﻿NO. I SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, 1925 II5 



and to translate into free English speech one of these rituals and to 

 discover the reason for its most peculiar name. The title of this 

 ritual is Ka'rhazvv"' hn'i'to"' in Mohawk, and Ga' hawc"' ha' di' in 

 Onondaga, meaning " Cast or Thrown Over the Grand Forest." 

 To learn the cause of giving so peculiar a name is to learn one of 

 the processes of constructing rituals. 



Legislative or ceremonial action is taken by the tribe only through 

 the orderly cooperation of the two constitutive Sisterhoods of clans, 

 commonly called Phratries in early ethnologic writings. This dual- 

 ism in the highest units of organization was based originally on 

 definite mythic concepts. Briefly, the one Sisterhood of tribes sym- 

 bolized the Female Principle or Motherhood in Nature, and the 

 other, the Male Principle or Fatherhood in Nature. 



The Sisterhood of tribes functioned by the independent action of 

 its constituent institutional units — every several trilie. In turn, every 

 tribe functioned through the units of its own internal organiza- 

 tion — each several clan, to execute its prescribed part in the larger 

 federal action, which otherwise could not be authentic and authori- 

 tative ; so that a clan, or an individual in a clan, in special cases 

 involving personal rights, might prevent vital federal action. So 

 personal rights were abundantly safeguarded. 



In addition to the chant called " Cast Over the Grand Forest "" 

 mentioned above, the most distinctive one of the Council of Con- 

 dolence and Installation of the League of the Iroquo's is that which 

 is designated as " The Seven Songs of Farewell." This is in- 

 toned in l)ehalf of the deceased member of the Federal Council 

 which, as a Council of Condolence and Installation, has met to 

 condole his death with his kinsmen and to install his successor. 

 These two chants are respectively divided into two portions. The 

 first six of the " Seven Songs of Farewell " are followed l)y the 

 first five paragraphs of the chant " Cast Over the Grand Forest." 

 A veil of skins divides the Mother from the Father Side during 

 the chanting of the " Farewell Chant." 



By a searching study of all symbolic terms and phrases occurring 

 in the chants of these rituals, Mr. Hewitt was able to identify the 

 phrase, " the veil of skins "" with the other phrase " the Grand 

 Forest." The " Grand Forest " represents ritualistically the totality 

 of the forests which intervene between the lands of the Mourning 

 Side of the League and those of the other side. Mr. Hewitt also 

 made a free English translation of the chants. " Cast Over the Grand 

 Forest," and " The Seven Songs of Farewell." 



