Haundenosaunee

By Andrew, Josh, William,

Alex, Cindy

Setting
Location
New York State
Along the St. Lawrence
River/Great Lakes
Also located in Quebec
and Ontario

Physical
Geography
Flat plains
Rolling hills
Deep river valleys
Steep cliffs
Dry grasslands

Map of the Haundenosaunees

Location

Climate
Cold winters
Warm summers
Low precipitation

Language
Six languages:
Mohawk, three
thousand fluent
speakers in Canada and
USA
Cayuga, in decline
Oneida, in decline
Onondaga, spoken
mostly in Canada
Seneca, spoken mostly
in the USA
Tuscarora, seriously
endangered

Daily Life
Food

Most of their food came from

farming
They farmed corn, beans,
squash
Woman gathered nuts, roots,
and berries
They tapped maple trees for
sap
Deer, turkey, and birds are
among the animals they
hunted.
They fished salmon, trout,
bass, perch, and whitefish.

Shelter

They lived in villages

surrounded by walls
There were longhouses in the
villages
Hearths were placed in the
center of the houses to keep
them warm

Clothing

Their clothes were made out

soft deer skin
They wore leggings, shirts,
and moccasins
Woman wore skirts
Men wore smocks for warmth
Both men and woman
decorated their bodies with
tattoos

Trade / Economy

They traded furs for metal

tools such as axes, hoes, and
knives, with the French

Family and Social

Organization
Family

Men
Warriors, tradesmen,
hunters
Protect the tribe
Elders were respected
Woman
Equal power
They raised the children
Owned all the property
Children
Did not get formal education
They were taught to be
brave, strong, to never
complain, walk quietly and
to always be obedient

Social

Gender Equal
Matrilineal System
Decent is traced through
the mother
The mother appointed new
leaders and could strip bad
leaders of their powers
Land, children, horses etc.
belonged to the mothers

Culture
Art

Totem Poles
Used to tell stories of
each clan
Mask Carving

Sun Dance
Communicated Legends
of each clan
Wore costumes

Lacrosse
Played to solve disputes

Beliefs and
Ceremonies

Dance

Games

Beliefs
Believed in a Great
Spirit
Many followed
Christianity
Ceremonies
Six major ceremonies a
year
Often based around
spirits

Burial Practices

Music

Dead buried facing

east
Believed dead souls
journey to sky world
Mourning lasted a
year

Usually Rythmic
Drums and Flutes