by Linda Pascatore

©1996 The Gobbler

For the past seven years, I have attended Women's Council. Every year in June, over a hundred women gather at the Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation in Brant, New York. There are teachings on Seneca Indian philosophy, as well as storytelling, dancing, singing and drumming. It is a time of rejuvenation and peace for the women who attend. And best of all, there is a wonderful old Seneca woman named Twylah Nitsch.

Twylah, a wise and delightful woman with a great sense of humor, is a Native Elder. She founded the Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge and the Seneca Indian Historical Society, "So that the Teachings Might Live." Their purpose is to bring Seneca wisdom and philosophy to non-native people today. Besides Woman's Council, many gatherings are held at the Lodge, including a Men's Council and various workshops.

The first time I went to Women's Council, I didn't know what to expect. I had always been fascinated by Indians and their culture. I heard about the weekend and arranged to attend with some friends. We drove through Silver Creek and onto the Brant Reservation. Of course, the reservation looks much the same as the surrounding area; with many small farms, houses, and trailers. As we approached our destination, the first thing we noticed were acres of young trees in rows. We later learned that Twylah leases her land to a tree farmer. When we arrived at the site, we were surprised to find an old farmhouse with a couple of outbuildings. The house was the one that Twylah grew up in, which belonged to her parents and grandparents before her. There were beautiful big old shade trees on the front lawn. In the back was the camping area, where women were pitching tents. A couple of latrines and a water faucet were the extent of the facilities for our weekend stay, but no one seemed to mind.

The actual Lodge where most of the activities were to be held was still under construction at that time. It was built with twelve sides, like a Medicine Wheel. There were four doors for the directions; facing North, East, South, and West. At this point in the construction, there was a cement twelve sided polygon for a base and log pole framing. At the center of the base was a packed dirt floor with a fire circle. There was no roof yet, and the sides were still open. Later, the structure was enclosed with wooden siding, but there were eight large window openings and four doorways which were always left open. This gave the space an indoor/outdoor, airy feeling. One could go into the shady interior to listen to the teachings, or lounge outside in the sun on the grass and still hear and see what was going on. In fact, swallows nested in the eaves of the ceiling and flitted in and out, appearing undisturbed by the humans below.

My first Women's council began with a young Native American named Rainbow Weaver explaining that during the weekend we would all help to keep a constant drum beat. This would symbolize the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Women signed up for one hour shifts of drumming, twenty-four hours a day. The heartbeat began with an opening ceremony. Then we met Twylah Nitsch, who introduced herself as "Grandma". Twylah told us the beautiful creation myth of the Senecas, the story of Sky Woman and Turtle Island. She is a wonderful storyteller.

When night fell at Women's council, the party was just beginning. Drums and rattles of all kinds were passed around. We sang and danced late into the night, learning the words and steps as we went. Laughter and spirits rose to the stars that evening, as a hundred odd women danced in concentric circles in the lodge; drumming, rattling, and singing.

The rest of the weekend included workshops and lectures on a variety of subjects by both native and non-native women. Many different traditions were incorporated, with the focus on promoting spirituality, respect for nature and the earth, healthy lifestyle, and women's issues. Delicious vegetarian food was served, and there were also musical and dance performances.