Gibson, Simeon, 1889-1943

<p>Simeon Gibson was born August 1, 1889, the son of the Seneca Chief John A. Gibson, who was unquestionably the greatest mind of his generation among the Six Nations. From his eighth year Simeon remembered guiding his blind father over the river to dictate the Deganawi’dah legend to J. N. B. Hewitt, and he translated texts for Hewitt during his last field trip to the Grand River in 1936. Simeon recalled with pleasure traveling from house to house on the reserve in 1907 with M. R. Harrington collecting for museums in New York City. Gibson discharged his commission so well that few old Delaware or Iroquois specimens escaped them. He remembered Frachtenberg, who came for Tutelo and learned Mohawk in a few weeks, and Edward Sapir, from Ottawa, who retained the Gibson family-Chief John and his sons, Hardy and Simeon-as collecting agents for the Victoria Memorial Museum, and as impresarios for F. W. Waugh, A. A. Goldenweiser, and Sir Francis Knowles. Simeon doubled at carrying the camera tripod for Waugh and operating the gramophone for Goldenweiser.</p>

<p>His mother, Mary Skye, was a Cayuga matron and guardian of the title of her brother, Chief Abram Charles, Hewitt’s second informant. With maternal descent, Simeon was therefore a Cayuga, although “Onondaga on the list.” Chief John, his father, was head chief of the Seneca tribe and knew that dialect from his mother, who was full Seneca, but his father was Onondaga and that was the language of their longhouse and neighborhood.</p>

<p>“It is a funny thing-I learned two languages at home. My mother was Cayuga. I always talked Cayuga to her and to Uncle Abram. Mother spoke Cayuga to father and he replied in Onondaga. My father always spoke Onondaga and I always replied in Onondaga to him, even if my mother was present, for she knew both dialects. Father’s mother was Seneca and I learned Seneca talking with her, for she never gave up her language. Father also spoke Seneca and Cayuga, but he preferred Onondaga, the language of his father and of our longhouse. And then when I went to day school I picked up Mohawk and Tuscarora from the children, and some English.”</p>

<p>At the same time, the modesty of the man was disarming. In World War I he had enlisted in the Indian Battalion of the Hamilton and Dufferin Rifles and served overseas as a machine gunner during sixteen months, largely in front lines at Passchendaele, Vimy Ridge, Arras, etc., and he was gassed during the last great offensive.</p>

<p>Plans were made to bring Simeon Gibson to Washington in 1941 for purposes of translating the Deganawi’dah Legend, but his barn blew down and he could not leave home. There were two versions of this Legend of the founding of the Iroquois Confederacy-both in Onondaga by Chief Gibson. Hewitt recorded it first in 1899 on 189 typescript pages; Goldenweiser had it again thirteen years later, this version comprising 525 pages. Translation of the Hewitt version was completed in 1941 at Brantford, but Goldenweiser’s manuscript hung over two more years until this past September-October, when the translation of the final 100 pages was completed at Ohsweken, leaving the great bulk covered by the Hewitt version untouched and concentrating on that section which comprises a complete record of proceedings of the Condolence and Installation Council, or the ceremony for raising up new candidates to chiefship in the League.</p>

<p>Mr. Gibson is survived by an elder sister, Jemima Gibson; a brother, Chief John Hardy Gibson; several grown daughters by his late first wife; his present wife; and three small children.</p>

<p>Also included in this series is correspondence from several Native Americans detailing reservation life, customs, and ceremonies.</p>

<p>Principal correspondents include: Cornplanter, Edward; Cornplanter, Jesse J.; Gibson, John Hardy; Gibson, Simeon; Harris, Helen; Hill, Cephas D.; Jamieson, Sadie; Redeye, Clara; Redeye, Sherman; Sky, Howard.</p>