The Iroquois (or Haudenosaunee ) known also by the expression Five-Nations include/understand indeed five and then later six Amerindian nations of Langues iroquoises living historically in the north of the State of New York to the the United States in the south of the Lake Ontario and the Fleuve the St. Lawrence. Majority of some 75  000 Iroquois live today in Ontario with the Canada and in the State of New York. Others live with the Wisconsin, the Quebec and in Oklahoma. Only a small minority of Iroquois speaks today one about the languages iroquoises of which in particular close to 1  500 speakers of the Mohawk in the village Kahnawake, in the south of Montreal.

The six nations were dependant between them by a common constitution called Gayanashagowa or “  great law of Unité  ”:

  • Goyogouins (in English “   Cayugas  ”)

  • Agniers (in English “   Mohawks  ”)
  • Onneiouts (in English “   Oneidas  ”)
  • Onontagués (in English “   Onondagas  ”)
  • Tsonnontouans (in English “   Senecas  ”)
  • Tuscarora (the sixth nation, 1722)

The origin of the word “  iroquois  ” is obscure, but this name could come from a sentence often employed at the end of speech iroquois, “  hiro kone  ” (I said it). Others consider that the word would come from the name which was given to them by their enemies, the Algonquins  : “  Irinakhoi  ” (rattlesnakes). However, Iroquois are called themselves “  Haudenosaunee  ” (people at the long houses).

Culture

Gayaneshagowa or the Great Law Which Dregs is made up of 117 paragraphs; transmitted orally, since the 14th century according to the tradition and since the 16th century according to the observers of European origin; law which precedes the constituent writings of the founding fathers of modern America. cf " The art of teaching of the Indians iroquois. With the sources of the first constitution." A reference book of a ethno-historian, Alexandre Grauer, who was written with the downstream of the iroquois chiefs of the Confederation Six Nations.

Economy, daily life

Iroquois are people farmer and semi-sedentary. They cultivate the Blé, the Maïs and the Courge. They supplement their food by the fishing, with the Printemps, and the Chasse. The men leave to the Automne and return in Hiver.

Iroquois are also of skilful craftsmen. They wear skin garments of animal bent with the spines of the porcupine and decorated with shells and various reasons. They use moccasins.

Habitat

Their villages are made up large long houses in logs, from where the name which they give each other (see supra ). They are permanent, with the direction where the village is not moved except exhaustion of the ground or military needs.

Social organization

The social organization is matriarcale, matrilinéaire and matrilocale: it is the mother who determines chalk-lining, and the women have the ground. After his marriage, the man moves in at his wife, and his/her children become members of the clan of the mother. The women also choose the chiefs of clan.

A father Jésuite French who meets Iroquois in 1650 describes the company iroquoise like egalitarian. The Iroquoise Confederation extends from the Mounts Adirondacks with the Big lakes, on the current territory of the Pennsylvania and the north of the State of New York. The ground is held and worked jointly. Hunting is done in group and the catches are shared between the members of the village. The concept of private property of the grounds and the dwellings is perfectly foreign in Iroquois. The women play a big role: chalk-lining is organized around its female members from which the husbands come to join the family. The widened families train clans and a dozen or more clans can form a village. The oldest women of the village designate the men entitled to represent the clan with the council of village and tribe. They also appoint the 49 chiefs who compose the great council of the Confederation of the five nations iroquoises. The women supervise harvests and manage the village when the men are with hunting or fishing. They provide moccasins and food for warlike forwardings, and have a certain control on the military businesses.

Savage warriors

Iroquois of the area of New York were famous to be terrible warriors; the prisoners of war could be eaten. They used the same weapons that for hunting: the tomahawk, the arc and arrows, bludgeons. Certain warriors iroquois carried a Scalp around the neck.

History

Their grounds of origin are located between the Adirondacks and the Chutes of the Niagara. They extend then in all North-East from the the United States of America and south-east from the Canada. Traces of settlement of houses in logs are attested as of At the 14th century is introduced the culture of corn. According to the tradition iroquoise, at that time there was only one tribe, living on the Fleuve the St. Lawrence, with which them Algonquins learn agriculture. The formation of the various tribes is dubious. It is known that a league iroquoise is created in 1570 under the name of Ligue of the five nations. In 1722, Tuscaroras enter the league, which becomes the Six nations. The population of Iroquois is evaluated with 22.000 individuals at the beginning in 1630 and fall to 6.000 at the beginning of the 18th century. At the 17th century, wars with the French, combined with the British Algonquins, and , force them to turn over within the limits of their ancestral grounds, or with the Canada, mainly with the Quebec. In 1648-1653, Iroquois attack the Huron , French Algonquins and their allies. They end up weakening the confederation of Huron which disperse. Certain prisoners were adopted (they became Iroquois) whereas others were tortured (the nails were torn off to them) or struck with blows of stick. The warriors ate the bodies of overcome. In 1660, they fight the battle Length-Sault and threaten the colony of News-France. In 1666, the French soldiers attack Iroquois: Agniers and Onneiouts are resigned to conclude peace in 1667.

During the war of American Independence, they decide to be combined to the British, decision which proves to be disastrous for them: in 1779, George Washington sends an army to invade their ancestral grounds. The majority of these Iroquois are pushed back until in Ontario. At the 19th century, an small group leaves to make trade of fur in Alberta.

Iroquois remained with the the United States are constrained to yield their grounds. The majority of the tribes manage to avoid the deportation of the years 1830, except Onneiouts, which in 1828 leave for a reserve the Wisconsin. Goyogouins sold their New Yorkean grounds in 1807 to join tribes connected in Ohio. Onontagués, Tsonnontouans and Tuscaroras live still today in reserves of the State of New York.

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