E51

.1392
vol.

10

INDIAN NOTES
ID

no. 8

NMAI

MONOGRAPHS
Edited by
F.

W. Hodge

^OL.X

No. 8

SERIES

OF PUBLICA-

TIONS RELATING TO THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES

MOHAWK FORM
BY

OF RITUAL OF CONDOLENCE, 1782

JOHN DESERONTYON
TRANSLATED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION,

BY
J.

N. B.

HEWITT

NEW YORK MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

HEYE FOUNDATION

1928

This

series of
is

Indian Notes and Mono-

graphs

devoted to the publication of the

results of studies

by members

of the staff

and

by collaborators of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, and

with
is

uniform

Hispanic Notes and Monographs,

published

by
with

the

Hispanic

Society

of
this

America,

which

organization

Museum

is in

cordial cooperation.

A
will

List

of

Publications of the

Museum

be sent on request.

Museum of the American Indian

Heye Foundation
Broadway at 155th New York City
St.

INDIAN NOTES

AND MONOGRAPHS
Edited by
F.

W. Hodge

Vol.X

SERIES

OF PUBLICA-

TIONS RELATING TO THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES

A MOHAWK FORM OF RITUAL

OF CONDOLENCE,
BY

1782

JOHN DESERONTYON
TRANSLATED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION,

BY
J.

N. B.

HEWITT

NEW YORK MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

HEYE FOUNDATION

1928

LANCASTER PRESS,
LANCASTER,
PA.

INC.

A MOHAWK FORM OF RITUAL

OF CONDOLENCE,
APRIL
9,

1782

BY

JOHN DESERONTYON
TRANSLATED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION,

BY
J.

N. B.

HEWITT

FOREWORD

THE reproduced
both a

interesting
in

Mohawk
facsimile,

manuscript herein accompanied with

and an interlinear translation Bureau of American Ethnology, belonged to the estate of William Kirby of Ottawa, to whom it and other documents came down from Colonel David Claus (sometimes written Claesse), who was probably a native of the Mohawk valley, Xew York, where he early acquired a knowledge of the Iroquois language and was in consequence attached as interpreter to the department of Sir
literal

by Mr. Hewitt

of the

William Johnson, Superintendent General of Indian marrying Johnson's daughter and becoming his Deputy. Claus translated into Mohawk The Order For Morning and Evening Prayer, pubAffairs, later

lished in
in 1780.

Quebec

in 1769,

and revised and republished

Claus died at Cardiff, Wales, in 1787. The Deserontyon manuscript was acquired at a sale in Xew York, November 30, 1925, for the late
library of the

James B. Ford, who added it to the Museum which bears his name.

87

INTRODUCTION
manuscript briefly records a naive specimen THISthe class of traditional literature relating to of
the ceremonial side of the League of the Iroquois,
of

which arose when the disintegrating pressure European culture on the integrity of the institutions of the League became increasingly evident to
the intelligent leaders of the Iroquois peoples.

The

immediate

effect

of

this

realization

of

ritualistic

disintegration

preservation of

was a pronounced striving for the the usual, customary forms and content of the several sacred rituals and chants employed in League ceremonials. In his Iroquois Book of Rites Mr. Horatio Hale makes use of four such manuscripts. There are,

indeed, several others

known

to the writer.

So, of

examples of attempts to record even faulty outlines of certain essential rituals of the League for purely mnemonic purposes there is a goodly number extant. Of these some are written while others are pictographic. It is seemingly apparent that so much
solicitude for the preservation of the historical tra-

So no known recorded examples of these are found previous to 1880. Of the history of the recorder of this manuscript, Captain John Deserontyon, the present writer knows
ditions has not been shown.

