This belt recalls the relationship the Onondagas had with the first Pale Faces (colonists) who entered the territory. The record recalls how life was very difficult for the colonists. That life for them was very hard as they weren’t healthy, didn’t know the medicines, where the hunting and fishing grounds were, and had difficulty with their crops.
The Onondagas are shown as the two heavy lines. The middle thinner line represents the colonists. The Onondagas supported the colonists to help them survive in our territory. They relied on the Onondagas for survival. The people brought them food and medicine, taught them the ways of the woods, hunted with them, and traded goods. With the aid of the Onondaga, the colonists were able to live, learn, and live together in peace and harmony.