Why Not Thirteen Months?

I recently had the pleasure of escorting some family members to one of New York's historic forts. Some of you may recall seeing photos of two grandsons having the time of their lives at Fort Niagara this past spring. When I learned there was a Revolutionary War reenactment at Fort Ontario, in Oswego, NY, I thought it was a good opportunity to give the girls a chance to dress up too!

Unfortunately, August is my craziest month of the year and we went with less than period-appropriate costuming. The little one wore a hand-me-down Regency dress (yes 1812) and the older one wore... gasp... I can barely admit this... a polyester 'colonial girl' costume we grabbed from Amazon.

If you know how much I love to sew and make costumes, you'll know how this bothered me!

But what was important? Having fun and learning history.

We couldn't have had a better day for it!

And that day even Granny learned something when we had the pleasure of chatting with and learning from a Seneca man. He brought a large pack full of items, and after the kids sat at his feet to listen, a a larger group of people gathered.

So, my reference to thirteen months?  Do you see this snapping turtle shell made into a ceremonial rattle? Our instructor said he was a 'Twisted Hair' and though he didn't have curls, he explained it denoted him as a medicine man or shaman.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/39718914_native-american-snapping-turtle-rattle

The very long neck of the snapping turtle is splinted as it dried to use as a handle, then reinforced.

If you've never had the pleasure of seeing a snapping turtle in person, you might be surprised at the length of their neck! While they are pleasantly cordial in the water, never try to make friends with one on land. Best to watch and enjoy! SNAPPING refers to how quickly they could break off your finger! While some say the safest way is to carry it by the tail, that can cause injury for the turtle.

Our teacher at Fort Ontario described how he might use the rattle in a healing ceremony and then pointed out that the shell could also be used as a calendar! How cool is that?

The main part of the shell has thirteen segments.  
The smaller edge segments number twenty eight.
Now, I can't tell you any good reason why we have twelve confusing months with varying number of days in them. Is Rome to blame?

The Haudenosaunee people, like most 'first people' of the Americas (and around the world) simply used lunar months. Thirteen moons and twenty eight days apart.  I don't know how 'leap year' day works into this formula, but I like a nice straight and logical idea like this turtle shell calendar!

What do you think?

Arnold T. Drooz, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Old Fort Niagara's Trading Post by Cynthia Howerter

As part of the research for the colonial historical novel I’m writing, I recently visited Old Fort Niagara near Youngstown, New York where the mouth of the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario.

Old Fort Niagara

 In 1726, the French military force in North America desired to build a fortification on this strategic site in order to control who traveled on the Niagara River. However, the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy owned this land and strenuously objected to the building of a fort. In order to appease the Iroquois and still meet their own military objective, the French purposely built the main building of the fortification to look like nothing more than a large residence. They named it the “French Castle.”

The French Castle at Old Fort Niagara

Eager to retain the Iroquois’s loyalty, the French shrewdly outfitted a room on the castle’s first floor as a trading post and stocked it with goods that the Indians desired to purchase. Cognizant of Europe’s insatiable desire for furs—especially beaver pelts that were used to make hats—the French encouraged the Indians to trade the furs they trapped for European goods. As would any woman who enjoys shopping, I was eager to spend some time in the French Castle’s trading post. Come with me as we take a look at some of the items that induced the Iroquois to part with their furs.

Bundles of imported wool trade blankets

Bales of luxurious wool trade blankets were shipped from France to Old Fort Niagara. Before the Native Americans were able to purchase blankets, they used furs for warmth on a cold night. Notice the small keg containing trade tomahawks in the lower left corner which not only provided the owner with a sharp edge, but a pipe for smoking tobacco as well.

An iron trap amidst colorful fabrics

Hanging between bolts of colorful wool fabric is a metal trap used in hunting. Because Native Americans were unable to produce iron, these traps were a popular and fast-selling item, helping them acquire more furs for trading. Knives and trade beads are displayed on the bottom shelf.

Guns, snowshoes, kegs of cider, plates, iron cooking kettles, kegs of gunpowder, and silver jewelry enticed the buyer to part with his furs or money.

Once the French learned what items were important to Native Americans, they imported large quantities from Europe. Because the Indians loved jewelry, the trading post offered a large selection of silver necklaces, pendants, and glass trade beads.

Note the animal pelts on the counter and the canoe and paddles hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps someone needed a canoe but didn’t have time to construct one.

A customer has recently traded fox pelts for goods.

Purchased furs were bundled and tied with cording …

… or wrapped in canvas and sent to France where they were made into garments.

The man who ran the French Castle’s trading post not only slept in the store—perhaps to make certain his wares didn’t disappear during the night …

… he also cooked his meals in the trading post’s fireplace.

I’m glad you were able to join me on this tour of Old Fort Niagara’s trading post. Did you see anything that you'd like to purchase? I must admit that I loved the well-made silver jewelry imported from France. Because there’s so much more to see at the fort, I’ll return there on a later post.

A very special thank you to our wonderful Old Fort Niagara tour guide, Jim Watz, who graciously answered our many questions and to Robert Emerson, the Executive Director of Old Fort Niagara, who met privately with my husband and me and provided valuable historical details, and to Hawk, a Seneca Indian employed at the fort who taught us about muskets and rifles. Visit Old Fort Niagara’s website: www.oldfortniagara.org 

All Photographs ©2014 Cynthia Howerter

Award-winning author Cynthia Howerter loves using her training in education, research, writing, and speaking to teach and inspire others about a time in America that was anything but boring. A member of the Daughters of the American revolution (DAR), Cynthia believes history should be alive and personal.

Visit Cynthia's website: Cynthia Howerter - all things historical