The Iroquois April 28, 2015 By Virginia Valdivia

Location and Name They were known as the Haudenosaunee, the people of the longhouses. They were part of the Great Iroquois League Their location was from eastern New York to northeastern Ohio. Sometimes they traveled as far as the Mississippi River, Tennessee and the Hudson Bay.

Longhouses They lived in a village surrounded by a stockade. Inside the stockade were longhouses. It had a fire hole in the middle to let the cooking smoke out. They were between ft. high, 25ft. wide and between ft. long. Many families lived in a longhouse.

Inside the Longhouse Skins from animals or tree bark were used to make compartments for each family. Some compartments were used for storage. You lived with your “fireside family”-parents, brothers and sisters. The oldest women of the longhouse, was the head of the family and everyone was related to her. Inside

INSIDE THE LONGHOUSE

Clothing Men Wore kilt like skirts almost to their knees Leggings Decorated deerskin blouses or vests Women Wore long skirts almost to their ankles, decorated with beads Leggings Deerskin vest or blouse

Shoes EVERYDAY Everyone wore moccasins, made of one piece of deerskin. The moccasin was sewn at the heel and the top for comfort. They were comfortable and were sewn with sinew (thread) from the deer. WINTER During the winter they wore special shoes known as snowshoes. The snowshoe was worn along with the moccasin. They were made of pieces of hickory wood. They were used for hunting trips.

Food Food was attained by farming and hunting. They ate a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts and different kinds of meat and fish. The main vegetables were known as the “Three Sister” and they were corn, squash and beans.

Corn Corn was shelled and cooked. Corn powder with syrup was carried by hunters. Dried kernels were used for decoration. Cornstalks were used to hold medicine. Husks were used to make mats, baskets, medicine masks and dolls. Green corn leaves were sometimes used as bandages.

Work MenWomenChildren Tools for hunting Wampum Carved bowls, cups and pipes Sports equipment Musical instruments. Clay pots Baskets Cradleboards Clothing Moccasins Elaborate decorations Would help their mothers and fathers as much as they could with gathering of materials and other things.

Games There were many team games with about 6-8 players on each team. Running was also a sport and there were those who competed at festivals. They also played games of chance. The peach-stone game was often played on the Green Corn Harvest and New Year’s Festivals. During winter, they would play the “snake” game,

For More Information on the Iroquois  Paper dolls Paper dolls  Coloring pages Coloring pages  National Geographic National Geographic  Standards Standards