Birth of a Nation
Over a thousand years ago on the shores of Onondaga Lake, in present day central New York, democracy was born.
The Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca people had been warring against each other. There was great bloodshed and death surrounding us. These people of the five nations had forgotten their ways and their actions saddened the Creator. The Creator decided to send a messenger to the people so that the five nations could live in peace. The messenger is referred to as the Peacemaker.
The Peacemaker was born on the northern shores of Lake Ontario. There he was raised by his mother and grandmother. Right away, they knew that this young person was special. He always talked of peace and that he was given a powerful message by the Creator.
When he was ready, the Peacemaker told his mother and grandmother that he was off to bring peace to the warring people. To travel there, the Peacemaker carved a canoe made entirely out of white stone! This amazing canoe would help convince the people of the powerful message of peace the Creator was sending to the five nations. He said his goodbyes, and then started his journey across the big lake in the white stone canoe.
In order for the Creator’s message to spread, the Peacemaker sought out the most evil leaders of the people of the five nations. In searching for these people, the Peacemaker came upon a woman named Jikonhsaseh. This woman had no alliances but did provide shelter and food and promoted the continuation of the fighting between us. The Peacemaker told Jikonhsaseh about the message of peace and that her actions were promoting war and saddening the Creator.
After listening to the Peacemaker’s message, she agreed to follow the message of peace. Jikonhsaseh was the first to accept the great peace and change her ways. Because of this, the Peacemaker set aside a special duty for the women of the five nations. They will have the duty of Clan Mother. The Clan Mother will watch over the members of her clan and counsel them in a peaceful way. The Clan Mother will also have the important duty of selecting the next leader of their clan to keep the great peace continuing on.
The Peacemaker started with the eastern most nation, the Mohawks. In order for his plan to succeed, the Peacemaker sought after the most feared leaders. Peacemaker explained that he carried the Creator’s plan of peace. That one nation can be easily broken, like a single arrow. But five arrows bound together with one heart, one mind, and one law will be powerful. The Mohawks liked his plan but were weary of a trap, so they tested the Peacemaker. Once the Peacemaker passed their test of surviving a fall over a large waterfall (now named Cohoes Falls), the Mohawks were the first Nation to accept the peace.
The Peacemaker continued traveling west, seeking out the most evil and dangerous men. As the Peacemaker told the people of the five bundled arrows, of all of the nations living under one law, symbolized as a large longhouse stretching across the land; the peace began to grow. Each nation will have their own council fire but will live under one unifying law of peace.
But one of the most feared men of the five nations was an Onondaga man named Tadodaho. Tadodaho was said to be so evil that his body was twisted and snakes grew from his head. Tadodaho defied all talks of peace. When one man, Hiawatha talked of peace and the end of war, Tadodaho killed his family.
Grief stricken, Hiawatha no longer thought of peace until one day when he came upon a lake. As he came upon the lake, he found white and purple clam shells. When stringing these together, Hiawatha made the first wampum string and was able to find peace. He then joined with the Peacemaker and together they continued to spread the word of the peace to the other nations.
One nation, the Seneca could not agree to the peace. It was at this time that the Peacemaker told the Seneca to look to the sky to know that his words are true. The Seneca then looked to the sky and witnessed the sun turn to black, an eclipse. The Seneca then agreed to join the peace.
Once all four nations agreed to join in the peace, all that remained was the Onondaga. Peacemaker, Hiawatha, and the leaders from the other Nations were ready to confront Tadodaho again. Tadodaho tried his sorcerous ways to stop them as they traveled across Onondaga Lake. But the message of peace was unstoppable.
The Peacemaker then offered to Tadodaho a very special duty in this plan of peace. Tadodaho would preside over the Grand Council of 50 chiefs. There will be 9 chiefs of the Mohawk, 9 chiefs of the Oneida, 14 chiefs of the Onondaga, 10 chiefs of the Cayuga, and 8 chiefs of the Seneca that will make up this Grand Council of Peace. That he, Tadodaho, would have the responsibility to make sure that decisions were made with a good mind and were aligned not only for the Haudenosaunee people of today, but for the Seven Generations not yet born.
The Peacemaker told all of the leaders that their skin shall be seven spans thick to deflect criticism and anger in making their decisions of peace. It is at this time when Tadodaho agreed to live in a peaceful way as they “combed the snakes” from Tadodaho’s hair.
The Peacemaker then symbolized this union of peace by uprooting a great white pine tree. The white pine tree has 5 bundles of needles to remind the Haudenosaunee of the five nations coming together. All 50 leaders then threw their weapons of hatred, jealousy, anger, and war into the hole, burying their hatchets against each other. A mighty stream washed it away pledging to have peace between the 5 nations as the Peacemaker replanted the Tree of Peace.
As they replanted the tree, the Peacemaker placed an eagle on top of the Tree of Peace. The eagle is there to use his eyesight to look out far and is to warn the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse, of any dangers on the horizon to this great peace. If any nation seeks to live in peace, they will follow the roots of the tree of peace and it will lead them to the Haudenosaunee.
A wampum belt was made to record the event. It is called the Hiawatha Belt. The belt is made of purple shells with five symbols across the center. Hiawatha Belt begins with the path the Peacemaker took bringing peace to the people. 
The first symbol is in the east and represents the Mohawk people, next the Oneida, in the center is the Tree of Peace and the Onondaga, next is the Cayuga and the final symbol is the Seneca people. All the nations will be joined together as one.
The Peacemaker now instructed us to live as if we have One Dish and One Spoon. There will be no blood shed among us as we all eat with no sharp objects between us. That all of the gifts that the Creator has given the Haudenosaunee (lands, water, medicines, food, game) will be shared among the people of the Haudenosaunee.
We were now all united in peace and have remained that way for countless centuries.
Read more History – RELATIONS WITH OUR BROTHERS: 1613 to Today