OLIN E 99 .17 B26 1921 Digitized by Microsoft® Huntington Free Library Native American Collection CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by Microsoft® RESEARCHES AND TRANSACTIONS OF THE NEW YORK STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER ROCHESTER, N. Y. The Founders of the New York Iroquois League and Its Probable Date BY REV. WM. M. BEAUCHAMP, S. T. D., LL. D. PUBLISHED BY LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER ROCHESTER, N. Y. 1921 Digitized by Microsoft® NEW YORK STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Morgan Chapter, Rochester, N. Y. OFFICERS, 1921 President — Alvin H. Dewey, 440-444 Powers Building. First Vice President — Mrs. Frank F. Dow, 429 Park Avenue. Second Vice President — LeGrand Brown, City Hall. Secretary — Walter H. Cassebeer, 84 Exchange Street. Treasurer — Edward D. Putnam, Municipal Aiuseum, Exposition Park. Publications of Morgan Chapter. Vol. I— No. I— A Prehistoric Iroquoian Site, lUus $1.00 By Dr. Arthur C. Parker, N. Y. State Archeologist. Vol. I — No. 2 — A Contact Period Seneca Site, lUus. - 1.00 By Dr. Arthur C. Parker, N. Y. State Archeologist. Vol. I — No. 3 — The Morgan Centennial Celebration at Wells College, Aurora, Illus. - 1.00 By Prof. Roland B. Dixon, of Harvard University. Vol. II — No. 1 — The New York Indian Complex and How to Solve It, Illus. 1.00 By Dr. Arthur C. Parker, Secretary of the N. Y. State Indian Commission and Archeologist of the State Museum. Vol. II— No. 2 — Western New York under the French 1.00 By Frank H. Severance, Secretary Buffalo Historical Society. Vol. 11 — No. 3 — Treaty Making with the Indians and the Kon-on-daigua Peace Congress - 1.00 By George P- Decker and Charles F. Milliken. Vol. II — No. 4— An Iroquois Twentieth Century Cere- mony of Appreciation, Illus. - 1 . 00 By Robert Daniel Burns. Vol. Ill — No. 1 — The Founders of the New York Iroquois League, and Its Probable Date .75 By Rev. Wm. M. Beauchamp, S. T. D., DL. D. Digitized by Microsoft® CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY R. V^p.TTW 3 1924 097 630 325 r MViEVn OFTHEAnEMCAN INDIAN' Digitized by Microsoft® REV. WM. M. BEAUCHAMP, S. T. D, LL. D. Digitized by Microsoft® Vol. III. No. I RESEARCHES AND TRANSACTIONS OF THE NEW YORK STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER ROCHESTER, N. Y. The Founders of the New York Iroquois League and Its Probable Date BY REV. WM. M. BEAUCHAMP, S. T. D., LL, D. PUBLISHED BY LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER ROCHESTER, N. Y. 1921 uV f (;f^^ Press ot C. F. Milliken & Co., Canandaigua, New York. '% Digitized by Microsoft® 11 Digitized by Microsoft® FOREWORD The Rev. William M. Beauchamp, S. T. D., LL. D., is admittedly our greatest living authority on the aboriginal inhabitants of New York State. Where document and tradition fail the historian, Dr. Beauchamp reveals Iroquois life and institutions through artifacts which the Indian buried with the bones of his people. Unfortunately for the student of modern research there were no Beauchamps of his scientific mind among the classic and courageous missionaries of the contact period to gather and classify ethnic material. Within his own lifetime Dr. Beauchamp has seen archaeology become a scientific pursuit. His life lacks less than a decade of completing a century. His native state has published his works which stand as official and authoritative. Morgan Chapter is happy in the honor of publishing this venerable scientist's latest work, which is given to the world in his ninety-second year. Dr. Beauchamp was born in Coldenham, Orange County, New York, on March 25, 1830. He went to Onondaga county early the following year and often saw the Onondaga Indians in the streets of Skaneateles and in his father's store, and thus began an interest in the Red Man. Picturesque incidents in the history of colonial New York increased this ipterest in early school life. His first public lecture was on the New York Iroquois. Of archaeology in its restricted sense he knew nothing, when he took charge of Grace church, Baldwinsville, in 1865, except the little found in Schoolcraft's notes on the Iroquois, and that was misleading. On the Seneca river near which he lived was a virgin opportunity. Curious relics abounded and there were stockades and earthworks not far away. It was some time, however, before Dr. Beauchamp thought much of these objects of study. Then strange articles were brought to him, so strange that he drew and described them Digitized by Microsoft® 4 THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEAGUE along with the more common articles. There was method in this and ten large volumes now contain thousands of original drawings with notes, and plans of other kinds. Gradually the work took in a larger field, unconsciously