124 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



of the family that his son wished to marry such and such a girl. 

 If the friends and relations were willing, the son was permitted 

 to offer his suit. The father of the youth prepared a clean skin 

 of the bear, beaver or deer, which he presented to his son. Pro- 

 vided with this, the suitor went to the wigwam of his prospective 

 bride's father and placed the hide at the back of the wigwam or 

 nowteh. The girl's father then notified his relations and friends, 

 and if there was no objection, he ordered his daughter to seat her- 

 self on the skin, as a sign that the young man's suit was acceptable. 

 The usual wedding ceremonies were then held, namely, a public 

 feast, followed by dancing and singing, which always lasted at least 

 a week. 



THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY IN LATER DAYS 

 After the adoption of the Wampum laws the marriage ceremony 

 was much more complicated. 1 



When the young man had informed his parents of his desire to 

 marry and the father had secured the consent of the relations and 

 friends, an Indian was appointed to be the Keloolwett or marriage 

 herald, who, taking the string of wampum called the Kelolwawei, 

 went to the wigwam of the girl's father, generally accompanied 

 by as many witnesses as cared to attend. The herald read the 

 marriage wampum in the presence of the girl and her father, 

 formally stating that such and such a suitor sought his daughter's 

 hand in marriage. The herald, accompanied by his party, then 

 returned to the young man's wigwam to await the reply. After the 

 girl's father had notified his relatives and friends and they had 

 given their consent, the wedding was permitted to go on. 



The usual ceremonies then followed. The young man first pre- 

 sented the bride-elect with a new dress. She, after putting it on, 

 went to her suitor's wigwam with her female friends, where she 

 and her company formally saluted him by shaking hands. This was 

 called wulisakowdowagon or salutation. She then returned to her 

 father's house, where she seated herself with her following of old 

 women and girls. The groom then assembled a company of his 

 friends, old and young men, and went with them to the bride's wig- 

 wam to salute her in the same manner. When these salutations 

 were over a great feast was prepared by the bride, enough for all 

 the people, men, women and children. The bridegroom also pre- 

 pared a similar feast. Both of these dinners were cooked in the 



1 Mitchell interpolated this remark. 



