Global I & Geography 1
The Iroquois People of the Longhouse
● Several Cultures lived in Western NY
● Clovis people (10000 B.C)
● Lamokas (3500 - 2500 B.C)
● Hopewell Indians (300 A.D) - mound builders
● Wenros and Neutrals
● Iroquoian people (next 1000 years)
What’s in a Name
● Iroquois means “real adder” - a kind of snake. Name given as a backhanded
compliment by their rivals the Algonquians
● Iroquois - name given by the French
● Six Nations - name given by the British
● Haudenosaunee - meaning people building a longhouse - sometimes translated as
people of the longhouse.
League of the Five Nations
● Seneca
● Cayuga
● Onondaga
● Oneida
● Mohawk
Remember the Tribes : SCOOM
● S - Seneca - people of the Great Hill (Onondowaga)
● C - Cayuga - people of the Great Swamp or the Great Pipe
● O - Onondaga - people of the Hills
, ● O - Oneida - people of the Standing Stone
● M - Mohawk - people of the Flint
● T - Tuscarora - shirt wearing people - added to the confederacy later
The Seneca Nation
● Largest Tribe of the Iroquois League
● Known as the “Keeper of the Western Door,” for the Seneca are the westernmost
of the Six Nations
● The Seneca women were in charge of elections, and decided who was to become
tribal leader.
● Leaders could run for life, but if they became corrupt or proved to be incompetent
they would be removed.
● The Seneca political system included a constitution, which is believed to have
been the model for the American constitution.
Seneca Geography
● The historical Seneca occupied territory throughout the Finger Lakes area in
Central New York, and in the Genesee Valley in Western New York, living in
longhouses on the riversides.
● The villages were well fortified with wooden stake fences, just one of the many
industrious undertakings.
● In the Seneca language they are known as O-non-dowa-gah, (pronounced:
oh-n’own-dough-wahgah) or “Great Hill People”
Seneca Culture
● Seneca Indian Tribes had a matriarchal system.
● Women were in charge of the farming,property, and family.
● They were complete owners of the land and the homes.
● They were the leaders of the tribes and were known as “Clan Mothers.”
Seneca Language
, ● The official language of the Seneca is Ogwehoweh, in which their name translates
to O-non-dowa-gah, or “great hill people” from which their creation myth said they
had originated.
● Seneca is a complex language with many sounds that are unlike the sounds in
English. Seneca is an endangered language today because it is neglected by the
new generation.
Seneca Food
● The Seneca relied heavily on agricultural crops for food, growing the three sisters:
corn, squash, and beans, which they referred to as deohako, “the life supporters”;
in addition to raising crops, the Seneca men would hunt in the Fall, and fish in the
Spring.
Seneca Habitat
● The Seneca Indians lived in villages of longhouses, which were large wood-frame
buildings covered with sheets of elm bark. Seneca homes could be a hundred feet
long, and an entire clan lived in each one–up to 60 people!
● Sometimes–the Seneca Indians did use elm-bark or dugout canoes for fishing
trips, but usually preferred to travel by land.
Famous Seneca People
● Red Jacket (1748-1830)
- Seneca chief & orator, fought with the British in American Revolution;
where his name comes from.
● Cornplanter (1740-1836)
- Embarked on a mission to revive the ancient ways and values.
● Destroy town
● Seneca chief who signed the treaty of 1826.
● Ely Parker (1825-1895)
- First Indian to hold a spot in office as Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
, Iroquoian Food
● Lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts and different kinds of meat and fish.
● Women grew corn, beans and squash (The Three Sisters) in fields
surrounding the village.
● Hunters brought home deer, bear, beaver, rabbit, and wild turkey.
● Iroquois men and boys were skilled fishermen.
● You’d eat breakfast together with your family, but other meals on
your own-mother would have a pot cooking all day.
Iroquoian Economy
● The Iroquois – money is called wampum when trading with white
men.
● They have very little money – barter economy.
● They go great distances to trade with other tribes.
● The wampum was made of beads and clamshells.
Iroquois Economy
● Wampum belts were used as a form of communication between
Indian tribes.
● Wampum belts would be made into pictures showing the reason it
was made.
● All Indian messengers carry wampum when going to other tribes.
