Pine Tree Chief
Pine Tree Chief was the name given to chiefs among the Iroquois , a group of allied Indian tribes in North America whose title was not hereditary. The name comes from the white spruce (Picea glauca), which soars into the sky. It cannot fall over because its top branches are held by the sky.
In addition to the chiefs with inherited dignity there were a significant number of Pine Tree Chiefs of sachems and clan mothers were selected. They served as advisers to the sachems, working on committees to establish facts and suggest recommendations in the event of disputes. In the Great Council of the Iroquois FederationEach of the fifty participating chiefs or sachems had a Pine Tree Chief as a deputy. The title of Pine Tree Chief could be acquired through excellent speeches in council meetings or through particular successes in war, but it could not be inherited as an individual achievement. A Pine Tree Chief had no voice in the Grand Council and could lose his position if he was incapable or violated the rules.
Occasionally women are said to have served as pine tree chiefs. The Seneca temporarily had around 70 other Pine Tree Chiefs in addition to eight regular clan chiefs. In addition to the signatures of the clan chiefs, those of the pine tree chiefs and clan mothers appear in the numerous land sales to the colonists. In the Iroquois constitution, the selection of a pine tree chief is described as follows:
“Should a man from this nation have special skills or show a keen interest in the development of the nation and can demonstrate that he is smart, honest and trustworthy, then the councilors can choose him to join them in a seat on the Grand Council of the Confederation to take. It is to be proclaimed as a 'Nation-wide Pine Tree' at the next constituent session. Should he ever break the rules of the Great Peace, he may not be dismissed from office, but after that no one will listen to his voice and take his advice. Should he return his seat and title, no one will prevent him from doing so. A Pine Tree Chief can neither determine his successor nor is his title hereditary. "
literature
- Bruce G. Trigger (Ed.): Handbook of North American Indians . Vol. 15: Northeast. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC 1978. ISBN 0-16004-575-4
- Hans Läng: Cultural history of the Indians of North America. Gondrom Verlag, Bindlach, 1993. ISBN 3-8112-1056-4
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hans Läng: Cultural History of the Indians of North America, p. 115
- ↑ a b Bruce G. Trigger (Ed.): Handbook of North American Indians . Vol. 15: Northeast, pp. 484-485
- ↑ Constitution of the Iroquois ( Memento of the original from January 30, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
