CHAPTER VI. 

 RELIGION. 



In a former chapter it was concluded that the "Great Spirit" is the 

 Indian's couceptiou of the wliite man's God. This belief in God is com- 

 mon now to all of the Iroquois, but the Christian religion is professed 

 by only about one-half of their number. The other half of the people 

 are usually denominated " pagans." The so-called Christian Indians are 

 distributed among various sects, worship in churches, and profess Chris- 

 tian creeds. 



The pagan Indians worship the sun, moon, stars, thunder, and other 

 spirits rather vaguely defined. But though in talking with white men 

 they frequently speak of the Great Spirit, yet in their worship there 

 Seems to be no very well-defined recognition of the same, the term being 

 used in a confused manner. Their religious rites are chiefly in the form 

 of festivals. 



Among these so-called pagan Iroquois of today no private worship 

 is known, unless the offering of burning tobacco to Hinu°, or the occa- 

 sional solitary dance, as practiced by some of the squaws, be so consid- 

 ered. 



The annual public national and religious festivals are eight in num- 

 ber, with the occasional addition of those specially appointed. As the 

 nucleus to the ceremonies observed at these festivals we find many of 

 their ancient practices retained, such as dancing, games, the use of in- 

 cense, «&c. And upon these have been grafted, according to their pecu- 

 liar interpretation, varied forms from the Romish, Jewish, or Protestant 

 churches, which to them seemed suitable and adaptable. Although 

 the Tuscaroras of western New York retain many of the old supersti- 

 tious none of the national festivals are there observed, and hardly a 

 trace now remains of their old religious customs. 



About half of the Senecas still adhere to paganism, but it is only 

 among the Onondagas that all the old festivals are strictly^and relig- 

 iously observed, after the sequence and manner of the following account 

 of the New- Year Festival : 



NEW-YEAR FESTIVAL. 



At the first new moon of the new year, which sometimes occurs three 

 weeks after New Year's Day, the chiefs assemble and call what they 



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