While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Government
Society is maintained by the establishment
of government, for rights must be recognized
and duties performed.
In this tribe there is found a complete
differentiation of the military from the
civil government.
Civil Government
The civil government inheres in a system of
councils and chiefs.
In each gens there is a council, composed of
four women, called Yu?-waí-yu-wá-na. These
four women councilors select a chief of the
gens from its male members—that is, from
their brothers and sons. This gentile chief
is the head of the gentile council.
The council of the tribe is composed of the
aggregated gentile councils. The tribal
council, therefore, is composed one-fifth of
men and four-fifths of women.
The sachem of the tribe, or tribal chief, is
chosen by the chiefs of the gentes.
There is sometimes a grand council of the
gens, composed of the councilors of the
gens proper and all the heads of households
and leading men—brothers and sons.
There is also sometimes a grand council of
the tribe, composed of the council of the
tribe proper and the heads of households of
the tribe, and all the leading men of the
tribe.
These grand councils are convened for
special purposes.
Methods of Choosing and Installing
Councilors and Chiefs
The four women councilors of the gens are
chosen by the heads of households,
themselves being women. There is no formal
election, but frequent discussion is had
over the matter from time to time, in which
a sentiment grows up within the gens and
throughout the tribe that, in the event of
the death of any councilor, a certain person
will take her place.
In this manner there is usually one, two, or
more potential councilors in each gens who
are expected to attend all the meetings of
the council, though they take no part in the
deliberations and have no vote.
When a woman is installed as councilor a
feast is prepared by the gens to which she
belongs, and to this feast all the members
of the tribe are invited. The woman is
painted and dressed in her best attire and
the sachem of the tribe places upon her head
the gentile chaplet of feathers, and
announces in a formal manner to the
assembled guests that the woman has been
chosen a councilor. The ceremony is followed
by feasting and dancing, often continued
late into the night.
The gentile chief is chosen by the council
women after consultation with the other
women and men of the gens. Often the gentile
chief is a potential chief through a period
of probation. During this time he attends
the meetings of the council, but takes no
part in the deliberations, and has no vote.
At his installation, the council women
invest him with an elaborately ornamented
tunic, place upon his head a chaplet of
feathers, and paint the gentile totem on his
face. The sachem of the tribe then announces
to the people that the man has been made
chief of the gens, and admitted to the
council. This is also followed by a
festival.
The sachem of the tribe is selected by the
men belonging to the council of the tribe.
Formerly the sachemship inhered in the Bear
gens, but at present he is chosen from the
Deer gens, from the fact, as the Wyandot
say, that death has carried away all the
wise men of the Bear gens.
The chief of the Wolf gens is the herald and
the sheriff of the tribe. He superintends
the erection of the council-house and has
the care of it. He calls the council
together in a formal manner when directed by
the sachem. He announces to the tribe all
the decisions of the council, and executes
the directions of the council and of the
sachem.
Gentile councils are held frequently from
day to day and from week to week, and are
called by the chief whenever deemed
necessary. When matters before the council
are considered of great importance, a grand
council of the gens may be called.
The tribal council is held regularly on the
night of the full moon of each lunation and
at such other times as the sachem may
determine; but extra councils are usually
called by the sachem at the request of a
number of councilors.
Meetings of the gentile councils are very
informal, but the meetings of the tribal
councils are conducted with due ceremony.
When all the persons are assembled, the
chief of the Wolf gens calls them to order,
fills and lights a pipe, sends one puff of
smoke to the heavens and another to the
earth. The pipe is then handed to the
sachem, who fills his mouth with smoke, and,
turning from left to right with the sun,
slowly puffs it out over the heads of the
councilors, who are sitting in a circle. He
then hands the pipe to the man on his left,
and it is smoked in turn by each person
until it has been passed around the circle.
The sachem then explains the object for
which the council is called. Each person in
the way and manner he chooses tells what he
thinks should be done in the case. If a
majority of the council is agreed as to
action, the sachem does not speak, but may
simply announce the decision. But in some
cases there may be protracted debate, which
is carried on with great deliberation. In
case of a tie, the sachem is expected to
speak.
It is considered dishonorable for any man to
reverse his decision after having spoken.
Such are the organic elements of the Wyandot
government.
