or Handsome Lake
born 0441; 1735, Ganawaugus, N.Y.
died Aug. 10, 1815, Onondaga, N.Y., U.S.
Seneca Indian chief.
He led a somewhat dissolute life before becoming seriously ill in 1799; on recovering, he reported a vision revealing the will of the Great Spirit. He developed a religion he called Gai'wiio (Good Message) that combined elements of Christianity and Indian beliefs; as an itinerant preacher, he urged his people to refrain from adultery, drunkenness, laziness, and witchcraft. The religion revitalized the demoralized Iroquois, and it was adhered to by many into the 20th century.