The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-23
CHIEFS BESIDE HER BIER
FUNERAL of HARRIET MAXWELL
CONVERSE HELD AT NEW YORK.
Leaders of the Six Nations Mourn the
Loss of Their "Great White Mother"
-Impressive Speeches Made.

NEW YORK, Nov. 22-In the presence
of many representatives of the people to
whom she had devoted her life, the last
rites were performed to-day over the body
of Mrs Harriet Maxwell Converse 1.-THE
Great White; Mother of the Six Nations
of the great Iroquois Confederacy Eulo-
gies were pronounced by the dead woman's
pastor, and by the chiefs of the various
clans Of the Seneca nation, by whom Mrs.
Converse was adopted when but little
girl and one of the chiefs performed the
ancient rite Of 1.-The passing of the HORNS"
which consisted of taking the string of
sacred wampum beads, the insignia of
Office, from the lid of the casket and pre-
senting them to Joseph Keppler long asso-
ciated with Mrs. Converse in her work
among the Indians, by which act Mr.. KEEP
pier was nominated by the chiefs present
as the successor of the dead woman. Mr..
Keppler was adopted by the Senecas many
years ago, aud bears the Indian name of
Hy-Ont-Wa-ka," or THE Planter"
In additions to the delegates from the
Six Nations there were present representa-
tives of the furons Sioux, Abinki, Algon-
quins, Aztecs. of Mexico, and several other
tribes. The Rev DIR. Thomas II. Sill. of st.
Chrysostom's Chapel the dead woman's
dead, after which William Crow, a Seneca
warrior, made brief address in his native
tongue, lamenting the death of The Great
White Mother" In speaking he addressed
himself to the body before him and in con-
clusion wishsd her happiness in the spirit
land. Then turning to his tribesmen he
said:
1--WE have lost our best and dearest friend
In the many gifts the Great Spirit has given
us there canle nothing so beautiful as this
woman: She was the most beautiful of all
IN
She stood between us and those who would
have wronged US. 1t will be happy task
now for the; Great Spirit to make her a
home in the happy land"
Chauncey Abrams, also a Seneca, acting
for Chief Cernplanter, lifted the .horns"
from the casket, and, presenting them to
been selected to take the great white
mothers office. Then, turning to the coffin,
he said:
IT wish yon, Ga-Ie-Wa-Noa, a safe and
happy journey to the spirit land"
Mr.. Keppler, in accepting the ancient
HORNS" promised to faithfully administer
the trust imposed in him by his red breth-
Chief Cornplanter followed, wearing un-
der his vest a red sash. the badge of the
high priest Of the .Gon-Oi-Din" religion.
He expressed his grief in a few words of
broken English while tears streamed down
his face, an1 then he sank back in his
chair. where he buried his face in his hands
and wept
Dark Cloud, a magnificent looking In
dian with heir streaming below his broad
shoulders, said:
II am not. a Seneca, but I come of the
Denikee tribe. / know the great white
mother as every red man in this land knows
her. She studied the Indians religion, the
true religion 1t is founded on the true
God. Our God touched this woman's heart
and she understood us. She was the angel
OF God. We may not have a Christ I'm our
religion, but We have q mediator, and she
was the great mediator between the whites
and Indian. We see our God-we hear our
God. We see Him in the trees, in the rivers
and even in blade of grass, just as we
hear him in the rustic of the leaves in our
forests. Ours is the god of nature She
was a leader to US. She inspired us to bet
ter things. We loved her, and now she is
gone from US: But while we are sad it is for
us that we are sad, not for her, because
we know she is happy. We are sad be-
cause We are>left alone. / think ours is the
sweetest of all the religions
Addresses we're also made by Chief Long
fellow, Morris Leigh, and Carlos, an Aztec
Indian from Mexico.
The interment will be made tomorrow in
the Converse family plot at Elmira, n. Y.