IROQUOIS USES OF MAIZE 3E 



It is the duty of the owner of the field to provide a feast at the 

 end of the hoeing and each helper takes home her supply of corn 

 soup, hominy or ghost bread. After the hoeing and before eating 

 the women flock to the nearest stream or pond and bathe. The 

 whole work is accompanied by singing, laughing, joking and inof- 

 fensive repartee^ and the utmost humor prevails, topped off by a 

 splash in the water to remove dust and fatigue. 



This hoeing ''bee" is called endwa"twenog\va', (Sen.). 



4 The harvest. In the autumn when the corn is ripe, when the 

 '' great bear chase is on in the heavens," the harvesting begins. The 

 corn standing in the fields may be stripped of the ears by the har- 

 vesters who throw the ears over their shoulders, generally the left, 

 into a great harvesting basket, ye'niste'^nek'wista'. The corn is then 

 deposited in piles in the field or carried to the lodge. Sometimes the 

 cornstalks are pulled up by the roots and carted to the house where 

 they are piled up in layers crosswise for future husking. The pluck- 

 ing bee was called hadi'nest'e'oes or if engaiged in by women alone, 

 wadi*'nest'eoes. 



The husking bee that followed was called hadinowe'ya'ke* or if 

 v/omen only engaged in the work, wadinowi'ya'ke*. Husking time 

 was another tin;e for a long season of merry industrial gather- 

 ings. Work was play in those days when mutual helpfulness made 

 money unnecessary. It was not uncommon for men to engage in 

 this work.2 They were lured to the scene by the promise of soup, 

 song and the society of wise old matrons and shy maidens.^ The 

 old women carefully noted the industry of their younger assistants 

 and scheming parents were able to obtain information about pros- 

 pective mates for their children. 



The older men did some work but not much. They aired their 

 wisdom by making wise observations but soon lost their reserve in 

 narrating exciting stories of personal adventure or by relating folk 

 tales, gaga'a'. They knew full well that a pail full of soup awaited 

 them when the husking ceased whether they worked or not. Often 



1 Cf. Adair, p. 407. 



2 Lafitau, volume 2, page 78, says that the men braided corn, but that 

 this was the only time when they were called upon to do such menial work.. 



3 Lafitau, volume 2, page 79, writing of harvest customs says: "At har- 

 vest time the corn is gathered with the leaves surrounding the ears which 

 serve as cords to keep the ears together. The binding of the ears belongs 

 to a peculiar ceremony which takes place at night and it is the only occasion 

 where the men, who do not trouble themselves about harvesting or field 

 work, are called by the women to help." 



