CCD HISTORY 201 - History of United States 1
(skip to the constitution itself)
Many Native American tribes or nations formed loose defensive
confederations which held together briefly or for a long time. The
Iroquois, a confederation of first five and then six Native American
nations in the northeastern United States, however, formed what was an
anomalous confederation that would form much of the basis for the
American invention of government. This was a powerful confederation of
sovereign nations held together by a constitution that based itself on
the structure of the confederation and its decision-making apparatus
rather than on the charisma or power of individuals. This would then
become the model that the framers of the Constitution would turn to in
designing a nation that was, in theory, a set of sovereign nations:
the United States.
Sometime between 1570 and 1600, Dekanawidah, a Huron
living among the Seneca, worked out a treaty of alliance with
Hiawatha, an Onandaga living among the Mohawk. This alliance would
included three other nations, so that the Iroquois League at its
foundation included the Seneca, the Mohawk, the Cayuga, the Oneida,
and the Onondaga. In 1722, the League was joined by the Tuscarora.
Originally occupying only northern New York, the League would expand
by alliance and conquest to control an area from southern Canada to
Kentucky north to south, and Eastern Pennsylvania to Ohio east to
west. During the American Revolution, the League split apart; the
Oneida and Tuscarora sided with the Americans, while the others allied
themselves with Britain. The United States took revenge in 1779 which
resulted in the Second Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784) which officially
disbanded the League.
Each of the nations was to send three
Lords to the meeting-place among the Onandaga; two of these Lords
could speak while the third could only speak to indicate procedural
mistakes. Decisions would be made in the following way. The Mohawk and
Seneca Lords would have to unanimously agree on a course of action.
They sent this decisions to the Oneida and Cayuga Lords, who would
also have to unanimously agree on this decision. If they didn't agree
on it, they would forge their own decision which would also require
unanimity. This alternative decision would be sent back to the Seneca
and the Mohawk for their approval. The process would continue until
both sets of nations agreed on a single principle. At that point, the
decision would be sent to the Onandaga, who were called the
"Fire-Keepers," since the maintained the meeting-place. If
they agreed to the course of action, it would then be taken. If they
refused it, they would return their own decision to the four nations
who would then forge a new decision. Once those four nations agreed
unanimously, the decision was officially made.
It was this procedure, which required absolute
unanimity, which separated the Iroquois League from others, for no
single individual could dominate the proceedings. It was the structure
of the proceeding itself that produced decisions.
Finally, the League was considered open-ended. Any
nation could be thrown out of the League, any nation could secede, and
any nation could join provided they agreed to the constitution.
It is perfectly obvious how the framers of the
Constitution of the United States borrowed from the Iroquois League.
The two houses of Congress are based on the Roman model of the Senate
and the plebeian Assembly, but added to this model is the
give-and-take between the two houses in the effort to enforce common
consent between the two houses which is borrowed from the Iroquois
Constitution. The veto power of the president clearly derives from the
function of the Onandaga Lords as Fire-Keepers, and the open-endedness
of the League is reproduced in the open-endedness of the Constitution:
any state can join, any state can secede, and, potentially, any state
can be withdrawn from the nation.
Richard Hooker
During the bi-centennial year of The Constitution of the United States, a
number of books were written concerning the origin of that long-revered
document. One of these, The Genius of the People, alleged that after
the many weeks of debate a committee sat to combine the many agreements into
one formal document. The chairman of the committee was John Rutledge of South
Carolina. He had served in an earlier time, along with Ben Franklin and
others, at the Stamp Act Congress, held in Albany, New York. This Committee of
Detail was having trouble deciding just how to formalize the many items of
discussion into one document that would satisfy one and all. Rutledge proposed
they model the new government they were forming into something along the lines
of the Iroquois League of Nations, which had been functioning as a democratic
government for hundreds of years, and which he had observed in Albany. While
there were many desirable, as well as undesirable, models from ancient and
modern histories in Europe and what we know now as the Middle East, only the
Iroquois had a system that seemed to meet most of the demands espoused by the
many parties to the debates. The Genius of the People alleged that the
Iroquois had a Constitution which began: "We the people, to form a union.
. ."
That one sentence was enough to light a fire under me, and cause me to do
some deep research into ancient Iroquoian lore. I never did find that one
sentence backed up in what writings there are concerning the ancient Iroquois.
But I DID find sufficient data and evidence to convince me that the Iroquois
most certainly did have a considerable influence on the drafting of our own
Constitution, and we present-day Americans owe them a very large debt. At the
time of the founding of the Iroquois League of Nations, no written language
existed; we have only the early stories which were passed down from generation
to generation, until such time as there was a written language, and
interpreters available, to record that early history. One such document is
listed below.
There are several other documents now available in various places which
refer to the original founding of the Iroquois, and they seem to substantiate
this document as probably truthful and accurate. This version was prepared by
Arthur C. Parker, Archeologist of the State Museum in New York in 1915, and
published by the University of the State of New York as Bulletin 184 on April
1, 1916. It is entitled: The Constitution of the Five Nations - or - The
Iroquois Book of the Great Law. In it, you will find close parallels to
our Executive, Legislative and Judiciary branches of government as originally
described in our U. S. Constitution.
You will find it very difficult to keep in mind that it survives after some
500 or 600 years, and was originated by people that our ancestors mistakenly
considered as "savages". Some sources place the origin of the Five
Nation Confederacy as early as 1390 AD, but others insist it was prepared
about 1450-1500 AD; in any case, it was well before any possible contamination
by European invaders. Early explorers and colonists found the Iroquois well
established, as they had been for many generations: with a democratic
government; with a form of religion that acknowledged a Creator in heaven;
with a strong sense of family which was based on, and controlled by, their
women; and many other surprises you will soon discover.
It must also be pointed out that this document refers to to the
"Five" Nations, while other references to the Confederacy speak of
the "Six" nations. From the inception, there were the Five Nations
discussed in this Constitution. In about 1715, the Tuscarora Nation, once part
of the Iroquois peoples in a much earlier period of their history, moved up
from North Carolina to avoid warfare with the invading white settlers, and
were adopted into the Confederacy. At this point in time, the Iroquois
controlled many parts of our now eastern states from their homelands in what
is now New York state. The original Five Nations were:
Tuscarora: Shirt Wearing People became the Sixth Nation.
The founder of the Confederacy of the Five Nations is generally
acknowledged to be Dekanawida, born near the Bay of Quinte, in southeastern
Ontario, Canada. During his travels, he associated himself with a Mohawk
tribal lord in what is now New York, and named him Hahyonhwatha (Hiawatha) (He
who has misplaced something, but knows where to find it). Hiawatha left his
family and friends, and joined Dekanawida in his travels, becoming his chief
spokesman. One legend has it that Dekanawida, while brilliant, had a speech
impediment, and depended on Hiawatha to do his public speaking for him.
Together, they traveled the length and breadth of the lands on the south
shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario, as well as the river to the sea, now known
as the St. Lawrence. These were the homelands of tribes with a common
heritage, but who had been warring with one another for many years. Dekanawida
united them into a League of Nations that we now call the Iroquois League.
Centuries later, Longfellow "borrowed" the name of Hiawatha to be
his hero in a fictional legend; there is no other connection between the two
Hiawathas nor their stories.
Here is their original Constitution, as best it can be reconstructed from
legend and spoken history. Read it and be amazed...keep in mind it is over 500
years old!
Prepared by Gerald Murphy (The Cleveland Free-Net - aa300) Distributed by the Cybercasting Services Division of the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN).
Permission is hereby granted to download, reprint, and/or otherwise
redistribute this file, provided appropriate point of origin credit is given
to the preparer(s) and the National Public Telecomputing Network.
