A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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This belt means that the Iroquois are a united people, that the Path of Peace connects their territories, their Council Fires (Governments). Wampum belts are historical documents commemorating significant events in Iroquois life. This belt announced the return of the nomadic Tuscaroras, and it was made in 1714. The Six Nations are represented by purp1e-colored, step like triangle designs. For the first time it gives official recognition to the white man in Indian affairs, the symbol of the...
It is provided thus: It shall be the duty of all of the chiefs of The Great Law of Peace or the Longhouse People from time to time, as occasion demands, to act as teachers and spiritual guides of their people and remind them of their Creator’s will and words. They shall say, “Listen, that peace may continue unto future days! Always listen to the words of the Great Creator, for he has spoken. United People, let not evil find lodging in your minds, For the Great Creator has spoken and the cau...
This belt has been called the Six Nations Brace Belt and records when the Tuscarora Nation was taken into the Iroquois Confederacy. Each diagonal band represents a state or nation of the Confederacy, a brace or supporting beam of The Long House, by which the Iroquois often called their league. The braces represent an alliance for purposes of peace. This belt commemorates the admission of the Tuscaroras to take shelter under The Tree of Peace, the Iroquois United Nations....
It is provided thus: That a belt of black wampum, nine rows in width, with four short white strands at each end, and having five hexagonal designs, shall represent the combined territory of the Five Confederate Nations in which each one of the hexagonal designs shall denote the separate territory of each of the Five Confederate Nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca]. The four short white strands at each end represent the sacred White Roots of the Tree of Peace or the Doorways of the...
This belt is a friendship belt, and the symbols on the belt represent two nations joined together by the Path of Peace. One square represents the Ojibway Nation and the other square represents the Iroquois. There will always be an open path between them....
Many people, including many Indian people, think that the Iroquois Confederacy was formed for the exclusive benefit of only the original Five Nations, that all other people were excluded from the Kayenerenhkowa, the Great Peace Law. This is not true. We have records of at least thirty-nine Indian peoples who took shelter beneath The Tree of Peace, most of them eventually becoming members or citizens of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Peacemaker’s thoughts had not been for Iroquois-speaking p...
This is the original belt delivered by the Lenni-Lenape (Delaware) Chiefs to William Penn at the celebrated peace treaty under the elm tree at Shackamaxon in 1682. The hand of William Penn is joined in friendship with the hand of the Indian, and the two smokes (councils) of the two peoples are joined together as one. William Penn at that time said these words to the Indians, “We meet on the broad pathway of good faith and good will. No advantage shall be taken on either side, but all shall be o...
This belt was given to the Indians before they entered the Council House where the treaty was to be made. It was a token of amity and good faith. The figure with the white heart represents the white man and the other figure represents the Indian. When the treaty had been concluded and the Indians went out of the Council House with William Penn, they presented him with a return belt as evidence of their good faith. As usual, the treaty was faithfully kept by the Indians but was broken by...
After the Hurons were conquered by the Five Nations in 1650, many were taken in by the Iroquois. Whole villages were adopted by the Senecas and Mohawks. This belt became a Seneca belt and was taken to Grand River Lands (Ohsweken) after the American Revolution. Its meaning is lost. To read the history of the Hurons written by non-Indians one is led to believe that all of the Hurons were massacred by the Five Nations, that none were given any quarter, that all died at the stake, etc. These...
French Invasion—This belt was made to keep in memory the expeditions of the French against the Five Nations. The Iroquois never forgave (and the French would never let them forget) the French of Canada for invading their territory and killing and torturing their people, as well as burning their villages. Champlain was the first offender and De Nonville the last to do serious injury. Up until twenty-four years after Champlain had killed three Mohawk men at Lake Champlain, the Iroquois had not t...
This belt symbolizes the agreement and conditions under which the Iroquois welcomed the white peoples to this land “You say that you are our Father and I am your son.” We say, “We will not be like Father and Son, but like Brothers. This wampum belt confirms our words. These two rows will symbolize two paths or two vessels, traveling down the same river together. One, a birch bark canoe, will be for the Indian People, their laws, their customs, and their ways. The other, a ship, will be for t...
This belt records the condition of the early white people who came to the Iroquois Country. The strong outside diagonal lines supporting the weak inside diagonal line represents the Five Nations, the Iroquois. The thin, weak inside line represents the early whites. The Indians supported these early whites, holding them up so that they would not fall down, that is, showing them how to hunt, to farm, and teaching them how to survive and live in this country until they were strong enough to...
It is provided thus: When a person or family belonging to the Five Nations desires to abandon their nation and the territory of the Five Nations, they shall inform the chiefs of their nation and the Council of the League of Five Nations shall take notice of it. When any person or any of the people of the Five Nations emigrate and reside in a distant region away from the territory of the League of Five Nations, the Chiefs of the Five Nations, at will, may send a messenger carrying a broad belt...
It is provided thus: The father of a child of great comeliness, learning ability or specially loved because of some circumstances may, at the will of the child’s clan select a name from his own (the father’s) clan and bestow it by ceremony, such as is provided. This name shall be only temporary, and shall be called “a name hung about the neck”. It is provided thus: Should any person, a member of the League of Five Nations, especially esteem a man or woman of another clan or of a foreign nation,...