89

90

MOHAWK RITUAL
little.

comparatively
tion,

But

this

much may be
name

said,

that judging solely from his name, his tribal

affilia-

and the dates at which

his

receives notice

in available

documents, there appears sufficient reason for identifying him with the Captain John
Deserenton (Desetontyon and Deserontyon being other
of the name) who with the celebrated Captain Joseph Brant was a delegate from "the Mohawk Nation of Indians residing in the province of Upper Canada, within the dominions of the King of Great Britain" to attend a treaty at the city of Albany, N. Y., on March 29, 1797, "to enable New

spellings

York
all

to extinguish the title of the said Indians to

all

lands therein," and

the right and
state.

who

sold for a total

sum

of

S1600

title of

these

Mohawk

to lands in

Xew York

This identification indicates that

he was not a Caughnawaga

ing year, 1796, the

Mohawk. In the precedCaughnawaga and the St. Regis

Indians on

of the State of

May 23 held a treaty with Commissioners Xew York in Xew York City for the
At
this treaty the

sale of their lands.

Caughnawaga

were represented by two chiefs, and the St. Regis Indians by one and by an interpreter, Mr. Gray; but John Deserontyon was not mentioned in connection with this treat} and so the present writer infers that he belonged to the Mohawk of the League of the Iroquois who at that time still retained much of their
7
,

ancient

lore.

It must be noted that so-called Seven Xations

this
of

manuscript regards the Canada and the Caugh-

OF
nawaga
of

CONDOLENCE

91

Canada

as constituting a social organic

dualism such as that contemplated by the Constitution of the

tribe

League of the Iroquois. The Iroquois and the Iroquois League of tribes could take

public action only through the functioning of a dualism of organized groups of persons of common blood. One of the two complementary groupings of persons of blood kinship (either by descent or by
legal
fiction)

represents

the

Female Principle

in

Nature, the Mother typifying

Womankind

as dis-

tinguished from the Male Kind;

Principle,

the other of the

groupings of blood kindreds represents the Male

the Father
typifying

Mankind

as

dis-

tinguished from the Female Kind, of the

human

race.

The Mother Group

tribe
is

in a tribe

is

or a Sisterhood of Clans;

the Father

composed of a Clan Group in a

composed

of a

Clan or a Sisterhood of Clans.

The League is composed of like units. The Mother Group in the League is composed of a Sisterhood of tribes; the Father Group is composed of a Sisterhood
of tribes.

But, the so-called Seven Nations of

Canada were
"

not in any practical sense organic

"tribes," within the
tion.

meaning

of Iroquois

nations" or regimenta-

At first some were merely wandering emigrant bands from a number of well-known tribes some historically known, others not. Originally, these Seven " nations" or bands were composed of the Skighquan (i.e., the Nipissing band), the Estjage

(i.e.,

the Saulteur or

Chippewa band), the Assisagh

92
(i.e.,

MOHAWK RITUAL
the Mississauga band), the Karhadaga (un-

identified), the

Adgenauwe
this

(unidentified), the Karri(i.e.,

haet

(unidentified),

and the Adirondax

the

appears to be a very modern application of this name). Thus it is seen that the four known bands are offshoots from wellknown tribes which are historically known as forming distinct communities with independent political
organizations;
all

Algonquin,

although

the

known bands

are

of

the

Algonquian stock.
Conversely, the Caughnawaga of the manuscript were originally composed of exiles, refugees, and disloyal emigrants from the Five Confederated Tribes
of the Iroquois in

These

brief

what is now New York state. comments may help to explain some

An odd innoof the peculiarities of the manuscript. vation appears in the use of the term " wampumbelt" at the end of the 2d and the 3d paragraphs of

Part One, and at the end of the 2d paragraph of Part This change is not at all traditional and betrays a lack of exact knowledge of the ritual

Two.

which the recorder was seeking to write out.

reference to the use of
to record the ritual

The

wampum

at the close of the

paragraphs shows that the manuscript was intended which the present writer has called the Requickening Address of the Council of Condolence and Installation of the League. No In other ritual employs wampum in any form. historical times the vocable "word" is employed to represent each unit paragraph of this address and is

OF

CONDOLENCE

93

tokened by one or more strings of wampum, the color of the wampum beads being proportioned in accordance with the content and purpose of the said paragraph. The authentic traditional account of the founding of the League shows that in the days of Deganawida and Hiawatha the quills of feathers and the twigs of the elderberry bushes, cut to suitable lengths and strung, were employed as are

wampum
There

modern times. marked departure address used between the two sides
strings in
also a
is

in the

term
as

of

in this

manu-

script:

either

side

addresses

the other

"my

brother," in the vernacular,

"we two

are brothers."