fitting him for the New York State Museum work which he began in December, 1896, and ended in December, 1905. This work included thirteen illustrated bulletins on early and recent life of New York Indians, one being a special volume on the history of the New York Iroquois. Since then he has made many addresses before societies on kindred subjects. For many years he was a contributor to the Journal of American Folklore, and an of&cer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Beauchamp entered on his professional life, September 21, 1862, and went to Grace church. Baldwinsville, July 1, 1865, leaving there October 1, 1900, being then past seventy years of age. He received the degree of S. T. D., from Hobart College on November 30, 1886, and on June 14, 1920, he received the degree of LL. D. from Syracuse University. Bishop Huntington appointed him one of the three examining chaplains of the diocese of Central New York, June 11, 1884. He has held that oifice ever since. In 1905 Dr. Beauchamp was chosen president of the Syracuse Clerical Club, and after serving twelve years declined re-election. In 1889 he was made a director of the Onondaga Historical Association, and is now eldest in years and service with the rank of honorary president. In 1911 he was one of the five honorary members of the New York State Historical Association, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson being among the others. Socially Dr. Beauchamp is a 32d degree Mason, and historian and vice-president of the Masonic Veterans of Central New York. Professionally he is often in the pulpit or engaged in other religious services, and indulges in botanical research in its appropriate seasons. In fact several natural sciences have helped him much in antiquarian work for which he has still a strong relish. Dr. Peauchamp received the second award of the Corn- planter Medal for Iroquois research, February 20, 1906. He has been adopted into the Onondaga canton of the Six Nations. His Digitized by Microsoft® THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK mOQUOIS UBAGUB 5 works, published as bulletins under the authority of the Regents of the University of the State of New York, inelude : "Aboriginal Occupation of New York," 190O; "Polished Stone Articles," 1897; "Earthenware of the New York Aborigines," 1898; "History of the New York Iroquois," 1905; "Civil, Religious and Mourning Councils and Ceremonies of Adoption of the New York Indians, ' ' 1907 ; ' ' Metallic Ornaments of the New York Indians," 1903; "Metallic Implements of the New York Indians," 1902; "Aboriginal Place Names of New York," 1907; "Perch Lake Mounds," 1905; "Horn and Bone Implements of the New York Indians," 1902; "Aboriginal Use of Wood," 1905; "Wampum and Shell Articles," 1901; "Aboriginal Chipped Stone Implements," 1897. Before these he published "The Iroquois Trail" in 1892, and "Indian Names in New York" in 1893. For the Onondaga Historical Association he prepared "The Revolutionary Soldiers of Onondaga County," 306 pages, 1912, and "Moravian Journals Relating to Central New York, 1745- '66," 243 pages, 1916. For the same society he is now preparing a volume on New York Iroquois Folklore, which necessarily includes some portions of the present paper, but has a wider field. This will soon appear, and will include much almost unknown even to students of Indian life. ROBERT DANIEL BURNS, Recorder Morgan Chapter. Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEAGUE AND ITS PROBABLE DATE Had not the Five Nations founded tlie Konosioni — had not the Dutch and English gained their friendship — there might have been no U. S. A., and the destinies of the world might have Jbeen changed. Yet the common name of the one who suggested the forest confederacy was practically unknown to the white man a century ago, and is hardly more than a name to most men now. Its widest celebrity is due to Longfellow, who used but the name, placing it in a foreign environment, though retaining one great feature of his character: "How he prayed and how he fasted, "How he lived, and toiled, and suffered, "That the tribes of men might prosper, "That he might advance his people." Unselfish devotion to the good of others was the great feature of Hiawatha's character, in every tale we have of him. He was a pure-minded patriot, careless of rank or fame. The first historic mention of him shows this plainly. There came to the Mohawk valley in 1743, Pyrlaeus, a Moravian missionary, on his way to Onondaga, but who was turned back by the Indians. He stayed awhile at old Canajo- harie and learned some Mohawk words, on which he founded a Mohawk dictionary. He also learned something of their history, writing an account of this, which, until recently, was on record in Philadelphia. All traces of this have