Iroquois Constitution Analysis

The Iroquois Constitution was a document that was originally created to unite together five tribes who were facing many differences during the 1500’s. These five tribes were very similar and had many cultural aspects in common, yet, they lived in a state of constant warring. This consistent strife made them more liable to attacks and weaker. In response to these problems, a man named Dekanawida came up with a document on behalf of his beliefs and hopes for these local tribes. With it, they eventually established a system of government with the tribes located in the upper New York area. In Dekanawida’s “The Iroquois Constitution”, he argued that they needed to unite for the sake of peace among them all and that it would bring new hope to these

people. Using many references to relatable symbols and nature, he got his point across well to the native tribes. The document was made in hopes of bringing peace and harmony to these nations, giving them all a chance to succeed and live nonviolent lives.
In their document, the Tree of Great Peace is a symbol of unity among the 5 nations. The leaves of the tree represent protection and watchful leaders “There shall you sit and watch the Council Fire of the Confederacy of the Five Nations, and all the affairs of the Five Nations shall be transacted at the place before you.” This is where they first go into the talk about the “tree” which represents the people of the new tribe who are going to do all they cal to protect each other. The “Eagle” is placed at the top of the tree, symbolizing the chief or leader of them all. “We place at the top of the Tree of the Long Leaves and Eagle who is able to see afar.” He is there to act as someone who can help out and pledges to do anything to protect his people. The roots of this great tree have spread out from the tree in all directions, representing the combining of people from the area into one big group. “Roots have spread out from the Tree of the Great Peace, one to the north, one to the east, one to the south, and one to the west.” The roots nature is spreading peace so it’s symbolizing the new growth and spread of harmony. The Tree of Great Peace is heavily discussed in the beginning, but as it goes on, the metaphor fades. Then, in the end, the tree is brought up again to end it off on a note of unity and peace. This symbol is used in reference to nature, showing it’s a peaceful subject that we can learn from.
Then, he delves into their newfound stance on war and peace.

Specifically, in the last paragraph, titled “War and Peace,” he discusses how they want to bury the past and begin anew. This paragraph is also brimming with charged language. Using specific words with strong connotations and imagery help to paint the picture clearer and more passionately. Words and phrases like “cavity,” “the depths of the earth,” “deep into underearth,” “weapons of strife,” and “water flowing to the unknown” are full of charged language and emotion/pathos. Dekanawida is attempting to inspire. He is also instilling fear into the people reading, convincing them to join because if they don’t, they are leaving themselves open to attacks and danger. This shows that they will be stronger, happier, and more peaceful together. They are trying to bury their weapons and agony of the past so they can move forward, striving for peace.

Dekanawida’s purpose is to draw up a long lasting document to unite and inspire generations to come and to create a sense of unity and peace among his fellow tribes to give them all a chance for success. This work is significant because it has lived on, evening inspiring the United State’s Constitution. A lot of the ideals shown have been carried on to today, as well as in the past, helping his tribe and others to better

days.
This Constitution was officially ratified around 1722, along with the addition of a sixth nation. Before this, though, the laws were not recorded in a written language. They eventually did convert it over to languages like English to make it more accessible and so others could use it as a sort of model. The Constitution worked well for a long time until certain conditions began to weaken their unity. They also eventually fought other Native American tribes, along with European Immigrants. This caused a divide in their once peaceful community. The involvement of policies by the Canadian government in the 19th and 20th century weakened the cultural ties of the Iroquois. This tribe has obviously had its fair share of hardships to gain peace, with the proposal and passing of their document, getting everyone to agree to it, and actually implementing it. That eventually was wore down and belittled as they moved away from their prehistoric ways of life. The Iroquois Constitution did help establish peace and harmony among these tribes for an extensive amount of time, but that didn’t last forever as many other strenuous obstacles were thrown at them.
The Iroquois Constitution greatly inspired the United State’s Constitution and how our government was developed.

There are many similarities between the two documents which demonstrates the modern importance and impact the Iroquois’s document has. Freedoms like speech, religion, women’s rights, a government made for the people, etc. are said to have originated from their document. Even in our country’s seal, you see the eagle holding arrows in his talons representative of the original colonies. The Iroquois Constitution discusses a symbol of a bundle of 5 arrows for the five original tribes of the confederacy. The Iroquois Confederacy also seems very similar to the United Nations. They were both formed with the same ideals in mind and are made up of nations that originally considered themselves just as individuals. As the United States was seeking inspiration for their own document, they looked to the effectiveness and organization of the Iroquois Confederacy. “In 1988, to mark the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, Congress passed a resolution stating that “the confederation of the original Thirteen Colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy…” (Close Reader pg. 61). Today, it is recognized as one of the oldest living documents and has continued to show its importance in our everyday lives. Without the inspiration taken from this document by our country’s founding fathers, who knows what kind of state we’d be

living in and what rights would we would have?