The Iroquois: Early People of New York

1. The Iroquois: Early People of New York Grade 4

2. PREFACE Compelling Question: In what ways did the Iroquois’ environment shape their culture and ways of life? • Learning Outcomes: • Identify the major geographical features that made New York an ideal location for the Iroquois to set up their villages. • To identify the Iroquois as six separate nations that came together and that they referred to themselves as the Haudenosaunee. • To understand the culture and traditions of the various Iroquois tribes. • To compare and contrast the Iroquois Governmental system with the current government of the United States. By: Jordan Serrano, George Tomlinson, and Pat Carosa

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Try to imagine the very ground you walk on every day, the desk you are sitting at, or even the house you call home, but roughly 500 years ago. Well, if you are in New York, it is quite likely that your area may have been inhabited by Native Americans! Or, more specifically the Iroquois League of Native Americans. To see what New York once looked like, view this National Geographic slide show. The Iroquois were one of the first groups to establish permanent dwellings in our great state of New York. They were a noble people who lived off the land, taking only what they needed and nothing more. In a time far before Christopher Columbus ever ‘discovered’ America, the Iroquois people created villages right on the edge of what we know today as Lake Ontario and Lake Eerie. The geography was perfect to set up one of New York’s first civilizations and it is here where the Iroquois built, hunted, farmed, and lived for years before European explorers ever knew America existed! Although, at the time, they were not yet known as the Iroquois… Introduction (p. 2) Chapter 1: Geography and Climate (p. 3) Mountains (p. 4) Lakes and Rivers (p. 6) Forest (p. 7) Climate (p. 9) Chapter 2: Who are the Iroquois? (p. 10) Chapter 3: Culture and Traditions (p. 15) Longhouses (p. 16) Iroquois Women (p. 17) The Iroquois Trail (p. 19) Culture and Traditions (p. 20) Chapter 4: Iroquois Government (p. 23) Introduction (p. 24) Great Law of Peace (p. 25) Matriarchal Society (p. 26) Organization (p. 27) Metaphor (p. 27) 1 2

4. CHAPTER 1 Geography and Climate Mountains Although you may not realize it, New York is a very mountainous state. This is not all that obvious when driving to school or a friend’s house but when we look at the map below, we see that mountains are a large part of New York’s geography. I will learn: To identify the major geographical features that made New York an ideal location for the Iroquois to set up their villages. • Guiding Questions: • In what ways were mountains, hills, lakes, rivers, forest, and climate important to the Iroquois? • Compare the way we use the land today to the way the Iroquois used it. How has our geography changed? • Synthesize the information you already know about civilizations and predict the use of lakes and mountains to the Iroquois. This map has different colors to show us the altitude, or miles above sea level each area is. But what does this have to do with the Iroquois? 3 4

5. The Iroquois also used hills to their advantage. Building villages on the tops of large hills allowed them to see attackers from every side. Fun fact: The Iroquois sometimes built walls around their villages, using logs, to keep attackers out. In many cases these walls towered up to 20 feet tall! That’s almost as tall as a two story house! As we can see from the map below, many of the Iroquois people lived nestled between the Adirondack Mountains and the Catskill Mountains. Lakes and Rivers Refer to the map on page five. What do we notice to the northwest (up and to the left) of the shaded area? As I am sure you noticed, Lake Ontario and Lake Eerie boarder the settlements of the Iroquois people. Again, we can ask ourselves, why is this important? STOP: Before turning the page, make some predictions about how the Iroquois benefited from these and other bodies of water on the land they inhabited. This allowed for protection from outside invaders and other enemies. This was especially helpful in protecting themselves from, and dividing land with the Algonquian people, a tribe of Native Americans who lived on the other side of the mountains. 5 6