disappeared, as far as my inquiries have gone, but a few quotations have survived. The Mohawks gave him correctly the names of the head chief of each nation at the time the League was formed, adding that this took place "one age before the white people came into the country, and was suggested by Thannawage, an old Mohawk." This name agrees with Taenyawahke, or Taounya- watha, which J. V. H. Clark said was the name of Hiawatha when he first came to Onondaga. Digitized by Microsoft® 8 THE POUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEAGUE The next Indian reference to the origin of the Five Nations, as such, is from Canassatego — not the great Onondaga but a Seneca chief of Pontiac's time — and this includes, like Clark's legend, divine agency. The Konosioni land, with its beautiful lakes, forests, fields and mountains, ihad emerged from the waters, but was unoccupied, and one of the gods came down to create man. He sowed five handfuls of red seed in the fertile fields of Onondaga. He was the Creator of these. He addressed the children when they were grown, in these words: "Ye are five nations, for ye sprang each from a diiferent handful of the seed I .sowed ; but ye are all brethren, and' I am your father, for I made you all ; I have nursed and brought you up : — Mohocks, I have made you bold and valiant, and see, I give you corn for your food. Oneidas, I have made you patient of pain and hunger; the nuts and fruits of the trees are yours. Sennekers, I have made you industrious and active; beans do 1 give you for nourishment. Cayugas, I have made you strong, friendly and generous; ground nuts and every root shall refresh you. Onondagoes, I have made you wise, just and eloquent; squashes and grapes have I given you to eat, and tobacco to smoke in the council. The beasts, birds and fishes I have given to you all in common. As I have loved and taken care of you all so do you love and take care of one another," with much more good advice poorly followed. When he had ended "he wrapped himself in a bright cloud, and went like a swift arrow to the sun, where his brethren rejoiced at his return." In some ways this resembles Clark's story. In this tale the country is Akanishionegy. Some years ago I found another purely human account which had escaped attention, in William Dunlap's "History of the New Nether- lands, Province and State of New York," published in 1839. He had it from Bphraim Webster in 1815. An inferior chief of the Onondagas "conceived the bright idea of union and of a great council of the chiefs of the Five Nations. The principal chief opposed it. He was a great warrior, and feared to lose his influence as head man of the Onondagas. This was a selfish man." On this "the younger chief was silenced, but he determined to attempt the great political work. This was a man who loved the welfare of others." First he went to the Digitized by Microsoft® THE FOXJNDERlS OF THE NEW YOBK IROQUOIS LEAGUE 9 Mohawks and Oneidas, his scheme being rejected at home, and then to the Cayugas and Senecas. All favored the plan and a great council was called, but first he again saw the principal chief and agreed that he should be considered the author of The now popular plan and thus be made the head of five nations instead of one. He taught him, also, an old time illustration. A single stick was easily broken, but in five bound together there was strength. Next came J. V. H. Clark's story, which he had from Abraham LaFort and Captain Frost in 1843. This he wrote out carefully with a view to oratorical effect, reading it the following winter before the Manlius Lyceum and in Fayetteville. It took permanent form in his history of Onondaga some years later, and to him we owe the name. I think two distinct stories are united in it. In this Taounyawatha, according to him the god of fisheries and hunting grounds, or more correctly, said my interpreter, Ta-en-ya-wah-ke, The Holder of the heavens, landed at Oswego from his white canoe, ascended a hill on the west side, and looked back upon the lake, exclaiming "Oshwahkee! Oshwah- kee!" which Mr. Clark interpreted, "I see everywhere and sec nothing." From this, he said, Oswego has its name. The word really means "Flozving out," and is applied only to outlets of large rivers or towns upon them. Grand River in Ontario, Canada, has this name, and gave it to Lake Brie. The Great Kanahwha in Virginia had the same Iroquois name. The mysterious visitor was approached by two Onondaga hunters, who had observed his landing, and they became his companions in wonderful adventures. As these are fully detailed in Clark's Onondaga, I merely sketch them now. In the white canoe they all ascended the Oswego river to free the country from monsters and enchantments. A great serpent reached from bank to bank, but the magic paddle