Gaiwiio Day 2

The Gaiwiio “The Good Word” a prophecy bestowed to the Seneca Chief Handsome Lake in the early 19th century. Handsome Lake was born into the warrior class and played a major role in reviving traditional spiritual practices among the Haudenosaunee (People of the Longhouse) also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. He preached a message that combined traditional Haudenosaunee religious beliefs with a revised code meant to revive traditional consciousness to the Haudenosaunee after a long period of cultural disintegration following colonization. 

Handsome Lake was known to be an alcoholic and fell gravely sick in the year 1799, during his sickness he was visited by three messengers who shared with him messages that he was the share and impart among his people. The message he shared denounced the use of alcohol and encouraged people to return to their traditional practices in order to maintain any last remaining pieces of their culture. Handsome Lake preached his message for 15 years before he passed away while traveling to share his message with the Onondaga Nation. Ten years after his death, Handsome Lakes nephew Jemmy Johnson revived the message through the encouragement of the Clan Mothers at Tonawanda and he began to travel around the different Haudenosaunee communities sharing Handsome Lakes Code.

Jamie Jacobs (Tonawanda Seneca, Turtle Clan) shares his insights and understanding of the Gaiwiio, Jamie has served as a speaker in his community in Tonawanda and he had previously toured with the delegation responsible for the annual recitation of the Gaiwiio. I am fortunate enough to be able to spend time with Jamie and ask him questions about the Gaiwiio and how he interprets the message and his understanding of the message of Handsome Lake. In this episode we cover the most salient points of Day 2 of the Gaiwiio.