18
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
Oneida tribes. These two tribes form the "Confederacy of the L,ittle
Brothers," and they are the first ones to take up for discussion any mat
ter brought before the Council. In their midst I observed an elevated
seat, towering above the others, and occupied by a gray-haired, long
bearded Indian. This was the high-chief and "Speaker" of the two
tribes. On the opposite side of the room there were seated forty-four
chiefs, representing the Seneca, Mohawk and Cayuga tribes, and among
them their head-chief or "Speaker" . The middle part of the Assembly
Hall was occupied by the fifteen chiefs of the Onondagans or "Fire
Keepers" whose head-chief was at the same time the "Speaker" of the
House. To the front there were a number of benches reserved for such
warriors as cared to attend the meetings and for the parties interested
directly in the discussions. Thus, it will be seen, that the Council,
while apparently an integral unit, actually consists of three separate
assemblies, who discuss and pass upon matters quite independently of
one another. A particular question that happens to be brought before
the House is first taken up by the "Little Brothers." Each chief be
longing to this Confederacy expresses his view and as soon as an
agreement is reached, it is announced by the "Speaker" in a loud,
. sonorous voice. The same question is then taken up by the Mohawks,
Seneca and Cay ugas, known as the "3eneral House," and their de
cision announced in the same manner as in the case of the "L,ittle
Brothers." The "Fire-Keepers" express their opinion only in cases
when the two other sides of the Council cannot agree Their decision
is then final and becomes a law.
No sooner had my informant finished the above description of the
procedure of the Council, when the Superintendent appeared, followed
by the Clerk and Interpreter Amidst a general silence the Head-chief
of the "Fire-Keepers" arose, and in his melodious, native tongue open
ed the meeting with a formal prayer, in which he calle 1 down the bless
ings of the Great Spirit up the "Superintendent, chiefs, warriors,
peoples, woman and children of tha Iroquois Natio'i." Tha Saparin
tendent then read a few communications from his Government to the
Iroquois Nation, which were, of course, translated by the interpreter
into the native tongue of the Indians. After this the real meeting of
the Council began. The interest evinced by the chiefs towards each ques
tion that came up was remarkable. The debates of the three mentioned
groups within the Assembly were keenly followed by those chiels who
had to wait for their turn to speak. And the eloquence which these
primitive orators developed, was simply astonishing. Our ideas about an
Indian's taciturnity are entirely erroneous, being based upon the fact
that in his intercourse with the white man, the Redskin shows a tend
ency to be reserved. But let the Indian come among his own people, and