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Mohawk History & Genealogy
My ninth great-grandmother, Ots-Toch or Alstock, who was born circa 1620 in the Mohawk village of Canajoharie, New
York, was the reason for my delving into the culture and traditions of the Mohawk nation. Ots-Toch married a Dutch settler,
Cornelis Van Slyke, but never left the Mohawk village. I became intrigued with her story and wanted to know more about her
heritage and mine. Brian Brown generously shared his own research, much of which you can read on these pages.
False Faces
"False faces" are frequently associated with the Iroquois. They were the most prominent of a number of
curing societies (others used corn husk masks, etc.). Someone who felt a need (frequently expressed in a
dream) for a cure by the false faces would request the society to perform a ritual in his longhouse. Joining a
false face society was also the result of a dream.
The rituals were very short. A team of false face members, wearing their masks and thus impersonating
spirits, entered the longhouse, sealing the doors. No one could enter during the ritual, else the ritual was ruined and must be performed again. After a short dance, the false faces left, with the patient believing he had been cured. Since suggestion is such a powerful force and since the false faces frequently treated
conditions such as depression or sadness, it would frequently work. The Iroquois also relied upon healers
who used herbal remedies, some of which seem to have been beneficial. Willow bark was used to treat
fevers, and contains the same substance found in aspirin. The healers also set broken bones skillfully and even performed minor surgery. They were probably at least as good as the European doctors of the era.
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Your Name in History |
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 The Van Slyke Family in America A Genealogy of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676 and his Mohawk Wife Ots-Toch, including the story of Jacques Hertel, 1603-1651, Father of Ots-Toch and Interpreter to Samuel de Champlain
Genealogy CDs and Books ON SALE including Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s
Dawes Commission Index, 1896 records of Five Civilized Tribes: Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek and Chickasaw
Dawes Commission Index, 1898-1914 Index of tribal enrollment applications for Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek and Chickasaw
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