In the Iroquois community, women were the keepers of culture . They were responsible for defining the political, social, spiritual and economic norms of the tribe. Iroquois society was matrilineal, meaning descent was traced through the mother rather than through the father, as it was in Colonial society.
What important things did the Iroquois women do?
Women had many important jobs in the Iroquois tribe such as planting and harvesting the crops , collecting wild nuts and berries, making clothes, clay pots and baskets, taking care of the homes and the children. And of one of the most important jobs was being a Clan Mother.
What roles did men and women play in Iroquois society?
Each gender had unique responsibilities. Men were the hunters and the warriors, while women grew crops and looked after the longhouses . Men also serve as the chiefs and sachems, but these men are appointed by the Clan Mothers.
What power did Iroquois women have?
In the Iroquois Confederacy (including the Onandaga, Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, and later Tuscarora Nations), women participated in all major decision-making. Women had the power to veto any act of war . And women selected the chiefs.
How did Iroquois women wear their hair?
On top, they wore deerskin vests and decorative fur capes . In the summer months, the women wore light skirts of woven grass. Girls wore their hair in two braids.
Who did the Iroquois worship?
The Iroquois believed the world to be full of supernatural creatures, including gods, spirits, and demons. Many religions have a god who is strongest or most important, and in the Iroquois religion that central god was the Great Spirit (also called the Great Chief or Great Mystery, depending on the tribe).
Who owned property in Iroquois society?
It is principally the women who are responsible for the land, who farm it, and who care for it for the future generations. When the Confederacy was formed, the separate nations formed one union.
What type of society was the Iroquois?
The longhouse family was the basic unit of traditional Iroquois society , which used a nested form of social organization: households (each representing a lineage) were divisions of clans, several clans constituted each moiety, and the two moieties combined to create a tribe.
What did the Iroquois eat?
They had a number of ways to prepare corn and the other vegetables they grew. The men hunted wild game including deer, rabbit, turkey, bear, and beaver . Some meat was eaten fresh and some was dried and stored for later. Hunting animals was not only important for meat, but for other parts of the animal as well.
What was the Iroquois culture?
The Iroquois were a very spiritual people who believed in the Great Spirit , the creator of all living things. They also believed in a Good Spirit and an Evil Spirit, who were in charge of good things and bad things that happened on the Earth.
What was the Iroquois longhouse?
A longhouse has a framework built of posts and poles and is covered with sheets of bark. ... However, a typical Iroquois longhouse was 180 to 220 feet long . The length of a longhouse was determined by the size of the extended family that would live in it. The larger the family, the longer the longhouse needed to be.
How did Native American women wear their hair?
Typical Native American Hairstyles – Women
Navajo and Pueblo women typically wore their hair tied at the nape of the neck in a twist style known as a chongo . Others cut their hair to the shoulders in a blunt cut, often with bangs.
What are the Iroquois known for?
The Iroquoi Tribes, also known as the Haudenosuanee, are known for many things. But they are best known for their longhouses . ... Iroquois society was matrilineal; when a marriage transpired, the family moved into the longhouse of the mother, and family lineage was traced from her.
Do the Iroquois still exist today?
Iroquois people still exist today . There are approximately 28,000 living in or near reservations in New York State, and approximately 30,000 more in Canada (McCall 28). Iroquois Indians became known for their light foot and fearlessness in bridge constructuion, and helped build the bridge over the St.
How did the Iroquois bury their dead?
Among the Iroquois, and many other Indian nations, it was the custom to place the dead upon scaffolds, built for the purpose, from tree to tree, or within a temporary enclosure, and underneath a fire was kept burning for several days . ... They were sometimes in the habit of addressing the dead, as if they could hear.
Who was the Iroquois God?
| Tribe or group Deity or spirit Notes | Iroquois Gohone Winter | Hahgwehdaetgan God of evil . Twin of Hahgwehdiyu. | Hahgwehdiyu Creator; god of goodness and light. Twin of Hahgwehdaetgan. | Onatha Fertility |
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