Names of the Nations

Continued from last week

Rotinonsionni, “the People of the Longhouse,” a derivative of Kanonsionni, is the name by which the Six Nations called themselves as a confederated or united people. They also anciently called themselves Ongue Honwe, “Men surpassing all others” or “real men.” Iroquois is the name by which they have been generally known, and which is now used as term to include the whole of what formerly constituted the confederated Six Nations, while the latter term (Six Nations) is usually restricted to those of them who reside in Ontario, and even here is further confined in common parlance to those residing in the Grand River Reserve. The name Iroquois is ancient, and its meaning has been lost and is consequently disputed. A French writer gives it as “hiro”, “I have spoken,” an expression used by the Indians at the termination of a speech in council, and “koue,” an exclamation of joy or sorrow, a derivation too fanciful to deserve much attention. Mr. Brant Sero asserts that the name has its derivation from the root “iro,” a tree, and means “tree pickers,” which is not inappropriate, for it is suggestive of the cutting of bark for the construction of the typical Iroquiois lodges, and perhaps also of cutting trees to build the “castles” as several writers term them, or log-built fortifications, which they were accustomed to erect for the defence of their villages. Hale derives the name from an obsolete word “Ierokwa,” to smoke, meaning the people who smoke. Another of the same stock, long extinct, were certainly know as the Smokers, or Tobacco Nation (Tionontates), so that the name is not improbable. Besides it is quite appropriate to the people whose visible bond of union was their council, where the pipe had an important part, as in all Indian Councils. Thus, if this derivation be a true one, there is a secondary meaning which may be expressed as “the people who meet in council.” The Iroquois were called by the Delawares, Mingoes, or Mengwe, “the people at the springs,” referring to their possession of the head waters of rivers which flowed through the Delawares’ country.

The Confederacy was called Kayanerenhkowa, which means, “great peace.”

The name Seneca, properly Sonontowa, Onontewa, Nondewa, or in unabridged form Sonontowane, in French Tsonontouan, is understood to mean “great hill”, having reference to a local feature of their territory. In council the Senecas are called Ronaninhohonti, or Honinhohonta, (singular, Roninhohonti, or Honinhohonta), “possessing a door,” i.e., door-keepers. The name in the singular is this and each other nation, is sometimes applied to their chief whose name comes first on the roll.

Cayuga, Kayukwa, Kayukwen, or Goyogouin (French), is perhaps “swamp, or marshy land,” though this is uncertain. In council they are called Sotinonawenton, or Sotinonnawenta, “great pipe people,” a pipe being their symbol; singular, Sononnawentona.

Onondaga, means “at the hill”, a name having reference to locality. The French form of the name is Onnontagu’e. Their council name is Senhnokete, “bearing the names.” or Sagosaanagechthe, “ bearing the names on their shoulders;” in the singular Sakosennakehte, “name carrier.”

Oneida, or Oneyote, means the “projecting stone,” or rock, also a name of local significance. The council name is Nihatirontakowa, or Nihatientakona, “great tree people;” singular, Niharontakowa.

Mohawk, or (anciently) Mowawog, is said to be a term of reproach or derision, or perhaps dread, meaning “eaters of men,” bestowed upon them by their enemies, who recognizes in the formidable Mohawks those who would sooner or later “eat them up,” an Indian metaphor for complete conquest or destruction. But another derivation is given, Makwa, or bear, an Algonquin word, and a name by which they were known to the Algonquin Nations. The name by which they called themselves, and which is in fact their proper name, is Kanienga, Canyengeh, or Kanyungeh, which is local, meaning dwellers “at the flint.” The French called them Agniers, a corruption of Yangenge, the Huron equivalent of Kanienga. The colonists of Pennsylvania spelled names in various forms, as Ganyingoes, Canyinkers, etc. Their council name is Tehadirihoken, the plural form of the first name on the roll of chiefs.

THE LEAGUE

The Confederacy or League of the Iroquois was in the first place an alliance, offensive and defensive, of the Five Nations; and in the second place, an international tribunal, or clan relationship, the latter being in theory, and ultimately in fact a blood relationship between members of the different Nations; two unions constituting a basket-work-like combination by which the five peoples, through continuing to inhabit separate districts, become so welded together as to constitute an inseparable whole. The government of the Confederacy, as such, rested in the Great Council, whose members were, and still are, hereditary representative Chiefs, originally fifty in number. Of these, thirty-nine still continue, eleven having dropped in consequence of failure of the families to which they belonged. Another, Deyonnehohkaweh, similarly dropped, but was revived by the Council. Upon the entrance of the Tuscaroras into the Confederacy the original number was increased by thirteen Chiefs of the Nation, of whom, however, only four are represented in Canada, the others having disappeared in the migration consequent upon the American revolutionary war. There are also two Chiefs representing the Nanticokes, of whom a remnant were admitted into the Confederacy, though only as a Band, and not as a Nation; and the Delawares, of whom a Band also joined the Six Nations subsequent to their settlement in Canada, are represented by one Chief. The Chiefs of such bands are not accounted as of the full standing of the original fifty, and although the Tuscaroras were admitted as a Nation their Chiefs have never been accorded full equality with the fifty. There are five classes of chiefs, namely, Head Chiefs, and Warrior, Pinetree, War, and Honorary Chiefs.