The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-12
OLD SENECA CHIEF DEAD.
HEAD or THE WoLF CLAN, LEADING
TRIBE or THE NATION.

|
His Horns Handed Down to white Man
whose Name Il not yet Revealed
| Wolf Tribe IL Poor and Could not send
out wampum with the Death Notices.
| BUFFALO. Dec. lin spite OF the tribal
secrecy that surrounds the death o! cher OF
! the Seneca Indians. Il has become known that
David Stevens Of the Wolf tribe OF the Seneca
nation died last Wednesday at the reservation
OF the Cattaraugus Senecas at Lawton. In this
county. Stevens was the oldest member on the
Wolf clan. which IL the head tribe OF the Sene.
cas-. In 1913 the tribe adopted the republican
form OF government. and Stevens lost his
horns;" that Is abandoned his cheftainship In
so far as authority went. but he always retained
the dignity OF his hereditary once. With him
rested the right OF handing down his horns to
any person OF good character, subject 10 tho
acceptance OF the tribe, and II is said That he
delegated his chieft ainship some time before
his death to white man OF high standing in
this state who has been an earnest advocate OF
the rights Of the Indians.
David Stevenss exact age Is not known. but
he was very old man and had been stocally
awaiting death since early last spring. He was
the pagan preacher OF the tribe. the leader OF
the pagan faction and sturdy upholder OF the
tribal traditions and customs. being at tho
same time. both In practice and in speech.
man OF uprghtness and exact morality. Es-
teemed for his conservative wisdom and tho
simplicity and strength OF his character no
welded strong influence, perhaps the strong
est influence Of all. In the councils OF the clan.
When he was buried is not known. His fam
lily and fellows keep a rigid silence in oil that
concerns his death. 1t Is known. however. that
the Wolves are in mourning for him. with the
four Oldest Stevens brothers as chief
mourners This formal mourning will
fan Iayu
during which time flre and fresh
food will be kept on the grave. and a small ex-
cavation to the body will he kept open. that the
spirit OF the dead chief may absorb the spirit OF
the food and tho warmth. At the conclusion OF
the mourning period tho death feast will be
held at which oil the Wolf tribe and represen-
tativcs OF every other tribe OF the Seneca ma
ton will be present. The spirit Is supposed to
rartako Of tho feast. and this IL It's last afillia
| ton with the tribe before II goes to its God
place. II is said that the notices OF the death
feast have already been sent through the ma.
ton. aud that the gathering. which will come
together on the 10th will be notable collec-
ton ofthe followers OF tho old Seneca pagan
religion.
SuN reporter saw yesterday at her home in
this city Mrs. Harriet Maxwell Converse. a chief
Of the Senecas, who corroborated the report OF
assis,an, curator Of the State Museum at Al
hany Is chief OF the Seneca nation. both by
adoption and by heredity. her father and grand
father having been chiefs and men of great in
iluence in the tribe. though they were white
men.
Steyens' death Yesterday" she said. He is a
Wolf and IA | am not Of his tribe. but a chief
OF the Snipe tribe am his cousin and am 80
notified. The tribe is poor and canno. afford
TO send death wampum 10 all the chiefs az the
nation: so the mourners did the best they could
| after the white mans fashion"
She showed the reporter an ordinary en-
yeiope carefully bordered with heavy line OF
black ink
This notice tells me that tho death feast
VIII be held at the Long House OF the Catta-
raugus Senecas on the 18TH" continued Mrs
Converse, II shall hardly be able to go and
u IL not incumbent upon me as II would he II
the dend chief were OF my own clan. but as
IN" honor OF my own tribe. so | am sending
pork and sugar. and flour and tea food being
all am permitted to send David stevens was
a good man. He was a firm believer in the re-
lglon %! his race and nation and him self an
exponent OF the honesty. morality. sohriety
and cleanliness that he preached. When saw
him last spring he told me that he was nearly
ready to 60 TO his God place. ] hope and be-
ilcve that he has gone there. IL is true that he
handed down his horns 10 white man OF
PROM inence. but am not ut liberty 10 tell YOU
who u Is yet. The ceremony OF passing on his
ehieftainship which was. OF course, purely
honorary sinco the Scnecas became republican
IN government will not take place Tor some
time yet. but probably at one Of the Sc; feasts
later IN the winter