Introduction
The confederacy of the Iroquois people is very important. Iroquois is the family that consists of five tribes namely Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Saneca and Cayuga who were the American eastern culture that forms the central New York today. The governing system of the Iroquois has a strong basis for democracy and responsible leadership in America Today.
The tribes had a democratically common council with the members elected by people of different lineages. The leaders were representatives of a tribe and a clan within the tribe. The official members were the chiefs who had to meet the approval of a league and tribe council. Improper behaviour of any leader faced a harsh reaction such as expulsion and loss of people’s confidence.
Similarities and differences of philosophies
Iroquois played a major role of governance through practising independent power in their relation to the white settlers. The chief functions of some of the tribes such as the Mohawk therefore were a strong indication of support to various confederacies and need for a balanced power. The American Revolution caused neutrality of the leagues but the tribes were able to exist independently through sovereign decisions. The Mohawk comprises of the inherent North American because they were mainly dependants of the Mohawk River as women farmers and fishermen, who later took refuge in Canada. Today, a good number of St Lawrence and Franklin counties of New York consist of Mohawk descents.
200th celebrations of United States constitutional governance in 1987 and was highly celebrated, but to whom and where are the true historical icons? Where is the origin of the liberty, modern civilization and democracy? Various philosophical ideas embody the derivation of independent and constitutional America.
Most theorists consider these as an emergence or realization of liberty, fortune, freedom, happiness and justice for all.it was a vaguely emerging hope for the end of misery, poverty and suffering among the poor to a new happy beginning. The historical transformation however caused the need to examine the origin of confederation and constitution that seem forgotten. According to Ann Kirk (2002), historical and scholarly research indicates that the oldest democracy existed among the Iroquois since they had confederacy years before the formation of American constitution.
Therefore, the U. S. constitution has a strong basis on the great law of peace among the Iroquois as opposed to the commonly taught and believed Greek origins. The Mohawk Indians in New York had a great role in the formation of the federal and constitutional U.S. In line with Anderson (1997), the modernized government of the U.S owes its existence and distinguishing structure to the American Indian domestic regime.
A common philosophy supports the strength of the role played by Mohawk in establishment of Northern America. The first Europeans from the north had a strong encounter with organized and powerful alliance Iroquois communities such as the Mohawk who were in control of a wide valley from St Laurence through South Pennsylvania to west Illinois. They managed the great Lakes, St Laurence and Hudson-Mohawk valleys.
They were in control of the northern trade routes, thus forcing them to play a major role in formation of the North American History including declaration of the independent Nation. Although most of the philosophical ideas unite on the issue of settlement, they highly differ in the emergence of democracy and constitution. Most studies would indicate that the military governance emerged from the Mohawk, considering their prowess but the counterargument would point to democratic governance of Mohawk administration.
Flouting the philosophies, Mohawk’s power of governance had its basis on the arts of peace and reasoning. They practiced the importance of human freedom through genuine and operational statesmanship programs of governance. The U.S. governance styles highly resemble the principles and procedure of Iroquois.
Comparison between Mohawk Indian in New York and the constitution
One of the greatest characteristic of the Mohawk Indians in New York involves the support for Law of peace, which highly lacks within the constitution. The Mohawk confederacy ascended centuries in the past in the aim of uniting communities and enhancing respect among them. The Mohawk’s law practiced a political philosophy that unreservedly committed to human liberty and individual’s justice. They held the greatest law of peace as the freedom of speech, right to religion and participation in governance, which partially lacks in today’s constitution.
The colonialists only learnt the separation of powers in governance form Mohawk system but left out the need to foster peace. The Mohawk practice indicates that peace is the will of creator as a natural directive and spiritual goal for the humans. They therefore engaged the peacemaker who emphasised the power of reasoning in assurance of justice and righteousness of a person. Peace therefore emerged through excising reason by the guidance of a spiritual mind as opposed to war and need to conquer (Churchill, 2002).
The force of rule of law or arms is a common scenario of governance today that has overthrown the historical concepts of spiritual guidance of the human society through natural law. The natural law is also guidance to saving natural resources, which lack proper consideration in the current constitution. During the tree-planting day in symbolism of peace, in Philadelphia In 1986, the chief of Mohawk, Jake Swamp emphasized the need for safeguarding everything provided by the creator as a gift (Ann Kirk, 2002). People require proper guidance and teaching over the need to be grateful of resources as a way of survival. According to Mohawk’s law, there is need for intensive efforts by humans to foster peace to triumph wrong deeds because logical and spiritual reasoning always prevail force and military actions.
Conclusion
It is not logical to discern the current constitution based on past governance styles because the law is very clear on arts of governance, demobilization, politics, conciliations and diplomacy. Although the search of support for peace within the constitution is of utmost concern, the constitution provides a deeper heritage for human freedom, culture, democracy and thus peaceful co-existence.
My personal character would therefore not support ratification of the current constitution based on the need to include clauses that support peaceful negotiations because support for democracy is support for peace. Nevertheless, there is need foster establishment of other methods in support of peace. Adopting stronger bond between the government and the religious bodies would easily nurture peaceful negotiations within leadership.
References:
Anderson, D. (1997). The Radical Enlightenments of Benjamin Franklin Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ann Kirk, C. (2002). The Mohawks of North America Minneapolis, MN: Learners
Publishing Press.
Churchill, W. (2002) Struggle for the land: Native North American resistance to Genocide San Francisco, CA: City Lights Books Press.