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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  day 
  was 
  set 
  aside 
  for 
  both 
  the 
  formal 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  

   museum 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  of 
  presentation 
  and 
  acceptance. 
  

   Of 
  Mrs 
  Converse's 
  work, 
  Secretary 
  Dewey 
  in 
  his 
  address 
  to 
  the 
  

   assemblage 
  said 
  : 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  recently 
  had 
  most 
  valuable 
  assistance 
  from 
  Mr 
  Edward 
  

   Winslow 
  Paige 
  of 
  Schenectady, 
  who 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  Mr 
  Richmond 
  has 
  

   for 
  years 
  been 
  deeply 
  interested 
  in 
  all 
  that 
  pertains 
  to 
  the 
  Iroquois. 
  

   Not 
  least 
  are 
  we 
  indebted 
  to 
  Mrs 
  Harriet 
  Maxwell 
  Converse, 
  who 
  

   early 
  and 
  late 
  has 
  labored 
  for 
  the 
  success 
  of 
  this 
  museum, 
  which 
  will 
  

   do 
  so 
  much 
  to 
  stimulate 
  public 
  interest 
  in 
  the 
  Indians 
  whom 
  she 
  loves 
  

   so 
  well, 
  and 
  in 
  whose 
  behalf 
  she 
  hesitates 
  at 
  no 
  labor 
  or 
  sacrifice. 
  

   With 
  the 
  singular 
  felicity 
  which 
  has 
  so 
  often 
  characterized 
  the 
  

   Indian 
  names, 
  she 
  bears 
  among 
  the 
  Iroquois, 
  to 
  whom 
  she 
  belongs 
  

   by 
  adoption, 
  and 
  in 
  whose 
  councils 
  she 
  holds 
  a 
  high 
  and 
  honorable 
  

   position, 
  the 
  name 
  Yaiewano, 
  which 
  means 
  " 
  she 
  watches 
  for 
  us." 
  

   Her 
  work, 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  my 
  good 
  fortune 
  to 
  know 
  not 
  a 
  

   little 
  in 
  recent 
  years, 
  entitles 
  her 
  richly 
  to 
  this 
  name. 
  

  

  With 
  the 
  cooperation 
  of 
  such 
  friends 
  and 
  the 
  very 
  judicious 
  

   expenditure 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  sum 
  appropriated, 
  we 
  have 
  secured 
  a 
  

   splendid 
  collection, 
  which 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  later 
  no 
  money 
  could 
  buy, 
  

   as 
  the 
  national 
  and 
  other 
  museums 
  are 
  seeking 
  to 
  add 
  to 
  their 
  own 
  

   collections 
  anything 
  of 
  so 
  great 
  ethnographic 
  interest 
  as 
  the 
  relics 
  

   of 
  the 
  famous 
  Six 
  Nations. 
  Among 
  these, 
  like 
  the 
  Sibylline 
  and 
  

   Doomsday 
  books, 
  infinitely 
  the 
  most 
  precious 
  were 
  the 
  wampums. 
  

   Their 
  possible 
  destruction, 
  loss 
  or 
  injury 
  was 
  feared 
  alike 
  by 
  the 
  

   red 
  men 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  men 
  who 
  understood 
  their 
  value, 
  and 
  happily 
  

   they 
  saw 
  alike 
  that 
  the 
  most 
  fitting 
  place 
  of 
  safety 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  world 
  

   would 
  be 
  this 
  fireproof 
  Capitol 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  The 
  proposition 
  found 
  

   favor 
  and 
  after 
  full 
  consideration 
  was 
  formally 
  adopted 
  by 
  the 
  

   Onondagas, 
  with 
  whom 
  this 
  responsibility 
  rests, 
  and 
  the 
  original 
  

   papers 
  constituting 
  the 
  University 
  keeper 
  of 
  the 
  wampums 
  forever 
  

   have 
  been 
  duly 
  executed 
  with 
  all 
  legal 
  form 
  and 
  deposited 
  in 
  the 
  

   archives 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  with 
  the 
  wampums 
  themselves, 
  which 
  are 
  

   exhibited 
  here 
  in 
  the 
  Senate 
  chamber 
  this 
  afternoon. 
  

  

  It 
  seemed 
  to 
  me 
  that 
  such 
  an 
  event 
  deserves 
  some 
  more 
  public 
  

   recognition 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  convocation 
  who 
  are 
  in- 
  

   trusted 
  with 
  the 
  conduct 
  of 
  the 
  institutions 
  of 
  higher 
  education 
  of 
  

   this 
  great 
  State 
  would 
  be 
  glad 
  to 
  be 
  present 
  at 
  what 
  is 
  doubtless 
  

   tlie 
  last 
  great 
  council 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  famous 
  confederacy 
  known 
  to 
  

   aboriginal 
  times. 
  It 
  seemed 
  especially 
  desirable 
  that 
  delegates 
  chosen 
  

   by 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  nations 
  should 
  meet 
  and 
  formally 
  and 
  solemnly 
  

   ratify 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  Onondagas 
  in 
  making 
  safe 
  forever 
  the 
  most 
  

   precious 
  records 
  connected 
  with 
  Indian 
  history. 
  Invitations 
  were 
  

   issued 
  and 
  sent 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  reservations. 
  Councils 
  were 
  held 
  in 
  due 
  

   form 
  and 
  delegates 
  were 
  chosen 
  to 
  share 
  in 
  this 
  ratification. 
  

   Through 
  the 
  courtesy 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  Central 
  Railroad, 
  special 
  

   cars 
  were 
  put 
  at 
  the 
  disposal 
  of 
  these 
  delegates. 
  The 
  Albany 
  His- 
  

   torical 
  Society 
  with 
  its 
  accustomed 
  liberality 
  asked 
  to 
  share 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  