13° 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



in 1848 1 and assumed a republican form of government by electing 

 a president and board of councilmen. These include the peace- 

 makers. 



The original clans which divided the people into families, were the 

 Wolf, Bear, Beaver, Turtle, Deer, Snipe, Heron and Hawk. 2 By this 

 division which was equal among the Five Nations, the people were 

 bound to each other by the ties of consanguinity. A Seneca Wolf 

 regarded an Onondaga Wolf as a brother, and so on throughout 

 the league. So carefully provided was this clanship that a Seneca 

 Wolf could not marry an Onondaga Wolf. By this relationship, 

 the league preserved for itself not only blood distinction but abso- 

 lute union, as in case of war brother would fight against brother, 

 which was against their bond of brotherhood. 



The census enumeration of 1890 shows that the Iroquois furnished 

 162 soldiers 3 and sailors for the Civil War. It has been estimated 

 that in 1660 there were 11,000 Iroquois. This, however, is indefi- 

 nite. The total population in 1890, excluding the 106 Oneidas, was 

 5133. Of these 2844 could not speak English. The Onondaga Reser- 

 vation is 6100 acres; Tonawanda Senecas about 8000; Allegany 

 Senecas 30,469; Oil Spring 640; Cattaraugus Senecas 21,680; St 

 Regis 14,640; Tuscaroras 6249. The Oneidas have no reservation 

 in this State. They are largely represented in Green Bay, Wis., 

 and those who live here in New York State are " guests " of the 

 Onondagas and other nations. The Cayugas who have no separate 

 reservation reside on different reservations, the largest number 

 being at Cattaraugus. These are the New York State Indians. 

 On their reservations there are 12 churches. Some of the congre- 

 gations worship in private houses or halls. The " pagans " assemble 

 for business, religious ceremonies, feasts, condolences, and councils 



1 Although the active government of the Seneca Nation is the modern republican form, 

 underlying this is the ancient tribal form. This survival is fostered by the pagan party 

 and is the link that holds together the old form of the ancient league. The sachem names 

 are still carefully transmitted and the tribal customs form the basis of the common law- 

 held at present. 



2 The eight clans here named were those of the Senecas. The three common clans were 

 the clans of the Bear, Wolf and Turtle. These were the elder clans and the sachems be- 

 longing to them were the most influential in the league councils. Among the Senecas, 

 Cayugas and Onondagas the clans were divided into two phratries, the Animal and the 

 Bird. The Animals were called the elder brothers. Strangely the Deers were the head 

 of the Bird phratry, whose other members were the Snipe, Heron and Hawk. Each 

 phratry when in council sits opposite the other. 



1 It is recorded that the Iroc4uois soldiers in the Civil War were the finest body of men in 

 the army, considered from a physical standard. The Iroquois are still a splendid people 

 physically as is attested by the number of athletes among them who have made world records. 

 The record of Deerfoot in 1864 in which he ran 12 miles in 62 minutes, 2* seconds is well 

 known and in modern times the skill of the Pierce brothers on the track and of Thomas 

 Longboat, the Canadian Onondaga, has attracted much attention. A number are expert 

 ball players and a Seneca is a professional athletic trainer. 



