Elsie Elm (Oneida) at Tomb

Miss Elsie Elm (Oneida) sings the funeral dirge in her native Oneida language at the Lewis Henry Morgan tomb on Nov. 14 1920. Stone, Mr. Albert R., courtesy of Rochester Museum & Science Center.

In this image, one can see an Oneida woman, Elsie Elm (b. 1883), singing in front of Lewis Henry Morgan’s tomb in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York. After the death of his two young daughters in 1862, Morgan made designs for the construction of the tomb, which at the time was one of the most expensive in the cemetery.  

Elsie Elm was part of a group that traveled to Rochester in 1920 for a meeting of the New York State Indian Welfare Society hosted by the Morgan Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association. Other famous individuals in attendance at the funeral included Arthur C. Parker, the great-nephew of Caroline Parker and Ely S. Parker. The group held a memorial service at the tomb on November 14th where Elsie Elm sang  “Da-va-la-waj-quat” or “Appeal to the Great Spirit.” in the Oneida language. A portion of the song can be found here.

According to an article in a 2009 issue of The Oneida, Rochester lawyer George P. Decker was so impressed with Elm’s song that he asked Thomas Edison to record her singing it. The song was recorded by Edison in March 1921 and is available from the sound archive of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park.  

Please see the Oneida Indian Nation website for more information about Elsie Elm and the funeral service here.