American - Masonic Library

1 , ,Ho-doin-jai-cyandHo-skiui-sa-onh,threef riendswhohavedonemosttoleadmeoninthejour neyivherc1havere-ceivedmorelightinMasonr y,andwhosebrotherlyloveandaffectionhaved emonstratedtomanyawayfarerthepotencyofth eMasonictie,thisaccountofAmericanIndianF ree-masonryisdedicated, , , , ,theshiftingscenesofclimate, , ,FragrantintheirodorousincenseWhen,thoug hgropinginthedarkness,Thouwertliftedupan dstrengthened,Inthyearnestfirmendeavor,N earerdrawntooneGreatSpiritInthyardorofde votion! , , , , , ,however,withonewhoseworkisallinsecret, , ,andhoursafterwardthesoundsofapeculiarch ant,theblendofwildforestsoundsmingledwit hastrangerushingnoise,likethatofagreatca taract, 'soutofthewayplacesandcomesagainintothes ocietyofhisfriendsandbrothers, ;everymanwhoenjoystheso-cietyofhisfellow menandwhoseesinthesymbolsthatarefoundint heworldabouthimmorallessonsthatad-monish himtovirtue, , :"AreAmericanIndiansMasons?

2 " ;orthattheyhaveissueddispensationstothes eveiledlodgesbywhichtheymayworkundercomp etentjurisdiction?HowmuchofMasonrydothes eextra-limitalMasonsknow,andhowwelldothe ykeepandconcealfromtheprofanetheirsecret arts?If,perchance,theydidnotreceivetheir Masonryfrommoderns,whereintheannalsofant iquitydidtheydiscoverit? ,butthen, , ;isIvlisonryonlythearbitrarypractiseofar itewithinthewallsofalodge,withoutrelatio ntoconductintheworldofmen?IsMasonryinits essenceonlyamaterialactoraspiritualimpul se?IfweadmitthattheessenceofMasonryliesi nthepractiseofitsmoralandphilosophicalte achings,thenwemaybepreparedtobelievethat thesetruthsmaybeclothedindiverseraimenta ndcoloredbyvariedhues,thesedepending,lik ethecolorandfragranceofroseupontheairitb reathes,thewateritdrinksandthesoilfromwh ichitsprings, , , ,theirpreviousbeliefswereshapedbytheritu al, , ,forwhatmeanshadtheredmanofknowingofthes pecialritesofanorderthatupto1717wasinast ateofcrystallizationandevolutionandwhose lectureshadnotyetbecomefixed?

3 ' , , , ,spirits,powers,mayhaveseemedtohaveprecl udedaSupremeGod, , ,thirdly,sadtosay,insomecasesthereseemst obeaprejudiceagainstadmittingthatnatural mancanKnowofoneGod, , ,TirawaofthePawnee,ortheHaweniuoftheIroq uois,thesameideaprevailed, ,truthful,charitable, , :Tirawa,harken!MightyOne,Aboveusinblue,s ilentsky!We,standing, ,"Weshallnotsurrendersolongasourstrongwe aponsfightforus."TheIroquoisWarCaptainre plied,"Thensur-renderforitistheMasterofL ifewhofightsforus!" ,beforeheactstheIroquoischantshisprayer: You,theAllMaker,AllhighAboveBestFriendof peopleWeaskyoutohelpus, ,butwhydowewithsogreatdilligenceforgetou rownhorribledeedscommittedagainsttheIndi ans,deedsthattheirownbutweaklyparallel?

4 Wetoohavesinned,thoughourhigheridealsall criedoutforthevirtuesthatweclaimed, ,the"WorldBeyondtheSky",the"HappyHunting Ground",orthe"AbodeoftheCreator", " ,buteveryanimal,plantandrock, ^and"verynearman." ,sinceithadseemedanecessityforthehuntert ohavethemeatandskinofthe"brother."Thenal ittlesacrificewasgiven, ,butinadifferent12form,assuitedtheCreato r'spurpose, ,asbytheorganizationofnumerousfraterniti esandsocieties, :IfNature'sSons,bothwildandtame,Humanean dcourteousbe:HowillbecomesitSonnesofGodT owantHumanity? , , , , , ,theirHa-dih-dosandtheirSocietyofCharmHo lders, , ,andthenamesofZerubbabel,Solomon,Hiramof TVre, ,thereweresocietiesthatusedsacredwords, "lostwords".

5 ' ,becausewordsandnameswereproperty, ,especialyalongthecoast,therewereelabora tebuildingsofwood,builtinthefamiliarlogc abinstyle,buthavingcarvedpillars, ,per-haps,isthefactthatinthesetwoareaswh erebuildingandcraftsmanshipwassohighlysp ecialized, ,especiallyintheareaofthegreatplains, , ,forexample,had"longhouses"builtofpoles, , , , ' , (sometimescalledcelts,andoftenerroneousl y"skinningstones"),andbyplacingitonasmoo th,levelsurfaceyouwilldiscoverthatitcanb espunononeside, ' ,oviods,crescents,circles,squares,circul ardisks,triangles,hemi-spheres,pyramids, ,however, ,itwillbeseen,hadhisformoftheplumb,thele vel, "moundbuilders."Suchpersonsarenotwellinf ormedofmodernresearch,foriftheyweretheyw ouldknowthatthemoundbuilderswereIndiansa ndthattheoldtimetheoryofthemys-terious"M oundBuilders," "mysteriousracethatwasvan-quishedbytheIn dians.

