The Peacemaker Story and the Grand Council
How the Haudenosaunee Confederacy began and how its Grand Council works. The Peacemaker story here is the museum’s own “abbreviated version.” This excerpt leaves out the chart that compares the Grand Council to the U.S. government and the section on the Great Law’s influence on the U.S. Constitution.
Full guide (PDF, with the art and charts): americanindian.si.edu
This page is a simplified version of the original text (leveled toward 800L). Photos, maps, and other images are not on this page — use the original link above to see them.
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The Great Law of Peace
One of the most important events that shaped the Haudenosaunee was the creation of the Gayanesshagowa (gaya-ness-HA-gowa), the Great Law of Peace. It guides the Haudenosaunee through all parts of life. A full telling of this epic takes several days. It shows how the Peacemaker’s teachings stressed the power of Reason, not force. Reason was to make sure of the three principles of the Great Law: Righteousness, Justice, and Health. The Great Law of Peace gives the Haudenosaunee people instructions on how to treat others. It directs them on how to keep a democratic society. It says that Reason must win out to keep the peace. What follows is a shortened version of the story.
The Peacemaker Story
Long ago, the Haudenosaunee Nations were at war with each other. A man called the Peacemaker wanted to spread peace and unity across Haudenosaunee territory. On his journey, the Peacemaker came to the house of an Onondaga leader named Hayo’wetha (hi-an-WEN-ta). He is more commonly known as Hiawatha. Hayo’wetha believed in the message of peace. He wanted the Haudenosaunee people to live united. An evil Onondaga leader named Tadadaho hated the message of peace. During the violent times, Tadadaho had killed Hayo’wetha’s wife and daughters. Everyone feared Tadadaho. He was seen as so evil that his hair was made of writhing snakes, a symbol of his twisted mind. The Peacemaker helped Hayo’wetha mourn his loss and ease his pain. Then Hayo’wetha traveled with the Peacemaker to help unite the Haudenosaunee.
The Peacemaker used arrows to show the strength of unity. First, he took a single arrow and broke it in half. Then he took five arrows and tied them together. This bundle of five arrows could not be broken. The Peacemaker said, “A single arrow is weak and easily broken. A bundle of arrows tied together cannot be broken. This represents the strength of having a confederacy. It is strong and cannot be broken.” The Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Onondaga accepted the message of peace.
With the nations joined together, the Peacemaker and Hayo’wetha went to find Tadadaho. As they came near, Tadadaho resisted their invitation to join them. The Peacemaker promised Tadadaho that if he accepted the message of peace, Onondaga would be the capital of the Grand Council. Tadadaho finally gave in to the message of peace. It is said that the messengers of peace combed the snakes from his hair. The name Hayo’we:tha means “he who combs.” It shows his role in convincing Tadadaho to accept the Great Law of Peace. Joined together, these five nations became known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
When peace had spread among the five nations, the people gathered to celebrate. They uprooted a white pine tree and threw their weapons into the hole. They replanted the tree on top of the weapons and named it the Tree of Peace. It stands for the Great Law of Peace that the Haudenosaunee came to live by. The four main roots of the Tree of Peace stand for the four directions and the paths of peace that lead to the heart of Haudenosaunee territory. All who want to follow the Great Law of Peace are welcome there. At the top of the Tree of Peace is an eagle. The eagle is the guardian of the Haudenosaunee and the messenger to the Creator.
The Grand Council
The Peacemaker then asked each nation to choose men to be their leaders. They were called hoyaneh (plural, Hodiyahnehsonh). The Peacemaker gave the laws to the Haudenosaunee men, who formed the Grand Council. The Grand Council is made up of fifty hoyaneh. It makes decisions following the principles of the Great Law of Peace. When decisions are made or laws are passed, all council members must agree on the issue. This is called consensus.
The Hoyaneh
A hoyaneh (ho-YA-ne) means “Caretaker of the Peace.” He is the chief of his clan. It is his duty to represent his clan in the Haudenosaunee government and to help make decisions that affect the Six Nations. A hoyaneh is chosen for life, not for a set length of time. A hoyaneh is not a paid position, and no one can run for office. Traditionally, clan mothers watched young boys as they grew. After years of watching, they chose men to serve as the clan’s hoyaneh. It is important that a hoyaneh has the nation’s best interest at heart when he serves. If a hoyaneh does not represent the nation well, the clan mothers have the authority to remove him from power.