HEWITT) INTRODUCTION 463 



been installed like other chiefs as chiefs of their tribe. At their 

 death their office ceased. In every tribe there were able men who 

 many times had as much if not more power than any member of the 

 council. Sometimes these men have been called head chiefs of their 

 respective tribes. After attaining this preeminence it was custom- 

 ary to install them as merit chiefs. Another name for this class of 

 chiefs was Pine-tree chiefs. In the original organization of the 

 League Council the last chief in the Onondaga list, Skanawati, was 

 made the Fire-keeper of the Federal Council. He was also given the 

 office of Chief Warrior, which made him the civil head of the warlike 

 activities of the League, and he alone of the 47 original Federal chiefs 

 had served in a double capacity, first as a Federal chief, and second, 

 virtually as a secretary of war. Hence it is said that his body was 

 divided in twain. 



But at a later date two important groups of Seneca people were 

 persuaded to join the League of the Iroquois. Each group was under 

 the leadership of a very strong personality. These two men agreed 

 to join the League with their peoples on condition that they together 

 perform the functions of a modern secretary of state and secretary 

 of war, respectively. This naturally stripped Skanawati of his posi- 

 tion as Chief Warrior in the League. By the adhesion of these two 

 chiefs the Federal Council then numbered 49, and this number was 

 never changed, although the Tuscarora, the Nanticoke, the Tutelo, 

 and the Delaware were later adopted into the League as separate 

 tribes, and such of them as had chiefs were permitted to be repre- 

 sented in the Federal Council by their tribal chiefs. 



The original constitution of the League recognized Federal women 

 chiefs, who had an equal official standing with the men chiefs, and 

 they had also the same right to attend the sessions of the Federal 

 Council; but these women chiefs did not always exercise this right 

 of attending the sessions of the Federal Council, but such kinship 

 groups as had women chiefs also provided them with spokesmen or 

 orators, who were the most noted speakers in their respective groups. 



