Terms And Definitions
What is the Haudenosaunee?
The name of group of six nations that came together in unity.
How many Chiefs sat on the grand Council?
50
What are the Roles of the Chiefs?
Their job is to listen to the people and make decisions that are fair. They also represent their people at Grand Council meetings, where Hoyaneh from all nations discuss issues, share concerns, and make decisions that affect the entire Confederacy.
Who Made the decisions in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy?
Officially the Chiefs but everyone had a say.
What is the great law of peace?
What is a longhouse?
A building at the center of the Haudenosaunee society inhabited by descendances of clan mothers.
What would happen if a chief did not represent the people of the clan properly?
The clan mother would remove them.
What is the role of the Clan Mothers?
Clan Mothers are wise women who lead their clans.
They choose the Hoyaneh (Chiefs) and give them advice.
If a Chief is not acting in the best interest of the people, a Clan Mother can take away his title.
They make sure traditions are passed down to younger generations.
what are the 4 democratic principles?
Equality under the law
Justice
Freedom
Representation
How was freedom displayed in the decision making process?
People had the freedom to speak in council meetings.
Hoyaneh didn’t rule alone—they spoke the will of the people.
Every clan and nation could voice their ideas freely in council.
No decisions were forced—they only moved forward when everyone agreed (consensus).
What is the system called that all people must agree on to make a decision.
Consensus
What was the role if the Clan Mother in the Grand Council?
To monitor discussions and supervise the Chiefs.
What is the role of the Warriors?
Warriors protect their people and help keep peace.
They also act as messengers and help with important ceremonies.
Unlike in some other societies, warriors do not make decisions for the people.
They follow the guidance of Hoyaneh (Chiefs) and Clan Mothers.
How was equality displayed in decision making?
The Great Law of Peace applied to everyone, including Hoyaneh.
Clan Mothers and citizens could speak up if something was unfair.
Women chose the chiefs and made sure they treated everyone equally.
All nations in the Confederacy had an equal voice in the Grand Council, no matter their size.
What is the role of the Mohawk?
(Keepers of the Eastern Door)
Role: protecting against threats from the east.
What is a Clan Mother?
People what have the responsibility of choosing the chiefs for their own clan.
What kind of democracy is shown at the Grand Council?
Representative.
What is the role of the Women?
Women had a powerful role in decision-making.
Clan Mothers chose the Chiefs and could remove them if they didn’t lead well.
Women discussed important issues in the women’s council and shared their ideas with the Chiefs.
They helped make decisions about land, food, and laws.
How was Justice displayed in the decision making process.
The Confederacy focused on restoring peace, not punishment.
If someone did something wrong, the goal was to talk it out and fix it.
The Great Law of Peace was like their constitution, used to guide fairness.
Clan and council discussions helped solve problems as a community.
What is the role of the Oneida?
Role: peacemakers and mediators between nations, helping resolve disputes
What is Collective Identity
A shared belief system that includes the same language, culture, values and attitudes.
How many Nations had chiefs at the Grand Council initially, and who were they?
5 the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca.
later joined by the Tuscarora.
What was the role of the Men?
Men (Hoyaneh or not) spoke at meetings and helped make decisions for their clans.
Hoyaneh (Chiefs) represented their people in the Grand Council, which made decisions for all six nations.
Before making decisions, Chiefs had to listen to their people and discuss problems together.
Men worked closely with the Clan Mothers to make sure choices were fair for everyone.
How was representative displayed in the decision making process?
Hoyaneh (chiefs) were chosen by Clan Mothers for their honesty, kindness, and wisdom.
Their job was to speak for the people, not for themselves.
If a Hoyaneh stopped listening to the people, acted unfairly, or disrespected the Great Law of Peace, the Clan Mother had the power to remove them
This made sure that leaders truly represented the people of their Nations at all times.
What are the purpose of confederacy?
The goal was to end violence and unite the nations under a common governance system.