The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-12-13
N THE FALSE FACE DANCE. 7
An Iroquois Custom Which Survives
In New York State.

There are between five thousand and
six thousand Iroquis Indians in the
State of New York and many of their
ancient customs are still in existence.
Their famous Long House, for exam
pie, once communal dwelling is
now a council house and dancing hall
and the centre of their ceremonial life.
Usually situated near the ball ia
crosse) ground and village square. and
surrounded by cluster at log cabins,
thei .ong House ii always found n, me
pagan section OF the reservation Here
at various seasons of the year the
yreen corn dance. the New Years fes-
tival and its attendant ceremonies.
the war and great feather dances are
held while all the year round there
are other dances, councils and pleasure
festivals OF these perhaps the most
famous is the false face dance of the
False Face Society, an interesting ac-
count OF which Is given by Alanson
Skinner in the Southern Workman.
1t seems that years ago, before man
was made, the earth was created by
Ha-wen-i-yu AS he was walking about
his new domain a monster, like q
flying head with staring eyes and
Towing hair came into view
What do you do on my ear,h?"
cried the monster.
1t is not your earth but mine re-
torted Ha-wen-i-yu
You lie said the monster. Il have
lived here ever since the world began. +"
But | made the world" cried Ha-
wen-i-yu.
Prove It, said the monster, and to
show his force he turned and called
to a mountain which stood beside
them.
The mountain approached and stood
near by but Ha-wen-i-yu babe the
monster turn about, aud as it did so
he caused the mountain to come up
so swiftly and so close that it struck
the monster upon the side of his face
and knocked his mouth awry. just
as you sometimes see it carved on
false faces nowadays
The monster saw that the myster-
ions power of Ha-wen-i--r was far
greater than his, so he begged for
mercy. Ha-wen-i-yu told him that he
must die. for race of beings called
men were about to appear on the earth
and the monster was so horrible he
would brighten them.
The monster begged to be per-
mitted to live and offered if mankind
would keep his memory and that of his
people sacred and do them honor to
aid them in the curing of the sick. So
lla-wen-i-yu permitted the false face
people TO live at the ends of the world
where they may never be seen, and
the Indians keep Hp society in their
honor, which holds a great dance for
them every New Year,
The dancers are clad in nondescript
clothes with hideous wooden masks.
The organization is Semi-secret, but
almost every one knows pretty well
who the dancers are. They go through
their dance with ludicrous antics to
the time Of turtle shell rattle and
blow ashes upon and doctor sick peo-
pie as are present and desire it.
At other times when they practise
medicine" the whole company is not
necessarily present, perhaps only one
or two. Mr.. Skinner was told by one
OF the Senecas that there are among
the Indians many secret medicine So
cieties of which the whites know alb
solutely nothing.
The Iroquois still keep up many
primitive customs besides the cere-
monial life. Corn is still ground in
huge wooden mortars with long. heavy
double ended pestles, and /, Is very