League
of Five Nations
Each of the five nations selected sachems to go to League council meetings. The League of Five Nations was made up of a council of fifty sachems. They made important decisions about wars, land rights, and treaties. Anything that concerned all five nations could be discussed at the meetings. Decisions had to be unanimous.
Each of the five nations selected sachems to go to League council meetings. The League of Five Nations was made up of a council of fifty sachems. They made important decisions about wars, land rights, and treaties. Anything that concerned all five nations could be discussed at the meetings. Decisions had to be unanimous.
The
council met at least once a year. There was no single head sachem. Records
of council sessions were recorded on Wampum belts. The story of how the
five nations united has been told for hundreds of years. In the 1400s,
the various Iroquois tribes were always at war with each other. Two men,
known as the Peacemaker and Hiawatha, had dreams of peace sent to them
by the Creator. They traveled from nation to nation telling all about
their dream of unity. The Iroquois eventually came together in Onondaga
for the first meeting of the Iroquois Confederacy in the late 1500s.
Image created by Harper
Image created by Harper
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