Clanology

Continued from last week.

Weddings and Clans

A young man of the Bear Clan and a young woman of the Wolf Clan plan to get married. This is proper, and their 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 and the couple agree to the date, the Rotiianehson will publicly announce the date and the whole community is welcomed to participate. There are usually no individual invitations sent unless the couple has relatives living far away.

For a wedding, the man and woman and their families dress up from head to foot in the most beautiful and elaborate Mohawk Clothes. In the middle of the Longhouse a wooden bench is placed for the couple to sit.

At the side of the groom-to-be sits his mother. At the side of the bride-to-be sits her mother. The Rotiianehson will choose one of their own or a Faithkeeper to conduct the actual wedding on behalf of the entire council.

The person chosen to perform the wedding will begin by doing the opening address holding the nation's wampum (Katsistha). Now the woman must promise to her husband that she will fulfill and honor the commitments of marriage.

The man chosen to conduct the marriage speaks at great length to the couple. He explains the duties and formula for a healthy stable marriage. Now all the Rotiianehson address the newly married couple with their encouragement and advice.

The couple now takes our nation's Katsistha (wampum) and agree to pledge to one another and to our Creator that they will honor and embrace for the duration of their lives the sacredness of all the pledge of marriage.

Now, the first duty of the married couple will be to feed all their people and they will, in a counterclockwise direction, give every person a small piece of the Kanatarakhon:we.

The next step calls for the bride and groom to lead the people in the Great Feather Dance which finally sanctions and seals the marriage. In all traditional marriages there is absolutely no alcohol or drugs of any kind permitted. The entire marriage ceremony takes about two hours and sometimes longer .Now, there will be a big feast for the wedding. Generally, gifts for the married couple are now opened and viewed. The couple thank the people for each gift. In the evening there will be a social wedding dance. Traditionally, there is no such things as a honeymoon.