Analysis Of Iroquois Corn: Examining A Tuscarora Story

Examining a Tuscarora Story

Dr. Carol Cornelius, an Oneida educator, shares a Tuscarora story The Legend of Onenha (the corn) in Iroquois Corn: In a Culture-Based Curriculum (1999). In this story,
An old man was very ill and heard voices of women in his dreams. He was instructed to set out a bark bowl to catch the rainwater, which would heal him. He followed instructions and was healed. The women (corn, beans, and squash) taught him the corn songs and dances and told him to return to his people and teach them. They explained that they helped him because whenever he travelled and he found corn, bean, or squash seeds (“we are of course sisters”) he would pick them up. They told him that they give thanks when humans plant them and till the ground

and they “rejoice” when they hill up the earth around them. They give thanks by “singing and dancing Corn dances.” The women instructed him to have human beings offer their thanksgiving through the ceremonial songs and dances. He became ill again and: “Moreover, he saw them—a great company of Corn people, Bean people, and Squash people, and so far as he could see they were in all respects perfect human beings. They danced in a slow, gentle manner in imitation of the waving of the corn stalks as they stand in the ground. Women and girls took part in the dance.” The people accepted his words and agreed to conduct the cycle of ceremonies from the planting of the corn to the harvest (Curtin and Hewitt, pp. 649-653, as cited by Cornelius, 1999, pp. 100-101.).

Unlike western stories that focus on the values of individualism, namely independence, competition, and individual achievement, this Tuscarora story describes cooperative relationships and success realized through community effort.

The example given was that the man helped the seeds that lost their way, and in return, the seeds, as the three sisters (Beans, Corn and Squash), helped him in his time of need. The three sisters also taught the man about ceremonies of thanksgiving as a way to bring an attitude of thankfulness to the larger human community so that they too, will offer gratitude to their three sisters at the designated times, as the sisters do to the humans who care for them. The story expresses a theme of interconnectedness and interdependence where the three sisters are reliant upon and thankful to the humans for their survival, and likewise, the humans are reliant upon and thankful to the three sisters for their own survival. Together, humans, Corn, Beans, and Squash, celebrate and give thankfulness for their cooperative relationship with one another.

Additionally, whereas western knowledge holds that there is a natural environment that is separate from humans, this story portrayed the opposite. The prevailing themes of interconnectedness and interdependence point to a web of life in which all beings on earth share an integral a part in maintaining ecological balance. The Legend of Onenha describes a unity and an interconnectedness that exists in all of creation

and it places man within that relationship as a participant in its maintenance.

The Tuscarora legend also expresses other ways of knowing that are contrary to western philosophy. They represent Corn, Beans and Squash as sentient beings, possessing emotions and intellect and able to perceive, decide, act, and even teach. Corn, Beans, and Squash, are sisters and part of a larger family that includes humans. This story is part of a more expansive knowledge keeping system that expresses a relational accountability between humans and all other sentient beings including animals, plants, and even water, rocks, sun, moon and stars.

Economic theory is also expressed whereas wealth is not understood as an accumulation of goods or riches, but rather wealth is understood as wellbeing. The man was attentive to the needs of Corn, Beans, and Squash and his care increased their growth. In return, Corn, Beans and Squashed cared for the wellbeing of humans, thereby increasing their growth. This reciprocal relationship results in increased abundance of life and wellbeing for all.

Additionally, social structure is much less egalitarian in western society than what is represented by the Tuscarora. In the Legend of Onenha, equal status exists amongst all beings. For this reason, the Tuscarora name the three sisters, the Corn people, the Bean people, and the Squash people. This way of understanding is in line with a teaching by Onondaga Chief, Oren Lyons, who once said “Another of the natural laws is that all life is equal (as cited by Bruchac, 1997.).”

Therefore, I see that stories portraying human relationships in the Tuscarora way of knowing produce different outcomes than ways of knowing that develop from western-style stories. The Western approach to ontology, or the nature of reality, is that simple explanations are given for a complex reality. On the other hand, I see that the Tuscarora approach to ontology is that complex explanations describe a complex interconnected and interdependent reality. Additionally, the Western approach to epistemology, or the nature of knowledge, is that which is produced by objective scientific methods, a spirituality that is based on social hierarchy as presented in the Abrahamic religions, scientific thinking and competitive economic theory, and an economic theory that supports competitive attitudes and actions. Truth, in this way, is represented by classifications, generalizations, and essentialist thinking that produces exclusions. Whereas, with the Tuscarora approach to epistemology, ‘myths and legends’ communicate subjective knowledge, where truth is based on shaping societal values of a respectful relational accountability amongst all beings. Finally, Western axiology, or cultural values, consists of human independence, ownership and rights of ownership, power structures such as exist in a hierarchical society, boundaries, and excess consumption. Whereas Tuscarora axiology consists of valuing interdependent relationships, belonging and responsibility, balance of power, social inclusion, and environmental stewardship.

My unfolding understanding is that the outcome of these different ways of knowing is that western truth silences other ways of knowing through domination and exclusionary tactics that result in a hierarchical society, inequalities, unmet needs, social discord, competition, consumerism, globalization, and resource depletion.

While, on the other hand, Tuscarora truth produces a society that embraces cooperation, conservation and stewardship, abundance of life where everyone’s needs are more likely to be met, and through actions that extend from these values, social harmony is likely to

result.

In conclusion, storytelling is a path to persuasion because stories influence behavior. Stories may provide experiential learning for people who do not actually have a particular experience. According to Annette Simmons (n.d.), author of Story Factor (2006), “Experience is what happens when the body makes sense of what it hears, smells, tastes, sees, and touches,” and many stories are crafted to provide such context. They may also affect us on an emotional level. Simmons states that there is ample research that shows that our decision-making is primarily driven by emotions. Thus, appealing to emotions through storytelling has great potential to affect a decision shift. Skillful use of narratives, then, can shape social change. Furthermore, stories do not tell people what to do, but rather, they lead people to draw their own conclusions. Simmons explains,
The power to influence is often associated with force, the ability to make someone do what you want them to do. That suggests a push strategy. However, story is a pull strategy - more like a powerful magnet than a bulldozer (Simmons, 2001, p. 108.).
Well-crafted stories appeal to our emotions while at the same time drawing on our intellect. They help us imagine other possibilities, and to see ourselves as part of a process of change. In this way, stories that are reinforced over time can change not only individual behavior, but also effect a greater societal change.