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Tag Archives: Great Law
Dekanawida and the formation of the Great Peace: Part 2
| To those of you who are taking the time to read this piece of our oral history, I say Niawen Kowa. This is the story as it was heard in the times of my Great Grandfather, Massey Green. He would have been about thirteen years old when these words were spoken by the Onondaga Chief, John Arthur Gibson. They may not be the words you have heard in the past in your teachings, but they are typed by my hand exactly as they were spoken in 1899. TehonikonratheEnjoy, and now; PART TWO Now in turn, the other, my third saying, ‘now it is arriving, the Peace’, this means that everyone will become related, men and also women, and also the young people and the children, and when all are relatives, every nation, there will be peace as they Moreover, and most importantly, one is going to assemble in meetings where it will be announced that all of mankind will repent of their sins, even evil people, and in the future they will be kind to one another, one and all. When they are functioning, the Good Message and also the Power and the Peace, moreover, these will be the principal Thereupon the older people said, ” We are accepting the things that we have heard about the Good Message, and the Power and also the Peace.” Thereupon they distributed the corn bread and the meat of the game animals and they shared these Thereupon Kah,etehsu,k, and her mother, Kaheto’ktha, and their child Tekanawita’, Thereupon he departed again, returning at dusk, and again he had nothing with him. That is how it goes: every day he departs, and he always returns when it gets dark; for a long time that is what it was like, and never does he say anything, and it is ” Thereupon Kaheto’ktha and Kah,etehsu,k understood that now, indeed, the time had come for it to happen as foretold in his grandmother’s dream. At dawn the two women prepared a Thereupon Tekanawita’ said “Now moreover, we will leave to go to the top of the hill, where the living tree stands, the great pine.” Then they departed. When they arrived there, they ascended to the top of the hill. When they got to the top of the If just so it should happen, that blood should begin to spill from this living tree, that is, if something should spoil my good fortune, and my blood should Thereafter they ate the sweet sap which resembled honey. Thereupon Tekanawita’ said, ” Now you two saw that it is able to tell what kind of Thereupon Tekanawita’ said, “Now you are looking at how it is to be in the future, for a number of days to come, for it is able to inform you about the state of my affairs, however many times you look at it. So now we will depart, going to the place where the boat I have completed lies. This, presently, is what you will see: The kind of boat I will launch when I take off for the other side of the lake.” Thereafter Tekanawita’ said “Now, indeed Thereupon he said, “Examine it, and you will know what kind of boat I have made, here on earth.” Thereupon Kahetoktha said and Kah,etehsu,k examined it, and were surprised at the kind of boat it was. Thereupon Kah,etehsu,k said “I love you, my child, but what are you doing in launching a stone boat, for surely, indeed, it will sink beneath the water’s surface, the boat?” Thereupon Tekanawita’ said “If it is true that it will sink, my boat, then I also may not survive nor can my work go forward here on earth.” Thereupon Tekanawita’ said, “Now, indeed, you two will help me as we Thereupon he shook hands with his grandmother and his mother and he said, “Don’t become unhappy now that we are separating. Furthermore, don’t ever forget how it began, this matter, and also Thereupon the two women turned back; then they went home, arriving back at the place where they had their shelter. Thereupon Kahetoktha said, “Now, indeed, he has departed, Tekanawita’. So now we two will go home, returning to the village to recount what has happened; and this, probably, is it: It is right for us to tell the elders and the people, even the children, everybody we will tell about the things that happened and also what he has foretold us about what is to happen in future days to come; and also about what we ourselves observed: how he showed us, one might Thereupon Kahetoktha and Kahetehsuk went home, going back to the village, and arriving back there, they went to the place where he had his house, the leading chief, whom they told everything they had seen, the great words and what Tekanawita’ Thereupon the chief at the village said, ” Now, indeed, we are informed that he has set out, Tekanawita’ then, just so we were informed of his predictions. First, that on the hill, at the top of the This is where they should rest, his words, in the bottom of our hearts, so that, whatever ones age, one will keep remembering the story that he himself, Tekanawita’ , has told.” Thereafter the children repeated it, reminding themselves of what he had said in front of them. This, moreover, is what happened when he crossed over, Tekanawita’: There was a mans camp near the lake where resided a husband and wife and their family who had come from Kanye’ke, and the reason for their departure had been their killing one another by scalping, which was why they had left that vicinity, moving their camp a distance toward the west into the bush near a lake, where they had erected their shelter and where they had settled down with their family. Shortly thereafter the man went out to dip water at the lake shore. This one, when he had dipped, climbed back up the Then he came to the place where he was standing, the one who had been resting, the one who had gone