Recommended listening: Matriarch: Iroquois Women's Songs by Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida, Wolf Clan)
Story
A thousand years ago, a single longhouse stood on a crossroads. Men engaged in warfare travelled back and forth every day, but they always stopped to eat and regain their strength at the longhouse. It was the home of Jigonsaseh, a woman known far and wide for her hospitality to visiting warriors. No matter which nation the men were from, Jigonsaseh would welcome them at her cooking pot. Although she was said to love hearing stories of battles, within her longhouse there were no enemies: men who ate from the same bowl were forbidden from fighting each other. Some say Jigonsaseh was one of the Wyandot people, and others say the Erie or the Seneca. Wherever she was originally from, she came to know people from all the nations of her region.
One day, an unusual pair of visitors came to her longhouse. They were men who had forsaken the ways of war and were instead seeking to spread a message of peace. One was known as the Great Peacemaker, a prophet who was said to have arrived in a marble canoe with a law of peace that would unite the warring nations into one longhouse. With him was Hiawatha, a great orator who had left his life of battle behind him after losing all the women in his life to war and disease. The Peacemaker and Hiawatha wanted to spread their message of peace to the other nations, but they didn't know enough people. Jigonsaseh's reputation had spread far and wide, so the Peacemaker came to her longhouse and explained his message to her, hoping that she could use her wide social network to help introduce them to influential people. Jigonsaseh listened as the Peacemaker explained a vision of all the nations making decisions together instead of killing each other in needless wars. She saw in his words the potential for a better life, and so she agreed to travel with him and Hiawatha to spread the law of peace.
Jigonsaseh arranged introductions with the Clan Mothers they visited so that Hiawatha and the Peacemaker could have audiences with the highest authorities in each nation. One by one, the three of them convinced the Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga and Oneida to join their new confederacy committed to peace. Finally, only one nation remained: Hiawatha's original people, the Onondoga. The Onondaga were ruled by a bloodthirsty chief called Tadadaho. It was said that Tadadaho's mind had become so twisted by hate that his hair had grown into snakes. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker entreated him to join them, but Tadadaho was too evil to accept at first. Then Jigonsaseh stepped up to the fire where he sat. In some accounts, she sang a sacred medicine song which healed Tadadaho of his twisted mind. In others, she confronted him verbally. "Hit me," she commanded. Tadadaho looked around uncomfortably, unwilling to hit her in front of so many important people. But Jigonsaseh kept pressing him: "I have heard how you treat the women in your longhouse. How am I any different?" Tadadaho was ashamed, and he allowed Jigonsaseh to comb the snakes gently out of his hair. After this, his mind was healed, and he joined the new confederacy as its leader. The Onondoga became the firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, thus forming one of the oldest representative governments in the world.
The Great Law of Peace and the other laws of the Confederacy were written into sacred wampum belts, the use of which for writing Hiawatha had innovated some years earlier. Among these belts was the Women's Nomination Belt. Jigonsaseh convinced the Peacemaker that his vision of peace would not be possible if women were not held to be equal in this new government. Thus, while the chiefs who sat on the council would all be men, they could only be nominated by their Clan Mothers. The Clan Mothers had the power to install and remove chiefs at their own discretion. They met in their own council which consulted regularly with the council of chiefs. The Haudenosaunee are matrilineal and matrilocal peoples. The Clan Mothers traditionally directed all agricultural pursuits and could withhold food if they did not believe in the cause of a war the chiefs wanted to wage. It is through this system that balance was and is maintained among the Haudenosaunee.
The Confederacy remains active to this day, and its system of government and symbolism were very influential on the foundation of the United States. For her crucial role in bringing the nations together, establishing the authority of the Clan Mothers, spreading the Law of Peace, and setting a precedent for women's participation in democracy that would influence history for the next thousand years, Jigonsaseh is still honoured today among the Haudenosaunee as the Mother of Nations.