1. I am Dekanawidah and with the Five Nations' Confederate Lords I plant
the Tree of Great Peace. I plant it in your territory, Adodarhoh, and the
Onondaga Nation, in the territory of you who are Firekeepers. I name the tree
the Tree of the Great Long Leaves. Under the shade of this Tree of the Great
Peace we spread the soft white feathery down of the globe thistle as seats for
you, Adodarhoh, and your cousin Lords. We place you upon those seats, spread
soft with the feathery down of the globe thistle, there beneath the shade of
the spreading branches of the Tree of Peace. There shall you sit and watch the
Council Fire of the Confederacy of the Five Nations, and all the affairs of
the Five Nations shall be transacted at this place before you, Adodarhoh, and
your cousin Lords, by the Confederate Lords of the Five Nations.
2. Roots have spread out from the Tree of the Great Peace, one to the
north, one to the east, one to the south and one to the west. The name of
these roots is The Great White Roots and their nature is Peace and Strength.
If any man or any nation outside the Five Nations shall obey the laws of the
Great Peace and make known their disposition to the Lords of the Confederacy,
they may trace the Roots to the Tree and if their minds are clean and they are
obedient and promise to obey the wishes of the Confederate Council, they shall
be welcomed to take shelter beneath the Tree of the Long Leaves. We place at
the top of the Tree of the Long Leaves an Eagle who is able to see afar. If he
sees in the distance any evil approaching or any danger threatening he will at
once warn the people of the Confederacy.
3. To you Adodarhoh, the Onondaga cousin Lords, I and the other Confederate Lords have entrusted the caretaking and the watching of the Five Nations Council Fire. When there is any business to be transacted and the Confederate Council is not in session, a messenger shall be dispatched either to Adodarhoh, Hononwirehtonh or Skanawatih, Fire Keepers, or to their War Chiefs with a full statement of the case desired to be considered. Then shall Adodarhoh call his cousin (associate) Lords together and consider whether or not the case is of sufficient importance to demand the attention of the Confederate Council. If so, Adodarhoh shall dispatch messengers to summon all the Confederate Lords to assemble beneath the Tree of the Long Leaves.
When the Lords are assembled the Council Fire shall be kindled, but not
with chestnut wood, and Adodarhoh shall formally open the Council. [ ed note:
chestnut wood throws out sparks in burning, thereby creating a disturbance in
the council ] Then shall Adodarhoh and his cousin Lords, the Fire Keepers,
announce the subject for discussion. The Smoke of the Confederate Council Fire
shall ever ascend and pierce the sky so that other nations who may be allies
may see the Council Fire of the Great Peace. Adodarhoh and his cousin Lords
are entrusted with the Keeping of the Council Fire.
4. You, Adodarhoh, and your thirteen cousin Lords, shall faithfully keep
the space about the Council Fire clean and you shall allow neither dust nor
dirt to accumulate. I lay a Long Wing before you as a broom. As a weapon
against a crawling creature I lay a staff with you so that you may thrust it
away from the Council Fire. If you fail to cast it out then call the rest of
the United Lords to your aid.
5. The Council of the Mohawk shall be divided into three parties as
follows: Tekarihoken, Ayonhwhathah and Shadekariwade are the first party;
Sharenhowaneh, Deyoenhegwenh and Oghrenghrehgowah are the second party, and
Dehennakrineh, Aghstawenserenthah and Shoskoharowaneh are the third party. The
third party is to listen only to the discussion of the first and second
parties and if an error is made or the proceeding is irregular they are to
call attention to it, and when the case is right and properly decided by the
two parties they shall confirm the decision of the two parties and refer the
case to the Seneca Lords for their decision. When the Seneca Lords have
decided in accord with the Mohawk Lords, the case or question shall be
referred to the Cayuga and Oneida Lords on the opposite side of the house.
6. I, Dekanawidah, appoint the Mohawk Lords the heads and the leaders of
the Five Nations Confederacy. The Mohawk Lords are the foundation of the Great
Peace and it shall, therefore, be against the Great Binding Law to pass
measures in the Confederate Council after the Mohawk Lords have protested
against them. No council of the Confederate Lords shall be legal unless all
the Mohawk Lords are present.
7. Whenever the Confederate Lords shall assemble for the purpose of holding
a council, the Onondaga Lords shall open it by expressing their gratitude to
their cousin Lords and greeting them, and they shall make an address and offer
thanks to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of water, the pools, the
springs and the lakes, to the maize and the fruits, to the medicinal herbs and
trees, to the forest trees for their usefulness, to the animals that serve as
food and give their pelts for clothing, to the great winds and the lesser
winds, to the Thunderers, to the Sun, the mighty warrior, to the moon, to the
messengers of the Creator who reveal his wishes and to the Great Creator who
dwells in the heavens above, who gives all the things useful to men, and who
is the source and the ruler of health and life. Then shall the Onondaga Lords
declare the council open. The council shall not sit after darkness has set in.
8. The Firekeepers shall formally open and close all councils of the
Confederate Lords, and they shall pass upon all matters deliberated upon by
the two sides and render their decision. Every Onondaga Lord (or his deputy)
must be present at every Confederate Council and must agree with the majority
without unwarrantable dissent, so that a unanimous decision may be rendered.
If Adodarhoh or any of his cousin Lords are absent from a Confederate Council,
any other Firekeeper may open and close the Council, but the Firekeepers
present may not give any decisions, unless the matter is of small importance.
9. All the business of the Five Nations Confederate Council shall be
conducted by the two combined bodies of Confederate Lords. First the question
shall be passed upon by the Mohawk and Seneca Lords, then it shall be
discussed and passed by the Oneida and Cayuga Lords. Their decisions shall
then be referred to the Onondaga Lords, (Fire Keepers) for final judgement.
The same process shall obtain when a question is brought before the council by
an individual or a War Chief.
10. In all cases the procedure must be as follows: when the Mohawk and
Seneca Lords have unanimously agreed upon a question, they shall report their
decision to the Cayuga and Oneida Lords who shall deliberate upon the question
and report a unanimous decision to the Mohawk Lords. The Mohawk Lords will
then report the standing of the case to the Firekeepers, who shall render a
decision as they see fit in case of a disagreement by the two bodies, or
confirm the decisions of the two bodies if they are identical. The Fire
Keepers shall then report their decision to the Mohawk Lords who shall
announce it to the open council.
11. If through any misunderstanding or obstinacy on the part of the Fire
Keepers, they render a decision at variance with that of the Two Sides, the
Two Sides shall reconsider the matter and if their decisions are jointly the
same as before they shall report to the Fire Keepers who are then compelled to
confirm their joint decision.
12. When a case comes before the Onondaga Lords (Fire Keepers) for
discussion and decsion, Adodarho shall introduce the matter to his comrade
Lords who shall then discuss it in their two bodies. Every Onondaga Lord
except Hononwiretonh shall deliberate and he shall listen only. When a
unanimous decision shall have been reached by the two bodies of Fire Keepers,
Adodarho shall notify Hononwiretonh of the fact when he shall confirm it. He
shall refuse to confirm a decision if it is not unanimously agreed upon by
both sides of the Fire Keepers.
13. No Lord shall ask a question of the body of Confederate Lords when they
are discussing a case, question or proposition. He may only deliberate in a
low tone with the separate body of which he is a member.
14. When the Council of the Five Nation Lords shall convene they shall
appoint a speaker for the day. He shall be a Lord of either the Mohawk,
Onondaga or Seneca Nation. The next day the Council shall appoint another
speaker, but the first speaker may be reappointed if there is no objection,
but a speaker's term shall not be regarded more than for the day.
15. No individual or foreign nation interested in a case, question or
proposition shall have any voice in the Confederate Council except to answer a
question put to him or them by the speaker for the Lords.
16. If the conditions which shall arise at any future time call for an
addition to or change of this law, the case shall be carefully considered and
if a new beam seems necessary or beneficial, the proposed change shall be
voted upon and if adopted it shall be called, "Added to the
Rafters".
Rights, Duties and Qualifications of Lords
17. A bunch of a certain number of shell (wampum) strings each two spans in
length shall be given to each of the female families in which the Lordship
titles are vested. The right of bestowing the title shall be hereditary in the
family of the females legally possessing the bunch of shell strings and the
strings shall be the token that the females of the family have the proprietary
right to the Lordship title for all time to come, subject to certain
restrictions hereinafter mentioned.
