THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 



the Tuscarora joined the league of the Iroquois, or the Five 

 Nations, and it then became known as the Six Nations. 

 This league was formed about 1534 for the primary purpose 

 of securing peace and welfare by the enforcement of the 

 forms of civil government. The leaders were astute dip- 

 lomats, as the French and English statesmen of those days 

 frequently discovered. The Iroquoian tribes were seden- 

 tary and agricultural people, depending for only a small 

 part of their subsistence upon trophies of the chase. 



The first wall case on the right contains an interesting 

 group depicting the home life of an Iroquois family. The 

 chief, in the center, is about to receive a wampum message 

 from an Indian runner. This runner carries in one hand a 

 war club, such as was used by these peoples, and in the 

 other a string of wampum. The woman is engaged in a 

 household pursuit— grinding maize by means of the primi- 

 tive mortar and pestle. 



Other portions of the Iroquois section contain a display 

 of articles used in the household, consisting of dishes, plat- 

 ters, mortars, pestles, spoons of wood, and basketry, to- 

 gether with implements of stone and bone. Their method 

 of carrying children when traveling is shown by a number 

 of baby carriers; their fine arts are illustrated by an excel- 

 lent collection of silver ornaments including the implements 

 used in their manufacture. Ceremonials are portrayed by 

 a collection of grotesque masks and a series of rattles used 

 by the members of the False Face Societies. Excellent 

 specimens of buckskin and cloth indicate the costumes of 



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