Handsome Lake
The Longhouse Religion
In 1799 the Seneca Handsome Lake
(Ganiodayo) had a spiritual vision, and
began preaching the "Kaiwicyoch" (Good
Message) and founded the Longhouse
religion - a blend of the traditional
Iroquois values and Christianity. The
religious values he espoused were so
universal and commendable that Handsome
Lake even received a letter of
appreciation from President Jefferson.
Handsome Lake strongly opposed Christian
missionaries among his people. The
Longhouse Religion carries a strong
message of tolerance, but it is first
and foremost a traditional native
religion. As such it has helped the
Iroquois to retain much of the their
culture and tradition despite adversity
and defeat.
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