AKWESASNE MOHAWK SOCIAL DANCES

(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 another composed of just women. Generally speaking there is usually one singing society per community.

Every year there are two singing events in Iroquois Country called Six Nations Sings, where all the various singing societies come together. At these Six Nations Sings each community represented is required to introduce seven newly composed Women’s Dance Songs. The host nation is always last to sing. A Six Nation Sing is held in the spring around Easter when people have a long weekend holiday. The second Sing is scheduled in the fall on the Thanksgiving weekend because it is a holiday weekend.

The Sings are somewhat competitive, but in a very mild way. There are no first, second or third place winners. No one is proclaimed the best Singing Society and the songs are shared by the different societies. Each society will have a leader, a secretary, and a treasurer. The Singing Societies hold fundraising activities in the community to raise money for the expense of attending the sings. The societies will hold bake sales, dinners, auctions and raffles. With these funds the society will charter a bus for their members to attend the singing society’s events at the various

Iroquoian communities.

The Singing Societies (Ronterennohtha) also hold benefit events to raise money for families who may have had a fire or some other misfortune. The men of the Singing Society hold bees to cut wood and deliver it to the elders who are physically unable to do this work. While the men cut wood the women members cook and feed the workingmen. Also these Singing ‘Society members will usually organize wood cutting bees for the Nation’s Longhouse.

The Society of Singers greatly helps in the preserving of our songs, both spiritual and social. They participate in harvesting bees. They provide alcohol and drug free events for the nation, especially for the youth. They are positive role models of good Iroquois behavior. They provide social benefits to the community which everyone can enjoy by holding social dances.