cut him in twain. Some miles farther another had the same fate and the fish confined there were freed. There was the finest kind of fishing for a while. In Iroquois lore serpents are always sources of evil. It is the special ofiice of the Thunder gods to destroy them. The voyagers came near Onondaga lake, which then had Digitized by Microsoft® 10 THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEAGUE no outlet and extended far south among the hills. Taenyawahke made a small trench with his magic paddle, which soon deepened and widened, the lake decreased in size, the salt springs appeared — a blessing to the Onondagas, though they knew nothing of salt till 1654. This may allude to the lowering of the lake in 1825. Near the site of Baldwinsville an enchantress was destroyed who guarded the groves of chestnuts. These became accessible and spread fast. The most marvelous adventure was above Cross lake, where two great mosquitoes, one on each river bank, destroyed all who tried to pass. One was soon slain, and the other fled with incredible swiftness, with Taenyawahke in close pursuit. Here I use my own account. The monster flew to Oneida and back to the Niagara river. An indented stone shows where the demi-god sat down to rest and have a smoke. He laid down his pipe and it burned a brown hole in the rock, which the Tuscaroras used to show. At Brighton, in Syracuse, the Great Mosquito got well tired, took to the ground and left his foot prints in the sand. Chief Abraham I-Jill said he had seen them there. They were bird-like and about twenty inches long. His pursuer's tracks were there, too, but I asked for no description of them. The monster met its death near North Syracuse, at a place still called Elah-yah-tak-ne-t 'ke-tah-ke. Where the mosquito lies, by the Indians. Alas for the results. Its body decayed and became myriads of insects. Clark's account told of the killing of two great eagles at the Montezuma marshes, who had private preserves of water fowl there. Other nuisances were abated, and then Taenyawahkee laid aside his divine nature, assumed the name of Hiawatha or the very wise man. and made his home at Cross lake, Te-ung-to. or home of the zuisc man, according to Clark. The Onondagas call it Teunento, at the cedar place- Hiawatha's name will be discussed later. There was a quiet time till the great Huron war came on, involving the Algonquins of Canada. A great council met on Onondaga lake, a little north of the village of Liverpool and a flne place for it. The peril was great. Hiawatha was summoned and after a time came, with gloomy forebodings. His daughter was with him and as they landed from the white canoe, a great Digitized by Microsoft® THE POUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LBAiGUE 11 white bird swooped down, crushing the beautiful girl and being itself killed. Mr. Clark said this was the white heron, quite rare here. Its plumes, he said, were gathered up and worn by the bravest warriors. Mr. A. B. Street, the author of Frontenae, had part of the story from a Cayuga chief, who said the Senecas called it Sah-dah-ga-ah, the bird of the clouds, and the Onondagas Hah-googhs, with the same meaning. My Onondaga interpreter called it Hah-kooks, and applied it to the winter gull, the bird That never lights. For the incident itself, my friend, Dr. Horatio Hale of Canada, was told that a strange bird was shot just at dusk, and there was a rush to see what it was. Hiawatha's daughter, in delicate health, was knocked down, trampled upon and died. Hiawatha was stupefied, but a merry chief roused him and business went on. The League was formed. Hiawatha made the last speech to each nation and all, seated himself in his white canoe, and rose to heaven amid the sweetest melody. It is just here that a question arises. Mr. Clark used the story first as a lecture, naturally with some embellishments. He afterward said, in his controversy with Schoolcraft on the authorship of the story: "The name 'Hosee-noke,' at p. 278 of the 'Notes,' is an unadulterated fiction of my own, created for the occasion. . . . Again, the speech of Hiawatha, as it appears at p. 280 of the Notes, is a pure invention of my own." These fictions do not discredit the reception of the main features of the story, and he cited them only to prove School- craft's plagiarism, but the speeches have often been quoted as the veritable words of Hiawatha. The leading statements will stand as a rule, but it is well to remember that Clark's words are not always, as he himself says, precisely those of his Indian friends. The story of the white canoe may be taken with reservations, but mainly because it must be compared with that of Dekana- widah, which may well be thought the original tale. In that case two stories have simply been told or received as