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THE
GREAT LAW OF PEACE
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
IROQUOIS
NATIONS:
THE GREAT BINDING LAW, GAYANASHAGOWA
http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/greatlaw.html
© 1 October 2001,
Portland State University
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.
[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 judgment. 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 decision, 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
title-ship 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
committed 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, peace 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 summons 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 lodgment 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 opposite 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 lodgment 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 willfully
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 title-ship 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 safe-keeping. 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, 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
council 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 individually 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 between 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. [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 dir-ections, 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 brethren. 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 dispatch 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 opposite side and reply
to his own speech and song. He shall thus act for both sides 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 comeliness,
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 Confed-eracy, the Confederate Lords shall order
one of their war chiefs to reprimand him or them and if a similar offense
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 annulled 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
persuade 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 establish-ment 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 power 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 recommend-ations 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 appointed 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 re-ported
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 Lord-ship 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
Thanks-giving, the Maple or Sugar-making Thanksgiving, the Raspberry
Thanksgiving, the Strawberry Thanksgiving, the Corn-planting Thanksgiving,
the Corn Hoeing Thanks-giving, 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). [ the
above
ellipsis 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.
http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/greatlaw.html
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