Ganondagan State Historic Site - Seneca Tradition

Seneca Tradition

Ganondagan was once the largest Seneca town within the Western gateway of Haudenosaunee territory. It is also at the center of the story of the Peacemaker, who unified the Haudenosaunee people and created the Haudenosaunee confederacy which survives to this day. The Three Sisters consist of corn, beans, and squash and are traditionally the staple foods of the Haudenosaunee.

Seneca oral tradition tells of a Huron man who arrived among the Mohawks speaking of the Gayanesshagowa (aka The Great Law of Peace). This prophet is known today as The Great Peacemaker. The Mohawk, Oneida, and Cayuga pledged to join his proposed confederation, and following a dramatic interlude, the Seneca agreed also. The discussion about how to bring in the Onondaga found its way into the house of a Seneca woman, Jikonsase, now known as the Mother of Nations. She proposed a solution which eventually brought the Onondaga into the fold. She lived in the vicinity of Ganondagan, and is buried nearby. The Seneca refer to Ganondagan as the "Town of Peace", and revere and protect the burial site of the Mother of Nations. Through this experience the Seneca gave us the foundation for our democracy today.

Ganondagan and its adjoining fields were burned on July 14, 1687, as part of the punitive expedition from Montreal led by the Marquis de Denonville. The French were leading an army from Canada to annihilate the Seneca and eliminate them as competitors in the international fur trade, known as the Beaver Wars. The Seneca people lived in an estimated 150 longhouses with several families of the same matriarchal clan residing together within the same dwelling. The battle took place within view of these longhouses on Boughton Hill.

The Seneca people have made many contributions to America throughout its history. The political ideals the Seneca people had were contributed to the U.S. Constitution. Seneca's matriarchal societal ideals also led to the 1848 declaration of sentiments in which women received the right to vote.