Social Review
Questions
Chapter 4
The Iroquois
Confederacy
Chapter 4 The Iroquois Confederacy
Key Vocabulary
Haudenosaunee: the name the Iroquois confederacy call themselves
United Nations
Confederacy: a partnership agreed upon by nations or groups of people
Clan a large group of families related to one another
Collective identity a shared belief system that often includes the same language,
culture, values or attitudes
Political map; A map showing political regions, country borders, provinces, states
and capital cities
Historical map: A map showing a region in the past
Physical map: a map showing the elevation above or below sea level, mountains,
plains, rivers, lakes
Land Use Map: A map showing what the land is used for: growing grain, olives,
grapes forestry mining …
War Chiefs: men selected by nations of the Iroquois to sit on the Grand Council, In
wartime, they gathered warriors for fighting
Pine Tree Chiefs: men who showed special abilities or had interest in public affairs
selected to sin on the Grand Council by its chiefs
Generations: successive decendants in a family
Clan system a system that balances loyalty to the clan with loyalty to the nation.
Consensus a process made by people having an equal voice
Focus Questions
What is the term Haudenosaunee?
What role did women play in Iroquois democracy? Women had
roles in decision making, looking after the children and the
seeds of the future as they were an agrarian society. Women
decided if the tribe would be going to war.
How important was the Clan mother? Clan mother had been
given the chieftainship title, which allows her to choose the
Chief of the tribe.
What role did Iroquois men play in the community? Men
hunted, fought in wars and built longhouses
What was a wampum, and what was it used for? What is a
wampum keeper? Wampum was a traditional way in which the
Haudenosaunee recorded history. Wampum was a belt med
out of shells of different colours. The Wampum keeper was
trained in reading the history from the wampum belts
What were the roles of the war chiefs? War chiefs met with the
Grand Council and prepared men to fight in battle.
What were the roles of the pine tree chiefs? They were men
chosen with special diplomatic or other abilities who served on
the Grand Council
How were decisions made in the confederacy? Consensus was
the process of decision making at all levels of the confederacy,
clan, tribe and Grand Council
What is consensus decision making? Everyone had an equal say
in decision making, decisions made were done so with
everyone in agreement.
How was consensus decision making practiced in Iroquois
society? Clan level, tribe level and Grand Council level, Even
used with La Grande Paix de Montreal
The Iroquois Confederacy Pg 76 – 99
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Social Studies 6: Chapter 4 Iroquois Confederacy
1. Which of the following statements about the role of men and women in the Iroquois
Confederacy is most accurate?
A) Men and woman shared the responsibility for making decisions, and, as equals,
both could be selected to serve as chiefs (men) or chieftainships (women) in the Grand
Council.
B) Women played an important role in Iroquois society by raising crops and children,
but were not able to participate in the government or the decision making process, as
these roles were held only by men.
C) Men made the decisions in the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy but
women retained the right and power as clan mothers to decide which men could be
appointed as chiefs and decision makers for their clan.
D) In Iroquois society, as a matriarchal society women were more powerful than men
and it was women who both led the clans and participated in the government and the
decision making process while men stayed mostly in the home and tended to domestic
chores.
Speaker from the Cayuga Bear Clan:
"Using this method to make a decision made sure that the needs of all the nations were
met."
Speaker from the Mohawk Deer Clan:
"Using this technique to reach a decision sometimes took several days to come up with a
solutions which was fair and agreeable to everyone."
Speaker from the Seneca Beaver Clan:
"Making a decision this way allowed every clan and nation to be able to share their ideas
and thoughts."
Speaker from the Oneida Turtle Clan:
"We met and talked and discussed what to do at great length and had a fair solution
created, but, by the time we had all agreed to a solution, it was too late for the actions we
chose."
2. The technique for making decisions which is being discussed by the above speakers from
the Iroquois Confederacy is called:
A) Confederacy.
B) Referendum.
C) Majority Rule.
D) Consensus.
Mark and Tom were sitting in the library one day after Social Studies class.
Mark said "If I could go back in time, I think I would like to live in ancient Athens –
eating grapes and debating politics sounds like fun, plus I think I would look great in a
toga!"
Tom replied "That sounds like fun, but only if you were a citizen Mark!. I think it would
have been cool to belong to the Iroquois Confederacy. In the Confederacy, everyone was
treated as an equal and their political structure was pretty interesting too. Did you know
that they even had the idea of proportional representation, or representation by population
included in their political structure?"
3. Tom is referring to which of the following when he speaks of 'proportional
representation' or 'representation by population'?
A) Each member of Iroquois society was allowed to vote on decisions.
