Lead Story #3: The Peace Mother

In 1881, Tuscarora Chief Elias Johnson published a story of an ancient rock citadel he named Kienuka (‘Stronghold’), located with the Tuscarora Territory, near Lewiston NY. It was a fort on a rock ledge, surrounded by a 12-foot-tall palisades. In centre of that fort was the house of Ge-keah-saw-sa situated directly on a major east-west trail.

In the past, she provided aid to the passing warriors. After she met the Peacemaker, she got former enemies to dine in her house, with a large curtain hung to separate them. She would pull back the curtain and encourage them to make peace.  She became known as the Peace Mother, referred to by others as Jikonsaseh.