lKuauulAl\S ur, lI-tE
EASTERI\T
WOODLAND
outheasternontario was, and stili is, the home of the peoples
who speak differenrdialectsof the Iroquoian ranguage.(sorne
of the groups were originally from the area,while others moved
thereafter the American Revolutionarywar, in the l7B0s.)
At that time, southeasternontario was a mix of roliing hills, lakes,
rivers and forests.The peopleslived in settledvillages.They hunted
and gatheredas well as cultivaring crops. They were skilled farmers,
harvestingan abundanceof food. They alsq
developed.acomplex governm€flfr,,,
Thepeopleslived in longhouses,
with sometimesfive to six
familiesin each.A largevillage
might haveas many as a hundred
longhouses.
The villagesite was carefuliy
selected.The location had ro be
easyto defendand discourage
enemyattack.An examplewould
be a hilltop, with a swamp or
marshat rhe base.The sire also
had to be near areasof rich soil
for the crops,a forest for both
building marerialsand firewood,
and an adequatesupply of fresh
water for drinking and irrigaring
the crops.
Surroundingrhe houseswere up
to threerows of pointed posts
calledpalisades.There was only
a narrow entrancewayinto the
village.In somevillages,sentries
on platformsor watchtowerskept
watch for surprise raids from
hostilegroups.
Tlie interior of a longhousewas
divided into"family compartments.
Feeding a Village
Sieepingplatformsran alongthe
a.'.; walls. Four or five cookingfires,
families,
,*l' one for everytwo
:',i.t+r' burned in a row down the
ffio#
.Pnrreof the house.
LLrrL'I\
ffiSiiK:;*
were amongthe few Aborigrnal
groupswho grew food crops as well .
in 1867,five of the
LongbeforeCanada's
Confederation
EasternWoodlandsnatioru joined togetherto form a
(a politicaland military alliance).Startedin the
confederacy
fourteenthor fifteenth century this confederacywas at first
madeup of five nations- the Ganiengehaga,
Cayuga,
Onondaga,Oneidaand Seneca.
Then,in the I700s, a sixth
group, the Tuscarora,joined the confederacy,
which cameto
be known as the Leagueof the Six Nations
The people of the Leagueweregroupedinto nine clars:
Turtle,Eel, Beaver,Bear,Deer,Wolf, Snipe,Hawk and Heron.
The matron (clan mother) of eachfamiiy wirhin the clan
seiecteda sachem(chiefl to representher famil;r ln all, fifty
sachemssat on a Grand Council and drafted the laws of the
League.Although the sachemswere men, it was the women
who put them in power and could alsoremove
them if they did not do their job satisfactorily.
The Leaguewas groundedon democratic
principles. A1I important issues
werediscussed,and
:1"?.;,u,."'
."'':decisionswere made when
the majority of sachems
werein agreement.
The symbol of the l-eagueof the Six
Nationswas, and stiil is, a pine tree.
The roos of the Tiee of PeacesPrgad
out in all directions. Anyone desiring
peacehas only to follow the 6ots to
find the Shelterof the geat peace.Ar
the top, an eaglesunds on guard to
protect.all those who take shelter
underit.
The peoplesof the EastemWoodlands
as fished,hunred and gathered.They
practisedslash-and-burnagriculture,
in which treesand brush are bumed
and the soil is fer"tiiizedby the ash. To
clear the land, they first removed a
ring of bark from a tree, then bumed
the baseo[ the treeto make it easier
to chop down. Once the land was
cleared,the women prepared the
soil for planting.
The main cropswere maize
(corn), beansand squash.The people
"Three
Sisters"
referredto theseas the
"Our
or
Supporters."The plants were
highly compatible,and the farmers
wiseiy took advantageof this by
growing them together.r
Games
Lacrosseis a ball game played by the
Haudenosaunee
and other groups.
Playerspassand catch a ball using a
stick that has a shailow net at one
end.The objectof the gameis to get
the ball into the other team'snet. It
is a gameof skill and endurance,but
for many groupsit was also thought
to be a gift from the creator and had
spiritual significance.
F{arne:
The T[oodland Iroquoians
Southeastem Ontario was, and still is, the home ofthe peoples
language.
who sp€ak different dialeets ofthe
l'he people lived in settled villages. They lruntsl and gathenetl a,s
well as
erops. Ihey lvere skilled farmers,
harvesting an abundance offood. They also develotrleda oomplex
livetl in
with sometimes
The trDeoples
families in eaeh. A large village may have as many a^sa
to hundred longlrouses. Surr"'ourdfurgthe houses were up to fluee
. There was onlv a
nows ofpointed posts ealled
narnow entranoeyvay into the village.
The interior ofa longhouse was diyided into fanrily
ran along the walls.
compartmenL
Four or fiYe
one for ever5rtwo families,
lmrned in a row dorvn the eenter of a house.
Long before Canada3sConfetleration in 186Z five ofthe
Eastern woodland nationsjoinetl together to form a,confederaey (a
and
allianee) This confederacy was at first
nade up of five nations - the
and
. Then
joined the cconffiePacy,
a sixth gnoup, tlre
of the
whieh came to be knorvn as flre
The people ofthe League wene groulled into nine clan:
and
. The rnatron ofeaeh family
withfur the elan seleeted a
to reprrcsenther family. In
rill fifly sachems (ehiefs) sat on a
and
drafted the laws ofthe League. Although flre sachems were _,
it
was the
who put them in power and eould also rernolre
them ifflrey did not do theirjob satisfactorily. .
The League lvas grounded on
pnineipl€s.All
important issues were discussetl, and deeisions rvere made when the
nrajority ofthe sachem rvenein agreement
The symhl ofthe L,eagueofthe Six l{ations }vas, arul still is, a
tree. The root6 ofthe Tbee of_
spread out in all
direetions. Anyone desiring peac.ehas only to follow the r.'ootsto tind
the shelter ofthe seat psa,oe.At the bp, and
stands on
guard to proteet all those who take shelter under it
Ttre peoples ofthe Eastern woodlands were amonE the few
Aboriginal groups who
as well
.and-,
as fished, lrunted and gatherecl. They practic€d
agricultur€, in whieh trees and brush are burnetl and the soil is
ferfilized by the aslr.
The main crops were
(eom),
and _.
The people referred to these as the
*our suplnrters.'TIle
plants were higlrly mmpatible, and the
farmers took arlvantage ofthis by growing them together.
is a ball game played by the Haudenosamnee
nnd other groups. Players pass and eateh a ball using a stiek that
has a shallow net at one end. The otlject ofthe garne is to get the baII
into the other team's net ft us a ga,meof skill and enduranee, but
for many groups it was also thought to be a _
ftom the
and has a
signffieanee.