Simone Lawson
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, is a union of Native American nations. The Iroquois Confederacy is governed by a constitution called the Great Law of Peace, which is considered to be a model for the American Constitution. The confederacy was founded by the Peacemaker, with the help of Aionwatha, also known as Hiawatha. The Iroquois Confederacy is believed to be the oldest participatory democracy on Earth, and its constitution continues to influence modern democracies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Known as the Iroquois Confederacy by the French | Fairness |
| Called the League of Five Nations by the English | Sustainability |
| Properly called the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, meaning "People of the long house" | Strong kinship bonds |
| Comprised of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas | Leadership through service |
| Each nation maintains its own council with Chiefs chosen by the Clan Mother | Unity |
| The Grand Council deals with issues affecting the nations within the confederacy | Peace |
| One of the oldest participatory democracies | Individual governance and freedom |
| Influenced the U.S. Constitution | Consensus over fighting |
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What You'll Learn
The Iroquois Confederacy's influence on the US Constitution
The constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, is called the Great Law of Peace. The confederacy was founded by the prophet known as the Peacemaker, with the help of Hiawatha. It is considered one of the oldest and longest-lasting participatory democracies in the world.
The Iroquois Confederacy is believed to have significantly influenced the US Constitution. When the Founding Fathers met in 1787 to draft the US Constitution, they had no contemporary democracies in Europe to draw inspiration from. The only forms of government they had encountered were those of the Native American tribes, particularly the Iroquois Confederacy, which had already formed a multi-state government that ensured individual governance and freedoms. The structure of the Confederacy represented five tribes: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca. Each tribe handled its own affairs but came together to solve issues of common importance, operating under the Great Law of Peace, a doctrine of 117 codicils.
The Founding Fathers were impressed by how the Iroquois legislated their affairs, and shortly after, they drafted the US Constitution, echoing the Great Law of Peace. In 1754, Benjamin Franklin was inspired by the Great Law of Peace and wrote the Albany Plan of Union, advocating for the colonies to unite and better defend themselves from foreign powers. In 1776, during the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress invited the Iroquois to address them, and they were well-received by the patriots.
The Iroquois Confederacy's influence extended beyond the structure of government. A core tenet of the Confederacy was a focus on the "seventh generation" when enacting any new policy, considering the impact of decisions on at least seven generations into the future. This concept reflects the Iroquois's commitment to sustainability and protection against climate change. Additionally, the Confederacy's concept of unification through mutual defense and its conduct of foreign affairs also influenced the constitutional framers' thinking.
In 1987, on the 200th anniversary of the US Constitution, The New York Times published an article titled "Iroquois Constitution: A Forerunner to Colonists' Democratic Principles," acknowledging the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the US Constitution. Congress passed a similar resolution in 1988, formally recognizing the impact of the Iroquois Confederacy on the democratic principles incorporated into the US Constitution.
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The Great Peacemaker's role in founding the Confederacy
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the League of Five Nations or Six Nations, is a political and cultural union of six Native American tribes. It is considered one of the world's oldest participatory democracies. The Confederacy's constitution, known as the Great Law of Peace, is believed to have inspired the American Constitution.
The Iroquois Confederacy was founded by the Great Peacemaker, also known as Deganawida, Dekanawida, or Tekanawí:ta in Mohawk, and the prophet Hiawatha. Deganawida, whose name means 'Two River Currents Flowing Together', is said to have been born into the Huron Nation. He was given the name Deganawidah, but he later became known simply as the Great Peacemaker. Hiawatha is also referred to as Aiionwatha.
The Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha are credited with establishing a model for federalism, separation of powers, and participatory democracy. They envisioned a system where individual tribes maintained their sovereignty but came together to address issues of common importance. This concept, known as the Great Law of Peace, became the constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy.
According to oral history, the Great Peacemaker travelled from community to community, teaching the laws of peace and persuading the chiefs of each nation to join the Great League of Peace. He is said to have performed miracles and spread a message of "peace, righteousness, and power". At Onondaga, the Great Peacemaker uprooted the tallest white pine, which became known as the Tree of Peace. Under this tree, leaders of the Five Nations buried their weapons, symbolically ""burying the hatchet" and ending their conflicts.
The Great Peacemaker established a council of clan and village chiefs to govern the confederacy, with power shared between men and women. Men held the positions of hereditary chiefs through their mother's line, while clan mothers ruled on the fitness of chiefs and could depose them if necessary. Most decisions were made by consensus, with each representative having an equal voice.
