Thayendanegea, the Mohawk, stood up in his place among the great
chiefs. The role he was about to assume belonged to Atotarho,
the Onondaga, but the old Onondaga assigned it for the occasion
to Thayendanegea, and there was no objection. Thayendanegea was
an educated man, be had been in England, he was a member of a
Christian church, and be had translated a part of the Bible from
English into his own tongue, but now he was all a Mohawk, a son
of the forest.
He spoke to the listening crowd of the glories of the Six
Nations, how Hah-gweh-di-yu (The Spirit of Good) had inspired
Hiawatha to form the Great Confederacy of the Five Nations,
afterwards the Six; how they had held their hunting grounds for
nearly two centuries against both English and French; and how
they would hold them against the Americans. He stopped at
moments, and deep murmurs of approval went through the Long
House. The eyes of both men and women flashed as the orator
spoke of their glory and greatness. Timmendiquas, in a place of
honor, nodded approval. If he could he would form such another
league in the west.
The air in the Long House, breathed by so many, became heated.
It seemed to have in it a touch of fire.
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