IROQUOIS USES OF MAIZE 45 



d ono"''gwa"'a' Cob 



e gagosswa''ge', ogoisha"ge Butt of cob (meaning nose) 



/ oji'jut Tassels 



g onao onius'ta or o'nis'ta' Kernels 



h onyo'nia' Husk 



i oaya okdaya, or ok'te'a Roots 



y okta'a Hulls 



k ogai'ta' Waste matter 



/ onao'a'wen'niasa' Germ = heart 



m ogudjida' Pollen when it comes off 



n ganaofigwe' ' ■ Seed corn 



o"gio"t Silk 



VII UTENSILS EMPLOYED IN THE PREPARATION OF CORN 



FOR FOOD 



The implements and utensils employed for the planting, cultivating 

 and harvesting and the preparation of corn for food embraced the 

 larger part of Iroquois domestic furniture. To a large extent many 

 of the old-time corn utensils are still made and used by the Iroquois 

 who prefer the '' old way " and it is surprising to find that even the 

 Christianized Iroquois, who generally live in communities away from 

 their '* pagan " brothers, cling to their corn mortars and the other 

 articles which go with them. Today on all the Iroquois reservations 

 both in New York and Canada the corn articles form the great part 

 of their Indian material, and in fact constitute much of their aborig- 

 inality. As far as the writer can learn this same observation appHes 

 to all of the Indian tribes or remnants of such east of the Missis- 

 sippi river. 



Corn mortars are still made in the ancient way by burning out the 

 hollow. 



The men probably made most of the bark and wooden dishes^ 

 and carved the spoons and paddles while the women made the baskets 

 and sieves. 



Hennepin writing on this subject remarks: "When the Savages 

 are about to make Wooden Dishes, Porringers or Spoons, they form 

 the Wood to their purpose with their Stone Hatchets, make it hollow 

 with their Coles out of the Fire and scrape them afterward with 

 Beavers Teeth for to polish them.- 



1 See Jesuit Relations, 23 :55, 13 ■.26s ; Lawson. Carolina, p. 208. 



2 Hennepin. Voyage, p. 103. 



