Iroquois Flag

Tomahawk
The tomahawk is, basically, the Native American version of an axe. Axe-like, it served a lot of purposes, including as a hand weapon. Sometimes, it was tossed at an opponent, a fighting technique still popular in reenactments because of the weapon's growing popularity. For the Iroquois, the tomahawk was used in hand-to-hand combat, or as a thrown weapon from horseback or long distance. Traditionally, the Iroquois made their tomahawks out of stone (head) and wood (handle).

Lance
For Iroquois hunters, who made hunting a daily practice, the lance was a useful tool that also doubled as a weapon of war. The Iroquois used lances that were quite long, which they could use from atop a horse to strike or knock down an opponent (or animal, if hunting). The lance also served a protective purpose, as it kept opponents at a distance. To enhance the lance, the Iroquois might dress it up with feathers or even scalps, taken from fallen enemies. The scary sight served as a threatening method as well as decoration.

Bow & Arrow

Another traditional weapon of Native American culture is the bow and arrow, also used for both hunting and fighting. The Iroquois made their arrowheads out of stone, such as flint, and metal or animal bone, and perfectly crafted their bows from wood. A skilled fighter or hunter could use the bow on horseback. These had to be shorter than the bows used on foot, which were generally called longbows. It is said that the most skilled of Iroquois fighters could launch possibly 20 arrows during the time it took for an old fashioned gun to be reloaded and then aimed and fired, giving the Native American fighters an early advantage.

Club

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The club, or war club, carved of wood or stone, has its origins as a tool designed for useful purposes, such as hunting. Clubs used only for war were called war clubs among the Iroquois. Traditionally, a war club had a very wide handle with a large ball atop the club, which was the main striking point when the club was used. When fighting with a club, the Iroquois also made use of a shield to protect them from opponents' blows.

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Iroquois eat berries meat and other foods to survive
They also dried the food when they had to store.

Iroquois have a lot of farming skills, They would plant corn, beans, and squash to eat. Mushrooms, berries, roots and other foods were from the forest.

Other foods eaten included deer, bear, beaver, rabbits and many more. Birds such as ducks, geese, owls, and quail were also eaten.

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The Iroquois fought the Algonquin and the Huron tribe. Young Iroquois boys trained for war, they worked on courage, strength, and skill with tomahawks, bows and arrows, and clubs.

The Iroquois spoke six different languages Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora.

They were apart of five different tribes, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk.

The British lost to the Iroquois in a war.The long houses can fit 20 or more families.

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In the summer, Iroquoian clothing was light. The men wore a cloth tied around the waist goes down to the thigh and goes up again because they did not have pants. They also wore long sleeveless shirts that went down to the thighs, while the women wore a dress or skirt. People went barefoot or wore short moccasins made of braided corn husks or skins that had already been worn so that they were softer.In the winter, they wore fringed deerskin shirts. Sometimes men wore kilts and caps that were covered with feathers. Iroquois women wore long deerskin skirts and leggings. In the winter, they wore fringed capes as blouses.

depending on the season, Iroquois
used different types of transportation. They
usually walked or traveled by canoe.

Dugout canoes
were a common transportation to travel across water
,the Iroquois used Dugout canoes made from elm bark.

Long houses are 30 meters long and 3 feet wide.

Traditionally, the Iroquois`
lived in villages surrounded
by a fence made from sharp
poles. .

They lived in longhouses.
These homes were made from
wooden poles covered in elm bark,

sometimes tied with deer tendons.

The houses were windowless but

did have holes in the top to allow

fire smoke to escape.

In the winter
these holes were covered up with hide.
Each longhouse had two entries:one

at each end of the building

Inside there
were two storeys. The sleeping area was
at the top and the common was on the

bottom floor. Mats and screens

separated areas for each family.

Each
longhouse contained one clan, thats about
20 families! Four families shared one

fire. The elder females in a clan were all

related.

The Iroquois believed
in a creator known
as the Great Spirit
and were very thankful
of nature

The Iroquois
people believe that ordinary
humans can indirectly

communicate by burning

tobacco, which carries their

prayers. Dreams are thought

as important signs. The Iroquois

pay very serious attention to

dream interpretation and

fulfillment of a dream.

The Iroquois
people carry out six major
ceremonies during the year. These

are Maple, Planting, Strawberry,

Green Corn,Harvest, and Mid-Winter.

These religious ceremonies are mostly

about farming, curing illness and

thanksgiving.

.The Iroquois believed in
an afterlife and that their spirit would
join the Great Spirit in the place where the

Great Spirit lived, if the Iroquois honoured

the Great Spirit and lived a good life.Each

ceremony includes an opening and closing

prayer as well as dancing and songs.

map of Iroquois territory