IROQUOIAN TRIBAL DESIGNATIONS.
Bacqueville de la Potherie (c) says that a treaty with the French in Canada, about 1700, was “sealed” with the “proper arms,” pictorially drawn, of the Indian tribes which were parties to it. The following is a copy of the original statement in its archaic form:
Monsieur de Callieres, de Champigni, & de Vaudreüil, en signerent le Traité, que chaque Nation scella de ses propres armes. Les Tsonnontouans & les Onnontaguez designerent une araignée, le Goyogouin un calumet, les Onneyouts un morceau de bois en fourche, une pierre au milieu, un Onnontagué mit un Ours pour les Aniez, quoi qu’ils ne vinrent pas. Le Rat mit un Castor, les Abenaguis un Chevreüil, les Outaouaks un Liévre, ainsi des autres.
From this it appears that—
The Seneca and Onondaga tribes were represented by a “spider.” [This was doubtless a branching tree, so badly drawn as to be mistaken for a spider.]
The Cayuga tribe, by a calumet.
The Oneida tribe, by a forked stick with a stone in the fork. [The forked stick was really designed for the fork of a tree.]
The Mohawk tribe, by a bear.
Le Rat, who was a representative Huron of Mackinaw, by a beaver.
The Abnaki, by a deer.