I’ve chosen to blog about The Six Nations: Oldest Living Participatory Democracy on Earth because I also live close to these areas. Growing up I knew about the Iroquois Nation as I grew up in a town called Irondequoit, in school our teachers would teach us about how our area once was filled with tribes but only if our other history learning was done. Once a year we would have a field trip in a park in our town and that’s where I learned the most about the Six Nations. To be honest the only real thing I remember is that the built and lived in long houses. Reading through the website I learned that this nation of Native Americas makes up the oldest living democracy on earth, at least three centuries older than most previous estimates. Now I know that is in the title, but these tribes had a huge influence on the founding fathers and congress.

I also found that the way Iroquois treated their land to be very important. In todays society we have damaged Earth almost to the point of no return and without even batting an eyelash. One of the passages on the site explained how much respect the Native Americans had for this land and for Earth. Not only did the understand how to utilize New York States rich soil to produce popular crops like beans, corn, and squash but they left almost no trace of pollution. All streams and water were clean and there were never any waste or open landfills. I find that to be very influential and wish we Americans could live more conscience of our waste.



 Figure 3







“Six Nations: The Oldest Participatory Democracy on Earth”, Retrieved from https://ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/ .


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  1. UnknownSeptember 25, 2018 at 8:22 PM

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    1. UnknownSeptember 25, 2018 at 8:25 PM

      In Module 1: Native Voices I watched Chief Oren Lyons Faithkeeper video. He spoke about Benjamin Franklin attending a meeting between the Six Nations Chiefs and how the Chiefs spoke about peace and unity, which was part of their democracy and how Franklin saw the vision of a free nation - power of the people in the hands of the people. Eventually the concept of peace and unity was accepted by the U.S. forefathers and was implemented into the U.S. Constitution, "...We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union (unity), establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility (peace)..." Chief Lyons also shared that one of the Chiefs broke an arrow to show the Euro-Americans what a divided nation resembled and then presented a bundle of arrows symbolic of unity. I researched and found that the U.S. Presidential seal has the bald eagle holding thirteen arrows in its left talon. All this to say that the Euro-Americans did listen to the Native Americans regarding a government founded on the concepts of Native American democracy.

      The Euro-Americans were advised to keep their spiritual center or there would be trouble, so they separated the church from the state and the Native Americans there will be a problem coming. They began to break treaties, instituted slavery as the established themselves and implemented the ways that they had brought from across the seas and grew strong. Their brilliance, what Chief Lyons call their "light" diminished. At the turn of the 19th century they began to kill millions of Native Americans and by the 20th century the motto was speak softly and carry a big stick - it was the beginning of imperialism - the expansion of power and to have dominion over. I can surmise from Chief Lyons story that the "light" went out - darkness.

      Chief Lyons poses a question, "can we get this light -- can we get this great light to come again?"

      “Oren Lyons the Faithkeeper.” Films Media Group, 1991, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=16071&xtid=6775. Accessed 25 Sept. 2018.

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  2. CKaneSeptember 26, 2018 at 10:39 AM

    That is interesting that the Iroquois can live on this soil for as long as they have, and not ruin it. Today I see so many people litter and add to the pollution problem. When I have gone fishing in the past, seeing garbage on the banks. To know that the Native see the earth as a living thing and have/ show respect is wonderful. Not too many people care as much anymore.

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  3. UnknownSeptember 30, 2018 at 3:44 PM

    I think it is empowering that your teacher taught you about the local history in your area. I think it is important to know the history all of your surrounding area. I think more teachers should focus more on local history to engage the students in the community rather than solely focusing on standardized testing.

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