4IO NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The first definite account we have of the later Iroquois belts in 

 the custody of the Onondagas is that given by J. V. H. Clark in 

 his history, in 1849^ 1-124-25. The belts had been kept on the 

 Buffalo reservation till 1847 by Ut-ha-wa, or Capt. Cold, an Onon- 

 daga chief. In that year the council fire was restored to Onondaga, 

 and Mr Clark's account follows. 



Dehatkatons was at that time chosen keeper of the council fire of 

 the Six Nations. These archives consist of various belts of wam- 

 pum^ some 25 or 30 in number, which the author has had. the 

 satisfaction of seeing-, (a sight rarely allowed a white man) with 

 explanations from the keeper. Here is shown a belt, 16 inches 

 broad by 4 feet long, representing the first union and league of the 

 Five Nations, and is called the carpet, foundation or platform, or as 

 we may better understand it, the constitution; literally something 

 to stand upon. The several nations are distinguished by particular 

 squares, and these are joined together by a line of white wampum 

 and united to a heart in the center, implying the union of heart and 

 hand as one. In connection with this is a second belt having the 

 figures of several chiefs wrought in the wampum, all holding hands 

 in a circle, which is to represent that there shall be no end to the 

 league. 



On one belt is figured the Long House, the Great Cabin, which 

 no new nation can enter till it has erected some little cabins around 

 it; that is, the nation must perform some deeds worthy of note be- 

 fore it can be entitled to admission to the great league of confedera- 

 tion. Around this are five smaller cabins, emblems of the original 

 Five Nations before the league was formed, and on one side is a 

 still smaller one, wrought since the first, representing the Tuscarora 

 nation, which was admitted at a subsequent period. Another long 

 narrow belt, having a cross at one end and a Long House at the 

 other, a narrow white stripe connecting the Long House and a large 

 cross, was explained as follows: "Great many years ago " a company 

 from Canada presented this belt, desiring that missionaries from the 

 Roman catholic church might be settled among the Five Nations 

 and erect a church at Onondaga, and that the road should be con- 

 tinually kept open and free between them. All the other belts were 

 •explained with particular minuteness. 



The bag which contains these relics is of itself a singular curios- 

 ity. It is made of the finest shreds of elm bark, and a person with- 

 out being apprised might easily mistake it for the softest flax. Its 

 capacity would exceed a bushel. The bag is reputed to be as old 

 as the league itself, and certainly bears the marks of great antiquity. 

 The tubes or beads of wampum are of red, dark blue, pale blue, 

 black and white colors, made of conch shell. They are about f 



