454 IROQUOIAN COSMOLOGY [eth. ann 43 



was seriously interested in knowing the customs, traditions, and 

 religion of his ancestors, and so he decided to go out of his way in 

 instructing young Mr. Gibson. When this old man realized that 

 life was drawing to a close he requested his faithful pupil, Mr. Gibson, 

 to succeed him as the leader and teacher of his people in their social, 

 political, and religious activities in the Onondaga Council House 

 where he officiated. This Mr. Gibson agreed to do, an agreement 

 resulting in makmg Mr. Gibson, a Seneca, virtually an Onondaga 

 chief and priest at all times except m Federal councils. 



The fact that at the time of his death Mr. Gibson was by far the 

 best-posted man living in all that related to Iroquoian mythology, 

 civil institutions, and the rituals of their Condoling Council, shows 

 how well he had been instructed by his departed patron. This wide 

 knowledge of the customs, institutions, and religion of his ancestors 

 made Mr. Gibson a valuable assistant counselor of the Canadian 

 Department of Indian xVflairs. This department very frequently 

 called upon Mr. Gibson to settle disputes between members not only 

 of his own tribe but between those also of other tribes, in which he was 

 very successful. His ideas of right and wrong were derived largely 

 from the teachings of his ancestors. He had a living and profound 

 reverence for the merciful care of his Creator.' The Iroquois have 

 seven great annual festivals which are fundamentally assemblies for 

 thanksgiving. So it was not strange to hear Mr. Gibson, after more 

 than 26 years of total blindness, not only at mealtime but at other 

 times, thank his God for the bounties he enjoyed and for the beautiful 

 sunshine and beauties of nature, which he had not seen for all those 

 years. 



The Onondaga were an important tribe of the League of the Iro- 

 quois, and when first known they dwelt on the mountain, lake, and 

 creek bearing their name, in the present State of New York, and their 

 territory extended northward to Lake Ontario and southward perhaps 

 to the waters of the Susquehanna River. On the east their lands 

 abutted on those of the Oneida, and on the west those of the Cayuga 

 and Seneca. 



Their principal village, which was also the capital of the Confedera- 

 tion, was called Onondaga, and later Onondaga Castle. This village 

 was situated on Indian Hill, in the present town of Pompey, Onondaga 

 County, N. Y., and in 1677 it contained more than 140 long lodges or 

 long houses of the well-known type peculiar to the Iroquois. This 

 village was situated here from before 1654 to 1681. Later it was 

 removed to Butternut Creek, where the palisaded fort was burned in 

 1696. In 1720 it was again removed to Onondaga Creek, and the 

 present reservation of the portion of that tribe living in Onondaga is 



in that valley, being a few miles south of Onondaga Lake. 



> 



See note on p. 608. 



