HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 155 



have the fewest of all, the attendance at first being determined by 

 distance and interest, and the Senecas being the last to favor the 

 league. In representation this made no difference, each nation 

 having but one vote, and its chiefs agreeing what that should be. 

 Though there were these principal chiefs succeeding to the old 

 titles, it is historically true that there were often more, increasing 

 or diminishing as might be expedient. There are many cases 

 where more than the regular number are mentioned, and prin- 

 cipal chiefs were deposed or restored when desired. War chiefs 

 were often leaders in war and assistants to the principal chiefs 

 in peace, as they are now. There are impressive ceremonies for 

 the raising of each, and they are usually nominated by the women, 

 who have great power, but do not speak in council. Another 

 class is of the pinetree chiefs, having their roots in the sky and 

 their power from their goodness, but rules varied much. 



The Hi-a-wat-ha legends are many and different. He was the 

 reputed founder of the league in the way of suggestion and work, 

 and the inventor of wampum with some, this being new; to the 

 Iroquois at the beginning of the 17th century. In most tales he 

 travels through the nations, explaining his views and giving the 

 national and council names by which they have since been known. 

 Though slightly known before, Mr J. V. H. Clark first gave wide 

 circulation to the story in its most fanciful and popular form, too 

 well known to require repetition in detail. He had this from 

 Onondaga chiefs. Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha comes to earth and delivers 

 it from many evils, becomes a man indeed as Hiawatha, con- 

 venes a council, forms the league, and ascends to heaven again 

 in his white canoe. Mr Clark said that Hiawatha's often quoted 

 speech was a pure invention of his own. In all these tales the 

 council ground is at Onondaga lake, though the Onondagas then 

 lived a score of miles away. Schoolcraft had the story from 

 Clark, and at last it took a western form. 



The earliest of these tales was published by William Dunlap 

 in 1839, i^ ^is History of the Nezv Netherlands. He had it from 

 the Onondaga interpreter, Ephraim Webster, and, not remem- 

 bering the chief's name, he called him Oweneko. He was an 



