Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee

Grand Council meetings of the Iroquois Confederacy are held for serious matters, which affect all of the member nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. Before an issue can be presented to the Grand Council, it must first be heard by the Onondagas who decide whether the issue requires a Grand Council meeting.

Sometimes, the issue is sent back to the individual nation to be solved at home. Each nation has its own Council of Chiefs and deals with its own problems. These Chiefs are also the representatives to the Grand Council.

The Grand Council is organized into the Elder and the Younger Brothers: The elder Brothers are the Mohawk, Seneca, and Onondaga. On the Condolence Cane the Elder Brothers are represented by the pegs on the right hand side of the cane.

The Younger Brothers, the Oneida and Cayuga, are represented on the -left side of the cane. The Onondagas are called the Firekeepers. The seating arrangement in Grand Council is represented below. The Tuscarora joined the Confederacy in the early 1700s and sit with the Younger Brothers in Grand Council meetings.

When an important issue is to be discussed in Grand Council the Onondaga send runners with wampum to invite the Chiefs of the Confederacy to the meeting. The runners advise the Chiefs of the issue, and the date and time to gather at Onondaga. Grand Council meetings are normally held at Onondaga.

When the Grand Council session begins, the Thanksgiving address is spoken first. The Onondagas then present the issue to the Elder Brothers. Discussion of the issue proceeds among the Elder Brothers. When they have reached a decision, their spokesman stands up and “throws or tosses the issue across the fire,” meaning they tell the Younger Brothers their decision.

The Younger Brothers discuss the issue until they reach a decision. Their spokesman stands and “throws the issue back across the fire” to the Elder Brothers.

If the Elder and Younger Brothers reach the same decision, the spokesman for the Elder Brothers stands and informs the Onondagas of their agreement. The Onondagas must then discuss the issue and the decision considering the cultural values and sel laws of the Haudenosaunee. If all is in balance, the Onondagas then announce the decision.

There can be problems with an issue. Perhaps agreement cannot be reached between the Elder Brothers and the Younger Brothers. It could be that not enough information is available on the issue. Tempers may flare and time is needed to clear the air. An issue can be put aside for the night - They decide to “sleep on it” and discuss it the next day. Grand Council must end by the time the sun sets, so sometimes issues are carried over to the next day. An issue can be tossed out if information is lacking or it cannot be agreed upon. An issue can be discussed three times before it is determined that more information should be found before a decision is made.

Pictured on the left is a condolence cane. The markings and pegs represent each title and name of the 50 Haudunosaunee chiefs.