One day, an unusual pair of visitors came to her longhouse. They were men who had forsaken the ways of war and were instead seeking to spread a message of peace. One was known as the Great Peacemaker, a prophet who was said to have arrived in a marble canoe with a law of peace that would unite the warring nations into one longhouse. With him was Hiawatha, a great orator who had left his life of battle behind him after losing all the women in his life to war and disease. The Peacemaker and Hiawatha wanted to spread their message of peace to the other nations, but they didn't know enough people. Jigonsaseh's reputation had spread far and wide, so the Peacemaker came to her longhouse and explained his message to her, hoping that she could use her wide social network to help introduce them to influential people. Jigonsaseh listened as the Peacemaker explained a vision of all the nations making decisions together instead of killing each other in needless wars. She saw in his words the potential for a better life, and so she agreed to travel with him and Hiawatha to spread the law of peace.
Jigonsaseh arranged introductions with the Clan Mothers they visited so that Hiawatha and the Peacemaker could have audiences with the highest authorities in each nation. One by one, the three of them convinced the Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga and Oneida to join their new confederacy committed to peace. Finally, only one nation remained: Hiawatha's original people, the Onondoga. The Onondaga were ruled by a bloodthirsty chief called Tadadaho. It was said that Tadadaho's mind had become so twisted by hate that his hair had grown into snakes. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker entreated him to join them, but Tadadaho was too evil to accept at first. Then Jigonsaseh stepped up to the fire where he sat. In some accounts, she sang a sacred medicine song which healed Tadadaho of his twisted mind. In others, she confronted him verbally. "Hit me," she commanded. Tadadaho looked around uncomfortably, unwilling to hit her in front of so many important people. But Jigonsaseh kept pressing him: "I have heard how you treat the women in your longhouse. How am I any different?" Tadadaho was ashamed, and he allowed Jigonsaseh to comb the snakes gently out of his hair. After this, his mind was healed, and he joined the new confederacy as its leader. The Onondoga became the firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, thus forming one of the oldest representative governments in the world.
The Great Law of Peace and the other laws of the Confederacy were written into sacred wampum belts, the use of which for writing Hiawatha had innovated some years earlier. Among these belts was the Women's Nomination Belt. Jigonsaseh convinced the Peacemaker that his vision of peace would not be possible if women were not held to be equal in this new government. Thus, while the chiefs who sat on the council would all be men, they could only be nominated by their Clan Mothers. The Clan Mothers had the power to install and remove chiefs at their own discretion. They met in their own council which consulted regularly with the council of chiefs. The Haudenosaunee are matrilineal and matrilocal peoples. The Clan Mothers traditionally directed all agricultural pursuits and could withhold food if they did not believe in the cause of a war the chiefs wanted to wage. It is through this system that balance was and is maintained among the Haudenosaunee.
The Confederacy remains active to this day, and its system of government and symbolism were very influential on the foundation of the United States. For her crucial role in bringing the nations together, establishing the authority of the Clan Mothers, spreading the Law of Peace, and setting a precedent for women's participation in democracy that would influence history for the next thousand years, Jigonsaseh is still honoured today among the Haudenosaunee as the Mother of Nations.
Artist's Comments
I was lucky enough to visit two Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) sites on a recent trip to New York - Ganondagan (Seneca) and Skä•noñh (Onondoga). It was at these sites that I learned the story of Jigonsaseh. Her role in the foundation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy has traditionally been omitted understated in outsiders' accounts since early anthropologists only consulted with the men. The date of the Confederacy's foundation has not been agreed upon, and I had previously ruled out depiciting it in my project because I had seen good arguments for a date of 1142. However, the sites I visited consistently situated the foundation of the Confederacy over a thousand years ago, and Skä•noñh even gave 1000 as the approximate foundation date. For this reason, I decided to respect the oral tradition represented at these sites and include Jigonsaseh in my project.
Jigonsaseh is so important that there is a lot of symbolism in this piece. Her name means "Wide-faced Lynx", which is why I drew a lynx standing behind her. Other important women in Haudenosaunee history have lynx names, and Jigonsaseh is believed to have been a direct descendant of Sky-Woman's daughter, the first person ever born on earth. Haudenosaunee means "people of the longhouse", which is why the longhouse is placed behind them. The eagle on top of the white pine tree guards the Confederacy and serves as one of their most important symbols (another influence on the early United States). Jigonsaseh is dressed as a Wyandot (Huron) woman wearing blackened buckskin, representing the version of the story where she is not herself from the Haudenosaunee nations. I'm not 100% sure the Clan Mother would have access to that shade of purple for her clothing back then, but I wanted to emphasize the importance of the wampum belt in granting her authority.
