THE CODE OF HANDSOME LAKE 107 



THE FUNERAL ADDRESS 1 

 Aweyondo' Gawen'notga/o 



Now all hearken to what must be said ! 



We are gathered here because of what our Creator has done. 

 He made it so that people should live only a certain length of time- 

 none to be more favored than another. 



Now our uncles made provisions for this event, and our grand- 

 fathers and the chiefs when they first thought of this thing [death] 

 in those days. They had never seen death [before]. Their first 

 knowledge came when they saw a person in an assembly die. 

 [Strangely] no one was surprised. Soon afterwards they saw an- 

 other death in the manner of the first. Soon again another died. 

 Then did the chiefs consider the matter, saying, " We were not 

 born to live forever." Then did the people see that they were not 

 to live forever but only for a certain period of time. Therefore, 

 they made certain rules. Then did they divide the people into clans, 

 kashadenioh. Then did they divide the clans into two divisions. 

 Now when a death occurred the other division [phratry] was to 

 officiate at the funeral. The side that lost one of its members must 

 quietly mourn and say nothing. The cousins must do the speaking. 

 They must speak telling the mourners what they must think. So 

 now first they should say, " Keep your minds up." 



The preacher then turns to the mourners and addresses them as 

 follows : 



There are many of your own relations yet remaining, there are 

 old folk and there are children. So let these lift up your minds. 

 Moreover here is the earth upon which we tread, everything upon 

 it is for our comfort. There is water, springs of water and streams 

 of water flowing over the earth. There are different plants and 

 trees. All of these our Creator has given us. So let this lift up 

 your minds. 



So now then another. 



There is the sky above our heads. There are many things there. 

 In the forms of the stars are signs to guide us. The sun gives us 

 light. The moon gives us light. She is our grandmother. The 

 sun is our brother. All these are performing that for which they 

 were created. So let this lift up your minds. 



So now then another. 



1 Related by Skidmore Lay, Cattaraugus chief, March 1906. 



