or "Ho - de'- no - sau - nee" People of the Long House

THE SIX NATIONS OF THE IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY

THE CLANS OF THE IROQUOIS

WOLF Tor-yoh'-ne BEAR Ne-e-ar'-gu-ye BEAVER Non-gar-ne'-e-ar-goh TURTLE Ga-ne-e-ar-teh-go'-wa ------------------- DEER Na-o'-geh SNIPE Doo-ese-doo-we' HERON Jo-as'-seh HAWK Os-sweh-ga-da-ga'-ah

MOHAWK NATION Ga-ne-a-ga-o-no or People Possessors of the Flint ONONDAGA NATION O-nun-da-ga-o-no or People of the Hills SENECA NATION Nun-da-wa-o-no or Great Hill People ONEIDA NATION O-na-yote-ka-o-no or Granite People CAYUGA NATION Gwe-u-gweh-o-no or People at the Mucky Land TUSCARORA NATION Dus-ga-o-weh-o-no or Shirt Wearing People

The traditional home of the Iroquois was the longhouse. In each longhouse resided a matrilineal family. This could include, along with the matron, her husband, daughters and their husbands and children, and her unmarried sons. Unlike the custom we are used to where the woman moves with the man's family; the man would normally move into the longhouse where his wife's family lived.

The longhouse also has an important symbolic meaning. It represents the entire League. It also represented the geographic territory of each Nation in New York State. The Cayuga guarded the south wall; and the Oneida, the north. The Onondaga guarded the middle or as it was described, "tended the hearth". The Mohawk guarded the eastern door; and the Senecas, the west.

That is why the Seneca Indians are referred to as "The Keepers of the Western Door". They were also the largest group of the Iroquois Nations and considered great warriors.

If you notice above there is a division line between the first four clans and the second four clans. Traditionally the first four clans could not intermarry. Nor could the second four clans marry in the same division. They were considered brothers. They were even brothers from one Nation to another. A Wolf from the Cayuga tribe was a brother to a Wolf of the Seneca tribe. However one from the first group could marry one from the second group. Confused yet? For example: Wolf could not marry Turtle, but Wolf could marry Deer. This made the husband and wife of different Clans. The children's linage descended from the mother. Therefore, if the father was a Wolf and the mother was a Deer, then the child would also be a Deer.

Their political structure was much the same as their family structure. When the league was first created there were 50 Sachemships between the original five Nations. Some Nations had more then others. (I have found no explanation as to how it was decided how many each Nation was to have). The Seneca Indians were assigned eight Sachemships. A Sachem was a position of great power and nobility. It descended down from one generation to another through the female line. When a Sachem died another was chosen to succeed him. It could be one of his brothers, or any son of any of his sisters, but not his own children. Why? Because his children were of his wife's clan and not his own. Therefore, the succession of Sachem always stayed within the clan, but was decided upon through tribal council as to which brother or nephew. If necessary the lineage could be broken down even further if the brothers were dead or his sisters had no sons, etc.

Originally there were no chiefs. As times changed the Iroquois political structure changed as well. It was necessary to give some sort of honor and political say to the men who lead the war parties into battle. These were the chosen few of the greatest of warriors and eloquent speakers. Chiefs at first were underneath the Sachems in the order of power. They were chosen based on their abilities as warriors or leaders. There was no family linage involved. There power was limited at first, but as the number of chiefs increased, so did their power. Sachem responsibilities were concerned more with peace. While the Chiefs were concerned with the responsibilities of war. The governing power eventually became nearly equal. History does reflect that there are more famous Chiefs then than those who held Sachemships.

It should be noted here that some historians theorize that our American form of government was based on the political structure of the Iroquois Confederacy.