Wenrohronon
The name is probably from a combination of the noun awěñ’rǎ’, the Huron form of the common Iroquoian vocable denoting ‘scum,’ ‘moss,’ ‘lather,’ with the verb stem –o’, ‘to float,’ ‘to be immersed or contained in liquid or in the earth,’ ‘to be in solution,’ ‘to be contained in,’ with the tribal appellative suffix –roñnon‘. Awěñ’ro’ (ouenro in the Jesuit Relations), the base of the term, signifies, as a geographic name, ‘where scum floats on the water’; hence Awenrohronon means ‘the people or tribe of the place of floating scum.’ The suggested meaning of the name would seem to indicate that the Wenrohronon may have lived in the vicinity of the famous oil spring of the town of Cuba, Allegany County, New York, described as a filthy, stagnant pool, about 20 ft in diameter, without an outlet. A yellowish-brown oil collects on its surface, and this was the source of the famous “Seneca oil,” formerly a popular local remedy for various ailments. The spring was so highly regarded by the Seneca that they always reserved it in their land-sale treaties). One of the tribes which, according to the Jesuit Relation for 1639, had been associated with the Neutral Nation and which had lived on the eastern borders of the Neutral Nation toward the Iroquois, the common enemy of all these tribes. As the territory of the Neutral Nation on the east side of Niagara river extended at this date south ward to the “end” of Lake Erie and eastward to the watershed of Genesee River, at least, the former habitat of the Wenrohronon must have been south of this territory.
So long as the Wenrohronon kept on good terms with the Neutral Nation they were able to withstand their enemies and to maintain themselves against the latter’s raids and incursions. But owing to some dissatisfaction, possibly fear of Iroquois displeasure, the Neutral Nation severed its relations with the devoted Wenrohronon, who were thus left a prey to their enemies. Deciding therefore to seek asylum and protection from some other tribe, they sent an embassy to the Hurons, who received them kindly and accepted their proposal, offering to assist them and to escort them with warriors in their migration. Nevertheless, the fatigue and hardships of the long retreat of more than 80 leagues by a body exceeding 600 persons, largely women and children, caused many to die on the way, and nearly all the remainder arrived at Ossossane and other Huron towns ill from the epidemic which was primarily the occasion of their flight. The Jesuit Relation cited says: “Wherever they were received, the best places in the cabins were assigned them, the granaries or caches of corn were opened, and they were given liberty to make such use of it as their needs required.”
The historical references indicate that the Wenrohronon, before their wars with the Iroquois and before they were stricken with smallpox, must have been a tribe of considerable importance, numbering at least 1,200 or 1,500, and possibly 2,000 persons.