For the end of summer for our family means one thing, traveling to Hammondsport, N.Y. for the Festival of Lights. A quite a few years ago, my niece was asked to join a Haudenosaunee dance troop which shares our Onondaga social dance songs with the people and visitors o the small town of Hammondsport on the bottom of Keuka Lake. When my niece started dancing, she was just a … [Read more...] about Genundowa, or Festival of Lights
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Kheksdenh – My Wife
Its our 16th anniversary today. We were talking over a quiet dinner (babysitting is awesome) about that day 16 years ago. The Haudenosaunee have different marriage rites. We don’t have bride’s maids, best men, a walk down the isle, and a long white dress you can get at Bloomingdales. We were talking about how busy we were in preparing our wedding outfits… the cutting, … [Read more...] about Kheksdenh – My Wife
OHYAIHGÓ∙NAH
The very nature of our traditional life stems from process and protocol, there is order for everything that we do, even in our quietest moments we still are giving thanks, for another day, or our families, or a beautiful night, the equally important things that we may momentarily overlook, as we move about in our busy lives. Order is not a burden, or a task, it is the natural … [Read more...] about OHYAIHGÓ∙NAH
Practice
Well the blog has been quiet lately. The reason, practice. For my 8 yr. old daughter this means softball, for my 6 yr. old son, its lacrosse. We have practice or games almost every weekday evening. We coordinate our schedules as it seems both children have things happening at the same time. Some days it seems like all we do is chauffeur them back and forth. Other days we think, … [Read more...] about Practice
About Miss Marion
My gramma, Marion Green, turned 90 or 89 this March 8th, or was it the 9th? We simply don't know the right answer. My gramma's documents give conflicting information. What we know is she went to Thomas Indian School, we don't know too much about that time in her life, nor does she talk about it too much. From that point on she hasn't spoken Onondaga. Our best guess at her … [Read more...] about About Miss Marion
Snowsnake at ONS
The kids in the school were so excited. They were going to play Snowsnake with the men again. The men spent the weekend building the track for the kids so they could play on Monday. Every class was dressed warm and ready to try their best on the new track; some kids even brought their own mudcats from home. One of our accomplished players explained the rules to the kids … [Read more...] about Snowsnake at ONS
Skywoman
ONS has a new music teacher. Her name is Miss Wolfe. So this new teacher has new ideas and is willing to try new things. The winter concert has always been an event which would bring everyone out of their comfy homes into their cars and make their way to the school gym to hear the chorus and band play. This time however, Miss Wolfe and our Art teacher Mrs. Homer decided … [Read more...] about Skywoman