But

this

form
"

of

address discards the authentic

dualism,
ritualistic

Father- Mother,"

by disregarding

the

two sides. The authentic terms with their synonyms express the Fatherhood and the Motherhood relationship subsisting between the two sides. The speakers of the Mother Side address the Father Side by the term akaton'ni or by its distributive form akatonni"son which signifies " my father's kinsmen," i.e., the group of men and women who are symrelationship subsisting between the
1 ,

'

bolically males.
l

Conversely, the speakers

of

the

Father Side address the Mother Side by the term gonyenneta 'kwe n \ which means "my weanling," because symbolically the Mother Side is the side of
the children.
the

The phrase "The Forepart of the Ceremony" is name applied to stated preliminary rites which

94

MOHAWK RITUAL

sisting of a

must be performed at the edge of the forest, conChant of Welcome by the mourning side and the first three unit paragraphs of the Requickening Address spoken to the mourning side by the unaffected side. But of these, outside of the phrase
is

just mentioned, there

nothing in the manuscript. of the manuscript is the naive statement that the "Gorah," or Indian Agent or Superintendent, fully agrees with the

Another amusing innovation

celebrant in the recital of the ritual; such a change

could

come only where the white man's

affairs of the natives.

officer

dominated the

The

use of the

name
first

Tekarihoken, which

is

that of

the chief

who

is

on the

list

of

the original

Mohawk League

officials,

has reference to the pre-

siding officer of the tribal council, but of course not

"the head-chief" of the tribe. So the name is used officially sometimes for the entire tribe. It is learned that Tier Asarekowa died March 25,
1782, at the age
of

sixty-two years.

This Peter
in

Asarekowa seems to be the chieftain mentioned

the manuscript.
J.

N. B. Hewitt

TRANSLATION
Lachine, April 9th, 1782.

Caughnawaga, may we give utterance to our voice, we, the Tekarihoken [the Mohawk], we, whose clans number three, we, whose settlements number 2, concerning what befell him in person, him, the Seven Nations (of Canada) in number, in that he now died, he who was a chief, he who was Asharekowa [= He, the Great Knife].
of
1.

We

The
also

first

thing
tears,

mony."

The
from

And
mat

his

is "The Forepart of the Cerewe have borne them elsewhere. open throat we have dislodged the

several lodgments.
[his

And

abiding-place],

several

blood spots.

from his outspread have wiped away the we Thoroughly again have we
also

readjusted the things (there).

Indeed, there a

wampum

string

(is

required).

The Gorah
wanen, he and

[i.e.,

the Superintendent], Shotsitsyo-

are

unanimous

(in this).

None the less, there are many matters. 2. The Second Matter. Go to, my brother, thou, the Seven Nations in number. Now, again, it is an awful thing that has befallen thy person. Now,
upon which thy two eyes rested he was a warrior, the establishment of welfare by law was his duty. Now our Master [our God] has withdrawn him again.
thou hast
lost that

trustfully,

95

96

MOHAWK RITUAL

That, then, do I remember, I, who am the Mo(I, the Tekarihoken), how that they, our grandsires who were, had made it an ordinance; did they not say (that) wherever it might be that

hawk

one,

whose mind

is left

fresh

and untouched,
it, I

shall

at once readjust
therefore,

all

the several things again.

Now,

my

brother,

may

say

have smoothed

over the rough earth whereon, indeed, landed the flesh of him, who was our Business, the late Asharethe

kowa [Great Knife], that is, we as one had him as embodiment of our affairs, so then that we speak

words over the corpse, that is it, he and I, the Gorah, Shotsitsyowanen [= He whose flower is great; i.e., the Superintendent], are unanimous. There (i.e., at this point), a wampum belt (is
required).

Many,

lo,

are the matters in number.

3.

