Native American Tribes
Five indigenous Native American tribes of the northwestern United States and neighboring Canada became united as one confederacy, or nation, under the guidance of a charismatic leader known today as The Peacemaker. He united five warring tribes into one unified and peaceful nation with the help of his follower, Hiawatha.
The Native American tribes in question were generally situated in the lands surrounding the Great Lakes. The first five tribes to become part of the Iroquois Confederacy are the Senneca, Oneida, Cuyoga, Mohawk, and the Onondaga. In the 18th century, the Tuscarora tribe migrated into Iroquois territory from North Carolina in an effort to flee British colonization. They, too, became Iroquois.
The birth name of The Peacemaker is so revered by members of these Native American tribes that it is spoken only under very special circumstances. His Mohawk name, Skennenrahawl, means “two river currents flowing together.”
Lore and legend passed through the generations of these Native American tribes tell of a virgin birth, that he advocated an end to cannibalism, and that he cultivated peace over war. The exact time of his life is in question, with some accounts dating it in the 1100s, based on celestial events that marked the official uniting ceremony of the tribes. Other accounts place his life in the 1400s and 1700s.
With the aid of his disciple, Hiawatha, the first five Native American tribes of the Iroquois Nation built a peaceful and productive society based on mutual concern and sharing. The Hiawatha here is not the same person depicted in the famous Longfellow epic poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The Longfellow poem, which received scathingly bad reviews when first published, is said to be based upon a Viking legend.
There is one very intriguing tale of The Peacemaker’s shamanic prophecies that has been recounted through the ages by the members of the Iroquois Native American tribes. It prophesies the coming of a white serpent that would come to Iroquois lands, make friends with its people, and later deceive them.
At the end of times, a red serpent would come to make war against the white serpent. After just one season, a black serpent would defeat them both.
The Peacemaker told his people to welcome and accept all people, regardless of their origins. By doing so, remaining a peaceful people, and continuing to obediently worship the Great Maker, the Iroquois people would be protected from these catastrophic events to come.
Please send any comments directly to the author, Joseph Paige.