The Peacemaker Meets Tekarihoken

Reprinted with permission from Traditional Teachings by the Native North American Travelling College

As the Peacemaker continued on his journey towards the Flint (Mohawk Nation), he came upon the lodge of “the man who eats humans.” There he waited until the man came home, carrying a human body, which he put in a big kettle on the fire. The Peacemaker had climbed the roof and lay flat on his chest, peering through the smoke hole.

At that moment, the man bent over the kettle and saw a reflection of the Peacemaker’s face, which he immediately interpreted as his own. Why would a man whose face was so kind and wise and possessed such strong characteristics have to resort to eating humans? He took the kettle out of the house and emptied the contents into a hole that he dug. Seeing the Peacemaker’s face had obviously affected the evil mind of Tekarihoken. “Now I have changed by habits,” he stated. “I will no longer kill humans and eat their flesh, but I have not changed enough. I cannot forget the suffering I have caused, and my mind is not at peace.”

When he returned to his lodge, he met the Peacemaker who had climbed down from the roof. They entered the lodge and sat across the fire from each other. “I am the Peacemaker. I am the one who caused this change to take place in your mind. I am the messenger of the Creator, and the message is that all men should live together in peace and live in unity based on a Law of Righteousness, Peace and Power. I will now hunt for your meal. I will bring to you what the Creator wishes you to eat from now on.”

With those words, the Peacemaker left, and not long after, returned with a deer. The Peace maker told Tekarihoken that it was the Creator’s plan that certain animals had been left on Earth to benefit mankind. “I shall now cook this deer, and we will celebrate your meal by giving you a new purpose in life.”

The Peacemaker spoke, “Today, you have vowed to change from your evil habits, to live in a manner which will bring Peace to those places where you have done injury.” Tekarihoken replied, “Because I have seen your face, the evil that nested in my mind has departed. I am now a new man, and your message is good. What can I do to help further the cause of the good message?” The Peacemaker told Tekarihoken that because he was the first man who accepted the “Great Law of Peace”, he would make him the first “Sachem” in the Mohawk Nation. “Because your people have always been afraid of your evil powers, we must now use your new powers in the cause of Peace, Power and Righteousness.”

Now, I must continue onto the Village of the Mohawk Nation, to which the hunters have returned to deliver my message of the Great Peace. I shall offer my plan of peace and unity to that Nation, and when I have become successful, I will send for you to take your place in a Confederacy Council.”