Black Eagle. My Freedom Book.

by

Howdy!

Well it’s another terrifically splendid Tuesday!

One of my books, BLACK EAGLE, is on sale for $.99.  But, it will be returning to its original price of $4.99 soon — perhaps tomorrow.

Since this blog is mighty close to July 4th, I thought I’d talk a little about it.  The book was written as I was getting to know Michael Badnarik, the Presidential Candidate 2004 on the Libertarian Party.  He had a “radio” show on the internet and I used to listen to it everyday and I — who thought I knew a lot about our Founding Fathers and the history of the American Revolution — came to find out I actually knew very little.  We became friends because I used to call in to the show.

The picture to the left was taken in Los Angeles, when Michael had come to the area to give his Constitution lectures.

Anyway, as I began to study more and more of this particular time period, I came across the Iroquois Indians and their form of government.  Benjamin Franklin used their form of gov’t as a model for what our Constitution could become.  It was rumored that Thomas Paine spent a year living with the Iroquois.

And so I thought I’d write about the Iroquois and what I had learned from my delving into the American Revolution time period.  Now, in fact, the book is set during the French and Indian War because this war was a civil war between the Mohawk Indians who had been separated by a Jesuit priest.  Half of the tribe went into Canada and sided with the French during the war and half of the tribe stayed in upper state New York and sided with the Colonists.  When their form of government was established by the Peacemaker, he cautioned them to never fight each other.  And so, when they did go to war — brother against brother — they lost most of their land and many of them were scattered or left to go west.

The Iroquois Nation was originally composed of 5 tribes and eventually 6.  And, it was founded not upon war and not for the gain of some few nor for any other reason except to establish Freedom and Peace.  And for roughly 500 years, they established both Freedom and Peace.  (Historians usually get the founding of their gov’t in the 1400’s instead of the 1100’s.  But the Iroquois scholars know that the event that established the Iroquois Confederation occurred in the 1100’s.  A similar one occurred in 1400, but the Iroquois Confederation was already alive and well in the 1400’s.)

 

Benjamin Franklin had this to say about the Iroquois:

Remarks from Benjamin Franklin Regarding the American Indian

 

“Savages we call them, because their Manners differ from ours, which we think the Perfection of Civility. They think the same of theirs.”

“The Indian Men when young are Hunters and Warriors; when old, Counsellors; for all their Government is by Counsel of the Sages; there is no Force, there are no Prisons, no Officers to compel Obedience, or inflict Punishment. Hence they generally study Oratory; the best Speaker having the most Influence. The Indian Women till the Ground, dress the Food, nurse and bring up the Children, & preserve & hand down to Posterity the Memory of public Transactions. These Employments of Men and Women are accounted natural & honorable. Having few artificial Wants, they have abundance of Leisure for Improvement by Conversation. Our laborious Manner of Life compar’d with theirs, they esteem slavish & base; and the Learning on which we value ourselves, they regard as frivolous & useless…”

“Having frequent Occasions to hold public Councils, they have acquired great Order and Decency in conducting them. The old Men sit in the foremost Ranks, the Warriors in the next, and the Women & Children in the hindmost. The Business of the Women is to take exact Notice of what passes, imprint it in their Memories, for they have no Writing, and communicate it to their Children. They are the Records of the Councils, and they preserve Traditions of the Stipulations in Treaties 100 Years back, which when we compare with our Writings we always find exact. He that would speak rises. The rest observe a profound Silence. When he has finish’d and sits down; they leave him 5 or 6 Minutes to recollect, that if he has omitted any thing he intended to say, or has any thing to add, he may rise again and deliver it. To interrupt another, even in common Conversation, is reckon’d highly indecent. How different this is, from the Conduct of a polite British House of Commons where scarce every person without some confusion, that makes the Speaker hoarse in calling to Order and how different from the Mode of Conversation in many polite Companies of Europe, where if you do not deliver your Sentence with great Rapidity, you are cut off in the middle of it by the Impatients Loquacity of those you converse with, and never suffer’d to finish it—”

“When any of them come into our Towns, our People are apt to crowd round them, gaze upon them, & incommode them where they desire to be private; this they esteem great Rudeness, the Effect of & Want of Instruction in the Rules of Civility & good Manners. We have, say they, as much Curiosity as you, and when you come into our Towns, we wish for Opportunities of looking at you; but for this purpose we hide our Selves behind Bushes where you are to pass, and never intrude ourselves into your Company—”

“Their Manner of entering one another’s villages has likewise its Rules. It is reckon’d uncivil in travelling Strangers to enter a Village abruptly, without giving Notice of their Approach. Therefore as soon as they arrive within Hearing, they stop & hollow, remaining there till invited to enter. Two old Men usually come out to them, and lead them in. There is in every Village a vacant Dwelling called the Strangers House. Here they are plac’d, while the old Men go round from Hut to Hut, acquainting the Inhabitants that Strangers are arriv’d who are probably hungry & weary; and every one sends them what he can spare of Victuals & Skins to repose on. When the Strangers are refresh’d, Pipes & Tobacco are brought, and then, but not before, Conversation begins with Enquiries who they are, whither bound, what News, &c, and it usually ends with Offers of Service if the Strangers have occasions of Guides or any Necessaries for continuing their Journey and nothing is exacted for the Entertainment.”

