Like the Hiawatha Belt, the Tadodaho Belt is extremely old. This belt was created at the beginning of our confederacy of peace. We do not know when this belt created, but we know we have had this belt long before the French, Dutch and English explorers made their way to our lands. The belt shows the imagery of the Tree of Peace with 14 diamonds through the middle, representing the 14 chiefs at Onondaga.
The Tadodaho Belt recalls the time when the Peacemaker formed the great peace between the nations. At the founding of the great peace, there was a huge obstacle for that peace, an evil Onondaga man named Tadodaho. Tadodaho was an evil sorcerer who the people feared greatly. He was very fearsome to look at as him mind and body was so tangled, that snakes writhed in his hair. Tadodaho loved the lawlessness and wars that entrenched the lands around him. Any talks of peace or living together in harmony were quickly halted by him.
The Peacemaker united the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca Nations by seeking out their most troubled leaders and changing them to good minded thinking men. The only obstacle to the great peace now was uniting the Onondaga and changing Tadodaho to peace.
All leaders from the Nations came to Tadodaho. There with the strength of all of the minds in peace, they were able to overcome Tadodaho’s sorcery to continue their plan of peace. Tadodaho began to realize how strong the words of the Peacemaker are.
The Peacemaker then explained his plan to Tadodaho. That Tadodaho would watch over the council fire of the entire confederacy. That he would guide the council with thoughts of peace for the people. That decisions would be made to benefit the generations not yet born. When Tadodaho accepted this plan of peace, the Peacemaker is said to have ‘combed the snakes’ from Tadodaho’s hair. He no longer thought of jealousy, anger, revenge, and war; but now thought of peace and love for the people.