The statesmen and warriors of the Senecas had come by hundreds to
attend the tribal council at De-o-nun-da-ga-a. They squatted in
serried ranks around the open place in the middle of the village
where stood the ga-on-dote, or war-post, where public assemblies were
held, where war-parties gathered when setting off upon expeditions,
where prisoners were tortured and victories were celebrated.
They had come from near and far, from Nun-da-wa-o, the ancient
village at the head of the Canandaigua Lake, which was the cradle of
the tribe, and from the most remote ga-na-sote and the farthest
frontiers of the immense domain which was ruled by the Keepers of the
Western Door.
In front sat the eight _roy-an-ehs_ and the two hereditary
war-chiefs, the Wardens of the Door, the elective chiefs who had
displayed merit in battle or negotiation, the Keepers of the
Faith--and one white man, who was yet a Seneca, myself. Behind
stretched row on row of warriors and huntsmen, and back of them the
women and children.
The ceremonies were brief and were divided into two sessions upon
different days. The first session was occupied mainly by the speech
of Do-ne-ho-ga-weh, explaining why he had summoned the council and
pleading for authorization of the sending of belts to the other
nations of the League so that the Ho-yar-na-go-war might be convened.
He spoke at length in the midst of a silence so intense that the
rustling of robes could be heard.
"You have heard my cause, O my people," he framed his peroration.
"You know that the French have ravished one of the fairest daughters
of the tribe. You know that I have been deeply wronged. You know
that at Jagara, on land which is our land as much as that on which
you now sit, the French are building a fort, and that they boast it
will be a chain by which they will bind us in the future.
"You know that they scheme to gather into their own hands the
fur-trade with the western tribes, so that we may no longer exact
tribute of those who would pass through our territories to trade with
the English. You know that ever since Onontio came to Quebec the
French have been our enemies, and the English have been our friends.
You know that these men, Murray and de Veulle, who have stolen my
daughter, who have debased our ancient religion, who have deluded so
many of the white men, who have built the foul nest of fiends who
guard the Doom Trail, are the servants of the French.
"I ask you for vengeance. I ask you for the right to go before the
Ho-yar-na-go-war. I speak with a straight tongue. I have witnesses
by me. One is my nephew. Ta-wan-ne-ars. You know him. The other
is O-te-ti-an-i,[1] my white son, who is a brother of the Wolf Clan.
[1] "Always Ready."
"They are Senecas. They have been to Jagara, and talked with the
Frenchmen there. They were carried captives to La Vierge du Bois,
and escaped. They have seen the evil which is at work. They have
found the secret of the Doom Trail, and they will lead our warriors
to it.
"If you will follow them, O my people, you will gain rich spoils and
take many scalps. The cries of your captives will delight your ears.
Your families will be proud of you.
"_Na-ho!_"
The council broke up into separate councils of the five clans of the
tribe, the Bear, Wolf, Turtle, Snipe and Hawk. After the clan
councils had come to agreement, the _roy-an-ehs_ of the several
clans, as spokesmen, met and reached a joint agreement. Their
response was made at the second session of the tribal council on the
following day by Ga-ne-o-di-yo of the Turtle Clan, the senior
_roy-an-eh_ of the tribe.
"We have heard the pleas of the Guardian of the Western Door," he
said. "We have discussed the stories told by Ta-wan-ne-ars and
O-te-ti-an-i. We believe that all three have spoken with straight
tongues. We believe that the Frenchman de Veulle has put a slight
upon us, as well as upon Do-ne-ho-ga-weh and Ta-wan-ne-ars.
"We believe that Murray means harm to us. We believe that the trade
over the Doom Trail is as dangerous to us as to the English. We
believe that the French are our enemies.
"It is the judgment of the council that belts be sent to the brother
nations for the meeting of the Ho-yar-na-go-war. Let the Counselors
of the People decide what course is best.
"_Na-ho!_"
"_Yo-hay!_" echoed the audience.
That night the messengers were dispatched. They traveled night and
day, with only the barest necessary intervals for food and sleep, and
as they passed from nation to nation, the People of the Long House
stirred with expectancy.
The Supreme Council of the League was summoned. Great events were
under way. And on the heels of the messengers flowed a steadily
swelling stream of men, women and children, for every family that had
completed the harvest and Fall hunting was determined to be present
upon so momentous an occasion.
The delegates of the Senecas found the Great Trail already choked
with humanity when they set out from Nun-da-wa-o a week behind the
messengers. It was like some highway of civilized life, with the
difference that the current ran in but one direction. The faces of
all were turned eastward toward the Onondaga Lake.
