The Great Peacemaker, sometimes referred to as Deganawida or "Dekanawida" (although as a mark of respect the Iroquois avoid referring to him by this name except in special circumstances), was the traditional founder, with Hiawatha, of the Haudenosaunee (commonly called the Iroquois) confederacy, a political and cultural union of Native American tribes. Although the formal inheritor of this confederacy includes only lands in what is now New York State, the impact of the union was far-reaching and certainly includes the related people in Ontario, Quebec, Pennsylvania, Ohio and other places. Statue of Hiawatha carrying Minnehaha (based on Longfellows story) Hiawatha (also known as Ayenwatha or Ha-yo-went-ha) who lived around 1550, was variously a leader of the Onondaga and Mohawk nations of Native Americans. ... The Haudenosaunee is the traditional leadership of the Iroquois Confederacy, comprised of the six Native American nations of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora. ... An Atsina named Assiniboin Boy Photo by Edward S. Curtis. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montréal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Harrisburg Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi  (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Columbus Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq. ...

The Haudenosaunee name for The Great Peacemaker (Mohawk, Skennenrahawi) means “Two River Currents Flowing Together.” The Haudenosaunee is the traditional leadership of the Iroquois Confederacy, comprised of the six Native American nations of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora. ... Mohawk is a Native American language spoken in the United States and Canada. ...

The legends about The Peacemaker are conflicting. It is reported that he was born a Huron. By some accounts it was a virgin birth. Others say he was born an Onondaga and later adopted by the Mohawks. By all accounts he was a prophet who counseled peace among the warring tribes. He also called for an end to cannibalism. His disciple Hiawatha, a Mohawk renowned for his oratory, helped him achieve his vision. This article is about the First Nations people, the Wyandot, also known as the Huron. ... The Virgin Birth is a key doctrine of the Christian faith, and is also held to be true by Muslims (Quran 3. ... Onondaga is the name of some places in North America: Onondaga, Michigan Onondaga, New York Onondaga, Ontario Onondaga County, New York Onondaga Lake Onondaga Reservation, New York Onondaga Township, Michigan Other meanings: Onondaga Native American Iroquois First Nations group Onandaga Cave State Park in Leasburg, Missouri Onondaga Camp Minden,Ontario... Mohawk is: A tribe of Native Americans: see Mohawk nation The Mohawk language spoken by the Mohawk people. ... A prophet is a person who is believed to speak through divine inspiration. ...

This vision, from the Great Maker, that peace would come to all nations, led him to spend his life working to bring this to fruition for the Haudenosaunee. In his shamanic prophecy, he referred to a white serpent who would come to their lands and make friends with his people, only to later deceive them. According to the prophecy, at the end times, a red serpent would make war on the white one and after a season, a black serpent would come and defeat them both. He said that his nation would accept those of other origins into their safekeeping. Because of their worship of, and obedience to, the Great Maker, the Haudenosaunee would be protected from the disasters to come. The Great Spirit is a conception of a supreme being prevalent among Native American cultures. ... The shaman is an intellectual and spiritual figure who is regarded as possessing power and influence on other peoples in the tribe and performs several functions, primarily that of a healer ( medicine man). The shaman provides medical care, and serves other community needs during crisis times, via supernatural means (means... Prophecy, in a broad sense, is the prediction of future events. ...

The Great Peacemaker established a council of clan and village chiefs to govern the confederacy. The tribes each had an equal voice and all decisions were made by consensus. Led by The Great Peacemaker, and Hiawatha, the Haudenosaunee became the dominant Native American group in the northeast woodlands. The Gayanashagowa, their law, became the constitution of the Iroquois confederacy. Consensus decision-making is a decision process that not only seeks the agreement of most participants, but also to resolve or mitigate the objections of the minority to achieve the most agreeable decision. ... Gayanashagowa or the Great Unity Law of the Haudenosaunee Iroquois Six Nations is the oldest known oral constitution, having existed since 1000 BC. External link Gayanashagowa Categories: Iroquois ... The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power, Five Nations, or Six Nations) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. ...

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• "Deganawidah" Infoplease, University of Liverpool
• "Great Law of Peace" Sixnations.org