18. If any Confederate Lord neglects or refuses to attend the Confederate
Council, the other Lords of the Nation of which he is a member shall require
their War Chief to request the female sponsors of the Lord so guilty of
defection to demand his attendance of the Council. If he refuses, the women
holding the title shall immediately select another candidate for the title. No
Lord shall be asked more than once to attend the Confederate Council.
19. If at any time it shall be manifest that a Confederate Lord has not in
mind the welfare of the people or disobeys the rules of this Great Law, the
men or women of the Confederacy, or both jointly, shall come to the Council
and upbraid the erring Lord through his War Chief. If the complaint of the
people through the War Chief is not heeded the first time it shall be uttered
again and then if no attention is given a third complaint and warning shall be
given. If the Lord is contumacious the matter shall go to the council of War
Chiefs. The War Chiefs shall then divest the erring Lord of his title by order
of the women in whom the titleship is vested. When the Lord is deposed the
women shall notify the Confederate Lords through their War Chief, and the
Confederate Lords shall sanction the act. The women will then select another
of their sons as a candidate and the Lords shall elect him. Then shall the
chosen one be installed by the Installation Ceremony. When a Lord is to be
deposed, his War Chief shall address him as follows:
"So you, __________, disregard and set at naught the warnings of your
women relatives. So you fling the warnings over your shoulder to cast them
behind you. "Behold the brightness of the Sun and in the brightness of
the Sun's light I depose you of your title and remove the sacred emblem of
your Lordship title. I remove from your brow the deer's antlers, which was the
emblem of your position and token of your nobility. I now depose you and
return the antlers to the women whose heritage they are."
The War Chief shall now address the women of the deposed Lord and say:
"Mothers, as I have now deposed your Lord, I now return to you the
emblem and the title of Lordship, therefore repossess them."
Again addressing himself to the deposed Lord he shall say:
"As I have now deposed and discharged you so you are now no longer
Lord. You shall now go your way alone, the rest of the people of the
Confederacy will not go with you, for we know not the kind of mind that
possesses you. As the Creator has nothing to do with wrong so he will not come
to rescue you from the precipice of destruction in which you have cast
yourself. You shall never be restored to the position which you once
occupied."
Then shall the War Chief address himself to the Lords of the Nation to
which the deposed Lord belongs and say:
"Know you, my Lords, that I have taken the deer's antlers from the
brow of ___________, the emblem of his position and token of his
greatness."
The Lords of the Confederacy shall then have no other alternative than to
sanction the discharge of the offending Lord.
20. If a Lord of the Confederacy of the Five Nations should commit murder
the other Lords of the Nation shall assemble at the place where the corpse
lies and prepare to depose the criminal Lord. If it is impossible to meet at
the scene of the crime the Lords shall discuss the matter at the next Council
of their Nation and request their War Chief to depose the Lord guilty of
crime, to "bury" his women relatives and to transfer the Lordship
title to a sister family. The War Chief shall address the Lord guilty of
murder and say:
"So you, __________ (giving his name) did kill __________ (naming the
slain man), with your own hands! You have comitted a grave sin in the eyes of
the Creator. Behold the bright light of the Sun, and in the brightness of the
Sun's light I depose you of your title and remove the horns, the sacred
emblems of your Lordship title. I remove from your brow the deer's antlers,
which was the emblem of your position and token of your nobility. I now depose
you and expel you and you shall depart at once from the territory of the Five
Nations Confederacy and nevermore return again. We, the Five Nations
Confederacy, moreover, bury your women relatives because the ancient Lordship
title was never intended to have any union with bloodshed. Henceforth it shall
not be their heritage. By the evil deed that you have done they have forfeited
it forever.."
The War Chief shall then hand the title to a sister family and he shall
address it and say:
"Our mothers, ____________, listen attentively while I address you on
a solemn and important subject. I hereby transfer to you an ancient Lordship
title for a great calamity has befallen it in the hands of the family of a
former Lord. We trust that you, our mothers, will always guard it, and that
you will warn your Lord always to be dutiful and to advise his people to ever
live in love, poeace and harmony that a great calamity may never happen
again."
21. Certain physical defects in a Confederate Lord make him ineligible to
sit in the Confederate Council. Such defects are infancy, idiocy, blindness,
deafness, dumbness and impotency. When a Confederate Lord is restricted by any
of these condition, a deputy shall be appointed by his sponsors to act for
him, but in case of extreme necessity the restricted Lord may exercise his
rights.
22. If a Confederate Lord desires to resign his title he shall notify the
Lords of the Nation of which he is a member of his intention. If his coactive
Lords refuse to accept his resignation he may not resign his title. A Lord in
proposing to resign may recommend any proper candidate which recommendation
shall be received by the Lords, but unless confirmed and nominated by the
women who hold the title the candidate so named shall not be considered.
23. Any Lord of the Five Nations Confederacy may construct shell strings
(or wampum belts) of any size or length as pledges or records of matters of
national or international importance. When it is necessary to dispatch a shell
string by a War Chief or other messenger as the token of a summons, the
messenger shall recite the contents of the string to the party to whom it is
sent. That party shall repeat the message and return the shell string and if
there has been a sumons he shall make ready for the journey. Any of the people
of the Five Nations may use shells (or wampum) as the record of a pledge,
contract or an agreement entered into and the same shall be binding as soon as
shell strings shall have been exchanged by both parties.
24. The Lords of the Confederacy of the Five Nations shall be mentors of
the people for all time. The thickness of their skin shall be seven spans --
which is to say that they shall be proof against anger, offensive actions and
criticism. Their hearts shall be full of peace and good will and their minds
filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the Confederacy. With
endless patience they shall carry out their duty and their firmness shall be
tempered with a tenderness for their people. Neither anger nor fury shall find
lodgement in their minds and all their words and actions shall be marked by
calm deliberation.
25. If a Lord of the Confederacy should seek to establish any authority
independent of the jurisdiction of the Confederacy of the Great Peace, which
is the Five Nations, he shall be warned three times in open council, first by
the women relatives, second by the men relatives and finally by the Lords of
the Confederacy of the Nation to which he belongs. If the offending Lord is
still obdurate he shall be dismissed by the War Chief of his nation for
refusing to conform to the laws of the Great Peace. His nation shall then
install the candidate nominated by the female name holders of his family.
26. It shall be the duty of all of the Five Nations Confederate Lords, from
time to time as occasion demands, to act as mentors and spiritual guides of
their people and remind them of their Creator's will and words. They shall
say:
"Hearken, that peace may continue unto future days! "Always
listen to the words of the Great Creator, for he has spoken. "United
people, let not evil find lodging in your minds. "For the Great Creator
has spoken and the cause of Peace shall not become old. "The cause of
peace shall not die if you remember the Great Creator."
Every Confederate Lord shall speak words such as these to promote peace.
27. All Lords of the Five Nations Confederacy must be honest in all things.
They must not idle or gossip, but be men possessing those honorable qualities
that make true royaneh. It shall be a serious wrong for anyone to lead a Lord
into trivial affairs, for the people must ever hold their Lords high in
estimation out of respect to their honorable positions.
28. When a candidate Lord is to be installed he shall furnish four strings
of shells (or wampum) one span in length bound together at one end. Such will
constitute the evidence of his pledge to the Confederate Lords that he will
live according to the constitution of the Great Peace and exercise justice in
all affairs. When the pledge is furnished the Speaker of the Council must hold
the shell strings in his hand and address the opposite side of the Council
Fire and he shall commence his address saying: "Now behold him. He has
now become a Confederate Lord. See how splendid he looks." An address may
then follow. At the end of it he shall send the bunch of shell strings to the
oposite side and they shall be received as evidence of the pledge. Then shall
the opposite side say: "We now do crown you with the sacred emblem of the
deer's antlers, the emblem of your Lordship. You shall now become a mentor of
the people of the Five Nations. The thickness of your skin shall be seven
spans -- which is to say that you shall be proof against anger, offensive
actions and criticism. Your heart shall be filled with peace and good will and
your mind filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the
Confederacy. With endless patience you shall carry out your duty and your
firmness shall be tempered with tenderness for your people. Neither anger nor
fury shall find lodgement in your mind and all your words and actions shall be
marked with calm deliberation. In all of your deliberations in the Confederate
Council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self
interest shall be cast into oblivion. Cast not over your shoulder behind you
the warnings of the nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or
wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and
right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in
view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose
faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground -- the unborn of the future
Nation."
