grand council decision making.pdf

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 29 A1.1, A3.1, A3.2 What is the Grand Council? The Grand Council is when the 6 nations would me...

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 29 A1.1, A3.1, A3.2 What is the Grand Council? The Grand Council is when the 6 nations would meet to discuss issues that arose in the 6 different nations. When the nations arrived, each nation had a role in the meeting. The Onondaga were the Fire Keepers and were responsible for opening the Grand Council. They welcomed everyone and announced what they would be discussing. The Mohawk and Seneca were known as the Elder Brothers, as they were the first to join the Confederacy. The Oneida and Cayuga were known as the Younger Brothers. Process of Decision Making During meetings of the Grand Council, a speaker from the Mohawk, Onondaga, or Seneca nations would be chosen to hold the position for the day. The next day, a new speaker would be chosen. While the chief spoke to the audience, their clan mother and faith keepers sat behind him to advise and remind him of his responsibility to his people. When a speaker was invited to address the audience, he calmly explained his nation’s stance. The other chiefs listened and formulated questions to get clarification. Everyone listened and respected the speaker. If a consensus was made, the next issue could be brought to the audience by the same speaker or a new one. If not everyone agreed, the issue may be set aside until the chiefs could get advice from their communities. This is democracy in action, as everyone in the community had a voice in how the community should move forward. Democracy in Action – Everyone has a Voice Tree of Peace – The Chiefs sat beneath and Everyone had a voice in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Each deliberated nation would have clan meetings where men, women, and children could speak. The clan mothers would inform the chiefs of issues that needed to be change. The chief would bring these issues to the Grand Council. © Super Simple Sheets supersimplesheets.com