Jigonhsasee (alternately spelled Jikonhsaseh and Jikonsase, pronounced () was an

Iroquoian The Iroquoian languages are a language family of indigenous peoples of North America. They are known for their general lack of labial consonants. The Iroquoian languages are polysynthetic and head-marking. As of 2020, all surviving Iroquoian la ...

woman considered to be a co-founder, along with the

Great Peacemaker The Great Peacemaker (''Skén:nen rahá:wi'' kʌ̃.nːʌ̃.ɾahaːwiin Mohawk), sometimes referred to as Deganawida or Tekanawí:ta (as a mark of respect, some Iroquois avoid using his personal name except in special circumstances) was by tradit ...

and

Hiawatha Hiawatha ( , also : ), also known as Ayenwathaaa or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some account ...

, of the

Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Indigenous confederations in North America, confederacy of First Nations in Canada, First Natio ...

(Iroquois) Confederacy sometime between AD 1142 and 1450; others place it closer to 1570–1600. Jigonhsasee became known as the Mother of Nations among the Iroquois.

Legend/Oral history

According to a short version of the Haudenosaunee oral tradition, an Iroquoian woman lived along the warriors' path. In some accounts she was referred to as Jigonhsasee; in others, she was given that name as a new one by the

after he recognized her as an ally in making peace. She was known for her hospitality to warriors as they traveled to and from battlegrounds and their homes. At her hearth, warriors of the various factions could come in peace. While they ate her food, she acted as counsel and learned their hearts. It is in this context that the

(sometimes referred to by his name

Deganawida The Great Peacemaker (''Skén:nen rahá:wi'' kʌ̃.nːʌ̃.ɾahaːwiin Mohawk), sometimes referred to as Deganawida or Tekanawí:ta (as a mark of respect, some Iroquois avoid using his personal name except in special circumstances) was by tradit ...

, but out of respect this was not generally used) came to her and described his vision for a peace to be built upon a confederacy of the warring nations. She said this sounded good but asked what form it would take. He replied, "It will take the form of the

longhouse A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from timber and often rep ...

in which there are many hearths, one for each family, yet all live as one household under one chief mother. They shall have one mind and live under one law. Thinking will replace killing, and there shall be one commonwealth." The woman recognized the power in peace. The Great Peacemaker gave her the task of assigning the men to different positions at the peace gathering, and to women in the future the power to choose the chiefs of the longhouse. He called her Mother of Nations, as she was the first ally of his peace movement.

Commentary

Jacob Needleman Jacob Needleman (October 6, 1934 - November 28, 2022) was an American philosopher, author, and religious scholar. Needleman was Jewish and was educated at Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Freiburg, Germany. In addition, "it is women's power of judgement that will ultimately determine the leadership of the Iroquois Confederacy." because the Great Peacemaker gave women the power to choose the chiefs who would represent their people at council. According to oral tradition, the

, who brought

and this woman together to create the Iroquois Confederacy, gave her a new name of Jigonhsaseh, saying that it meant New Face: "It is in your countenance that a New Mind is manifest." Needleman writes further that "Out of the womb of the New Mind the nations will be born anew."Jacob Needleman, "A Certain Woman along the Warriors Path", ''The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders''
Penguin, 2003, no page given in Google preview According to John Brown Childs, an American sociologist of

Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...

, Massachusaug, and African-American ancestry, Jigonhsaseh means "she who lives on the road to war", as this important woman lived next to the warriors' path that ran from east to west. Some scholars have suggested that the constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy influenced colonists who drafted the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

but there is no consensus on this.

Legacy and honors

*Genetic researchers in the late 20th century named one of the five

human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedality, bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex Human brain, brain. This has enabled the development of ad ...

(in the maternal line) found among Native American populations as Djigonasee in her honor.

References

External links

*, author's personal website *, posted by Public Bookshelf.com, said to be published in late 1800s {{Iroquois Confederacy Iroquois people Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

Legend/Oral history

Commentary

Legacy and honors

See also

References

External links