01-04 iroquois culture.cdr
Name: _________________________
Period:_______
IROQUOIS CULTURE
Haudenosaunee:
The Iroquois called themselves
Haudenosaunee which means “People
of the Longhouse”. Their enemies gave
them the name Iroquois--it means
“rattlesnake”.
Clothing
Iroquois clothing was
mostly made from deer
skin. The clothing was
well-made and
comfortable.
The Iroquois also spent
time decorating their
clothes with feathers or
dyed porcupine quills.
a decorated mocassin
Food
The Iroquois cultivated crops
of corn, beans, and squash.
They were so important to their
diet that they called them the
“Three Sisters”. They also hunted and
fished for food.
Iroquois Confederacy
Date: ____________
Spiritual Beliefs
The Iroquois spiritual beliefs were
important to their culture. They had a
creation myth to explain the creation of
the world. They also held religious
festivals and ceremonies.
The Iroquois believed that all plants and
animals had a spirit. Tobacco was a
sacred plant and was used in religious
ceremonies.
The Role of Women
The Iroquois group consists of five
tribes: the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga,
Oneida, and Mohawk. To keep peace
between their own tribes and to make
themselves stronger against their
enemies, the Iroquois formed a
federation or alliance.
Iroquois women had very
important roles in Iroquois
society:
?
They owned the land.
?
They elected the clan
leaders (sachems).
?
They planted and
harvested the crops.
The Iroquois Confederacy is sometimes
called the League of the Iroquois or the
Five Nations. Because each tribe sent
representatives to the Grand Council, it
is considered the first representative
government in North America.
The Iroquois also traced
their families through the
mother, not the father. It
was a matrilineal society.
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The Iroquois society was
matrilineal. What does that
mean?
Why was the Iroquois
Confederacy the first
representative government
in North America?
Give three examples that
show the importance of
women in Iroquois society.
What was the purpose of the
Iroquois creation myth?
What were some of the main
sources of food for the
Iroquois?
What does Haudenosaunee
mean?
Why did they form a
confederacy?
What five tribes belonged to
the Iroquois Confederacy?