The Third Matter (Rite) in Thou and I are brothers [= my

(in

Order.
brother]; thou,

the Seven Nations

number).
I

Now, do thou

continue listening along as

words

(of the ceremony). only once would I speak words on what has befallen thy person today. May I, therefore, say, my brother (lit., thou and I are brothers) that I again draw together thy people at the place where thou art wont to environ the fire (i.e., around the hearth And also I have again of the home, as well).

continue reciting the Did I not intend that

rekindled thy (Council)

fire

where

all

manner

of

OF
things

CONDOLENCE
Go

97

come

to thee as duties.

thou forward.

Have

courage,

my

brother.

of public affairs, as

many

in

Thou hast the charge number as still remain.

thou not suffer it, that thy mind should be borne hence (by grief). The only thing now to which thou must continue to give attention is our Law (and welfare). It is that over which thou, the Seven Nations, art administrator. And also, is it not true, that they, our late grandsires, said, perhaps, we should die were it to take along with it, one's mind, no matter where it may be, among those who have united their affairs, will (it) slay with a single blow, only thou [deprecatively] must continue thinking that He, the Master [i.e., God], foreordains what befalls our persons in
the course of things.

Do

There
belt
(is

[at this

point in the ceremony] a

wampum

required).
lo,

Many,

are the matters in number.

4.

It is the
[i.e.,

Fourth Matter.

thou and I are brothers], do thou keep listening along to my recital of the matter of the ritual. Now, am I not today saying, Go thou forward, do thou have courage. Thou hast charge of public affairs. So then let me say, my brother [thou and I are brothers], do you two,
brother
uncle, thy nephew who is a warrior, keep on conversing together at all times; thou must pay heed to anything that is good to which he may

My

nephew and

give utterance.

98

MOHAWK RITUAL

And also thou too, thou, warrior, wait to hear anything thy uncle, the royaner [i.e., the nobleman] of many things, to which he may give utterance. So then, just that will come to pass, that anything in relation to our Law that you two may ordain shall be firmly established. There [i.e., here] at this place a string of wampum
(is

required).

Many,

lo,

are the things (of the ceremony)

in

number. I have written

it.

John Deserontyon. Canadasege (At Newtown).

Caughnawaga
1.

April 9th, 1782.

The Seven Nations

[lit.,

the Seven

Lands],

these are their words at the time and place

when

they spoke in reply. My brother [lit. thou and

are brothers], thou,

Mohawk

[i.e.,
11

thou, Te'seri'ho'ke 11 ', for thou art a three do thy clans number.

Tekari'ho'ke
place where
I

'],

Now,
place,
It is

here in this place thy person has landed, at the

I have my mat (dwelling-place) in who am Seven Nations (Lands) in number.

certain that nothing exceeds

what has

befallen thy

person;
flow

it

is

certain,

my

brother, that thy tears

down

in

two

courses.

Now,

removed the
thy throat
I

tears.

And

also

then, I have from the opening of

wedged

therein.

have dislodged the various things And also where thy mat (dwelling-

OF
place)
is

CONDOLENCE
I

99

outspread, there
[at this

have

set the various

things in order.

There

point in the ceremony] the " Foreits

part of the

Ceremony" has

place.

string of

wampum
Many,
number.
2.

(here).
lo,

are the things (of the ceremony) in

Go to, my brother

[lit.,

thou and
[lit.,

are brothers],

now do thou continue

ear] to

listening

holding out thy

those things, which thou didst do severally,

side.

(just

now) on thy

together again
lighted the
fire

my

ranks;
I

where

hast drawn and also thou hast ream wont to assemble my

Now, thou

ranks (on account) of the multifarious things, every

one

of

which
[at

is

a duty for us.