one. The voyager came from the north on Lake Ontario, apparently from the early homes of the Onondagas, in the Black river country, perhaps from Out-en-nes-son-e-ta, Where the Iroquois League began to form — an allusion to its Onondaga origin. In Canada Digitized by Microsoft® 12 THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LESAGUE and Northern New York canoes were made of white birch bark. In wars against Canada the Iroquois used brown elm bark for the same purpose, and their canoes were ruder in every way than those of their enemies. So Hiawatha's white canoe is a natural and picturesque feature in this local story. "The Traditional Narrative of the Origin of the Confederation of the Five Nations," which begins on page 65 of Mr. A. C. Parker's State Museum Bulletin, No. 184, and was published in 1916, has, of course, something to do with the question. The narrative forms but one section of "The Constitution of the Five Nations or the Iroquois Book of the Great Law, ' ' as arranged by Mr. Parker. There are conflicting stories from different persons as might be expected, but Mr. Parker has done a great service to many students in bringing so many of them together. Some of them I have had from the Onondagas, but much less from the Mohawks, who have put the Dekanawida legends in the front rank. It is evident from these that either Mr. Clark or his infor- mants, confused two stories, told by two Indians at one time. There is nothing surprising in that. I quote from the Canadian story, in which, as so often in modern Indian tales, there are European features. As, for instance, when about to start, Deka- nawida gives them a sign to let them know at any time whether he is living or dead. If a certain tree is cut and blood flows from it he has lost his life. In preparation for his mission to the Iroquois he made a white stone canoe in which to cross from the north shore of Lake Ontario, and invited his mother and grandmother, in modern style, to come and see him off. "Then the grandmother said, "How are you going to travel, since your canoe is made out of Ktone? It will not float?' Then Dekanawida said, 'This will be the first sign of wonder that man will behold : a canoe made out of stone will float. . . . Then he paddled away to the eastward. . In a few moments he disappeared out of their sight." "It happened that at that time a party of hunters had a camp on the south side of the lake now known as Ontario, and one of the party went toward the lake and stood on the bank of the lake, and beheld the object coming toward him at a distance, Digitized by Microsoft® THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEiAOUE 13 and the man could not understand what it was that was approaching him; shortly afterward he understood that it was a canoe, and saw a man in it, and the moving object was coming directly towards where he stood, and when the man (it was Dekanawida) reached the shore he came out of his boat and climbed up the bank. "Then Dekanawida asked the man what had caused them to be where they were, and the man answered and said: 'We are here for a double object. We are hunting game for our living, and also because there is a great strife in our settlement.' " Dekanawida told them to go home. The Ka-rih-wi-yoh, Good Tidings of Peace and Poiver, had come and strife had ceased. The messenger of good tidings had come. Then came a meeting with Ta-do-dah-ho, whom he commanded to return to his home, and another with the Peace Queen, whose word was law in all Indian troubles. Curiously enough she was called Ji-kon-sa-se, the wild cat, though her peace measures differed from her name. Then he met Hiawatha, but the stories of their first meeting do not agree. As there is nothing to link the Onondaga chief with Canada or even Lake Ontario, the coming of Dekanawida seems the tirst story which Mr. Clark heard. All that passes before his hero assumes the name of Hiawatha belongs to this. In the second tale the heavenward flight and the celestial music may be an embellishment or not, but may also have a more prosaic explanation. Up to the first great council at Onondaga lake Hiawatha's home and afSliations had been with the Onondagas. Because of his cordial reception by the Mohawks and of his friendship for their great chief, for a long time his closest companion, he had now cast in his lot with them and become a Mohawk chief. As such his name is heard in the great roll call of the condoling song. Historically conditions were changed and it was natural that he should siu'^ a parting song, one of rejoicing because a great and glad task was triumphantly ended. If he went down the lake in a white canoe, all the better. And if we would know the words, here are some of those actually sung at Onondaga in 1655, on another peace occasion: "Good news! good