Iroquois By: Mr. Alcazaren

Area Tribe Lived Made up of Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora Northeastern portion of U.S. Lived in present-day New York alongside the St. Lawrence River in the woodlands Faced all four seasons with lots of rainfall and snow The land supported lots of plants, fish, and animals for them to grow, hunt, and gather Iroquois Longhouse

Adaptations to Land Were mostly farmers who grew corn, squash, and beans (Three Sisters) Lived in longhouses and moved their homes around every 20 years, or so, after the farmland was exhausted

Examples of Customs The Iroquois Confederacy or political agreement between five nations helped lay the foundation for the U.S. Constitution Six different languages spoken: Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora Iroquois men were in charge of war, hunting, and trading Iroquois women were in charge of farming, property, and the family Used snowshoes and sleds to travel in the winter Were on of the first to play lacrosse

Interactions with Whites/Europeans Dutch began selling them weapons in 1640 Iroquois sided with the British during the French and Indian War – which increased the nation’s dependence on England for weapons Iroquois sided with British during the American Revolution Ben Franklin greatly admired the Iroquois people Four “Mohawk Kings” who traveled to England

Role of Tribe in the Present Now use the longhouse mostly for ceremonial/meeting purposes primarily Classes are offered to preserve the group’s language – mostly taught by elders They have several reservations in NYS and Canada – land set aside for them by the U.S. government

Extra Credit – Journal Entry October 27, 1784 We decided to side with the British in the French and Indian War. When the British won we were initially excited because we felt that we earned the right to stay on our land. However, the British did little to prevent their colonists from taking our land and we soon came to depend on the British for weapons. We had to give up more and more land. When the American Revolution broke out in 1776, we again sided with the British hoping that we could prove our worth. When the British lost and America earned its independence we lost even more land. What are we going to do?

Bibliography Ms. Foley will be teaching us Tuesday on how to do this!