In my search for unique information on dream work, I ran across several articles on the Iroquois. What is presented here is based on research, not first hand knowledge. Please take this into account when you are reading this information.

As with many indiginous peoples, the Iroquois consider dreams to be of great importance. Actions that are taken are often based on information that comes through in dream time. Considering that dreamtime allows us to access our sub-conscious selves (so that we may address the problems of waking hours), and acts as a conduit to archetypal knowledge (the voices of the Grandmothers and Grandfathers), the Iroquois seem to be on a solid path here.

From The Shaman's Doorway, by Stephen Larsen:

"The Iroquois believe that our souls have other desires, which are, as it were, inborn and concealed. These, they say, come from the depths of the soul, not through any knowledge.... They have no divinity but the dream. They submit themselves to it and follow its order with the utmost exactness. Whatever they see themselves doing in dreams they believe they are absolutely obliged to execute at the earliest possible moment. Iroquois would think themselves guilty of a great crime if they failed to obey a single dream."

From history.net we find the following story:

"In 1828, four months before his birth at the Tonawanda Seneca reservation in Indian Falls, N.Y., Parker's mother had an unsettling dream in which she beheld a broken rainbow reaching from the home of Indian agent Erastus Granger, in Buffalo, to the reservation. Troubled, Elizabeth Johnson ...visited a Seneca dream interpreter in an attempt to better understand what she had seen. His translation of her vision was nothing less than spectacular.

The dream interpreter told Parker: "A son will be born to you who will be distinguished among his nation as a peacemaker; he will become a white man as well as an Indian, with great learning; he will be a warrior for the palefaces; he will be a wise white man, but will never desert his Indian people or 'lay down his horns as a great Iroquois chief'; his name will reach from the East to the West--the North to the South, as great among his Indian family and the palefaces. His sun will rise on Indian land and set on the white man's land. Yet the land of his ancestors will fold him in death." As it happened, the prophecy came true."

The Iroquois felt that to ignore dreams was to call chaos and disaster into your life. They felt that to ignore a dream was to ignore the message of the "God within". Dealing with the issues that were contained within the dreams would heal physical as well as mental maladies, and brign life back into harmony. The Iriquois looked deeply into their dreams for personal messages, and followed the advice given in the dreams exactly. Dream sharing was a common occurance - a communal aspect of Iroquois society. (Think how we are today - keeping our dreams to ourselves, as some part of us realizes that dreamtime shows the inner and "true" workings and character of who we are. I am in that nich - I find it hard to share dreams with those that I do not trust. As with the thought that a photograph takes part of the soul with it, I believe that sharing a dream opens me up to soul loss on some level. I need to also share this with my readers - I work to gain the trust of my clients (I do Tarot counseling), and dream interpretation is part of what I offer.)

There is also a tradition with the Iroquois of Dream Quests, specifically for males upon thier intiation so that they would awaken their ability to receive both visions and dreams. The Iroquois do other dreamwork - including dream renewal (in which those who have been sick and were cured by a medicine society sponsor a dance for that society - in connection with the Iroquois Midwinter Festival), dream sharing (in which the matrons of the families bring forth those family members that wish to share their dreams), and dreamguessing (also known as the Ceremony Of The Great Riddle - in which the Iroquois tell their dreams to specific people within their society, who in turn interpret them).

A large part of the interpreting of dreams for the Iroquois has to do with the "why" of the dreams. What is not in balance withikn the dreamer, what needs are not being met that need to be addressed. Once this is determined, the dreamer will receive help in manifesting his wish (and bringing balance back into his/her life). Symbolic gifts, and acting out in song and dance are often part of this process.

A short note here about the use of dreamcatchers. Dreamcatchers are much more that beautiful artwork. The web is meant to catch both good and bad dreams, allowing the good ones to filter through and protecting the dreamer from nightmares. The bad dreams are banished by the light of the early morning sun.

Thank you for visiting my Dreamwork page. May your day be Blessed.

www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~runnion/314/fall00/legends/ Intro/Iroquois/sacre-fice/dreams.htm
www.thehistorynet.com/AmericasCivilWar/articles/0996_cover.htm
www.webwinds.com/yupanqui/Iroquoisdreams1.htm

Personal Lifestyle Reading - I offer a Personal Lifestyle Reading using Tarot that looks at past, present and future influences in your life, at the energies that are currently available to help you along your path, and at those energies that are appearing as challanges. My goal is to offer you insight into your decision making process, as well as tools that you can use to both better understand your path and make conscious, choice centered decisions.

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