1 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 187 



study. They were the late Chaiincey Johnny John, originally from 

 Cattaraugus, one of the chief singers; his son, Amos, and grandson, 

 Richard, both prominent as dancers and singers; his other grandson, 

 Arthur, and his grand-daughter-in-law. Pearl, two excellent dancers. 

 At the present time one of the prominent singers is Chauncey's 

 former partner, Albert Jones. The latter's wife, Geneva, imparts her 

 excellent mformation willingly. Her mother was the late Fannie 

 Stevens, who was the leader of the Women's Society of Planters 

 (towisas), with Sadie Butler as her partner, and who stood out in 

 the ceremonies by her inimitable dance style. Other fine singers were 

 Jonas Snow, Henry and Sherman Redeye, Edward Curry, Lyn 

 Dowdy, and Avery Jimerson. Most of these men have been employed 

 as track workers for the Erie Railroad. They and their women also 

 cultivate small patches of corn and other vegetables, sometimes with 

 the aid of tractors. Whatever their outside contacts, they never 

 forget their songs; they render them with all their heart and soul at the 

 great Midwinter Festival, at the Food Spirit Festivals, and at the 

 occasional social gatherings. 



The young people, less fervent, cause the longhouse leaders some 

 concern, because they do not trouble to learn the long ceremonial 

 cycles and consequently may fail to perpetuate the traditions. 



Tonawanda singers have variant versions of the same song cycles. 

 In this volume the singers are the late Jesse Cornplanter, originally 

 from Cattaraugus, and Robert Shanks and Edward Black. Some of 

 their songs are juxtaposed with versions from other longhouses, 

 particularly from Coldspring but also from Onondaga Valley and 

 Six Nations Reserve. 



THE STUDY OF THE SONGS AND DANCES 



The songs and dances are here classified according to the present 

 concepts. Fenton has already published the classification and the 

 variant compositions of the seasonal ceremonies at Coldspring and 

 Tonawanda (Fenton, 1941 b, pp. 163-164; field notes). The Mid- 

 winter rites feature the rituals for the Creator, the medicine rites, and 

 social dances, but in a different sequence. Summer food dances repeat 

 combinations of Feather Dance and Women's Dance, for planting, 

 for berries, and for corn. The great Green Corn Festival recapitulates 

 the nuclear days of the Midwinter Festival. At other longhouses the 

 sequence is somewhat different. 



The dances themselves, as observed at five different longhouses, 

 are essentially similar and vary chiefly in improvisational details. 

 Their recurrent patterns justified grouping the choreographies accord- 

 ing to types of ground plans and steps. The grouping takes the form of 

 diagrams, steps, some stick figures, and verbal descriptions. The 