But when we reached the outskirts of Ka-na-ta-go-wa we encountered a
second stream flowing westward. Senecas and Cayugas met and mingled
with Oneidas, Tuscaroras and Mohawks, and Onondagas viewed the
extraordinary confluence of people with grave interest.
The shores of the Onondaga Lake and the valley of the Onondaga River
were outlined by the myriad camp-fires which marked the temporary
habitations of this migratory swarm. The principal personages, of
course, were entertained by their clan brethren in the Onondaga
villages. But for the rank and file 'twas an occasion calling for
the Indian's instinctive ability to make much out of nothing. Lodges
of sticks and bark and skins, with fires in the door-ways, sufficed
for hundreds of families, and whole villages sprang up in a day, each
grouped about some strong or well-known personality, a favorite
orator or successful war-chief, whose name was appropriated for the
site.
Dancing and games, trials of skill with weapons, singing and feasting
and story-telling occupied the time of the multitudes to whom the
Ho-yar-na-go-war was an opportunity for escaping the monotony of
forest life. They left to their leaders the serious business of
government.
The _roy-an-ehs_ of the different tribes visited one another;
consultations were held; and Do-ne-ho-ga-weh, Ta-wan-ne-ars, Peter
and myself were called upon again and again to repeat our arguments
and offer the evidence we had gathered. In this way the _roy-an-ehs_
familiarized themselves with the subject in advance of its formal
presentation. 'Twas their habitual method whenever possible, I was
told.
It must have been a week after our arrival that Ta-wan-ne-ars entered
the Council-House of the Onondaga Wolves and announced the belated
arrival of the Tuscarora delegation.
"It ill becomes the youngest nation of the League to come last,"
remarked Do-ne-ho-ga-weh.
"Aye, and all the more so when they are allowed to appear only by
courtesy," rejoined Ta-wan-ne-ars.
"How is that?" I asked, full of curiosity to familiarize myself with
the novel customs of my adopted people.
"The founders of the Long House created the fixed number of
_roy-an-ehs_ and divided them amongst the five original nations,"
explained Ta-wan-ne-ars whilst Do-ne-ho-ga-weh resumed his
interrupted conversation with several Oneida Wolves. "When the
Tuscaroras and other nations applied for the protection of the League
it was given with the understanding that they could not disrupt our
ancient organization. In the case of the Tuscaroras, however,
because they had been a great nation, we gave them the privilege of
being represented at the Ho-yar-na-go-war, although their
representatives may not take part in the deliberations."
"How many of the _roy-an-ehs_ will attend?"
"All of the forty-eight are here."
"Is that the total?"
"No, brother. The Founders created fifty places, but when they
themselves died it was determined that no other men should ever hold
their names. So, as the Founders were both Mohawks, that tribe today
has but seven, instead of the nine, _roy-an-ehs_ apportioned to it,
and when the Keeper of the Wampum calls the roll of the _roy-an-ehs_
tomorrow there will be no answer to two of the names--unless it be
that Da-ga-na-we-da and Ha-yo-wont-ha make answer from their lodges
in the Halls of the Ho-no-che-no-keh."
That afternoon To-do-da-ho proclaimed the meeting of the
Ho-yar-na-go-war for the next day, and my friends busied themselves
in oiling their skins, painting their clan emblems and donning their
choicest garments. In the morning the delegations of the six nations
left their headquarters, and marched with slow dignity to the
Council-Ground, a broad meadow on the edge of the forest above the
river valley.
In the center of the meadow a fire had been kindled from brands of
the sacred, undying Council-Fire which burned in the Council-House
and had burned in one spot or another of the Onondaga Valley ever
since that dim day, far, far back in the remote past of history, when
the Long House was built.
Around the fire the _roy-an-ehs_ ranged themselves, each with his
assistant behind him. Of them all only Do-ne-ho-ga-weh was allowed
two supporters, and I had been permitted to take the place of one of
these--that of So-no-so-wa, the junior hereditary war-chief, who had
been left at De-o-nun-da-ga-a to maintain the guard on the
all-important Western Door. With Ta-wan-ne-ars beside me to give
necessary instructions, I stood at Do-ne-ho-ga-weh's back and watched
the imposing ceremonies.
My task was to hold the skin robe of the _roy-an-eh_ upon which he
sat during the deliberations. Ta-wan-ne-ars carried a bundle of
red-cedar fagots, denoting that the Council was held to decide a
question of war. Had its object been peaceful the fagots would have
been of white cedar.
In the center of the circle, on the eastern side, stood the Keeper of
the Wampum, Ho-yo-we-na-to, an Onondaga Wolf and seventh of the
_roy-an-ehs_ of his nation.
