ty and nearness o/ access The /Senecas maybe
selected as> an „example of the influence of
the totemic bond. This canton is still the, most
numerous of Hhe existing Iroquois;, tribes. By
the recent census,, (see p. 102 ante,,) they number
over twothousand four hundred souls. This
population is, theoretically, separated into weight
clans or original families, who are distinguished
respectively, by the. totems of the wol^-the.bear,
the turtle, thé dqer, the beaver, the falcon^ the
crane and the plover. Theory at -this, time,
founded doubtless on actual' consanguinity in
their inceptive age, makes thesoclans brothers.
It is contrary to their usages fliaf ngan,kindred
should intermarry, and, the;ancient rule interdicts
all intermarriage between' persons ©fkthe
Same clan. They must marry into .a clan whose
totem is different from their own/ A wolf, or
turtle male cannot marry a wolf or turtle-female,.
There is an interdict of consanguinity. By this
custom the purity of blood is preserved-, -while
the tie of relationship between, the jfians them-
selves is strengthened or,enlarged..:
But by far the most singular, principle connected
with totems, the sign manual of alliance*
is the limitation of descent- exclusively to the
line of the female. Owing to this prohibition, a
chieftain’s son cannot succeed him in office, but
in case of his death, the right of deseënt being
in the chief’s mother, he would be. succeeded,
hot by one of^his male children, but by his
brother ;- or failing in this, by the son of his sister,
or by some direct; however remote, descendant
of the maternal line.' Thus he might be
succeeded by his own grandson, by a daughter,
but'not by a son. It is in this way that the line
of chieffaihships is continually deflected or refreshed,
and family dynasties hrokeh up.
While thedaw of descent is fully recognized,
thp^ree will of the female to choose a husband,
fro hi any of the other ^seven clans, excluding
only her own, is made, to govern and determine
the distribution of political power^and to fix the
political character óf the tribe. Another peculiarity
may be/here stated. The son of a chief ?s
daughter is, necessarily destined to inherit the,
honors of thé chieftainship; yet the validity of
the claim must, on his reaching the propef age,'
W submitted to and recoghiied by a council of
the. wtiole canton. If approved, a day is appointed
for the recognition, and he is formally installed
into 'office.' Incapacity is always, however,
without exception, recognized as a valid objection
to the approval of the council.
Had this law of descent prevailed among the
Jews, whose customs have been so often appealed
to, in connection with our red race,' neither
David nor Solomon would ever., have sat on the
throne. It would be easy, did the purposes of
this work require it, to show, by other references,
. * Thus' Hendrick, who'feU at the battle, of Lake George» in
1755, was-succeeded, -in the Mohawk' canton,' by his brother
Abraham, and not by- his son.
18 .