Haudenosaunee (hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee) means "people who build a house." The name refers to a confederation or alliance among six Native American nations who are more commonly known as the Iroquois Confederacy. Each nation has its own identity. These nations are known as:
- Mohawk (MO-hawk) or Kanien'kehaka, which means "People of the Flint." The Mohawk are also called "Keepers of the Eastern Door" since they are the easternmost nation in the Haudenosaunee territory. They were responsible for protecting and defending the eastern boundaries of Haudenosaunee territory.
- Oneida (o-NY-da) or Onayotekaono, which means "People of the Standing Stone."
- Onondaga (on-nen-DA-ga) or Onundagaono, which means "People of the Hills." The Onondaga are also called "Keepers of the Central Fire" since the Onondaga Nation is considered the capitol of the Confederacy. As the Peacemaker promised, the Haudenosaunee council fire burns at the Onondaga Nation.
- Cayuga (ka-YOO-ga) or Guyohkohnyoh, which means "People of the Great Swamp."
- Seneca (SEN-i-ka) or Onondowahgah, which means "People of the Great Hill." The Seneca are also known as "Keepers of the Western Door" because they are the westernmost nation in the Haudenosaunee territory. They were responsible for protecting and defending the western boundaries of Haudenosaunee territory.
- Tuscarora (tus-ka-ROR-a) or Skaruhreh, which means "The Shirt Wearing People." In 1722, members of the Tuscarora Nation, who were living in what is now North Carolina, traveled north to seek refuge among the Haudenosaunee. They were invited to join the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, becoming its sixth nation. Since that time, the Confederacy has also been known as the Six Nations. Haudenosaunee people refer to themselves as Ongweh'onweh (ongk-way-HON-way), which simply means "real human being." Although many cultural similarities and family connections unite the six nations, each one is also unique and has its own distinct language.
One of the most important events that shaped the Haudenosaunee was the creation of the Gayanesshagowa (gaya-ness-HA-gowa), the Great Law of Peace. It guides the Haudenosaunee through all aspects of life. A full rendition of this epic, which takes several days to tell, reveals the ways in which the Peacemaker's teaching emphasized the power of Reason, not force, to assure the three principles of the Great Law: Righteousness, Justice, and Health. The Great Law of Peace provides the Haudenosaunee people with instructions on how to treat others, directs them on how to maintain a democratic society, and expresses how Reason must prevail in order to preserve peace.