I'm very proud that this is the 20th illustration in the series! There are a couple of people I want to thank for this one: Uncle Peter for taking me to Ganondagan and Skä•noñh when we were visiting him in what is currently known as New York; Rebekah for her advice on the composition of this picture; the Seneca and Onondoga peoples who share so much information with the wider public at Ganondagan and Skä•noñh; and everyone who has supported me while I've been working on this illustration. Thank you! ~ August 31, 2019
Jigonsaseh is so important that there is a lot of symbolism in this piece. Her name means "Wide-faced Lynx", which is why I drew a lynx standing behind her. Other important women in Haudenosaunee history have lynx names, and Jigonsaseh is believed to have been a direct descendant of Sky-Woman's daughter, the first person ever born on earth. Haudenosaunee means "people of the longhouse", which is why the longhouse is placed behind them. The eagle on top of the white pine tree guards the Confederacy and serves as one of their most important symbols (another influence on the early United States). Jigonsaseh is dressed as a Wyandot (Huron) woman wearing blackened buckskin, representing the version of the story where she is not herself from the Haudenosaunee nations. I'm not 100% sure the Clan Mother would have access to that shade of purple for her clothing back then, but I wanted to emphasize the importance of the wampum belt in granting her authority.
I'm very proud that this is the 20th illustration in the series! There are a couple of people I want to thank for this one: Uncle Peter for taking me to Ganondagan and Skä•noñh when we were visiting him in what is currently known as New York; Rebekah for her advice on the composition of this picture; the Seneca and Onondoga peoples who share so much information with the wider public at Ganondagan and Skä•noñh; and everyone who has supported me while I've been working on this illustration. Thank you! ~ August 31, 2019
Resources
Want to learn more about Jigonsaseh and other Haudenosaunee women in the past and present? Here are some recommended resources.
Ganondagan
Ganondagan is the site of an important Seneca town from the 17th century. Their recreated longhouse and recently built visitors' centre bring to life the rich history of the Seneca. The exhibit Hodinöhsö:ni' Women: From the Time of Creation explores the important role women have always played in Haudenosaunee life, with an entire panel dedicated to the visionary leadership of Jigonsaseh.
Skä•noñh - Great Law of Peace Center
This museum is run by the Onondoga, the Firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee. Built on the shores of the sacred Onondoga Lake, Skä•noñh tells the story of the Great Law of Peace and the foundation of the Confederacy. Special attention is given to Jigonsaseh, as well as the functioning of the Confederacy and how it influenced the Founding Fathers when they drafted the U.S. Constitution. There is also a recreated 17th century French mission. Several of the videos that play in Skä•noñh are hosted on YouTube, such as these on the Great Law of Peace (including Jigonsaseh and other women), the meaning of Skä•noñh, and the contributions of the Haudenosaunee to the development of democracy, feminism, science, sports and human rights.
Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early American Feminists by Sally Roesch Wagner
This book goes into incredible detail about how the early white feminists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and above all Matilda Gage were directly inspired to demand their own rights after experiencing firsthand the rights of Haudenosaunee women. Gage was adopted into the Mohawk Nation and wrote extensively about the superior status of women in Haudenosaunee societies. The book includes Jigonsaseh's role in founding the Confederacy and how she set a precedent for how women would be treated in it thereafter. I bought this book at Ganondagan and found it a fascinating read! If you can't get your hands on it, you can also hear the author speaking about the topic in this video with Jeanne Shenandoah (Onondoga, Eel Clan).
The Search for Jigonsaseh by Niyawehnsie
This video explains all the information the author, a painter adopted into the Seneca Bear Clan, has gathered about Jigonsaseh in her years of learning more about her. Her sources include noted Seneca scholar Barbara Mann as well as Haudenosaunee elders she has come to know over the years. The video features some of her beautiful, detailed paintings and shares interesting ideas about the importance of the lynx to understanding Jigonsaseh's connection to women from the Creation.