B) Nations within the Iroquois Confederacy could each elect one chief for each clan they
had.
C) The fact that in the Grand Council larger nations had more chiefs to represent them.
D) All chiefs were considered equal and each nation was represented by the same
number of chiefs in the Grand Council.
o
o
o
o
o
o
Mohawk
Seneca
Oneida
Onondaga
Cayuga
Tuscarora
The Peacemaker gathered the nations shown above and they together created a
confederacy based on no longer hurting each other and using logic and reason to create
rules and a system of government to make decisions that helped all the nations and
maintained peace.
4. The principle that helped maintain peace and created a system of government for the
confederacy was called:
A) The Haudenosaunee.
B) The Gayaneshakgowa (Great Law of Peace).
C) Treaty of La Grande Paix du Montreal.
D) Ganiekeaga(Law of Stone).
"All people affected by an issue are given a voice, allowed to participate in a discussion
and then an agreement is made that represents a process that everyone agrees on."
5. The above is a description of a decision making process known as:
A) Consensus.
B) Majority rule.
C) Cooperation.
D) Democracy.
Pros
Cons
Allows a fair decision to be reached.
Time consuming.
Creates a decision which is acceptable to all
Decisions are sometimes unable to be
reached.
Allows equal input of all affected by the decision.
Decisions cannot always be made in
a timely fashion.
Respects the needs and right of all involved in the Requires organization and full
decision making process.
participation.
6. The most appropriate title for the table shown above would be "Pros and Cons of:
A) Using Majority Rule as a Decision Making Model.
B) Creating a Confederacy to Govern a Partnership of Nations.
C) Using Debate as a Decision Making Model.
D) Using Consensus as a Decision Making Model.
7. The clan system used by the nations of the Iroquois Confederacy was very important to
how the government of the Confederacy and political decision making system worked in
making sure equality, unity and democracy was maintained because the clan system:
A) Helped people stay in touch with their spiritual sides through contact with nature.
B) Voted in the Grand Council as a united group and always showed unity.
C) Elected chiefs which were deemed fair and loyal and who represented the
characteristics of their clan animal that they admired.
D) Balanced peoples loyalty between their clan and their nation.
"We carry the seeds of both our family and our crops. We will grow and tend our crops
all while growing and tending our children, our future, the Seventh Generation."
8. The speaker of the above quote is mostly likely a(n):
A) Iroquois man.
B) Chief of the Six Nations.
C) Haudenosaunee woman.
D) Clan father.
9. Leaders of the clans of the Iroquois Confederacy were women. Chiefs which represented
a clan in the Iroquois Confederacy were men.
A) True
B) False
Deskae is the clan mother of the Cayuga Deer Clan. The Great Law of Peace, the set of
rules the Haudenosaunee live by, gives Deskae and other clan mothers like her power of
'chieftainship'
10. The power of chieftainship gives Deskae the responsibility of:
A) selecting the chiefs of her clan.
B) acting as chief of her clan.
C) participating in the Council of Chiefs.
D) leading the Grand Council.
United by the Peacemaker, the nations of the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Ononodaga,
Seneca and Tuscarora joined together to create a partnership, called a confederacy which
protected and strengthened all nations gathered under the Tree of Peace.
11. The uniting of these six nations also resulted in:
A) a peace treaty and a economic relationship based on 'free' trade between the nations.
B) the smaller Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora joining the larger,
powerful Mohawk nation for protection and guidance.
C) both peaceful relations and a democratic system of government.
D) a new nation formed from members of the Six Nations that gave up their old cultures
and traditions and created a new identity.
12. What idea is shown in the diagram above?
A) The needs of society as a whole should take priority over individual needs.
B) Chiefs were wiser than other members of society due to their noble birth and
specialized training and therefore only the chiefs should have the privilege of making
decisions for the society.
C) All people are equal and all people's opinions are equally important.
D) Governing the society and making decisions was a responsibility of the Elders, like
the Clan Mother.
The Iroquois Confederacy differed from European cultures of the same time span in
history in that in the Iroquois Confederacy women held powerful and influential roles
both socially and politically. Iroquois women played a large role in the political structure
and while they were not directly responsible for making decisions, it could be argued that
female clan mothers held more political power and influence than the male chiefs did.
13. Which of the following aspects of Haudenosaunee society best explains why women held
such a lot of political power?
A) to the frequent conflicts among Iroquois Confederacy nations men were often killed
in battle and this mean that the women had to take over the responsibly of running the
government of the Confederacy.
B) Iroquois Confederacy was a matrilineal society where men and children belonged to
their wifes/mothers clan which gave women social authority and influence.
