Table of Contents
How long has the Iroquois tribe been around?
The Iroquois people have inhabited the areas of Ontario and upstate New York for well over 4,000 years. Technically speaking, “Iroquois” refers to a language rather than a particular tribe. In fact, the Iroquois consisted of five tribes prior to European colonization.
When did the five Iroquois nations come together?
The Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee is believed to have been founded by the Great Peacemaker at an unknown date estimated between 1450 and 1660, bringing together five distinct nations in the southern Great Lakes area into “The Great League of Peace”.
Why did the Iroquois tribes unite?
According to legend, HURON prophet Deganawidah, the supernatural benefactor of the Iroquois, grieved because the Iroquois tribes were fighting among themselves. This left the Iroquois vulnerable to their enemies. Deganawidah chose Hiawatha, a Mohawk chief, to build a union among five of the Iroquois-speaking tribes.
Why did the Six Nations Band Together?
According to their founding tradition, the Peacemaker story, these Iroquois peoples—who had warred with each other for decades—came together between 1570 and 1600 to live in peace and harmony after Hiawatha, a mourning Onondaga, joined the itinerant Peacemaker (Dekanawidah) in pursuing unity among the Iroquois.
Who are the Six Nations of the Iroquois?
The Iroquois were originally comprised of five major tribes, prior to European settlement, but by 1722, a sixth nation joined this group, making it known to settlers as the Six Nations. The Six Nations were the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and the Tuscarora, and they spoke the same common tongue, Iroquois.
How did the people of the Iroquois confederacy come together?
According to their founding tradition, the Peacemaker story, these Iroquois peoples—who had warred with each other for decades—came together between 1570 and 1600 to live in peace and harmony after Hiawatha, a mourning Onondaga, joined the itinerant Peacemaker (Dekanawidah) in pursuing unity among the Iroquois.
When did the Tuscarora Nation join the Iroquois?
In around 1722, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee. Together, these six nations formed a multi-state government while maintaining their own individual governance.
Where did the Iroquois move after the Revolution?
Following the Revolution, a small number of Onondaga joined other Iroquois in relocating to the Grand River section of Ontario, Canada. From 1788 to 1822 the state of New York took possession of about 95 percent of Onondaga land. Today some 7,300 acres (30 square km) south of Syracuse, New York, constitute the land of the Onondaga nation.