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The Iroquois Indians, made up of six tribes, live in various places in the US and Canada. They have a democratic system of government and practiced agriculture using the Three Sisters method. Men hunted and made tools, while women farmed and handled household matters. The Founding Fathers incorporated some of their government features into American democracy.
The Iroquois Indians, also known as the Haudenosaunee – meaning “longhouse people” – are a group of Native Americans who originally lived in what is now New York state. Today, with a population of approximately 70,000, the Iroquois Indians live in various places across the United States and Canada, including New York, Wisconsin, Ontario, and Quebec. Actually made up of six different Native American tribes, the Iroquois nation includes the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples.
The Iroquois Indians traditionally had, and still have, a fundamentally democratic system of government. Individual Native American tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy lead their own groups. The mothers of the clans, the matriarchs of the different tribes, however, choose male Iroquois leaders to represent their people at the meetings of the Great Council. These were typically meetings of representatives of the original five tribes. In them, all but the Tuscarora, who were late related to the Iroquois, meet to discuss matters relating to the governance of all Iroquois Indians and make decisions by consensus.
Some of the Founding Fathers of the United States were familiar with the Iroquois system of government. They incorporated some of its features into the nascent American democracy. For example, the relationship between the Grand Council and individual tribes is similar to the relationship between the US federal government and individual state governments.
The Iroquois Indians generally lived an agricultural existence, using hunting, fishing, and agriculture to provide livelihoods for their people. They relied on what they called the Three Sisters farming method. In this, people planted corn, and when it sprouted, they piled dirt around the young plants. Within these mounds, they would also plant beans, which would provide nitrogen for the corn, just as the stalks of the corn provided support for growing vines. Among the tightly packed rows of corn and beans, the Iroquois planted squash or squash, which would shade the ground, retain moisture and minimize weed growth.
Iroquois men and women filled different roles within the tribe. Men typically hunted, fished, traded, and made decisions about warfare. Women farmed, owned longhouses, and handled household matters. Both men and women told tribal stories, created art and music, and practiced medical care.
The Iroquois Indians were skilled in making bentwood tools. They made wooden hoes for use in gardening. They also made lacrosse sticks. Some Iroquois Indians still make the sticks, in the traditional way, to this day.
Traditional Iroquois dress for men consisted of a trouser and leggings. The men generally wore no shirts, but, in the winter, wore warm suits and moccasins. Additionally, male warriors often shaved the sides of their heads leaving a mohawk of hair, often referred to today as a mohawk. Women typically wear shorter leggings than men, along with a wrap skirt and overcoat or tunic shirt. Women also usually wore warm clothing and moccasins in colder climates.