So
say

let it
it,

come

to pass

(thankfully), therefore, let

me

my

brother.
(is

There
quired).

this point]

wampum

string

re-

Many,
number.
3.

lo,

are the matters (of the ceremony) in

thing,

Now, another

my

brother [= thou and

side,

thou didst do, being that that thou didst say, do thou and thy dear nephew, he who is a warrior, keep conversing one with the other constantly. So may it (in turn) come to pass, therefore, may I say it, my brother, each of the number of things to which thou didst give utterance in words. Keep thou thinking, thereare brothers],
there,
fore,

on thy

my
I

brother, that so

it will

come

to pass, that

is,

am thankful (for it), that in thinking my thoughts my mind is again in daylight.

verily

100

MOHAWK RITUAL
[at

There
quired).

this

point]

wampum

string

(is

re-

Many,
number.

lo,

are the matters (of the ceremony) in

Jn. Deserontyon.

page of the manuscript.} day (date) is extant that the sun will disappear, April 12th, 1782. At eleven o'clock
the last
It tells it that a

[Memorandum on

daytime it will disappear. Two o'clock after midday it will again peer out; so that it will be three
hours long before
it

reappears again.

The

end.

Caughnawaga,

LaChine, Apr. 9, 1782. ne" Teyakyakwawenni'neke

11
'

We

Caughnawaga,
'

let

us speak

the

We
Tekarite'keni'

wari'ho'ke 11
hoken(s)

'a"se n three

'

(ni)yofikwa'ta'rake'
so

we

are clans in

two
11
'

many
teyonkwakwe n "rare'
two we are located
places
in

number
na'hoyata'we so it befell him wherein
tsi' tsi'

ne"
the

Tsa'ta'k
(the)

Ni'hao n 'hwen'tsage'
so

o'ne 11
the time

'

many

his lands are in

wherein

Seven

number
ra'sennowa'ne
he a chief
(is)
11
'

wa

<

re n</ heye' he died

AVhare'ko'wan'Asharekowa

ke n 'ha\
(who) was.
1.

Tyotyere n "to n<

first

The

thing

is

(the)

O'hen'to Front

11

'

Kari'hwate' ko 11

'

It-end of the cere-

mony

(matter)

OF
oka"seri'
tear(s)

CONDOLENCE
wa'kwa'ha'wi'te'; we bore them;
'

101

e're n<

elsewhere

nokho'ni' tsi' and also where

te'ronnya'to'ke 11 his throat is open

tsi'

wa'tyakwa'si'haron'ko'; nokho'ni' and also we dislodged obstructions

severally

where

ronakta/te' his couch stands

wa'kwanekwe n< tarokewa'nyo n we wiped away blood spots many

'

',

a'kwa'
fully

sayakwateweyenton'nyo n again we set things aright in

succession.

E't'ho', oro n< kwa"sa' there a string, or strings, Surely,

of wampum. Yakeniwennakwe'ko ne"
11
'

EW,

Ko'ra.',

He-I are unanimous, are

agreed

the

Superintendent,

S'hotsi'tsyo'wane' Shotsitsyowanen ( = "His Flower is Great,")

2.

Tekeni'ha'to n 't ori"wa\ Ni"ho'. Tyatate"kS D Thou-I who The Second it-matter Go to.
(is).

brothers are

Tsya'ta'(k) Seven

Niyo 'hwentysa'ke' So many lands (tribes)

in

o'ne

11

'

a're'

now

(again), or

number

sometimes
'

yone'hra'kwa'(t) it is amazing

tsi'

nisaya'tawen"o n

wherein

so thy person it has befallen it

<

teska'ne'ra'kwe' roske n 'rake'te"ta kwe' two thy eyes rested he who a warrior was
(thereon)
sera'
rotsteristofi'ne'. he-it occupied himself in.

Kayanere
It-Law

11

"-

102
O'ne
11
'

MOHAWK RITUAL
tonta'hatiron'to 11 ne" S honkwawenni'yo\ again he has the He who our God (is).
'

<

Now
Ne"

drawn back (him)

ka'ti'

wake'hya'ra o
I it

/,

11

'

n e"
the

Tekeri'ho'ken'
I

That consequently
tsi'

have recalled

who am a Mohawk (i.e., a

Tekarihoken)
11

nit'hotiri'wisa'on'ne'
so

ne" ofikwa/sotsera'so
the
sires

"-

wherein

thus

they it had ordained

'

our several grand-

ke n "ha'

ne"ke n
did not that

ne"
the

ron'nefi'

ka"
wherever,
it

ki"

who were
non'we'
the place
(that)

they have
said

may
be,

ok' only

ko'nikon'ka"te'
one's

(n)e n wa'to n
will
it

'

(ne")
(the) (ones)

mind

fresh,
(is)

become

untouched,

ontate'ke n "son' they who are severally brothers

yokonta'tye' right away,

at once,

tsyonteweyenton'-

again will one restore things severally

one to another

nyo

11 '.