6. Much like the mountains, the lakes protected the Iroquois people from outside invaders. Canoes also made lakes and rivers a means of transportation and made it easier to fish. Canoes are small three or four person boats that Native Americans often made from trees. These boats had oars that were used to paddle (see picture on page 8). Most importantly, however, the Iroquois people were farmers and these large bodies of fresh water provided them with water for their crops. It also provided them with drinking water, something that all living things need in order to survive. The Iroquois people used forests in many different ways than we do today. Although they were farmers, the Iroquois also still hunted and gathered much of their meals. The forest was plentiful with berries, nuts, fruits, and eggs of birds and other animals, which the women and children would gather for food. The men would hunt deer, black bears, wolves, elk, rabbits, turkey, and even turtles! Forest Today, you will see significantly less forested areas in New York than back when the Iroquois first inhabited this region. This is because we have gotten rid of many forests in order to use the wood and land for building and other applications. Chances are good that there was once a forest in your own backyard! Pictured above are Native Americans on the edge of a forest at the river. The boats they have are canoes. 7 8

7. Climate CHAPTER 2 Who are the Iroquois? Climate is a word used to refer to the weather over a long period of time. New York’s climate has not changed very noticeably in the past 600 years. The Iroquois, during this time, experienced the same four seasons we do today. New York’s weather was very favorable for the growing of crops. It is also the reason there were a plentiful amount of animals for the Iroquois to hunt. The Iroquois smoked and dried meats and vegetables so that they could be stored for longer periods of time during the winter. They also had to rely more on hunting during the colder months. I will learn: To identify the Iroquois as six separate nations that came together and that they referred to themselves as the Haudenosaunee. • Guiding Questions: • Where was each nation or tribe located? Evaluate their reasons for coming together. • What does Haudenosaunee mean? Why is it important to know what the Iroquois called themselves? Your Turn: Write it: In your notebook write a two paragraph short story. Imagine you are taking a hike through the Iroquois’ land, what features do you see? Draw it: In your notebook draw a picture of any of the geographical features you have read about. 9 10

8. The Iroquois Seneca The people of the Seneca tribe were also known as the “Keepers of the Western Door,” because they were located the furthest west of the six tribes. The Iroquois were originally six separate tribes that decided to join and form a confederacy, a governmental system based on an agreement to work together. Because the tribes occupied similar areas, the confederacy helped to stop fighting and competition over resources. It also meant that they would be more powerful against enemies. Cayuga People of the Cayuga tribe referred to themselves as the “People of the Great Swamp,” due to the geography of their region. Onondaga The Onondaga tribe was also known as the “People of the Hills,” due to the hilly landscape they lived in. Onondaga also traditionally served as a capital for the Iroquois governmental meetings. Tuscarora The map above shows how the six Iroquois nations or tribes were spread across New York State. Tuscarora was the last tribe to join the Iroquois Confederacy in 1722. They are known as the “Shirt-wearers,” due to their traditional clothing. 11 12

9. Oneida Unfortunately, Iroquois has been adopted as the generally accepted term to refer to the Haudenosaunee Native Americans. This is much how Native Americans are often incorrectly referred to as Indians. The people of Oneida were also known as the “People of the Standing Stone.” This name comes from a legend where people of the Oneida were chased into a clearing by their enemy. Here, in the clearing, they disappeared. The legend says that they made themselves into stone. Acrostic poem: Interpretation of a word meaning ‘real snakes’ Really good at storing food On the shores of lake Ontario and Eerie Quite good at farming Under this confederacy are six nations On hilltops is where they often built villages In the forest Seneca is one of six nations Mohawk The Mohawk tribe was also known as the “Keepers of the Eastern Door,” being that they were the furthest east of the six nations. Your Turn: Write it: In your notebook, write your own acrostic poem using the information you have learned about the Iroquois so far. Use one of the names of a tribe mentioned in this chapter as your word. Think about it: Analyze this document written by a member of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Tribe: http://www.peacecouncil.net/NOON/culture1.htm. In your notebook, write about the ways history may be recorded differently if we were reading an Iroquois account of history. Who were the Haudenosaunee? Haudenosaunee means “People of the Longhouse,” this is the word the Iroquois people use to refer to themselves. Iroquois is an English mispronunciation of a word loosely interpreted to mean “real snakes,” which was used by an enemy tribe to refer to the Haudenosaunee in an offensive way. 13 14

