1 / 19

Native Americans: Cahokia and Iroquois

Native Americans: Cahokia and Iroquois. US History – Libertyville HS. Cahokia Mound Builders. City of Cahokia, c. 1100 AD (artist’s rendition). Who were the Cahokia?. Mississippian people (group of related tribes along Mississippi River) Mound Builders

cyndi
Télécharger la présentation

Native Americans: Cahokia and Iroquois

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Native Americans: Cahokia and Iroquois US History – Libertyville HS

  2. Cahokia Mound Builders City of Cahokia, c. 1100 AD (artist’s rendition)

  3. Who were the Cahokia? • Mississippian people (group of related tribes along Mississippi River) • Mound Builders • Subgroup of Miss. tribes that erected earthen mounds as common public works • Cahokian culture was centered on a big city near modern day St. Louis

  4. Cahokia • City and “suburbs” of 30,000 + • Rich art work reflected leisure time • Huge trade network • Tech included calendars, walls

  5. Cahokian Mounds • Purpose of mounds • Burial? Ceremonial? • Living space above flood plain? • Massive building effort requiring mobilization of entire civilization, decades / centuries • French explorers in 1600s discovered mounds, did not build on them (recognized their significance) Monk’s Mound, Cahokia “Monk’s Mound” – 1037 feet long, 790 feet wide base; ten stories tall; over 250,000 square feet

  6. Mississippian Trade Network • Centered on Great Lakes region • North to St. Lawrence • Along Atlantic coast • South to Gulf of Mexico • West to Oklahoma • Larger than Europe & Scandinavia!

  7. Cahokia • Cahokia flourished from 850 to 1500s • Abruptly disappeared; why? • Massive flooding? • Disease?

  8. Iroquois Confederacy • Located in upstate New York and Canada; Empire extended into Ohio Valley • Niagara Falls = center of Iroquois culture, religion • Iroquois were major force in early US history – why?

  9. Iroquois Confederacy Mohawk Logo “Tree of Peace” • Trading empire • Military empire based on warrior culture • Total population = 25,000 • Unified government / people / culture • Union of five tribes • Mohawk • Oneida • Onodagas • Cayugas • Senecas

  10. Iroquois Confederacy • Called selves “Haudenosaunee” = human being (“the people”) • very arrogant people due to their military success • Ohio Valley Indians called them “Irokwek” – rough translation = “snake in the grass” • French translation = Iroquois

  11. Lifestyle of the Iroquois • Village dwellers (100-125 persons / village) • Communal living, based on gender • NOT based on equality • Village made up of extended families – cousins, aunts, etc • Families identified matrilineally (through mother’s family) • Child, son / daughter of mother, etc Iroquois village, c. 1720 (note longhouses, wall)

  12. Lifestyle of the Iroquois • Families lived matrilocally (live where mothers are) • Lived in mother’s family lodge • Longhouse = oval shaped, single entrance; sleep to sides, eat, meet in center • Village, longhouse as woman’s domain • Woods, everything else = male’s domain • Male goes to live in wife’s longhouse • Why is this a more practical way of organizing society? Iroquois longhouse (interior view here)

  13. Lifestyle of the Iroquois • Divorce customs • Raising children • Lack of domestic violence • Child raising • High suicide rate amongst male teens

  14. Iroquois Culture • Concept of time • Patience needed to hunt, farm • No concept of minutes, hours • Cycle of seasons, moon basis of “time” • Time concept circular – no beginning or end vs. European linear time: start, end point • Examples? • European view of Indians = lazy VS.

  15. Iroquois Culture • Matriarchal society • Village leadership = clan mother • Gender division of labor • Men = hunter, warrior, political leader • Women = farmers, village leaders • Naming of individuals • Clan mother named kids • Names given when you do something good, bad, funny • Iroquois adopted European names based on what they liked

  16. Iroquois Politics • Iroquois political system • Iroquois a confederacy of tribes • 50 or so male chiefs got together about 1 / year • 2 issues to consider • Make war? • Everyone have food? • “Circle of Power” • Inner circle of males • Outer circle of clan mothers • Men discuss, women decide

  17. Iroquois Empire • Rivals to Iroquois = Ohio Valley Indians • Iroquois defeat them in every conflict • BUT . . . European involvement changed dynamic Map of Ohio River System, created by George Washington (1754)

  18. Iroquois and the Europeans • European rivalries translated to rivalries between Indian tribes • French allied with Ohio Valley Indians • Wanted trade, not land • French fur trappers needed Indian hunters / guides • French traded guns, alcohol for furs • British allied with Iroquois (why?) • Because French allied with Ohio Valley Indians French trapper and Ohio Indian

  19. Conflict between Indians, Europeans • Why is it that EVERY contact between Europeans, Indians resulted in bloodshed? • Pattern to contacts • Initial cooperation • Dispute over resources based on different perspectives towards those resources • European ultimatum: move or die vs. Indians we’re not moving and we’ll kill you

More Related