"Are you all here, _roy-an-ehs_ of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee?" he called.
"We are all here," replied the _roy-an-ehs_.
"Now, then," he continued, "behold, I call the roll of you, you who
were the Great Ones, you who were the Shining Ones, you who were
joined with the Pounders. And first I call the roll of the peoples.
Are you here, O Da-go-e-o-ga, the Shield People?"
"We are here, O Keeper," replied Da-ga-e-o-ga, senior _roy-an-eh_ of
the Mohawks.
"Are you here, O Ho-de-san-no-ge-ta, the Name-Bearers?"
"We are here," replied To-do-da-ho for the Onondagas.
"Are you here, O Ho-nan-ne-ho-ont, the Keepers of the Door?"
"We are here," replied Ga-ne-o-di-yo for the Senecas.
"Are you here, O Ne-ar-de-on-dar-go-war, the Great Tree People?"
"We are here," replied Ho-das-ha-teh, senior _roy-an-eh_ of the
Oneidas.
"Are you here, O So-nus-ho-gwa-to-war, Great Pipe People?"
"We are here," replied Da-ga-a-yo of the Cayuga Deers.
"Are you here, O Dus-ga-o-weh-o-no, Shirt-Wearing People?"
"We are here," echoed a Tuscarora chief from the position of his
people just outside the charmed circle of the _roy-an-ehs_.
Ho-yo-we-na-to raised his arms in a gesture of invocation.
"The peoples are here, O Founders who sit aloft with Ha-wen-ne-yu.
Heed ye now, O peoples. I begin the Roll of the Great Ones."
And his resonant voice sounded like trumpet-blasts blown for a
victory as he intoned the names of the _roy-an-ehs_, beginning with
Da-ga-e-o-ga of the Mohawk Turtles and ending with Do-ne-ho-ga-weh of
the Seneca Wolves. When, immediately after the name of Da-ga-e-o-ga,
he called the names of the Founders, Ha-yo-wont-ha and
Da-ga-no-we-da, he paused, and the immense concourse of Indians who
stood and sat around the fringes of the meadow all turned their eyes
skyward, as if expecting some demonstration from the Shining Ones.
Again the Keeper of the Wampum raised his arms in invocation. Then
he took from the ground at his feet belt after belt of wampum, and
from the designs woven into them recited, clearly and rapidly, the
principal events in the recorded history of the League and the rules
prescribed for the conduct of the Ho-yar-na-go-war. At the end of
his recitative, which was crudely rhythmical, he addressed himself
once more to the assemblage.
Under his direction the skin robes of the _roy-an-ehs_ were deposited
on the ground with the fagots in front of them. The Mohawks,
Onondagas and Senecas, the senior nations, who were brothers to each
other, were ranged on the eastern half of the circle, with the rising
sun at their backs. The Cayugas and Oneidas, who were sons to the
three senior nations, with the Tuscaroras sitting behind them, were
on the western side.
The Keeper of the Wampum next set fire to his own fagot by friction,
and then passed around the circle, setting each fagot alight, so that
a circle of little fires blazed up around the sacred Council-Fire.
When all the fires were going he returned to his place and led the
_roy-an-ehs_ in a stately procession three times around the circle,
each turning from time to time as he walked, so as to expose both
sides of his person to the heat in typification of the warming
influence of their mutual affections.
With the completion of the third round the fagots had been burned to
cinders; the _roy-an-ehs_ were all seated; and the deliberations of
the Council were begun, the direction of affairs passing
simultaneously from the hands of the Keeper of the Wampum to
To-do-da-ho.
"We are met, O my brethren," began the venerable Onondaga, "to decide
whether or no we shall lift the hatchet. Do-ne-ho-ga-weh speaks for
the Keepers of the Door who ask for war."
There would be no point in repeating Do-ne-ho-ga-weh's oration. It
was masterly, superior even to the address by which he carried his
own people with him. The intervening days had given him time for
thought and his statements were the more convincing, his figures more
polished, his arguments more closely reasoned.
He arraigned the whole history of the intercourse of the French with
the League. He described how de Veulle had lured away Ga-ha-no as a
young maid. He expanded the designs of Murray and his French allies.
He touched glowingly upon the friendship of the English. He pointed
out how the fortunes of the two peoples had become intertwined.
The _roy-an-ehs_ and the attendant throngs sat phlegmatically through
it all. An audience of white men must have applauded or derided so
positive a speaker, and I expressed my fears to Ta-wan-ne-ars. He
smiled.
"It is the custom of my people," he whispered. "Wait, brother, until
the speeches in answer come."
