1. Iroquois Confederacy
Chapter 4

2. How was the Iroquois Confederacy structured?

3. The Origin of the Six Nations: The Peacemaker
5 tribes constantly fighting
Cayuga (The People of the Swamp)
Mohawk (The People of the Flint Stone)
Oneida (The People of the Standing Stone)
Onondaga (The People of the Hills)
Seneca (The People of the Great Hills)
A Huron man named Deganawidah wanted peace among the Iroquois. He comforted a man named Hiawatha, who was mourning the death of his daughters at the hands of an evil chief. The two worked to unite the Iroquois under the Great Law of Peace. All Chiefs agreed except one.

4. The Peacemaker: Tadodaho
Tadodaho was the evil chief that killed Hiawatha's daughters.
He was the one chief who was difficult to convince to unite in peace.
Hiawatha persisted and managed to convince Tadodaho to be peaceful.

5. The Peacemaker: Gayanekshagowa
Degnawidah gathered the chiefs in Onondaga and they buried their weapons.
Above where their weapons were buried, they planted the Tree of Great Peace
The Great Law of Peace (Gayanekshagowa [Guy-ya-na-lay-GO-wa]) united the 5 tribes as a Confederacy.
Members of the Confederacy were not allowed to war with each other.
The constitution of the Confederacy, laws, system of government and rituals were established.
Tadodaho became the leader.
The date of the Confederacy is sometime between 1142 – 1500s. This is before the European colonization of the area.
Confederacy: a partnership that is agreed on by nations or groups of people.

6. The Peacemaker: Deganawidah
Deganawidah is known as the Great Peacemaker.
Deganawidah, Hiawatha and Tadodaho are remembered by the Iroquois to this day.
His message was that human beings should stop hurting one another.
Humans are capable of reason, and through reason all men desire peace.
It is necessary that the people organize to ensure that peace will be possible.

7. The Nations of the Confederacy
There were many rivals to the Confederacy and they often were in conflicts.
Although they had the Great Peace, the Iroquois often fought against other First Nations
They fought to defend themselves, expand their territory, or control valuable fur trade with the Europeans.
They did not fight one another.
Iroquois refer to themselves as the Haudenosaunee [how-den-o-SHOW-nee] which means People of the Longhouse or “people who build”.
The Tuscarora became the sixth nation of the Confederacy in 1720 after being sponsored by the Oneida.
The Oneida and the Onondaga gave the Tuscarora land to settle on.
Today, most Haudenosaunee live in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Some still follow the ways of governing set by the Peacemaker.

8. The Nations of the Confederacy

9. The Nations of Confederacy: The Clans
In each nation, there were many clans, which the Iroquois also belonged to.
Clans were named after animals.
These animals included the Bear, Wolf, Turtle, Snipe, Eel, Heron, Hawk, Beaver and Deer.
Members of clans are considered family, regardless of nation.
Clans are lead by clan mothers.
This position is hereditary (passed from mother to daughter)
Clan mothers have the right to select and remove Chiefs.
Chiefs were selected who were most likely to live up to the Great Law of Peace
The clan mother could remove a chief from office if he committed a crime, ignored the wishes of the people or violated the Great Law.
Chiefs were selected who were wise, respected, and kind members of the community.
Clan: a large group of families who are related to one another. Each clan is associated with a different animal.

10. The Nations of Confederacy: The Chiefs
50 Chiefs in the Iroquois Confederacy
These Chiefs made up the Grand Council
Decisions were made though consensus
Chiefs must follow the Great Law
They must consider long-term effects of their decisions (seven generation rule)

11. Chiefs on the Grand Council
Each member of the Confederacy had a set number of Chiefs on the Grand Council:
Onondaga – 14
Cayuga – 10
Mohawk – 9
Oneida – 9
Seneca – 8
The number of Chiefs depends on the number of clans within the nation. Having more Chiefs does not mean a nation has more power or influence.

