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Traditional Views: Pregnancy, Midwifery ISBN 1-894868-59-5 by Jake Thomas From The Library Of Yvonne & Jake Thomas, Compiled August 18, 1997, #9107 © Sandpiper Press, Website: www.tuscaroras.com/jtlc
The Iroquois traditions and customs: "What Iroquois women did in the olden times when a young woman became pregnant." What she should do and should not do during pregnancy. First of all, when a woman notices that she is pregnant this is the time to watch herself. (1) She should never have sex with another man because it will affect the child that is in her womb. The reason is that another man’s sperm will mix with the woman’s blood and the father’s blood of the child. The blood that becomes mixed will cause the child to become crippled or have behavioural problems when it is born. (2) The woman must not do any heavy lifting, (3) not eat any kind of nuts, (4) she should keep herself warm at all times and (5) try not to get cold. The reason why a pregnant woman should not eat hickory nuts or other kinds of nuts is that it will affect the child when it is born. The child will have a stuffy nose and will have a hard time breathing through its nose. (6) The pregnant woman has to learn to get up early in the morning before sunrise but she can rest awhile during the day. (7) She must lie down on the bed the right way--not crossways on the bed. (8) When a woman wishes to go outside she must never stop in the doorway. She must go all the way out of the house then come back in. (9) She must never walk backwards at any time because it has been said that when the child is born it will go backwards and stop; this will cause the woman to have hard labour and much pain. (10) Never cross your legs when you sit down or (11) sit on your legs. Try to sit right. (12) Never look at animals too long. (13) Never criticize people about the way they look. (14) Never say bad things about people. Always have a ‘Good Mind’ and have Peace in your mind. (15) A woman should try and speak her language so that the child will also be hearing and observing the language. (16) When a woman is pregnant she should ‘wish’ that her child will be intelligent, a singer, a dancer, so this way the child will think the way the mother thinks the child is born so that they may be knowledgeable. (17) Try not to argue with your husband or with anyone else because the child will feel bad coming into this world. If the child hears bad things then the child will return to the Creator’s World (Onheón:we Tionhontsiá:te`, Mohawk language). The child is listening and will think that he or she is the cause of the argument. So when the child is born it will only cry once or twice then return back to the Spirit World. The reason why the child will feel this way because they do not have any sins as there is no sin or evil in the Spirit World. (18) Never wear a bracelet on your arm or (19) a necklace on your neck because it will cause the cord to be wrapped around the child’s neck when it is born. (20) Never do any sewing, darning, (21) braiding or braid your hair as it will cause the child to be born with braided cords around the child’s neck. (22) Old people say that a pregnant woman should never use alcohol or (23) smoke during pregnancy. If you drink alcohol then the child will also be intoxicated. It affects the child’s brain and it will cause the child to have health problems when it is born. When the child becomes a teenager he or she will crave for alcohol at an early age because the mother has already transmitted alcohol into the child’s brain and bone marrow, today it is known as FAS (Fetal Alcohol syndrome). It is the same way with smoking. If the pregnant woman is smoking during pregnancy the child is smothering inside because of the smoke. When the child is born it will have breathing problems or be asthmatic. (24) A pregnant woman should never go to funerals. The reason the pregnant woman should not go to funerals is because the child is in her womb will be affected and they may wish to go back to the Spirit World with the dead person. This may cause a miscarriage. (25) Old people told the young women and men, if it happens that someone in your family passes and you have to be there at the funeral, then you must not look at the dead when you pay your last respects. (26) So try not to grief too much because it will affect the child. (27) A pregnant woman should never make a circuit or dance during the feast of the dead. It’s called the Ghost Dance (Ohkí:we:, Mohawk language), which is performed twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. [*] Children are not permitted to participate in the ritual. (28) Pregnant women are not to cry or get angry during pregnancy. When the child is born it becomes a "cry baby’. (29) If a pregnant woman is always angry then the infant inside becomes cranky and cross and the mother will have to sit up all night and attend to the angry baby. (30) The pregnant woman should keep moving and doing some kind of work. (31) And she should never sit around all day. The reason for this is that the infant inside of her womb will get larger and larger because the mother is playing lazy and the mother will have a hard time when she gives birth. This is why many people say, ‘If you don’t want to suffer then follow these instructions.’ [a] Old people say that when a woman becomes pregnant her husband is also pregnant because the man’s blood is also with the infant that will be born in nine month’s time. So the man will follow these instructions as well. [b] The husband or any man should know enough that they should never strike a woman or beat her up. [c] He could injure her or [d] cause her to become disabled. [e] He may even cause her death. Women are ‘special’ in the eyes of the Creator as they bring many seeds to the Earth. It’s a great sin if a man kills a ‘woman’ for he has violated the Creator’s Law. [f] A man is never to lay a hand on a pregnant woman. [g] If a man punches a woman or fights with her, the child could be born with injuries caused during pregnancy. The infant could be born with an injured body or organs, and may never walk or will end up in a wheel chair. The reason why this happens is because the man did not have any respect for the woman. (32) The