The Iroquoisof the Northeast Woodlands

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The Northeast Woodlands…………………………………………………………………………………..1

The Homes of the Iroquois……………………………...………………………………………………....2

The Iroquois Food……………………………………………..…………………………………………………3

History and Traditions………………………………………………………………………………………….4

The Iroquois Clothes…………………………………………………………………………………………….5

Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Table of Contents

The Northeast Woodlands The Northeast Woodlands have many lakes, giant forests and rivers. In the freezing winter it can get below zero degrees and in the summer it can get above ninety degrees. The massive Appalachian Mountains run throughout the northeast. Glaciers carried and shaped most of the land the way it is today. The rich soil there is very good for plants and food to grow. The fishing and hunting there is spectacular. The Iroquois tribe is one of the many that lived there.

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A river running through the Northeast Woodlands

THE HOMES OF THE IROQUOIS The Iroquois built wood houses called longhouses. They had longhouses year-round. The long houses could hold up to 30 people. The longhouses were made out of elm, cedar and birch. The people put giant poles in the ground about two feet apart. The poles were strapped toward the center and bark was put in between gaps. Longhouse villages could hold 7-14 longhouses (300 people or more). Longhouse villages were encircled by palisades to prevent sneak attacks from other tribes . Longhouses were roughly 105 feet long and18-18 feet wide.

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Iroquois village

THE IROQUOIS FOOD The Iroquois had a lot of food for use. They had rich meat such as bear, deer, fish and moose. Also they had corn, beans and squash. These giant crops were so important to them they called them the three sisters. They caught fish with nets and their bare hands. They also caught clams for digging utensils. They caught and trapped great bear, deer and moose . They also found out how to cut a hole in maple trees and drained maple syrup sap into cups. They usually got fresh water and harvested the crops. The men hunted and fished.

4Some of the many things the Iroquois ate

HISTORY & TRADITIONS The 6 Iroquois tribes were the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora otherwise known as the 6 nations. The Iroquois were also enemies with the Algonquin, another northeast tribe. The Iroquois most famous celebration was the starting of the new season. They celebrated when a boy was born in hope for him to help hunt for the tribe and a girl to help with the harvest. They held many celebrations. They were forced by the U.S. government to move into Oklahoma, Wisconsin and into hiding. There are roughly seventy thousand Iroquois in total.

5Iroquois worshiping earth god

THE IROQOUIS CLOTHESThe Iroquois used fur such as deer, bear, elk and moose. In the summer, males wore breechcloth and females wore knee-length skirts . During winter both males and females wore deerskin shirts, leggings and moccasins and robes of bear deerskin, elk and moose. They mostly wore deerskin because it was very populated. Wampum belts were traded and worn

6Indian clothes that the Iroquois wore

GlossaryBreech Cloth: Loin cloth

Forced: If someone makes you to do it

Maple Tree: A tree with large leaves having five points

Palisades: A fence of large stakes

Woodlands: land covered with woody vegetation

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