The Cayuga Indians were originally from upstate New York and are part of the Iroquois Confederacy. They were forced to migrate to Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Ontario. They lost their land in the 1700s and live with other tribes. They speak English, but some still speak the native Cayuga language. They lived in longhouses, but now live in modern homes.
The Cayuga Indians were originally found in what is now upstate New York in the United States. While many Cayuga descendants remain in the New York area, many more were forced to migrate to what is now Wisconsin and Oklahoma, as well as Ontario, Canada. The Cayuga Indians are made up of several mixed tribes.
The Cayuga Indians are members of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Cayuga, Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, and Onondaga, as well as the Tuscarora, were all tribes that made up the Confederacy. These Indian nations remain related and are often referred to as the Six Nations. In many areas, these Indians are referred to as members of the Long House. This reflects the type of dwelling the Cayuga Indians are known for.
The tribal council members were chosen by the clan mothers. The Cayuga Indians were also subject to the decisions of the Iroquois Grand Council. In this council, 10 Cayuga chiefs represented the tribe. Individual tribes made decisions which were overseen by the Grand Council. The American Founding Fathers used this Grand Council as the basis for their representative democratic society.
In the 1700s, the Cayuga Indians lost all of their tribal land. They were not given a reservation of their own and were forced to live with other tribes. In upper state New York, the Cayuga Indians live with the Seneca and Onondaga. They still maintain their council of chiefs independent of the governments of other tribes. The Cayuga Indians also live with mixed tribes on reservations in Oklahoma, Wisconsin and in smaller communities in New York. In Canada, the Cayugas live with the Iroquois on the Six Nations reservation.
The Cayugas speak English in most areas; however, in Canada, some speak the native Cayuga language. Cayuga is a complex language with many sounds not found in the English language. While some of the Cayuga are working diligently to preserve the native language, Cayuga is considered an endangered language as most children no longer learn it.
The Cayugas lived in longhouse villages. These were wooden structures up to 100 feet long. An entire clan could live in a longhouse. This meant there could be as many as 60 Indians living in a single structure. Modern Indian families live in their own single family home. The longhouses are currently built only for display by the modern Cayuga.
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