THE SPIKE
THE GREAT LAW OF THE IROQUOIS
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE IROQUOIS NATIONS
THE GREAT BINDING LAW, GAYANASHAGOWA
PART 8
Rights of Foreign Nations
73. The soil of the earth from one end of the land to the
other is the property of the people who inhabit it. By birthright
the Ongwehonweh (Original beings) are the owners of the soil
which they own and occupy and none other may hold it. The
same law has been held from the oldest times.
The Great Creator has made us of the one blood and of the
same soil he made us and as only different tongues constitute
different nations he established different hunting grounds
and territories and made boundary lines between them.
74. When any alien nation or individual is admitted into
the Five Nations the admission shall be understood only to
be a temporary one. Should the person or nation create loss,
do wrong or cause suffering of any kind to endanger the peace
of the Confederacy, the Confederate Lords shall order one
of their war chiefs to reprimand him or them and if a similar
offence is again committed the offending party or parties
shall be expelled from the territory of the Five United Nations.
75. When a member of an alien nation comes to the territory
of the Five Nations and seeks refuge and permanent residence,
the Lords of the Nation to which he comes shall extend hospitality
and make him a member of the nation. Then shall he be accorded
equal rights and privileges in all matters except as after
mentioned.
76. No body of alien people who have been adopted temporarily
shall have a vote in the council of the Lords of the Confederacy,
for only they who have been invested with Lordship titles
may vote in the Council. Aliens have nothing by blood to make
claim to a vote and should they have it, not knowing all the
traditions of the Confederacy, might go against its Great
Peace. In this manner the Great Peace would be endangered
and perhaps be destroyed.
77. When the Lords of the Confederacy decide to admit a
foreign nation and an adoption is made, the Lords shall inform
the adopted nation that its admission is only temporary. They
shall also say to the nation that it must never try to control,
to interfere with or to injure the Five Nations nor disregard
the Great Peace or any of its rules or customs. That in no
way should they cause disturbance or injury. Then should the
adopted nation disregard these injunctions, their adoption
shall be annuled and they shall be expelled.
The expulsion shall be in the following manner: The council
shall appoint one of their War Chiefs to convey the message
of annulment and he shall say, "You (naming the nation)
listen to me while I speak. I am here to inform you again
of the will of the Five Nations' Council. It was clearly made
known to you at a former time. Now the Lords of the Five Nations
have decided to expel you and cast you out. We disown you
now and annul your adoption. Therefore you must look for a
path in which to go and lead away all your people. It was
you, not we, who committed wrong and caused this sentence
of annulment. So then go your way and depart from the territory
of the Five Nations and from the Confederacy."
78. Whenever a foreign nation enters the Confederacy or
accepts the Great Peace, the Five Nations and the foreign
nation shall enter into an agreement and compact by
which the foreign nation shall endeavor to pursuade
other nations to accept the Great Peace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|