[scorT] CONFEDERACY OF THE SIX NATIONS 227 
and shall seat them in the midst of your Confederacy, and the meaning 
of placing an Eagle on the top of the Great tall tree is to watch the 
Roots which extend to the North and to the South and to the East and 
to the West, and the Eagle will discover if any evil is approaching 
your Confederacy, and will scream and give the alarm and all the 
Nations of the Confederacy at once shall hear the alarm and come to 
the front. 
Then De-ka-nah-wi-deh again said, We shall now combine our 
power into one great power which is this Confederacy, and we shall now 
therefore symbolize the union of these powers by each Nation con- 
tributing one arrow (each) which we shall tie up together in a bundle, 
which when it is made and completely tied together no one can bend or 
break it. 4 
Then De-ka-nah-wi-deh further said, We have now completed this 
union in securing one arrow from each Nation, it is not good that one 
should be lacking or taken from the bundle, for it would weaken our 
power and it would be still worse if two arrows were taken from the 
bundle. And if three arrows were taken, then any one could break the 
remaining arrows in the bundle. 
Then De-ka-nah-wi-deh continued his address and said, We shall 
now therefore tie this bundle of arrows together with deer’s sinews 
which is strong, durable and lasting and then this Institution will be 
strong and unchangeable. This bundle of arrows signifies that all Lords 
and all the Warriors and all the women of the Confederacy have become 
united as one person. 
Then De-ka-nah-wi-deh again said, We have now completed bind- 
ing this bundle of arrows and we shall leave it beside the Great tree 
(Ska-renh-heh-se-go-wah) beside the Confederate Council fire of Tha- : 
do-dah-ho. 
Then De-ka-nah-wi-deh said, We have now completed our power 
so that we, the Five Nations Confederacy, shall in the future only have 
one body, one head and one heart. 
Then he (De-ka-nah-wi-deh) further said, If any evil should befall 
us in the future we shall stand or fall unitedly as one man. 
Then De-ka-nah-wi-deh said, You Lords shall be symbolized as 
trees of the Five Confederate Nations. We therefore bind ourselves 
together by taking hold of each other’s hands so firmly and forming a 
circle so strong that if a tree should fall upon it, it could not shake nor 
break it, so that our people and grandchildren shall remain in the 
circle in security, peace and happiness. And if any Lord who is crowned 
with the emblem of deer’s horns shall break through this circle of unity, 
his horns shall become fastened in the circle, and if he persists after 
warning from the Chief Matron &c. he shall go through it without his 
