The Great Law of Peace

8/10/2019 The Great Law of Peace

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The Great Law of Peace

New World Roots of American Democracy

by David Yarrow

Setember !"#$

Setember !$th% !"#$% America celebrated the &''th birthday of the (nited States

)onstit*tion% a brilliant +ewel of h*man liberty and reason% fashioned by the

,o*ndin- ,athers of the American Revol*tion to rescribe the str*ct*re of their new

American -overnment.

Thro*-ho*t the year% co*ntless ceremonies% reenactments% rallies% contests% T/

shows% articles and conferences have mar0ed this bicentennial of American

-overnment. The televised Senate 1ran2)ontra hearin-s and the battle over Robert

3or04s nomination to the S*reme )o*rt have sharly hi-hli-hted o*r national

remembrance 22 and the imortance 22 of the -overnmental roots of o*r freedom.

Yet% one vital ersective has been missin- from the a-eantry5 for the tr*e

historical ori-ins of freedom and democracy in the New World 22 and indeed% in

modern civili6ation itself 22 lie nearly for-otten on the a-es of time% where they

were written cent*ries before the days of 7in- Geor-e and the ,o*ndin- ,athers of

the (nited States )onstit*tion.

Perhas% amidst the revelry% we will ta0e this oort*nity to t*rn bac0 these a-es%

to rediscover and ossibly f*l8ll o*r debt to one of the -reat social wonders of

history5 The Great Law of Peace.

New World Democracy

As a -overnment% America was a bold new e9eriment% based on 22 what were at

their incetion 22 radical ideas in :*roean olitical hilosohy. These ideas were

-iven ractical e9ression in the Declaration of 1ndeendence and the (.S.

)onstit*tion. ,or :*roeans% these historic doc*ments reresented a -reat lea

forward towards reali6in- the ideal of ;liberty and +*stice for all.;

To the oor% often starvin- and indent*red ref*-ees from :*roean fe*dal society%

the vast% *ne9lored North American continent was the far dar0 shore of hoe% an


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escae from the contin*ed n*mbness of overty% s*istorians% anthroolo-ists and traditional chiefs addressed the roosal the (.S.

)onstit*tion was based on the 1ro=*ois Great Law of Peace rather than on Gree0

democracy% as is commonly believed and ta*-ht.

)onference sea0er 3r*ce 3arton% )hair of :n-lish at )astleton )olle-e% has written

a novel on the fo*ndin- of the 1ro=*ois )onfederacy. 3arton s*mmed * the

evidence to s*ort that roosal5 ;?odern democracy was 8rst established here%

and is not the evol*tionary res*lt of :*roean olitical theories. The modern a-e of

democracy had its ori-in in the vast recesses of this continent% and from here itsread thro*-ho*t the world. American democracy owes its distinctive character of

debate and comromise to the rinciles and str*ct*re of American 1ndian civil

-overnment.;

@n Setember !$th% Senator Daniel 1no*ye D2>1B% fresh from chairin- s*mmer

hearin-s on constit*tional breaches he termed ;worse than Water-ate%; introd*ced a

Senate Resol*tion to formally reco-ni6e the contrib*tion of the 1ro=*ois Great Law of

Peace to the (.S. )onstit*tion. )on-ressional hearin-s on the s*b+ect will be-in in

November.

The ,irst (nited Nations

The 8rst :*roeans in the New World northeast enco*ntered stron-% well or-ani6ed

comm*nities of the 1ro=*ois Lea-*e. This owerf*l alliance of 8ve nations controlled


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a vast swee from the St. Lawrence so*th into Pennsylvania and west to 1llinois.

They controlled both >*dson2?ohaw0 and St. Lawrence valleys% and controlled

access to the Great La0es. This strate-ic osition on assa-es into North America

-ave them control of trade ro*tes% and destined them to lay a ma+or role in North

American history.

>owever% the -reatest 1ro=*ois role was neither military nor economic% b*t

-overnment. At that time% the 1ro=*ois Lea-*e was the oldest% most hi-hly evolved

articiatory democracy on :arth. Altho*-h 0nown for military rowess% 1ro=*ois

ower was not fo*nded on the force of arms% b*t rather on the arts of eace and

reason. A rofo*nd *nderstandin- of the rinciles of eace and h*man freedom lay

at the fo*ndation of 1ro=*ois -overnment% allowin- them to foster -en*ine% eealth amon- h*mans.

