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THE CODE OF DEKANAHWIDEH 



TOGETHER WITH 



THE TRADITION OF THE ORIGIN OF THE FIVE 

 NATIONS' LEAGUE 



Prepared by the committee of chiefs appointed by the Six 

 Nations' Council of Grand River, Canada, and adopted by Council 

 of Chiefs, July 3, 1900. 



The committee was as follows : 



Chief Peter Powless Mohawk 



Chief J. W. M. ElHott Mohawk 



Chief Nicodemus Porter Oneida 



Chief Thomas WilHam Echo Onondaga 



Chief William Wage Cayuga 



Chief Abram Charles Cayuga 



Chief John A. Gibson Seneca 



Chief Josiah Hill Tuscarora 



Chief John Danford Oneida of the Thames 



Chief Isiah Sickles Oneida of the Thames 



INTRODUCTORY 



For several hundred years the Five Nations (since 171 5 the Six 

 Nations) have existed without a written history chronicled by them- 

 selves, of their ancient customs, rites and ceremonies, and of the 

 formation of the Iroquois League. Bo'oks have been' written by 

 white men in the past, but these have been found to be too volumin- 

 ous and inaccurate in some instances. 



Of the existence of the Five Nations therefore, before the forma- 

 tion of the League of Great Peace by Dekanahwideh, living as they 

 did apart from one another as separate nations and having nothing 

 in common, much might be written, but at this juncture our object 

 will only admit of the relation of the formation of the League of 

 the Five Nations, which as far as can be ascertained took place 

 about the year 1390. 



The purpose for which this league or confederation of the Five 

 Nations was organized was to enable them to protect themselves 

 against the invasion of their vast domains by other nations who 