Iroquoian Clothing
The Iroquois People of the Longhouse
● Several Cultures lived in Western NY
● Clovis people (10000 B.C)
● Lamokas (3500 - 2500 B.C)
● Hopewell Indians (300 A.D) - mound builders
● Wenros and Neutrals
● Iroquoian people (next 1000 years)
What’s in a Name
● Iroquois means “real adder” - a kind of snake. Name given as a backhanded
compliment by their rivals the Algonquians
● Iroquois - name given by the French
● Six Nations - name given by the British
● Haudenosaunee - meaning people building a longhouse - sometimes translated as
people of the longhouse.
League of the Five Nations
● Seneca
● Cayuga
● Onondaga
● Oneida
● Mohawk
Remember the Tribes : SCOOM
● S - Seneca - people of the Great Hill (Onondowaga)
● C - Cayuga - people of the Great Swamp or the Great Pipe
● O - Onondaga - people of the Hills
, ● O - Oneida - people of the Standing Stone
● M - Mohawk - people of the Flint
● T - Tuscarora - shirt wearing people - added to the confederacy later
The Seneca Nation
● Largest Tribe of the Iroquois League
● Known as the “Keeper of the Western Door,” for the Seneca are the westernmost
of the Six Nations
● The Seneca women were in charge of elections, and decided who was to become
tribal leader.
● Leaders could run for life, but if they became corrupt or proved to be incompetent
they would be removed.
● The Seneca political system included a constitution, which is believed to have
been the model for the American constitution.
Seneca Geography
● The historical Seneca occupied territory throughout the Finger Lakes area in
Central New York, and in the Genesee Valley in Western New York, living in
longhouses on the riversides.
● The villages were well fortified with wooden stake fences, just one of the many
industrious undertakings.
● In the Seneca language they are known as O-non-dowa-gah, (pronounced:
oh-n’own-dough-wahgah) or “Great Hill People”
Seneca Culture
● Seneca Indian Tribes had a matriarchal system.
● Women were in charge of the farming,property, and family.
● They were complete owners of the land and the homes.
● They were the leaders of the tribes and were known as “Clan Mothers.”
Seneca Language
, ● The official language of the Seneca is Ogwehoweh, in which their name translates
to O-non-dowa-gah, or “great hill people” from which their creation myth said they
had originated.
● Seneca is a complex language with many sounds that are unlike the sounds in
English. Seneca is an endangered language today because it is neglected by the
new generation.
Seneca Food
● The Seneca relied heavily on agricultural crops for food, growing the three sisters:
corn, squash, and beans, which they referred to as deohako, “the life supporters”;
in addition to raising crops, the Seneca men would hunt in the Fall, and fish in the
Spring.
Seneca Habitat
● The Seneca Indians lived in villages of longhouses, which were large wood-frame
buildings covered with sheets of elm bark. Seneca homes could be a hundred feet
long, and an entire clan lived in each one–up to 60 people!
● Sometimes–the Seneca Indians did use elm-bark or dugout canoes for fishing
trips, but usually preferred to travel by land.
Famous Seneca People
● Red Jacket (1748-1830)
- Seneca chief & orator, fought with the British in American Revolution;
where his name comes from.
● Cornplanter (1740-1836)
- Embarked on a mission to revive the ancient ways and values.
● Destroy town
● Seneca chief who signed the treaty of 1826.
● Ely Parker (1825-1895)
- First Indian to hold a spot in office as Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
, Iroquoian Food
● Lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts and different kinds of meat and fish.
● Women grew corn, beans and squash (The Three Sisters) in fields
surrounding the village.
● Hunters brought home deer, bear, beaver, rabbit, and wild turkey.
● Iroquois men and boys were skilled fishermen.
● You’d eat breakfast together with your family, but other meals on
your own-mother would have a pot cooking all day.
Iroquoian Economy
● The Iroquois – money is called wampum when trading with white
men.
● They have very little money – barter economy.
● They go great distances to trade with other tribes.
● The wampum was made of beads and clamshells.
Iroquois Economy
● Wampum belts were used as a form of communication between
Indian tribes.
● Wampum belts would be made into pictures showing the reason it
was made.
● All Indian messengers carry wampum when going to other tribes.
Iroquoian Clothing
