American Indian Iroquois. History and culture of the tribe

Iroquois are people who live in the central regions of the United States and Canada. This ethnos is famous not only for its unusual appearance, but also for its interesting history and traditions. Today, we suggest that you make an exciting trip to the deep regions of the Great Lakes and learn more about how the indigenous American Iroquois live.

What is the Iroquois League?

Presumably in 1570 there was a union of the Iroquois called the League of Hodenosauni. Initially, this formation included 5 tribes: Oneida, Mohawks, Cayuga, Onondaga and Seneca. Later, in 1770, the Tuscarora tribe joined the League of Hodenosaun, expelled from the southern regions of the United States (now East Carolina).

Due to the close ethno-cultural and social contacts of all these groups, the Iroquois Indians appeared. The description of the ethnos can not be made without the characteristics of the tribes that have become part of the League of Hodenosauni. Therefore, we will dwell on each tribe in more detail.

Oneida Tribe

Oneida is a tribe from the Iroquois League. Initially, his descendants lived in the northern part of New York State, and then settled in the northeast of Wisconsin (in the Green Bay area). "The man of the immovable stone" - that is exactly what every Indian of the Iroquois comes out of the Onei tribe. The history of this name is connected with the local tradition. According to legend, in the center of the main village of the oneid always there was a large red boulder. This stone became an important symbol of the tribe.

Mohawk tribe

Mohawks (or mohawks) are a North American tribe of Indians living in the eastern districts of New York State. In the Chodenosauni League, this group was called "guardians of the eastern door". Today, the Mohawks are the most numerous tribe in the Iroquois union. Now they live in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec (Canada).

The first contacts of the Mohawk tribe with the Europeans took place in 1634, when the Dutch landed on American lands. Mohawks earlier than other Iroquois started trading with Europeans.

From the Mohawk tribe came such famous personalities as Joseph Brant (British army officer who distinguished himself during the War of Independence of the United States), Kateri Tekakwita (the Holy Roman Catholic Church) and Pauline Johnson (the famous Canadian actress and writer).

Cayuga Tribe

Initially, the tribe of kayuga lived in the region of Lake Kayuga between the peoples of Seneca and Onondaga. Today, their descendants live in the province of Ontario (Canada) and in the city of Perrysburg (New York, USA).

The native of the cayuga tribe is Harry Farmer, a famous Canadian actor, famous for his films "Police Academy" and "Dead Man."

Onondaga Tribe

Representatives of the North American Onondaga tribe refer to themselves as "hill people". Initially, the people occupied territories located in the north-west of the state of New York. But after the US War of Independence, the tribe was expelled from these lands and occupied the areas of Ontario (Canada).

It should be noted that in the Khodenosauni League, the Onondaga tribe performed the functions of "older brothers", that is, they held leading positions in the Council of the Union.

Tribe Seneca

The natives of the Seneca tribe refer to themselves as "mountain people". Today, this people lives on the shores of Seneca Lake, located south of Ontario, and the Genesee River in New York State. Initially, the Seneca occupied vast territories from New York to Pennsylvania.

From the history of the tribe

Since the 11th century, the Iroquois have occupied a vast territory between the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. For a long time they lived surrounded by Algonquin-speaking tribes (Ojibwa, Otava, Algonquin) and waged constant wars over their lands.

The Iroquois League supported the closest contacts with the Dutch. European merchants bought beaver skins from local tribes and in exchange supplied them with firearms. After all the beavers in the area between the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario were exterminated, the Dutch pushed the Iroquois to seize new lands. This led to the beginning of the so-called Beaver Wars. In 1660, the Iroquois began raiding New France. The metropolis supported its colonies, as a result of which the North American tribes began to suffer defeat. Meanwhile, British troops seized the Dutch colony of the New Netherlands, thus cutting off the Iroquois from the main trading partners.

In 1688, the war began for the English inheritance between France and Britain. In this conflict, the Iroquois took the side of the British. In addition, the North American tribes supported them in the French-Indian war. These two conflicts completely changed the alignment of forces on the continent. The Iroquois became completely dependent on arms shipments from England.

Iroquois in the US War of Independence

In 1775, the US War of Independence began. In this conflict, on the one hand, Great Britain and loyalists (that is, loyal to the British government) took part, and on the other - 13 English colonies. Most of the Indians during the war defended the position of neutrality. The Great Council of the League of Hodenosauni also initially maintained neutrality. However, in 1777 the Iroquois took the side of Great Britain. The main reason for this was that England was the main supplier of arms to the North American tribes. In addition, the colonial authorities forbade their descendants to occupy territories west of the Appalachian Mountains in order to avoid conflicts with the Indians.