news indeed! It is all good, my brother. Digitized by Microsoft® 14 THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEAGUE It is every way good that we speak of peace together; that we use such heavenly words. ! the beautiful voice that thou hast, my friend ! ! the beautiful voice that I myself have ! Farewell to war ; farewell to its cruel hatchet. Long have we been insane, but henceforth we are brothers — brothers indeed. This day the Great Peace is made! Farewell to war; farewell to arms. All we have now done — of every kind is in every way beautiful and good." Could anything have been better for the completion of the "Great Peace" of an earlier day? Mr. Schoolcraft had the manuscript of the story from Mr. Clark and published it as his own, saying he had received the tale from the Onondaga chiefs. Hence the quotations I have made. While a fair authority on the western Algonquins Mr. Schoolcraft ranks low on Iroquois themes and no one would think of quoting him as an authority on New York matters. Longfellow, however, had Hiawatha's name from him and used western legends collected by him. "With poetic license he added new features, ignored or improved those he found, but all belong to a distinct Indian family, of a strange language, and have nothing to do with the real man. I say the real man, for he was such, and an Onondaga chief for some time. In Dr. Horatio Hale's "Lawgiver of the Stone Age," the subject is treated historically, as he had it from Iroquois chiefs at Onondaga and elsewhere. To them the super- natural features were but picturesque additions. I think he ascribed too much wisdom and goodness to him, but the general treatment of the subject is very good. I quote Dr. Hale's opinion, which is "that the justly venerated author of this confederation, the far-famed Hiawatha, was not, as some have thought, a mythological or a poetical creation, but really an aboriginal statesman and lawmaker, a personage as authentic and as admirable as Solon or Washington. The important bearing of these conclusions on our estimate of the mental and moral endowment of primitive or uncultivated man is too clear to require explanation." The tales I have received, while mystic and curious, have little of the supernatural, and are of a man using his best endeavors to secure a great peace, a League of Nations, with some aid and some opposition. Digitized by Microsoft® THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEAGUE 15 Pyrlaeus mentions Dekanawida as the leading founder of the League. Mr. L. H. Morgan (League of the Iroquois, p. 101) says of him: — "Da-ga-no-we-da, the founder of the confederacy, and Ha-yo-went-ha, his speaker, through whom he laid his plans of government before the council which framed the League, were both 'raised up' among the fifty original sachems, and in the Mohawk nation; but after their decease these two saehemships were left vacant, and have since continued so. " Da-ga-no-we-da was an Onondaga, but was adopted by the Mohawks and raised up as one of their sachems. Having an impediment in his speech he chose Ha-yo-went-ha for his speaker. They were both unwilling to accept office, except upon the express condition that their saehemships should ever remain vacant after their decease. These are the two most illustrious .names among the Iroquois." In his list of Mohawk chiefs, however, Ha-yo-went-ha comes second and Da-ga-no-we-da third.* Dr. Hale says of this (Iroquois Book of Rites, p. 31), "During my last visit to my lamented .friend (in September, 1880), when we examined together my copy of the then newly discovered Book of Rites, in which he was greatly interested, this point was considered. The original notes which he made for his work were examined. It appeared that in the list as it was first written by him, from the dictation of a well-informed Seneca chief, the name of Dekanawidah was not comprised. A later, but erroneous suggestion from another source, led him to believe that his first informant was mistaken, or that he had misunderstood him, and to substitute the name of Dekanawidah for the somewhat similar name of Shatekariwate (in Seneca, Sadekeiwadeh), which stands third on the roll, immediately following that of Hiawatha." On the same page Dr. Hale recorded the boastful words of Dekanawida in refusing to have a successor. "Let the others have successors," he said proudly, "for others can advise you like them. But I am the founder of your league and no one else can do what I have done." Dr. Hale added: "The boast was not unwarranted. Though planned by another, the structure had been reared mainly by his labors." In the notes to Alfred B. Street's metrical romance of Digitized by Microsoft® 16 THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LEAGUE Frontenac (1849), mention is made of