jdmann@labrea.stanford.edu (09/07/89)
THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE
New World Roots of the U.S.Constitution
On September 17th of 1987 America celebrated the 200th birthday of the
United States Constitution, a brilliant jewel of human liberty and reason,
fashioned by the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution to prescribe
the structure of their new American government. Throughout the year
countless ceremonies, reenactments, radio & TV shows, articles, rallys,
contests, parties, and conferences marked this bicentennial of American
government. The televised Senate Iran-Contra hearings and the battle over
Robert Bork's appointment to the Supreme Court sharply highlight our
national remembrance - the importance of - of the roots of our freedom.
Yet one vital perspective has been missing from the pageantry: for the
true historical origins of freedom and democracy in the New World - and
indeed, in modern civilization itself - lie nearly forgotten on the pages
of time, where they were written centuries before the days of King George
and the Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution. Perhaps, amidst
the revelry, we will take this opporutnity to turn back these pages, to
rediscover and possibly even fulfill our debt to one of the great social
wonders of history: The Great Law of Peace.
NEW WORLD DEMOCRACY
As a government, America was a bold new experiment, based on what were at
their inception radical ideas in European political philosophy. These ideas
were given practical expression in the Declaration of Independence and the
U.S. Constitution. For Europeans, these two historic documents were a great
leap forward for Europeans towards realization of the ideal of "liberty and
justice for all."
To the poor, often starving and indentured refugees and rejects from
European feudal society, the vast unexplored North American continent was
the far dark shore of hope, an escape from the continued numbness of
poverty, suffering and misery. These newcomers saw the New World as the
shining symbol of freedom, fortune and the possibility of a happy future.
But the New World was not only a symbol, but in truth the birthplace and
homeland of Liberty and Democracy - for the arts of Peace had taken root on
Turtle Island many hundreds of years before.
This September, at a special conference at Cornell University entitled
"The Iroquois Great Law of Peace and the U.S. Constitution", 200 scholars
examined a lost and forgotten origin of the U.S. Constitution. Convened by
the North American Indian Studies Program, this gathering reviewed
historical and scholarly evidence that the oldest democracy on Earth is not
the U.S.A., but rather the Six Nations Confederacy of the Iroquois League.
The League existed at least centuries before the Constitution was ever
written. Historians, anthropologists and traditional chiefs addressed the
prospect that the U.S. Constitution was based on the Iroquois Great Law of
Peace rather than on Greek democracy as is commonly believed and taught.
Conference speaker Bruce Barton, Chair of English at Castleton College,
wrote a novel on the founding of the Iroquois Confederacy. Barton summed up
evidence to support that proposal: "Modern democracy was first established
here, and is not the evolutionary result of European political theories.
The modern age of democracy had it's origin in the vast recesses of this
continent, and from here it spread throughout the world. American democracy
owes its distinctive character of debate and compromise to the principles
and structure of American Indian civil government."
The Sept 87 National Geographic includes a 34 page article entitled "The
Fire that Never Dies" on the last surviving sovereign nations of native
Americans in North America: the Iroquois League. On September 17 Senator
Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) [fresh from chairing the summer's protracted
hearings on constitutional breaches he later termed "worse than Watergate,"
- Ed.] introduced a Senate Resolution to formally recognize the
contribution of the Iroquois Great Law of Peace to the U.S. Constitution,
Congressional hearings on the subject will begin in November.
THE FIRST UNITED NATIONS
The first Europeans in the northeast regions of the New World encountered
strong, well organized communities of the Iroquois League. This powerful
alliance of five nations controlled a vast sweep from the St. Lawrence
south into Pennsylvania and west into Illinois. They controlled both the
Hudson-Mohawk and St. Lawrence valleys, and thus controlled access to the
Great Lakes. This strategic position on the passages into North America
gave them control of trade routes, and destined them to play a major role
in North American history.
However, the Iroquois' greatest role was neither military nor economic,
but rather governmental. At that time the League wIthe most highly
:ievolved participatory democracy on Earth. Although known for military
prowess, Iroquois power wasn't founded on the force of arms, but rather on
the arts of Peace and Reason. A profound understanding of the principles of
peace lies at the historical root of Iroquois government, allowing them to
foster genuine, effective statesmanship.
It is no coincidence that the U.S. Constitution strikingly resembles, in
both principle and form, the Great Law of Peace of the Six Nations
Confederacy of the Iroquois League. When the Founding Fathers looked for
examples of effective government and human liberty upon which to model a
Constitution to unite the thirteencolonies, they found it in this New World
society - not in Europe, usually considered the "cradle of civilization."
American Constitution scholars who scrutinized the Great Law conclude it
contains language for a society "of the people, by the people and for the
people."
THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE
The Six Nations Confederacy arose many centuries ago among separate,
warring communities as a means to create harmony, unity and respect among
human beings. Implicit in Iroquois political philosophy is a commitment to
the highest principles of human liberty. Iroquois Law's recognition of
individual liberty and justice surpasses any European parallel. According
to Faithkeeper Oren Lyons, an Onondaga Nation Chief, the Iroquois Great Law
of Peace includes "freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right of
women to participate in government. The concept of separation of powers in
government and checks and balances within governments are traceable to our
Iroquois constitution. These are ideas learned by the colonists."
The central idea underlying Iroquois political philosophy is that Peace is
the will of the Creator - the ultimate spiritual goal and natural order
among humans. The principles of Iroquois government embodied in the Great
Law of Peace were transmitted by a historical figure called the Peacemaker.
His teachings emphasize the power of Reason to assure Righteousness,
Justice and Health among humans. Peace came to the Iroquois, not through
war and conquest, but through the exercise of Reason guided by the
spiritual mind. The Iroquois League is based not on force of arms or rule
of law alone, but on a spiritual conception of Natural Law applied to human
society.
At the planting of a Tree of Peace in Philadelphia in 1986, Mohawk Nation
Chief Jake Swamp explained, "In the beginning when 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 our Creator sent a Peacemaker with a
message to be righteous and just, and to 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."
THE WHITE ROOTS OF PEACE
The Peacemaker legend is a central tale of Iroquois history, constituting
an Iroquois Bible, Declaration of Independence and Constitution. This
inspiring story describes a people mired in violent bloody feuds who,
guided by a spiritual Teacher, set aside war to adopt the Path of Peace. It
is a mythic tale of the struggle between good and evil, order and chaos,
and the triumph of Reason. It is a moral play depicting the transformation
of humans who rose above suffering and tragedy to establish a higher order
of human relations. It is also a practical guide to establish unity and
balance amongst diverse human communities. It is a successful model to
distribute power in a democratic society to assure individual liberty.
As symbol of the Great Law of Peace to portray the spirit of democracy
the Peacemaker gave The Tree of Peace. This is a great white pine tree
whose branches spread out to shelter all nations who commit themselves to
Peace. Beneath the tree the Five Nations buried their weapons of war; atop
the tree is the Eagle-that-sees-afar; and four long roots stretch out in
the four sacred directions - the "white roots of peace." The Peacemaker
proclaimed, "If any man or nation shows a desire to obey the Law of the
Great Peace, they may trace the roots to their source, and be welcomed to
take shelter beneath the Tree." Upon hearing the Peacemaker legend, Dr.
Robert Muller, former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations,
remarked, "This profound action stands as perhaps the oldest effort for
disarmament in world history."
Several versions of the legend have been transcribed from oral
traditions. The most complete and authentic is THE WHITE ROOTS OF PEACE by
Dr. Paul Wallace, respected ethnohistorian. In his words, "The Iroquois
excelled in statesmanship and the art of diplomacy. After the white man
came, during a century of intercolonial strife, they loyally protected the
:iinfant English colonies, showed them the way to union, and so helped
prepare American and Canadian people for nationhood."
IROQUOIS AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
By the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the
Iroquois had practiced their own egalitarian government for hundred of
years. The Confedracy's tremendous power is ample proof of the Great Law's
effectiveness. The Iroquois' reputation for diplomacy and eloquence reveals
they had securely evolved a sophisticated political system founded on
Reason, not on mere power. Accounts of the "noble savage" living in
"natural freedom" inspired European theorists John Locke and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau to expound ideas which ignited the American Revolution and heled
shape new the direction of government.
But the Founding Fathers found their best working model for their new
American government, not in Europe, but in their direct contact with the
Iroquois League; for the Great Law provided both model and incentive to
transform 13 separate colonies into the United States.
George Washington after a visit to the Confederacy, expressed "great
excitement" over Iroquois' two houses and Grand Council. Ben Franklin
wrote, "It would be strange if ignorant savages could execute a union that
persisted ages and appears indissoluble; yet like union is impractical for
twelve colonies to whom it is more necessary and advantageous."
At the Cornell Conference, Dr. Donald Grinde, Jr. of Gettysburg College
was one of the invited scholars at the Cornell conference. He presented
evidence that Thomas Jefferson adopted the specific symbols imparted by the
Peacemaker. The Tree of Peace became the Liberty Tree, and the Eagle-that
sees-afar, clutching a bundle of thriteen arrows, became symbols of the new
American government. Grinde also brought the revelation that "one of the
framers, John Rutledge of South Carolina, chair of the drafting committee,
read portions of Iroquois Law to members of the committee. He asked them to
consider a philosophy coming directly from this American soil."
