The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-08
PRESERvED

TRADITIONS PRESERVED.
The task of their reproduction Is rem
dered easier than it would be in the case
or most Indian tribes from the fact that
the Six Nations, of all American Indians
have best preserved their traditions and
their system eff government WAS SO UNIQUE
ana their various institutions were so
well developed that they Were written
ABOUT from the earliest times of Euro
Pean exploration and occupancy. They
nave held, too, With death grasp to
their tribal ideas and traditions Their
ancient league was held together by a
constitutional bond4zof union and the ira
eitions of its formation have been pre-
served with an intelligence exceptional
among the red men. The league was
called Ko-Ri-shi-e-ni, the cabin build
ers," or the long house of which the
MohaWks held the eastern end and the
Senecas the western door, with the great
council ire or federal capital among the
Onondagas- These Indians, it viii be
seen, were not builders or wigwams, like
many of the tribes "a the West, but lived
IN MONIES OF more permanent eonstruc-
ton
I attended the Six Nations dance of the
Seneca Indians of the Tonawanda Reser-
Walton There were but few whites pres
ent, among them being Mrs Harriet Con-
verse, whose work in behalf of the In
dams OF this state has rendered her be-
loved by the red men and a welcome wit
ness Of his ceremonies. The dances of
this festival are a Strange admixture of
| the customs of the red man and the COS
tunes of the while man. There is some
thing very incengruous in the sight of the
snake dance, for Instance being per
| Termed by d red man who wears an out
ing shirt in fast colors of the latest style,
| golf stockings and russell shoes, and OF
I'm
OF Buffalo milliner as they perform the
| strange evolutio1s of one OF these semi
| harharie functions
In some Of the dances the leading par
t1cipanls wore costumes in many respects
IKE those their ancestors doubtless as
suned IN similar ceremonies For in
| stance, in the Feather Dance Chief Maui
rice Green, Seneca, had a bucksizin suit
with headdress of horns and feathers.
lbs Quilt was almost purely aboriginal
| But next to him danced a brave who
wore gauze shirt, which might have
/ deem purchased at q Buffalo department
store, as covering for the upper part
/ OF his body, knee breeehes and long stock
I1gs. with bells at the knees, and a fig
ured apron somewhat like what the Ma
sons wear in their ceremonies Most Of
/ theSe participating had costumes more or
less fantastic, some typicalIy Indian. 9TH
| ers Such as you might see at q masque-
rade party among white people as. for
instance, that Of a dancer who had ar
rayed himself in suit of gay calico
inquired with roses Of brilliant crimson
! hue.
ANCIENT DANCES.
! The feather dance was performed with
much Of the old time energy and abandon.
muscles quiveTing, features contorted,
arms swaying and the whole body ex-
/ eaflar Junction 1t was preceded By a
/ sermon, or reading" as the Indians call
/ IT, III which the teachings Of Hiawatha
| are eXpounded. The preacher, if such he
may De termed. was Sachem Chauncey
| ABRAMS a pagan priest of much intelli-
| gehce, f1ne specimen of the Seneca In
oian' grave and digpified in bearing and
man, am told, of most exemplary
| character His sermon was in the Sen
/ eca tongue, and consumed three hours IN
oeAFery, and it was listened TO with the
| deepest attention, the Indians observing
| oecoTum which weuld have been cred
haole IN a congregation Of Christians In
! one OF our so-called fashionable church
! es- he wore suit of broadcloth such
as one might see IN Christian pulpit,
ana the only thing to distinguish him as
| priest OF pagaaisn was the wampUn OF
| the Six Nations w44ich he carried At
! the close Of this solemn ceremony came.
| IN striking contrast, the animated and
somewhat boistereus feather dance,
which, despite it's wild aspect, possesses
Ike all these dancesg significance Of a
seIfd-religiogs natsdr6 These ceremonies
took place IN the long house. or council
house of the Indians of this reservation,
In shape Ike the long house of the an
Gent IrOqueis but otherwise constructed
nike an ordinary frame building The
long house of the Six Nations village al
the Pan-Afnerfean viii be built Of bark.
and thongs instead Of nails will be used
IN fastening its portions together.
Ihe music to which these dances are
gtVen Is furnished by Tatties formed of
turtle shells filed with small stones and
grains Of corn. With these The Indian