The Iroquois Confederacy

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2. The Iroquois confederacy was a group of six different first nations: The Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and later on the Cayuga.

3. The Three Sisters

3.1. Corn, squash and beans were the main crops. these were called the three sisters and they were always planted together to help each other grow. The corn stalks supported the climbing beans.The squash discouraged the weed to crowd the corn and beans. Also, the big squash leave shaded the soil, keeping it moist. Eaten together, these three eaten together make a well-eaten diet

3.2. Origins of The Three Sisters: The Earth began when the first human, called Sky Woman, fell to Earth. Before she fell she was pregnant , and when she landed she gave birth to a daughter. Years later the daughter died giving birth to twin boys. Sky Woman buried her daughter. In the grave, she placed the plants and leaves that she held in her hands when she fell from the Sky World. Soon after, corn, beans, and squash grew from her daughter's grave. These became the Haudenosaunee's main food source.

4. Role of The Women

4.1. The society of the haudenosaunee was matrilineal. This means that the head of each longhouse was a woman. She was known as the clan mother. When a marriage took place the man would move to the woman's longhouse. All the woman and children living in the same longhouse were in the same clan, or extended families

5. Language

5.1. They spoke a language called Algonquin

6. Forming the Iroquois

6.1. Long before the Europeans came the 5 nations were at war with each other. Then a Peacemaker came in a stone canoe, he brought messages of peace to the 5 nations and united them as the Iroquois Confederation

7. The Hiawatha wampum

7.1. The Hiawatha wampum tells the story of how the Iroquois became The Iroquois.

8. The Peacemaker

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9. Hudenosaunee government

9.1. The Great law of peace or Gayanashagowa was a set of laws that explainedhow the government would work and how people should behave in society.

9.2. Women played an important role in the Haudenosaunee government. Although the leaders were usually men, the Clan Mothers chose them. The women closely watched the men. They could veto any law the men passed. If a women thought a leader wasn't doing a good job, they could remove him from his leadership. Then they appointed a new leader to take his place.