Native American Tribes The Onondaga, Modoc, Navajo, & Iroquois

The Onondaga The Onondaga is a Native American tribe located in what is now the central part of New York state. They are one of six tribes that are part of the League of the Iroquois. The League of the Iroquois met in Onondaga which served as their capital.

Onondaga History The Onondaga have been around since around 1200 AD. During the American Revolutionary War, the Onondaga remained neutral until the Americans attacked their main village. They then joined the side of the British along with most of the League of the Iroquois. When America gained independence, many Onondaga went to Six Nations, Ontario. In 1794, the Onondaga signed the Treaty of Canandaigua. This treaty made it so that the United States acknowledged the Onondaga’s right to their homeland.

Important Things to Know About the Onondaga They were a very influential tribe. They lived in villages of wood, bark longhouses. Related families lived together. They acquired the French language from Canada. They did not believe in fighting. They left the Confederation during the American Revolution.

The Modoc Originally lived in northeastern California and central southern Oregon. Currently live in Oregon and Oklahoma and are recognized as the Klamath Tribes in Oregon and the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma.

Modoc History They were hunters and fishermen who migrated seasonally to hunt and gather food. In the winter, they created homes that were dug-out lodges which looked like beehives and were made with sticks and mud. The tribe raided emigrants who travelled on the Applegate Trail. In 1852, the tribe killed almost all of one of the trains, so settlers from Yreka, California went to avenge their deaths. Hundreds of settlers were killed by the Modoc, but just as many Modoc were probably killed by the settlers.

Modoc History Continued A treaty was signed with the United States in 1864 that caused the Modoc to leave their homeland and move onto a reservation in Oklahoma. They were unhappy with the reservation and in 1870 a band of Modoc left the reservation and settled near the Lost River, close to their homeland. In 1872 the U.S. Army tried to force the Modoc to return to the reservation. War broke out, and finally in 1873 the Modoc lost. In 1907, the Modoc were allowed to return to their homeland. Some returned, but most stayed on the reservation.

Important Things to Know About the Modoc They are fishermen and hunters Lived in Oregon and California, then moved to Oregon Banded together as one group during war time Were hostile to American troops Their tribe is currently very small

The Navajo The Navajo are from the southwest, with most of their tribe members living in Arizona and New Mexico. The Navajo are the largest federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States.

Navajo History Before contact with the Pueblo and Spanish, the Navajo were hunters and gatherers. After contact with the Pueblo, they began planting crops. After contact with the Spanish, they began herding sheep and goats. The Navajo and Apache are believed to have migrated from Alaska and western Canada around 1400 AD. Lived in hogans which are made from wood and mud. The Navajo tribe is normally matrilineal.

Navajo History Continued In 1846, the US signed a peace treaty with the Navajo, but neither groups honored the treaty. In 1849, the US signed a treaty with the Navajo allowing the US to build forts on Navajo land. In 1861, the US began attacking the Navajo in great numbers. They began a scorched earth campaign which killed Navajo, and destroyed their land, crops, and homes. Two years later, the final Navajo surrendered. In 1864, the Navajo were forced to walk 300 miles to Fort Sumner in New Mexico for internment, but this failed. In 1868, the US signed a treaty allowing the Navajo to return to a reservation on a small portion of their homeland.

Important Things to Know About the Navajo Largest Native American Nation in the United States Fierce warriors and hunters in the Southwest Eventually intermarried with the Pueblo people and became weavers In 1864, they were driven from their territory by the US Army Continued culture on a reservation

The Iroquois The Iroquois  are comprised of the Six Nations: Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora. Most Iroquoian people have a matrilineal kinship and women have a strong influence.

Iroquois History Most believe the League was formed sometime between 1450 and 1600. In the 1600s, they fought the Beaver Wars against the French and other Native American tribes to try to gain control of the beaver fur trade. In 1701 they signed the Great Peace of Montreal with the French. During Queen Anne’s War, they planned attacks against the French.

Iroquois History Continued During the French and Indian War, the Iroquois sided with Britain against the French and Algonquian, both of whom were the Iroquois’s traditional enemies. After the American Revolution, most of the Iroquois moved to Canada. Those who stayed in New York, were forced to live on reservations.

Important Things to Know About the Iroquois Lived in New York State Formed the Iroquois Constitution of Five Nations Tribes were democratic in their process