Tips for Implementation

Instructional Guidance

Introducing the Kaianere’ko:wa - Great Law of Peace should be developmentally tailored while still maintaining cultural accuracy and respect for Haudenosaunee knowledge systems.
It is also important to note that translations are not exact, as most words in Indigenous languages cannot be directly translated to English.

Elementary:
In elementary grades, teachers can focus on broad understandings of who the Haudenosaunee Nations are, where they live, and how they formed a Confederacy based on cooperation. Students can learn simplified versions of the three guiding principles—peace (Sken:nen), a good mind/positivity (Ka’nikonhriio), strength (Kasastensera)—and connect these ideas to concepts they already understand, such as working together, making fair decisions, and caring for their community. Visuals, maps, storytelling, and age-appropriate picture books can help younger learners engage without oversimplifying or distorting the teachings.

Middle School:
In middle school, students can begin exploring the origin story in more depth, including themes of conflict, the grief experienced by Hiawatha, and the Peacemaker’s message of unity. They can discuss the figure of Tadodaho not as a “villain,” but as a complex individual and symbol of imbalance, trauma, and disharmony. Middle school students are ready to examine how the Great Law established responsibilities, roles of leadership, and decision-making processes within the Confederacy.

High School:
In high school, students can engage with more complex political and philosophical aspects of the Great Law. They may analyze primary sources, compare governance structures, examine women’s political authority, and explore how Haudenosaunee principles influenced and were not fully adopted by the United States. High school
learners can also reflect on the Great Law as a living constitution and examine how its emphasis on consensus, accountability, and future responsibility connects to contemporary civic issues. Across all grade levels, instruction should center Indigenous voices, avoid pan-Indian generalizations, and reinforce that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy is not a culture “of the past,” but a sovereign political body with deep historical and ongoing significance.

Classroom Strategies

Classroom instruction should center inquiry, comparison, and discussion. Activities such as image analysis, role-based jigsaw reading, and comparing governance structures (Great Law vs. U.S. Constitution) allow students to analyze complex information in manageable ways. Incorporating multiple types of readings, including Indigenous authors and community resources, supports diverse learners and aligns with evidence-based literacy practices. Group work, read alouds, structured note-taking, and graphic organizers can help students of all grade levels engage meaningfully with the content. When implementing and/or designing lessons, educators should draw explicit connections to the NYS Social Studies Framework (governance, civic ideals, Indigenous histories), ELA reading and writing standards, and Portrait of a Graduate competencies such as cultural competence, critical thinking, and effective communication.

Standards-Aligned Instruction

Standards-aligned instruction for this topic can be adapted across grade levels though it is important to scaffold complexity.

In elementary grades, teachers might focus on geography, storytelling, and basic understandings of cooperation and community using simplified versions of the Great Law’s core principles. Although the Great Law of Peace is most often taught in later middle and/or high school social studies, its core teachings align naturally with New York State ELA standards across all grade levels, including the early elementary grades. In Kindergarten units such as Self and Others and Grade 1 units like Families and Other Families, educators can introduce age-appropriate concepts from the Great Law—such as peace, forgiveness, listening, cooperation, and caring for the community—through storytelling, read-alouds, discussion, and reflective writing. These lessons support ELA standards related to speaking and listening, comprehension, character analysis, and understanding themes, while also fostering social-emotional learning.

Middle school instruction can incorporate more structured comparisons of governance systems, close reading of origin stories, and collaborative activities such as jigsaws or chart analyses. High school students can engage in deeper inquiry using primary and secondary sources, exploring political philosophy, and influence on U.S. foundations.
For additional lesson resources such as maps, lesson plans, reading passages, and student activities, teachers should refer to the appendices included in this brief.

Cautions and Considerations

Teachers should take care to avoid stereotypes by emphasizing the diversity of Indigenous Nations and correcting common generalized narratives about Native Americans. Examples of generalized narratives include statements such as “Native people are disappearing or only existed in the past,” “Native cultures and societies were simple,” “Native societies didn’t have government,” or “Native Americans shared the same beliefs and ways of life.” These ideas erase the distinct histories, political systems, and cultural practices of the hundreds of Indigenous Nations across what is now the United States. In the context of the Haudenosaunee, it is especially important to push back on misconceptions that Indigenous peoples lacked complex governance or that democratic principles originated solely from European thinkers.

Educators should also highlight what the United States did not adopt from the Great Law, including the political authority of Clan Mothers, the equal leadership roles of women, and the guiding principle of considering the impact of decisions on the next seven generations. These omissions help students understand that while U.S. leaders drew inspiration from the Confederacy, they selectively incorporated only certain elements that aligned with European patriarchal systems.

Additionally, it is important to note that though the Tuscarora were not one of the original Five Nations at the time when the Confederacy was formed in NYS, they originated amongst the Haudenosaunee. Archaeological records, linguistic patterns, and oral histories of the Haudenosaunee and Tuscarora estimate that around 100 BCE the Tuscarora migrated to North Carolina, finally settling along the Neuse River around 800 AD. The Five Nations and the Tuscarora maintained their connection, alliances, and trade during their settlement in North Carolina. Because of this, the Tuscarora rejoined the Haudenosaunee nations in 1722, after devastating losses during the Tuscarora Wars, and adopted the principles of the Great Law of Peace which still influence and impact their organization and leadership structures today. Historical records post-1722 and during the formation of the United States refer to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy as the Six Nations due to this fact.