What did the Haudenosaunee teach Friedrick Engles (1820-1895) about an alternative to capitalism?
Three Views:
1. Oren Lyons
“Two things were told to us: To be thankful, so those are our ceremonies of thanksgiving. We built nations around it, and you can do that, too. And the other thing they said was enjoy life. That’s a rule, a law- enjoy life- you’re supposed to.”
2. Lewis Henry Morgan
His book “Ancient Society” (1877) introduced Engels to the Haudenosaunee social and political organization that held a significant role for women, unlike the European societies.
3. Friedrich Engels
Before the rise of private property, humans like the Haudenosaunee, lived in communal societies where power, labor and resources were shared equally among the people. In Engels’ eyes, the Haudenosaunee represented a “primitive communism.”