At last Do-ne-ho-ga-weh sat down. An interval of some minutes
elapsed. Then a _roy-an-eh_ of the Mohawks arose.
"My people have been much concerned over the power which Murray has
acquired," he said. "But it has seemed to us that it was more
dangerous to Ga-en-gwa-ra-go than to us. Why do not the English
scotch this snake in their midst?"
Do-ne-ho-ga-weh explained succinctly the situation which existed in
New York. A Cayuga responded, expressing amazement that the English,
who were usually so sensible, should act in such a childish manner.
He concluded by asking if the League might expect the help of the
English in an attack upon the Doom Trail.
This was the most difficult point we had to overcome, and
Do-ne-ho-ga-weh replied with circumspection.
"It is true, as my brother has said," he answered, "that we might
expect the English to move with us in this matter. But my friends
among the English send me word that their people are blinded for the
moment by the falsities of Murray and the French. Their counsels are
divided.
"Ga-en-gwa-ra-go would welcome our action, and would support it and
protect us from the vengeance of France. But he would find it
difficult to act himself."
"If Ga-en-gwa-ra-go will not act, why should the League act?"
demanded the Cayuga.
"Because it is to the interest of our people to act even more than it
is to the interest of the English," retorted Do-ne-ho-ga-weh with
impassioned energy. "Already the English are more numerous than we
are. They have strong forts. We have only the forest. They have
brothers across the Great Water who will aid them. We have only the
uncertain aid of our allies and subject tribes.
"Some day the French will try to drive the English from the land, but
before they can do that they must destroy our League. It is we who
will feel the first blow, and Murray's trade over the Doom Trail and
his bands of Keepers of the Trail are in preparation for the
destruction of the Long House. If you wait, O my people, you will
perish. If you strike now you will live and the League will continue.
"The decision is in your hands. If you fight for the English you
will survive and grow stronger. If you fight for the French or if
you do not fight for the English, you will slowly be crippled and in
a little time you will be no more feared than the Mohicans or the
Eries.
"_Na-ho!_"
That was the last speech of the day, and the Council adjourned, only,
as in the case of the Senecas' tribal council, to dissolve into minor
councils of the _roy-an-ehs_ of the different clan groups in each
tribe. These continued throughout the following day, and as the
_roy-an-ehs_ of one clan agreed they consulted amongst themselves
with the _roy-an-ehs_ of another clan group, and so gradually the
representatives of an entire tribe came to an accord.
When the representatives of each tribe had reached the unanimity
which was required by the laws of the League, they discussed the
situation informally with the _roy-an-ehs_ of the other tribes; and
on the fifth day To-do-da-ho summoned the final and decisive session
of the Ho-yar-na-go-war.
The preliminary ceremonies were brief. After an invocation to the
Great Spirit by the Keeper of the Wampum, To-do-da-ho delivered the
common judgment of the _roy-an-ehs_.
"Murray and the Keepers of the Doom Trail are the enemies of the Long
House. We must break them now before they grow too powerful.
Therefore we have decided to take up the hatchet against them. But
we shall send word to Ga-en-gwa-ra-go, appealing to him, by virtue of
the covenant chain between us, to support us against the vengeance of
the French. This is the decision of the Ho-yar-na-go-war, O my
people."
"_Yo-hay!_" answered the _roy-an-ehs_.
And the thousands of people in the meadow echoed the shout.
Do-ne-ho-ga-weh stood up.
"I have a favor to ask of the Council, O my brothers," he said.
"Will you relieve me of my duties as Guardian of the Western Door so
that I may raise the warriors who will go against the Doom Trail?"
"The request of Do-ne-ho-ga-weh is granted," replied To-do-da-ho
after a short consultation with the _roy-an-ehs_. "Let him set up
the war-post and strike it with his hatchet. Many brave warriors
will be glad to follow so famous a chief. So-no-so-wa, who now holds
the Door, shall continue his watch until Do-ne-ho-ga-weh returns to
tell of the many scalps he took."
The bystanders responded with the war-whoop; but my attention was
diverted by a young Onondaga who attempted to explain something to me
in his dialect. Seeing I could not understand, Ta-wan-ne-ars
approached and listened to him, a look of astonishment creasing his
usually impassive face.
"The Onondaga says that a Frenchman has come to the village who
claims to have a message for you," translated the Seneca.
"For me? Who can it be from?"
But even as I asked, a sense of foreboding gripped me.
"I do not know, brother. Let us hasten and find out."
We pushed our way through the masses of warriors already beginning
the war-dance, and ran between the vegetable gardens toward
Ka-na-ta-go-wa, the roofs of whose long houses showed above the
tree-tops of the lower ground.