The Iroquois Confederacy, Grandparent to American Democracy

nick-bryce-niko (52)in #iroquoisconfederacy • 8 years ago

It is not commonly understood to this day that the United States of America was not actually just formed through looking at models of European countries. They actually were able to get a first-hand experience with arguably the world's oldest democracies systems, that of the Iroquois Confederacy.

The Iroquois Confederacy had impactful influence on the United States conception of its Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other facets of government. We discuss this fact in greater detail as you read on.

Though historical facts appear to be inconclusive, some say a time between 1570 and 1600 was when the Iroquois Confederacy began. The Iroquois Confederacy formed in a time of civil unrest violence and murdering. It was very unruly at the time with much struggle and strive against the nations in the region where the Iroquois Confederacy was located, modern-day upstate New York.

It was said that Dekanawidah(also known as the Great Peacemaker was the one who had the vision to bring together the different Native American nations in the surrounding upstate New York area to build strength, peace, and solidarity between them. The Great Peacemaker went around gathering disciples for his vision of a unified tribal nation.

They traveled uniting from the West the Mohawks to the east the Senecas. With all the area tribes together they had to bring the final message of peace to the chief of the Onondaga nation which was located in the center of land between the uniting tribes. After the Great Peacemaker and the rest of the neighboring tribes were able to explain the idea of the tribes working together they were able to persuade him to unite. A formation called the Great Law of Peace was set into motion.

The Great Peacemaker being very wise was able to draw out a plan to create a participatory democracy system of governance consisting of the five regional tribes of the time. Chiefs would be selected by the women of the nation as he said that the Earth herself was female and that we must look to the women for leading our humanity. The organization between the tribes was carried out by the appointed chiefs. Women also appointed other chairs of different councils. These chair members or we will refer to them as Lords involvement in the meetings were to oversee the means to make sure things went smoothly. The chiefs responsibility was to gather a unanimous consensus from each of their respective nations and bring whatever decision of concern to the main tribal council between the chiefs. This reflects systems of both direct democracy and representative democracy. The chiefs then would discuss amongst themselves until they were able to reach a unanimous consensus and once that happened their decision would become law of the land.

The Great Law of Peace is fascinating in its complexity of orders and formalities to carry out for the government of the nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. It was a law that carried down through oral tradition and only recently has surfaced into written text for the world to see. The Great Law of Peace had many formalities describing when the tribe should gather for decision making, how the meeting should be carried out, who should begin and close the meetings, how the women would appoint chiefs and Lords, veto capacity of women, direct democracy consensus processes for Chiefs, wartime formality peacetime formality, etc.

How the Peacemaker was able to comprehend such a philosophical and spiritual process for large group consensus making processes, his ability to articulate it and have the Nations agree and work together is simply astounding! The Peacemaker after he unified the nation's disappeared. He was said to go on to see to other business of his. Before he left he had the warriors of each nation assemble at a great white pine tree. He had them tip over the pine tree in throw their weapons into the hole it left. After having them erect back up the tree it forever immortalized the symbol of the white pine tree. It became a symbol of the Iroquois Confederacy and the agreement of the Great Law of Peace between the nations.

The Peacemaker has been immortalized by the Iroquois nations as some kind of divine deity. Legends of him speaking as if he was born from a virgin birth and divinely inspired and guided to lead the nations into forming the Iroquois Confederacy. Also from his divine sounding exit of him to simply going off and what they say was a stone carved canoe never to be seen again.

The Iroquois Confederacy moved through time with their influence spanning far and wide. Some saying that their influence went from the far east coast of North America far south and west as the Gulf of Mexico (source) The Iroquois Confederacy's power and influence led some settlers to call them “the Romans of the New World”. A sixth nation joined the Iroquois Confederacy in 1722 Making the Iroquois Confederacy famously now known is the Six Nations.

The structure of this indigenous tribal nation intrigued and inspired United States of American founding fathers. After American colonies were able to succeed from England founding fathers such as Ben Franklin Thomas Edison and George Washington sought out the counsel of the indigenous Iroquois Nation.

Some of these founding fathers such as Ben Franklin have been said to have gone to attend the higher councils of discussion between the Iroquois Chiefs. He is famously noted for suggesting to England before America succeeded, “It would be a strange thing if Six Nations of ignorant savages should be capable of forming a scheme for such an union, and be able to execute it in such a manner as that it has subsisted ages and appears indissoluble; and yet that a like union should be impracticable for ten or a dozen English colonies, to whom it is more necessary and must be more advantageous, and who cannot be supposed to want an equal understanding of their interests.”

It came around the 200th centennial celebration of the United States Constitution that brought light that the Iroquois Confederacy certainly had impacted on the document. This light brought a recognition from Congress in October of 1988 that says its impact was noted to have inspired people such as Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and in fact contributed to the creation the Constitution and Bill of Rights. This notice that Congress passed also recognized the need to hold healthy relationships with the Native Americans as well as uphold their treaties that they've made with them. What a piece of propaganda. Struggles like the faceoff at Standing Rock is one of many tragic battles the Native Americans have continued to face to this day. This is because the corporations really run the show in this country. Until it changes, I wouldn’t expect to see much change in how the government treats our dear Native Americans.

It was noted from that recognition that it would be added to the history books at the great Iroquois Confederacy had contributed directly to the creation of the United States of America. Many still do not realize the impact that the indigenous people of North America had on our country. It is very important to remember your roots and order to be able to relate to the world around you. This recognition has not been well remembered or shared for unfortunately our country still easily forgets the role of the indigenous people.

The indigenous people especially the Iroquois Confederacy are effectively the grandparents of the United States of America. The fact that Native Americans are still oppressed to this day is sickening. We see disrespect to them such as the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline(DAPL) This pipeline's construction is set to stretch across a chart of land marked to the Sioux Nation in North Dakota in the Treaty. Troubles with the US government to upholding its agreements with the Native Americans needs to end once and for all.

R.I.P.A.C. is in the process of implementing a system of participatory democracy reflecting similar principles to the Iroquois Confederacy. The model R.I.P.A.C. aims to use is a system that uses thorough forms of direct democracy with e-democracy software both through pushing ballot initiatives to reform U.S. Law and for internal organizational usage. R.I.P.A.C. would like to uphold the Native American tradition of participatory democracy and celebrate its influence on the American government. Join us as we move forward in creating a sacred democracy like the Iroquois that meets us here in our modern day.

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