12. The Grand Council The Onondaga host the Grand Council
Tadodaho (the Iroquois spiritual leader) act as chairman of the Grand Council
He is selected from amongst the Onondaga chiefs
Acts as the voice of the Confederacy
If a decision of the Council affects another nation, the Tadodaho communicates with that nation

13. Other Chiefs
In addition to Council Chiefs, there were also war Chiefs and pine tree Chiefs.
War Chiefs
Advised Council during times of war
Carried out military orders of the Council
Organized war bands
Could remove the Grand Council by force if they became corrupt or ignored the people
5 war Chiefs – one for each of the original 5 nations
Pine Tree Chiefs
Gifted in diplomacy, organization and trading
War and Pine Tree Chiefs were chosen by the Grand Council

14. What was the role and status of men and women within the Iroquois Confederacy?

15. The Role and Status of Men and Women in the Iroquois Confederacy
Men and women had traditional roles.
Men and women were equals in society.
Men and women were political equals.
Men and women relied upon each other for the good of the village, clan, nation and Confederacy
Wars were fought exclusively by men, although the women often decided whether or not war was to be declared.

16. The Role of Iroquois Men
Men were responsible for:
Hunting
They would go in large hunting parties, which would split up into groups. One group would scare animals by making lots of noise. When the animals panicked and ran away, they would run straight into the other group who was waiting with weapons.
Any profit from hunting or trade went to the community.
Nobody was rich, not even chiefs or powerful men.
Fishing
Fighting
Cutting down trees to build canoes and longhouses
Men rarely worked alone.
Men worked for the benefit of the community, not just for himself or his family.
Men served as the chiefs on the Grand Council.
Men organized team sports which were part of many seasonal celebrations.
Games built leadership skills as well as endurance, strength and speed for hunting and warfare.

17. Longhouses Longhouses were huge buildings that housed many families.
They were at the centre of Iroquois society.
Nations were divided into nine clans, which were led by clan mothers.
All people living in a longhouse were descendants of the same clan mother.
As the families grew larger, they would extend the longhouse by building onto the end.
Small villages had 4-5 longhouses, large villages had 50 or more. A

18. The Role of Iroquois Women
Iroquois women had more freedom and responsibility than other women in most other societies.
Women tended the crops and the children.
Women were in charge of the croplands and the longhouses.
When an Iroquois couple married, the man would live in his wife’s longhouse.
Children were born into the mother’s clan.
Women worked with one another for the good of the village.
Women planted and irrigated crops such as beans, corn and squash.
These three crops were so important that the Iroquois called them The Three Sisters.
Women did all the cooking and made all the clothing.
Women owned the property and homes.

19. The Importance of Clan Mothers
Clan mothers were the leaders of the clan.
The title of clan mother was passed on to female relatives: sisters or daughters.
The Great Law of Peace gave the clan mother ownership of the chieftainship title.
This meant that clan mothers had the responsibility of selecting chiefs for their own clan.
Clan mothers today have as much importance and respect as they did in the past.

20. Choosing a Chief
When choosing a chief, the clan mother would look for characteristics like:
Honesty
Kind-heartedness
Ability to think clearly
Knowledge of traditional ceremonies
Loyalty to family
Ability to uphold the Great Law
Ability to represent the people fairly
Ability to withstand criticism

21. What are the advantages and disadvantages of consensus as a decision-making model for government?

22. Consensus as a Decision-Making Model for Government
Decisions are not made unless everyone agrees.
Issues are debated and discussed until everyone agrees on a course of action
Relatively rare for governments
In most democracies, decisions are made according to a majority vote.
Consensus in a democracy is difficult to achieve
This is due to representatives belonging to different political parties, regions, and so forth.
This was a way that fairness and equality was maintained in Iroquois society.
Consensus: When a decision is made by consensus, all the people affected have an equal voice. There is discussion and the final agreement represents a process that everyone agrees to.

23. When Does Consensus Work Well?
Small groups
Participants are open-minded
Participants are willing to think deeply about the issue
Participants are willing to listen to the ideas of others.
Minority viewpoints are considered
Everyone’s opinion matters
Interests of the group are put ahead of individual interests
People are willing to compromise
Everyone’s needs are met
Everyone has a say
The decision may not be everyone’s first choice, but the participants must be willing to support it in the best interest of the group.

24. When Does Consensus Not Work Well?
When a person cannot or will not compromise
When finding a decision that is acceptable for everyone isn’t possible.
Lots of people are involved
Requires a lot of time and discussion
Getting five different nations and the many clans within them to agree on issues was a challenge that the Peacemaker faced

25. How did the Six Nations use the consensus-building process?

26. The Six Nations and the Consensus-Building Process
Most issues were discussed and resolved locally.
People tried to reach a consensus with the advice of the clan mothers and the faithkeepers.
Faithkeepers led Iroquois rituals for such events as weddings, funerals and religious celebrations.
Once people reached a consensus, the clan mother would inform the clan’s chief of the decision.
The Grand Council was not the sole decision-making body of the Six Nations.

