#seneca tribe

[prairie-tales]

Iroquois pipe, c.1725.

Region: Illinois.

This carved wooden pipe is from northern Illinois and is attributed to the Iroquois, a term used to cover the different tribes of the Eastern Woodlands who had similar lifestyles. These include Mohawk, Oneida and Seneca. The Native American peoples of the south-west made their tobacco pipes entirely of wood but generally, the Eastern Woodland tribes fashioned them completely out of stone, or gave wooden stems to carved stone bowls.

The use of tobacco by the native population was observed by the early European settlers and recorded by Christopher Columbus. The plant was cultivated and grown in the villages of the various Native American tribes, and although used for smoking, had a more important role in ceremonial rituals. Often the tobacco would be ground and thrown onto the fire as an offering. It was also used by shamans as a painkiller for toothache and other ailments. It was also considered a poison. The shaman would draw on these ornate pipes and blow the smoke over their ‘patients’.

Source: ‘Folk Art’, Susann Linn-Williams, pp. 160-61.

[gaiabamman]

Empowering minorities or cultural appropriation?

​So, you wanted to help but somehow made things worse. Has this ever happened to you? You hold the door for a disabled person and offend them. You ask someone for their preferred pronoun and get an appalled reaction. You make a comment to engage a minority member and single them out. Every single time I meet someone new, they will ask me, in order, 1-Where is my accent from? 2-Where in Italy was I born? 3-Then they proceed to tell me about their great-grandfather who was born in Sicily. After seventeen years in the United States, it's a struggle to remember that people are trying to connect with me rather than remind me all the reasons I don't belong here. Truth is, that no matter how hard we try, it's impossible to make everyone happy. Some disabled people will love help, some won't. This is different from cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation, or rather,  mis-appropriation, means mimicking the behavior of a specific ethnic group without understanding the cultural meaning of such behavior, possibly for amusement. Examples: insensitive Halloween costumes, faking any accent ever. However, there are some gray areas. For example, when I moved here in 2003, my American English was terrible, and I soaked up slang and  colloquialisms. I was appalled when a coworker told me off for using a "typical African American" expression. "So what?" I thought. Was I wrong or was the person telling me off reinforcing a cultural divide? It's still a gray area to me. On to the issue at hand. I live in Buffalo, New York, which is geographically intertwined with native lands specifically belonging to Seneca natives. Yet, in the seventeen years I have lived here, I have heard nothing of Seneca culture. So, I documented myself and learned about it through native blogs and books (by native authors). As an author, I want to give a voice to the Seneca natives of my community. Particularly, I want to break some harmful stereotypes (see Pocahontas and the negative reactions it caused in native communities). Can a non-native author speak for a native community? Of course not. In fact, unless someone is elected as an official spokesperson, no one should ever speak for a community! We are individuals, with subjective views and experiences. The conundrum: can a non-native author write a native character? Thankfully, a number of native blogs offer excellent guidance on the topic. For example, "Indian Country" on Reddit is an excellent source of information. The book I am working on is a sci-fi romance titled "In the Arms of Morpheus," and I am now seeking native collaborators  (possibly Seneca) to gauge their point of view and/or hire them as beta readers. I am hoping to empower a fundamental minority within my community and bring you an awesome novel at the same time <3 What do you think? Have you ever been offended by fictional content that misrepresented a group you identify with?

[lilygraces]

“I am about to leave you, and when I am gone, and my warning shall no longer be heard or regarded, the craft and avarice of the white man will prevail. Many winters have I breasted the storm, but I am an aged tree and can stand no longer. My leaves are fallen, my branches are withered, and I am shaken by every breeze. Soon my aged trunk will be prostrate, and the foot of the exulting foe of the Indian may be placed upon it in safety; for I have none who will be able to avenge such an indignity. Think not I mourn for myself. I go to join the spirits of my fathers, where age can not come; but my heart fails me when I think of my people, who are so soon to be scattered and forgotten.”

-Red Jacket, Sagoyewatha (Seneca), 1829

[the-evil-twin]

As far as I know (everything has been passed down verbally in my family) I am descended from Seneca. My grandma knew the medicinal properties of everything, so it was roots and herbs vs. pills and meds. I'm proud of where I came from.

That’s amazing! Thanks for sharing that! 

I don’t very much about the Seneca tbh, do you know where they lived? I’m trying to look them up right now; is it true that they originate from the Ontario, Canada region? If you’re willing to share more about them. I’d love to hear!

[staypositivefortomorrow]

💜