The Rotinonshonni: A Traditional Iroquoian History through the Eyes of Teharonhia:wako and Sawiskera (The Iroquois and Their Neighbors)

by Brian Rice

Hardcover, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

E99.I7 R525

Publication

Syracuse University Press (2013), 448 pages

Description

In this book, Rice offers a comprehensive history based on the oral traditions of the Rotinonshonni Longhouse People, also known as the Iroquois. Drawing upon J. N. B. Hewitt's translation and the oral presentations of Cayuga Elder Jacob Thomas, Rice records the Iroquois creation story, the origin of Iroquois clans, the Great Law of Peace, the European invasion, and the life of Handsome Lake. As a participant in a 700-mile walk following the story of the Peacemaker who confederated the original five warring nations that became the Rotinonshonni, Rice traces the historic sites located in what are now known as the Mississippi River Valley, Upstate New York, southern Quebec, and Ontario. The Rotinonshonni creates from oral traditions a history that informs the reader about events that happened in the past and how those events have shaped and are still shaping Rotinonshonni society today.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member NielsenGW
The Iroquois, or “the People of the Longhouse” and comprise the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora nations. In Canada, they live near Brantford, Ontario and are known as the Rotinonshonni. Brian Rice’s The Rotinonshonni is a vast undertaking—to collect, understand, and
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translate the complete folklore of a people and preserve it for the ages. As a member of Mohawk nation, he has spent the last fifteen years traveling to their historic sites, listening to elders tell the Creation Story and the Kayeneren:howa (“The Great Way of Peace”), the days-long recitation of the history of the Rotinonshonni.

This is the fundamental canon of the Rotinonshonni people and understandably carries a lot of spiritual weight. It tells the story of Rotinonshonni from the myths of the Sky World to the history of the Peacemaker and Ayenwatha (now remembered as Hiawatha) as they encountered French and British travelers. It is a rich tale and almost relentless in its gravitas. The language is naturally stilted because many concepts in the Rotinonshonni languages do not have a direct English translation. That being said, it is a collection worth telling and listening to. A dense but enlightening book.
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Language

Original language

English

Physical description

448 p.; 6.35 inches

ISBN

0815610211 / 9780815610212

Barcode

34662000974060
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