WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 4^9 



seal as an emblem of the United States, but the belt seems different 

 from that mentioned above, as it was called a curious one. The 

 chief did not stop with this. " He likewise held up another belt, 

 much larger, of dififerent colors, which appeared to be very an- 

 cient. . . ' Brother, I will now state to you the meaning ol 

 this belt. A long time ago the Six Nations had formed an union. 

 They had no means of writing their treaties on paper and of pre- 

 serving them in the manner the white people do. We therefore 

 made this belt, which shows that the Six Nations have bound 

 themselves firmly together; that it is their determination to remain 

 united, that they will never do any thing contrary to the interests 

 of the whole, but that they will always act towards each other like 

 brothers." — Stone, p. 230-32. No description of this belt appears, 

 but the Onondaga belts were then kept at Buffalo. It may be added 

 that it was not customary to place the Tuscaroras on the Iroquois 

 belts, as they were not considered a part of the Long House. 



It may be of interest to repeat what some Onondagas have said 

 of their belts. In 1888 Thomas Webster, the wampum keeper, de- 

 clared that the wampum "means nothing to the white man; all 

 to the Indian. There is a tree set in the ground and it touches 

 the heavens. Under that tree sits this wampum. It sets on a log. 

 Coals of fire is unquenchable, and the Six Nations are at this 

 council fire held by this tribe. To-do-da-ho, 3. member of the Bear 

 clan, is the great chief here. . . One of the uses of the wam- 

 pum is for a symbol in the election of officers. The wampum 

 bearer keeps the treaties of the nation." 



This is not very clear by itself, but it has some reference to the 

 following account of the Onondaga belts, given to E. W. Paige 

 by Daniel and Thomas La Fort at Onondaga, July 19 and Aug. 

 I, 1898, and recorded by him in the appeal book in the Thacher 

 case: 



Fig 251 represents a sorrow meeting of the Five Nations. 

 If a misfortune happen — little boys and girls were taken and one 

 killed — to consider what should be done for remedy that misfor- 

 tune — a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye. This is a Hiawatha 

 belt. This belt is used when a meeting of that kind is called. 



Fig. 232 representing a superior man — To-do-da-ho. — ^That is a 