10. Longhouses CHAPTER 3 Culture and Traditions Alonghousewas a wooden building that the Iroquois lived in. All of the Iroquois tribes had longhouses in their village. These houses were 20 feet wide and tall. They were also 180 to 220 feet long. These longhouses were built every 10 to 20 years. They had a 10 foot wide aisle that ran through the longhouse. Both sides had compartments which were the different rooms for the families. I will learn: To understand the culture and traditions of the various Iroquois tribes. • Guiding Questions: • What is a longhouse and how was it used? • How were the responsibilities divided between men women, and children? • Why was the Longhouse central to the Iroquois culture? 15 16

11. The longhouses had many families mostly on the women’s side. The men would join the longhouse after they were married into the family. The longhouses were also the site of various spiritual practices and stories. The longhouse still plays a role in the culture of the Iroquois. Nowadays, they are made of logs and are similar to frame houses. The clan played an important role in the way the Iroquois ruled themselves. A man from each clan was sent to tribal councils, meetings held to talk about and solve problems within the tribe. The clan mothers would have the final say about who represented their specific clan. • Try this out: • Answer these questions from the reading: • What were clan mothers? • Describe the responsibilities of women in the Iroquois culture. • Why were councils important to the governing of the Iroquois? • Try this out: • Answer these questions from the reading: • How long was the longhouse? • What may be some benefits of living with multiple families in a longhouse? • Describe the inside of a longhouse? Iroquois Women Iroquois women had a great deal of power throughout the tribe. They decided how the land was being used and how they operated it. They owned the longhouse and everything inside them. Women were the leaders of the clans. A clan is a group of families who share the same ancestor. The head of each clan was called the clan mother. 17 18

12. The Iroquois Trail As you learned in Chapter 2, there are six different nations in the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois built trails along the different nations. These became the Iroquois Trail. These trail were important for transporting goods and important messages. Each tribe had runners that carried belts of wampum. Wampum belts contained codes that were used to send messages to the different tribes. This helped leaders to hear of problems that tribes were having and how they could be fixed. Culture and Traditions • Try this out: • Study the map on the next page and answer these questions: • Why was the Iroquois Trail important to the various tribes? • Which Iroquois tribe is the furthest west based on the map? • What does the red line represent? The Iroquois culture was similar to the many other tribes around the area. Women planted and cared for the crops in fields that were close to the village. The main crops the Iroquois planted were corn, beans, and squash. They called these crops the Three Sisters. 20 19

13. The men helped clear the fields for planting. They also fished, hunted and traded. The children also had responsibilities. They would help get water and wood for the fire. Boys learned to shoot a bow and arrow and to build traps for a variety of animals. The girls learned to cook and make pottery and clothing. They held many festivals throughout the five nations. These festivals were a time for music, dancing, and games. The tribes also told stories to the children during these festivals. The most important tradition held at these festivals was giving thanks to corn, beans, and squash, the Three Sisters. • Try this out: • Answer the questions below • What were the three main crops that the Iroquois grow and what did they called them? • Rank the responsibilities of men, women, and children in Iroquois culture. Who do you think had the most important role? Why? Your Turn: Complete it: this crossword on the chapter’s vocabulary. Write It: Choose one of the following: Pretend you are a member of the Iroquois tribe. Write a letter to you clan mother describing where you are and what your responsibilities within the tribe are. OR Write three poems of your choice about longhouses. 21 22

14. CHAPTER 4 Iroquois Government Introduction I will learn: To compare and contrast the Iroquois governmental system with the current government of the United States. What do you already know about our own government? Let’s find out! According to oral history, over 1,000 years ago, five nations banded together to form a union now called the Iroquois confederacy. The five nations of the confederacy are the Mohawk, Cayuga, Seneca, Oneida and Onondaga. In the 1700’s, the Tuscaroras joined the union making the confederacy Six Nations. The Iroquois are unique in their style of government, whereby they are Six Nations governed by their own constitutional-type law. • Guiding Questions: • What is a confederacy form of government? • What are the similarities and difference between the Iroquois confederacy and our own government? • Answer these questions using Cornell Notes. Create your own KWL chart and then click on the map to hear about the Iroquois Confederacy! 23 24

