THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FIVE NATIONS 107 



Whenever it occurs that a lord is thus deposed, then the chief 

 matron shall select and appoint another warrior of her family or 

 clan and crown him with the deer's horns and thus a new lord 

 shall be created in the place of the one deposed. 



The lords of each of the confederate nations shall have one 

 assistant and their duty, each of them, shall be to carry messages 

 through the forests between our settlements and also in the absence 

 of the lord through illness or any other impediment he shall be 

 deputed by him (his lord) to act in his place in council. 



The lords then said : " We have now completed defining the 

 obligations and positions of a lord (Royaner) and therefore in 

 accordance with the custom which we now have established, it 

 shall be that when a lord is deposed and the deer's horns (emblem 

 of power) are taken from him, he shall no longer be allowed 

 to sit in council or even hold an office again." 



Then the lords continued and said : " What shall we do in case 

 some of us lords are removed by sudden death and in whom so 

 much dependence is placed?" 



"In such case (this shall be done), the chief matron and the 

 warriors of the family and clan of the deceased lord, shall nominate 

 another lord from the warriors of the family and clan of the dead 

 lord to succeed him, then the matter will be submitted to the brother 

 lords and if they (the brother lords) confirm the nomination, then 

 the matter will be further submitted to their cousin lords and if 

 they also confirm the nomination, then the candidate shall be quali- 

 fied to be raised by the condolence ceremony (Honda nas)." 



Then the lords continued and said : " In case the family and 

 clan in which a lordship title 1 is vested shall become extinct, this 

 shall be done : It shall then be transferred and vested in the hands 

 of the confederate lords and they will consider the matter and nomi- 

 nate and appoint 2 a successor from any family of the brother lords 

 of the deceased lord, and the lords may in their discretion vest the 

 said lordship title in some family, and such title will remain in 

 that family so long as the lords are satisfied. 



" If ever it should occur that the chief matron in a family or 

 clan in which a lordship title is vested should be removed by death 

 and leave female infants who, owing to their infancy can not 

 nominate a candidate to bear their lordship title, then the lords 

 (of the same nation) at their pleasure may appoint an adult female 

 of a sister family who shall make a temporary appointment, shall 



1 Nihosennode', the title. 



2 The term is Naho n yawadaga ya'de 11 . 