29. When a Lordship title is to be conferred, the candidate Lord shall
furnish the cooked venison, the corn bread and the corn soup, together with
other necessary things and the labor for the Conferring of Titles Festival.
30. The Lords of the Confederacy may confer the Lordship title upon a
candidate whenever the Great Law is recited, if there be a candidate, for the
Great Law speaks all the rules.
31. If a Lord of the Confederacy should become seriously ill and be thought
near death, the women who are heirs of his title shall go to his house and
lift his crown of deer antlers, the emblem of his Lordship, and place them at
one side. If the Creator spares him and he rises from his bed of sickness he
may rise with the antlers on his brow. The following words shall be used to
temporarily remove the antlers:
"Now our comrade Lord (or our relative Lord) the time has come when we
must approach you in your illness. We remove for a time the deer's antlers
from your brow, we remove the emblem of your Lordship title. The Great Law has
decreed that no Lord should end his life with the antlers on his brow. We
therefore lay them aside in the room. If the Creator spares you and you
recover from your illness you shall rise from your bed with the antlers on
your brow as before and you shall resume your duties as Lord of the
Confederacy and you may labor again for the Confederate people."
32. If a Lord of the Confederacy should die while the Council of the Five
Nations is in session the Council shall adjourn for ten days. No Confederate
Council shall sit within ten days of the death of a Lord of the Confederacy.
If the Three Brothers (the Mohawk, the Onondaga and the Seneca) should lose
one of their Lords by death, the Younger Brothers (the Oneida and the Cayuga)
shall come to the surviving Lords of the Three Brothers on the tenth day and
console them. If the Younger Brothers lose one of their Lords then the Three
Brothers shall come to them and console them. And the consolation shall be the
reading of the contents of the thirteen shell (wampum) strings of Ayonhwhathah.
At the termination of this rite a successor shall be appointed, to be
appointed by the women heirs of the Lordship title. If the women are not yet
ready to place their nominee before the Lords the Speaker shall say,
"Come let us go out." All shall leave the Council or the place of
gathering. The installation shall then wait until such a time as the women are
ready. The Speaker shall lead the way from the house by saying, "Let us
depart to the edge of the woods and lie in waiting on our bellies." When
the women title holders shall have chosen one of their sons the Confederate
Lords will assemble in two places, the Younger Brothers in one place and the
Three Older Brothers in another. The Lords who are to console the mourning
Lords shall choose one of their number to sing the Pacification Hymn as they
journey to the sorrowing Lords. The singer shall lead the way and the Lords
and the people shall follow. When they reach the sorrowing Lords they shall
hail the candidate Lord and perform the rite of Conferring the Lordship Title.
33. When a Confederate Lord dies, the surviving relatives shall immediately
dispatch a messenger, a member of another clan, to the Lords in another
locality. When the runner comes within hailing distance of the locality he
shall utter a sad wail, thus: "Kwa-ah, Kwa-ah, Kwa-ah!" The sound
shall be repeated three times and then again and again at intervals as many
times as the distance may require. When the runner arrives at the settlement
the people shall assemble and one must ask him the nature of his sad message.
He shall then say, "Let us consider." Then he shall tell them of the
death of the Lord. He shall deliver to them a string of shells (wampum) and
say "Here is the testimony, you have heard the message." He may then
return home. It now becomes the duty of the Lords of the locality to send
runners to other localities and each locality shall send other messengers
until all Lords are notified. Runners shall travel day and night.
34. If a Lord dies and there is no candidate qualified for the office in
the family of the women title holders, the Lords of the Nation shall give the
title into the hands of a sister family in the clan until such a time as the
original family produces a candidate, when the title shall be restored to the
rightful owners. No Lordship title may be carried into the grave. The Lords of
the Confederacy may dispossess a dead Lord of his title even at the grave.
Election of Pine Tree Chiefs
35. Should any man of the Nation assist with special ability or show great
interest in the affairs of the Nation, if he proves himself wise, honest and
worthy of confidence, the Confederate Lords may elect him to a seat with them
and he may sit in the Confederate Council. He shall be proclaimed a 'Pine Tree
sprung up for the Nation' and shall be installed as such at the next assembly
for the installation of Lords. Should he ever do anything contrary to the
rules of the Great Peace, he may not be deposed from office -- no one shall
cut him down -- but thereafter everyone shall be deaf to his voice and his
advice. Should he resign his seat and title no one shall prevent him. A Pine
Tree chief has no authority to name a successor nor is his title hereditary.
Names, Duties and Rights of War Chiefs
36. The title names of the Chief Confederate Lords' War Chiefs shall be:
Ayonwaehs, War Chief under Lord Takarihoken (Mohawk) Kahonwahdironh, War
Chief under Lord Odatshedeh (Oneida) Ayendes, War Chief under Lord Adodarhoh
(Onondaga) Wenenhs, War Chief under Lord Dekaenyonh (Cayuga) Shoneradowaneh,
War Chief under Lord Skanyadariyo (Seneca)
The women heirs of each head Lord's title shall be the heirs of the War
Chief's title of their respective Lord. The War Chiefs shall be selected from
the eligible sons of the female families holding the head Lordship titles.
37. There shall be one War Chief for each Nation and their duties shall be
to carry messages for their Lords and to take up the arms of war in case of
emergency. They shall not participate in the proceedings of the Confederate
Council but shall watch its progress and in case of an erroneous action by a
Lord they shall receive the complaints of the people and convey the warnings
of the women to him. The people who wish to convey messages to the Lords in
the Confederate Council shall do so through the War Chief of their Nation. It
shall ever be his duty to lay the cases, questions and propositions of the
people before the Confederate Council.
38. When a War Chief dies another shall be installed by the same rite as
that by which a Lord is installed.
39. If a War Chief acts contrary to instructions or against the provisions
of the Laws of the Great Peace, doing so in the capacity of his office, he
shall be deposed by his women relatives and by his men relatives. Either the
women or the men alone or jointly may act in such a case. The women title
holders shall then choose another candidate.
40. When the Lords of the Confederacy take occasion to dispatch a messenger
in behalf of the Confederate Council, they shall wrap up any matter they may
send and instruct the messenger to remember his errand, to turn not aside but
to proceed faithfully to his destination and deliver his message according to
every instruction.
41. If a message borne by a runner is the warning of an invasion he shall
whoop, "Kwa-ah, Kwa-ah," twice and repeat at short intervals; then
again at a longer interval. If a human being is found dead, the finder shall
not touch the body but return home immediately shouting at short intervals,
"Koo-weh!"
Clans and Consanguinity
42. Among the Five Nations and their posterity there shall be the following
original clans: Great Name Bearer, Ancient Name Bearer, Great Bear, Ancient
Bear, Turtle, Painted Turtle, Standing Rock, Large Plover, Deer, Pigeon Hawk,
Eel, Ball, Opposite-Side-of-the-Hand, and Wild Potatoes. These clans
distributed through their respective Nations, shall be the sole owners and
holders of the soil of the country and in them is it vested as a birthright.
43. People of the Five Nations members of a certain clan shall recognize
every other member of that clan, irrespective of the Nation, as relatives. Men
and women, therefore, members of the same clan are forbidden to marry.
44. The lineal descent of the people of the Five Nations shall run in the
female line. Women shall be considered the progenitors of the Nation. They
shall own the land and the soil. Men and women shall follow the status of the
mother.
45. The women heirs of the Confederated Lordship titles shall be called
Royaneh (Noble) for all time to come.
