Re: Engels on the Iroquois constitution

["Muhamed Gessan" <mlapine@xxxxxxx>]

    This makes for important study. Many Americans today believe that the
Iroquois Confederacy's constitutional system influened the American
Governmental system of Checks and Balances. No tribe could have certian
power over another tribe, tribes could make wars with non Iroquian tribes,
that happen to be friends with the other tribes in the Confederacy without
having to fight each other. Ben Franklin for example during the French and
India War used the Iroquis as a model for how the colonies should unite. The
example wasnt followed. There is no doubt that the Iroquis did influence the
Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, however there were many
other influenes like Ancient Greece and acourse the British system.

    For those who do not know; The Iroquois were not a tribe but a
confederation of 5 tribes(later 6) that lived in Upper New York STate and
and Canada. The story goes that the 5 tribes (Mohawk, Oneida, Clayuga,
Seneca, Ondonaga) were in constant  warfae with each other, untill one day a
prophet came to them named Degondawida (Two Rivers Rising) from the Huron
Tribe. Although he suffered a speech Impairment(like Moses) with the help of
a Mohawk chief named Hiwatha they united the tribes so that they would never
fight again.
    The Iroquois went on to becoming one of the most powerful Native
American peoples in history, and even the most powerful colonial power of
that time.  During the Fur trade they made war with almost every single
tribe east of the Missipi River. By 1690 with a population of 90,000, their
power streched from Canada, west to the Missipi and south into Georgia. They
had considerble more power than the Enlish and French colonists because of
their power over other tribes and control of the fur trade, with lots of
arms. After the French and Indian War there was an indian uprising led by
soemone from the Otawa tribe that spread to almost all the indians of the
east. The Seneca took the Ottawa side despite the fact the the rest of the
Iroquis didnt suport it. But the Confedearcy was still in tact.Later on
disease ravaged the Iroqouis till their population was around 6,000 at the
time of the American Revolution.  By then the tribes took sides and for the
first time thought each other; the confederacy was destroyed.
    I recomend to rent the movie "The Broken Chain" which depicts the end of
the Iroquis confederacy using a real life Chief named Thayendenega that
lived durign that time.

MG


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