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  • Shannon Murphy

Seventh Generation

What if every decision was made with the thought of how it would affect future generations? How would it change our lives and that of our children’s children? How would those decisions change the world around you? These questions aren’t only a thought experiment but a philosophy for the Haudenosaunee (hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Confederation.  

The Haudenosaunee “people who build a house” is a group of six (originally five) Native American nations more commonly known as the Iroquois Confederacy consisting of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and the Tuscarora who joined after the confederacy was formed. Once at war with each other, the nations were brought together by the Peacemaker. 

The Peacemaker first broke a single arrow to demonstrate that by themselves, they were easy to defeat. He then tied five arrows into a bundle that could no longer be broken. The five arrows represented the strength of a confederation. As peace spread through the nations, the Peacemaker told each nation to choose one man as a representative. The five representatives formed the Grand Council. The Peacemaker gave the council the laws of the Haudenosaunee (The Great Law of the Haudenosaunee), creating the oldest living participatory democracy. 

The majority of the Great Laws are unknown to today’s population, but one law has found purchase in today’s society, Seventh Generation. Today, its use is popular with cleaning companies or environmental groups that are encouraging green living. In its simplest version it states “in every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation.”  

The complete law states:  

"The thickness of your skin shall be seven spans -- which is to say that you shall be proof against anger, offensive actions and criticism.  Your heart shall be filled with peace and good will and your mind filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the Confederacy. With endless patience you shall carry out your duty and your firmness shall be tempered with tenderness for your people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodgement in your mind and all your words and actions shall be marked with calm deliberation. In all of your deliberations in the Confederate Council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self interest shall be cast into oblivion. Cast not over your shoulder behind you the warnings of the nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground -- the unborn of the future Nation." 

The Iroquois Confederacy was not the only Native Americans or indigenous people who held this philosophy. They may not have called it by the same name, but their oral and written histories, actions, and way of life all share the same respect and selfless way of life.

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