The Iroquoian Peoples

The term Iroquoian refers to a large linguistic and cultural family of Indigenous peoples who have historically inhabited the Great Lakes region and parts of the eastern United States. While they share related languages, their cultures, political structures, and histories are distinct. The two prominent Iroquoian groups mentioned in this context are the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Wendat Nation. It's important to understand that these two groups have a complex history and were historically distinct, sometimes rival, confederacies.

  • The Haudenosaunee (hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee), which translates to "People of the Longhouse," are a powerful and sophisticated confederacy of nations. They are often referred to as the Iroquois Confederacy or the Six Nations. This political and cultural union is one of the world's oldest continuously functioning participatory democracies.

    The Confederacy was originally formed by five nations:

    1. Mohawk (Kanien'kehá:ka): The Keepers of the Eastern Door.

    2. Oneida (Onayoteka'ono): The People of the Standing Stone.

    3. Onondaga (Onöñda'gega'): The Keepers of the Central Fire.

    4. Cayuga (Guyohkohnyo): The People of the Great Swamp.

    5. Seneca (Onöndowa'ga:'): The Keepers of the Western Door.

    In the early 18th century, the Tuscarora (Ska-Ruh-Reh), an Iroquoian people displaced from the south, were accepted into the Confederacy, making it the Six Nations.

  • The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is governed by the Great Law of Peace (Kaianere'kó:wa), a comprehensive constitution that was established centuries before European contact. The Great Law was brought to the nations by a spiritual leader known as the Peacemaker, along with his spokesperson, Hiawatha. It united the warring nations under a message of peace, power, and righteousness.

    Key features of their governance include:

    • A Grand Council: Comprised of 50 chiefs, or Hoyaneh, representing the clans of each nation.

    • Matrilineal Society: Clan identity, political titles, and property are passed down through the mother's line. Clan Mothers hold significant authority, including the responsibility of selecting and deposing chiefs.

    • Consensus-Based Decision Making: The Grand Council makes decisions not by majority vote, but by reaching a consensus that all nations can agree to, ensuring unity and balance.

  • The Haudenosaunee's traditional territory stretches across what is now upstate New York, southern Ontario, and northern Pennsylvania. Due to historical conflicts, colonization, and land dispossession, Haudenosaunee communities are now found in Ontario, Quebec, New York, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma.

    • Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (mentioned in the grant file): Akwesasne is a prime example of the complexities of modern borders. The Mohawk community's territory uniquely straddles the provincial borders of Ontario and Quebec, as well as the international border between Canada and the United States (New York). Their governance and daily life transcend these colonial lines.

  • The Wendat people, also known historically by the French exonym "Huron," were also a powerful confederacy of Iroquoian-speaking nations. Before the mid-17th century, their homeland, known as Wendake, was located in the fertile lands between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay in what is now central Ontario.

    The Wendat Confederacy originally consisted of four or five distinct nations:

    1. Attignawantan (Bear Nation)

    2. Attigneenongnahac (Cord Nation)

    3. Arendarhonon (Rock Nation)

    4. Tahontaenrat (Deer Nation)

    5. Ataronchronon (People of the Bog) - may have been a division of the Bear Nation.

  • Like the Haudenosaunee, the Wendat lived in longhouses within fortified villages. They were expert agriculturalists, known for cultivating corn, beans, and squash (the "Three Sisters"), which formed the basis of their diet and economy. They were also skilled traders, acting as middlemen in a vast network that connected Algonquian peoples to the north with other Iroquoian peoples to the south.

    Their society was also matrilineal, with clan lineage and inheritance following the female line.

  • In the mid-17th century, a series of devastating conflicts with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, exacerbated by European diseases and the fur trade, led to the dispersal of the Wendat people. The confederacy was shattered, and its people scattered.

    Groups of survivors sought refuge in various places. One significant group journeyed east, eventually settling near Quebec City under the protection of the French.

    Nation Wendat: This refers to the Huron-Wendat Nation, whose community is located at Wendake, Quebec, just outside Quebec City. They are the direct descendants of the group that migrated east after the dispersal. Today, they are a vibrant and modern First Nation, actively working to preserve their language, culture, and traditions while being a key economic and cultural force in the region. Other Wendat descendant communities exist in the United States, such as the Wyandot Nation of Kansas and the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma.