In this Book
- Who Are These People Anyway?
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: Syracuse University Press
- Series: The Iroquois and Their Neighbors
In the rich tradition of oral storytelling, Chief Irving Powless Jr. of the Beaver Clan of the Onondaga Nation reminds us of an ancient treaty. It promises that the Haudenosaunee people and non-Indigenous North Americans will respect each other’s differences even when their cultures and behaviors differ greatly.
Powless shares intimate stories of growing up close to the earth, of his work as Wampum Keeper for the Haudenosaunee people, of his heritage as a lacrosse player, and of the treaties his ancestors made with the newcomers. He also pokes fun at the often-peculiar behavior of his non-Onondaga neighbors, asking, Who are these people anyway? sometimes disarmingly gentle, sometimes caustic, these vignettes refreshingly portray mainstream North American culture as seen through Haudenosaunee eyes. Powless illustrates for all of us the importance of respect, peace, and, most importantly, living by the unwritten laws that preserve the natural world for future generations.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- pp. xvii-xx
- Who are these people anyway?
- pp. 14-15
- We will know each other as brothers
- pp. 18-19
- They bump hips
- pp. 20-30
- The “World” Series
- p. 34
- That’s all we need
- p. 35
- Haudenosaunee humor 1
- pp. 40-41
- Bubble busters
- pp. 43-44
- Still Indian Country
- pp. 45-50
- Living by the natural laws
- pp. 51-55
- Getting enough air
- p. 65
- The Revolutionary War
- pp. 66-71
- I have to go talk to the animals
- pp. 73-74
- Reluctant chiefs
- pp. 77-78
- The trees know who I am
- pp. 84-86
- Milkweed and roses
- pp. 98-99
- George Washington’s empire
- pp. 100-101
- There’s no one higher than the other
- pp. 105-106
- We were there
- pp. 119-120
- Haudenosaunee humor 2
- p. 121
- Empty rooms
- pp. 129-131
- Use of wampum
- pp. 132-134
- The butternut trees
- pp. 144-145
- Speaking American
- pp. 146-147
- “Randomly” audited
- pp. 157-158
- Condemned to repeat history
- pp. 159-162
- The hummingbirds
- pp. 183-188