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Seneca Indian Lore is rich and varied,
from Seek
Your Father to Turtle's
Race With the Bear, the stories serve as great historical
documents on the tribe's belief systems and the evolution of their
politics.
Godasiyo the Woman Chief
One story tells of how Godasiyo, a woman Chief,
tried to bring two warring tribes under her leadership for the
purpose of peace by migrating westward to form a new unified
village, only to fail during the canoe journey as they came upon a
fork in the river, causing an argument between the young men who
were paddling the two canoes which carried her float. As they each
tried to paddle in different directions, her float was detached
from their canoes and sank to the bottom of the river. As
Godasiyo drowned, the people of the two divided parties shouted at
each other, but alas, they couldn't understand each other, their
language having suddenly changed. This myth explains why all
the different North American Indian tribes speak different
languages.
The Legend of Niagara Falls
Another story tells of the Niagara Falls Seneca,
who in reality endured many hardships such as famine and
disease. Here we are told of a young girl who gets attacked
by a rattlesnake, but escapes by letting herself fall into the
rapids, and ends up behind the falls where the Good Spirit of
Thunder and Lightning tells her to that the Evil Spirit of Famine
and Starvation also resides there, and intends great harm upon her
people by letting a huge water serpent poison the water, telling
her that she should convince her tribe to move away from the
Chippewa River and up the Niagara River to settle on Buffalo
Creek. Alas, the Evil Spirit sends the serpent to follow her
tribe, but because they have obeyed the Good Spirit, it kills the
serpent for them with a thunderbolt. When the Chiefs
got to Buffalo Creek, they found the dead serpent and the Evil
Spirit hanging from a pole, they thanked the Good Spirit, and good
fortune, bountiful harvests and good health was theirs for
years to come.
 How
Rabbit Lost His Tail by Ann
Tompert, et al (Hardcover - April 1997)
How the Rabbit Lost His Tail
is a wonderful Seneca legend which should appeal to children of
all ages. According to this legend, the rabbit used to
have a long flowing tail, but lost it during a misfortunate
accident brought on by carelessness, and sloth. The tale
(no pun intended) could be viewed as a cautionary fable, playing
on morals and teaching children using various animals as
central characters
Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Creation Myth
The Iroquois creation myth is a fascinating one,
it tells of a world inhabited by all living things, all except humans...
It is interesting to note that they tell of the earth being
covered by water, and that these waters are inhabited by
monsters. Perhaps the story was passed down from generation
to generation, from the prehistoric Iroquois on... As the
story goes, the birds which fill the air witness a woman falling
from the heavens, and prevent her from hitting the water by
spreading their wings as a safety net. But then the monsters
in the water also try and prevent her from the dangers of the
deep, but realize they cannot help her, so they send a giant
tortoise to carry her across the waters. the tortoise
magically begins to grow, until it becomes an island; an island
upon which the woman gives birth to twin sons, a Good Spirit, and
an Evil Spirit.
The Tortoise continues to grow, covering the
earth, and when it moves, the earth quakes. Years pass, and
the Sky-Holder decides to put humans upon the earth, so he creates
six pairs of humans to populate the planet; the first are the
Mohawk, the second the Oneidas, the third the Onondaga, the
fourth are the Cayuga, the fifth are the Seneca, and the sixth
are the Tuscarora.
In closing
Of course, there are several more
Iroquois and Seneca stories to tell, fables and legends to keep
alive, so we must try and ensure that they do. Perhaps they
have endured because of the firm hold the Iroquois Nations have
had on their land, and the fact that the historical Iroquois live
in longhouses, which no doubt meant they would gather round to
listen to the storytellers tell their tales. This is just
one of the advantages sedentary tribes have on their nomadic
brethren, a more stable base from which to establish a cultural
identity, as opposed to constant struggle against the elements,
and unknown dangers.
Again, we believe this had an important part in
the development of their political system, and the great oratory
skills of leaders such as Red Jacket.
In addition to storytelling, the Seneca are also
accomplished artisans, being expert wood and bone carvers, and
jewelry makers. Seneca beadwork, silverwork and baskets are
highly sought after in the arts and crafts markets. All in
all, the Seneca are one of the most sophisticated Native American
cultures, with a rich heritage and knowledge which has been
instrumental in shaping American history, from our engineering to
our method of government.
More
Iroquois Tales
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