The Iroquois Confederacy

THE IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY

THE PEACEMAKER

THE LONGHOUSE

THE LONGHOUSE

THE CLANS

CLAN MOTHERS

GRAND COUNCIL

WAMPUM BELTS

WAMPUM BELTS

WAMPUM BELTS

SEVENTH GENERATION

“In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

- from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy

CONSENSUS

A consensus happens when everyone agrees on a decision.

Decisions were made in the confederacy by consensus.

The Four “elder tribes” would split into two pairs and discuss the topic. When they came to a consensus they would bring it to the fifth tribe to confirm their decision. If they couldn’t come to an agreement they would take the issue back to their communities to be discussed.

CONSULTING THE CLANS

If a decision was very important then every member of the confederacy, men, women, and children, was involved.

Clans met as groups and anybody who wished to speak out could do so.

The Clan Mothers would take the clans’ final decisions back to the Grand Council.

MINORITY RIGHTS

Every tribe had the right to make decisions on topics that affected them directly and they did not need to consult the Grand Council to do so.