A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Continued from last week. Zoong-dae-ae felt confident he would do well because he knew the area. Also, his father had prepared his bow and arrows, told him where to go, what for and what to do. With this help and encouragement, Zoong-dae-ae left his parent’s lodge and village. As evening came, Zoong-dae-ae returned to the village with four partridges and four rabbits. Never before had he done so well. Zoong-da-ae was sure his father would be pleased and was certain no other boy would bring back as much game. He said a prayer of thanksgiving t...
Printed by North American Travelling College The Robin Many years after the marriage of Pigaigun (Rib) and his wife Waubenoqua (Women of the Dawn), a son was born to them. They named him Zoong-dae-ae (Strong Hearted). The birth of their son made the parents extremely happy and grateful. Pigaigun wanted his son to be a great warrior, hunter and outstanding to all the people. To be successful in these ideals, Pigaigun planned to teach his son courage, strength, endurance and the skills of hunting and fishing. The training began as soon as...
Continued from last week. The next morning the old Bear Clan woman woke to find the old man in severe pain. The Bear Clan woman felt so sorry for the old man and asked what she could do to help him be more comfortable. He told the old woman that in the forest where the hardwood trees grow there are patches of medicine plants. He described exactly what they looked like and gave the old lady sacred tobacco to offer to the leader of the medicine patch. He told her how to wash the medicine, how many roots, how much water to use, how long and how ho...
Continued from last week Wakes, Funerals, and the Clan When someone passes away it is said that their life fire went out. If a person from the Bear Clan passes away, it means that all the people who sit on the side of the Bear Clan are in mourning and are called Rotinikonhkwenhtara:on (their minds have fallen down). A representative of the family of the deceased notifies a Roia:ne or Faithkeeper of the opposite side of the nation’s fire, (Wolf and Turtle Clan People). The opposite side immediately calls a meeting of their men and women. It b...
Continued from last week. Akwesasne Mohawk Nation Council and the Clans There is a special arrangement of the Rontiianehson. This seating arrangement is a structure which enables laws to be made in a structured way. Years ago, some of the leaders changed the seating of the clans and their functions. They kept the format and the same procedural structure. The following explains the way the Council functions today. The Council is separated in three parts. The first part of the Council is the well and the three Rotiianehson of the Turtle Clan sit...
Was a:se The Thunder Dance and the Clans In the Longhouse at Akwesasne the Thunder Dance is put through two times a year. The first Thunder Dance is put on shortly after the very first thunder is heard. Usually, it is in the month of March or April. A fire is made outside of the Longhouse at the western end. A Bear Clan man is chosen to lead the other young men and boys who portray the Thunder Beings whom we always address as our grandfathers. Also, the Wolf and Turtle Clan chose one man each to represent or lead their men and boys in the Dance...
Aton:wa Ceremony (Name Raising) The Aton:wa Ceremony is referred to as the personal thanksgiving chant; it is also known as the name raising, or confirmation of the names given to babies. The ceremony of Aton:wa is originally intended for the males. In Akwesasne the girl babies are also included except that they don't have a song sung for them when they get their name confirmed. Aton:wa comes from the word Atonhets which means your soul, your spirit, or your life-giving force. The Aton:wa ceremo...
Continued from last week. Weddings and Clans A young man of the Bear Clan and a young woman of the Wolf Clan plan to get married. This is proper, and their will become good candidates to become Faithkeepers, Clan Mothers, or Rotiianehson. A couple cannot marry unless they have the consent of both their mothers. In traditional marriages, you can be forty years old, but you would still need the consent of your mother. A couple desiring to get married must make a request to the council of Chiefs...
Continued from last week. Iakoia:ne In the Mohawk Nation there are nine Kontiianehson. They are the head women of a large extended family within each clan. They are the women who are referred to as Clan Mothers. The Kotiianehson are responsible for the probes of selecting a Roia:ne (man leader) or deposing a Roia:ne, if he fails to perform his official duties. For each principle Roia:ne title there are four assistants: Iakoiane (clan mother) Roia:ne (principal man leader) Raterontanonha (man sub-leader) “He takes care of the tree” is the lit...
Continued from last week. On the first day of the Satekohsehon (midwinter festival), the leader will announce that all people (women and men) from the Wolf, Turtle and Snipe Clan will enter by the men’s door (East Door) until the entire Midwinter Festival is completed. On the first day the Bear, Eel and Deer Clan will enter the Longhouse from the women’s door to the west. This practice is done only at Midwinter Ceremonies. Many times, people forget and come in the wrong door at Midwinter. The people remind them in a playful and joking way and...
Continued from last week. Rotinenio’thro:non The Deer Clan The Deer Clan people are originally from the Onondaga or the Cayuga Nations. The people of the Deer Clan are generally on the timid and shy side. They tend to form an opinion quickly. They don’t always gather all the facts on which to make a decision. The Deer Clan people are easily intimidated and somewhat athletic. They are a people of good intentions as long as there are people to break the ice. They tend to be followers more than bold leaders. They are generally kindhearted but are...
Continued from last week. A’no:wara Turtle Clan The turtle Clan is one of the principal clans of the Mohawks. The turtle is the symbol of the entire earth. We walk upon the turtle’s back. The people of the Turtle Clan are the foundation of our Nation. Because of this fact the Turtle Clan people are very consistent, determined and humbly stubborn. The Turtle Clan people are in most cases very shy. They tend to be somewhat middle of the road between the Wolf and Bear Clan characteristics. Whenever anything occurs that is surprising or sta...
