In a world where war is entertainment, killing is sport, & betrayal is common....how do we make peace?

A PEACE MAKING LESSON

from the IROQUOIS

Iroquois Confederation of Peace

by Terryll Nemeth

In the The Great Law of Peace: New World Roots of American Democracy, author David Yarrow states that Iroquois power was not founded on the force of arms, but rather on the arts of peace and reason. He further states that the Iroquois had a profound understanding of the principles of peace and freedom.

The Iroquois called themselves the Haudenosaunee, which means People of the Long House, because they held their joint governing council in an elongated house with six smoke holes in the roof. Located in northeastern North America, the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois are made up of six nations including the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, and Tuscaroras. The original United States representative democracy, fashioned by the founding fathers, drew much inspiration from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of nations. Canassatego, a great Iroquois chief, advised the assembled colonial governors on Iroquois concepts of unity in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1744 and said the following.

"Our wise forefathers established Union and Amity between the Five Nations. This has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighboring nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and by your observing the same methods, our wise forefathers have taken, you will acquire such strength and power. Therefore, whatever befalls you, never fall out with one another.

The Iroquois chiefs also were invited and attended a meeting of the Continental Congress on June 11, 1776, while independence was being debated. There was a speech delivered. The chief addressed the delegates as brothers, and told them of his peopleís wish that the friendship between them would continue "as long as the sun shall shine and the waters run." The speech was also hopeful that the new friends and the Iroquois would act "as one people, and have but one heart." The Iroquois chiefs presence in Congress, so near the time of American Independence, attest to the fact that the Iroquois had a definite productive impact on the founding fathers.

It is said that Benjamin Franklin shared what he learn from the Iroquois with the other founding fathers, when he demonstrated that one arrow could easily be broken by the hands of a man, but the combined strength of six arrows could not. It is thought that this image was one that served to strengthen the resolve of the founding fathers and unite the States.

The Iroquois have a legend that forms the basis of their spiritual, civic and community traditions. The Peacemaker legend is an inspiring story which describes a people entrapped in violent bloody feuds who, guided by a spiritual teacher, abandoned war and adopted a Path of Peace. Author David Yarrow, states:

"It's a mythic tale of struggle between good and evil, order and chaos, and the triumph of Reason. Itís a morality play depicting the transformation of humans rising above suffering and tragedy to establish a higher order of human relations. Itís also a practical guide to establishing unity and balance amongst diverse human communities. Itís a successful model of how to distribute power in a democratic society to assure individual liberty."

The essence of the Peacemaker legend follows as told by Mohawk chief Jake Swamp at the planting of a Tree of Peace in Philadelphia in 1986. "In the beginning, when our Creator made humans, everything needed to survive was provided. Our Creator asked only one thing: Never forget to appreciate the gifts of Mother Earth. Our people were instructed how to be grateful and how to survive. But during a dark age in our history 1000 years ago, humans no longer listened to the original instructions. Our Creator became sad, because there was so much crime, dishonesty, injustice and war. So Creator sent a Peacemaker with a message to be righteous and just, and make a good future for our children seven generations to come. He called all warring people together and told them as long as there was killing there would be no peace of mind. There must be a concerted effort by humans for peace to prevail. Through logic, reasoning and spiritual means, he inspired the warriors to bury their weapons and planted atop a sacred Tree of Peace"

It is said that the Tree of Peace given by the Peacemaker symbolizes the Great Law of Peace. The symbol is a great white pine, and it is said to shelter all nations who commit themselves to Peace. Beneath the tree are buried the weapons of war of the original five nations. Above the tree is an eagle that sees far. Also, four long roots stretch out in the four sacred directions, and they are called the white roots of peace. The Peacemaker invited any man or nation desiring to commit to the Great Law of Peace to trace the roots to their source, and take refuge beneath the Tree of Peace. The Peacemaker's teachings stressed the power of reason to assure righteousness, justice and health. Faithkeeper Oren Lyons, an Onondaga, states that the Great Law of Peace includes freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right of women to participate in government.

The seed-idea underlying all Iroquois philosophy is that peace is the will of the Creator, and it is the ultimate spiritual goal and natural order of things. The prayer below comes from the people of the Iroquois Confederacy. The prayer is based on the tradition of interconnectedness that the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee possess. This prayer is said to be the backbone of the Iroquois culture. The prayer expresses the belief that rather than take the world for granted, it must be respected, and that we must thank all living things in order to align our minds with creation and the Creator. Usually, a faithkeeper is selected to share the prayer of thanksgiving at the opening and closing of social, government, and ceremonial events. The prayer is comprised of three levels: