NO. 15 ROLL CALL OF IROQUOIS CHIEFS — FENTON 39 



toward the center and with the long pendant representing the Onon- 

 daga wampum keeper to the left of the join in the circle. (The 

 museum photographer in laying out the specimen inadvertently re- 

 versed it, or the negative was printed in reverse, to contradict the 

 description in the text, because in the plate (p. 29) the long string 

 appears at the right. The wampum circle is also illustrated in Jenness, 

 "Indians of Canada" (p. 136, 1932), in a different orientation with 

 the long string at the upper left, as his text states.) Beginning at the 

 join and reading counterclockwise (clockwise in the published plate), 

 there are 14 strings for the Onondaga federal chiefs, of which the 

 long string is number 7 reading counterclockwise in the Onondaga 

 group, then returning to the join and reading clockwise, 8 for the 

 Seneca, 9 for the Mohawk, 9 for the Oneida, and finally 10 for the 

 Cayuga. This left the Cayuga at the right of the Onondaga. Jenness' 

 information goes on to state that it was in this order that the 

 council sat. 



There the Mohawk, if they were introducing a question, referred it first to 

 the sachems of the Seneca nation, who sat on their right. When the Seneca 

 gave their judgment the Mohawk referred it to the sachems of the Oneida and 

 Cayuga. Lastly, the Mohawk laid it before the sachems of the Onondaga, who 

 could express an independent opinion only if the other nations had disagreed. 

 ... if the nations failed to reach a unanimous agreement the matter was to be 

 referred to the council of matrons for decision. [P. 26.] 



The wampum circle groups the Onondaga chiefs at the right, the 

 Senecas and Mohawks on their left, and the Cayugas and Oneidas 

 on their right ; we note first that the chiefs are grouped into two great 

 moieties of 31 and 19 chiefs respectively, the first comprising the 

 Mohawk, Seneca, and Onondaga, the other the Cayuga and Oneida, 

 Second, the arrangement of tribal councils and sequence around the 

 circle, or fire, is not the order of the roll call in the Condolence Council 

 ritual which proceeds the length of the Longhouse of the League, from 

 its east door, the Mohawk, to the western door of the Seneca. Third, 

 if the Onondaga were seated north of the fire as they sat at Ohsweken 

 on Grand River, the wampum circle would place the Seneca and 

 Mohawk on their left, and the Cayuga and Oneida on the right ; which 

 was their relative orientation, but it is my impression that in the 

 Ohsweken council house the Mohawk chiefs sat immediately next 

 to the Onondaga with Seneca chiefs at one remove, and likewise the 

 Oneida on the right (west) and Cayuga and chiefs of other nations 

 near the door. Finally, the ring of chiefs around the council fire more 

 nearly symbolizes the order of business around the council fire of 

 the League than it does the seating of chiefs (unless this changed in 



