FOREWORD XV 



includes Bear, Wolf, Beaver, and Turtle clans; Moiety II includes 

 Deer, Snipe, Heron, and Hawk. At Tonawanda, Moiety I comprises 

 Wolf, Turtle, Bear, and Beaver; Moiety II has Snipe, Hawk, Deer, 

 Heron, and Eel. The moieties have specific seating arrangements in 

 the longhouse, differing somewhat for summer and winter ceremonies. 

 They also follow set patterns in dances (e.g., Fen ton and Kurath, 

 1953, pp. 138, 230, 232). 



Moiety arrangement crosscuts the separate seating of men and 

 women, as in other longhouses (Speck, 1949, fig. 1). Likewise, the 

 interaction of male and female officials crosscuts moiety in ritual 

 preparation and dance. Each sex has special functions and assigned 

 places in the dance line. Men are in charge of the Midwinter and 

 Thanksgiving festivals, and women manage the summer food cere- 

 monies. However, men and women may officiate at each other's 

 medicine ceremonies. 



Woman's role has remained more functional in daily life than 

 man's. Men have transferred to white men's jobs; women still 

 prepare meals and are mothers of their famOies and clans. Though 

 men took over the active farming after 1800, an activity now in 

 decline, women remained identified with crop fertility. 



Despite the perseverance of ritual and an amazing repertoire of 

 songs and dances, there are increasing signs of change. Young people 

 rarely trouble to memorize long rituals with a hundred songs, and 

 therefore the aged ceremonialists, realizing that they are not being 

 adequately replaced, are becoming concerned. Ritual holders have 

 decided that the songs must be preserved and are therefore less re- 

 luctant (some are even enthusiastic) to record for trusted ethnologists 

 and friends. Indeed, after the death of Fannie Stevens, the Cold- 

 spring women requested a copy of Fen ton's recording of Towisas. 



NIAWE 



In conclusion I wish to say thanks — niawe — to the Indians who 

 have given friendly help with songs and dances, and to the people 

 and organizations who have helped with funds or working disks. 

 Two officials of the American Philosophical Society deserve my special 

 gratitude: William E. Lingelbach and Gertrude Hess. Through 

 their help the two manuscripts came into being, and by the kind 

 permission of the American Philosophical Society they are now 

 transferred to the printed page. I wish to thank Curt Sachs and 

 George Herzog for musicological advice. Above all, I am grateful 

 to Wallace L. Chafe; without his patient unraveling of editorial 

 problems, publication would have languished. 



Gertrude Prokosch Kurath, 



Ann Arbor, Michigan, 



September 1961. 