Continued from last week. Clans of the Mohawk People The clans are taken from the animal, bird, or fish life. The clans are inherited from the mothers. This type of transmission of the clans is called a matrilineal system. Spiritual, social, economic, and political life are interwoven; one without the other is not considered whole or complete. (Spiritual and political are inseparable.) Giving of a name Amongst the Rotinonhson:ni nations each of the clans have specific names that belong to each clan. A Bear Clan person must have a Bear Clan...
Ronikonhrowa:nen told the people that when one of the parties addresses the other they will call each other cousins. If someone dies from the Wolf, Turtle, the Hawk, or the Beaver Clan, it is said that all the people on that side of the house will be in grief or mourning. It will then be the responsibility of the people on the other side of the house to aid those who are in grief. The people who did not lose anyone on their side of the house are called Roti’nikonkate (they whose minds are strong). The people who are from the clans of the R...
Continued from last week. The people and the elders listened very closely to what the man told them. Everyone was amazed at what the man said. It seemed to make very good sense. It was at that point the elders said they would give the man a special name. The elders chose the name Ronikonhrowa:nen (He who has great ideas). Ronikonhrowa:nen gathered the people and told them that they should all be ready to travel early the next morning. The next day the people were ready, and they did travel. As the people travelled, they followed the river....
History of the Clans Many thousands of years ago the population of the humans on the earth was very small. As years passed it increased considerably. Along with this increase many problems began to occur. Many new villages were created, and families grew further apart. There was a time when first cousins were considered like brother and sister, but now first cousins had become like strangers. The respect and love family members had for one another diminished, causing social problems in all the villages. With the larger population the number of...
The Great Game Continued from last week. By happy inspiration, one bird thought of the water drum that is used in social and ceremonial gatherings. Perhaps a piece of the drums leather could be taken from the drumhead, cut and shaped and attached to legs of one of the small creatures. It was sone and thus originated the bat. The ball was now tossed into the air, the bat was told to catch it. With his skill in dodging and circling he kept the ball constantly in motion, never allowing it to hit the ground. Through his impressive performance he...
The game of Lacrosse has been a mainstay among the Rotinonshonni. The first purpose of the game is spiritual. It is a medicine game to be played upon request of any individual, clan, nation or the Confederacy itself. Iroquois Lacrosse is a holistic process that binds communities and the nations of the Rotinonshonni together. This is the reason that we say it was a gift to our people from the Creator. Lacrosse is a “medicine” game because it promotes the health and strength of the Nation, ensuring a continuance of our tradition and an und...
Given the impending world crises in the areas of food and energy, a comprehensive strategy for survival will include a concept of liberation technologies which free people from dependency on economics which are controlled by external interests. Liberation technologies have political cousins, just as colonizing technologies have, and those political cousins need careful consideration. Liberation technologies are accompanied by liberation political structures and liberation theologies. Of these two entities, colonized peoples in the West would...
Continued from last week. Our Strategy for Survival The dialectical opposite of that process would be the rekindling on a planetary basis of locally based culture. Prior to the advent of colonialism, culture was defined as the way of life by which people survived within their own environment, and their own environment was defined as the area in which they lived. Thus, the process of survival involved the use of locally developed technologies which met the specific needs of the area. It was mentioned earlier that technologies have political...
Our Strategy for Survival Continued from last week. The specter of regional famine, or even worldwide famines, cannot be interpreted as the simple product of a world of scarce resources overwhelmed by the needs of expanding human populations. The situation is not that simple. In the United States, for example, a simple program of energy conservation – insulation of dwellings, office and industrial buildings would cut back energy consumption by more than 25% in 10 years, and even given growth predictions in terms of populations and economy, the...
Continued from last week. Our strategy for survival: The invasion of the Western hemisphere by European powers was preceded by centuries of social development which had resulted in societies in which the interests of the few had effectively become national policies, and the interests of the many were without voice in national affairs. In order that we might formulate a strategy for survival in the modern world, it had been necessary that we look at the forces and processes which threaten survival, and to begin to understand the real...
Continued from last week. We, the Haudenosaunee, have clear choices about the future. One of the choices which we have faced is whether to become Westernized, or to remain true to the Way of Life our forefathers developed for us. We have stated our understanding of the history of the changes that have created the present conditions. We have chosen to remain Haudenosaunee, and within the context of our Way of Life, to set a course of liberation for ourselves and the future generations. Our liberation process is not one that is exclusive to us...
Continued from last week. Although treaties may often have been bad deals for the Native nations, the United States and Canada chose not to honor those which exist because to do so would require the return of much of the economic base and sovereignty to the Haudenosaunee. The treaties contain the potential for independent survival of the Native people. The dishonoring of treaties is essential to the goal of the U.S. and Canadian vested interests which are organized to remove all obstacles to their exploitation of the Earth and her peoples. The...
Continued from last week. By pretending that the Haudenosaunee government no longer exists, both the U.S. and Britain illegally took Haudenosaunee territories by simply saying the territories belong to them. To this day, Canada, the former colony of England, has never made a treaty for the lands in the St. Lawrence River Valley. But the truth continues to remain and plagued officials yet today. The Haudenosaunee territories are not and have never been part of the U. S. or Canada. The citizens of the Haudenosaunee are a separate people,...
