The government of the Iroquois

Résumé du document

The Iroquois confederation, also called the League of Nation was a confederation of five Nations. These Nations of Iroquois were the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the Cayugas and the Senecas). A sixth Nation (the Tuscaroras) joined the confederation in the early eighteenth century. They occupied a belt of country extending across the present State of New York from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. We do not know exactly at what date the League had been formed. A wide range of estimates exist, the scholars have different opinions concerning the date of the foundation. Iroquoian sources fixed it at between 1000 A.D and 1400 A.D. But most of the historians prefer to place the origin of the Iroquois League at about 1450 A.D. When the first Europeans arrived, they met a strong, well organized Iroquois League. Iroquois confederation was powerful and controlled both Hudson-Mohawk and St. Lawrence valleys, and controlled access to the Great Lakes. They had a strategic position on passages into North America gave. They played a major role in North American history. But the thing that caught the eyes of the first Europeans and of all the people who met them was their political system, their government.

Extraits

[...] They were called the pine-tree chiefs. They were elected because of their special abilities and no because of a title hold by a family as it is the case for the sachems. There was also a war chief for each nation represented in the grand Council. These chiefs were elected from the eligible sons of the female families who hold a title. In wartime these chiefs had to raise forces but in peacetime were a link between people and the council. [...]

[...] The woman played a significant role in teaching humane values to the young. They were in charge of their education and transmitted Iroquois political philosophy from generation to generation. Iroquoian society did not experience a process of differentiation of the political sphere and a process of specialization of an administrative institution as characteristics of the modern state. European societies were engaged in this process. They emphasized dominance and command structures. Iroquois used ostracism and shame to punish people. The whole community rejected the ones who had done something wrong, something contrary to the values of the clan or of the whole society. [...]

[...] There were also lengthy chants, and records on the wampums were recited. It took a long time and the meeting of the council was an affair of days. The chiefs of the five nations sixth nation called the Tuscarora) joined the League in the early eighteenth century) sat around the fire at precise places. The Onondaga statemen were situated at the central position. On one side seated the Mohawks and the Senecas. On the other side were the Cayugas and the Oneidas. [...]

[...] The example of the army revealed the no-coercion character of the Iroquois government. It was composed wholly of volunteers because there was no power to conscribe men. Every able-bodied man was bound, by custom, to do military duty, and he who shirked it incurred everlasting disgrace. And there was never a lack of soldiers. To recruit soldiers, war dances were organized. Moreover veteran warriors used to tell the stories of old battles and victories by singing songs, by dancing around great fires. [...]

[...] The woman was the most important person of the clan and was very important in Iroquoian society. Their high social status allows us to understand their importance in political life. Their great political role as we saw it was rooted in the social organization. The “clan mothers” represented their clan. They hold the power to appoint or impeach a chief. Indeed when a chief died or was removed, the title reverted to the women of his clan and then they had the power to choose who would assume the title. [...]