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HAUDENOSAUNEE GRAND
COUNCIL AND CLAN MOTHERS
The Onondaga Nation
the Heart of the Confederacy
Hodiyahnehsonh are chosen because the men
possess honorable qualities and are concerned with
the well-being of the Confederacy. Their positions
are unpaid and for life. They are selected by the clan
mothers. Fourteen Onondaga hoyaneh serve on the
Grand Council.
Mohawk and Seneca
the Elder Brothers of the Confederacy
Hodiyahnehsonh are chosen because the men
possess honorable qualities and are concerned with
the well-being of the Confederacy. Their positions
are unpaid and for life. They are selected by the clan
mothers. Nine Mohawk and eight Seneca hoyaneh
serve on the Grand Council.
Oneida and Cayuga
the Younger Brothers of the Confederacy
Hodiyahnehsonh are chosen because the men
possess honorable qualities and are concerned
with the well-being of the Confederacy. Their
positions are unpaid and for life. The Tuscarora are
represented by the Oneida. The Grand Council is
made up of ten Cayuga and nine Oneida hoyaneh.
Clan mothers and Women’s Council
Clan mothers serve for life. They are appointed by
consensus of the clan members. Clan mothers have
the authority to remove from office any hoyaneh
who does not serve the best interests of his nation.
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT
President
U.S. Executive Branch
The U.S. president runs for office and is chosen
by the electoral college. The criteria for his
candidacy are age, citizenship and residency.
The president serves a four-year term.
The U.S. Senate
The senators run for office and are chosen by
popular election. They serve a six-year term. Each
senator must be at least thirty years old, must have
been a citizen of the United States for at least the
past nine years, and must be (at the time of the
election) an inhabitant of the state they seek to
represent. Two senators represent each state.
The House of Representatives
Each state elects a number of representatives based
on the population of the state. Representatives
must be at least twenty-five years old, have been a
citizen of the United States for the past seven years,
and be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of
the state they represent. Representatives serve
two-year terms.
The Supreme Court, Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court consists of nine justices
including the Chief Justice, all nominated by the
president of the United States. Once confirmed by
Congress, justices serve for life.
The Peacemaker then asked each nation to select men to
be their leaders called hoyaneh (plural, Hodiyahnehsonh). The
Peacemaker gave the laws to the Haudenosaunee men, who formed
the Grand Council. The Grand Council, made up of fifty hoyaneh,
makes decisions following the principles set forth in the Great
Law of Peace. When decisions are made or laws passed, all council
members must agree on the issue; this is called CONSENSUS.
Today, Haudenosaunee communities continue to live by the
principles of the Great Law.
The Great Law of Peace is one of the earliest examples of
a formal democratic governance structure. The Great Law of
Peace was known to some of the Founding Fathers and has been
compared — in terms of designated authorities and balances of
power — to the U.S. Constitution. The Haudenosaunee Grand
Council is the oldest governmental institution still maintaining its
original form in North America.
Read the chart below and learn how the U.S. Governmental
structure is similar to and differs from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
PROCESS OF SELECTION FOR OFFICE
CONTRIBUTION
OF THE GREAT
LAW OF PEACE
TO THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION
The Haudenosaunee
Confederacy was founded
on the Great Law of
Peace. This law declares
a basic respect for the
rights of all people. The
Haudenosaunee shared
this belief with Benjamin
Franklin, who was very
interested in the structure
of the Confederacy.
Franklin wrote, “It
would be strange if [the
Haudenosaunee] could
execute a union that
persisted ages and appears
indissoluble; yet a like
union is impractical for
twelve colonies to whom
it is more necessary and
advantageous.” Greatly
influenced by the symbols
of the Great Law of
Peace, the Founding
Fathers adopted the
representation of a bundle
of thirteen arrows to
indicate the newly formed
unified government. In
1987, the U.S. Senate
formally acknowledged,
in a special resolution,
the influence of the
Haudenosaunee Great
Law of Peace on the
U.S. Constitution.
Art by David
Kanietakeron Fadden
(Mohawk)