The Rotinonshonni: A Traditional Iroquoian History through the Eyes of Teharonhia:wako and Sawiskera

4. Sawiskera Gains Control

251 4 Sawiskera Gains Control The Coming of the Light-Skinned Beings After the Great Peace, the onkwe:honwe felt safe to travel anywhere without having to worry about being killed. Some of the onkwe:honwe including Wendat, Kenienké:haka and Onontaka:haka had moved to the north, to a great river that led into the sea. There they resided for many years, living in peace. They built villages all along the river where they hunted, fished, and grew their three mothers—corn, beans, and squash. The main village of the northern onkwe:honwe was on an island where the great river divided into two. The village was situated by a mountain on the island and was the place where the northern onkwe:honwe had their council fire. They became known as the Otsiré:laka, the People of the Council Fire. The south river had rapids and a lake on one side, which led into Great Lakes that were like oceans and a few days’ journey away. The first of these lakes was situated above the territory of the Onontaka:haka, Kaokwa:haka, and Sonontowa:haka. At its most western part, it divided the country of the Kakwakoh where Tsakonsasé resided, between the first great lake and the second great lake by the falls named Onakara. The Wendat had moved above the third lake, the latter being situated in the north. Their cousins the Teyonontateh lived near them. For many changes of the seasons, the onkwe:honwe remained at peace with one another. In fact the Skarenhesehkowah, White Roots of Peace, had spread across Turtle Island to many nations. Another people, who spoke a different language and had different customs than they the onkwe:honwe, lived near the great ocean to the east. These people were more proficient at hunting than the onkwe:honwe and 252 | The Rotinonshonni were therefore better in the use of the bow and arrow. The onkwe:honwe referred to them first as atsha’kahnha and then as Atirontok Bark Eaters and as they moved west as Tehakanus, They Speak a Different Language. They referred to them as Atirontok because of the designs they made with on tree bark with their teeth. Like the anen:taks porcupine, they appeared to eat bark. These people also lived in abundance with all their needs taken care of. The Atirontok spiritual leaders had great spiritual powers and could communicate easily with the ancient ones in the Sky World. Some of these ancient ones were good, while others could do harm if asked. One day, their spiritual leaders began to have dreams about a terrible calamity that would occur if they remained where they were. While they were communicating with the ancient ones, as was their custom, it was said that seven spiritual beings came out of the ocean to warn them and tell them what they were to do in order to survive. They had been told that they would have to leave their lands one day and move west if they were going to continue to survive. If they didn’t, they would suffer like they had never suffered before.1 Some of them decided to leave, while others stayed behind. Slowly they began their journey toward the west. They would have to travel through northern onkwe:honwe country. Both the northern onkwe:honwe and the Atirontok had known of each other; however, they had remained out of each other’s way after the Great Peace. In fact some of their leaders had been taken to the Rotinonshonni, People of the Longhouse, Grand Council to learn about it. The northern onkwe:honwe had always let the Atirontok hunt in their territory as was the custom under the Great Peace. The Atirontok never really respected the Kenienké:haka and the other onkwe:honwe who lived there, because they felt that they were not true men—not good in war and not having enough power. The Atirontok felt that the northern onkwe:honwe women had too much power for the men to be useful. Nonetheless, they traded with one another. The northern onkwe:honwe would trade their tobacco, corn, beans, and squash for the furs and meat of the Atirontok. Sawiskera Gains Control | 253 It was at that time that Sawiskera blew some of his islanders over the water to Teharonhia:wako’s island. In a short time, Sawiskera sent a great white wind from one end of...