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
"The four messengers said further to Handsomelake, 'Tell your people, and
particularly the keeper of the faith, to be strong-minded and adhere to
the true faith. We fear the evil-minded will go among them with
tempations. He may introduce the fiddle; he may bring cards and leave
them among you; the use of these is a great sin. Let the people be on
their guard and the keepers of the faith be watchful and vigilant that
none of these evils may find their way among the people. Let the keepers
of the faith preserve the law of moral conduct in all its purity. When
meetings are to be held for instruction and the people are preparing to
go, the evil-minded is then busy. He goes from one to another whispering
many temptations, by which to keep them away. He will even follow persons
into the door of the council and induce some at that time to bend their
steps away; many resist until they have entered, and then leave. This
habit once indulged in, obtains fast hold and the evil propensity
increases with age. This is a great sin, and should be at once abandoned.
Thus they said.'
"Speak evil of no one; if you can say no good of a person, then be
silent; let all be mindful of this, for these are the words of our
Creator. Let all strive to cultivate friendship with those who surround
them. This is pleasing to the Great Spirit.
"Counselors, warriors, women and children--I shall now rest. I thank you
all for you kind and patient attention. I thank the Great Spirit that He
has spared the lives of so many of us to witness this day. I request you
all to come up again to-morrow at early day. Let us all hope that until
we meet again the Creator and Ruler of us all may be kind to us and
preserve our lives, na-ho."
The council on the following day was opened with a few short speeches by
some of the chiefs or keepers of the faith, returning thanks for the
privileges of the occasion, as usual at councils; after which Johnson,
resuming his discourse, spoke as follows:
"Friends and relatives, uncover now you heads. Continue to listen to my
rehearsal of the saying communicated to Handsomelake by the four
messengers of the Great Spirit. We have met again around the council
fire. We have followed the ancient custom and greeted each other. This is
right and highly pleasing to our Maker. He now looks down upon this
assemblage; He sees us all; He is informed of the cause of our gathering,
and it is pleasing to Him. Life is uncertain; while we live let us love
each other; let us sympathize always with the suffering and needy; let us
also always rejoice with those who are glad. This is now the third day,
and my time for speaking to you is drawing to a close. It will be a long
time before we meet again; many moons and seasons will have passed before
the sacred council-brand be again uncovered; be watchful, therefore, and
remember faithfully what you may now hear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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