The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-08
lROQU0lS MASKS And DANCES.
INDIAN MYSTERIES NOV FAST
Incoming FORGOTTEN.
Significance or the Mask Presented the
Othcr la, In Canada to the Duke ana
Duchess Of Observation-Disclosures 81
Masks -SupcrstItions and Traditions

Duchess OF Cornwall TO Canada nothing
was OF greater interest 10 them than the
Indians oil the various reservations. Among
the many gifts offered to the royal pair
by the Indians was one Of rare interest,"
on account of it's antiquity and the oral
traditions OF Its past powcr-a mask OF
go-gon-sa. which had been held as a vene-
rated heritage from centuries OF ancestors
Tit mask Ia spoken Of rs "A hollow wooden
head, a man image, carved in the Indian
style and decorated with erInine tails ana
a little OF feather and fur OF each bird ana
animal in the northern region Of n
The story Of its age and tho reverence
felt for II for generations gave IL especial
importance, and the royal pair appreciates
the sacrifice Of the Indians in thus parting
with a survival Of their ancient mysteries
II was suggested AZ tho time that following
the example of royalty it might possibly
become a fad to collect such Of these masks
as might be oLtainable.
The North American Indian mask IL
not new to students 81 Indian history. The
Smithsonian Institution at Washington
and the Museum Of Natural History in New
York city, and some others. have secured
many Of these strange masks of the Alas
cans and British Columbia.
II has been tn" good fortune OF the State
Museum at Albany, by the industrious
searching of Mr.. Harriet Maxwell Converse,
TO obtain many Cf the hit hertz hnstudied
masks Of the New York State Indians.
Some sixty or seventy are now in the lro-
quois collection.
The Iroquois mask figures in one OF the
mystic rituals nj the New Year feast which.
beginning on the first moon OF February.
continues ten DAYS. One day Of these. ten
- l. A. L fann SnDlnt
which at this time is governed by one OF
the aged Ho-non-di-ont or priestesses.
In the early morning Of the first day or
the new year these masks 60 from door 10
door begging donations for their feast.
They are never driven away empty handed
to refuse them would be bad luck.
or their feast days the procession enters
the Long-house preceded by the leader.
who carries a small mask about two inches
long suspended from the tip of the cross
piece OF n stripped pin" pole 10 feet long.
This mask il Of Importance, "a II denotes
maternity and In such honor has precedence
in the premoni
II should be Of stone but oftener a wooden
one is substituted II is the guardian 81
birth and frequently found in burial mounds
where it had been placed TO protect the dead
infant from evil spirits on the trail to the
eternal rest place. The mother wears II
suspended from her neck after childbirth
a. a sign Of gra titude TO the Great Spirit
for the gift OF a life.
In the line Of procession the bird and
animal masks figure in the important dance
of thankfulness 10 the Great Spirit for the
gifts Of game. During this thank dance
the head maskman touches with his stan
each individual In the room, indicating
the importance of his joining the dance.
II any refuses he IL caught by the arm
and pulled TO the floor. These false faces
are privileged for the entire day of the dance.
As each one enters the Long-h house he roars
like a bear or howls like a wolf or whistles
the various bird calls, thus representing
his totem.
All of these cries are answered by some
brother member of the society. Groups
of the bird masks squat on the floor, hopping
like birds as corn and other grains are
thrown TO them by women and children.
thus exemplif wing the rule Of Indian hospi-
tality and gratitude, that to feed the feath-
cred folk IA a religion. The animal masks
get meat which is saved for the feast soup.
When a violent illness attacks an lroquois
who Is a member Of this society a mask IL
hung AT his bedside and the medicine man
asks il 10 take in the poison and absorb the
disease. after which ceremony the mask
is scraped and clean-ed and frequently
buried TO let out the sickness
In the collection al Albany some OF these
masks have been diseased and scrared
so often they ave become useless. such
are buried forever out of sight, condemned
because Of their inability To hold the nalaiy.
Each mask Possessed by a member de-
mands its tribute Al a certain season
OF the moon II must ba talked 10 during
the Offering % tobacco smoke The mask
wears a small bag % sacred tobacco. which
when not In use l. concealed IN some place
about it, head This, too. must I've Ter
q%uentlv renewed and solicited during any
Gala nifty, national or family
The mask medicine man can handle live
Goals with impuulty Will" these ara
glowing I'm his hands he blows them 10
ashe-, which he rlh- on the pain paT
Of hls patient
during the administration - his dutiee
he IL punished and TIE TASK taken away
from finn The mask alsO haS % i' pun
ished and IL wrapped IN q Tag ana hung
away IN a darn place unlll y has thrown
out the had cordl'i"i- % 10 n"h"i
Sometimes tree" masks M" IN PRISON.
ar putistrd. fpt two uf ihrsn vsNrs Nv
tie suppussd atAlrhsTt power ~ ths-r
wooden masks any sort 81 danger may b"
ayertsi 81 rssiN'si
II IN fact thAt, within tire" year dur
Inc A dane. = mrdiriue mask man. 10
c,tutug eNasiHfut-d by tl. continual
refusal If an uuIHlh"r ~ Juiu tho iarrs
rp,s4srIlu. frll ihip NJ, UuH Hft'f no"
,fIsr 49, violent tIHi De- W. "afr'ei o.
mo- home ~hsr" DO r-maiu'-i 90 '1l 'h"-"
dn,- after whirh. believing %" hal is-'l
A. l-lU.t ~ toe h.ark ls-ausH h' laI
ai.,.-t II. AMI du'ahIuF ur Nrng"an's
h. left a." r-"r HiYn
mask IL fulrNui ~ any other I'frsn
uAu ih- patient stIl' % b. Hn huiN ns'
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