The Iroquois Book of Rites by Hale, Horatio, 1817-1896

The translation of La Fort's book was procured from him and another educated member of his tribe; but there was not time to obtain all the elucidations needed to ensure precise verbal accuracy throughout.

CHAPTER IV.

THE CONDOLING COUNCIL.--CLANS AND CLASSES.

The name usually given to the Book of Rites, or rather to its contents, is, in the Canienga dialect, _Okayondonghsera Yondennase_ (or in the French missionary orthography, _Okaiontonhstra Iontennase_), which may be rendered "Ancient Rites of the Condoling Council." [Footnote: _Okaionlonhsera_ is a substantive derived from _akaion_, old, or ancient. The termination _sera_ gives it an abstract sense. "The antiquities," or rather "the ancientnesses," is the nearest literal rendering which our language allows, _Iontennase_ is a verbal form, derived from _kitenre_ (in Bruyas, _gentenron_), to pity, or sympathize with. It may be rendered "they who sympathize," or "the condolers." Both, words, however, have acquired a special meaning in their application to these ceremonies.] Among the many councils, civil and religious, tribal and federal, in which the public spirit and social temper of the Iroquois found their most congenial and most popular mode of display, the Yondennase, the Condoling (or Mourning) Council, held the highest rank. It was, in a certain way, typical of the whole, and comprised the elements of all the other councils. In its earlier form this council was not peculiar to the Iroquois. We know, from the Jesuit reports, that it was the custom of the Hurons to hold a public lamentation for the death of a chief, and at the same time to appoint another who should take his place and assume his name. But that which among the Hurons was merely a tribal custom became, in the Iroquois form of government, an important institution, essential to the maintenance of their state. By the ordinances of their League, it was required that the number of their federal senate should be maintained undiminished. On the death of one of its members, it was the duty of the nation to which he belonged to notify the other nations of the event, and of the time and place at which he would be lamented and his successor installed. The notice was given in the usual manner, by official messengers, who bore for credentials certain strings of wampum, appropriate to the occasion. The place of meeting was commonly the chief town of the nation which had suffered the loss. In this nation a family council, under the presidency, and subject, indeed (as has been shown), to the controlling decision, of the chief matron of the deceased senator's kindred--usually his mother, if she survived him--was in the meantime convened to select his successor. The selection must be approved both by his clan and by his nation; but as their sentiments were generally known beforehand, this approval was rarely withheld. Indeed, the mischief resulting from an unsuitable choice was always likely to be slight; for both the national council and the federal senate had the right of deposing any member who was found unqualified for the office.