Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/431

 Iroquois Women. 89

at councils now. At one to ■-vhich I was invited in Canada last year, there was a goodly number of women present, but only chiefs spoke.

Perhaps from this pacific influence may have come the story of a peaceful female monarch, usually much changed from the form in which David Cusick gave it. The ultimate origin was in the relation in which the Neutral nation stood to the Iroquois and Hurons, freely sheltering both alike. According to Cusick, " a queen, named Yago- wanea, resided at the fort Kauhanauka," now on the Tuscarora re- servation. She had much influence, and the war between the Five Nations and Missasaugas " was regulated under her control. The queen lived outside the fort in a long house, which was called a peace house. She entertained the two parties who were at war with each other ; indeed, she was called the mother of the nations. Each nation sent her a belt of wampum as a mark of respect," but she betrayed the Iroquois, was herself conquered, and sued for peace. There have been fanciful additions to this.

In one notable instance a woman caused a war, instead of pre- venting it, by a stubborn assertion of her rights. The Onondaga chief, Annenraes, had" been taken b> the Eries irrt654r Ti oping to avert war, they gave him to the sister of one who had been slain, thinking she would gladly accept him. She came home while they were treating him handsomely; and demanded that he should be put to death. In vain did the chiefs plead with her and show the terrible consequences to her nation. She wept and protested, and insisted on his torture. Public safety yielded to her woman's right. The captive died and the Eries perished.

. While Iroquois women rarely restrained their children, they had much affection for them. One story toid of them by the Hurons has no foundation. In 1640 the latter said that the Iroquois "some- times lake" a new-born child, pierce "i with arrbwsyand cast it uta the fire. The flesh having been consumed, they take the bones which they grind to powder ; and when they wish to go to war, they "drink a iitcle of this powder, believing that this beverage- increases their courage. They.also make use of these ashes for their lots and other superstitions," The mother was rewarded for her patriotic sacrifice. The only truth in this If. the ceremonial use of- ashes.

The Qnondagas have always used vegetable poison-:, and the poi- soning was sometimes ascribed to witches, but the venom was as often taken intentionally. The Relation of 1657 takes note of this. "They kill themselves by eating certain venomous herb? that they know rr be a poison, which the married women much more often ■v.-se to avenge themselves for the. bad ..Irea t mcn.t-.of J;hejxjiusbanils,_ leaving them thus the reproach of their death." Fursh saiJ that in 1807 Cicuta viae u kit a was much used by the Onondagas as a poison.

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