Speaker to Highlight Haudenosaunee Culture February 15, 2009

Candace McCreary, a college instructor and member of the Seneca Indian tribe, will discuss the culture and history shared by the six nations of the Haudenosaunee — frequently referred to as the Iroquois — at 1 p.m. Sunday, February 15, at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 Central St., Evanston.

McCreary, an adjunct sociology professor at Harper College, will discuss the communal longhouses, sacred wood masks, matrilineal clan-based societies, and other characteristics of the Haudenosaunee (pronounced HOH-dih-noh-SHAW-nee), a group comprising the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora peoples.

Haudenosaunee means “people of the longhouse.”

McCreary will discuss a fact that is surprising to outsiders: these tribes never referred to themselves as Iroquois. Along with many historians, McCreary says the name “Iroquois” was derived from a disparaging term referring to snakes, coined by the Native confederacy’s Huron adversaries. From there, the name found its way into the lexicons of the Hurons’ French allies and English-speaking settlers.

McCreary holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in sociology from the College of William and Mary, and a doctor of divinity degree from the University of London.

Her talk is in conjunction with the Mitchell Museum’s exhibit, “The Power of Tradition,” which features beadwork and paintings by several Mohawk and Oneida artists, on view through March 29.

Admission to the talk is included with an entrance donation to the museum. Suggested donation is $5 for adults; $2.50 for seniors, students, and children. Maximum suggested admission per family is $10. For information, phone (847) 475-1030. On the Net: http://www.mitchellmuseum.org.