The Tree of Peace as painted by Lorne Avenue Public School Students in March 1992

The Tree of Peace, as painted by Lorne Avenue Public School students in March 1992.

The Tree of Peace is a symbol of the formation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Great Law of Peace.

Five Nations joined together in an agreement to have peace: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. The Tuscarora Nation joined the Confederacy in the 1700s.

Each one of the gustowas, or hats, that the warriors are wearing represent each distinct Nation that makes up the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is still in existence today and spans from the Upper New York State region to Southwestern Ontario and to the state of Wisconsin.

The 1992 painting was sponsored by the Bezhgoyaang Native Culture Project of the Board of Education for the City of London.

Photo credit: Kyle Gonyou.