O'ne At this
'

11

ka'ti' ki"ron' so then let me

wa'tka'ke^'rawen'rye'
I

tsi'

time

say

the dust disposed, stirred about,

where

ya'kayen'ta/ne'
there it fell, alighted

raoyeronta'-ke^'ha' his flesh-it was

ne"
the

on^wariVa'-ke n "ha'
our

man

of affairs-who

As'hare'kowan"-ke n "ha' Asharekowanen-who was

" Big Knife,"

was
i'kefV
it is

ens'kat'

yeyonkwari"wa'
there our business
<

one

(is)

ne' the

ka'ti'

so then

awe n< heyonta"ke onkwatewenon'ti',

the corpse on

i'kefi'
it is

we cast our words,

yakenihe and I

OF
wennakwe'ko
are
11
'

CONDOLENCE
the

103

ne" Ko'ra/ ne" S'hotsi'tsyo'wane'.

Super- the intendent

unanimous

Shotsitsyowanen.
(

He whose
is

Flower
E't'ho'

Great ").

There
E'so',

kayon'ni'. a wampum
belt.

sa"
indeed,
lo,

Many
3,

niyori"wake'. so many matters number.

'(t)

'A'se n ''hato n

ori"wa'.
matter, item.

The third
'

Tyatate"ke n Tsya'ta'k Thou and I who Seven

are brothers

Niyo n 'hwen'tsyake' So many (the) lands

(tribes)

number

o'ne 11

'

now

sat'hofitatye' wakeri'wa'sawa'tye'. do thou continue (as) I continue reciting listening on the matter (ritual).
e n Vkat

\Yake'ro n '-ke n<

I

intended-did not

one

ok' only

n e n tkewennineke ''ne' word will I utter a

tsi

non we

nisay a' tawe n "o n

there
it

'

where the place

has befallen thy body.

'

Ki"roii' ka'ti' tyatate"ke n o'ne n< Let me so then thou and I now say who are brothers
rati're'
tsi'

tonsakone
again
I

11

"-

have drawn thy

ranks together
te'satstci'rato n "kwa'

niya'teyori'-

where

thou dost customarily all the several surround the fire matters in number
nokhon'ni' and also
(for

wake^son'

we'sateriVayerVhase' (that) has become a duty

for thee

104
nok' and

MOHAWK RITUAL
on'ni')
also

sakontsistayen"ha'se\ again I have fire for thee.

kindled a
'

Wa"se';

Go thou;
'

tsya'ko 11
take thou courage
'

'

tyatate"ke n
thou and
I

ori"wa'
official

who

are brothers

business

satsteris'to 11 tsi' thou dost where attend to it

ni'ko 11 yotateii'ro 11 '. so they they remain,

many
number
To"sa' ok' ne" yaka'hawi"te' ne" sa
nikofi'ra',

Do not
ok' only

only the
'

there

bear it away hence

it

the

thy mind,

o'ne 11

tsi'

ne"
the

asatsteristo n "hak

ne"

now

where

thou shouldst continue the your duties

i'se'
it is

onkwayenere n "sera\
our Law,

i'ken*

thou

tsya'takwe'ni'yo' thou art master of

it,

disposer of

ic,

ne" Tsya'ta'k
the

Niyo n 'hwen'tsyake'.
So
it

Seven

many

land(s)

number.

Nok"honni' And also

sera"son'ke who were

rofi'nen'

wa"hi'

ne"

they said of course, the you know,

onkvva'sotour grandsires
individually
'o "te'

n "ha'

aetewe "heye' we would die

ako"nikon'ra\
one's mind,

ne"
the

perhaps

yakaha'wi'te' hence away it would bear it

nofi'we
1

ne"
the

ka"
wherever

ki"
it

ok'
just

may
be

te

the place

hra'kwa'te' tsi' niyonteri'wakha"there they their thence it it strike where affairs have united off its perch
severally

n 'tka

OF
ho
11
'

CONDOLENCE

105

ne"
the

ok' only

nis^a* ne" seVhek Rawenni'yo' thou, the thou must He-the Master by favor think con(i.e., God) tinuously
tsi'

t'hawero n 'ha'tye'se\
thence he designs,
purposes,
it,

niyonkwaya'tawe n "se'
so
it

where
in

our bodies befalls customarily.