Toganawedah, a beautiful young man who apjTeared among them just before the council, of Hah-yah-wont-hah and his wonderful passing away, and of Atotarho, the only one of the three founders who remained to complete the work. Of the latter, head chief of the Five Nations and always an Onondaga, Clark says not a word, and David Cusick nothing of the other two, while later writers place all ihree in the foremost rank. In one of the tales I have received, Hiawatha, unable to do anything at home, begins his journeys and lies down beside a small lake to rest. An immense flock of ducks alights on the surface, hiding it from his sight. He stirs and the birds are frightened. At once every wing is spread, and in their rapid flight they bear every drop of water away. Another scene is before him. The bottom of the pond is white with shells and he gathers many, stringing them for future use. This, says this story, was the first Iroquois wampum, which Hiawatha caused to be used in all important business affairs. There are several stories about this. One of mine tells of p. change of materials. Hiawatha at last was far down the Mohawk valley. It was nearly night when he approached the wall of a Mohawk town. It was not in good form, for a person of note to enter an Iroquois town uninvited. So he made a shelter and kindled a fire. The light was seen and messengers came to inquire his business. He made no reply but went on stringing the short quills of the wampum bird. This wonderful bird soars above the clouds, but he had power to bring it down. The messengers were puzzled by his queer ways but asked the question again. No answer came, and they returned to the town. "What have you seen?" asked the chief. "We have seen an old man," they said, "who looks tired and sits by a fire, but he does not rest. He has curious quills, such as we have not seen before. He puts these on strings and hangs them by the fire, but he will not say a word." "Go back," said the chief, "and tell him we offer him food and shelter here." They went and gave their message and Hiawatha said, "Your chief must send me a string like the one I send, and then I will enter the town." Dekanawida had no quills "from the wampum bird', but Digitized by Microsoft® THE POtHNDBRS OF THE NEW YORK IHiOQUOIS LEJAGUE 17 wisely used those of the partridge instead. These were accepted and then came the first lecture on the use of wampum, always indispensable since then. I had my first lecture from an Oneida chief, whose ample supply covered almost every need. From Hiawatha's first use of these strings probably came Dr. Hale's idea that his name referred to the finding of the wampum belt. Belt of Wampum was the name of a later Onondaga chief. The two chiefs were now friends and the Onondaga unfolded his plans, which the Mohawk agreed to at once. They started west- ward on their mission and soon came to a party of Oneidas, resting under a great tree, and Hiawatha called them Ne-ah-te- en-tah-go-na. Big Tree People, and this is their council name still. In the grand council it is the custom to address them by this title and not by the more common national name. Each nation has these two names, but in a council where but one is represented the national name may be used. In this case the two chiefs soon came to another large party, grouped around a peculiar large boulder, and Hiawatha called these Oneota-aug, People of the Upright Stone, the national Oneida name. Symbolically these may be united as a stone in the crotch of a tree. The Onondaga council name is Seuh-no-keh-te, Bearing the names, and this might be applied to Hiawatha, for he gave names on every trip. Of these journeys there were several, which I group as one. Thus, when they passed through Oneida lake they were thirty miles north of the great trail to Onondaga. As they passed the islands in this lake, which have historic importance, Hiawatha had a name ready. "This is Se-u-kah, where fhe z\. entered the Mohawk valley, without relinquishing their northern^ claims. The historical argument can be carried much farther.^/ What does archaeology say? As regards New York this is, in a way, a new science. Once we gathered Indian relics merely as such, classifying them a^ pipes, pots and potsherds, arrowheads, stone axes, etc. No-? we say, "This is Iroquois; this Algonquin; this Eskimo; thi^ from the Mound builders; this from Illinois; this from Long Island." We read unknown history in this way. We say the Eskimo, .iust so far south of Lake Ontario and just so far west Digitized by Microsoft® 34 THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS LBAfiUE along its shores, came here to hunt and fish in by-gone days. As yet we do not say when this was, but of the fact we have no doubt. We can apply part of this to the Mohawk valley, distinguishing every