Peace came to the 1ro=*ois% not thro*-h war and con=*est% b*t thro*-h the e9ercise


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of Reason -*ided by the sirit*al mind. The 1ro=*ois Lea-*e is based not on force of

arms or r*le of law% b*t sirit*al concets of nat*ral law alied to h*man society.

At the lantin- of a Tree of Peace in Philadelhia in !"#F% ?ohaw0 )hief Ea0e Swam

e9lained% ;1n the be-innin-% when o*r )reator made h*mans% everythin- needed to

s*rvive was rovided. @*r )reator as0ed only one thin-5 Never for-et to areciate

the -ifts of ?other :arth. @*r eole were instr*cted how to be -ratef*l and how to

s*rvive.

;3*t d*rin- a dar0 a-e in o*r history !''' years a-o% h*mans no lon-er listened to

the ori-inal instr*ctions. @*r )reator became sad% beca*se there was so m*ch

crime% dishonesty% in+*stice and war.

;So )reator sent a Peacema0er with a messa-e to be ri-hteo*s and +*st% and ma0e a

-ood f*t*re for o*r children seven -enerations to come. >e called all warrin- eole

to-ether and told them as lon- as there was 0illin- there wo*ld be no eace of mind.

There m*st be a concerted e


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far and fo*r lon- roots stretch o*t in the fo*r sacred directions 22 the ;white roots of

eace.;

The Peacema0er roclaimed% ;1f any man or nation shows a desire to obey the Law

of the Great Peace% they may trace the roots to their so*rce% and be welcomed to

ta0e shelter beneath the Tree.;

(on hearin- the Peacema0er le-end% Dr. Robert ?*ller% former Assistant Secretary

General of the (nited Nations% remar0ed% ;This rofo*nd action stands as erhas

the oldest e


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indissol*ble yet li0e *nion is imractical for twelve colonies to whom it is more

necessary and advanta-eo*s.;

At )ornell4s conference% Dr. Donald Grinde% Er. of Gettysb*r- )olle-e resented

evidence that Thomas Eee as0ed them to consider a hilosohy comin- directly from this

American soil.;

The Great Law of Peace laid o*t a -overnment ;of the eole% by the eole and for

the eole; with three branches. The @nonda-a% the ,ire0eeers% are the heart of

the )onfederacy. Similarly% the (.S. residency forms an e9ec*tive branch.

The Lea-*e4s le-islative branch is in two arts5 ?ohaw0 and Seneca are :lder

3rothers who form the *er ho*se% while @neida and )ay*-a are Yo*n-er 3rothers%

similar to the Senate and >o*se of the (nited States )on-ress. The 1ro=*ois;

e=*ivalent of a S*reme )o*rt is the Women4s )o*ncils% which settle dis*tes and

+*d-e le-al violations.

America Eoins the Great Peace

1n !$$F% the )ontinental )on-ress aointed Geor-e ?or-an the 8rst 1ndian a-ent to

romote eace with 1ndian nations. )on-ressional President Eohn >ancoc0 told

?or-an to follow the c*stom of the 1ro=*ois ;forest dilomats; by ta0in- a ;-reat

eace belt with !H diamonds and &%I'' wam*m beads; to invite 1ndians to the 8rst

(.S.21ndian Peace Treaty. This historic Washin-ton )ovenant belt was -iven to the

chiefs and clan mothers at the Treaty of ,ort Stanwi9 in !$#J as a romise that theywo*ld never be forced to 8-ht in (.S. wars% and that 1ndian land ri-hts wo*ld be

resected. As in the Peacema0er le-end% the war hatchet was b*ried beneath the

Tree of Peace and rayers of eace were o


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Another sea0er at the )ornell conference% Gre-ory Schaaf% Ph.D% recently

discovered a cache of ?or-an4s aers in an attic of S*sannah ?or-an% "J2year2old

family heir. 1n his boo0 The 3irth of ,rontier Democracy from an :a-le4s :ye /iew% he

writes5 ;3efore the Revol*tion% members of the )ontinental )on-ress met with

1ro=*ois ambassadors to learn how they -overned themselves. A )hief advised% 4@*r

wise forefathers established (nion and Amity1 this made *s formidable. We are aowerf*l )onfederacy% and if yo* observe the same methods% yo* will ac=*ire fresh