Hiawatha - The Great Law of Peace by Extra Credits
This two-part series of Extra History tells the story of the foundation of the Confederacy with a cute and accessible animated style. The videos do a great job conveying the wider narrative as well as featuring Jigonsaseh's crucial role. This version of the story emphasizes Jigonsaseh's concern for violence against women and ensuring that it would not be tolerated in the Confederacy's leadership.
Peacemaker's Journey by Joanne Shenandoah
This beautiful album tells the story of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy's foundation in the Oneida language. Joanne Shenandoah, of the Wolf Clan in the Oneida Nation, sings with a transcendent beauty. One of the songs is dedicated to Jigonsaseh, called "Mother of Nations". Even if you don't understand the language, there is something incredibly special hearing the story sung in one of the Haudenosaunee languages, and the emotions surrounding the story of peace come through so clearly.
Native-Languages.org
If you need a more general introduction to the peoples mentioned in this entry, check out their pages on Native Languages. You can read about the Erie, the Wyandot (Huron), and the different nations of the Haudenosaunee. You can also look around the official website of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The website includes a list of the women currently serving as Clan Mothers and the chiefs they nominated.
Ganondagan
Ganondagan is the site of an important Seneca town from the 17th century. Their recreated longhouse and recently built visitors' centre bring to life the rich history of the Seneca. The exhibit Hodinöhsö:ni' Women: From the Time of Creation explores the important role women have always played in Haudenosaunee life, with an entire panel dedicated to the visionary leadership of Jigonsaseh.
Skä•noñh - Great Law of Peace Center
This museum is run by the Onondoga, the Firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee. Built on the shores of the sacred Onondoga Lake, Skä•noñh tells the story of the Great Law of Peace and the foundation of the Confederacy. Special attention is given to Jigonsaseh, as well as the functioning of the Confederacy and how it influenced the Founding Fathers when they drafted the U.S. Constitution. There is also a recreated 17th century French mission. Several of the videos that play in Skä•noñh are hosted on YouTube, such as these on the Great Law of Peace (including Jigonsaseh and other women), the meaning of Skä•noñh, and the contributions of the Haudenosaunee to the development of democracy, feminism, science, sports and human rights.
Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early American Feminists by Sally Roesch Wagner
This book goes into incredible detail about how the early white feminists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and above all Matilda Gage were directly inspired to demand their own rights after experiencing firsthand the rights of Haudenosaunee women. Gage was adopted into the Mohawk Nation and wrote extensively about the superior status of women in Haudenosaunee societies. The book includes Jigonsaseh's role in founding the Confederacy and how she set a precedent for how women would be treated in it thereafter. I bought this book at Ganondagan and found it a fascinating read! If you can't get your hands on it, you can also hear the author speaking about the topic in this video with Jeanne Shenandoah (Onondoga, Eel Clan).
The Search for Jigonsaseh by Niyawehnsie
This video explains all the information the author, a painter adopted into the Seneca Bear Clan, has gathered about Jigonsaseh in her years of learning more about her. Her sources include noted Seneca scholar Barbara Mann as well as Haudenosaunee elders she has come to know over the years. The video features some of her beautiful, detailed paintings and shares interesting ideas about the importance of the lynx to understanding Jigonsaseh's connection to women from the Creation.
Hiawatha - The Great Law of Peace by Extra Credits
This two-part series of Extra History tells the story of the foundation of the Confederacy with a cute and accessible animated style. The videos do a great job conveying the wider narrative as well as featuring Jigonsaseh's crucial role. This version of the story emphasizes Jigonsaseh's concern for violence against women and ensuring that it would not be tolerated in the Confederacy's leadership.
Peacemaker's Journey by Joanne Shenandoah
This beautiful album tells the story of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy's foundation in the Oneida language. Joanne Shenandoah, of the Wolf Clan in the Oneida Nation, sings with a transcendent beauty. One of the songs is dedicated to Jigonsaseh, called "Mother of Nations". Even if you don't understand the language, there is something incredibly special hearing the story sung in one of the Haudenosaunee languages, and the emotions surrounding the story of peace come through so clearly.
Native-Languages.org
If you need a more general introduction to the peoples mentioned in this entry, check out their pages on Native Languages. You can read about the Erie, the Wyandot (Huron), and the different nations of the Haudenosaunee. You can also look around the official website of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The website includes a list of the women currently serving as Clan Mothers and the chiefs they nominated.