EASTERN WOODLANDS By: Alexa Glass, Olivia Marino, and Maria Nash Block F

CULTURE The Indians lived in longhouses with relatives. o Long houses were the building blocks of Iroquois society o Called themselves Haudenosaunee (people of the longhouse) o It was feet long and had about 5 fireplace o All the families living in the long house were related on the mothers' side of the family Men dominated, but their position of prominence was determined by the mother of the family Men hunted and fished in canoes while women farmed o Used bows and arrows to hunt o They used three-sister farming Their society was relaxed and didn’t have many rules Wampum are beads made out of clam shells which were very important in their society o They were used in adornment for clothes, mourning rituals, and to identify someone as an official representative of their nation o They recorded the terms of treaties by the patterns or figures o Sometimes used in trading Played lacrosse and dice for entertainment Played wind instruments like the "courting flute", percussion instruments like drums, and rattles

GOVERNMENT Iroquois confederacy- The Iroquois Confederacy was a military power consisting of Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas. The leaders were Degana Widah and Hiawatha and they founded it in the 1500s The different tribes celebrated together and shared a common policy for outsiders but they stayed independent of one another The five tribes banded together to stop years of war between them The Five Nations defeated their enemies: The Hurons, Eries, and Petuns They also gained more tribes by "mourning wars" o Large adoption of captives and refugees When the English arrived they allied with them as well to help fight the French and to trade fur with them

RELIGION Believed that a spiritual world constantly interacted with the physical world: weather, crops, etc. There was a primary spirit, that encompassed all of existence: "Kitchi Manitou" or "Great Spirit". It was present in everything such as: animals, water, the sun, the moon, etc. Shamans were important spiritual leaders in the Eastern Woodlands. They could communicate with the spirits and ward off evil, they did this by performing special rituals.

ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION East Woodland Indians lived on thriving land. They cultivated corn, beans, squash, seeds, leaves, and roots of wild plants. In certain areas of the upper Great Lakes, wild rice grew in abundance. Girdling trees and slashing bark cleared land for plantation areas; most land was fertile and supported many crops in one area. Near water supplies such as: the seacoast, ponds, marshes, lakes, and creeks, provided an abundant water supply, along with many animals to be hunted.

CUSTOMS/TRADITIONS Shamans performed healing rituals on the sick Had feasts and ceremonies for special occasions throughout the year They marked the changing seasons with a ceremony and feast and held similar rituals to mark the three main phases of life: birth, puberty, and death Face paint was used in these ceremonies and the colors had special meanings o Red: life o Black: death or grief o Purple: royalty or special occasions "Wampum" was small beads made of shells used in ceremonies o They were stringed together to make belts and sashes

WORK/EXCHANGE Hunter/gatherers Beaver fur was a staple trade item Trade between the Iroquois and Algonquians

BIBLIOGRAPHY "Iroquois Confederacy." Iroquois Confederacy. Web. 24 Aug "Makers of America The Iroquois." The American Pageant. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Print. Fifteenth Addition.