The Cedar County advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Iowa) 1853-1856, 1855-12-26
The last Sac rifice Of tho Seneca as,
where now Stands the city
Of Rochester.

OF Rochester.
Rochester, now has forty.six churches
The contrast between tho past and pres.
cnt, is s,rikingly illustrated by reference
10 the sojsurners abou, the Falls in 1912.
Is. l, was the Senecas winter quarters.
A, thi, last encampment some pagan
rites were Witnessed in 1913, which NAV
be mentioned not merely as illustrative
OF Indian customs. but as s.rikingly ind.
ca,ivs Of the vas. changes - which SO
many Christian temples have been erect
ed on and around the scene Of such re-
cent orgies. .-.
l. may DO promised that the Scnecas,
aud probably Others OF tho Six Nations,
have FIVE feas,s annually, on which oeca-
slons /! ras customary 10 return thanks
to Nauwanew Tor hls Bile: sings, or 10
depreca,e his wrath. AT these times al
so the chiefs eonverscd upon the affairs
Of the tribes, aud generally urged upon
the people the duty Of demeaning them
selves so as 10 insure a continuance Of
the favor which had attended them in
their pursuits OF peace or war. These
easts followed the consumnatIon Of the
matters usually watched Nth most n,e-
res, by Indians in peaceful timcs-one Of
III. ceremonies occurring after sugar
time; another after planting; a third
called the green corn feast, when the
maize Are. becomes &! 10. Use the fourth
after the corn harvest. and the fifth a,
the close OF their year, late IN January,
or early IN February, according 10 the
moon.
The latter ceremonial was performed
for the lasl time in Roche s,er in January,
lsl3. The concluding rites were seen
by some 0. the few person. then settled
10 these parss, From Mr.. Edwin Scrsn-
tom, now merchant of the city, who was
among the spectators, we have had al
account 81 the ceremonial, as lar a. he
beheld 1t. which corresponds with the
accom-, gwen by he Rev. Mr.. Kirkland,
long missionary among the Nations,
and by the White Woman, that remarka.
bic associate Of the Senscas. The latter
parsonage related that when the Indians
returned from hunting, ten or twenty Of
their number were appointed 20 superln.
tend The sacrifice and thanksgiving. Pre-
partitions wero made q, the couuclI.house
or other place Of meeting, for the accom-
mediation Of The tribe during the csrimo.
NAL. Nine lays was the period, aud two
white dogs the number aud kind of ami
mails forner!y required for the festival /;
~ nh fEt 4 g
Te,renchneat ( for the prevailing sp.rlt
TIA req he! even the wigwams and the
affairs OF Tie seaecas) The time has been
eurA.!ed seven or five days, and a sin
gle log WIS made the seapegoa, TO bear
away TIC sins OF tie trlte Two dogs.as
nearly "tae as could be procured, were
selected from lhoac belonging 10 the tribe,
end were carefully killed a. the door o.
the eou4el house " lasaus 81 strangula-
non; IT, ! HeaH.! ~ The animal or an
allus!oa Q; blood, Wg4i! spoil tho czIAal
tor ga riiical purposes. iAc dogs ~ere
then iahtastlest.y painted with various
c9lors, decorate s.tG feathers aud .us.
pended aOou. ss.eH.y trss nigh at the
council house Or Erlr HE Cerlra OF tie
camp The c,i"tnpliai is then com
inenceI, aud five. seven or nine DAYS
OF ns continuance arc marked ty teas,lng
aud 4ancIny, as we'll as by sacrifice and
consultation. Two selec, bands, one Of
men and the other Of women. ornamen,ed
VITA trlaarts aud feathers, aud each pei.
son furnished with an car OF corn ia the
night Land, dance In circle around the
council FIRE which il klndled for the oc.
caslon. and regulate their steps by rude
music. Hence they proceed to every
wIgwam IN tho camp; and in like man.
ner, dance in a circle around each fire.
A!teEward, On another day, several men
clothe themselves In the skins Of wild
beasts fov their faces with hideou.