^"No°74p^' IROQUOIS MASKS AT ONONDAGA — ^HENDRY 375 



society to be an authority on the meaning and use of the masks. 

 In this sense he is more "Indian" than the Indians themselves, 

 insisting that the ancient concepts be followed and the ancient forms 

 observed. ^^ 



The rivalry and suspicion which exist between the Christian 

 church and the Council House do not prevent a frequent change from 

 one congregation to another on the part of many of the members. 

 Some vacillate continually between the two, forsaking the church when 

 they feel they have been slighted or insulted there, only to return 

 when something upsets them at the Council House. Even those who 

 remain permanently affiliated with one religious system tend to take 

 advantage of what the other has to offer. Thus CouncU House people 

 usually bring their children to be baptized at the church, while many 

 "good" churchmen who have been Christians for generations attend 

 the festivals at the Council House and call in the False Faces when 

 the White doctor fails to effect a cure. This inclination to "play it 

 safe" is strikingly exemplified in the not uncommon practice of 

 giving the deceased two separate services; a Christian burial and a 

 Dead Feast at the Council House. Nor is a belief in witchcraft 

 confined to one religious group. Although the fear of being "witched" 

 and the conviction that some persons have the power to transform 

 themselves into animals are more prevalent among the Council 

 House people, the Christains too sense the threat of unseen evils. 

 They may laugh at the more "backward and superstitious Indians"; 

 but they do not care to walk out alone at night, have an uneasy 

 feeling that a screech owl is an omen of impending danger, and tell 

 stories of being chased by creatures that are half-human, half-animal. 



The traditional arts have not fared as well under the impact of 

 acculturation as have the religious and political systems, since the 

 acceptance of western material culture leaves most of them no function 

 in the society. Under the auspices of the National Youth Association, 

 classes in Indian handicraft were held for a time at the community 

 center by an Onondaga woman who has taught in summer camps. 

 These classes did not include instruction in mask carving, and since 

 they did not succeed in arousing much interest, they have been dis- 

 continued. Other than this there has been no organized attempt to 

 develop or preserve the old skills and, with the exception of wood- 

 carving, those which have survived do so because they have a com- 

 mercial value as Indian souvenirs. Many of the women do a little 

 beadwork at home. The belts, bracelets, lapel pins, and moccasins 

 which they make are as much "Indian" as Iroquois in design; the 



» This man, Pete Hest, gave me little information beyond the fact that he likes Indians and has been 

 associated with them at summer camps where he picked up his interest in Indian lore. He is regarded 

 somewhat suspiciously by many of the Christians on the reservation who wonder what he is up to. 