Benjamin Franklin, 1782—1783

Source: http://www.wampumchronicles.com/benfranklin.html

Anyway, I will leave you with the above, which I found fascinating.  Also, I’ll be giving away an e-book of BLACK EAGLE and also one of SENECA SURRENDER, so please do leave a comment.

 

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KAREN KAY aka GEN BAILEY is the multi-published author of American Indian Historical Romances. She has written for such prestigious publishers as AVON/HarperCollins, Berkley/Penguin/Putnam and Samhain Publishing. KAREN KAY’S great grandmother was Choctaw Indian and Kay is honored to be able to write about the American Indian Culture.
Please refer to https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules for all contest rules.

24 thoughts on “Black Eagle. My Freedom Book.”

  3. It appears our lives have changed drastically, especially by the indians’ code. Nowadays someone comes to your door, rings the bell or knocks and they are to be acknowledged pretty soon. (Unless you want to hide behind your curtains so they will go away.) We are not a very sociable group in these days of uncertainty with robbing and killing on a whim. Very interesting read. Too bad more people are not interested in history as it could put them to thinking, pehaps.

    • Hi Judy! What a wise and yet beautiful comment. I would tend to agree with you. It’s interesting from the aspect that the Iroquois establish peace so completely, even their children could walk the long trail from one end to the other without coming to harm. This changed, however, with the coming of the colonists, many of whom had left their women behind…. Thanks for your comment.

  5. I knew the Iroquois nation had divided and there had been 5 tribes involved, but I didn’t know about their hospitality. I had read that they fierce fighters and were to be feared. Very interesting info.

    • Hi KariJean! Yes, the Mohawk in particular were the Eastern “gatekeepers” so to speak and the Seneca were the Western “gatekeepers.” I forget the exact name they had for them. The Mohawk had to be fierce fighters because they kept the rest of the tribe safe. Splitting them apart and forcing a civil war between brothers — just as the Peacemaker had said — was the beginning of the end of their power — as well as the peace they had established. Freedom remained, but perhaps not as it originally was for them.

  6. Hi, Karen! I loved that article! Really says a lot about the “manners” that the First People had! Very interesting and I believe good old Ben was saying, without coming right out and saying it, that the Native Americans might have a better system than he and his colleagues who were trying to start a new country had. I believe they were rude in comparison. lol Well, he actually did say that. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all! I don’t have Black Eagle, and I’m shocked, so I definitely would like to be in the drawing.

    • Hi Lara! Yes, it does say alot about the manners of the Iroquois in particular, but these were the general manners of the Eastern Indian Tribes at this time. The Peacemaker made a good law (one where the women had the last say and held the balance of power). He knew men were prone to go to war — all too easily — and so the system he set up allowed only the grandmothers (who he said had the most to lose) approve of any war they might want to engage in. In fact, there was just a feeling of freedom within the very air of the colonies, how could not have been influenced by it?

      A lot of what we take for granted today comes to us from the Indians. I wish only that their part in the establishment of this country was more acknowledged. Thank you for noticing it. : )

    • Hi C. D.! I couldn’t agree with you more. You know, I think my next post will be more about the Iroquois and what their influence really was at this time in history. They prayed for and postulated that forever, Turtle Island (their words for America) would be free and live in peace. Pretty important.

  9. I wish more people knew about the importance of the influence the Iroquois Confederacy had on the Constitution. The Confederacy came about when the tribes tired of their losses due to raids and wars. Their laws, The Great Law of Peace, established ways for the tribes to solve conflicts and enforce thiner rulings. It resulted in decades of peaceful existence and cooperation until the French and English injected themselves into tribal and Confederacy affairs. Another thing many do not realize was the important role women played within the tribes. They were the record keepers and had a voice and independence that European and American women did not achieve for over 200 years. Their laws were their strength. It was only after aligning with the Europeans and forgetting their heritage that they were weakened and finally defeated.
    Thank you for your little history lesson today. Have a good rest of the month.

    • Ah, Patricia, how I love your posts. And, yes, the role of women in the Iroquois Confederation was truly one of beauty to behold. And Benjamin Franklin’s words about how the treaties and the women’s memory of the council was exact, was completely wonderful to read about. Think of the memorization necessary to do this. I stand in awe of this.

  10. It is always interesting to see how two groups look at the other as the lessor culture. Rather than try to understand a way of life. Rome with the invasion of what is now France is a perfect example. They brought civilization to the local population, after having killed a lot of them. Caesar’s, “All Gaul was divided into three parts.”

    • Hi David! Wow, it is great to see you here on the blog. What a good observation you make as to the differences between cultures and both looking upon the other as the inferior. Thanks for coming here today.

    • Hi Kathleen, I know. It’s what I find fascinating about studying history — learning things one was never taught. Thanks for leaving a comment.

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