If you are interested in learning about Iroquois culture, history, values and spirituality, then The Great Peace ... The Gathering of Good Minds CD-ROM is a good resource. From the beginning of this disc, it is the native voice you hear, and all the stories and legends are told from a First Nations perspective. Since the stories are from an oral tradition, the Iroquois perspective brings a balanced and realistic interpretation of Canadian history.

Structured in five sections, the disc begins with a narrated animation of the Iroquois creation story. "Creation Story" depicts the human fall from Skyworld and the creation of Turtle Island, now known as North America. It relates how the four races were created to populate the earth. Moving counter-clockwise to "Dark and Troubled Times" brings you to a brief account of a time when war was rampant within the Turtle Island communities. "Birth of the Great Law" signifies an important turning point in Iroquois history. It tells of the coming of the "Peacemaker," a great Iroquois spiritual leader, who, along with disciples like Jikonsaseh and Hiawatha, spread the knowledge of the Great Law, which ultimately united the Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk nations into the Iroquois Confederacy. These five original nations were later joined by the Tuscaroras and became known as the Six Nations.

'The Great Peace Interactive Journey" contains the bulk of the information and is accessed via a triptych artwork created by Raymond Skye, a Tuscarora artist, whose dream made this resource a reality. "The Great Peace Interactive Journey" provides information on all aspects of the Six Nations, including the meaning of their names, languages, politics, the significance of the clans, geographic location, treaties, and their position within the confederacy. It explains the function of wampum and wampum strings, and it explains the significance of the historic return and function of the Wampum Belts. Rites such as the Thanksgiving Address and Condolence Ceremony are looked at. Included as well is a wide range of contemporary issues: residential schools, parenting, and the environment

Recognizing their sacred duty as keepers of the earth, the confederacy again united to form the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force to protect the ecosystems in which they live. Using their traditional knowledge based on the close co-existence with nature and their medicinal practices to clean up their communities, they received an award from the United Nations in recognition of their initiative. The CD contains vast amounts of information on all aspects of Iroquois history and culture, and the hypertext links used to define the numerous Iroquois terms, people and concepts used in this section are very useful.

The "Peace" section discusses the values of caring, integrity, citizenship, reasoning, respect and fairness. Like most sections on the CD-ROM, this last journey can be taken on an elementary, secondary or post-secondary level. But whatever level you choose, the information is appropriately presented using a number of different formats, including photos, illustrations, artwork and videos. The post-secondary level contains essays and reading lists for further study.

This is a unique and educational resource that brings a rich heritage alive with sights, sounds and entertainment activities. It is highly recommended for public libraries and schools.

Marjorie Farstad is Electronic Publications Officer in the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Library in Ottawa, Ont.

Marjorie Farstad, Electronic Publications Officer
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Library, Ottawa
Feliciter, Volume 45, No. 2, 1999