The Great Law of Peace laid out a government "of the people, by the
people and for the people" with three branches. Onondaga Nation, the
Firekeepers, are the heart of the Confederacy. Similarly, the U.S.
presidency forms an executive branch. The League's legislative branch is in
two parts; Mohawk and Seneca are Elder Brothers who form the upper house,
while Oneida and Cayuga are Younger Brothers, similar to the Senate and
House of Representatives in the U.S. Constitution. The Iroquois equivalent
of a Supreme Court is the Women's Councils which settle disputes and judge
legal violations.
AMERICA JOINS THE GREAT PEACE
In 1776 the Continental Congress appointed George Morgan the first Indian
agent to promote peace with Indian nations. President John Hancock told
Morgan to follow the custom of the Iroquois "forest diplomats" by taking a
"great peace belt with 13 diamonds and 2,500 wampum beads" to invite
Indians to the first U.S.-Indian Peace Treaty. This historic Washington
Covenant wampum belt was given to the chiefs and clan mothers at the Treaty
of Fort Stanwix in 1784 as a promise that they would never be forced to
fight in U.S. wars, and that Indian land rights would be respected. As in
the Peacemaker legend, the war hatchet was buried beneath a Tree of Peace
and prayers of peace were offered through the sacred pipe.
Another conference speaker, Gregory Schaaf, PhD, recently discovered a
cache of Morgan's papers and journals in an attic of Susannah Morgan, 94
year old family heir. In his book THE BIRTH OF FRONTIER DEMOCRACY FROM AN
EAGLE'S EYE VIEW, he writes: "Before the Revolutionary War, members of the
Continental Congress met with Iroquois ambassadors to learn how they
governed themselves. A Chief advised, `Our wise forefathers established
Union and Amity... this made us formidable. We are a powerful Confederacy,
and if you observe the same methods, you will acquire fresh Strength and
Power.' After meeting with the Iroquois in 1754, Ben Franklin first
proposed creating a colonial Grand Council in the "Albany Plan of Union":
`One Government may be formed administered by a President, and a Grand
Council chosen by representatives of the people.' Franklin's plan for a
Grand Council of United Colonies resembles the Iroquois Grand Council."
THE FIRE THAT NEVER DIES
Today the Iroquois League remains alive - the last surviving soveriegn
nations of native Americans in North America. Its capital still sits at the
center of New York State in Onondaga County south of the City of Syracuse.
On a bend of Onondaga Creek Valley is Onondaga Nation, a 12 square mile
island of still sovereign native soil inhabited by 1500 survivors of the
once great Iroquois Confederacy. It was nearby, at Hiawatha Point on
Onondaga Lake's shore, Peacemaker imparted the Great Law. The Onondagas,
the Firekeepers of the League, still host meetings of the Grand Council the
Iroquois government.
Among Indian tribes in America, Iroquois are special since they remain
autonomous, independent nations. Yes, NATIONS, not "reservations" as many
Americans mistakenly believe. Under international law, Iroquois lands are
not U.S. territory, and are not subject to federal, state and local laws.
Rat8er, they are "foreign" (actually "native") nations within the United
States and Canada, who exercise their own self government on their own
national soil. They are a distinct culture and race with their own
language, religion, history, families, communities, and government.
Their sovereignty is continually challenged. As recently as 1983, Dennis
Banks, an Ojibway leader of the American Indian Movment (AIM), was being
sought by South Dakota for prosecution on riot and arson charges connected
with a demonstration by Sioux Indians at the Rapid City Courthouse. Banks
sought political asylum under the wings of Onondaga Nation. New York State
under Governor Cuomo declined to send agents onto Onondaga soil to
extradite Banks. Despite pressure from South Dakota, Federal agents were
restrained from invading the Onondaga Nation to extradite Banks. On another
front, the Iroquois are fighting the presumption of the U.S. Selective
Service to draft Iroquois sons into the American military.
To Iroquois traditionalists, the Great Law of Peace is not merely a form
of government, but a religious practice of an ancient spiritual legacy. The
Peacemaker was not a military hero or social leader, but a messenger of the
Creator. Following the Great Law is a spiritual practice, and those who
follow the Longhouse tradition are faithkeepers. There is no separation of
church and state in Iroquois society. Rather, spirituality lies at the root
of government and law.
NEW LIGHT FROM AN ANCIENT SOURCE
Hundreds of years ago in North America a spiritual Teacher appeared in
the Finger Lakes to communities of the red race who guarded the eastern
gate into the continent's interior. This messenger from the Creator
transmitted an instruction to these people of how to live together in
honor, dignity and peace. The Peacemaker spoke his Words of the Law to only
a few villages, but his message and vision is the legacy and heritage of
all human beings, of all the races of humanity.
Today the League remains one of the best examples of democracy, self
government and libertarian society on Earth. Through it we can continue to
gain the wisdom and inspiration needed today as we confront intensified
challenges to peace and survival. Seneca traditionalist, writer and
lecturer John Mohawk, in his Foreward to the most recent version of Dr.
