The Iroquois Confederacy and the democratic ideals of Equity and Fairness

1. To what extent did the decision-making process within the Iroquois Confederacy reflect democratic ideals of equity and fairness?

2. The Iroquois Confederacy and the democratic ideals of Equity and Fairness The Confederacy was NOT democracy. Neither the clan mothers nor the chiefs were elected by the people. The position of clan mother was hereditary, and the chiefs were appointed by the clan mothers. In both cases, the people had no real say in who their leaders would be. Also, despite the remarkable gender equality in Iroquois society, men had a political advantage. A man who was seen as hard-working, honest, and respectful of the Great Law could hope to become a faithkeeper, a council chief, a war chief, or a pine chief. A woman, on the other hand, had no such hope. Unless she was directly related to a clan mother, there was practically no chance of her becoming a clan mother herself one day.

3. The Confederacy, however, achieved a level of fairness and equity that was unmatched at the time. Iroquois women participated in politics centuries before women won the right to vote in modern democracies. At the local level, everyone’s voice mattered. Even a child’s opinion would be taken into consideration. Foreigners who swore to live by the Great Peace could become part of a nation. Even people captured in war could be adopted by a clan and become full Iroquois citizens. The example of the Tuscarora shows that entire nations could be welcomed into the Confederacy.

4. The Iroquois political structure ensured that the political leaders of the Confederacy respected the will of the people and the Great Law of Peace. Because decisions were made by consensus, they had to be acceptable to everyone. This process had several positive outcomes. First, this made sure that everyone worked together in the decision-making process. Second, this ensured that the majority could not dominate the minority. Third, this meant that everyone felt included in the decision-making process. This last point is more important than it seems. Many democracies, including Canada, have seen fewer and fewer people voting in recent years. The Iroquois political structure proved that when people feel included, they are far more likely to want to participate in the process of government.