Seth Newhouse facts for kids

Seth Newhouse (also known as Dayodekane) was an important leader of the Iroquois people. He lived from 1842 to 1921. Seth worked hard to help the Iroquois govern themselves in the Grand River area of Ontario, Canada. He also spent a lot of time writing down and saving the old traditions and stories of his people. In 1885, he created a written version of the Great Law of Peace, which is a very important set of rules for the Iroquois.

Seth Newhouse's Early Life

Seth Newhouse was born on January 27, 1842. His mother was from the Onondaga tribe, and his father was from the Mohawk tribe. He was born on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario, Canada.

• Seth went to school at the Mohawk Institute Residential School.
• He learned to speak three languages: English, Onondaga, and Mohawk.
• He grew up as a member of a religious group called the Plymouth Brethren.

Seth Newhouse's Work and Legacy

As an adult, Seth Newhouse followed the Longhouse Religion, which is a traditional way of life for many Iroquois people. He also managed a farm near the Grand River that his father had owned.

Becoming a Community Leader

By the 1870s, Seth had become a respected member of the Iroquois community. He was part of the tribe's council in 1875 and again in 1883. Seth's main goal was to learn and protect the old knowledge and traditions of the Iroquois.

• In the mid-1870s, he helped ask the government to officially recognize the Iroquois confederacy. This would have given them more power to govern themselves.
• For the next 20 years, Seth was involved in discussions about land along the Grand River. This land was known as the Haldimand Tract. He worked to protect his people's land rights.
• In the early 1880s, he joined the Six Nations Union Association. He kept working to make sure the Six Nations could govern themselves. He signed many requests asking for this, even though he was no longer a chief after 1884.

Preserving the Great Law of Peace

In 1885, Seth Newhouse created a written version of the Great Law of Peace. This law is a very old and important set of rules for the Iroquois. People have studied his version to see how well it matches the original traditions. Even with all his hard work, the Grand River Council never officially approved his written version.

Some of the information that Seth Newhouse and others saved was published in 1916. It appeared in a book called the New York State Museum Bulletin. Seth Newhouse passed away on June 11, 1921.