REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I9II 69 



will accepted the Great Peace their own system of internal govern- 

 ment may continue so far as is consistent bnt they must cease all 

 strife with other nations. 



In this manner and under these provisions and others every rebel- 

 lious tribe or nation, almost without exception, was either exter- 

 minated or absorbed. The Erie, the Neutral, the Huron, the 

 Andaste and other cognate tribes of the Iroquoian stock were broken 

 up and the scattered bands -of survivors settled in the numerous 

 Iroquois towns to forget in time their birth nation and to be known 

 forever after only as Iroquois. The law read, '' henceforth let no 

 one so adopted mention the name of their birth nation. To do so 

 will hasten the end of the Great Peace." The Lenni Lenape or 

 Delaware, the Nanticoke, the broken bands of the Minsi and the 

 Shawne, the Brotherton and other Algonquian tribes yielded to the 

 armed persuasions to accept the Great Peace ; likewise did the 

 Tutelo and Catawba of the eastern Siouan stock and the Choctaw of 

 the Muskoghean yield and to that action is due the fact that they 

 have descendants today. 



The Iroquois policy of adopting captives led to the mixture of 

 widely scattered stocks. The Iroquois therefore became an ethnic 

 group of composite elements. Thus from the ideas of universal 

 peace and brotherhood grew universal intermarriage, modified of 

 course by clan laws. 



According to the Great Immutable Law the Iroquois Confederate 

 Council was to consist of fifty Rodiyaner (civil chiefs) and was to 

 be divided into three bodies, namely, the Older Brothers, the 

 Mohawk and the Seneca ; the Younger Brothers, the Cayuga and the 

 Oneida, and the Fire Keepers, the Onondaga. Each brotherhood 

 debated a question separately and reported to the Fire Keepers, In 

 case of disagreement in opinion the Fire Keepers referred the mat- 

 ter back and ordered a unanimous report. If the two brotherhoods 

 still disagreed the Fire Keepers had the casting vote. If, however, 

 the brotherhoods agreed and their decision was not in accord with 

 the wishes of the Fire Keepers the Fire Keepers could only confirm 

 the decision for absolute unanimity was the law and required for the 

 passage of any question. Provisions to speedily break any deadlock 

 were provided. All the work of the council was done without an 

 executive head, save a temporary speaker appointed by acclamation. 

 Adodarhoh in spite of his high title was only the moderator of the 

 Fire Keepers. 



These '' Lords " or civil chiefs were nominated by certain noble- 



