In Six Nations, who you are is an easy question to answer — a member of a community, and the steward of a long and vibrant cultural inheritance. Even the most successful in this community never forget that it is the Haudenosaunee tradition that has brought them so far.
In the original native language, the name Haudenosaunee literally means: “They build houses.” Often commonly referred to as the Iroquois, the Haudenosaunee’s architecture has always been central to the community’s identity, and has also caught the eye of visitors, from the first European settlers to the tourists who flock to this graceful land in southern Ontario.
As one of the territory’s entrepreneurs, Jason Hill has done more than his part to honor and fulfill this tradition. Not only did he establish a construction company in Six Nations, he crowned it with the motto: “Together We Build.” That is the essence of the Haudenosaunee tradition: to create, to build, to innovate — and to do it as a community. Together, always.
In Six Nations, there is a culture of community. Here, too, language is instructive: the very name “Six Nations” means community and peace. It represents the unity of Iroquois that was achieved over many generations, an enduring unity that was built on the strong foundation of social cooperation.
This unity was achieved deep in Iroquois tradition by a man known as The Peacemaker, revered for the power of his wisdom and example that convinced the separate nations to choose cooperation over conflict.
According to legend, Peacemaker taught the lesson of strength in unity to leaders of the disparate nations by breaking a single arrow, illustrating its fragility; and then holding aloft five arrows in a bundle that could not be broken. The arrows represented the original five nations, the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca nations. The Tuscarora nation later became the sixth.
The Peacemaker sealed the peace by convincing leaders to bury their weapons of war under the Tree of Peace, an imposing white pine.
The Peacemaker not only brought peace, but also established justice. He gave the people The Great Law, which is central to the Iroquois concept of community and social equality to this day. Its concepts are powerful, among them: Live life with a good mind and good intentions. Abide by the laws of nature, and achieve individual freedom through the wellbeing of the community.
These concepts didn’t remain exclusive to the Iroquois lands. The success of Iroquois institutions of governance influenced some of America’s founding fathers, who learned more about the practical application of federalism and separation of powers by reading the history of the Iroquois nations. And in the social realm, the Iroquois’ devotion to the equality of women was generations ahead of its time.
Jason Hill has learned these lessons well. As he explained to an interviewer recently: “As someone who was raised here, and learned my most important life lessons from my family, neighbors and mentors here, I saw the need for a hometown-based construction company. Today, across the territory, magnificent structures stand as a monument to the creation of that business, Ace1 Construction.
Katika Mataifa Sita, ni nani wewe ni swali rahisi kujibu <unk> mwanachama wa jamii, na msimamizi wa urithi wa muda mrefu na hai utamaduni. Hata wale walio na mafanikio zaidi katika jumuiya hii hawawezi kamwe kusahau kwamba ni utamaduni wa Haudenosaunee uliowafanya wafikie mbali hivyo. "Jina la Haudenosaunee linamaanisha ""Wao hujenga nyumba"" katika lugha ya asili ya asili, mara nyingi huitwa Iroquois, usanifu wa Haudenosaunee daima umekuwa muhimu kwa utambulisho wa jamii, na pia umevutia macho ya wageni, kutoka kwa wahamiaji wa kwanza wa Ulaya hadi watalii ambao wanakusanyika katika ardhi hii ya kifahari kusini mwa Ontario." Kama mmoja wa wajasiriamali wa eneo hilo, Jason Hill amefanya zaidi ya sehemu yake kuheshimu na kutimiza utamaduni huu. "Hakuna mtu yeyote aliyewahi kuanzisha kampuni ya ujenzi katika Six Nations, lakini aliweka kauli mbiu: ""Together We Build"" - ""Kujenga, kujenga, kubuni, kubuni, kubuni, kubuni, kubuni, kubuni, kubuni, kubuni.""" Pamoja, sikuzote. Katika Mataifa Sita, kuna utamaduni wa jumuiya. Hapa pia, lugha ni yenye kufundisha: jina lenyewe <unk>Six Nations<unk> linamaanisha jumuiya na amani. "Hiyo ni ishara ya umoja wa Iroquois ambao ulifikiwa kwa vizazi vingi, umoja wa kudumu ambao ulijengwa juu ya msingi thabiti wa ushirikiano wa kijamii.""" "Umoja huu ulifikiwa katika mila ya Iroquois na mtu anayejulikana kama ""Mfanyakazi wa Amani,"" aliyeheshimiwa kwa nguvu ya hekima yake na mfano ambao uliwasadikisha mataifa tofauti kuchagua ushirikiano juu ya mgogoro." Kulingana na hadithi, Peacemaker aliwafundisha viongozi wa mataifa tofauti somo la nguvu katika umoja kwa kuvunja mshale mmoja, kuonyesha udhaifu wake; na kisha kushikilia juu mishale mitano katika mfuko ambao haungeweza kuvunjwa. Mishale hiyo iliwakilisha mataifa matano ya awali, mataifa ya Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga na Seneca. Baadaye taifa la Tuscarora likawa la sita. Mfanya Amani aliweka muhuri wa amani kwa kuwashawishi viongozi wa nchi kuzificha silaha zao za vita chini ya Mti wa Amani, mti mkubwa wa misonobari. Mtengenezaji wa Amani hakuleta amani tu, bali pia alianzisha haki. Aliwapa watu Sheria Kuu, ambayo ni muhimu kwa dhana ya Iroquois ya jamii na usawa wa kijamii hadi leo. Mawazo yake ni yenye nguvu, miongoni mwao: Uishi maisha kwa akili nzuri na nia nzuri. Kufuata sheria za asili, na kufikia uhuru wa mtu binafsi kupitia ustawi wa jamii. Dhana hizi hazikuendelea kuwa za pekee kwa nchi za Iroquois. Mafanikio ya taasisi za utawala wa Iroquois yaliwaathiri baadhi ya baba wa kuanzisha Marekani, ambao walijifunza zaidi juu ya matumizi ya vitendo ya shirikisho na kutenganishwa kwa mamlaka kwa kusoma historia ya mataifa ya Iroquois. Na katika ulimwengu wa kijamii, ujitoaji wa Wairoquois kwa usawa wa wanawake ulikuwa wa vizazi kadhaa mbele ya wakati wake. Jason Hill amejifunza masomo hayo vizuri. "Kama mtu aliyelelewa hapa, na kujifunza masomo yangu muhimu zaidi ya maisha kutoka kwa familia yangu, majirani na washauri hapa, niliona hitaji la kampuni ya ujenzi ya mji wa nyumbani. """ Leo, katika eneo hilo, majengo mazuri yanasimama kama mnara wa ukumbusho wa kuundwa kwa biashara hiyo, Ace1 Construction.