C) men were responsible for coordinating hunting they were often gone for much of the
year leaving women to make decisions and run the Confederacy in their absence.
D) wampum keepers, women usually learned and understood the history and legends of
the Iroquois Confederacy better than the men and were then able to better suggest solutions
to problems based on the outcome of past events.
The wampum was introduced to the Iroquois people by Hiawatha according to Iroquois
legend. The Iroquois Confederacy used wampum to record historical events, preserve
important messages and help them remember the Great Law of Peace. By recording the
important events in the Iroquois history and culture, the wampum was a way of
preserving the collective identity of the Iroquois.
14. The meaning of 'collective identity' as used in the paragraph above can best be defined as
a:
A) way of making fair decisions.
B) political group.
C) shared belief system.
D) list of topics to be discussed.
"My daughter Onatah of the Onondaga Turtle clan will marry Orenda of the Cayuga Bear
Clan in the fall after the crops are harvested and a celebratory feast can be held."
15. According to Iroquois tradition and the Iroquois social structure, which clan will the
newlywed couple belong to and live with?
A) Cayuga Bear Clan.
B) Onondaga Turtle Clan.
C) Cayuga Turtle Clan.
D) Onondaga Bear Clan.
16. The use of consensus as a way of making decisions by the Haudenosaunee reflected their
beliefs that:
A) all people are equal and it is only fair that the needs and opinions of all people are
considered.
B) decisions should be made slowly and they should never be rushed into.
C) accepting the choice of the majority of the people was the only fair way to make a
decision.
D) only the wise Elders should confer on matters and make decision based on their
knowledge and experience.
Bijal is a star student in Grade 6. She takes careful notes in class and organizes them in
her binder by topic. Today, as we walks down the stairs at school, her Social Studies
binder slips from her hand and falls, popping open and spilling her notes out. Her friends
help Bijal gather her spilled papers and they all head to the library to help her put them
back into her binder.
Deepa finds this page:
o
o
o
established by the Great Law of Peace.
Made up of 50 chiefs.
Make decisions for the Confederacy.
17. Deepa hands the page to Bijal who looks at it and knows that she should place it in which
of the following sections of her binder?
A) Decision Making Process of the Iroquois Confederacy.
B) Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy.
C) Role of Clan Mothers in the Iroquois Confederacy.
D) Role of Wampum in the Iroquois Confederacy.
18. The roles of men and women in the society of the Iroquois Confederacy can best be
described as different:
A) but both men and women share responsibilities for all the chores equally.
B) because the in Iroquois Confederacy the women were involved in leadership and
decision making but then men were not
C) because men were considered to be superior to women who where not allowed to
play a role in the leadership of society or the decision making process.
D) but both held important positions of respect in their society.
19. Which of these statements is false?
A) Clan mothers of the Iroquois Confederacy led clans.
B) Men served in the government of the Iroquois Confederacy.
C) Clan mothers of the Iroquois Confederacy appointed clan chiefs.
D) Men and women of the Iroquois Confederacy could serve as clan chiefs.
Speaker from the Cayuga Bear Clan:
"Using this method to make a decision made sure that the needs of all the nations were
met."
Speaker from the Mohawk Deer Clan:
"Using this technique to reach a decision sometimes took several days to come up with a
solutions which was fair and agreeable to everyone."
Speaker from the Seneca Beaver Clan:
"Making a decision this way allowed every clan and nation to be able to share their ideas
and thoughts."
Speaker from the Oneida Turtle Clan:
"We met and talked and discussed what to do at great length and had a fair solution
created, but, by the time we had all agreed to a solution, it was too late for the actions we
chose."
20. The speaker from the Mohawk Deer Clan and the Oneida Turtle Clan both refer to one of
the problems with using consensus as a decision making model. This problem can be
summarized as:
A) Time.
B) Fairness.
C) Equity.
D) Group Dynamics.
The wampum was introduced to the Iroquois people by Hiawatha according to Iroquois
legend. The Iroquois Confederacy used wampum to record historical events, preserve
important messages and help them remember the Great Law of Peace. By recording the
important events in the Iroquois history and culture, the wampum was a way of
preserving the __________ of the Iroquois.
21. Which word/phrase that fills in the blank in the paragraph above which makes the
paragraph most accurate is:
A) clan system.
B) consensus.
C) Grand Council.
D) collective identity.
22. The Grand Council of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy could best be
described as a:
A) Healing Circle.
B) Representative Democracy.
C) Example of Native Justice.
D) Direct Democracy
The power of the chiefs in the Grand Council was balanced by the role of
the__________, who ensured that the chiefs were representing the needs of their clan and
nation, and that they obeyed the rules of the Great Law of Peace.
