﻿yO 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Intellectually 
  undeveloped 
  men, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  men 
  of 
  today, 
  seek 
  

   primarily 
  the 
  conditions 
  which 
  give 
  their 
  acquired 
  or 
  natural 
  

   necessities, 
  desires, 
  inclinations, 
  ideas 
  and 
  instincts 
  the 
  greatest 
  

   comfort, 
  freedom 
  and 
  satisfaction. 
  In 
  short, 
  not 
  only 
  is 
  freedom 
  

   from 
  antagonizing 
  and 
  destructive 
  elements 
  sought 
  but 
  pleasurable 
  

   sensations 
  also, 
  the 
  stimuli 
  to 
  coincide 
  with 
  both 
  natural 
  and 
  ac- 
  

   quired 
  ideas. 
  To 
  attain 
  these 
  desired 
  conditions 
  the 
  Iroquois 
  like 
  

   other 
  races 
  had 
  their 
  religion, 
  their 
  folk 
  beliefs 
  and 
  their 
  mystical 
  

   -sccitties. 
  

  

  A 
  Hit 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  societies 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  brief 
  summary 
  of 
  

   ..t]:eir 
  distinguishing 
  features 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  ^'^- 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  '' 
  

  

  \ 
  Nia-gwai' 
  O-d'-no, 
  the 
  Bear 
  Society 
  

  

  "I 
  The 
  ritual 
  of 
  the 
  Bear 
  Society 
  consists 
  of 
  20 
  songs 
  and 
  a 
  

   .dance. 
  At 
  stages 
  in 
  the 
  song- 
  and 
  dance 
  berry 
  juice 
  is 
  drunk. 
  

  

  12 
  The 
  ceremony 
  is 
  opened 
  by 
  offering 
  tobacco 
  incense 
  to 
  the 
  

   'spirits 
  of 
  bears. 
  During 
  this 
  ceremony 
  a 
  speech 
  is 
  recited. 
  

  

  3 
  The 
  sign 
  of 
  membership, 
  or 
  in 
  other 
  words 
  the 
  badge, 
  is 
  one 
  

   black 
  streak 
  drawn 
  diagonally 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  cheek. 
  

  

  4 
  The 
  chief 
  of 
  the 
  Bear 
  Society 
  is 
  a 
  woman. 
  

  

  5 
  The 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  is 
  to 
  cure 
  the 
  diseases 
  of 
  its 
  members 
  

   or 
  candidates 
  by 
  chanting 
  its 
  songs. 
  The 
  Bear 
  song 
  is 
  believed 
  to 
  

   Le 
  a 
  powerful 
  remedy 
  for 
  fevers 
  and 
  rheumatism. 
  

  

  6 
  The 
  chief 
  woman 
  blows 
  on 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  patient. 
  

  

  7 
  A 
  person 
  becomes 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  this 
  society 
  by 
  dreaming 
  that 
  

   lie 
  or 
  she 
  must 
  or 
  by 
  calling 
  upon 
  it 
  for 
  services. 
  

  

  8 
  No 
  one 
  but 
  members 
  may 
  engage 
  in 
  its 
  public 
  dances. 
  

  

  9 
  After 
  a 
  ceremony 
  the 
  members 
  depart 
  bearing 
  with 
  them 
  parts 
  

   of 
  bear 
  pudding 
  that 
  had 
  been 
  cooked 
  at 
  the 
  ceremony. 
  

  

  Sha-dot-ge^-a' 
  , 
  the 
  Eagle 
  Society 
  

  

  1 
  The 
  ritual 
  of 
  this 
  society 
  consists 
  of 
  10 
  songs 
  and 
  a 
  dance. 
  

   The 
  song 
  is 
  called 
  Ga-ne' 
  gwa-a' 
  0-d-no 
  or 
  the 
  great 
  eagle 
  cere- 
  

   mony. 
  

  

  2 
  Every 
  member 
  engaging 
  in 
  a 
  ceremony 
  must 
  paint 
  each 
  cheek 
  

   -with 
  a 
  round 
  spot 
  of 
  carmine. 
  

  

  3 
  The 
  Bird 
  Society 
  ceremony 
  is 
  considered 
  as 
  the 
  most 
  sacred 
  

   next 
  to 
  the 
  Great 
  Feather 
  dance. 
  

  

  4 
  It 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  this 
  society 
  holds 
  in 
  its 
  songs 
  the 
  most 
  potent 
  

   ^ong 
  charm 
  known. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  dying 
  have 
  been 
  revived 
  

   ly 
  it 
  and 
  completely 
  restored. 
  

  

  