﻿COUNCILS 
  AND 
  CEREMONIES 
  OF 
  ADOPTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  INDIANS 
  419 
  

  

  third 
  time 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  obedience, 
  then 
  the 
  child 
  must 
  be 
  thrust 
  

   into 
  the 
  water. 
  But 
  if 
  the 
  child 
  cries 
  for 
  mercy 
  she 
  must 
  have 
  it, 
  

   and 
  the 
  woman 
  must 
  not 
  # 
  thrust 
  the 
  child 
  into 
  the 
  water. 
  If 
  she 
  

   does 
  the 
  sin 
  is 
  upon 
  her. 
  

  

  So 
  they 
  said, 
  and 
  he 
  said 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  above 
  transcript 
  is 
  literal 
  and 
  closely 
  follows 
  the 
  native 
  text. 
  

   In 
  the 
  concluding 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  Gai-wiu 
  the 
  fourth 
  angel 
  is 
  evidently 
  

   represented 
  as 
  Jesus 
  Christ. 
  

  

  Nation 
  councils 
  

  

  In 
  Ancient 
  Society 
  Mr 
  Morgan 
  gives 
  an 
  imaginary 
  account 
  of 
  

   an 
  early 
  council, 
  unlike 
  any 
  historic 
  relation 
  which 
  the 
  writer 
  has 
  

   seen. 
  Supposing 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  at 
  Onondaga 
  the 
  chiefs 
  there 
  would 
  send 
  

   messengers 
  to 
  the 
  other 
  nations, 
  giving 
  the 
  time 
  and 
  purpose. 
  The 
  

   nearest 
  nation 
  sends 
  the 
  message 
  to 
  the 
  one 
  beyond. 
  The 
  sachems 
  

   summoned 
  come, 
  each 
  with 
  a 
  bundle 
  of 
  white 
  cedar 
  if 
  the 
  purpose 
  

   is 
  peace, 
  or 
  of 
  red 
  cedar 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  war. 
  They 
  come 
  a 
  day 
  or 
  two 
  

   before 
  the 
  council, 
  encamping 
  near 
  the 
  town, 
  being 
  formally 
  re- 
  

   ceived 
  at 
  sunrise. 
  In 
  separate 
  processions 
  each 
  nation 
  marches 
  

   from 
  its 
  camp 
  to 
  the 
  council 
  grove, 
  every 
  sachem 
  bearing 
  his 
  skin 
  

   robe 
  and 
  bundle 
  of 
  fagots. 
  There 
  the 
  Onondaga 
  sachems 
  await 
  

   them 
  and 
  a 
  circle 
  is 
  formed. 
  The 
  Onondaga 
  master 
  of 
  ceremonies 
  

   stands 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  circle 
  toward 
  the 
  rising 
  sun. 
  On 
  a 
  given 
  

   signal 
  they 
  march 
  around 
  the 
  circle, 
  moving 
  by 
  north. 
  The 
  north 
  

   side 
  is 
  o-to-wa-ga, 
  cold 
  side 
  ; 
  the 
  west 
  ha-ga-kwas-gwa, 
  side 
  toward 
  

   the 
  setting 
  sun; 
  the 
  south 
  en-de-ih-kwa, 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  high 
  sun; 
  the 
  

   east 
  t'ka-gwit-kas-gwa, 
  side, 
  of 
  the 
  rising 
  sun. 
  After 
  marching 
  

   round 
  the 
  circle 
  three 
  times 
  in 
  single 
  file 
  and 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  foot 
  

   of 
  the 
  column 
  being 
  joined, 
  the 
  leader 
  stops 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  and 
  

   lays 
  down 
  his 
  bundle 
  of 
  fagots. 
  He 
  is 
  followed 
  in 
  this 
  by 
  the 
  

   others, 
  one 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  thus 
  forming 
  an 
  inner 
  circle 
  of 
  fagots. 
  Then 
  

   each 
  sachem 
  spreads 
  his 
  robe 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  order, 
  and 
  sits 
  cross- 
  

   legged 
  on 
  it, 
  behind 
  his 
  bundle 
  of 
  cedar, 
  his 
  assistant 
  sachem 
  stand- 
  

   ing 
  behind 
  him. 
  

  

  The 
  master 
  of 
  ceremonies 
  then 
  rises, 
  takes 
  from 
  his 
  pouch 
  two 
  

   dry 
  sticks 
  and 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  punk, 
  and 
  produces 
  fire 
  by 
  friction. 
  Then 
  

   he 
  steps 
  within 
  the 
  circle, 
  sets 
  fire 
  to 
  his 
  own 
  bundle 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  

   others 
  in 
  the 
  order 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  laid. 
  When 
  all 
  are 
  burning- 
  

   well, 
  he 
  gives 
  a 
  signal, 
  the 
  sachems 
  rise 
  and 
  march 
  thrice 
  around 
  

  

  