27. Grand Council – Decision Making Process
For serious matters and matters that affected the whole Confederacy, the people would turn to the Grand Council.
Someone (often a clan mother) would inform the Onondaga chiefs of the issue or proposal.
It was the Onondaga’s responsibility to host the council meetings as they were the fire-keepers.
The Onondaga invited the rest of the chiefs to the Council.
Once the chiefs were present, the Onondaga welcomed them to the Council and thanked them for attending.

28. Grand Council – Decision Making Process
The Council would then elect a spokesperson (a chief from the Onondaga, Mohawk or Seneca nations) for the day who was responsible for ensuring the Council meeting followed the rules of the Great Law.
Elder Brothers: Mohawk and Seneca (the first two nations to join Confederacy)
Younger Brothers: Oneida and Cayuga
Once the spokesman announced the issue, the Elder Brothers discussed it amongst themselves until a consensus was reached. They would then tell the Younger Brothers and the Younger Brothers would hold their own discussion until a consensus was reached.

29. Grand Council – Decision Making Process
If they all agreed, they would ask the Onondaga to confirm the decision.
The Mohawk would announce the decision to the Council.
Having agreed, the chiefs and clan mothers would act on the decision except for when there was declarations of war or treaties – if enough clan mothers objected, it would be overruled.
If the Oneida and Cayuga could not agree with the Mohawk and Seneca, they would inform the Onondaga, who would ask the Elder brothers to re-examine the issue.
Each chief was advised by a clan mother and a pair of faith keepers who would ensure the chief was acting in accordance to the Great Law of Peace and the needs of his people.

30. Major Threats to Confederacy
If there was a major threat to the Confederacy, each clan would hold a meeting.
Everyone (men, women, children) was allowed to speak at the meeting.
Once they reached a consensus, the clan mother would tell the chief.
The chief would inform the other chiefs of his nation and the chiefs together would tell the Grand Council.

31. Which of the following statements regarding the Grand Council spokesman is false?
The spokesman only served for a day.
The spokesman was an Onondaga chief.
The spokesman followed the rules of the Great Law
The spokesman announced the issue to be discussed.

32. How did the Wampum Belt address collective identity?

33. What is Wampum?
Wampum beads, made of purple and white shells, were strung together or woven into belts.
Each string or belt held a different message.
The use of wampum suggested the seriousness of the message and the sincerity of whoever made it.
Wampum strings were used for several purposes:
Clan mothers carried special wampum strings to show their status.
A person might carry a wampum string to remember a loved one.
War chiefs had a black wampum string.
If the Grand Council became corrupt, the war chiefs would bring the black wampum to the Council as a warning to the Grand Chiefs.
Iroquois women made the wampum belts.

34. What Was Wampum Used For?
Wampum belts were created to symbolize treaties among two groups of people and to tell stories from Iroquois history.
Each belt had a specific texture that a skilled wampum keeper could read by running his hands along it.
These belts show that although the Iroquois come from different nations, they are politically, socially and culturally united.
The wampum are primary sources that tell us about Iroquois history.
A wampum keeper was responsible for caring for the wampum and reading it.
The reader would pass his hands along the belt, bead by bead, using their texture to remind him of the events or treaties it recorded.
Wampum keepers were chosen by the clan and trained from a young age to remember the information on the belt and tell it in a dramatic and poetic way.

35. Two Row Wampum
One important wampum belt is the Two Row Wampum, which records a treaty between the Iroquois and the Dutch in 1613.
The belt depicts two purple stripes side by side on a white background.
The white represents the river of peace and respect.
The two stripes represent an Iroquois canoe which carry their culture, laws and beliefs, and a Dutch ship carrying their culture, laws and beliefs, sailing side by side.
This symbolizes that each nation has its own laws and customs, and they will not interfere with one another.
The three white background rows symbolize peace, friendship, and respect between the two groups.
It also shows that the Iroquois did and still do see themselves as a single, unified group. (There is one broad stripe, not 5 thin ones).

