IROOUOIS USES OF MAIZE 43 



2 Varieties of corn used by the Iroquois 



7.ea mays amylacea, soft corns 

 Tuscarora or Squaw, Ona'onga n = * ivhite corn 

 Tuscarora short eared, Onyun'gwikta'=3 growing over the tip 

 Purple soft, Oso n gwudji' = purple 

 Red soft, gwe n da'a = red 



Zea mays indurata, flint corns 

 Hominy or flint, dioneo"state'=the corn. glistens 

 Hominy or flint, long eared, he"kowa 



_ f . f yodjisto'gofmyi iY spotted is 



Calico, -I ' ,1 



! deyuneo n de n ms = mixed colors 



Yellow, djitgwa n 'a n he" kowa = yellow he"kowa 



Zea mays saccharata, sweet corns 

 Sweet, diyut'gotnogwi = puckered corn 

 Black sweet, oso^vud'dji deutgo n/ negaide = black puckers 



Zea mays everta, pod corn 



Red pop, gwe n</ da'a wata'tofigwus = red, it bursts 

 White pop, wata'tofigwus = it bursts 



Zea mays (variety ?), pod corn 

 Sacred corn, ona/c^w'e = original corn 



The Mohawks cultivate some of these varieties now. Mr William 

 Loft, a Mohawk Indian of the Six Nations Reservation in Canada, 

 gives the Mohawk names for the following: 



Tuscarora, ono n staga n 'rha 



Tuscarora, short, ono n staoan'nal 



Sweet corn, degon'derho n wix 



Hominy or white flint, onust'teonwe' 



Hominy, longeared, ga'hrades 



Yellow, o'jinegwa^onuste' 



Purple, orhon'ya' 



Husk or pod, oo^na* 



Pop, wadada'gwas oniuste' 



1 Seneca terminology. 



