Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora IndiansJohnson, Elias
History
Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora Indians
Johnson, Elias
Iroquois Indians; Tuscarora Indians
A grand council was called of the Seneca nation for the just returned
warriors to make their report of the glory they had won, and the complete
overthrow of the enemy. After they had finished making their report a
great feast was made, and after that they were again permitted to smoke
the calumet of peace, and once more settle down as heretofore, as one of
the bright stars of heaven, among the several nations of the Iroquois. At
night they had a general dance, both young and old, irrespective of sex,
to celebrate the great victory they had won.
The Squawkihows have never been heard of since, as a nation, to the
present time. It is supposed that they must have gone in the far west and
changed their name: but this is merely a supposition. Those that the
Senecas took captives are still among the different settlements of the
Seneca nation, more particularly among the Cattaraugus reservation.
That is the way the Senecas came in possession of so large a dominion.
They held their domain east of the Genesee river, and also took
possession of the dominion of the Squawkihows, which run from Lake
Ontario and along Niagara river and Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line.
The office of the Queen Ge-keah-sau-sa, of fort Gau-strau-yea, for
several hundred years (it is said by the Senecas about six hundred years
ago she evacuated the fort), the Iroquois did not reordain, for the
reason, as it is alleged by them, that the female is the weaker sex of
humanity. Physically, it must follow that they are weaker also mentally,
as it is evinced by the treachery of the Queen in her easily being
decoyed in making her rash decision concerning the massacre in the fort,
and also in the giving up of the Seneca nation in the hands of their
enemy. They considered it not prudent to vest so much authority in the
weaker sex. And as no one has been considered capable or worthy of the
high honor that Ge-keah-sau-wa once reigned, until about twenty-five
years ago, from the year 1878, there was a Virgin selected from among the
Tonawanda band of the Seneca nation by the name of Caroline Parker,
sister to Eli Parker, once in General Grant's staff, and Commissioner of
Indian Affairs, who was ordained to the high office of Queen, or Ge-keah-
sau-sa. She is now the wife of a noted Sachem of the Tuscarora nation,
Mr. John Mount Pleasant, of no common wealth. She is located about two
miles southwest of the antique fort Gah-strau-yea, or Kienuka, on the
Tuscarora reservation, where she ever held open her hospitable house, not
only to the Iroquois, but of every nation, including the pale faces.
Allegorical speaking, she has ever had a kettle of hominy hanging over
her fire-place, ready to appease the hunger of those who trod her
threshold.
* * * * *
THE NEW RELIGION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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