E'tW
There
E'so'

Kayofi'ni'.
It-belt of

wampum.
sa."
lo,

niyori"wake*.

Many
4.

somany^-matter(s) number
it-

Kayeri"hato n '(t) ori"wa\

It,

the fourth
'

matter

Tyatate"ke n Thou and I are

brothers

o ne 11

now

sat'honta'tye' do thou keep listening along

'

wakeriVa/I

am reciting
the matter
along.

sawa/tye'.

O'ne At this
11

'

time

nofi'wa'-ke 11 the today-is it not

ka'to n \
I

wa"se'
do thou go
ka'ti'

am
me
it

saying,

tsya'ke do thou have courage

11

satsteris'to 11 ', ^-business, thou hast

ori"wa'
matter
'

ki'W
let

so

charge of

it,

say

then

tyatate"ke n thou and I who

are brothers

teseni"t'harak do ye two keep on conversing

together

ne"
the

tsyo n 'waten"a' thy dear nephew

ro'ske n 'rake"te' he, the warrior

;

e^'sat'lion'tate' do thou give ear to it

I1

ne"
the
<

ot'he'no n anything

'

te n t

<

hawennineke

'ne'

ne"
the

n e kari
it

thence he will give utterance to it

wiyo"hake'. will be good.

106

MOHAWK RITUAL
ni'se'

Nok'hofi'ni'

And

also

thou

sa'ske n 'rake"te' thou who art a

warrior

sat'hofi'dek

do thou give ear always

to
it

ne"
the

ot'he'no anything

11 '

te^t'hawenni'neke^ne'
thence he
will give
it

yano"se n<
thy uncle,
mother's brother

utterance to

roya ne rson
he who
of
is

the ruler
things.

many

Ok' Only

ka'ti'

so

ne n ya'we n, ne' so it shall come

to pass
,

then

e n yoriVa'nl'ro n, it shall become a firm thing

ne"
the

ot'he'no 11 anything

e n seniri'wis"a ye two decide

ne'

onkwayane're n "sera'
our law

the

upon

E'tW, Oro n 'kwa"sa'

There,
E'so'
(it)

string of

wampum
sa"
lo,

Many

niyori"wake'. somany^-item(s) number.

11

Wak'nya'to
I it

',

John

De'serofi'tyon'

have written,

Canadasege. At Newtown.

1.

Caughnawaga April 9, 1782. raotiwen'na' Niyo n< hwentsya ke Tsya'da'k their word So many ^7-lands number Seven
/
<

tsi'

o'ne n<
at

wherein

tonta'honta'ti': they make

reply:

the time

OF
Tyatate"ke n Thou and I are
'

CONDOLENCE
Te'seri'ho'ke 11
'

107
'

'A"se n
three

(ni )-

Thou,
'

Mohawk

so

brothers

many
ken't'ho*
this place

sa'tara'ke'

o'ne 11 time

thy clans

at this

number
rhe"o n
'

non'we' nisaya'ta'ti'the where there thy body has arrived

tsi'

where

nofi'we' the place

niwakenakta/te',
there

my mat is
not
{text:

Tsya'ta'k Seven

spread out,

Niwako n

So many
ro 11
'

'hwefitsya'ke' my lands

kanekhe're'
it is

iya" teyoken'not
it lacks (anything)

number
tsi'

doubted

wherein

nisayatawen"o n< so thy body has

suffered

nisaya'tawe n s) so it ails thy body

kanekhe're'
it is

not
ka'ti'

tyatate"ke n thou and I are

brothers
e're n<
elseI

'

doubted
o'ne n<

te'saka'sere n, tori'nyo n, thy tears flow in two courses

now

so then

wa'kha'wi'te' carried (them)

'

ne"
the

oka"seri'
(it)

tear (s)

where

nokhon'm'
and
also

tesanya'to'ke 11 thy throat where opening (is)

tsi'
,

wa^kst'liaron/kcy I removed lodged

things

nokhon'ni' tsi' tisanakta'te' and also where thy mat is

spread

wa kateweyenton'nyon\
I

sat things to rights severally.