woman is never to touch her husband’s equipment that he uses for hunting or fishing. [h] The reason why a pregnant woman’s man went through a ‘sweat’ lodge before hunting season was to cleanse the odours from his body. [i] The man is forbidden to drink during his wife’s pregnancy. [j] The man should always wish that his son or daughter be intelligent and knowledgeable when he or she becomes an adult. [k] (33) Pregnant women and their husbands should never pick up someone else’s baby as the baby will become a ‘cry baby’ and cross. [*] When women are menstruating, they should not pick up anybody else’s baby because it will spoil the baby’s blood. (34) A pregnant woman must not pick up or handle her sister’s baby or someone else’s baby is because the child in the woman’s womb will become jealous of the other baby. So the baby that is already born will become cranky and cross until the pregnant woman’s baby is born. [l] Also the same applies with a pregnant woman’s husband, he is not allowed to pick up anyone else’s baby as it will also happen the same way. [*] Young children are forbidden to be in association of young women on the first menses. In olden times that’s why the young women ‘hidden under the husk’ were isolated in another lodge for a period of three to five days. The woman’s breath could cause illness or inappropriate behaviour among her siblings. In Iroquois belief that’s why a woman did not need to go though a ‘sweat’ because this was ‘her time for purification’. When a young woman was on her cycle she would kill all medicine spirits. She was also forbidden to attend ceremonies. "Now the time comes when the mother will give birth." Midwives are to be present to help during birth. (35) If the woman is having hard labour, the woman giving birth should wear an ‘eel skin’ wrapped in white cloth around her waist. It has been said that it helps prevent much suffering and induces quick and smooth labour. In the olden days, Iroquois midwives always had the ‘eel skin’ ready for future use. When people caught an eel they would skin the eel, dry it and it could be used be a woman while giving birth. When the baby is born the midwives would light the cornhusk to smudge the umbilical cords. The scissors were put through a flame to be sterilized to cut the cord a certain length that separated the mother and her baby. (36) The placenta ‘after birth’ was taken and buried in the woods close to the child’s home. This meant when the child becomes an adult he would be a successful hunter as his spirit is in the bush. The girl is to stay near home tending to her duties as a mother or wife and not to wander off somewhere else. (37) A white cloth was cut to a size of four to five inches in width and applied to the child to put on his or her waist as a ‘band’ to hold the child’s umbilical cord in place. (38) The same thing is done to the mother only a little wider belly ‘band’ of white cloth about eight to ten inches in width tightened around the woman’s waist. It should be left for a month but it can be changed at times. (39) Sometimes babies are born with a ‘veil or caul’ that the midwives will break it open quickly so that the child will not suffocate. The caul is washed, cleaned, dried and saved. It is hung on the child’s crib, cradleboard, or put away for safekeeping. It has been said by the old people that this will give the child more wisdom while he is growing up. It will also be a guardian and protect the child until he or she becomes an adult. (40) When the child’s umbilical cord drops off onto the bellyband, the mother has to watch this so when the cord falls off it can be saved, dried and put away in a safe place. It has been said that it will give the child more wisdom, protect the child and he or she will be much closer to his or her mother. (41) The mother will ‘nurse’ her baby from her own breast and not a ‘bottle’. The mother’s milk gives the child all its nourishment and the child will be free from sickness. The mother and child will have a close bonding because nursing is the natural way ordained by the Creator. (42) The baby is given medicine at the time of birth. The medicine is called ‘gold thread’ mixed with the ‘partridge berry’ plant that is steeped like tea but being careful that it is not made too strong for the baby. The child must be given this as a blood purifier. (43) The mother must use a ‘blood tonic’ for at least two to three months following birth. (44) The mother has to have time to regain her strength and build up her blood. (45) According to traditions the woman is not to become pregnant for at least a period of three years. The old people say that it takes three years for a woman to regain her strength and ‘to build up her blood’ back to normal. (46) If a woman becomes pregnant with a year or less then the woman may have health problems or maybe the child may have a deformity or it may cause the child to be a slow thinker. That is the reason why the old people told the young people what to do and what not to do. In the olden days Iroquois midwives told these things to young people. Medicine people in those days knew medicine for ‘spacing’ their children. Today we have lost the art and knowledge of this kind of herbal medicine. (47) Woman should watch not to get pregnant too soon and go by the ‘cycle of the moon’ especially the ‘new moon’. The moon will be a guide to go by to space your children by abstaining from sex around the ‘full moon’. Many of us today do not know this. People do not watch the changes of the moon anymore. According to the Creator’s Law it was forbidden for a woman to use herbal medicine to induce miscarriage. The newborn child is already ‘disciplined’. (48) The mother should always talk to her child in the ‘native language’. That is the beginning for the child to hear and observe the native language. (49) When a newborn child is born here on Earth the very first day the clan matron or the grandmother shall have a ‘native name’ ready for a boy or girl. An older woman or man will speak to a child to give him or her a name, a ‘welcome speech’ is spoken to the child, naming the clan where he or she is born, and welcomes him or her to the clan and nation. The Creator sent the child to come to Earth (Onhontsiáte`, Mohawk language) for a visit and it will