Maid of the Mist: A False Legend , Part ll

In Part l of this post, an overview is given of the controversy that surrounds the tale of  “Maid of the Mist” better known as Legend of Lelawala.

This controversy started in the 17^th century when this tale was used to falsely represent the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois culture.

The natives took offense for this tale stated they practice human sacrifice to appease one of their Gods. It also misrepresented the actual positive role woman take in their culture.

The first tale below-- Legend of Lelawala was told for years to tourists as they rode on the  “Maid of the Mist” boat tours around Niagara Falls. It was represented as being a true reflection of the Haudenosaunee culture.

The second tale below-- The True Maid of the Mist is a legend that actually represents the Native Haudenosaunee people, their culture and what is important to them.

Legend of Lelawala

Long ago, the peaceful tribe of the Origiaras lived beside the Niagara River.

Members of this tribe began to die for some unknown reason. It was believed to stop these deaths they must appease the Thunder God Hinum, who lived with his two sons below Niagara Falls.

At first, the Indians sent canoes laden with fruit, flowers, and game over the Falls but members of the tribe continued to die.

The Indians then began to sacrifice one beautiful maiden of the tribe each year that was selected during a ceremony.

One year, the chief’s daughter Lelawala was chosen. On an appointed day, Lelawala appeared on the riverbank above the Falls. She wore a white deerskin robe and a wreath of woodland flowers in her hair.

She stepped into a birch canoe and plunged over the Falls to her death. Her father, heartbroken, leaped into his boat and followed her.

Hinum’s two sons caught Lelawala in their arms. They both desired her, so she promised to accept the brother who told her the reason why her people were dying.

The younger brother told her it was a giant water snake that lay at the bottom of the river. Once a year this monster snake grew hungry, and at night it entered the village and poisoned the water. This snake then devoured the dead.

Lelawala appeared as a spirit before her people and told them they must kill this serpent. Indian braves then mortally wounded the snake on his next yearly visit to the village.

As he returned to his lair on the river, the snake caught his head on the side of the river and his tail on the other, forming a semi-circle that became, Horseshoe Falls.

Horseshoe Falls

Lelawala later returned to the cave of the God Hinum, where she reigns as the Maid of the Mist.

The True Maid of the Mist

The elders tell this story to the next generation.

At one time the Six Nations were one with the world. They talked with the earth, the sky, the moon, and the stars. They knew the plants and animals were their brothers.

Because of this, they knew themselves.

The Thunder God taught them about what is and what will be. Because the people knew these things, they were at peace, filled with love and understood the wholeness of the world.

But as time passed the people forgot. They did not listen anymore when the stars and animals talked to them. As they forgot, their oneness with the world and each other was lost.

The people no longer heard the words of the Thunder God.

Now the people were selfish, mistrustful and jealous of each other. They felt resentment and hate.

The Maid

A young girl who lived among the people near the Niagara River one afternoon lay under a tree in the hot summer sun. She fell asleep.

As she slept an old woman passed by. This woman saw a snake-like creature crawl underneath the young girl’s dress.

Sadly, the woman not caring did not wake the young girl to tell her what she had seen.

The girl became a young woman still not knowing what had happened that summer afternoon.

She fell in love and married, but it didn’t last long for her husband died. She then met another man and married, but he too died before they could start a family.

The young woman found happiness again and married for the 3^rd time but alas this husband died as well.

She was confused and afraid. She felt there must be something wrong with her.

But there was no one she could confide in for the people were disconnected from each other--they were further down the path of selfishness and mistrust.

Embarrassed and with no one to turn to for help the young woman decided to kill herself.

One night she put a canoe in the river above Niagara. She climbed in and pushed out into the rushing current. Her boat followed the rapids over the edge of the Falls.

Base of Falls

But she did not fall to her death. Instead, she felt her canoe gently lowered to the base of the Falls. Here she heard voices and whispers in the darkness.

She felt hands drawing her out of the canoe. She was taken behind the Falls where she saw many people. They were the Thunder Beings. They told her what had happened to her as a young girl.

They brought medicine and they built a small fire and as the smoke arose around her a tiny slithering creature dropped out of her dress and crawled away.

Now made too powerful, she could not return home immediately.

The Thunder God adopted her, and she lived with them for four years. They taught her the teachings of the Creator.

She was then told she could return home. She married again and was able to have children.

She shared the Creator’s teachings with her people. They now remembered and listened. They were again able to live in peace and “became one” once more.

In Part l of Maid of theMist: A Lie I share the origin of the false tale.

Maid of the Mist: A False Legend, Part l

Thousands of tourists from all over the world have boarded “Maid of the Mist” boats at Niagara Falls in order to get a closer look at the falls.

Maid of the Mist tour.

When this corporation based out of New York began these tours in 1846 they capitalized on a local legend entitled the “Maid of the Mist” that had been told since the 17^th century. They even named their boats after it.

When they told this tale on their inaugural voyage it was considered to be fact. Up until recent years, this tale was still told on a recording that played on these tours.

The Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee * or Iroquois people had a major problem with this story being told. For this tale known more specifically as The Legend of Lelawala misrepresented their culture and traditions.

Recently, the president of the Maid of the Mist Corp. agreed to stop playing this tale on his boats when Seneca Nation members with other Haudenosaunee support threatened to protest his company if they did not stop promoting this incorrect version of the tale to its customers.

* Haudenosaunee is said “Ho dee noes ho nee” meaning-- People Building a Long House.

Long House

A False Legend

The man most to blame for this false tale was Robert Cavelier de La Salle. He was a European explorer that made contact with the Iroquois in 1679.

He traded his knowledge on guns and ammunition in exchange for the Native people giving him information on agriculture, hunting and gathering techniques.

In his writings about his visit with the Haudenosaunee he mentions that they practiced “human sacrifice.”

Young pretty maidens were sent to their deaths in a canoe over Niagara Falls. He states he witnessed this firsthand.

He writes that he watched as a virgin maiden--a chief’s daughter named Lelawala was chosen as that years’ sacrifice--this was to appease a God that was killing off the Indians.

At the last moment the chief changed his mind and darted after her in his own canoe but both fell over the Falls to their deaths.

Years later, de La Salle’s wife announced her husband’s account was false. She stated he had wanted to portray the Haudenosaunee as an “ignorant people.” The reason for this was to make it easy to take their land so they could colonize the area.

So her husband set out to “demonize” them so there would be no sympathy for them, and even more important so the colonization would not be opposed.

He also hoped the dark picture he painted would meet with approval from the King and Queen of France. Their financial backing was needed for more expeditions.

The Haudenosaunee people treated de La Salle with “intelligence and hospitality” --this makes his false representations even worse.

A Cruel God and Human Sacrifice

The Haudenosaunee especially took offense at to two concepts presented in the Legend of Lelawala. **

First, this legend includes a God, Hirnum that needs to be appeased or he will kill the natives. In contrast, the Haudenosaunee Gods are positive deities. They only want peace and love for the people.

The second part caused an even greater offense. The Haudenosaunee people never performed human sacrifices.

In fact, this culture holds their woman in the highest regard. Unlike the Europeans that came to colonize--the Haudenosaunee woman played critical roles and responsibilities within their government and communities.

Corn farming.

They were one of the first peoples to have suffrage.

** The Legend of Lelawala is based on a real Haudenosaunee legend but the two have little in common--except both maidens go over the Falls.

In Part ll of Maid of the Mist: A Lie I share both the false legend and the real Haudenosaunee legend that it is based upon.