Foundations of Haudenosaunee Law is a seven-module educational series designed to introduce learners unfamiliar with Haudenosaunee law to its central narratives, teachings, and structures. Guided by three Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) knowledge holders and youth from Kahnawà :ke, the series examines how Haudenosaunee law functions as a way of life carried through stories, ceremonies, language, and relationships that continue to shape family, community, governance, and diplomacy.
This series begins with Module 1, which introduces the knowledge holders who share their perspectives and experiences in this project, followed by Module 2, which presents key foundations of Haudenosaunee law.
At its core, the series focuses on four meta-narratives that have oriented Haudenosaunee societies for centuries: the Creation Story (Module 3), the Clan System (Module 4), the Great Law of Peace (Kayanerenhtsherakó:wa) (Module 5), and the Code of Handsome Lake (KarihwÃ:yo) (Module 6). Each narrative establishes successive layers of law: the relationship with yethi’nihstenha tsi yonhwentsyà :ke (Our Mother the Earth); the responsibilities of kinship and family life within the clan system; the principles of peace, unity, and consensus at the level of nations under the Great Law of Peace; and the Haudenosaunee’s relationship with Christianity and colonial change through KarihwÃ:yo.
Finally, Module 7 situates these teachings within the lived history of Kahnawà :ke. It introduces learners to the community’s historical background, the tensions between traditional governance and the Indian Act band council system, the impact of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the contemporary Kahnawà :ke Governance Project. Together, these perspectives illustrate the resilience of Kahnawa’kehró:non in maintaining their governance, identity, and relationships despite centuries of external pressure.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this series students will be able to:
- Identify the central narratives of Haudenosaunee law and explain their significance in shaping relationships to land, family, community, and other nations.
- Describe the role of language, oral tradition, and ceremony as sources of Haudenosaunee law.
- Distinguish the principles established by the Creation Story, the Clan System, the Great Law of Peace, and the Code of Handsome Lake, and explain how these narratives build upon one another.
- Analyze how Haudenosaunee law has informed treaty relationships and continues to provide a framework for governance and diplomacy
Credits
This Wapanakew series was directed by Florence Robert, in collaboration with Brandon Montour, and filmed in Kahnawà :ke. Wapanakew gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the knowledge holders and youth who shared their time and teachings: Elder Otsi’tsaken:ra (Charlie) Patton, Brandon Montour, and Sha’teiohseri:io Patton. The project was made possible with the financial support of Justice Canada.
