THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FIVE NATIONS 37 



23 Any Lord of the Five Nations Confederacy may construct 

 shell strings (or wampum belts) of any size or length as pledges 

 or records of matters of national or international importance. 



When it is necessary to dispatch a shell string by a War Chief 

 or other messenger as the token of a summons, the messenger shall 

 recite the contents of the string to the party to whom it is sent. 

 That party shall repeat the message and return the shell string and 

 if there has been a summons he shall make ready for the journey. 



Any of the people of the Five Nations may use shells (or wam- 

 pum) as the record of a pledge, contract or an agreement entered 

 into and the same shall be binding as soon as shell strings shall have 

 been exchanged by both parties. (32-XXXII, TLL). 



24 The Lords of the Confederacy of the Five Nations shall be 

 mentors of the people for all time. The thickness of their skin 

 shall be seven spans — which is to say that they shall be proof 

 against anger, offensive actions and criticism. Their hearts shall be 

 full of peace and good will and their minds filled with a yearning 

 for the welfare of the people of the Confederacy. With endless 

 patience they shall carry out their duty and their firmness shall be 

 tempered with a tenderness for their people. Neither anger nor 

 fury shall find lodgement in their minds and all their words and 

 actions shall be marked by calm deJiberation. (33-XXXIII, TLL). 



25 If a Lord of the Confederacy should seek to establish any 

 authority independent of the jurisdiction of the Confederacy of the 

 Great Peace, which is the Five Nations, he shall be warned three 

 times in open council, first by the women relatives, second by the 

 men relatives and finally by the Lords of the Confederacy of the 

 Nation to which he belongs. If the offending Lord is still obdurate 

 he shall be dismissed by the War Chief of his nation for refusing 

 to conform to the laws of the Great Peace. His nation shall then 

 install the candidate nominated by the female name holders of his 

 family; (34-XXXIV, TLL). 



26 It shall be the duty of all of the Five Nations Confederate 

 Lords, from time to time as occasion demands, to act as mentors 

 and spiritual guides of their people and remind them of their 

 Creator's will and words. They shall say: 



" Hearken, that peace may continue unto future days ! 



"Always listen to the words of the Great Creator, for he has 

 spoken. 



" United People, let not evil find lodging in your minds 



" For the Great Creator has spoken and the cause of Peace shall 

 not become old. 