to dip water, they gave thanks and greeted each other, and then he began speaking, as soon as he arrived, saying, Now we are seeing each other, we who are strangers, just now being the first time I am seeing you. Thereupon the one who had been resting there said,” It is true, this is the first time we are meeting, we who are strangers, this is the first time I have seen you, and I don’t know you, where, then, did you come from, and what is your name?” Thereupon he began to speak, he who had just arrived, saying “I have come from a village of kindred people and my name is Tekanawita’. Now, then, I will ask you where in fact, you have come from and what your name is? ” Thereupon the man said, “Indeed, it is Kanye’ke we come from, my family and I, we having just now fled our shelter at the village because too much warfare was going on. This, in particular: they have been scalping one another by day and by night, and they are in the process of massacring one another, and the reason I am here is for us to survive; as for me, indeed, my name is Thoihwayei’.” Thereupon Tekanawita said, “Now I understand who you are. Now, moreover, I will tell you that it is you I chose, for you to be the first person I meet. So now I will tell you what you should do. As to that, you should now return home at once, and Moreover, what will happens that he will ask you, ‘Who is it, then, who has told you about this?’ And you will say, ‘Tekanawita’.’ If he says, ‘Where did you see him?’, you will say, ‘At the lake shore, and in fact, he is coming and will be arriving soon in this village.’ Thereupon you [all] will hear everything, that is, he himself will reply to everything. “Now you shall hear what you should do when you go to tell the chief. As to that, in this direction, here, there are located two groups; these are dangerous, so I will halt their evil and sinful activities which go on by day and by night to the extent that both are dangerous, and I will end it as soon as possible. Thereupon peace will take hold among the inhabitants. Moreover, when I have completed this task, then I will go to Kanye’ke.” Thereupon Tekanawita’ said, “Now, then, you go back, go straight to the village.” Thereupon Thoihwayei’ returned home, arrived at their shelter, and said, “I saw a man, we conversed, and this is what he commissioned me to do: to go to tell about it to the chief, saying, ‘They say that now it is arriving, the Good Message, and, Thereupon Thoihwayei’ went back, returning straight to the village where the chief had his house, and arriving there said, “I have a message along that is directed especially to you, and this is what the man has commissioned me to tell you: ‘It is now arriving, the Good Message, and the After a short time he landed, tied his boat to the bank, and then got out from inside the boat; I looked at the boat, and it was made of white stone, the boat was. Thereupon the man said, ‘Where did you come from?’ and I said, ‘It is close by, our shelter, we having fled, my family and I, for the reason that there is to much danger to my Thereupon I said, ‘Where did you come from, who are you and what is your name? ‘ [?] he said, I am coming from the west [and] east is the direction I am going towards; as to my name, what they say is Tekanawita’.’ Moreover, he sent me to tell you that he is coming, and that he will arrive here After Tekanawita’ had departed in that direction he came to a house belonging to a cannibal who had his house there. Then Tekanawita’ went close to the house. Then, when he saw the man coming out, departing, sliding down the hill to the river, and Thereupon he poured it into a vessel, put meat into the liquid, when he saw, from inside the vessel, a man looking out. Thereupon he moved away without removing the meat, and sat down again on the long bench, for it was a surprise to him, seeing the man in the vessel. Thereupon he thought, “Let me look again”. Thereupon he, Tekanawita’, looked again from above where the smoke hole was, again causing a reflection in the vessel, and then the man, standing up again, went to where the Thereupon the man moved away again and he sat down again on the long bench, and then he bowed his head, pondering and thinking, “I am exceedingly handsome and I have a nice face; it is probably not right, my habit of eating humans. So I will now stop, from now on I ought not kill humans anymore.” Meanwhile Tekanawita’ hurriedly climbed down again from on top of the house, and went to where he had gone, the man carrying the vessel containing human flesh. Just then, he having ascended the top of the hill, the one holding the vessel, the two met. Thereupon they both stopped, and the man said, “We two are meeting; where do you come from? We are strangers; what is your name?” Thereupon he began to speak, saying, “Really, it is true, we are strangers; it is the first time we have met. Now moreover, I will tell you that the place I came from is the other side of the lake, and as to me, my name, Indeed, is Tekanawita’.” Thereupon he said, “I will ask you what that is, that vessel you are holding?” and the man said, “It is surprising what happened: I was just about to take my meat out of the liquid to make a meal of it, when I examined it to see whether, indeed, it was done. And this: When I stood up next to the vessel, I looked into the vessel and I saw a man looking out. Now then, I went back to the long bench and sat down again and then I felt astonished at what Thereupon I unhooked the vessel, and placed it beside the fire. Then I sat down again on the bench, pondering and thought, ‘It is an amazing thing that I, indeed, am handsome, very handsome.’ Thereupon I decided, ‘Now I will stop eating humans, and now I will stop killing people.’ Thereupon I again stood up, picked up the vessel, came out of the house and went near the hill to a tree that had uprooted itself; there I poured out the human flesh; so now I am stopping that work of mine. Only this, the vessel, that is what will remain, and I will use it for cooking meals.” Thereupon Tekanawita’ said, “Now I understand everything; so now you will return, going to the village to tell your people, ‘Now it is arriving, the Good Message, also the Power, and also the Peace.’ Now indeed you have ended your killing of Then Tekanawita’ said, Now, then, I will pass on, going to Kanye’ke where they are expecting my arrival.” Thereupon Tekanawita’ left, getting back to where he had his boat next to the lake. Then he departed. Moreover, when he got to the vicinity of Thereupon that’s where they went, to the place where the chief had his house, and they arrived there. Thereupon the chief said, “It was I who sent them there to summon you, thinking perhaps this time it is you whom we have been expecting, Thereupon the chief sent his message to them, the Great Warrior and his deputy, for the two of them at once to spread the news among all the people, to come together at the chiefs house, for now he has arrived, the man whose name is Tekanawita’. Then Tekanawita’ stood up, saying, “I, indeed, am arriving with the Good Message and the Power and the Peace; now it will cease, the warfare and the scalping and the shedding of human blood. This, actually, is how it is on earth: there are pools and Thereupon the chief and the Great Warrior and his deputy conversed in whispers, deciding that they would ask what was the meaning of the three words. Thereupon he stood up, the chief, saying, “We have heard you report the message you are bringing, and we want to ask you about the three words: first, what does ‘Good Message’ mean; secondly, what is ‘Power’, and thirdly, what does it mean ‘Peace is now arriving?’ ” Then Tekanawita’ stood up in front of the whole group and said, “You shall listen well, for you wanted to ask questions so as to understand what it means, Good Message’; t his is what it means: people respect each other as though they are one Secondly, this is what ‘Power’ means: all of the Nations will unite all their affairs, and the group of several nations will become just a single one, and their power is that they shall join hands. This moreover, will be the basis upon which they will survive as a group, forming a single family, similar to being one person having one head and one life, surrounded by the Good Message. This is how peace will come about among all the nations, and power will arise for families to continue from here on in. Thirdly, this is what ‘Peace’ means: now it will stop, the massacre of humans and the scalping and bloodletting among themselves, specifically, among the people of various nations. Now to that, it will end, the human slaughter, because the Great Thereupon the Great Warrior stood up, saying, “Now we have heard Tekanawita’ explain What will happen if we accept the Good Message and the Power and the Peace, and the other tribes do not accept it? Subsequently this could happen: perhaps they will come to massacre us. Hence this is what I personally would say to this man who has Thereupon he sat down again, the deputy of the Great Warrior and the chief stood up and said, “I rejoice that he has arrived, Tekanawita’, and that he has finished telling everything, explaining to us the happens of the Good Message which he has Thereafter Tekanawita’ stood up and said, “First I will respond to the questions of the chief, to what he said, for now it is beginning, that is, the action of the Good Message because indeed, Hayehwatha’ (the second Mohawk Title of the League Chiefs) Thereupon Tekanawita’ said ” Now then, I will respond to all the words spoken by the Great Warrior and his deputy for they want me to climb the tree growing at the top of the bank beside the river. Thereupon they will cut the tree so that it will go down into the river, and if I pass the test and survive until tomorrow, then they will accept the Good Message, the Great Warriors. Moreover, I agree to it, that this is how it shall happen.” Thereupon the whole group said, “That is just what we want, for the truth to emerge.” Thereupon Tekanawita’ said, “Now just that is what I also am prepared for, that I should climb the tree growing there, I sitting down on top of the tree, and Thereupon the Great Warrior said, “Now we are ready to go to where the tree is growing.” Thereupon they departed, the whole group, and arrived at the growing tree. Then the Great Warrior said, “This is it, this growing tree; you will climb it and when you sit down on top of the tree , you will look down at the river. Thereupon we will chop into it, cutting down the tree which will drop down to the river. Moreover, they will watch, the whole crowd, to see whether you pass the test and survive until tomorrow. Then we will respond to the message you delivered to us.” Thereupon Tekanawita’ said “Now, then, I will climb up.” Thereupon he went towards the growing tree. Thereupon he climbed it, sitting down there on the top of the tree while a large crowd watched as witnesses as they chopped into it. The growing tree, cutting the tree which went down towards the river, and into the depth went the branches; he disappeared underneath the water’s surface, Tekanawita’ did, and nowhere did they see him again. Thereupon the Great Warrior said, “Now, indeed, it is coming to pass that we do not see Tekanawita’ anywhere. So now we will go home to (To be continued) |
| poster: Thahoketoteh |
