1. Iroquois and Algonquian Cultures
Background:
Created by, Kasha Mastrodomenico

2. Essential Questions
What are the similarities between the Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?
What are the differences between the Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?
Why is nature so important to both cultures?
Where were the Iroquois and Algonquian cultures located in NYS?
Throughout the mini-lesson have students do partner reviews of the content for 30 seconds and then call on them to share. Also connect to background knowledge by asking them about their own culture.

3. Vocabulary Palisades: A high fence made of stakes used for defense
Monotheism: Belief in one God
Polytheism: Belief in more than one God
Matriarchy: Society that follows the mothers line and where women have high importance in politics
Natural Resources: Something that can be used by humans that comes from nature like forests and water
Tribe: A group of people with common ancestry, culture, traditions and leaders
Culture: behaviors and beliefs of a group of people

4. Iroquois Nation Settlement Patterns

5. Iroquois Nation Settlement Patterns
Ask the students to look at where the tribes are. What is near each of the tribes? Water. Why? Transportation, trade, food, water. Review with the students what bodies of water are on the map.

6. Algonquian Settlement Patterns
Pic:

7. Iroquois Settlements Close to a water source Secured by long palisades
people per village
Long houses
Acres of fields for crops inside and outside of palisades
Trails connected settlements
info
Pic:

8. Picture: http://www.greatdreams.com/native/iriquois.jpg

9. http://www. thecanadianencyclopedia
pic

10. Algonquian Settlements
Homes: wigwams, 8-10 feet high
Close to a water source
Trails connected settlements
Averaged 10 people in a wigwam
Secured by long palisades
Surrounded by growing fields

11. Who Are the Iroquois and Algonquians?
Iroquois means “real snakes” and is an Algonquian word (they were enemies)
Originally: Kanonsionni - people of the longhouse
Now: Haudenosaunee - 6 separate Indian nations: Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, Tuscarora
Algonquian doesn’t mean anything. It was made up by anthropologists to describe a linguistic family.
Tribes in NY include: Mohican, Mohegan, Munsee Delaware, Abenaki, and Poospatuck
Info: and

12. Creation and Religious Beliefs (Iroquois)
Creation story
Monotheism: God was “Great Spirit” or "Ha-wen-ne-yu" with invisible agents, "Ho-no-che-no-keh”, that did his will on earth.
The 3 Sisters were important spirits in charge of maize, beans and squash.
The Great Spirit’s brother, "Ha-ne-go-ate-geh”, was evil and controlled his own evil spirits or invisible agents.
The believers had to choose to follow the Great Spirit” or submit to evil.
Believed in an immortal soul that was judged after death
Festivals and ceremonies were conducted mostly during agricultural seasons to give thanks for protection and survival.
Burning tobacco carried their prayers to the Great Spirit.
Practiced dream interpretation

13. Creation & Religious Beliefs (Algonquian)
Since the Algonquian tribes were not united, they each had their own religious beliefs
Story
Mohegan’s believed in a Great Spirit with lesser spirits
Monotheistic
Believe that earth was created atop of giant turtle’s back
Held Green Corn Festival
Abenaki
Main God Glooskap
Polytheistic
Believed in a monster named Pamola who lived on top of Mount Katahdin
Gluskabe was a trickster.
They also believed that people could leave their bodies and enter the realm of the supernatural, usually in animal forms

14. Importance of the Laws of Nature and the Wise use of Natural Resources (Iroquois and Algonquian)
All tools (animal bones, stones, sinew from deer helped to create bows), food (plants, fruits, animals, fish), clothing (skins and furs), and shelter (parts of trees made homes) came from the natural environment.
Bowls and cooking tools were made of clay, animal bones and rocks.
Lived near water that provided them fishing, transportation, and drinking water
pictures:
Snowshoes:

15. Gender Roles Iroquois Algonquian
Women: keeper of culture, responsible for educating youth using oral tradition and life skills until the age of 12, tended crops, appointed political leaders, head of household, owner of property, social structure followed mothers family line including the clan the children were raised in as well as the last name, made clothing and food, clan mothers, in charge of festivals
Men: hunters and fisherman, taught boys how to do those life skills, warriors, chiefs, traveled between tribes, and trading, collected herbs and made basic medicine, shamans
Mohegan:
Men: cleared new corn fields, cut wood for the palisades, made canoes, hunted
Women: tended the corn fields with the help of children, gathered roots and berries
Both men and women gathered and processed fish and shellfish.
Family line and land ownership followed both males and females
Abenaki:
Men: hunters, fishermen, leaders, and shamans
Women: gatherers, hide workers and curers
patrilineal
Both the Mohegan and Abenaki had polygamy in their culture but not everyone had multiple wives.

16. Family and Kinship and Education
Iroquois
Algonquian
No other child would be born until the previous child reached the age of 5, if a child was born before that, adoption was honorable and common.
Adults wouldn’t intervene unless a child was in danger and allowed them to learn from their own mistakes.
Corporal punishment, spanking or hitting, was not done. A child may be reprimanded by the parent and then was reprimanded by others in the community which was embarrassing. They were praised when they did well by all in the community. If a child was really disobedient, water would be thrown in their face with no threat of drowning.
Children were considered adults at the age of 12 and split into gender education through mentors. (boys hunting, fishing and girls crafts and field tending and homemaking)
Boys played lacrosse
Mohegan:
Boys learned fishing, hunting, and competed in sports.
Girls learned crafts.
Discipline was verbal.
Abenaki:
Adoption was common.
Adults were teachers and not punishers.
Boys were taught to hunt, fish, and provide for the family.
Girls were taught to take care of babies, cook, and make clothing.

17. Language Iroquois Algonquian Hear the languages
All Iroquois belong to the Iroquoian language family.
In NYS these branches of the language were spoken:
Northern Iroquoian branch: Tuscarora
5 Nations Group: Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, and Oneida
Hear the Mohegan language
All Algonquian tribes belong to the Algonquian language family.
In NYS each Algonquian tribe spoke a similar language but had unique aspects.
Note: the Laurentians and the Erie spoke a language that was part of the Iroquois language family but they were never part of the Iroquois Confederacy. The same can be said for the Cherokee.

18. Essential Questions
What are the similarities between the Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?
What are the differences between the Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?
Why is nature so important to both cultures?
Where were the Iroquois and Algonquian cultures located in NYS?