Grand Council of the Six Nations

Grand Council of the Six Nations
Rick Hill, Harold Johnson, and Tim Johnson · Public domain · source
Name	Grand Council of the Six Nations
Formation	c. 1570s
Founder	Hiawatha; Deganawida
Type	Traditional Iroquois council
Headquarters	Six Nations of the Grand River
Region served	Haudenosaunee Confederacy territory
Leader title	Tadodaho
Leader name	Onondaga Nation

Grand Council of the Six Nations The Grand Council of the Six Nations is the traditional assembly of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, historically comprising the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations. Rooted in the oral constitutions associated with Deganawida and Hiawatha, the Council has long mediated inter-nation relations, treaty negotiations, and responses to external powers such as New France, British Empire, and the United States of America. Its decisions have intersected with events like the Beaver Wars, the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and later legal disputes before institutions including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of the United States.

History

The Council's origins are traced to oral traditions connecting Deganawida and Hiawatha with the founding of the Haudenosaunee polity during a period when neighboring polities such as the Huron and Algonquin engaged in competition over the fur trade. From the 17th century onward the Grand Council negotiated with colonial actors including Samuel de Champlain, agents of New Netherland and representatives of the British Crown such as Sir William Johnson and Sir Guy Carleton. During the American Revolution allegiances split among nations; leaders like Joseph Brant and Thayendanegea allied with King George III while others sought neutrality, shaping subsequent land settlements like the Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1768) and the Haldimand Proclamation. Postwar migrations produced settlements at Grand River and interactions with the Province of Canada, the Dominion of Canada, and the United States Congress, culminating in legal episodes including disputes over the Haldimand Tract and claims adjudicated in forums such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Organization and Membership

The Grand Council operates through clan-based representation embodied by appointed chiefs from nations including the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, the Oneida Nation of the Thames, the Onondaga Nation, the Cayuga Nation of the Grand River, the Seneca Nation of Indians, and the Tuscarora Nation of New York. The Council's leadership includes the Tadodaho and a bench of sachems nominated by matrilineal clan mothers drawn from kin groups such as the Wolf clan, Bear clan, and Turtle clan. Councils convene at traditional sites like Onondaga Lake and at the longhouse institutions found on reserves such as Six Nations of the Grand River and communities like Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Membership practices intersect with modern band councils established under the Indian Act and recognized by authorities like Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and tribal governments including the Seneca Nation of Indians and Oneida Indian Nation, producing overlapping claims of jurisdiction.

Roles and Functions

The Grand Council historically adjudicated inter-nation disputes, oversaw ceremonies linked to the Great Law of Peace, and coordinated collective responses to external threats from colonial powers including France and Britain. It managed diplomacy and land transactions involving treaties such as the Treaty of Canandaigua (1794), the Treaty of Niagara (1764), and later agreements contested in forums like the Royal Proclamation of 1763. The Council also preserves cultural practices through annual observances involving wampum belts like the Two Row Wampum and institutions akin to the Longhouse religion and the rituals associated with leaders such as Handsome Lake. Economic functions have engaged interactions with entities like the Canadian Pacific Railway, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and provincial bodies including the Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Affairs.

Governance and Decision-Making

Decisions are reached by consensus among selected chiefs and clan mothers in settings that reference the constitutionality of the Great Law of Peace and codified precedents shaped by figures including Skenandoa and Canasatego. Procedural norms employ wampum records, oratory, and clan protocols; these practices have been referenced in litigation such as claims before the Supreme Court of Canada and negotiations with executive branches including the Government of Canada and the United States Department of the Interior. Tensions between traditional governance and elective band councils created under statutes like the Indian Act (1876) have produced jurisprudence involving parties such as Assembly of First Nations and disputes adjudicated in provincial courts including the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

Relations with Colonial and Federal Governments

The Grand Council engaged diplomatically with colonial offices including the Board of Trade (British) and officials such as Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, negotiating land guarantees and military alliances during conflicts like the French and Indian War and the War of 1812. Post-confederation relations involved negotiations with the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario over land, resources, and self-determination, leading to litigation involving the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, claims under the Constitution Act, 1982 Section 35, and interactions with federal ministries such as Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Cross-border issues with the United States of America concerned border crossings, citizenship, and treaty recognition involving agencies like the Bureau of Indian Affairs and courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Contemporary Issues and Activities

Today the Grand Council addresses land claims like those over the Haldimand Tract; participates in cultural revival through alliances with organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations, the Haudenosaunee Development Institute, and universities including McMaster University and Queen's University. Contemporary initiatives include environmental advocacy against projects such as pipeline proposals reviewed by the National Energy Board and collaborative conservation with groups like the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The Council engages in legal advocacy in courts including the Supreme Court of Canada and international bodies such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, while internal debates involve recognition of traditional election processes versus tribal councils modeled after the Indian Act. Public-facing efforts include cultural festivals at sites like Fort Niagara, educational programs with institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum, and partnerships with municipal governments including City of Brantford.

Category:Haudenosaunee