True Roots of Democracy

American Democracy comes from the Iroquois not Judeao/Christianity which American history so errantly proclaims. Ben Franklin & John Paine deserve most credit as to the further advancement of their findings and emplacement of Democracy into American history and law. George Washington also deserves plaudits by not choosing to become another European king which he could have quite easily. Paine & Franklin's discovery and related work on initiating True Democracy no doubt strongly influenced the first president and later President Jefferson. It was Jefferson who encouraged the two to make a special trip to the then powerful Iroquois to come over to our side for the battles of Independence.

The original Principles- Freedom of Elected Leadership, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Movement (You could wander on out to the surrounding (Un-owned by Barons & Kings) woods and hunt and fish freely, Freedom of Speech- All this and even Suffrage, came from the Iroquois and wisely copied, mainly by the Continental envoys, Ben Franklin and John Payne who if not successful to at least encourage the large Confederacy to remain neutral. Franklin was amazed after visiting the then powerful Iroquois who had gone neutral due to the unappreciative British for not honoring them for their success in several engagements as British allies.

Initially, Americans knew nothing of Democracy. Iroquois women were voting when the unknowing Pilgrims landed. Human's Greatest Gift to Human was Democracy and it came from - Here- not There - the Greeks or Romans who were slave states instead and only a very few, privileged wealthy few - voted. This Judaeo-Xtian attempt at originating ownership never worked in Europe where the mass of immigrants came from. For centuries Democracy never rose under a controlling, non-Democratic, woman subjective, Nature dis-respecting, nobility backed by a collusive power/fear mongering Organized Church. Odd, is it not, that Democracy should suddenly flower from New World roots? Egotistic and Eurocentric America settlers however, just could not admit its true source. Jack Weatherford's Indian Givers is a must read for any of you who can hold back your false ego and explore some honest history.

Where did the Iroquois discover it? By studying, observing Creator’s Created Nature- of course. The animal world is very Democratic if one is observant. Their values are obviously placed within by a Benevolent Maker. To the Indian- all lifestyle philosophy and Spirituality lies within Nature, of course, as thee major teacher. Ours is a ‘Green Book’ (Mother Nature) and not some black book, one started 3000 years ago, initially by Arabs and re-edited down through time according to who were in power to alter, add or subtract and worse declare foolish, binding statements heretically claimed to be direct words of Creator- Itself.

Half a millennia ago, in the midst of the church sanctioned Great Inquisition, these followers declared that Man was now God (Nicene Council). These self-appointed ‘Declarers’ also backed the murderous Inquisition reigning in that time - heart & soul. Another ‘Black Book,’ the Koran was started by Arabs over a millennia ago that does not declare mere Man as a God but holds out a human as Creator’s direct messenger. Neither of these two leading world religions put much stock in anything spiritually/religiously worthy emanating from

Creator’s direct and obvious work- Nature. Therefore; a tremendous Gap exists between the Red Man’s World views in contrast to the White Man’s.

Freedom is a big word in True democracy yet the Christianity folks lobbied Congress back in the Grant Administration to have our Indian Religion/Spirituality Banned which was totally unconstitutional yet Congress sided with a controlling religion. A half-century later the Judeao followers would find themselves severely persecuted in Europe with little support or sympathy coming from America before and during early WWII Our Religious Freedom Right came back in 1978 when Congress finally woke up. (After we faithfully served in WW-1 & 2, Korea, Nam and the rest.) Incidentally, North American Indigenous have the highest military volunteer ratio of any nationality group (Sen. Inouye D- Hawaii) Study.) None of you know about the Federal Canton, SD Insane Asylum do you? where primarily its 'Patients' were Indian Medicine people and Spiritual adherents. It too was lobbied for by missionaries.

Religions, organized ones especially have proven to be very non-supportive of True Democracy. It is called- Control! I do not need to spell out history going back a couple thousand years. Fanatics have killed or severely inconvenienced millions more down through time. Inquisitions, Holocaust, Manifest Destiny, Enslavement & now Jihad- it keeps on going. And all not much adherence to True Democracy is there in such fanatic actions by Absolutist Man- Right? All over, foolish Organized Religion Man, thinking he has got the one true Path to the Higher Power and be damned, and even killed if you do not believe his way. We know.

We suffered under those zealot, controlling religious missionaries until only recently when they finally lost their power over us- at least in my Sioux tribe and now a growing number of others. Traditional believing North American Indians do not hold out that all knowing premise- like the Jewish People- We do not Proselytize. We will not come knocking on your door or burn a peace pipe image in your yard but we also request that you do not come knocking on our door to somehow 'Save' us from that Boogie Man Devil character you have designed, invented and made up. Also, like most Jews we do not believe our Higher Power- The Benevolent and All-Providing Great Spirit has any need to allow such a thing nor would ever conceive of allowing any outside power other than what IT shows us daily. See- it is Back-to-Nature again for our primary teachings. To us it is rather an insult to Creator's Providing Generosity for such an obvious false belief within IT's Creation.

Whatever- the Founding Fathers included a Separation of Church & State Clause in their attempt to secure True Democracy. (They were much more aware of the Great Inquisition and its horrible dangers than modern Americans today who have been insulated for several centuries. The Great Inquisition was still fresh in colonial minds back then and they no doubt more fully realized the danger of an all-controlling Church over the independent Hearts and Minds of a people who primarily fled the suffering, misery and lack of opportunity spawned by European conditions which were so heavily influenced by organized Religion. This misery was alleviated and eventually obliterated by a free Democracy primarily thanks to its early incorporation by the Iroquois.

True Roots of Democracy

By Ed McGaa (Eagle Man)