The Iroquois were known for their unique political system. The people of the Iroquois never had gigantic amounts of forces, and yet, somehow they managed to defeat their enemies that were twice their size. Although much of it has been made of their Dutch firearms, the Iroquois succeeded because of their unity, sense of purpose, and superior political organization.
The Iroquois League was formed prior to any contact. It owed nothing to European influence. In fact, Europeans learned the government organization from the Iroquois.
Although the Iroquois were known to be warlike conquerors, all the leaders in their tribes were chosen by women, which made them a maternal society. Respected elderly women not only had the power to choose leaders, they also owned all the crops.
To maintain peace and resolve disputes between the members of the tribes the League’s primary law, Kainekerowa (better known as the Great Law of Peace), was founded. The law simply stated that the Iroquois should not kill each other.
The Iroquois had a council of fifty chiefs, who were called sachems. They were the men that were chosen by the elderly women who led the maternal affairs. The council met to resolve the problems, such as wars on other tribes. However, the chiefs were not considered the leading warriors and had absolutely no power. There was a separate group of chief warriors. They were as important as the sachems but were not the actual leaders.
The Iroquois were known for their unique political system. The people of the Iroquois never had gigantic amounts of forces, and yet, somehow they managed to defeat their enemies that were twice their size. Although much of it has been made of their Dutch firearms, the Iroquois succeeded because of their unity, sense of purpose, and superior political organization.
The Iroquois League was formed prior to any contact. It owed nothing to European influence. In fact, Europeans learned the government organization from the Iroquois.
Although the Iroquois were known to be warlike conquerors, all the leaders in their tribes were chosen by women, which made them a maternal society. Respected elderly women not only had the power to choose leaders, they also owned all the crops.
To maintain peace and resolve disputes between the members of the tribes the League’s primary law, Kainekerowa (better known as the Great Law of Peace), was founded. The law simply stated that the Iroquois should not kill each other.
The Iroquois had a council of fifty chiefs, who were called sachems. They were the men that were chosen by the elderly women who led the maternal affairs. The council met to resolve the problems, such as wars on other tribes. However, the chiefs were not considered the leading warriors and had absolutely no power. There was a separate group of chief warriors. They were as important as the sachems but were not the actual leaders.
Back to Main Page
