28 oktober 2010
Maid of the Mist Lelawa
There are several different published versions of the "Maid of the Mist" legend. Some of these have become quite controversial among the Huadenosaunee as a whole, and in particular among the Senecas with whom the legend is associated, because of the misappropriation and distortion of culturally important themes to the Haudenosaunee.
The controversy focuses on the role and intent of the maiden herself. Almost all versions have her going over the waterfall at Niagara, NY. This is where the similarities end.
The original Haudenosaunee myth indicates the Maid having done so by her own free will in a suicide attempt. The Non-Native revisionist's versions however, demonize Native culture by inventing a narrative that has the maiden being the victim of an annual human sacrifice ritual which is part of traditional Iroquois custom. Unfortunately, the melodramatic "beautiful Indian maiden sacrificed against her will in annual appease the gods now or pay in spades later" was swiftly adopted by popular culture. The pop culture version has been marketed with such skill that many people, including some Haudenosaunee, have been duped into accepting the veracity of such euro-centric myths.
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