the voice of Audrey Shenandoah, Eagle Clan Mother of the Onondaga Nation:
"People choose a clan mother by watching how she has lived her life and cared for her family. She has to be someone who has a family and knows the responsibilities of being a mother, because that's evidence that she will take care of all the people as if they were her children....Clan mothers also have the duty of selecting a candidate for leadership chief in the clan....If a chief has to be replaced for behavior that is unbecoming to his position, it's our responsibility to find someone to take that place. If we see him going on in a way that is not acceptable, we must approach him and remind him of his responsibilities. In our language, it's called "bringing him back to his feet."
One of my deepest concerns right now is about our youth....I tell them, if you find yourself in a position where you have to make a major decision, think about the things that are taught in the Longhouse, and ask yourself, "Is this going to bring harm to myself, or to any other living thing?" Basically, that's what we call respect--respect for yourself, respect for people around you, and respect for the earth (Johnson, 1994, p. 194).