Wallace's THE WHITE ROOTS OF PEACE, sums up his ancient past amidst our
modern predicament:
"Long ago on the shores of Onondaga Lake a man proposed that peace was a
possibility. It was a radical idea at the time, as it is now. He proposed
justice could be achieved, that there would be no true peace until justice
is achieved. He proposed that because human beings are rational and have a
potential to use their heads, these things are possible. His vision
contained many principles, and what nearly amounted to a faith based on the
process of thinking. His effort carried an obscure group of Indian peoples
to the center of the world stage of history. It was a major building block
which enabled the Haudenosaunee to become one of the most politically and
philosophically influential peoples in history.
The ownership of the thinking which took place then, and the generation
of the thinking which needs to take place now are our job. That is what we
will find when we follow the roots to their source. The White Roots
continue to represent a tradition of thinking about ourselves as a species,
and the responsibility to use our minds so that we continue to survive and
create a good world for our children seven generations into the future."
"WE, THE PEOPLE..."
It is unfortunate this central role of the Iroquois in the creation
of the United States government has apparently been well kept secret. For
the Great Law provides unique instruction in the arts of politics and law,
negociation and diplomacy, disarmament and government.
The search for world peace should be of utmost concern to all men and
women of goodwill today. As American democracy celebrates its 200th
birthday, we must assure this deeper heritage of freedom is rediscovered
and exposed to our national attention once more. Beneath the great gushing
growth of modern American culture, hidden and forgotten, lie the roots of
freedom and democracy. The red race who inhabit Turtle Island were
recipients of these "original instructions" from the Creator. However, the
White Roots of Peace is a cultural treasure of all Humanity, given to and
kept by the Iroquois.
Let us hope modern civilization will pause in its headlong rush into
catastrophe long enough to see and take hold of this root, and follow it to
its source. If we follow the White Roots of Peace back, we find the
Iroquois Nations gathered around the hole into which the Peacemaker has
just cast the weapons of war... And there we find the spiritual inheritance
of all Humanity: One Peaceful World, the united nations of the human
family.
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
"The Fire that Never Dies," NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine Sept 87
"NY Recognizes an Ancient Nation," SOLSTICE magazine #34 Jan 89; see below
"Voices from the Earth," SOLSTICE magazine #35 Mar 89; see below
INDIAN ROOTS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY; ed. by Jose Barreiro; 1988, Northeast
Indian Quarterly, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; $10
THE WHITE ROOTS OF PEACE, by Dr. Paul Wallace; 1945, Chauncy Press, Turtle
Pond Rd, Saranac Lake, NY 12983; $8.95
A BASIC CALL TO CONSCIOUSNESS, papers presented to UN; ed. John Mohawk;
1977, Akwesasne Notes, Mohawk Nation, via Rooseveltown, NY 13683; $5.95
INDIAN GIVERS, by Jack Weatherford, 1988; Crown Publshrs, NY; $17.95 1981
AKEWESASNE NOTES 1981 CALENDAR, THE WHITE ROOTS OF PEACE; 13 illustrations
by Kahoinhes
THE BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY FROM AN EAGLE'S EYE VIEW: THE GREAT LAW OF PEACE
AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, by Gregory Schaaf, Ph.D., 1987
THE MORGAN PAPERS, GEORGE MORGAN'S PRIVATE JOURNAL; 1776, Colonel George
Morgan Document Co., Santa Barbara, CA
THE BIRTH OF THE PEACEMAKER, by Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell; 1984, North
American Indian College, Cornwall Island, Ontario, Canada
IROQUOIS LAND CLAIMS; ed C. Vesey & W. Starna, 1987, Syracuse University
Press, Syracuse, NY 13244-5160
THE DRAGON AND THE ICE CASTLE: Rediscovery of Sacred Space in the Finger
Lakes, by David Yarrow; 1988; $9.95; see below
DAYBREAK: Native American World Views; Oren Lyons, Publisher, PO Box 315,
Williamsville, NY 14231; 716-636-3678; quarterly, $12/year
AKWESASNE NOTES: Journal of Native and Natural Peoples; official publictn
of Mohawk Nation, via Rooseveltown, NY 13683; 8 issues, $15/year
TURTLE QUARTERLY; Native American Center for the Living Arts, 25 Rainbow
Mall, Niagara Falls, NY 14303; $10/year
NATIVE SELF SUFFICIENCY; 7th Generation Fund, P.O. Box 10A, 6450 First St,
Forestville, CA 95436; quarterly, $8/year
==================================================================
- written by David Yarrow(igc.jdmann), November 5, 1987
- first printed in SOLSTICE magazine #9, Decmbr 87;
201 E Main St Suite H, Charlottesville, VA 22901; 804-979-4427
---
Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations
patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information
patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange
-=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-