Native Americans of New York State By Diane Willson & Jennifer Hurst

Native Americans Before the United States was settled by the European explorers it was inhabited by a large number of Native American tribes. Indiginous to the land we now know as New York State, was a powerful and close knit tribe known as the Iroquois Confederacy..

The six aboriginal nations which united to form the confederacy are: The Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora. Each is a separate political and geographical entity with it’s own government, land base and membership. In addition to the Iroquois Nation, several Algonquin tribes also occupied territory in New York State Native Americans

Main Menu Mohawk Oneida Tuscarora Seneca Cayuga Erie Onondaga Delaware Exit

Mohawk Tribe in the Iroquois Confederacy. One of the five original tribes They occupied the Mohawk River Valley and today two settlements are found in Franklin and St. Lawrence counties in New York.

The women farmed and the men fished or hunted, depending on the season Families lived together in large bark-covered dwellings called longhouses. Each community was governed by a ruling council and a village chief. Mohawk

Onieda Tribe in the Iroquois Confederacy. One of the five original tribes. Their territory included the region surrounding Lake Oneida, New York and later extended south to the Susquehanna River.

Onondaga The territory they occupied centered about Onondaga Lake in central New York and extended North to Lake Ontario and south to the Susquehanna River. Their principal village was called the Onondaga Castle which served as the capital of the Iroquois Confederacy.

Onondaga The Onondaga were the official guardians of the council fire of the league and ranked as the chief member of the confederacy

Cayuga They originally occupied area on Cayuga Lake, in New York, but when the American Revolution broke out many members of the tribe took the side of the British and moved to Canada.

Seneca The Seneca (Sen'-uh-kuh) was a very interesting tribe. Their name means "people of the big hill" (Wolfson, 1988). They lived in the Northeast in what is now north central New York. Their terrltory ranged from the Genesee River to Canandaigua Lake. It was the largest tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Seneca were also among the most feared and respected North American tribes.

Seneca Men wore deerskin breechcloths all year round. In the winter, they would add moccasins and fur capes. Men hunted and fished all year long. When needed, they cleared fields or were warriors. Women wore the same clothes as men, except instead of a breechcloth, they wore short skirts. Women provided most of the food for the clan. They usually grew corn, beans, and squash ("the three sisters"). Women cared for the children, too. Because of a matrilineal kinship system, they owned all the houses.

Seneca The Seneca lived in longhouses. The longhouses were framed with saplings and covered with elm bark. Fifty to sixty people would live in each house. Many families would share a fire, but each family had a separate section with raised platforms covered with reed mats or pelts to use as seats and or beds. The clothing hung from walls or was stored in bark bins and baskets (like food). All the houses were arranged around one main "Council House" (Wolfson, 1988), a used for special events or religious ceremonies. The villages were usually fortlfled for protection, too.

Tuscarora Tribe in the Iroquois Confederacy originally of North Carolina, which had migrated to New York, was formally admitted to the confederacy sometime between 1715 and The name of the league was then changed from the Five Nations to the Six Nations.

Erie

Delaware

Your Assignment After viewing Native American slide show choose one of the eight tribes of New York and compare it to any tribe in the United States. In your comparison of these two tribes make sure you cover such areas as location, climate, food, clothing and government. Your project must consist of a six slides:Title slide, introduction, bibliography and three slides of content. Please include at least three graphics. Resources

Internet Sites and Resources Native American Indian Resources: Tuscarora and Six Nation Websites: Links to sites with information on specific indian tribes: Links to North American Map sites: html://members. Tripod.com/~PHILKON/links7.html Native Americans (Mohawk): 96.k12.ilus/Native Americans/Mohawk.html Miss Hurst and Miss Willson’s slide show Books Encyclopedia

Bibliography Native American Indian Resources: Tuscarora and Six Nation Websites: Links to sites with information on specific indian tribes: Links to North American Map sites: html://members. Tripod.com/~PHILKON/links7.html Native Americans (Mohawk): 96.k12.ilus/Native Americans/Mohawk.html