'

E'tW
There

O'hefi'to 11

'

Front

Kari'wate"ko 11 oro n "kwa"sa'. i> ceremony, end it-string of

of, (i.e.
,

the

first

part

wampum,

of the

ceremony)

E'so'

sa",
lo,

niyori"wake'.
so

Many

many items
number.

108
2.

MOHAWK RITUAL
Ni"ho', Goto,
'

tyatate"ke n thou and I are

'

o'ne 11
time

'

at this

sat'hon'tek ne" do thou con- the

tinue to listen
o'nfc
nl

brothers

ni'ke 11
so (they)

nonta/syeran'nyo n, where- thence thou didst do

tsi'

now

in

them

severally

tonsaskene n 'rati're' nokhon'ni' saskwateka"te n tsi' thence thou disdt and also thou hast where draw together rekindled it
'

my people
nofi'we' the place

na tekene n 'ronnya
,

't'ha'

niya'te-

there

use

it

to assemble

every one
'

my ranks
teyori'wake"sori onkwateriVayen^ha'se'; niya'we 11 ^-matter(s) numlet there they have been left to us ber severally as obligations; be thanks
ka'ti',
,

H"ron',
let

so then

me

tyatate"ke n \ thou and I who

are brothers.

E't'ho There

EW
Many,

sa"
lo,

say

niyori"wake'.
so

many it-matnumber.
Kayon'ni*.
It-Belt of
3.

ter(s)

wampum.
'

O'ne

11

'

Now
ni'ke 11
so
'

n tsi' nonta"syere' o'ya' tyatate"ke so thence thou and I whereit other in didst thou are brothers (thing)

doit

ne"
the

wa'si'ron'

is (it)

thou didst
say

te'seni'Vharak do ye two continue

to converse together

ne"
the
11

tsonwaten"a'
thy dear

ro'ske n 'ra-ke"te'. he, the warrior.

Niya'we

'

ka'ti',

nephew

Let there be thanks

so then,

OF
ki
let

CONDOLENCE
'

109

ron

me

tsi' tyatate"ke n ni'korV thou and I are where- so they

ta sewenthence thou
didst utter

sav
rXn'/ nineke ne\

brothers

in

many
number
,/

words.
'

Se"rhek

Do thou
keep
thinking

tyatate ke n so then thou and I are

ka'ti'

e'tW
thus
(there)

brothers

so

it

shall

come
tsi'

it is

verily

let

there be

wefi'de' it-day-

to pass

thanks

time

son to n
/

'

kenno^torVnyo
I

11 '.

again it has

where

am

thinking thoughts,

my

become

EVho'
There
E'so'

oro n 'kwa"sa\
it-string of

wampum.
sa" niyorr'wake'.
lo,

Many,

so

many it matnumber.

ter(s)

Jn Te'seron'tyorV.

[Memorandum on last page of manuscript.] n Ne" wat'hro'ri' tsi' we'hni"seraye e \vate11 '

The

it tells

where
12,

there is a day extant

will ti-

sun

ra'kwa"to n
disappear

'

April
e
n

1782.
"
'

11
"

kahwista'ek
will strike bell

it

or'ho n

'ke'ne daylight-in
<

wa"to
will
it

te

n kahwis'taek
will
it

strike

disappear , n e yoto hets to n nen 'tye' it will pass it midday

'

the bell
n e tsyoke"to'te' will it again appear.

3
11

ka'ti'

so

then

110

MOHAWK RITUAL
tsi'

ne n kahwis'ta'ek
so

nenVe'
going

ye n tsyoke"to'te'.
there will it again appear.

many

will strike

where there it will be (hours)

it

bell

(Yo'to'kt).
It ends.

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