Mohawk Indian site from the Algonquin and others, and often its relative age. The real question is not when did the Senecas, Cayugas and Onondagas enter their historic territory. In this order thej came at an early day. Ask rather, When did the Oneidas, and(^ above all the Mohawks, come? This simplifies the matter for, beyond all doubt, they were the last comers. In the Oneida territory I have but one important site to examine more exactly. A brief visit gave some recent features and its reputation tends in the same direction. It is among the hills and there were no early Iroquois town sites in the lowlands near Oneida lake. In the Mohawk valley it is much the same. Van Rensselaer bought all of Albany county from the Mohikans, but the Mohawks held the valley from Schenectady westward to Little Palls. In 1630 they had a fort east of Schoharie creek, which they abandoned at that time. Prehistoric forts are rare — in fact I may say but three are definitely known there. One on the south side of the Mohawk, which I partially examined, seems old, as I think it is. It has a simple bank across an elevated terminal plateau between two streams, and was figured by Mr. E. G. Squier in 1848. He said it is, "in many respects, the most remarkable in the State. It is the only one known which is situated upon waters flowing into the Hudson river. Its nearest neighbors upon the west are the ancient works in Onondaga county, a hundred miles distant. Between it and the Atlantic, we are not aware of the existence of a single monument of like character." Later research gives different results. On the northern side it is hard to date the northernmost fort as early as 1590, so closely does its earthenware connect it with recent sites. Another I have not visited, but know its character and contents, which are much like the last. With two competent local archaeologists I went to almost every known Mohawk site in that part of the valley— all that I would consider old — and our reluctant conclusion was that the Mohawks but recently entered their valley, and that Hiawatha's day was but Digitized by Microsoft® THE FOUNDERS OP THE NEW YORK IROQIUOXS LEAGUE 35 little over three centuries ago. The League was not formed P till the Mohawks came. That is plain. We know very closeljiy when they came. In three ways I have tested the matter, and cannot escape the conclusion of the New York Onondagas, that, at or about the end of the sixteenth century, the League was formed. It is idle to say that the Onondaga council fire burned from time immemorial in their own valley. We know when itT^ was kindled there and can point out and date every place whereC it burned for 120 years before that time. There were six of) these east and southeast of Onondaga lake. Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® THE NEW YOKK STATE AKCHBOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Lewis H. Morgan Chapter. The abject of this Chapter shall be to promote historical study and intelligent research covering the artifacts, rites, customs, beliefs and other phases of the lives of the aboriginal occupants of New York State up to and including contact with the whites; to preserve the imounds, ruins and other evidences of these people, and to co-operate with the State Associa- tion in effecting a wider knowledge of New York State Archeology, and to help secure legislation for needed ends. Also to maintain sympathetic appreciation of the history of the American Indians, particularly of those now resident in New York State, to the end that all of their ancient wrongs and grievances -may be righted agreeably to their just desires both as to property and citizenship. Also to publish papers covering the results of field work of members or other matters within the purview of the Chapter. All persons interested in these subjects are invited to become members of the Association or of the local Chapter nearest to them. The Association and its Chapters plan to issue a uniform series of transactions and researches covering all fields consistent with tbe objects of the Association. All imem'bers of the Association or of its constituent Chapters are issued a membership certificate suitajble for framing and a pocket memlbership card serving as an introduction in the field where collecting is -contemplated. The Association is approved iby the State Education Department, University of the State of New York, and is working in oo-operation with the State Museum. Address all correspondence to Alvin H. Dewey, Box 18'5, Rochester, N. Y., or Walter H. Cassebeer, 84 Exchange St., (Rochester, N. Y., or Dr. Arthur C. Parker, State Museum, Albany, N. Y. Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® DATE DUE 1 1 ^illlllllMtll ^m GAYLORO PRINTED IN U.SA Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft®