the younger sister (Myth 97)

Family: the Seneca · Role: younger sister · First appears: Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance

In Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance, the younger sister and her older sister, carrying the older sister’s baby boy, were captured by a Cherokee war party in a sugar grove. That night, her sister cut them free; when the baby cried, she took him on her back, and the women fled together.

As they traveled, a voice promised food and guided them toward home, revealing that the Sky People had watched over them. About noon they reached their uncle and, following the voice’s instructions, went to the long house, where the sisters sang and performed the ceremony that established the Yontoñwisas song for women.

Relationship record

Life events

• A Cherokee war party captured the two sisters and the baby boy.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance · 📍 a sugar grove)
  • With: the older sister (Myth 97) the baby boy (Myth 97)
  • “Two Seneca women who were sisters, with the baby boy of the older one, were in a sugar grove near their home when a war party of Cherokee came upon them and carried them off.”
• The older sister cut the sisters free, and they escaped with the baby boy.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance)
  • With: the older sister (Myth 97) the baby boy (Myth 97)
  • “Taking out her knife, she cut the rope without waking the men, and then rousing her sister quietly she whispered to her to come. They were going to leave the little boy, but he started to cry, so she said, ‘Let us die together,’ and took him up on her back, and the two women hurried away.”
• The voice promised the younger sister that they would find food and return to where they were captured.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance · 📍 the woods)
  • With: the voice (Myth 97)
  • “In the night a voice spoke to the younger woman, ‘Is that where you are resting?’ and she answered, ‘Yes.’ The voice said again, ‘Keep on, and you will come out at the spot where you were captured. No harm will come to you. To-morrow you will find food.’”
• The voice told the younger sister they would reach Seneca country and revealed that the Sky People had watched over them.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance)
  • With: the voice (Myth 97)
  • “At last one night the voice spoke again to the younger sister and said, ‘You are on the right road, and to-morrow you will be on the border of the Seneca country. You will find food. That is all.’”
• The voice instructed the younger sister to lead a song and ceremony upon reaching home.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance · 📍 the long house)
  • With: the voice (Myth 97)
  • “Then at night the voice came again to the younger woman, saying: ‘At noon tomorrow you will reach your home, and the first person you will meet will be your uncle. When you get to the town, you must call the people together and tell them all that has happened. You must go to the long house and take off your skirt and carry it on your shoulder. Then you must go inside and go around once, singing, 'We have come home; we are here.' This is the Yontoñwisas song, and it shall be for women only. Know now that we are the Hadionyageonoñ, the Sky People, who have watched over you all this time.’”
• The sisters reached home and reunited with their uncle, who called the people together as instructed.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance)
  • With: the older sister (Myth 97) their uncle (Myth 97)
  • “About noon they heard the sound of chopping, and when they went to the place they found it was their uncle cutting blocks to make spoons. He did not see them until they spoke, and at first could hardly believe that they were living women, because he knew that they had been taken by the Cherokee. He was very glad to see them, and as they walked on to the town they told him all they had been commanded to do by the Sky People. When they arrived at the town, he called all the people together, and they went to the long house.”
• The sisters performed the instructed ceremony and established the Yontoñwisas song for women.(Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance · 📍 the long house)
  • With: the older sister (Myth 97)
  • “There the two women sang their song and did everything exactly as they had been told to do, and when it was over they said, ‘This is all,’ and sat down. This is the same Yontoñwisas song that is still sung by the women.”

Myth 97 · Origin of the Yontoñwisas Dance

• siblings with the older sister (Myth 97) “Two Seneca women who were sisters, with the baby boy of the older one, were in a sugar grove near their home when a war party of Cherokee came upon them and carried them off.”
• elder kin: their uncle (Myth 97) “About noon they heard the sound of chopping, and when they went to the place they found it was their uncle cutting blocks to make spoons.”
• benefactor: the voice (Myth 97) “Know now that we are the Hadionyageonoñ, the Sky People, who have watched over you all this time.”

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Extracted from the original text of Myths of the Cherokee. Made with Rho MD.