46. The women of the Forty Eight (now fifty) Royaneh families shall be the
heirs of the Authorized Names for all time to come. When an infant of the Five
Nations is given an Authorized Name at the Midwinter Festival or at the Ripe
Corn Festival, one in the cousinhood of which the infant is a member shall be
appointed a speaker. He shall then announce to the opposite cousinhood the
names of the father and the mother of the child together with the clan of the
mother. Then the speaker shall announce the child's name twice. The uncle of
the child shall then take the child in his arms and walking up and down the
room shall sing: "My head is firm, I am of the Confederacy." As he
sings the opposite cousinhood shall respond by chanting, "Hyenh, Hyenh,
Hyenh, Hyenh," until the song is ended.
47. If the female heirs of a Confederate Lord's title become extinct, the
title right shall be given by the Lords of the Confederacy to the sister
family whom they shall elect and that family shall hold the name and transmit
it to their (female) heirs, but they shall not appoint any of their sons as a
candidate for a title until all the eligible men of the former family shall
have died or otherwise have become ineligible.
48. If all the heirs of a Lordship title become extinct, and all the
families in the clan, then the title shall be given by the Lords of the
Confederacy to the family in a sister clan whom they shall elect.
49. If any of the Royaneh women, heirs of a titleship, shall wilfully
withhold a Lordship or other title and refuse to bestow it, or if such heirs
abandon, forsake or despise their heritage, then shall such women be deemed
buried and their family extinct. The titleship shall then revert to a sister
family or clan upon application and complaint. The Lords of the Confederacy
shall elect the family or clan which shall in future hold the title.
50. The Royaneh women of the Confederacy heirs of the Lordship titles shall
elect two women of their family as cooks for the Lord when the people shall
assemble at his house for business or other purposes. It is not good nor
honorable for a Confederate Lord to allow his people whom he has called to go
hungry.
51. When a Lord holds a conference in his home, his wife, if she wishes,
may prepare the food for the Union Lords who assemble with him. This is an
honorable right which she may exercise and an expression of her esteem.
52. The Royaneh women, heirs of the Lordship titles, shall, should it be
necessary, correct and admonish the holders of their titles. Those only who
attend the Council may do this and those who do not shall not object to what
has been said nor strive to undo the action.
53. When the Royaneh women, holders of a Lordship title, select one of
their sons as a candidate, they shall select one who is trustworthy, of good
character, of honest disposition, one who manages his own affairs, supports
his own family, if any, and who has proven a faithful man to his Nation.
54. When a Lordship title becomes vacant through death or other cause, the
Royaneh women of the clan in which the title is hereditary shall hold a
council and shall choose one from among their sons to fill the office made
vacant. Such a candidate shall not be the father of any Confederate Lord. If
the choice is unanimous the name is referred to the men relatives of the clan.
If they should disapprove it shall be their duty to select a candidate from
among their own number. If then the men and women are unable to decide which
of the two candidates shall be named, then the matter shall be referred to the
Confederate Lords in the Clan. They shall decide which candidate shall be
named. If the men and the women agree to a candidate his name shall be
referred to the sister clans for confirmation. If the sister clans confirm the
choice, they shall refer their action to their Confederate Lords who shall
ratify the choice and present it to their cousin Lords, and if the cousin
Lords confirm the name then the candidate shall be installed by the proper
ceremony for the conferring of Lordship titles.
Official Symbolism
55. A large bunch of shell strings, in the making of which the Five Nations
Confederate Lords have equally contributed, shall symbolize the completeness
of the union and certify the pledge of the nations represented by the
Confederate Lords of the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga and the
Senecca, that all are united and formed into one body or union called the
Union of the Great Law, which they have established. A bunch of shell strings
is to be the symbol of the council fire of the Five Nations Confederacy. And
the Lord whom the council of Fire Keepers shall appoint to speak for them in
opening the council shall hold the strands of shells in his hands when
speaking. When he finishes speaking he shall deposit the strings on an
elevated place (or pole) so that all the assembled Lords and the people may
see it and know that the council is open and in progress. When the council
adjourns the Lord who has been appointed by his comrade Lords to close it
shall take the strands of shells in his hands and address the assembled Lords.
Thus will the council adjourn until such time and place as appointed by the
council. Then shall the shell strings be placed in a place for safekeeping.
Every five years the Five Nations Confederate Lords and the people shall
assemble together and shall ask one another if their minds are still in the
same spirit of unity for the Great Binding Law and if any of the Five Nations
shall not pledge continuance and steadfastness to the pledge of unity then the
Great Binding Law shall dissolve.
56. Five strings of shell tied together as one shall represent the Five
Nations. Each string shall represent one territory and the whole a completely
united territory known as the Five Nations Confederate territory.
57. Five arrows shall be bound together very strong and each arrow shall
represent one nation. As the five arrows are strongly bound this shall
symbolize the complete union of the nations. Thus are the Five Nations united
completely and enfolded together, united into one head, one body and one mind.
Therefore they shall labor, legislate and council together for the interest of
future generations. The Lords of the Confederacy shall eat together from one
bowl the feast of cooked beaver's tail. While they are eating they are to use
no sharp utensils for if they should they might accidentally cut one another
and bloodshed would follow. All measures must be taken to prevent the spilling
of blood in any way.
58. There are now the Five Nations Confederate Lords standing with joined
hands in a circle. This signifies and provides that should any one of the
Confederate Lords leave the council and this Confederacy his crown of deer's
horns, the emblem of his Lordship title, together with his birthright, shall
lodge on the arms of the Union Lords whose hands are so joined. He forfeits
his title and the crown falls from his brow but it shall remain in the
Confederacy. A further meaning of this is that if any time any one of the
Confederate Lords choose to submit to the law of a foreign people he is no
longer in but out of the Confederacy, and persons of this class shall be
called "They have alienated themselves." Likewise such persons who
submit to laws of foreign nations shall forfeit all birthrights and claims on
the Five Nations Confederacy and territory. You, the Five Nations Confederate
Lords, be firm so that if a tree falls on your joined arms it shall not
separate or weaken your hold. So shall the strength of the union be preserved.
59. A bunch of wampum shells on strings, three spans of the hand in length,
the upper half of the bunch being white and the lower half black, and formed
from equal contributions of the men of the Five Nations, shall be a token that
the men have combined themselves into one head, one body and one thought, and
it shall also symbolize their ratification of the peace pact of the
Confederacy, whereby the Lords of the Five Nations have established the Great
Peace. The white portion of the shell strings represent the women and the
black portion the men. The black portion, furthermore, is a token of power and
authority vested in the men of the Five Nations. This string of wampum vests
the people with the right to correct their erring Lords. In case a part or all
the Lords pursue a course not vouched for by the people and heed not the third
warning of their women relatives, then the matter shall be taken to the
General Council of the women of the Five Nations. If the Lords notified and
warned three times fail to heed, then the case falls into the hands of the men
of the Five Nations. The War Chiefs shall then, by right of such power and
authority, enter the open concil to warn the Lord or Lords to return from the
wrong course. If the Lords heed the warning they shall say, "we will
reply tomorrow." If then an answer is returned in favor of justice and in
accord with this Great Law, then the Lords shall individualy pledge themselves
again by again furnishing the necessary shells for the pledge. Then shall the
War Chief or Chiefs exhort the Lords urging them to be just and true. Should
it happen that the Lords refuse to heed the third warning, then two courses
are open: either the men may decide in their council to depose the Lord or
Lords or to club them to death with war clubs. Should they in their council
decide to take the first course the War Chief shall address the Lord or Lords,
saying: "Since you the Lords of the Five Nations have refused to return
to the procedure of the Constitution, we now declare your seats vacant, we
take off your horns, the token of your Lordship, and others shall be chosen
and installed in your seats, therefore vacate your seats." Should the men
in their council adopt the second course, the War Chief shall order his men to
enter the council, to take positions beside the Lords, sitting bewteen them
wherever possible. When this is accomplished the War Chief holding in his
outstretched hand a bunch of black wampum strings shall say to the erring
Lords: "So now, Lords of the Five United Nations, harken to these last
words from your men. You have not heeded the warnings of the women relatives,
you have not heeded the warnings of the General Council of women and you have
not heeded the warnings of the men of the nations, all urging you to return to
the right course of action. Since you are determined to resist and to withhold
justice from your people there is only one course for us to adopt." At
this point the War Chief shall let drop the bunch of black wampum and the men
shall spring to their feet and club the erring Lords to death. Any erring Lord
may submit before the War Chief lets fall the black wampum. Then his execution
is withheld. The black wampum here used symbolizes that the power to execute
is buried but that it may be raised up again by the men. It is buried but when
occasion arises they may pull it up and derive their power and authority to
act as here described.
