The Detroit times., 1910-01-05
WHITE WOMAN
. GETS RARE HONOR
Mrs. Helen Troy, Adept in Indian
Folklore, Is Initiated Into His +.
toric Federation OF Iroquois.

SYRACUSE, N. a., Jan. 4.-Weirn
and mystic ceremonies were begun az
The Onondaga Reservation. near SYRIA
cuse, which will eliminate In the re-
ception into full membership with I'M
survivors of the Six Nations. the MIS-
toric Federation OF the Iroquois, or 4
white woman, Mrs. Helen Troy OF
Auburn. She Is the first white VIC
man To receive such an honor. ami
she will be invested with the sum
of ancient knowledge the thirty
sixth degree OF Indian Free Masonry
the Clan of the Snipe. (Tar-wish, Tar
wish,)
Mrs. Troy, who was Miss Helen
Reilly OF Uxbridge, Mass, has spent
fifteen years I'm study and research
into the lroquois traditions, and has
unearthed much that Is new TO the
world. For number OF years she
lived in this city, and here became
acquainted with the wife OF the late
DR.. Isaac Thomas. full-blooded Mo-
hawk, who for many years practiced
medicine In the Onondaga Valley. His
widow liz an Onondaga. a descendant
OF the famous chief Captain Joseph,
and, according to tribal custom. by
virtue OF her descent, has a voice In
TIE councils OF the Six Nations.
Details Of the Initiation.
After a number OF preliminary cere-
monies, Mrs Troy. prepared through
years OF instruction by Mrs. Thomas
in the secret work OF the lroquois for
complete investiture. will be brought
To tho Long. or Council House. set In
the middle of the reservation that -
enchcleG by snow-capped hills. The
head chief OF the Onondagas. Frank
Logan, (Tahdo-dah-hoJ will preside.
assisted by Chief Harry lsaacs tSar-
ha'agee. Long Step
The head chief will chant to the
Great Spirit an incarnation that has
like the rite been handed down from
time immemorial, and will deliver d
set sermon. Then the head woman
Of the Onondagas. Mrs. Polly Ia
Forte. (Gar.he-warsah. New Word,)
will escort Mrs. Troy to Tah-do-dah,
who will give her new name, Gar
wen-no.shoe. Esprit Dipping Into the
Silent Waters.l
Another incarnation will follow. and
then the novice will seat herself. The
chiefs and young braves will pass be-
fore her. chanting mystic phrases 10
the solemn beating OF the tom-tom.
and she will be full-hedged member
OF the tribe
In every detail the ceremony viii
be- performed as II has been In the
lroquois Federation for countless cen
turtles. and as ew-born red children
have been named since long before
men began TO reckon time in figures.
For the Indians maintain that this
rite. bequeathed from father 10 son,
is ms old as the world which their
traditions tell them they originally
peopled
The ceremony over. the favorite In
dian diversion. the dance of pleas
ure." In which young and old of both
sexes join will take place. The pro-
grJm Is finished with refreshments "
corn and beans. favored with beef.
They are mixed In the manner tradi-
tlnnal for such events. and the dish
Is not unlike the American house
wife's "succotash."
Indian Rite Older Than Freemasonry.
Indian Freemasonry. the Secret
Seal. (Honot.yahr-dohn.) antedates
not only civilization. but ancient his
tory by many centuries. Ii is claimed
by the Indians that the teachings or
Caucasian Freemasonry are similar
IN their own, and probably founded
on them. The browning honor OF the
Indian rite. now conferred for the
frst time on a white woman. parallels.
the Iroquois maintain. the thirty-third
decree OF their white brethren. and
even exceeds il in mystic import
Mrs. Thomas. who Instructed the
novice. speaks fuently thirteen In
iian dialecte hesidas French and Ger
man. Mrs Troy will be immeasur
ably assisted in her studies Of Indian
folk lore nv her full adoption. She
mas already published poems based
on the Indian folk lore which have
won vile attention. and she and Mrs.
Thomas are now compiling dictiOn-
ary of the languages OF the Six Ma
tfons. which is intended for use in the
colleges. They will visit Albany Uni
,ersity in the Spring 10 interest the
authorities in their work.
They have already completed lexi-
con of the Onondaga and Mohawk
tongues containing 10000 words and
are now ut work on the other dialects.
They also have nearly finished n
treatise on the sacred wampum.
which will elucidate the religion OF
the tribes and wealth Of weird tradi-
ton. not previously known.
Iroquois First DweIlers on Earth.
There Is no doubt" said Mrs. Troy
to reporter. that the mythology
Of the Iroduois antedates that of tho
Greeks and Romans. and. in fact. all
other peoples. just as their language
does that Of the Hebrews and all
others. Indeed. Max Muller says. The