Great Law of the Meoquanee

Great Law of the Meoquanee ᎠᏥᎸᏉᏗ ᎠᏁᎯ atsilvquodi anedi
Council of Seven Fires
Enacted by	Council of Seven Fires
Date signed	15 June 1989
Date commenced	17 July 1989
Legislative history
Bill introduced in the	Council of Seven Fires
Introduced by	Chief Anigatay Willow
First reading	5 September 1984
Second reading	12 December 1907
Third reading	7 March 1988
Status: In force

The Great Law (Meoquanee: ᎠᏁᎯ) functions as the primary constitution of the Meoquanee Nation, formally adopted on July 22, 1989. It superseded the original constitution established in 1910, which had initially structured a union among the seven Meoquanee-speaking tribes— the Nasawi, Wyanwa, Kathanti, Aelamet, Ashwaki, and Dohute.

History

Preamable

The Preamble serves as the opening statement of the Constitution, emphasizing the unity and legitimacy of the newly established government. It also serves as a declaration of respect and acknowledgment to the Great Creator, the principal deity revered in Meoquanee theology:

Hear us, Great Creator, in collaboration with the people of the seven nations, we establish the Tree of the Great Law. This tree is planted in our ancestral lands, within the territory of the Meoquanee people. We christen this tree the Tree of the Great Long Leaves. Beneath its shade, we lay soft, white, feathery down from the globe thistle as seats for all of us. We hereby establish ourselves as the leaders and pillars of the Meoquanee Nation, representing the foundation of the Great Law. We place ourselves upon these cushioned seats, under the sprawling branches of the Tree of Great Law. Here, we will oversee the Great Meoquanee Nation, and all significant matters concerning the nation will be deliberated in this sacred space, under our watchful eyes and those of our fellow peers.