IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



2 7 



sought in all national matters by his people and his advice by the 

 legislators of the white men when Indian law was involved. Mrs 

 Converse therefore must redouble her vigilance and perfect her 

 knowledge of the Indians. The necessity of collecting material 

 to illustrate their culture impressed her and she began to complete 

 her collection. About this time the State Museum was given an 

 appropriation with which to establish an Indian museum. Mrs 

 Converse's interest was awakened and she saw her opportunity to 

 place the State in possession of a magnificent collection of articles 

 illustrating the culture of the Iroquois. The collection was given 

 in memory of her father Thomas Maxwell and is known as the 

 Converse-Maxwell memorial. Subsequently her services were 

 sought by the State as a collector for the museum and to her the 

 State Museum is indebted for an interesting portion of the ethno- 

 logical exhibit. It was largely through Mrs Converse's influence 

 that the National Council of the Onondagas passed the wampum 

 belts of the Five Nations into the keeping of the State Museum. 

 To her we owe a matchless collection of ceremonial paraphernalia 

 and more than a hundred specimens of Iroquois silver work which 

 include brooches, buckles, disks, arm bands, bracelets, earrings, 

 beads and crowns or head bands. It was planned that Mrs Con- 

 verse should write several museum bulletins relating to her collec- 

 tions, but because of a change in arrangement she was able only 

 to publish one paper, "Iroquois Silver Brooches " [N. Y. State 

 Mus. 54th An. Rep't, v. 1]. 



Secretary Dewey of the Board of Regents, when Mrs Converse's 

 work for the museum had been finished, wrote: 



Dear Mrs Converse: I want to thank you on behalf of the 

 State for the great services you have so unselfishly rendered it in 

 building up our new Indian museum. Much that has been accom- 

 plished could hardly have been brought about by any other agency. 

 Desirable as it was, no one had the confidence of the Indians and 

 could guide them to wise decisions so well, and you have done 

 them a great service in getting into fireproof quarters the relics 

 of their wonderful career. I hope our Indian day and the good 

 feeling shown on both sides was but the beginning of more satis- 

 factory relations between the white and red men of the Empire 

 State. 



I am sure that as long as you have strength you will be deeply 

 interested in anything that advances the best interests of the 

 Iroquois, and we shall rely on you in all these matters as our adviser. 

 Perhaps we shall baptize you with the name, say " The Woman 

 Who Works for the Indians," thus making you an honorary member 



