Who Are the Haudenosaunee?
The Haudenosaunee ("People of the Longhouse"), known externally as the Iroquois, are a confederacy of six nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. Originally inhabiting present-day New York State and surrounding regions, the Haudenosaunee created one of history's most sophisticated democratic confederacies, which directly influenced the United States Constitution. Today, approximately 125,000 Haudenosaunee live across reservations in New York, Ontario, Quebec, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma, maintaining their traditional government alongside modern adaptations.
The Great Law of Peace
According to oral tradition, the Peacemaker and Hiawatha united five warring nations (the Tuscarora joined in 1722) under the Gayanashagowa—the Great Law of Peace. This constitution established a representative democracy with checks and balances, separation of powers, and provisions for admitting new nations. Grand Council meetings at Onondaga, the confederacy's capital, continue today. Benjamin Franklin and other founders studied the Haudenosaunee system; the US Congress formally acknowledged its influence on the Constitution in 1988.
Clan Mothers and Governance
Haudenosaunee governance is matrilineal: clan membership passes through mothers, and Clan Mothers hold significant political power. They nominate, counsel, and can remove chiefs. This balanced system ensured women's voices in governance centuries before European women gained voting rights. Longhouse communities were literally led from the women's section. Today, Clan Mothers continue their constitutional role in traditional governance, representing an unbroken tradition of female political leadership.
Wampum: Memory and Law
Wampum belts—intricate beadwork of purple and white shells—serve as binding records of treaties, agreements, and historical events. The Two Row Wampum documents the 1613 agreement with Dutch settlers: parallel lines representing separate but equal paths of European and Haudenosaunee peoples. Treaties recorded in wampum remain legally binding from the Haudenosaunee perspective. Major belts are regularly "read" at ceremonies, keeping memory alive. Wampum represents a non-written but sophisticated legal and historical tradition.
Lacrosse and the Creator's Game
Lacrosse originated with the Haudenosaunee as a sacred medicine game, played to honor the Creator and heal communities. Games could involve hundreds of players across miles of territory. Today, the Iroquois Nationals compete internationally—the only Native nation with a team in world lacrosse championships—though they've faced passport and recognition issues. Lacrosse remains spiritually significant, with traditional wooden sticks still crafted and medicine games still played for healing purposes.
References
- Johansen, B. E. (1998). Debating Democracy: Native American Legacy of Freedom
- Mann, B. A. & Fields, J. L. (1997). A Sign in the Sky: Dating the League of the Haudenosaunee
- Fenton, W. N. (1998). The Great Law and the Longhouse