothing continued through the 18th century. Increasing interaction with European traders meant more transfusion of culture going both ways. Glass and ceramic beads of various sizes, shapes and colors were incorporated into the decoration of native clothing or were worn as necklaces. Native embroidery continued to be used as formerly but was also incorporated in the decoration of knife cases worn around the neck. Many examples of knife cases, pouches, and moccasins decorated with porcupine quills a...
By Darren Bonaparte and Michael Galban From Indian Time supplement The Rontinonshonni-People of the Longhouse 1500s & 1600s Before European contact, Mohawk clothi8ng was made of animal hides like deer, moose, and caribou as well as fur bearing animals like beaver, muskrat, raccoon and otter. The hides were tanned with the brains of the animal and smoked. Decoration was done with embroidery using moose hair, deer hair, or porcupine quills dyed in bright colors. Sometimes people painted designs on their clothing using natural earth pigments....
Grand Council meetings of the Iroquois Confederacy are held for serious matters, which affect all of the member nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora. Before an issue can be presented to the Grand Council, it must first be heard by the Onondagas, who decide whether the issue requires a Grand Council meeting. Sometimes the issue is sent back to the individual nation to be solved at home. Each nation has its own Council of Chiefs and deals with its own problems. These Chiefs are also the representatives to the Grand...