The Iroquois Government By: Rohan Ray

How did their Government Develop? The government all started when two wise men named Deganawidah and Hiawatha came together during a war between five of the Iroquois tribes: The Onondagas, Oneidas, Senecas, Mohawks, and Cayugas. They discussed about the war and said that the people in their tribe were dying because they were scared to come outside of their homes to find food. Since the warriors of the 5 tribes were listening, they decided that they should lay down their weapons so that their villagers wouldn’t die. Deganawidah Hiawatha

What Type of Government did they have? The Iroquois had a confederacy type government and they had 50 sachems or chiefs on the Great Council which made important decisions like war and trade. The chiefs were chosen by the women who headed the family clans(clan mothers). There are 49 clan mothers all together: 9 are from the Mohawks, 9 from Oneida, 13 from Onondaga since it is the leader tribe, 10 Cayuga, and 8 Seneca. The clan mothers also have the responsibility to look out for the welfare of their tribe. But, in the Great Council, the sachems’(chiefs’) decisions had to be made unanimously or else the decision would not be made. Since the Iroquois Confederacy was so organized and fair, many other countries like the United States studied their government and learned things like taking turns in speaking.(Learned by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson). A symbol that represents the confederacy

What were some characteristics of that government? Some characteristics of this government were basically that all the 5 nations interacted so well together that Deganawidah said that if one of the nations was attacked, then all the others would feel that nations injuries. The Tuscarora tribe was the tribe that joined after by moving from North Carolina to New York in 1735. They also functioned by the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech as well as The Great Peace Law which was started by Deganawidah when he said: “ If any man or nation wants to obey the laws of Peace, they will be welcome to take shelter under the tree(Onondaga Nation).* *The Picture in the background has 4 squares and a tree which represents the Iroquois Confederacy. (The Inner two squares are the Mohawk and Seneca Tribes since they were called the “elder brothers” but the outer two were the Cayuga and Oneida Tribes or the “younger brothers”.

Who Was Involved in the Decisions of The Government? The people who were involved in the decisions of the Iroquois Confederacy were mainly Deganawidah, Hiawatha, and The Great Council. While the Great Council made Major Decisions, the Nation of Onondaga which was headed by Hiawatha made some of the more minor decisions in for the Iroquois Confederacy. Also, the Clan Mothers made decisions in the confederacy because they assigned who the chiefs on the great council would be. Great Council Clan Mother

What ARE Some Strengths & Limitations of the government? Some strengths of the Iroquois Confederacy are that people choose the clan mother who chooses the chiefs who are like representatives in the U. S. government. A limitation of the Iroquois Government is that the chiefs have to get a unanimous vote on a decision to let it be put into action. Another strength is that the chiefs have the power to create any decision as long as it is reasonable, within the council’s power, and whether it follows the Great Peace Law. Another limitation is that the people do not have the power to elect the chiefs but they can elect the clan mother. Symbol of The Great Peace Law

What were Issues that The Government would discuss? The Government decided on issues like war because that was what first brought all the nations into mass chaos. The Iroquois discussed about trade as well because trade had to be regulated fairly well between the Iroquois and other Native American tribes but they also traded a lot with Great Britain. The government also discussed about food supply which had to be maintained and distributed amongst people. *Fun Fact: Did you know that the Iroquois Confederacy broke up during the revolutionary war because all the tribes but Tuscarora, and Oneida fought for the British.

Citations (Page 1) Great Peace Law of The Haudenosaunee Iroquois Democracy. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. <http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/greatlaw.html>.[IMG.] Unit 1: People Who Make A Difference. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. <http://www.mhschool.com/ss/ny/u1_people.html>.[IMG.] Deans-Smith, Dr. Susan, Dr. John J. Martin, and Richard Nichols. United States History, Canada, Mexico, & Central America. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2003. Print. Potter, Eloise F., and John B. Funderburg. Native Americans: The People and How They Lived. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, 1986. Print. Haudenosaunee Confederation. Department of Canadian Heritage, Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <http://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/index2.html>. Kanentiio, Doug G. Iroquois Prophecies Tell of Great Changes Ahead. Manataka American Indian Council. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. <http://www.manataka.org/page2330.html>.[IMG.]

Citations (Page 2) Government of The Iroquois Nations. Nihewan Foundation, 2002. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. <http://www.cradleboard.org/curriculum/powwow/lessons/elemsocial/el_gv_ir.html>. "The Iroquois." Indians of North America. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. <http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/02indiansofnorthamerica/The_Iroquois.html>. Clan Mothers. Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <http://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/clanmothers.html>.[IMG.] Kanentiio, Doug G. Iroquois Prophecies Tell of Great Changes Ahead. Manataka American Indian Council. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. <http://www.manataka.org/page2330.html>.[IMG.] Ciment, James, and Ronald LaFrance. Scholastic Encyclopedia of the North American Indian. New York City, NY: Scholastic, 1996. Print.