1. Iroquois Longhouse

2. Background Information on the Iroquois
The Indians in the Eastern Woodland Culture lived east of the Plains Indians. Since these Indians lived in the forests, they were called the Eastern Woodland Indians. The Iroquois, Cherokee and Mound Builders were important Woodland tribes. (We will be studying only the Iroquois.)
The Iroquois Indians lived in the Northeastern part of the Woodland Culture. Today we call this part of our country New York. The Iroquois Indians were actually a "nation" of Indians made up of 5 tribes. These tribes were the Senecas, Onondagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks. Later a sixth tribe, Tuscarora joined the ‘nation’.
These tribes were hostile, or war-like, to each other until they joined together to become the "League of the Five Nations". Even after the forming of this nation there was still some fighting among the 5 tribes.
These Indians, like the Indians of the other cultures, depended on the natural resources around them for all of their basic needs. Their food, shelter, clothing, weapons, and tools came from the forests around them. They lived in villages near a lake or stream. The Iroquois lived in longhouses.
Taken from:
Click here for a sheet to help you organize the information

3. Task 1: Shelter
Group Work: Explore, research and gather facts about the houses that the Iroquois live in. Fill in the web as you go.
Alone Work: Once the team is done researching, you will use the information gathered to build an authentic longhouse. This will be done at home (not with your team). Refer to the handouts for more information.

4. Task 1: Shelter (Continued) Iroquois Longhouse Village
Description
Longhouses were long rectangular homes. Longhouses were made by building a frame from saplings, or young trees. The frame was then covered with bark sewn together.
A longhouse looks like a long hallway with rooms on both sides. Platforms, covered with deerskin, lined each wall. During the day the platforms were used for sitting or eating meals. At night, the platforms were used for sleeping.
There were also shelves for storing baskets, pots, and pelts. Pelts are the skins of animals with the fur attached.
Dried foods were hung from long poles stretched from wall to wall.
Iroquois Longhouse Village

6. Notice the dried foods hanging from the ceiling and the platforms the Iroquois are sitting on.

7. Task 1: Shelter (Continued)
Who Lived in the Longhouse
Several families would live in a longhouse, however; the families were related to each other. There could be up to 20 families that shared one longhouse! (This is because when a man married, he moved into his wife’s longhouse.)
Each family used a specific section of the longhouse. There were 5-6 fires along the center of the longhouse. Usually 2 families shared a fire.
Protection
The Iroquois built log walls all around their villages. The wall had only one opening. They could quickly close this opening if their enemies came near.

8. Task 1: Shelter (Continued)
Iroquois Longhouse Pictures
from Mrs. Schrage’s Website
More on
Longhouse “apartments”