The sun., 1909-02-07
QUAINT INDIAN new YEAR
CUSTOMS UNCHANGED FOR 300
tr YEARS.
New York's Iroanis Preserve Their Tribal
Identity--The Religion OF Handsome
= Lake and n sermon 100 Years Old
> To Make Careful study THIS Year.


GowANDA, Erie County, y. Y. Feb. a.
The new year has just commenced with
the Iroquois Indians Of western New
York. The first sun of the moon. Ms
ko-wuk mi, arose ON the 26th day OF
January and to tho Indians Tnec.nt that
.ic i5gth year OF the Iroquois Confederacy
had dawned end that week OF thanks
giving and festivity was ut hend. 1t
was new years day, TO be sure, but not
single religious lndiCn he'd q Thought OF
turning over now leat-irsteHd they pre-
pared to walk the ChPOk linc," which is
their way Of expressing tho S~re scHti-
ment. Tho religious leHdcr mG"kS ort
straight line over the snowy trE u T"d the
resolution forming wCrriors I'd th"i
better halves walk foot before foot d)"r
the line for half & mile. Tt I'll step ~
solving TO walk strTight for the ensuing
year. To lose ones belPrce in the str.iSht
walk Is bad medicine, for IT i m omen Of
inherent crookednesS,
with the rising of the sun ? company
Of Buffalo Heads break up into four
pairs and march to their assigned dis
tricts TO notify tremendously the people
that the old year is gone ard the new is
come. With heavy striped corn Founders
they smite the door posts Grd sing the
Buffalo song: "Icy-hey. yey-hey, Gwa-r-
won-dey. Gwa-a-won-dey! Hail, rephcws!
HaiLs With their esh prddles they
sprinkle the corners of the house aS they
enter it in token OF its puriHcGtion from
past evils and then light the fire Of tho row
year, II they delay in their coming the
whole family shivers In the cold without
breakfast until the Buftlo Eancurccrs
arrive -
The fee for the BunGlces is h-~dtul
Of Indian tobacco. the host eXplriring -
he gives it. 1T clears the mind r"d sobers
the thoughts" The repo"to- begged
pipefnl and found that while the thoughts
were made sober indeed. rot n soy
grave, the mind we logged l'the- than
cleared. for vi lille at lcGst, The Bufrc!o /
Heads in order 10 be sure ths; every one
understands their Irissio1 visit ci 2h
house three times rrd cSch time irc"a' -
their store OF the sacrod weed. Every
one then prepares to be hrppy.
The next day the whole nation enters
into the game Of peach stone dice, Each
brotherhood of clans gamblts against
the other. CANDLES religiously and fur
iously. Their particular brand Of bet
ting, however, is in conformity 10 religious
custom and the result Of the game deter
mines clan precedence and supremacy
for the year. II also oftentim,s deter
mines that Big Chief will have no shirt
and that Little Joe will have six.
The third morning Of the new year is
devoted to the burning of the white dog,
The white dog Of the Indians is extinct,
but the ceremony continues, for, as Chief
Crow says. Our religion is greater than
any OF its incidentals or ceremonies.
They are not essentials, the thankful
heart is In the prsent ceremony
tobacco is offered to the Great Spirit as
a thank offering and is thrown in the
sacred fire by handfuls during the white
dog chant. The basket which held the
tobacco, the Indians sacred plant, is
beautifully woven and artistically col
ored. When the ceremony is over the
basket also is sacrificed. for it has been
sanctified TO the Creator and no mans
hand must thereafter touch it, save the
preachers. The white dog ceremony /
il a recital of mans obligations TO the .
Maker of all things for the things OF his
creation. Thanks is given for every
force in nature and every plant and ami
NAL useful to mankind.
On Thursday morning. the fourth day
Of the ceremony, the Ha-jast-ta-gy, or ,
high priest, begins a three day sermon ,
that runs up into the l30thly before it .
closes. Three entire mornings are con- /
sumed by the sermon, which although it .
has been preached each year for l0s years
las never varied even a word. The
Indians are strict rtualists. This sermon
10 the Creators revelation to Handsome
Lake, and each priest must memorize