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The Portage Trail by Mabel Powers (her Iroquois name, Yehsennohwehs). 95 pages. Special inscription by the author as well as three tipped in photos opposite the inscription page.
Signed and inscribed:
\"To Alice and Winifred, \'Followers of the Trail\' on the [Portage] path — Greetings — Peace & Good Will from the Lodge of Yehsennohwehs (The Story Teller). Wahmedah Lodge, Chautauqua. Green Corn Moon, 1924\"
Directly next to her signature, Powers went a step further by hand-drawing a beautiful Indigenous-style Green Corn Moon glyph/symbol, heavily grounding the book in traditional Native folklore and seasonal tracking.
Adding to its historical value and rarity, the page directly opposite the inscription features three original vintage photographs carefully pasted (\"tipped-in\") by hand. These are not standard mass-market illustrations, but genuine historical snapshots showing the dense woodland trails of Western New York and two distinct, beautiful views of Wahmedah Lodge, Powers’ personal rustic cabin at the Chautauqua Institution, complete with its iconic river-stone chimney.
Mabel Powers (1872–1966) was a prominent American writer, storyteller, lecturer, feminist, and pacifist who dedicated her life to preserving and sharing Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) culture and oral traditions. Born in Hamburg, New York, and educated in public schools, Powers developed a deep fascination with Native American history during her childhood. As she grew older, she traveled from wigwam to wigwam across New York, listening to tribal elders and recording their folklore. In 1910, she was invited to the Green Corn Ceremony on the Tonawanda Seneca Reservation. She was formally adopted into the Snipe Clan of the Seneca Nation (one of the six Iroquois nations) and given the name Yehsennohwehs, which translates to \"She who carries and tells the stories\".
From that point on, she proudly used this moniker in her professional lectures and book inscriptions. Powers settled near the Chautauqua Institution on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. She built a bungalow and a larger retreat known as Wahmedah Lodge.
Published 1924 by The Roycroft Shops, East Aurora, New York. Very Good condition. Bright cover, firm binding, strong hinges and clean text.