60. A broad dark belt of wampum of thirty-eight rows, having a white heart
in the center, on either side of which are two white squares all connected
with the heart by white rows of beads shall be the emblem of the unity of the
Five Nations. [ ed note: This is the Hiawatha Belt, now in the Congressional
Library. ] The first of the squares on the left represents the Mohawk nation
and its territory; the second square on the left and the one near the heart,
represents the Oneida nation and its territory; the white heart in the middle
represents the Onondaga nation and its territory, and it also means that the
heart of the Five Nations is single in its loyalty to the Great Peace, that
the Great Peace is lodged in the heart (meaning the Onondaga Lords), and that
the Council Fire is to burn there for the Five Nations, and further, it means
that the authority is given to advance the cause of peace whereby hostile
nations out of the Confederacy shall cease warfare; the white square to the
right of the heart represents the Cayuga nation and its territory and the
fourth and last white square represents the Seneca nation and its territory.
White shall here symbolize that no evil or jealous thoughts shall creep into
the minds of the Lords while in Council under the Great Peace. White, the
emblem of peace, love, charity and equity surrounds and guards the Five
Nations.
61. Should a great calamity threaten the generations rising and living of
the Five United Nations, then he who is able to climb to the top of the Tree
of the Great Long Leaves may do so. When, then, he reaches the top of the tree
he shall look about in all directions, and, should he see that evil things
indeed are approaching, then he shall call to the people of the Five United
Nations assembled beneath the Tree of the Great Long Leaves and say: "A
calamity threatens your happiness." Then shall the Lords convene in
council and discuss the impending evil. When all the truths relating to the
trouble shall be fully known and found to be truths, then shall the people
seek out a Tree of Ka-hon-ka-ah-go-nah, [ a great swamp Elm ], and when they
shall find it they shall assemble their heads together and lodge for a time
between its roots. Then, their labors being finished, they may hope for
happiness for many days after.
62. When the Confederate Council of the Five Nations declares for a reading
of the belts of shell calling to mind these laws, they shall provide for the
reader a specially made mat woven of the fibers of wild hemp. The mat shall
not be used again, for such formality is called the honoring of the importance
of the law.
63. Should two sons of opposite sides of the council fire agree in a desire
to hear the reciting of the laws of the Great Peace and so refresh their
memories in the way ordained by the founder of the Confederacy, they shall
notify Adodarho. He then shall consult with five of his coactive Lords and
they in turn shall consult with their eight brethern. Then should they decide
to accede to the request of the two sons from opposite sides of the Council
Fire, Adodarho shall send messengers to notify the Chief Lords of each of the
Five Nations. Then they shall despatch their War Chiefs to notify their
brother and cousin Lords of the meeting and its time and place. When all have
come and have assembled, Adodarhoh, in conjunction with his cousin Lords,
shall appoint one Lord who shall repeat the laws of the Great Peace. Then
shall they announce who they have chosen to repeat the laws of the Great Peace
to the two sons. Then shall the chosen one repeat the laws of the Great Peace.
64. At the ceremony of the installation of Lords if there is only one
expert speaker and singer of the law and the Pacification Hymn to stand at the
council fire, then when this speaker and singer has finished addressing one
side of the fire he shall go to the oposite side and reply to his own speech
and song. He shall thus act for both sidesa of the fire until the entire
ceremony has been completed. Such a speaker and singer shall be termed the
"Two Faced" because he speaks and sings for both sides of the fire.
65. I, Dekanawida, and the Union Lords, now uproot the tallest pine tree
and into the cavity thereby made we cast all weapons of war. Into the depths
of the earth, down into the deep underearth currents of water flowing to
unknown regions we cast all the weapons of strife. We bury them from sight and
we plant again the tree. Thus shall the Great Peace be established and
hostilities shall no longer be known between the Five Nations but peace to the
United People.
Laws of Adoption
66. The father of a child of great comliness, learning, ability or
specially loved because of some circumstance may, at the will of the child's
clan, select a name from his own (the father's) clan and bestow it by
ceremony, such as is provided. This naming shall be only temporary and shall
be called, "A name hung about the neck."
67. Should any person, a member of the Five Nations' Confederacy, specially
esteem a man or woman of another clan or of a foreign nation, he may choose a
name and bestow it upon that person so esteemed. The naming shall be in accord
with the ceremony of bestowing names. Such a name is only a temporary one and
shall be called "A name hung about the neck." A short string of
shells shall be delivered with the name as a record and a pledge.
68. Should any member of the Five Nations, a family or person belonging to
a foreign nation submit a proposal for adoption into a clan of one of the Five
Nations, he or they shall furnish a string of shells, a span in length, as a
pledge to the clan into which he or they wish to be adopted. The Lords of the
nation shall then consider the proposal and submit a decision.
69. Any member of the Five Nations who through esteem or other feeling
wishes to adopt an individual, a family or number of families may offer
adoption to him or them and if accepted the matter shall be brought to the
attention of the Lords for confirmation and the Lords must confirm adoption.
70. When the adoption of anyone shall have been confirmed by the Lords of
the Nation, the Lords shall address the people of their nation and say:
"Now you of our nation, be informed that such a person, such a family or
such families have ceased forever to bear their birth nation's name and have
buried it in the depths of the earth. Henceforth let no one of our nation ever
mention the original name or nation of their birth. To do so will be to hasten
the end of our peace.
Laws of Emigration
71. When any person or family belonging to the Five Nations desires to
abandon their birth nation and the territory of the Five Nations, they shall
inform the Lords of their nation and the Confederate Council of the Five
Nations shall take cognizance of it.
72. When any person or any of the people of the Five Nations emigrate and
reside in a region distant from the territory of the Five Nations Confederacy,
the Lords of the Five Nations at will may send a messenger carrying a broad
belt of black shells and when the messenger arrives he shall call the people
together or address them personally displaying the belt of shells and they
shall know that this is an order for them to return to their original homes
and to their council fires.
Rights of Foreign Nations
73. The soil of the earth from one end of the land to the other is the
property of the people who inhabit it. By birthright the Ongwehonweh (Original
beings) are the owners of the soil which they own and occupy and none other
may hold it. The same law has been held from the oldest times. The Great
Creator has made us of the one blood and of the same soil he made us and as
only different tongues constitute different nations he established different
hunting grounds and territories and made boundary lines between them.
74. When any alien nation or individual is admitted into the Five Nations
the admission shall be understood only to be a temporary one. Should the
person or nation create loss, do wrong or cause suffering of any kind to
endanger the peace of the Confederacy, the Confederate Lords shall order one
of their war chiefs to reprimand him or them and if a similar offence is again
committed the offending party or parties shall be expelled from the territory
of the Five United Nations.
75. When a member of an alien nation comes to the territory of the Five
Nations and seeks refuge and permanent residence, the Lords of the Nation to
which he comes shall extend hospitality and make him a member of the nation.
Then shall he be accorded equal rights and privileges in all matters except as
after mentioned.
76. No body of alien people who have been adopted temporarily shall have a
vote in the council of the Lords of the Confederacy, for only they who have
been invested with Lordship titles may vote in the Council. Aliens have
nothing by blood to make claim to a vote and should they have it, not knowing
all the traditions of the Confederacy, might go against its Great Peace. In
this manner the Great Peace would be endangered and perhaps be destroyed.
