Birch Bark Legends of Niagara

A collection of Iroquoian traditions and legends centered on the sacred landscape of Niagara Falls, beginning with a preface of contemporary citations and then presenting origin myths, ritual practices, and local narratives. The pieces explain the people's beliefs about the roaring waters, the lunar bow as a bright path for worthy spirits, sacrificial offerings sent over the cataract, and the origin of the wolf totem, while describing council assemblies, young warriors, and ceremonial customs. Interwoven are descriptive passages of the gorge and a reflective, elegiac awareness of cultural change as older rites and stories fade.