THIRD REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I906 79 



A collection of New York relics was also obtained from William 

 A. Spear O'f North East, Pa. This comprises a large number of 

 beautifully polished celts, slate gorgets, and highly polished articles 

 of oolitic limestone. One of the notable specimens is a war club of 

 curly maple which was found on the battlefield at Herkimer in 1791. 

 It is one of the finest war clubs in the Museum. Another unique 

 specimen in this collection is a wine press of stone, ingeniously 

 wrought, found at Ripley. 



During the early part of the year and up to June the Archeologist 

 made several trips to the different Indian reservations and purchased 

 a number of objects of ethnologic importance. These objects are 

 the same in design and pattern as those of like character used two 

 centuries ago and nearly all were found in actual use, a fact which 

 illustrates the tenacity with which the Iroquois cling to their own 

 culture. 



The relics purchased include carved baby boards, ceremonial 

 masks, wooden bowls, wooden ladles and spoons, ceremonial tom- 

 toms, rattles, fans, baskets, sticks and poles, beaded blankets, strips,. 

 baby wrappings, leggings and skirts, silver brooches, earrings, dressj 

 ornaments and one silver crown. This crown or hat band is one 

 of the largest made by the Iroquois and the last treasured insignia 

 of the Tonawanda sachems. 



Tall Peter's crown. Tall Peter the elder was one of the early 

 chiefs of the Seneca-Iroquois. 



In the memorable year, 1776, Noh-ka-ga-ah of the Turtle clan, or 

 Tall Peter, as the white people afterward called him, was born in 

 a bark lodge on the banks of the Cattaraugus, near Lake Erie. His 

 mother's father had been a war chief, and he therefore was heir 

 to the office. When he reached maturity the women nominated him 

 and the warriors elected him war chief of the Senecas. It was then 

 that his grandmother placed iipon his head the crown which he 

 afterward wore on all ceremonial occasions. 



Ever since the advent of the white man up to within 25 vears 

 the democratic Iroquois have worn silver crowns and decorations. 

 Money to them was an incomprehensible commodity ; Xvampum was 

 their medium of exchange. But to the savage everything had utility, 

 so the New York savages hammered their silver into symbolic 

 brooches and crowns. 



With the increased influx -of money and the depreciation of 

 wampum a man's wealth was determined by the amount of silver he 

 could fasten upon his buckskins, and it is a tradition that Tall Peter 



