essay

The Feast of the Dead or Ghost Dance at Six Nations Reserve, Canada

Symposium on local diversity in Iroquois cultureWashington, D.C. • Published In 1951 • Pages: 139-165

By: Fenton, William N., Kurath, Gertrude P..

Abstract
This article presents a detailed study of the ceremonial observance of the Feast of the Dead at Onondaga longhouse, Six Nations Reserve, Ontario in 1945 and at Sour Springs (Cayuga)longhouse, also at Six Nations in 1949. Fenton and Kurath describe all aspects of this ceremony with special emphasis on songs, music, dancing, the improtance of the women's role in the ceremony, and the distribution of gifts at the end of the performance. There are also data on Iroquois beliefs about the dead, illustrated by two folk tales concerning the relations between the living and the dead. The article concludes with a few comments on the functional relationship of the Feast of the Dead with other aspects of Iroquois culture.
Subjects
Cult of the dead
culture
Iroquois
HRAF PubDate
1996
Region
North America
Sub Region
Eastern Woodlands
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Types
Ethnologist
Musicologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1961
Field Date
ca. 1948
Coverage Date
1949; 1945
Coverage Place
Cayuga (Upper) and Onondaga ; Six Nations Reserve, Grand River, Ontario, Canada
Notes
William N. Fenton and Gertrude P. Kurath
LCSH
Iroquois Indians