NO. 12 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I917 IO7 



These detailed investigations naturally led to the recording of 

 other corrective or amplifying texts and notes ; these amount to over 

 500 manuscript pages, of which Shaman Joshua lUtck supplied more 

 than 240 pages and Emeritus Chief Abram Charles over 260 pages, 

 together on more than forty topics; both these informants recited 

 a ritual for recording. 



In addition to this new material in text Mr. Hewitt recorded in 

 English only, three short traditions, about 50 manuscript pages, 

 which though very short are highly significant as they purport to 

 relate events and express ideas and newer conceptions of life and 

 man which, asserting the brotherhood and the fellowship of all men 

 in contradistinction to the ideas of mere tribalism, shaped the prin- 

 ciples upon which the League of the Iroquois was built. 



Mr. Hewitt also made several important discoveries concerning 

 certain clans of the Iroquois. In brief, the new information shows 

 that three so-called " clans '' of this group of tribes do not exist 

 outside of the names which are employed to designate them. It is 

 found that the Onondaga " Ball '' clan is in fact a Hawk clan ; and 

 that the so-called " Hand '' clan of the Cayuga is the Gray Wolf 

 clan ; and that the " r'otato " clan of the Cayuga and Mohawi< 

 (Canadian?) is in fact a ( ?) Duck clan, or possibly a ( ?) Wolf clan 

 (the identification is still incomplete). This confusion is due to 

 popular acceptance of a sobriquet as the real name of the clan. 



On March 13, Mr. Hewitt was fortunate in being selected as an 

 official delegate from the Council of the Six Nations of Iroquois to 

 represent the Seneca tribe as a celebrant in its behalf in a Condolence 

 and Installation Ceremony held in behalf of the Oneida of Muncie- 

 town, Ontario, in which he was required to act a leading part in 

 the rites, necessitating the intoning of an address of comforting 

 in the Onondaga language and also in acting the part of the Seneca 

 chiefs in such a Council of Condolence and Installation. This official 

 recognition gave Mr. Hewitt the rare opportunity of seeing just 

 how such a ceremony is conducted from behind the scenes. 



It was Mr. Hewitt's good fortune to obtain a set of wooden masks 

 of the various Wind Gods or Spirits and also two of the Food 

 Gods, eight in all ; these Wind Spirits or Gods are held in high 

 repute in the medical circles of these noted tribes. 



Mr. Hewitt was also pleased to obtain by purchase the gourd 

 rattle used by the late Chief John Buck, the noted father of his 

 assistant, Mr. Joshua Buck ; he also purchased what is reported to 

 be the last cradle-board on the reservation ; it has a beautiful beaded 

 belt. He also obtained a fine medicine flute. 



