Indigibits
Roots of our Democracy: The Haudenosaunee Confederacy
As we approach this significant month of both federal elections and Indigenous Heritage (November, 2024), perhaps we can pause and notice the shared connection to democratic principles.
The Haudenosaunee (previously known as the Iroquois Nation by
Europeans) were a union of five (later six) Native Nations whose
homeland was to become New York State. It began around 1142-1660 CE. Their constitution, ‘The Great Law of Peace’ was written in
wampum, and its goal was harmony between its nations. Women
were included in the decision making process. The Haudenosaunee
constitution gives equal value to three pillars: law, society, and nature.
Their leaders were representatives of their people, and were in service to their people (rather than the European practice of the people being in service to their leaders (royalty)).
Both Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson engaged in negotiations with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and were doubtless influenced by their associations as they shaped the US constitution.