This belt was used in the mourning ceremonies for a Chief (Hoyaneh). The two diamonds signifies the opposite Brother or Sisterhoods, one of which mourned and one of which condoled. The V-shaped design represents the chief’s antlers, his title or symbol of chieftainship. It is provided thus: If the Three Elder Brothers (Mohawk, Onondaga, and Seneca) shall lose one of their chiefs by death, the Younger Brothers {Cayuga, Tuscarora, and Oneida) shall come to the surviving chiefs of the Three B...
It is provided thus: if a chief of the League should die while the Council of the Five Nations is in session, the Council shall adjourn for ten days. No Council of the League shall sit within ten days of the death of a chief of the League. If the three Brothers, Ashennihontatakenah, (the Mohawks, the Onondagas and the Senecas) should lose one of their chiefs by death, the Younger Brothers, Iatatekanah, (the Cayugas, the Oneidas and the Tuscaroras) shall come to the surviving chiefs of the Three...
It is provided thus: When a candidate chief is to be installed, he shall furnish four strings of shell wampum one span length bound together at one end. Such will constitute the evidence of his pledge to the Chiefs of the League that he will live according to the Constitution of the Great Peace and exercise justice in all affairs. When the pledge is finished, the speaker of the council must hold the wampum strings in his hand and address the opposite side of the council fire, and he shall begin...
It is provided thus: To you, Adodarhoh and your cousin chiefs, fourteen of you altogether, this shall be your duty. You shall keep The Confederate Council Fire (Government) clean all around. You shall allow no dust or dirt to be seen around the Council Fire. I therefore lay a seagull wing near you. Take this wing and sweep the dust and dirt away from the Council Fire. If you see any crawling creature approaching the Confederate Council Fire, I lay a stick by you with which you are to pitch the crawling creature from the Council Fire, and your...
Reprinted from WAMPUM BELTS of the IROQUOIS By Tehanetorens This belt was used by the women of the nation to symbolize their authority for adopting a prisoner of war. The belt removed the cloud of the women’s mourning and made a son of the captive. It could save a life if presented by a woman. It is provided thus: Any member of the Five Nations, who through esteem or other feelings, wishes to adopt an individual, a family, or a number of families, may offer adoption to him or them, and if a...
Reprinted from WAMPUM BELTS of the IROQUOIS By Tehanetorens This belt records certain laws of the Confederacy and was used in the League councils by the presiding Chief in welcoming other nation delegates. A review of some of these laws is as follows: It is provided thus; when a chieftainship title is to be conferred, the candidate chief shall furnish the cooked venison, the corn bread, and the corn soup together with other necessary things and the labor for the conferring of the title’s f...
Long ago when the Mohawk People lived in the villages beside the Mohawk River in what is now New York State, the Mohawk Clans lived in separate villages: Bear Clan People lived in one village, Turtle Clan People in another, and Wolf Clan People had their own village where there lived three Mohawk girls. These girls could never meet without quarreling with each other. They quarreled so often that other people began to notice them. Finally, because of this constant friction, an old woman who was...
This belt was one of the Constitutional Memorials and signified the essential unity of the clans “who sat opposite each other about the Fire.” The white background signifies peace, unity, and friendship. It is provided thus: That in the Confederate Iroquois Nation, the people bearing the same name, the same clan, shall recognize one another as relatives irrespective of their nation and shall treat one another as such. Therefore a man and woman of the same clan are forbidden to marry. It is pro...
Reprinted from WAMPUM BELTS of the IROQUOIS By Tehanetorens This belt was formerly held by Donehogawah or General Ely S. Parker. It means “Five Council Fires” or “Death Belt” of the five Iroquois Nations, the Confederacy of the Iroquois. The Death Belts were in the custody of The Keepers of the East and West Door of the Haudenosaunee. This one was always held by the Donehogawah, the Keeper of the Western Door, the watcher and army guard of the Confederacy. (The Mohawks of the Eastern Door likewi...
Usually it’s not good to look back in the past, but in this case I felt it would be necessary to shed some light on past events that people forget or else never had the information. You see, I was a member of the leadership of the traditional council of chiefs for thirty seven years. Going back to the early years of my involvement with the nation council gives me many fond memories of those people who gave me so much in teachings whether it was spiritual or political. I remember the e...
Reprinted from WAMPUM BELTS of the IROQUOIS By Tehanetorens Continued from last week Any belt could be used as a war belt by painting it red. It is provided thus: The title names of the War Chiefs of the League shall be as follows: Ayonewehs, War Chief under Chief Takarihoken (Mohawk) Kahonwaitiron, War Chief under Chief Otatsheteh (Oneida) Ayentes, War Chief under Chief Atotarho (Onondaga) Wenens, War Chief under Chief Dekaenyon (Cayuga) Shoneratowaneh, War Chief under Chief Skanyatariio (Seneca) It is provided thus: The women heirs of each...
