Who were the Iroquois? Page 77
The Iroquois were a group of Native Americans living in the Eastern Woodlands Cultural Region (upstate New York) beginning around the year 1580. A cultural region is an area in which people with similar cultures live.
The five tribes, the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora came later, formed a league, or organization that people form which unites them for a particular purpose.
The Iroquois Trail went through and linked the lands of the league.
Deganawidah and Hiawatha are people of the tribes about whom legends were told.
What was life like living in the Woodlands? Page 78
The forests provided many resources for the woodland people. They were able to grow crops and hunt for what they needed.
The Woodlands people lived in longhouses.
The Iroquois called themselves the Haudenosaunee, which means “people of the longhouse.”
The woodlands provided all that they needed.
What did the Iroquois believe? What were their customs? Page 79
The Iroquois were deeply spiritual. They felt a great connection to their environment and the God who created it all. They called God the “Great Spirit.”
Wampum was made from polished seashells and was valued by the Iroquois. It was used to remember a marriage, death, or other special occasion.
What was life like on the Plains? Page 83
The Lakota, or Sioux, Pawnee, Osage and Cheyenne were some of the Native Americans who lived on the Great Plains area of the United States.
They had a farming and hunting life. Their permanent homes were lodges, large round huts built over a deep hole. For traveling when on the hunt, the people lived in teepees, frames covered with buffalo hides. The buffalo were very important to the Plains Indians because they were used as a source of meat and for shelter.
A travois helped carry belongings from place to place.
Who were the Cheyenne and what are they like today? Pages 84-85.
The Cheyenne were able to tame some of the horses which began to appear in the Great Plains. It changed their way of life by making it easier to hunt buffalo. It also made moving around in the teepee much easier when using a horse. Horses were used in war and also used as a sign of wealth!
Today there are about 12,000 Cheyenne living in the Great Plains. The Cheyenne hold a powwow, or a meeting, in Lame Deer Montana every July 4th to celebrate their heritage.
What was it like to live in a dry land? Page 89
The Hopi, Zuni, Apache, and Navajo peoples lived in the Southwest Desert cultural region.
They were farmers, hunters, and shepherds. The farmers grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton.
The Hopi lived in pueblo buildings that looked like apartment houses. Pueblo means “village” in Spanish.
Men governed the villages and women owned the property.
What did the need for rain mean to the Hopi people? Page 90
People who lived in the desert needed rain to survive, and the Hopi thought that a kachina could bring them rain and other help. The kachinas helped the Hopi to learn about their religion.
The Snake Dance was a ceremony that the Hopi hoped would bring rain.
The women wore their hair in squash blossom style when they were eligible for marriage.
Today the Hopi live in Arizona. Some of them live on a reservation. One old Hopi town is Oraibi, which is built on a mesa. Some of the Hopi follow the old customs like those above, but they also follow modern day customs as well.
How was the Northwest rich in resources? Page 95
The Kwakiutl lived in the Northwest Coast cultural region on Vancouver Island, which is now near British Columbia.
They were hunter gatherers and had all they needed with what the forest and water provided. Because of this they were able to hold potlaches, or “giving away” of gifts such as copper shields or blankets. The Kwakiutl people valued generosity.
They had leisure time and in it they carved totem poles, a carved post with animals or other images representing a person’s family.
What are the customs of the Kwakiutl people? Page 96
One custom of the Kwakiutl people is the shaman. A shaman was the person you went to when you weren’t feeling well.
A Kwakiutl dance was often very elaborate including beautiful masks and special effects.
The Kwakiutl people often wore clothing woven with cedar in the warm times and animal skins when it was cold.
The cedar wood helped make good houses for them.
What are the Kwakiutl like today? Page 97
Today there are only around 4,000 Kwakiutl. They combine some of their older customs with modern jobs and ways of living. For example, they still have shamans along with medical doctors.