36. Hiawatha Wampum Most sacred wampum belt
This belt records the Great Law of Peace and the foundation of the Confederacy. This is the constitution of the Iroquois. It describes principles of good living and tells how the Confederacy should be organized and run. Today the Great Law of Peace exists as a written document.
It was first recorded in English in about Now there are several versions of it.
It is so long that it would take days to recite the whole thing.
The flag of the Confederacy is a reproduction of the Hiawatha Wampum.

37. Hiawatha Wampum - Symbols
The white tree in the centre represents the Tree of Great Peace. It is also the symbol of the Onondaga nation, which hosts the Grand Council.
The four squares represent the other four nations who first adopted the Great Law of Peace. From left to right, the five images represent the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca Nations and their territories.
The squares are connected by a white line, which shows how the nations are interconnected.
Another white line, the Path of Peace, extends to the borders of the wampum belt, indicating other nations are welcome on the Path.
White symbolizes that no evil or jealous thought shall creep into the minds of the chiefs while in Council under the Great Peace. White, the emblem of peace, love, charity and equity surrounds and guards the Five Nations.

38. Important Words
Collective Identity: a shared belief system that often includes the same language, culture, values and attitudes.
Political maps: tell you about the location of countries and cities.
Historical maps: tell you what an area was like in the past
Physical maps: provide information about features of the land like rivers, mountains, and land elevation.

39. How did the social structure of the Iroquois Confederacy impact its political structure?

40. The Social Structure of the Iroquois Confederacy
Men and women were considered equals but had separate and clearly defined roles.
Both men and women helped the community in their own ways and the political system was similar.
Only men could become chiefs, although this has changed in modern times.
Only women could become clan mothers.
The relationship between the chiefs and clan mothers was complex and ensured that no gender dominated the other. The only way a man could become chief was to be chosen by a clan mother. The only way a clan mother had a voice in the Grand Council was through the chief.
A clan mother had the authority to remove a chief from power, but a clan other who abused her power could have her authority revoked by the council.
The two major powers in Iroquois society were kept in balance.
If a person from one group did not obey the Great Law, the other group could remove him or her from power.

41. Equality in the Structure
The Grand Council system ensured each nation had an equal voice.
No nation could dominate another nation.
In order for a decision to become law, all of the nations had to agree to it.
The presence of the clan mothers and faithkeepers ensured that the chiefs worked in the best interests of the people.
The chiefs could not ignore the will of the nation or the Great Law.

42. Sense of Community
Citizens worked for the good of the group – the longhouse, village, clan or nation.
Citizens rarely worked by themselves. Instead, they worked on teams to accomplish their goals.
The sense of community carried over into the political system. All decisions from local matters to issues affecting the whole Confederacy were made by concensus.

43. To what extent did the decision-making process within the Iroquois Confederacy reflect democratic ideals of equity and fairness?

44. The Iroquois Confederacy and the Democratic Ideals of Equity and Fairness
The Confederacy was not a democracy.
Neither the clan mothers nor the chiefs were elected by the people.
The position of clan mother was hereditary, and the chiefs were appointed by the clan mothers.
In both cases, people had no real say in who their leaders would be.
Men had a political advantage despite remarkable gender equality in Iroquois society.
A man who was seen as hard-working, honest, and respectful of the Great Law could hope to become a faithkeeper, a council chief, a war chief, or a pine tree chief.
A woman, unless she was related to a clan mother, had practically no chance of becoming a clan mother herself one day.

45. Fairness and Equity
The Confederacy achieved a level of fairness and equity that was unmatched at the time.
Iroquois women participated in politics centuries before women won the right to vote in modern democracies.
At the local level, everyone’s voice mattered.
Even a child’s opinion would be taken into consideration.
Foreigners who swore to live by the Great Peace could become part of a nation.
Even people captured in war could be adopted by a clan and become full Iroquois citizens.
The example of the Tuscarora shows that entire nations could be welcomed into the Confederacy.

46. Analysis of the Decision Making Process
The Iroquois political structure ensured that the political leaders of the Confederacy respected the will of the people and the Great Law of Peace.
Decisions had to be acceptable to everyone because they were made by consensus.
This made sure that everyone worked together in the decision-making process.
This also ensured that majority could not dominate the minority.
This also meant that everyone felt included in the decision-making process.
Many democracies have seen fewer and fewer people voting in recent years. The Iroquois political structure proved that when people feel included, they are far more likely to want to participate in the process of government.