﻿350 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  nations 
  the 
  women 
  name 
  the 
  counsellors, 
  and 
  often 
  chuse 
  persons 
  

   of 
  their 
  own 
  sex," 
  probably 
  alluding' 
  to 
  another 
  established 
  feature. 
  

   As 
  a 
  body 
  they 
  were 
  entitled 
  to 
  representation 
  in 
  the 
  council 
  and 
  

   government 
  of 
  the 
  nation. 
  In 
  New 
  York 
  the 
  governesses 
  several 
  

   times 
  signed 
  treaties, 
  claiming 
  a 
  right 
  in 
  all 
  land 
  questions. 
  

  

  July 
  17, 
  1742, 
  a 
  Seneca 
  deputation 
  was 
  at 
  Montreal 
  and 
  gave 
  to 
  

   Governor 
  Beauharnois 
  " 
  a 
  present 
  from 
  the 
  Women 
  of 
  the 
  Council 
  ; 
  

   they 
  request 
  you 
  to 
  endow 
  their 
  Tortoises 
  with 
  sound, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  

   able 
  to 
  rouse 
  themselves 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  performing 
  their 
  cere- 
  

   monies." 
  In 
  1753 
  Duquesne 
  said 
  the 
  Five 
  Nations 
  had 
  sent 
  " 
  the 
  

   Ladies 
  of 
  their 
  Council 
  to 
  Sieur 
  Marin, 
  to 
  inquire 
  of 
  him, 
  by 
  a 
  

   Belt," 
  whether 
  his 
  purpose 
  was 
  peace 
  or 
  war. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  strange 
  stories 
  of 
  the 
  Iroquois 
  which 
  the 
  Jesuits 
  

   credited 
  before 
  they 
  knew 
  them 
  better, 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  Oneidas 
  in 
  

   1641 
  : 
  

  

  The 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  there 
  manage 
  affairs 
  alternately 
  ; 
  so 
  that 
  if 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  man 
  who 
  governs 
  them 
  now, 
  after 
  his 
  death 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  

   woman, 
  who 
  during 
  her 
  life 
  time 
  will 
  govern 
  them 
  in 
  her 
  turn, 
  

   except 
  in 
  what 
  belongs 
  to 
  war 
  ; 
  and 
  after 
  her 
  death 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  man 
  

   who 
  takes 
  anew 
  the 
  management 
  of 
  affairs. 
  

  

  In 
  later 
  days, 
  however, 
  there 
  were 
  many 
  instances 
  of 
  female 
  

   government 
  among 
  the 
  emigrant 
  Iroquois 
  and 
  Delawares, 
  and 
  the 
  

   sunk 
  squaws, 
  or 
  queens 
  are 
  oftened 
  mentioned 
  in 
  early 
  colonial 
  

   documents, 
  in 
  New 
  England 
  and 
  southern 
  New 
  York. 
  

  

  Wampum 
  in 
  councils 
  

   Councils 
  were 
  called 
  by 
  wampum 
  belts 
  or 
  strings, 
  and 
  speeches 
  

   were 
  made 
  on 
  these 
  in 
  the 
  council 
  itself. 
  In 
  a 
  monograph 
  on 
  

   wampum, 
  these 
  usages 
  have 
  been 
  fully 
  described, 
  and 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  

   recounted 
  now. 
  Figure 
  1, 
  however, 
  shows 
  the 
  10 
  long 
  strings 
  of 
  

   white 
  wampum 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  religious 
  council, 
  which 
  is 
  exposed 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  preaching. 
  Figure 
  2 
  is 
  the 
  white 
  wampum 
  used 
  to 
  

   call 
  this 
  council, 
  and 
  its 
  tally 
  stick 
  attached. 
  The 
  notches, 
  showing 
  

   the 
  date 
  of 
  council, 
  are 
  removed 
  daily 
  till 
  the 
  time 
  arrives. 
  Then 
  

   the 
  invited 
  parties 
  appear 
  and 
  return 
  the 
  wampum. 
  Figure 
  3 
  is 
  a 
  

   similar 
  string 
  of 
  purple 
  wampum, 
  used 
  in 
  calling 
  a 
  mourning 
  

   council 
  or 
  condolence 
  for 
  raising 
  a 
  secondary 
  or 
  war 
  chief. 
  It. 
  is 
  

   looped 
  and 
  shows 
  the 
  customary 
  tally 
  stick.- 
  Figure 
  4 
  has 
  three 
  

  

  