After the war, Britain transferred the lands of the Iroquois to US control. During this period, the League of Hodenosauni ceased to exist. A part of the Iroquois moved north, to lands granted by the British Crown for support in the war. The other half of the tribes of the League of Hodenosauni remained in the territory of New York.

Economy and way of life of the American Iroquois

So, how did the simple Iroquois Indian live and behave? Features of the culture of North American tribes living in the Great Lakes region were formed under the influence of external factors. The territories inhabited by the Iroquois lay practically on the crests of the mountains. These lands were sheltered by thick forests and surrounded by rivers and lakes. Natural and climatic conditions determined the peculiarities of the economy of the North American tribes.

Iroquois lived in large spacious houses - ovachir. They were rectangular buildings with barrel-shaped roofs.

The main agricultural crop of the tribes was maize. Corn fields occupied huge territories (up to 9 km in radius). In addition, the Iroquois cultivated beans and pumpkin.

Since the 18th century, military and fur trade has been actively developing. This was due to close contacts and trade with the colonists. North American tribes supplied the Europeans with beaver skins, which were used to produce fur hats. As a rule, only women were engaged in agricultural work.

The political life of the Iroquois

In the political life of the North American tribes, the Chadenosauni League dominated. Its members were obliged to maintain peace among themselves. Headed the League Council of Chiefs, consisting of 50 sachems. Its members were elected by the mothers of the clans. Decisions of the Council were discussed by each tribe separately, and then a unanimous decision was taken. Each leader could veto a verdict. The first decisions of the Council were discussed by Mohawks, then - Seneca and Oneida, and the last ones - Cayuga and Onondaga.

All laws and customs of the tribes of the League of Hodenosauni were recorded in the Book of the Great Law. It is worth noting that, according to the model of this document, the US Constitution was created.

The social structure of North American tribes

The main unit of the social structure of the Iroquois was the genus, which was headed by a woman. Its members possessed collective ownership of land and agricultural land. Each family bore a certain generic name. As a rule, it was associated with the name of the animal. All the women of the family took an active part in the family council. At its meetings elected sakhmov - members of the Council of Chiefs.

The tribes could include from 10 to 3 genera. Thus, in the Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga, there were 8 of them, and in Mohawks and Oneida - 3.

The appearance of the Iroquois

A typical American Iroquois Indian, whose photo is presented below, contrary to popular belief today, did not wear the Iroquois hairstyle. Men and tribal leaders, as a rule, completely shaved their hair. There was only a small "scalp strand".

The martial appearance of the Iroquois was accepted only during military campaigns and major religious festivities. Hairstyles, which only slightly resembled the popular patterns of today, wore the soldiers of the Onondaga tribe. They completely shaved their hair, leaving only a small strip on the center of the head, which was then braided into a braid.

Religious views

Initially, the basis of the Iroquois religion was totemism - belief in the supernatural powers of animals. Animals acted as eponyms genus, performed protection functions during military operations, patronized agriculture and hunting. So, for example, the Mohawks, going to the battle, carried a coat of arms with a picture of the main totem of the tribe.

These cults at a later time acquired industrial importance. The Iroquois believed that the tribe needed to hunt their totemic animal. In this regard, the cult of the bear enjoyed special popularity among the North American Indians.

In addition, in the religious life of the Iroquois, agricultural cults became very important. The tribes deified and revered the land that gave them power. Particularly popular was the cult of the "three sisters-nurses" - the main crops (maize, beans and pumpkins).

It should be noted that the Iroquois before the other North American tribes faced the Christian doctrine. The European religion eventually became an integral part of their lives. Currently, the Iroquois profess Christianity.

Military art of the Iroquois

After the formation of the League of Hodenosauni, the military power of the previously disunited tribes greatly increased. Prior to contacting the Europeans, the Iroquois's armament consisted of a bow and arrow, a spear and a club. In addition, they used wooden shields that protected the body, head and legs of the warrior. The beginning of a lively trade with the Dutch led to a change in the military life of the North American tribes.

The Europeans supplied them with firearms and daggers. However, these new items did not immediately supersede the usual means of defense for the Iroquois (bow and arrows). The introduction of firearms resulted in the abandonment of wooden shields. Since then, the Iroquois have also begun to apply a new battle tactic - the technique of scattering over the battlefield.

Iroquois were more advanced in using new weapons than other North American tribes. This was largely facilitated by close trade contacts with Europeans.