Iroquois of the Eastern Woodlands

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Iroquois of the Eastern Woodlands
The Storyteller by L.F. Tantillo
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The Iroquois of the Eastern Woodlands Territory
In the fertile land of the Great Lakes and Saint
Lawrence River
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Iroquois Villages and Towns
Protected by log walls called palisades. Outside
walls were large fields of various crops the
Iroquois were farmers. Inside the walls were the
longhouses.
Size of the Towns 500 1300 1300 1400
1400 1600 250 people 1000
people 2000 people 8 longhouse 12 big
longhouses many longhouses
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Longhouses
- Could be over 200 feet (70m) in length - Built
about a framework covered with elm bark -
Extended Family lived in the longhouse - Each
Nuclear Family had its own hearth (fire pit) and
compartment - Longhouses were managed and
controlled by the Clan Mother
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Food Agriculture-
Women owned and maintained the fields.- Men
were responsible for clearing the fields.-
Iroquois had 6 agricultural festivals in a year.
Crops The Three Sisters Corn around 500
CE Beans around 1300 to 1400 CE Squash
around 1300 to 1400 CE
Later Crops - Sunflowers - Pumpkins - Tobacco
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The Iroquois Confederacy (The League of Five
Nations)

• An Iroquois man named Dekanahwideh created the
  Iroquois Confederacy in the 1400s.
• He brought together five main groups of Iroquois
  in peace.
• In the 1700s another group joined to make it the
  Confederacy of Six Nations.
• Each decision made in this confederacy was by
  consensus
• A chief would respect a groups decision.
• In this kind of political structure, decision
  making took a long time.
• Peace was the most important part of the
  Confederacy.

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Iroquois Society

• Matriarchy each clan was headed by a Clan
  Mother.
• Matrilineal organization
• women owned the property, and
• determined kinship - any children became members
  of mothers clan
• Matrilocal husband went to live with the wifes
  family in their longhouse
• Iroquois Confederation Councilmen were called
  Sachems or Peace Chiefs were selected and could
  be removed by the Clan Mothers.

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Spiritual Needs

• The Iroquois creator was known as Manitou.
• Corn was believed to be an important gift of the
  Iroquois godManitou.

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Iroquois Men
Roles - Clear fields - Build towns - Hunting
trips in winter and fishing in spring - Appointed
as Sachems (Peace Chiefs) by women - Warriors and
War Chiefs

• Appearance
• - Warriors wore their hair in a distinctive
  scalplock
• Men removed all facial and body hair
• Tattoos were common (for both sexes)

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