Stren-th and Power.4

After meetin- with the 1ro=*ois in !$IJ% 3en ,ran0lin 8rst roosed creatin- a

colonial Grand )o*ncil in the 4Albany Plan of (nion45 4@ne Government may be

formed administered by a President% and a Grand )o*ncil chosen by reresentatives

of the eole.4 ,ran0lin4s lan for a Grand )o*ncil of (nited )olonies resembles the

1ro=*ois Grand )o*ncil.;

The ,ire That Never Dies

Today the 1ro=*ois Lea-*e remains alive 22 the last s*rvivin- soverei-n nations of

native Americans in North America. 1ts caital still sits at the center of New Yor0

State in @nonda-a )o*nty% +*st so*th of the )ity of Syrac*se. @n a bend of

@nonda-a )ree0 /alley is the @nonda-a Nation% a HI s=*are mile island of still

soverei-n native soil inhabited by !I'' s*rvivors of the once -reat 1ro=*ois

)onfederacy. 1t was nearby% at >iawatha Point on the @nonda-a La0e shore% that

Peacema0er ta*-ht the 1ro=*ois to ;b*ry the hatchet; and imarted The Great Law.

The @nonda-as% ,ire0eeers of the Lea-*e% still host meetin-s of the Grand )o*ncil

of 1ro=*ois -overnment.

Amon- 1ndian tribes in America% 1ro=*ois are secial in that they remain

a*tonomo*s% indeendent nations. Yes% nations% not ;reservations; as many

Americans mista0enly believe. (nder international law 1ro=*ois reservations aren4t

(.S. lands% and aren4t s*b+ect to federal% state or local laws. Rather% they are forei-n

nations within the (nited States and )anada% who e9ercise their own self

-overnment on their own national soil. They4re a distinct c*lt*re and race with their

own lan-*a-e% reli-ion% history% families% comm*nities% and -overnment.

Their soverei-nty is contin*ally challen-ed. As recently as !"#H% Dennis 3an0s% an

@+ibway leader of the American 1ndian ?ovement A1?B% was so*-ht by So*th Da0ota

for rosec*tion on riot and arson char-es connected with a demonstration by Sio*9

1ndians at the Raid )ity )o*rtho*se. 3an0s so*-ht olitical asyl*m *nder the win-


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of the @nonda-a Nation. New Yor0 State *nder Governor )*omo declined to send

a-ents onto @nonda-a soil to e9tradite 3an0s. @n another front% the 1ro=*ois are

8-htin- the res*mtion of the (.S. Selective Service to draft 1ro=*ois sons into the

American military.

To 1ro=*ois traditionalists the Great Law of Peace isn4t merely a form of -overnment%

b*t reli-io*s ractice of an ancient sirit*al le-acy. Peacema0er wasn4t a military

hero or social leader% b*t a messen-er of the )reator. ,ollowin- The Great Law is a

sirit*al ractice% and those who follow the Lon-ho*se tradition are ;faith0eeers.;

There4s no searation of ch*rch and state in 1ro=*ois society. 1ndeed% sirit*ality lies

at the root of -overnment and law.

New Li-ht ,rom an Ancient So*rce

>*ndreds of years a-o in North America a sirit*al Teacher aeared in the ,in-er

La0es re-ion to comm*nities of the red race who -*arded the eastern -ate into the

continent4s interior. This messen-er from the )reator transmitted an instr*ction to

these eole of how to live to-ether in honor% di-nity and eace.

The Peacema0er so0e his Words of Law to only a few villa-es% b*t his messa-e and

vision is the le-acy and herita-e of all h*man bein-s% of all 8ve races of h*manity.

Today the Lea-*e remains one of the best e9amles of democracy% self2 -overnment

and libertarian society on :arth. Thro*-h it we contin*e to -ain wisdom and

insiration needed today to confront intensi8ed challen-es to eace and s*rvival.

Seneca traditionalist% writer and lect*rer Eohn ?ohaw0% in his ,oreword to the recent

version of Dr. Wallace4s White Roots of Peace% s*ms * his ancient ast amid o*r

modern redicament5

;Lon- a-o on the @nonda-a La0e shore a man roosed eace was a ossibility. 1t

was a radical idea at the time% as it is now. >e roosed +*stice co*ld be achieved%

that there wo*ld be no tr*e eace *ntil +*stice is achieved. >e roosed beca*se

h*man bein-s are rational and have a otential to *se their heads% these thin-s are

ossible. >is vision contained many rinciles% and what nearly amo*nted to a faith

based on the rocess of thin0in-.


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The Great Law of Peace