Notes on Iroquoian Peoples: Tribes, History, Culture, & Facts
Introduction
- Iroquoian Peoples: Indigenous groups of North America speaking Iroquoian languages.
- Key tribes: Cayuga, Cherokee, Wyandot, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Tuscarora.
- Geographical Location: Occupied areas around Lakes Ontario, Huron, Erie (present-day New York, Pennsylvania, Ontario, Quebec).
- Iroquois Confederacy: Also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a union of tribes.
Residence and Kinship
- Lifestyle: Semi-sedentary agriculturists, living in large longhouses made of saplings and elm bark.
- Social Structure: Based on nested organization of lineage, clans, moieties, and tribes.
- Gender Roles:
- Men: Built houses, hunted, fished, engaged in military activities.
- Women: Farmed crops (corn, beans, squash), prepared clothing.
- Cultural Practices: Councils based on locality, sex, age, with consensus as primary decision-making mode.
Cosmology and Warfare
- Religious Beliefs: Origin myths involving a woman falling from the sky, featuring deluge and earth-diver motifs.
- Ceremonies: Six agricultural festivals with long prayers, rites for political activities like treaty making.
- Warfare: Significant for personal glory among men, captives often enslaved or adopted.
- Population Dynamics: Losses from war and disease led to a significant increase in captives by the late 17th century.
21st Century
- Modern Relevance: Over 100,000 Americans claim Iroquoian descent.
Haudenosaunee Confederacy
- Also Known As: Five Nations, Six Nations (after Tuscarora joined in 1722).
- Role in History: Strategic during French-British rivalry in North America.
- Political Structure: Council with clan and village chiefs, unanimity required for decisions.
- Great Law of Peace: Joint jurisdiction of 50 peace chiefs for civil affairs.
- Cultural Legacy: Known for participatory democracy and ceremonial sanctioning of political decisions.
Key Historical Figures
- Hiawatha: Influential in promoting peace and unity within the Confederacy.
- Dekanawidah: The Peacemaker who helped establish the Confederacy.
Summary
The Iroquoian peoples were significant for their unique cultural practices, complex social structures, and influential role in North American history through the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Their legacy continues into the modern era, with a substantial number of descendants in North America.