15. Great Law of Peace The Great Law is a representational form of government, with the people in the clans having say in what information is passed upward. Activity: Watch this video and think of how the Iroquois government is similar to our own government! The majority of the Six Nations function under the Great Law of Peace, which promotes peace, power and righteousness. The confederacy established that each nation should handle their own affairs. Each nation has representation on the Council. Historically, the Iroquois were ruled by 50 council members. Matriarchal Society Did you know? It has been reported thatBenjamin Franklinused many aspects of the Iroquois system in the development of the government of the United States. The Iroquois are considered a matriarchal society because descent is passed through the mother, rather than the father. Both men and women have equal roles in the social, political and economic life of the community. The balance of the gender roles makes the society unique. For example, children of either sex are affiliated with their mother’s clan. Fun Fact: Our own Constitution is similar to the Great Law of the Iroquois. Compare and contrast our Constitution with the Iroquois Great Law using a Venn Diagram Click on Clan Mother picture to learn more ! 25 26

16. Organization In this great longhouse the Mohawk nation are the keeper of the eastern door. The Seneca is the keeper of the western door. The Onondagas in the middle are the keepers of the central fire. Together these three are referred to as the elder brothers and they represent half of the longhouse families. The Cayuga, Oneida, and Tuscarora nations are the younger brothers and they represent the other families that complete the house. For the Iroquois the clan is the basic unit of social organization. Members of one clan are considered to be relatives and inter-marriage in the same clan is forbidden. Each clan is led by a Clan Mother. The responsibilities of the Clan Mother include the naming of all those in the clan, as well as the selection of the male candidate for Chief, which the rest of the Clan must approve. She can however remove that same chief if he fails in his duties Debate Activity: Read and then debate the level of influence Iroquois had on our own Constitution. Pick a partner: one of you will play the part of an Iroquois tribe member who believes there are many similarities, the other will play a Founding Father who does not see the similarities and defends the Constitution as a fully original document. Come up with three main points and three supporting details for each. Complete It: oralhistory interview questions worksheet if you were to interview a clan mother! A Metaphor The Iroquois Nations could be described as similar to a large longhouse that extends from where the sun rises in the east, to where it sets in the west. The earth is the floor of this longhouse and the sky is considered the roof. RAFT Writing Activity: Pretend that you are telling someone about our own form of government. Write a letter to them using a longhouse illustration to describe our own nation by region to them. 27 28

17. WebQuest Glossary Wrap-up: Let’s take a look at what you’ve learned. Go undercover to collect information about the Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy to create a cyber museum! Choose to accept your task in this WebQuest, Partner up with a person of your choice and complete a creative presentation about the nation of your choice to be presented in class. Use all of the information you have learned in this book as well as the WebQuest. Algonquian (p. 5): a tribe of Native Americans who also inhabited New York Altitude (p. 4): distance above sea level Canoe (p. 7): a small pointed boat propelled by paddle Clan Mother (p. 17): the head of each clan Clans (p. 26): Iroquois families that lived in the same longhouse together Climate (p. 5): the weather and weather patterns over an extended period of time, including temperature, precipitation, and 26 27

18. References Confederacy (p. 11): a governmental system based on an agreement to work together Councils (p. 18): meetings held to talk discuss and solve issues within the tribe Longhouse (p. 16): long, wooden structures used to house multiple Iroquois families Matriarchal (p. 21): a social system where descent is passed through the mother’s side of the family Three Sisters (p. 20): the primary crops grown by the Iroquois: corn, beans, and squashddd Representation (p. person or group that speaks or acts for or in support of another person or group Banks, J. (2001). New York: Adventures in time and place (Teacher's annotated ed.). New York: Macmillan McGraw-Hill. Berson, M. (2004). Horizons (New York ed.). Orlando: Harcourt. Berson, M. (2007). The United States making a new nation. Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt School. Boyd, C., & Scott, F. (2005). Scott Foresman social studies: New York. (Teacher's ed.). Glenview, Ill.: Scott Foresman. 13 14

19. References Donius, K., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2003). The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy (Book). School Library Journal, 49(6), 159. Quinn, M. E. (2000). Reference Books in brief. Booklist, 97(4), 484. Shoemaker, N. (2001). Encyclopedia of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) (Book Review). Journal Of American Ethnic History, 20(4), 121 24 25