V.
The
Sonontowa haka Join the Great
Peace
The
Peacemaker then gathered everyone and said to them, “The Sonontowa haka
are a very powerful people. Only the Kaokwa
haka of the lower lake have
had interaction with them over the years. We will remain here and let
Takaenionk and his people
visit the Sonontowa haka who
live by their
great lake.”
The village of Kanuntasakia
was only a day’s journey away. It was the
eastern most village of the Sonontowa
haka. They lit their fires at the
eastern shore of the lake and waited for the Sonontowa haka runners to
arrive. When the runners arrived, one of them said to Takaenionk,
“The warriors are waiting and ready for battle. We have notified our
other villages as we have heard that you have joined with the Kenienke
haka and the Oneota haka
from the east.”
Takaenionk said to the
runners, “Tell your great war chief and his
assistant that we have come in peace and not for war. We will return to
our village to tell the others that you have not let us pass. We mean
you no harm, but instead come as one body in a search to extend peace
so that our bodies will be whole.”
Takaenionk then left with his
people to tell the others that the
Sonontowa haka were not ready
to listen to peace. Upon returning, he
explained what had happened at the lake.
The Peacemaker told everyone, “Do not be discouraged; I will go myself
and try to resolve this by persuasion.” Upon arriving at the
lake, the Peacemaker set up his fire.
Not long after, two runners approached from the Sonontowa haka village.
They asked the Peacemaker, “What is your purpose in coming here?”
The Peacemaker answered, “I have come with the Kenienke haka, the
Oneota haka and others to stop
the warfare, and I bring a message of
peace based on the laws of our Creator. I want to restore the natural
order that was given to us by Teharonhia:
wako.”
The runners said, “Since you are alone and can do us no harm, we will
allow you to enter our village.” They then led the Peacemaker
into the village of Kanuntasakia
where he was met by the great war
chief and his assistant.
The war chief asked, “Why have you come here, and what is the purpose
of your visit?”
The Peacemaker explained, “I have traveled a long way, from the Wendat
nation in the north to the Kakwako
haka west of you, then back to the
country of the Kenienke haka
to the Oneota haka’s and on
to the Kaokwa
haka’s. Each time I have added something more to the Great
Peace, and
now there are many who are beginning to see the power that can come
from living in peace with one another. I am creating a long house that
will travel from the east to the west. In this long house, the onkwe
honwe will live as one family together. Anyone who lives in this
long
house will live in peace. I want to extend this longhouse west, so that
you may live with us in peace.”
The war chief said, “We had a council after you sent the two runners.
There are many of you, and we know that if you came waging war against
us, there would be much bloodshed. My assistant and I accept your
message of peace. However, we cannot speak for the two war chiefs who
live west of us at the Kanung akwa
and Teonunta kaha villages.
The most
populous village, Teonunta kaha,
is in the great valley of the Geneseo.
We have sent runners to them, and they have not sanctioned the peace.”
The Peacemaker said, “We will take care of that business later on. Now
we will get down to the business of adding another rafter to the long
house. Since you have accepted the peace, you will put away your war
club and become a royaner and
work with a good mind on behalf of your
people. When we first met, you were looking over the lake as if you
were trying to figure something out. I will name you Skaniatar: io,
Beautiful Lake, because you were gazing at the lake, thinking on
whether to join.”
The Peacemaker asked Skaniatar: io,
“Where is your assistant?”
Skaniatar: io replied, “He is
looking from the top of the great hill to
see whether there are any warriors who are coming to attack us.”
The Peacemaker said, “Tell him not to fear, and bring him here.”
Skaniatar: io sent a runner to
fetch the other war chief. When he had
arrived the Peacemaker said to him, “Because you were looking from the
mountain to look for our army and saw nothing coming but the sky, I
will give you the title, Shatekaron:
ies, He Looks to the Sky.
The Peacemaker then said to everyone assembled, “We must hurry. If you
look up, you will see the Sun becoming brighter, and each day, the
Peace is becoming more powerful.”
At that moment, they heard in the sky a voice yelling, “Asokanee,” is
it time.
The Peacemaker told them, “We must head to the territory of the
Onontaka nation. Before we
cross the lake to the shaman’s village we
will wait for Tsokansase, the
mother of nations, to arrive. It is
through her and the women that the peace will prosper.”