23. Which word which fills in the blank in the paragraph above to make it most accurate is:
A) Peacemaker.
B) Seventh Generation.
C) Grand Chief.
D) Clan Mother.
24. Which of the pictures was used to preserve the Iroquois history and collective identity?
A)
B)
C)
D)
25. A general agreement reached by all (or most) parties involved in a discussion would be
called a/an:
A) consensus
B) influence
C) negotiation
D) compromise
26. The Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy was created with the goals of doing which of
the following?
A) Ending the war and conflict between some aboriginal North American nations and
create a partnership among these nations.
B) Create peace between French fur traders and the First Nations groups using the
same hunting ground near Lake Ontario.
C) Assimilating the weaker Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca tribes into the
more powerful Mohawk (Iroquois) Nation in order for protection.
D) Bringing together the First Nations people of eastern North America into a unified
nation that could defend themselves against European settlers.
27. The photo shown above is best described as which of the following?
A) Metis sash.
B) Wampum belt.
C) Longhouse.
D) Teepee panel.
Lauren is giving an oral presentation to her Grade 6 Social Studies class about different
ways of making decisions. Brad arrives at class late and enters the room a few minutes
after Lauren has started her presentation. Brad hears Lauren say:
" ... using this method requires that people must act in the best interests of all people, be
open minded , compromise and listen to one another."
28. Brad realizes that Lauren is talking about:
A) creating a confederacy.
B) using consensus as a decision making method.
C) conservative style politics.
D) how a clan system works.
"All people affected by an issue are given a voice, allowed to participate in a discussion
and then an agreement is made that represents a process that everyone agrees on."
29. The above is a description of a decision making process known as:
A) Consensus.
B) Majority rule.
C) Cooperation.
D) Democracy.
30. In which situation might the Grand Council seek the input and consensus of all members
of the confederacy, including those of men, women, children and Elders?
A) Never, because only chiefs were part of the decision making process and they did
not need to consult with anyone over the decisions that they made.
B) Never, because the Iroquois Confederacy was not a direct democracy and only the
elected chiefs made decisions on behalf of the people.
C) Anytime any sort of decision needed to be made, the Grand Council consulted or
polled all the people to determine how they should act.
D) In emergencies or important matters that would affect all members of the
Confederacy.
31. The Iroquois Confederacy, the union of the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca
and Tuscarora, functioned because members of the confederation created laws to protect
the rights of all members of the Confederacy and also created a:
A) direct style democracy called the Gayaneshakgowa.
B) social hierarchy of the nations.
C) representative style democracy called the Grand Council.
D) clan mothers to govern the tribes and serve as chiefs in the central government.
32. The diagram above shows which of the following?
A) Order of speakers during a clan meeting in the Iroquois Confederacy.
B) Different levels of power held by each nation of the Iroquois Confederacy.
C) How decisions were made using consensus in the Iroquois Confederacy.
D) Alliances between nations of the Iroquois Confederacy
Mrs. Gibson creates a surprise quiz on the Iroquois Confederacy for her Grade 6 Social
Studies class. One of the questions on the quiz is:"What was a wampum?" Here are some
of the responses her students wrote on their quiz:
Bailey: 'Wampum belts were strings made of beads with different colours and textures.
The patterns made with the coloured and textured beads reminded the wampum keeper of
events recorded on the wampum which he told to his clan.'
Chris: 'A wampum was a method of making a decision where all people affected by the
decision were allowed to discuss and then agree how to act.' Dane:'A wampum was the
written history of the Iroquois people. Iroquois women recorded the history and legends
of the Iroquois by painting symbols and pictures that represented the events onto
stretched deer hides. The wampums were hung in the longhouses both as a decoration
and a reminder of their history and culture.'
Elena:'The wampum, also known as the 'Tree of Peace,' was an important symbol to the
Iroquois people. The legend introduced by Hiawatha told that the Tree of
Peace/Wampum grew over the spot where the Peacemaker asked the six nations to throw
down their weapons to show they were committed to peace and the creation of a
Confederacy.'
33. Which student has given the most accurate description of what a wampum was to the
Haudenosaunee?
A) Bailey.
B) Chris.
C) Dane.
D) Elena.
34. Which of the following details of the social structure of the Iroquois Confederacy helped
to prevent any one nation (of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga or
Tuscarora) from attempting to take over the Confederacy?
A) Powerful War Chiefs.
B) Leadership of women who tended to be more peaceful than men.
C) The clan system.
D) Communal (group) living arrangements in longhouses.