go according to how many days he or she is given to walk upon the Earth. The child is born with his or her ‘inherent rights’ to live on Earth. The child will have full rights to all the Creator’s creations as long as he or she lives here on Mother Earth. [m] (50) The mother and father of the child and all the clan will ‘shake hands’ with the infant child and sing a song of chanting called the Creator’s Chant (Atónwa, Mohawk language) for the baby boy. Baby girls are not given any chanting, it’s only for the baby boys, because the girl child will become a woman some day. The women are ‘birth givers’ and are highly respected for their role. Some day she may also become a clan mother. [n] (51) The old people in their teachings say that when you begin to have a family of your own, maybe several children, girls and boys, they say ‘never to favour’ or love one more than you would the rest. If you do, you have planted bad feelings with the rest of the children. You will not be able to ‘discipline’ your children the way you wish because you already have showed that you favour one more then the others. Never feel and say that your children are ‘angels’. In our teachings it is said that you must love, care and respect every child and treat them all the same. [o] (52) It will be easier to control your children and speak to them with the kind words and to be polite, [p] (53) but also to mean what you say to your children. [q] (54) Iroquois children were never slapped, kicked, or punched by their parents. [r] (55) They disciplined them by splashing ‘cold water’ in their face or sometimes by using the ‘red whip’ or red willow by whipping them only once on their buttocks if they disobeyed. The elders have always reminded the young people that someday they will reach old age and it is their responsibility to pass these traditions onto the future generations. We already had ‘community watch’ in our villages. The children were never left alone. If the mother or father was unable to be with the children, then the aunties, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers are the ones who watched out for their nieces, nephews and grandchildren. There was no sexual abuse known in our villages. The children were closely attended, supervised and protected. The children were ‘special’ gifts the Creator bestowed to the clan and extended family. We never neglected our children. The children would learn a way of life from the grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles--how to be a good human being, learn to respect all living things and to be aware of your actions ‘as the Creator is always watching you’. In olden days elders told the children the good things about how to behave and to be a ‘good person’. [*] Old people had the right to ‘discipline’ the children if the elders saw the children doing something wrong. Unfortunately this has changed today instead parents defend their children even if the parents do now know the truth about what their children are doing. The parents believe their child and their lies. That is why children grow up that way like a ‘badweed’ because they know that their parents defend them. [s] (56) They say the reason that each family in every nation shall try to ‘discipline’ and control their children at an early age from the time they are babies is because at the beginning of time when the Creator created mankind, he wished that they would be good human beings and live by his Laws. This is why he gave the people the Good Tidings of Peace and the ‘Good Message’ (Kariwí:io, Mohawk language). We are to teach the young people the good things as well as for them to know the evil things. From the time of creation when bad or evil things began as there were two twins born from the Sky-Woman’s daughter (Katsitsianí:ionte`, Mohawk language) when she came to Earth (Iethnist=nha Onhontsi-ke`, Mohawk language). Sky-Woman’s name is Mature- Flower (Wa`tewatsitsiané:kare, Mohawk language). The good twin was the one that created the good things as the left handed twin (Hennishenró:non, Mohawk language) created things that would harm mankind. The left handed twin is also called Flint (Tawiskáron, Mohawk language) or He-Speaks-Good-Words (Raonwenní:io, Mohawk language). He-is-the-Maker-of-our-bodies, (Sonkwaiatí:son, Mohawk language) created mankind to dwell on Mother Earth and later gave them the Great Law (Kaienerenkó:wa, Mohawk language) and the Code of Handsome Lake also called the Good Message (Kariwí:io, Mohawk language). He said to his brother twin that all his creations belonged to him. The left handed twin said to the Creator (Sonkwaiatí:son) or He-is-the-Holder-of-the-Heavens (Taharonhiawá:kon, Mohawk language), "The human beings you created are yours but how long will they listen to you and the Good Message? For I have the power when I speak they will listen to me. I only speak once and they will do and say what I wish. For they will be the way I want them to be." Then the Creator said, "The newly born and the small children belong to me because they have not sinned yet on Earth. So that is why they are all mine." Then again the left handed twin (the Evil One) spoke, "Truly they are yours but when a small child will be able to talk back to his parents and when the child is able to begin to walk and pick up a stick or something, he can hit, punch or kick his parents, then the child who does these things they are mine for I now control them from there until they become an adult as they would rather listen to me." That is the reason the old people always said, "Try hard to control your children because if they listen to the "Evil One" they will end up in the house of suffering as there is hell here already on Earth. Any person who follows these evil practices will go where there is no return. This is the place the non-native call a ‘jail or prison’ that the white man created as hell here on Earth for those of you who disobey the Laws of the Creator." So whoever listens to the Creator’s teachings will live a Good Life. Note: (56) points for the woman and [a-s], 19 points for the man to remember surrounding Pregnancy, Midwifery and Discipline. [*] There are also some restrictions surrounding the children’s well being. See page 3 and 4.
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