AIM: What is significant about the Iroquois? Mr. Reddington Social Studies 7

The Iroquois

Song: The Earth is Our Mother The Earth is our mother, we must take care of her Hey ya na Ho ya na The sky is our father, we must take care of him CHORUS The rivers are our sisters, we must take care of them The trees are our brothers, we must take care of them The trees are our brother,   CHORUS The Earth is our mother, she will take care of us Central Question: What is the central meaning to the song? (it’s pretty straight-forward) Earth: our mother….we must take care of her…she will take care of us

Iroquois Location The Iroquois were 5 tribes united together into one nation Lived in what is now Upstate New York and parts of Canada 5 Tribes: Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Mohawk S.C.O.O.M

Iroquois Name The Iroquois is the French pronunciation of the Algonquin word for “rattlesnakes” Algonquin were enemies with the Iroquois It’s an insult! Real name: Haudenosaunee Algonquin Territory

Iroquois Origins 5 Tribes united around the year 1450. Before = warred against each other Two men – Dekanawidah and Hiawatha – worked together to create peace among the tribes Established “The Great Law of Peace” A constitution

How Was the League Structured? A council of 50 sachems (tribal leaders) was chosen to make decisions for the League Women chose the sachems Sachems held council meetings once a year and voted on solutions and actions to solve problems The league brought an end to warfare by uniting the tribes The council could only take action if all the nations agreed

The First Real Democracy? Democracy: literally means “rule by the people”- comes from the Greek demos (people) kratos (rule). A form of government where the people make decisions, whether it be by voting directly or electing representatives to vote on their behalf. It has been said that the Iroquois Confederacy is the First Real Democracy, and was influential to the creation of our infant nation

Importance of Land The Iroquois were farmers Their main diet was made of the 3 Sisters – Corn, Beans, and Squash Mix them all together and you get… Succotash!

SUCCOTASH….yum!!!

Iroquois Women 1) Women held the most power 2) Women chose the leaders of their tribe 3) When married, a man would move into his wife’s home WOMEN IN AMERICA GOT THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN 1920!

Iroquois Ways of Life: Roles of Tribesman Men spent most of their time hunting, trading and fighting Female children helped their mothers with crops and household chores Male children learned warrior and hunter skills from their fathers and uncles through competitive games like Bagattaway (lacrosse) Women own the long house and its properties They also ran the planting and harvesting to sustain the villages Iroquois men moved in with the woman’s family upon marriage Women chose the clan leaders and could remove leaders from power

“People of the Longhouse” Iroquois Settlements “People of the Longhouse”

Iroquois Settlements LIVED IN LONGHOUSES…not nomadic

Iroquois Settlements A typical Iroquois village consisted of four essential elements: the clearing, the stockade, housing, and the war post. The clearing: An Iroquois village was built on a hilltop in the heart of a clearing in the forest, near a lake or stream. The stockade: Encircling the village was a wall or stockade made of elm logs. Inside the stockade wall was a platform running the length of the wall. From the platform the Iroquois would shoot arrows at any attackers. Housing: The Iroquois lived in longhouses The war post: Within the walls of the Iroquois village was the war post. This was a thick post from which the bark had been peeled. It was painted with the tribal history of wars, battles, men killed, and prisoners taken.

Iroquois Ways of Life: Survival Iroquois hunted mostly deer and bison to survive Developed better and faster ways to plant and irrigate Men made canoes, long houses and tools (knives, bows and arrows). In the winter they made snow shoes to make winter hunting easier Large festivals were held to honor spirits and pray for good crops- Iroquois deeply respected nature Used wampum (a white shell bead) to trade and also to make story belts

Lacrosse! Originated by the Iroquois and often played as a religious ceremony for adults and conditioning for young boys to build up strength for hunting Played usually on a field the size of a mile and played with hundreds of players

How did the Iroquois live? They lived in structures called long houses made out of wood- a long house was about 150 feet long and was mostly a large hallway that connected two rooms at either end. Each room was home to a family, and the adjoining families shared a common fireplace in their hallway. Generally long houses were shared by related families. Two or more related families were called a clan. Iroquois people called themselves House Builders (many other tribes during this time were still living in tepees or other less permanent structures).