6 "WHATWASTHEREDMAN'SRELIGIOUSLIFE?Itwould beaninterestingthingtotraceoutthevari-ou sformsofreligiousbeliefheldbytheAmerican na-tives,butthoughtherearethosecompetent towriteuponthissubject, 'sbelief, , ,Great18 Ruler,GoodMind,SkyDweller, ' , , ; ,thecornfromherbreasts, ,aftergreatdifficulty, ,"MyFather,whereartthou?"Andthereplycame ,"ASonofMineshallcastthegreatcliffsfromt hemoun-tain'sedgetothesummitofthispeak." ,*'ASonofMineshallswimthecataractfromthe basetothetop." ,"ASonofMineshallwrestlewiththehurricane ."AgreatwindsweptaboutGoodMindedasiftosw eephimfromhisunstablefooting,buthewrestl edwiththewindthoughhecouldnotseeitnortel lwheretograspit,untilthehurricanecriedou t,"Enoughforyouhaveexhaustedmybreath.

7 "Oncemorethevoicesounded," !"Fromthemountain-sideburstasheetofflame thatburnedandblindedGoodMinded, "IamthyFather,"saidtheLight,"ThouartMySo n." ,theSkyWoman,wherehehadbeenandwhatpowerh ehadreceived, ; , ,"WeONTARIO totheworldabovethesky,ourGa-o-ya-geh." 'sGenesis,andthoughbrieflytold,therewill befewwhocannotseeinitawonderfulsym-bolis mandarealrecognitionofman' ,weobserve,isnotalonetoovercomeearthandw aterandfireandair,whicharematerial, ,suchasthis,theIroquoisweretaughtthegrea tessentialsofmorallifeandarecog-nitionof man' ,Loyalty,Patriot-ism,Tolerance, ,forwasnottheCreatorinallthathehadcreate d?Sinthusbecameathingthatmancouldcommita gainsthimself,againsthisfellows,humanand non-human, , , ' :ForallthatHehasCreatedandshouldoffertha nks,Forallthethingsfrombelowuptohimselfi nthesky-world,Wewhoareheregatheredinasse mblythankourCreator,Yea, ,theSeneca,theCayuga,theOnondaga,theOnei daandtheMohawkarenowChristians, , "pagan" ,slowly,butsurelytheoldlifeisfadingandin timeitwillallbegone.

8 " , ,theHolderoftheEarth, ;Ho-skwi-sa-ohandGa-jee-wa, , , , ,andbecausetheGreatMysteryspoketohimhewa skindtoeverybrotheroftheearth,everytree, everyrock, ; ;theoldpeopleweregratefultohimbe-causehe knewofoilsthatcuredtheirlameness; , "Wewillgivethetipofourheartsandthesparkf romourbrains," , ' , ' , , , , ,butRedHandlived.**TheAncientGuardscalle d, **Yiewanoh,whohaspassedthroughtheinitiat ionoftheAncientGuards, ,patientandlistening, ,fortheBirdsandBeastsdonotlie!2728 THEPROMISEOFPOWERTheLeader,whoisRedHand, trustsandwaitsuntilastrongvoicefromtheda rknesscomes,saying:"Hastthoucelansedthys elffromhumanguiltandimpurity?""Ihave,"Re dHandreplied."Hastthouillwilltowardanyof thyfellowcreatures?

9 ""Ihavenot.""Wiltthoutrustandobeyus,keep ingthyselfalwayschasteandvalorous?""Iwil l.""Wiltthouholdthispowerwithwhichweendo wtheeforthineownchosencompanyonly?""Iwil l.""Wiltthouenduredeathortortureinitscau se?""Iwill.""Wiltthouvowthissecretnevert oberevealedsaveatthydeathhour?""Iwill."* *"Thydeathhourwillberevealedtothee;thouw iltbeallowedtochoosethysuccessor,andatth eendofthyjourneythouwiltberewardedforfai thandobedience."#** ,"Followme,followme,"SorepliestheChiefto him,"Yes,Iwillfollowthee.""See,thenighti sdarkening,theshadowsarehidingNolighttof ollownow," , , 'Awhiteflintknifelayattherootsofthemaize plantandavoicecalled,"Slashintothestalko ftheMaize!" ,"Touchthewoundwiththepotence.

10 " ,saying:" ,thechantsandthewilltoper-formthetaskofs preadingtheknowledgeofthekin-shipofallcr eatedthings."**Danehoenyayehak.**OUTOFTH EDARKNESSTheOrderhasbeenfounded,andthoug hmanycen-turieshavepassedby, , 'sheadorperhapsthatofabear, < ;theAncientGuardsoftheMysticPotencegathe ruptheirmysterybundlesthatholdthesacredN i-ga-ni-gaa-ah**Itisstillnight^0^theGa-n o-dah** !Helpusinourdarknessjourney,nownosunissh ining; !Thenightisnotfriendly;shecloseshereyeli ds;Themoonhasforgotus;wewaitinthedarknes s."Followme,followme,"sosingsthewhipporw ill."Yes,Iamfollowing,"sotheChiefanswers him!** , , , ' ; , ,whoshallsaythattheSenecashavenotthethre adofthelegendofOsirisorthattheyhavenotan inherentFreemasonry?