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The Iroquois Confederacy's democratic principles
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, meaning "People of the long house", is considered one of the oldest and longest-lasting participatory democracies in the world. The confederacy was founded by the prophet known as the Peacemaker, with the help of Aionwatha, commonly known as Hiawatha. The confederacy was made up of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, and was intended to unite the nations and create a peaceful means of decision-making.
The Iroquois Confederacy's constitution, known as the Great Law of Peace, is believed to have influenced the American Constitution and is considered a model for it. The Iroquois Confederacy's democratic principles include the separation of responsibilities in the government to ensure a balance of power, and the prevention of individuals from holding offices across multiple branches to avoid any single person having too much power. Additionally, they ensured a process for removing leaders from power for crimes and misdemeanors, also known as impeachment.
The Iroquois Confederacy's system of governance was based on the concept of strong kinship bonds that promoted leadership through service to others, rather than material gain. This is reflected in practices such as the potlatch, where wealth is voluntarily redistributed to the poorest members of the tribe, and the seventh-generation principle, which dictates that decisions made today should lead to sustainability for the next seven generations.
The confederacy was structured as a Grand Council, an assembly of fifty chiefs or sachems, each representing a clan or nation. Each nation maintained its own council, with chiefs chosen by the Clan Mother, and dealt with its internal affairs, while allowing the Grand Council to handle issues affecting the confederacy as a whole. This federal structure allowed for individual governance and freedoms while also fostering cooperation and unity among the nations.
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The Iroquois Confederacy's structure
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, is often described as the oldest participatory democracy on Earth. It is believed to have been founded by the Great Peacemaker, with the help of Hiawatha, at an unknown date estimated between 1142 and 1660. The Confederacy brought together five distinct nations in the southern Great Lakes area into "The Great League of Peace". The five original nations were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. Each nation within this Iroquoian confederacy had a distinct language, territory, and function in the League.
The League is composed of a Grand Council, an assembly of fifty chiefs or sachems, each representing a clan of a nation. The tribes were split into clans and the oldest woman in each clan, called the Clan Mother, chose one or more men to serve as Clan Chief. These chiefs formed the Grand Council of Chiefs, which included forty-nine chiefs and the chief of chiefs. When making decisions for the Confederacy, the Council's vote had to be unanimous. However, if the vote was not unanimous, each tribe was able to act independently.
In 1722, the Iroquoian-speaking Tuscarora people from the southeast were accepted into the confederacy, from which point it was known as the "Six Nations". During the American Revolution, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy was divided, with the Oneida and Tuscarora supporting the United States, while the rest, led by Chief Joseph Brant's Mohawk loyalists, fought for the British.
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The Iroquois Confederacy's name
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the League of Five Nations or the Iroquois League by the English and the French respectively, is properly called the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, meaning "People of the long house" in Iroquoian. The confederacy was founded by the prophet known as the Peacemaker, or Deganawidah the Great Peacemaker, with the help of Hiawatha, and Jigonsaseh the Mother of Nations. The Iroquois Confederacy is made up of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, and later, the Tuscarora.
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is considered the oldest participatory democracy on Earth, with its constitution, the Great Law of Peace, serving as the oral constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Great Law of Peace is also known as Gayanashagowa in Mohawk, and was represented by symbols on wampum belts, which functioned as mnemonic devices for storytellers. The law was conceived by the Peacemaker, and his spokesman Hiawatha.
The Iroquois Confederacy's constitution is believed to have served as a model for the American Constitution. The structure of the Iroquois Confederacy represented five tribes that operated under the Great Law of Peace, a doctrine of 117 codicils where individual tribes handled their own affairs but came together to solve issues of common importance. The confederacy is governed by a constitution called the Great Law of Peace, which was founded in 1142 and may be the longest-standing democracy on Earth.
The Iroquois Confederacy's constitution has influenced other Native American models of governance, such as the focus on the "seventh generation" when enacting any new policy. This concept dictates that decisions must be designed for sustainability to yield benefits for at least seven generations into the future.
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Frequently asked questions
The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the League of Five Nations by the English and the Iroquois League by the French, is a union of Native American nations. The confederacy was founded by the Peacemaker with the help of Aionwatha, also known as Hiawatha. The confederacy includes the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, with the Tuscarora nation joining in 1722.
The constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy is called the Great Law of Peace. It is also known by its Mohawk name, Kaianere'kó:wa, or Gayanashagowa. The Great Law of Peace served as a social organisation and a set of ceremonies to be observed by the Iroquois Confederacy.
The Great Law of Peace is believed to have influenced the democratic principles incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. The law ensured individual governance and freedoms, with each nation maintaining its own leadership while coming together to solve issues of common importance. This concept impressed the founders of the U.S. Constitution, including Benjamin Franklin, who invited representatives of the Iroquois Nations to help promote these ideas.
