At the end of the 15th Century the Age of Discovery and Exploration was just beginning. In 1534 Jacques Cartier made contact with the Iroquoian peoples of the St. Lawrence River valley. It was all downhill from there. In fact things will never be the same. Old World pathogens will soon destroy anyone's way of life who happens to call the Americas home.
The Six Nations were not alone on the continent. There were many other nationalities that inhabited the north eastern woodlands. This week we will talk about where the Huron, Erie, Neutrals, Susquehannock, Mahican, Delaware and other nations lived at the time of first contact with the Europeans.
Mainly we hunt and fish these days for sport or for some extra game. For the Native Americans of the northeast however it could be life or death if they are not successful on a trip. The Three Sisters (corn, beans and squash) are the staple foods of the Six Nations. They work together in symbiotic relationships. The corn supports the beans, the beans give nitrogen to the corn and squash. The squash covers the ground to keep out weeds and keep in moisture. Learn more about the foods and farming.
The Six Nations are further broken down into clans. Clans are represented by certain animals. The purpose is not just to divide a nation but in face to bring about unity and help in times of mourning. Listen in and see how clans are benefit to everyone in Iroquoia.
The Iroquois Constitution is the oldest surviving government structure in the Western Hemisphere. Join us as we explore how they govern and select their leaders.
The Five Nations of the Iroquois were locked in centuries of war, revenge killings, hate and cannibalism. Then a mysterious Huron man appeared on a quest to unite the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca peoples together under the Great Law of Peace. This would become the Iroquois Confederacy. A Native American government with equal rights and representative government that left Europeans in bewilderment. These are the histories and legends of the Haudenosaunee. The People of the Longhouse.
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