Eighteenth-century treaties: amended Iroquois condolence rituals. From: The American Indian Quarterly | Date: June 22, 1995 | COPYRIGHT 1995 University of Nebraska Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

An examination of the printed versions of thirteen Iroquoian treaties made from 1736 to 1762 indicate they were linked to the Iroquois Condolence rite. The treaties evoke a religious and celebratory character in which the Iroquois challenge fellow Aboriginals and the English to surmount selfish concerns and unite in human camaraderie. The rite as echoed in the treaties, acknowledges in various ways the sorrow of individuals, tribes and nations, It includes the need for affirmation and the lat...