The passage tells the story of how Hiawatha and the Peacemaker brought peace to the five nations of the Haudenosaunee (Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, and Onondaga) after years of war and violence. The Peacemaker and Hiawatha traveled to each nation, convincing them to join the Great Law of Peace by emphasizing the importance of unity, equality, and the protection of all members. They established a bicameral legislature, with the Mohawk and Seneca as the elder brothers, and the Cayuga and Oneida as the younger brothers. The Onondaga, initially resistant, eventually joined after Hiawatha proposed that their leader, Todahaho, be given a seat of honor and veto power over all laws.
The passage also highlights the role of Jigonsaseh, a wise and respected woman from the Seneca nation, who played a crucial part in convincing the Onondaga to join the peace treaty. The council of nations, led by Hiawatha, drafted laws based on the principles of the Great Law of Peace, including the requirement that leaders consider the impact of new laws on the people for seven full generations.
The story concludes with the establishment of the United States Constitution, which was influenced by the Great Law of Peace and the principles of the Haudenosaunee confederacy. The passage ends with a tribute to Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, who brought peace and unity to the five nations, and whose legacy continues to inspire and influence the world today.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Three nations had agreed to join the Great Law of Peace, with two more, the Seneca and the Onondaga, still to be convinced.
2. The Seneca nation had more warriors than any other nation, including the Onondaga.
3. The Seneca had battled Tagajo many times, repeatedly checking his ambition with their own.
4. The Peacemaker and Hiawatha came to the Seneca nation to discuss the peace treaty.
5. Jagan Sesay, a Seneca woman, had sent her own messengers to explain the principles of the peace treaty to the Seneca nation.
6. The Seneca nation agreed to accept the treaty, with two exceptions: two chiefs who lived on the border and had the most reason not to accept it.
7. The Peacemaker established a bicameral legislature, with the Mohawk and Seneca as elder brothers, and the Cayuga and Onondaga as younger brothers.
8. The Peacemaker called a council to discuss what to do about the two Seneca chiefs who refused to accept the treaty.
9. The council established a system of governance where the Seneca would be honored as keepers of the western door, and the Mohawk as keepers of the eastern door.
10. The Peacemaker proposed that the Onondaga nation be the leader of the council, with Todaho holding a veto over all laws.
11. The Onondaga nation agreed to join the Great Peace, with Todaho as the leader of the council.
12. The Peacemaker established a system of governance where all votes of the council would be unanimous, with each nation having veto power.
13. The Peacemaker insisted that all warriors cast away their weapons and commit their minds to peace.
14. The Peacemaker chose a white pine tree as a symbol of peace, and the warriors uprooted the tree, buried their weapons under its roots, and replanted it.
15. The Peacemaker explained that an eagle would watch over the tree of peace and sound a warning if danger approached.
16. The council drafted laws, with the Peacemaker insisting that the government must function for the will of the people.
17. The Peacemaker decreed that leaders must evaluate how each new law would affect the people for seven full generations.
18. The Peacemaker believed that government only functioned if everyone had a role and a voice, so the men's and women's council of each clan received the power to propose laws.
19. The Peacemaker wove together strings of wampum to commemorate the new laws.
20. The Peacemaker designed a broad belt, known as the Haudenosaunee belt, to symbolize the Confederacy.
21. The belt had white lines of peace connecting the five nations, with the tree of peace at the center.
22. The Tuscarora nation accepted the invitation to join the Confederacy in 1722.
23. The legacy of Hiawatha remains a vibrant one, with his name and the names of his fellow council members surviving as titles given to the council leaders.
24. The original Todaho followed through on his promise to Jurgens Sesay and became a leader that the Haudenosaunee could be proud of.
25. The Peacemaker believed that men forged in war still carried peace in their hearts.
26. The Peacemaker had no successor, explaining that other men could counsel the people, but none could do as he had done in founding the Great Law of Peace.