77. When the Lords of the Confederacy decide to admit a foreign nation and
an adoption is made, the Lords shall inform the adopted nation that its
admission is only temporary. They shall also say to the nation that it must
never try to control, to interfere with or to injure the Five Nations nor
disregard the Great Peace or any of its rules or customs. That in no way
should they cause disturbance or injury. Then should the adopted nation
disregard these injunctions, their adoption shall be annuled and they shall be
expelled. The expulsion shall be in the following manner: The council shall
appoint one of their War Chiefs to convey the message of annulment and he
shall say, "You (naming the nation) listen to me while I speak. I am here
to inform you again of the will of the Five Nations' Council. It was clearly
made known to you at a former time. Now the Lords of the Five Nations have
decided to expel you and cast you out. We disown you now and annul your
adoption. Therefore you must look for a path in which to go and lead away all
your people. It was you, not we, who committed wrong and caused this sentence
of annulment. So then go your way and depart from the territory of the Five
Nations and from the Confederacy."
78. Whenever a foreign nation enters the Confederacy or accepts the Great
Peace, the Five Nations and the foreign nation shall enter into an agreement
and compact by which the foreign nation shall endeavor to pursuade other
nations to accept the Great Peace.
Rights and Powers of War
79. Skanawatih shall be vested with a double office, duty and with double
authority. One-half of his being shall hold the Lordship title and the other
half shall hold the title of War Chief. In the event of war he shall notify
the five War Chiefs of the Confederacy and command them to prepare for war and
have their men ready at the appointed time and place for engagement with the
enemy of the Great Peace.
80. When the Confederate Council of the Five Nations has for its object the
establishment of the Great Peace among the people of an outside nation and
that nation refuses to accept the Great Peace, then by such refusal they bring
a declaration of war upon themselves from the Five Nations. Then shall the
Five Nations seek to establish the Great Peace by a conquest of the rebellious
nation.
81. When the men of the Five Nations, now called forth to become warriors,
are ready for battle with an obstinate opposing nation that has refused to
accept the Great Peace, then one of the five War Chiefs shall be chosen by the
warriors of the Five Nations to lead the army into battle. It shall be the
duty of the War Chief so chosen to come before his warriors and address them.
His aim shall be to impress upon them the necessity of good behavior and
strict obedience to all the commands of the War Chiefs. He shall deliver an
oration exhorting them with great zeal to be brave and courageous and never to
be guilty of cowardice. At the conclusion of his oration he shall march
forward and commence the War Song and he shall sing:
Now I am greatly surprised
And, therefore I shall use it --
The powerr of my War Song.
I am of the Five Nations
And I shall make supplication
To the Almighty Creator.
He has furnished this army.
My warriors shall be mighty
In the strength of the Creator.
Between him and my song they are
For it was he who gave the song
This war song that I sing!
82. When the warriors of the Five Nations are on an expedition against an
enemy, the War Chief shall sing the War Song as he approaches the country of
the enemy and not cease until his scouts have reported that the army is near
the enemies' lines when the War Chief shall approach with great caution and
prepare for the attack.
83. When peace shall have been established by the termination of the war
against a foreign nation, then the War Chief shall cause all the weapons of
war to be taken from the nation. Then shall the Great Peace be established and
that nation shall observe all the rules of the Great Peace for all time to
come.
84. Whenever a foreign nation is conquered or has by their own will
accepted the Great Peace their own system of internal government may continue,
but they must cease all warfare against other nations.
85. Whenever a war against a foreign nation is pushed until that nation is
about exterminated because of its refusal to accept the Great Peace and if
that nation shall by its obstinacy become exterminated, all their rights,
property and territory shall become the property of the Five Nations.
86. Whenever a foreign nation is conquered and the survivors are brought
into the territory of the Five Nations' Confederacy and placed under the Great
Peace the two shall be known as the Conqueror and the Conquered. A symbolic
relationship shall be devised and be placed in some symbolic position. The
conquered nation shall have no voice in the councils of the Confederacy in the
body of the Lords.
87. When the War of the Five Nations on a foreign rebellious nation is
ended, peace shall be restored to that nation by a withdrawal of all their
weapons of war by the War Chief of the Five Nations. When all the terms of
peace shall have been agreed upon a state of friendship shall be established.
88. When the proposition to establish the Great Peace is made to a foreign
nation it shall be done in mutual council. The foreign nation is to be
persuaded by reason and urged to come into the Great Peace. If the Five
Nations fail to obtain the consent of the nation at the first council a second
council shall be held and upon a second failure a third council shall be held
and this third council shall end the peaceful methods of persuasion. At the
third council the War Chief of the Five nations shall address the Chief of the
foreign nation and request him three times to accept the Great Peace. If
refusal steadfastly follows the War Chief shall let the bunch of white lake
shells drop from his outstretched hand to the ground and shall bound quickly
forward and club the offending chief to death. War shall thereby be declared
and the War Chief shall have his warriors at his back to meet any emergency.
War must continue until the contest is won by the Five Nations.
89. When the Lords of the Five Nations propose to meet in conference with a
foreign nation with proposals for an acceptance of the Great Peace, a large
band of warriors shall conceal themselves in a secure place safe from the
espionage of the foreign nation but as near at hand as possible. Two warriors
shall accompany the Union Lord who carries the proposals and these warriors
shall be especially cunning. Should the Lord be attacked, these warriors shall
hasten back to the army of warriors with the news of the calamity which fell
through the treachery of the foreign nation.
90. When the Five Nations' Council declares war any Lord of the Confederacy
may enlist with the warriors by temporarily renouncing his sacred Lordship
title which he holds through the election of his women relatives. The title
then reverts to them and they may bestow it upon another temporarily until the
war is over when the Lord, if living, may resume his title and seat in the
Council.
91. A certain wampum belt of black beads shall be the emblem of the
authority of the Five War Chiefs to take up the weapons of war and with their
men to resist invasion. This shall be called a war in defense of the
territory.
Treason or Secession of a Nation
92. If a nation, part of a nation, or more than one nation within the Five
Nations should in any way endeavor to destroy the Great Peace by neglect or
violating its laws and resolve to dissolve the Confederacy, such a nation or
such nations shall be deemed guilty of treason and called enemies of the
Confederacy and the Great Peace. It shall then be the duty of the Lords of the
Confederacy who remain faithful to resolve to warn the offending people. They
shall be warned once and if a second warning is necessary they shall be driven
from the territory of the Confederacy by the War Chiefs and his men.
Rights of the People of the Five Nations
93. Whenever a specially important matter or a great emergency is presented
before the Confederate Council and the nature of the matter affects the entire
body of the Five Nations, threatening their utter ruin, then the Lords of the
Confederacy must submit the matter to the decision of their people and the
decision of the people shall affect the decision of the Confederate Council.
This decision shall be a confirmation of the voice of the people.
94. The men of every clan of the Five Nations shall have a Council Fire
ever burning in readiness for a council of the clan. When it seems necessary
for a council to be held to discuss the welfare of the clans, then the men may
gather about the fire. This council shall have the same rights as the council
of the women.
95. The women of every clan of the Five Nations shall have a Council Fire
ever burning in readiness for a council of the clan. When in their opinion it
seems necessary for the interest of the people they shall hold a council and
their decisions and recommendations shall be introduced before the Council of
the Lords by the War Chief for its consideration.
96. All the Clan council fires of a nation or of the Five Nations may unite
into one general council fire, or delegates from all the council fires may be
appointeed to unite in a general council for discussing the interests of the
people. The people shall have the right to make appointments and to delegate
their power to others of their number. When their council shall have come to a
conclusion on any matter, their decision shall be reported to the Council of
the Nation or to the Confederate Council (as the case may require) by the War
Chief or the War Chiefs.
97. Before the real people united their nations, each nation had its
council fires. Before the Great Peace their councils were held. The five
Council Fires shall continue to burn as before and they are not quenched. The
Lords of each nation in future shall settle their nation's affairs at this
council fire governed always by the laws and rules of the council of the
Confederacy and by the Great Peace.
98. If either a nephew or a niece see an irregularity in the performance of
the functions of the Great Peace and its laws, in the Confederate Council or
in the conferring of Lordship titles in an improper way, through their War
Chief they may demand that such actions become subject to correction and that
the matter conform to the ways prescribed by the laws of the Great Peace.
Religious Ceremonies Protected
99. The rites and festivals of each nation shall remain undisturbed and
shall continue as before because they were given by the people of old times as
useful and necessary for the good of men.
100. It shall be the duty of the Lords of each brotherhood to confer at the
approach of the time of the Midwinter Thanksgiving and to notify their people
of the approaching festival. They shall hold a council over the matter and
arrange its details and begin the Thanksgiving five days after the moon of
Dis-ko-nah is new. The people shall assemble at the appointed place and the
nephews shall notify the people of the time and place. From the beginning to
the end the Lords shall preside over the Thanksgiving and address the people
from time to time.
101. It shall be the duty of the appointed managers of the Thanksgiving
festivals to do all that is needed for carrying out the duties of the
occasions. The recognized festivals of Thanksgiving shall be the Midwinter
Thanksgiving, the Maple or Sugar-making Thanksgiving, the Raspberry
Thanksgiving, the Strawberry Thanksgiving, the Cornplanting Thanksgiving, the
Corn Hoeing Thanksgiving, the Little Festival of Green Corn, the Great
Festival of Ripe Corn and the complete Thanksgiving for the Harvest. Each
nation's festivals shall be held in their Long Houses.
102. When the Thanksgiving for the Green Corn comes the special managers,
both the men and women, shall give it careful attention and do their duties
properly.
103. When the Ripe Corn Thanksgiving is celebrated the Lords of the Nation
must give it the same attention as they give to the Midwinter Thanksgiving.
104. Whenever any man proves himself by his good life and his knowledge of
good things, naturally fitted as a teacher of good things, he shall be
recognized by the Lords as a teacher of peace and religion and the people
shall hear him.
The Installation Song
105. The song used in installing the new Lord of the Confederacy shall be
sung by Adodarhoh and it shall be:
"Haii, haii Agwah wi-yoh " " A-kon-he-watha " "
Ska-we-ye-se-go-wah " " Yon-gwa-wih " " Ya-kon-he-wa-tha
Haii, haii It is good indeed " " (That) a broom, -- " "
A great wing, " " It is given me " " For a sweeping
instrument."
106. Whenever a person properly entitled desires to learn the Pacification
Song he is privileged to do so but he must prepare a feast at which his
teachers may sit with him and sing. The feast is provided that no misfortune
may befall them for singing the song on an occasion when no chief is
installed.
Protection of the House
107. A certain sign shall be known to all the people of the Five Nations
which shall denote that the owner or occupant of a house is absent. A stick or
pole in a slanting or leaning position shall indicate this and be the sign.
Every person not entitled to enter the house by right of living within it upon
seeing such a sign shall not approach the house either by day or by night but
shall keep as far away as his business will permit.
Funeral Addresses
108. At the funeral of a Lord of the Confederacy, say: Now we become
reconciled as you start away. You were once a Lord of the Five Nations'
Confederacy and the United People trusted you. Now we release you for it is
true that it is no longer possible for us to walk about together on the earth.
Now, therefore, we lay it (the body) here. Here we lay it away. Now then we
say to you, 'Persevere onward to the place where the Creator dwells in peace.
Let not the things of the earth hinder you. Let nothing that transpired while
yet you lived hinder you. In hunting you once took delight; in the game of
Lacrosse you once took delight and in the feasts and pleasant occasions your
mind was amused, but now do not allow thoughts of these things to give you
trouble. Let not your relatives hinder you and also let not your friends and
associates trouble your mind. Regard none of these things.' "Now then, in
turn, you here present who were related to this man and you who were his
friends and associates, behold the path that is yours also! Soon we ourselves
will be left in that place. For this reason hold yourselves in restraint as
you go from place to place. In your actions and in your conversation do no
idle thing. Speak not idle talk neither gossip. Be careful of this and speak
not and do not give way to evil behavior. One year is the time that you must
abstain from unseemly levity but if you can not do this for ceremony, ten days
is the time to regard these things for respect."
109. At the funeral of a War Chief, say: "Now we become reconciled as
you start away. You were once a War Chief of the Five Nations' Confederacy and
the United People trusted you as their guard from the enemy." (The
remainder is the same as the address at the funeral of a Lord).
110. At the funeral of a Warrior, say: "Now we become reconciled as
you start away. Once you were a devoted provider and protector of your family
and you were ever ready to take part in battles for the Five Nations'
Confederacy. The United People trusted you." (The remainder is the same
as the address at the funeral of a Lord).
111. At the funeral of a young man, say: "Now we become reconciled as
you start away. In the beginning of your career you are taken away and the
flower of your life is withered away." (The remainder is the same as the
address at the funeral of a Lord).
112. At the funeral of a chief woman, say: "Now we become reconciled
as you start away. You were once a chief woman in the Five Nations'
Confederacy. You once were a mother of the nations. Now we release you for it
is true that it is no longer possible for us to walk about together on the
earth. Now, therefore, we lay it (the body) here. Here we lay it away. Now
then we say to you, 'Persevere onward to the place where the Creator dwells in
peace. Let not the things of the earth hinder you. Let nothing that transpired
while you lived hinder you. Looking after your family was a sacred duty and
you were faithful. You were one of the many joint heirs of the Lordship
titles. Feastings were yours and you had pleasant occasions. . ." (The
remainder is the same as the address at the funeral of a Lord).
113. At the funeral of a woman of the people, say: "Now we become
reconciled as you start away. You were once a woman in the flower of life and
the bloom is now withered away. You once held a sacred position as a mother of
the nation. (Etc.) Looking after your family was a sacred duty and you were
faithful. Feastings . . . (etc.)" (The remainder is the same as the
address at the funeral of a Lord).
114. At the funeral of an infant or young woman, say: "Now we become
reconciled as you start away. You were a tender bud and gladdened our hearts
for only a few days. Now the bloom has withered away . . . (etc.) Let none of
the things that transpired on earth hinder you. Let nothing that happened
while you lived hinder you." (The remainder is the same as the address at
the funeral of a Lord).
[ Editors note: the above ellipses and 'etc.' remarks are transcribed
directly from the text I copied. ]
115. When an infant dies within three days, mourning shall continue only
five days. Then shall you gather the little boys and girls at the house of
mourning and at the funeral feast a speaker shall address the children and bid
them be happy once more, though by a death, gloom has been cast over them.
Then shall the black clouds roll away and the sky shall show blue once more.
Then shall the children be again in sunshine.
116. When a dead person is brought to the burial place, the speaker on the
opposite side of the Council Fire shall bid the bereaved family cheer their
minds once again and rekindle their hearth fires in peace, to put their house
in order and once again be in brightness for darkness has covered them. He
shall say that the black clouds shall roll away and that the bright blue sky
is visible once more. Therefore shall they be in peace in the sunshine again.
117. Three strings of shell one span in length shall be employed in addressing the assemblage at the burial of the dead. The speaker shall say:
"Hearken you who are here, this body is to be covered. Assemble in this place again ten days hence for it is the decree of the Creator that mourning shall cease when ten days have expired. Then shall a feast be made."
Then at the expiration of ten days the speaker shall say: "Continue to
listen you who are here. The ten days of mourning have expired and your minds
must now be freed of sorrow as before the loss of a relative. The relatives
have decided to make a little compensation to those who have assisted at the
funeral. It is a mere expression of thanks. This is to the one who did the
cooking while the body was lying in the house. Let her come forward and
receive this gift and be dismissed from the task." In substance this
shall be repeated for every one who assisted in any way until all have been
remembered.
Prepared by Gerald Murphy (The Cleveland Free-Net - aa300) Distributed by the Cybercasting Services Division of the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN).
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This text is part of the Internet Modern History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history.
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(c)Paul Halsall Aug 1997
halsall@murray.fordham.edu