Question

Read the passage. We place you upon those seats, spread soft with the feathery down of the globe thistle, there beneath the shade of the spreading branches of the Tree of Peace. There shall you sit and watch the council fire of the confederacy of the Five Nations, and all the affairs of the Five Nations shall be transacted at this place before you. Roots have spread out from the Tree of the Great Peace, one to the north, one to the east, one to the south and one to the west. The name of these roots is the Great White Roots and their nature is peace and strength. . . . In the Iroquois Constitution, why do the roots of the Tree of the Great Peace spread out in all directions?

Answer 1

symbolism? im guessing it spreads bcs it reaches to all five nations, in all directions. do you have choices?

Answer 2

Answer: to convey that peace and strength will grow in all directions.

The Iroquois Confederacy included several different peoples, in particular, the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca. This multicultural nature encouraged imagery that conveys unity and peace. The Tree of Peace serves that purpose. It serves as a symbol of unity among people in different geographical locations. It also serves as an avenue to explain the benefits that will come to people for being part of the Confederacy, such as peace and strength. The phrases that convey this feeling are: "the spreading branches of the Tree of Peace" and "their nature [of the roots] is peace and strength."