Both a narrative and a constitution, the Great Law of Peace established the governance system of the Iroquois Confederacy. Its powerful themes of justice, cooperation, grief, health, and peace continue to inspire today.

An oral constitution, the Great Law of Peace was recorded on wampum belts and ratified by the Haudenosaunee (comprised of the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and later, the Tuscarora peoples) long before European settlers arrived in America. Cultural heroes Haiwatha and the Great Peacemaker, Deganawida, are credited with creating the Great Law of Peace. It begins with a folklore-filled history of the Iroquois peoples dating back nearly a millennium. The constitution portion of the Great Law of Peace institutes a federalist democracy with separation of powers, a bicameral legislature, equal rights for women, and many other notable attributes. The Great Law of Peace ends with descriptions of ceremonies such as funerals and appointing new chiefs.

The Great Law of Peace is known to have influenced Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and other framers of the United States Constitution. In 1988, Congress passed a concurrent resolution that officially acknowledged the “contribution of the Iroquois Confederacy of Nations to the Development of the United States Constitution.”

This handsome hardcover edition of the Great Law of Peace is the perfect gift for anyone interested in indigenous law, United States history, and the creation of a more harmonious, just society.

"It is true, Maryland did not . . . contribute its proportion, but it was, in my opinion, the fault of the Government, and not of the people." ~Benjamin Franklin During the French and Indian War the American colonies contributed to the imperial war effort like never before, Maryland included. Maryland's involvement in the war saw colonial governor Horatio Sharpe and the elected delegates of the Lower House in near constant struggle over Maryland's role. They battled over the deployment of Maryland's militia, over raising troops, and over wartime funding. Meanwhile, frontier settlements burned and Maryland's soldiers joined the effort to defend Great Britain's claims to lands west of the Appalachians. Britain's colonies in North America expanded substantially as a result. Local historian Tim Ware details the political as well as the military conflicts Maryland faced in this unique war.

Follow Archaeologist Darla Spencer as she discovers the history and habits of 16 Native American sites in West Virginia.

Once thought of as Indian hunting grounds with no permanent inhabitants, West Virginia is teeming with evidence of a thriving early native population. Today's farmers can hardly plow their fields without uncovering ancient artifacts, evidence of at least ten thousand years of occupation. Members of the Fort Ancient culture resided along the rich bottomlands of southern West Virginia during the Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric periods. Lost to time and rediscovered in the 1880s, Fort Ancient sites dot the West Virginia landscape. This volume explores sixteen of these sites, including Buffalo, Logan and Orchard. Archaeologist Darla Spencer excavates the fascinating lives of some of the Mountain State's earliest inhabitants in search of who these people were, what languages they spoke and who their descendants may be.

Read the missing stories of DC’s precolonial history. Native Americans lived on the land that is now Washington, DC for several thousand years before English settlers arrived in the early 1600s. The Native people had villages, quarries and burial grounds throughout the city, ranging from what is now Rock Creek Park to the grounds of the White House. These sites speak of the history of the Anacostans and the preceding tribes who once walked the land under historic sites and museums that now neglect them. Local author Armand Lione details the record of the Native tribes of the District and deals with the complex question of why these stories have not been offered to the public.

In June of 1876, members of various northern Plains tribes gathered at the Little Bighorn River to form the largest Indian encampment in recorded American history. The huge gathering, called Tiospaye, encompassed over 1,000 lodges housing approximately 7,000 men, women, and children. The over 200 vintage photographs portrayed here represent the weeks just before the infamous Battle of Little Bighorn and the creation of legends. Two major events occurred in June 1876 that would forever alter the course of Native American history. The defeat of Custer and the Seventh Cavalry was the most infamous event, but only the ending to a greater celebration. Offering a portrait of a people at the renaissance of their culture, this new book showcases images of the lifestyle of the encampment and the many brave leaders who fought at Little Bighorn, including Sitting Bull and the author's grandfather, Feather Earring.

Explore accounts of Oklahoma’s Freedmen as told by their descendants in these stories of resistance and resilience on the Western frontier. The Freedmen of Oklahoma were black people, both enslaved and free, who had been living among the Indian nations. After the official abolition of slavery in 1866, they forged an identity as their own people as they faced the challenges of the western frontier. By 1906, before Oklahoma statehood, over 20,000 people were classified as “Freedmen” from Five Tribes: Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Nations. For decades, their descendants have been rediscovering their family history and restoring its place in the larger narrative. Angela Walton-Raji has compiled this collection of stories, told by descendants from all five tribes, to ensure that the Freedmen of Oklahoma claim their vibrant part of the state’s heritage.