Territory and population
True or False. The Iroquoians needed a fertile territory.
It is True.
What are the three sisters ?
The three sisters are corn, beans and squash.
What were the social groups ?
The women and the men.
True or False. The Iroquoians were nomads.
It is False. They were sedentary.
True or False. The Iroquoians were a society without writing.
It is True.
How many Iroquoians were there in 1500 ?
They were 100 000 Iroquoians around 1500.
Why is it called the three sisters ?
By planting them together in the same field, these three plants can help each other grow. For example, the beans use the corn stalks for climbing and the corn leaves protect the squash from the wind and sun.
True or False. Among the Iroquoians, tasks were not divided by gender.
It is False.
How many people were there in one longhouse?
There could be 25 to 60 people in a single house !
How the traditions of the Iroquoians (language, culture, religion) were passed to the future generations ?
It was by oral tradition.
Why were forests and waterways so important to them?
There were many rivers on the territory. Getting around by canoe was very convenient. What’s more, these rivers were full of fish and turtles. The forests contained several species of trees, like birch, oak, elm, fir and pine. They were home to several species of animals such as beavers, deer, bears and wolves. All of these were important for their survival.
Name the things we can find in or close to an Iroquoian village.
Longhouses, a river or a lake near the village, a forest, a fire, a land for agriculture, some trees...
What is the name of an important Iroquoian ? He was a chief of Stadacona (today Québec City), a village of about 500 people.
Donnacona
What were they eating ?
Corn, beans, squash, fish, meat from animals, berries.
What is their religion ?
It is called animism.
What is the name of the Iroquoians's territory ?
The territory of the Iroquoian peoples was called Iroquoia.
What were the purposes of hunting ?
To have meat from animals, animal fur and skin for their clothes (fur to keep them warm during winter) and to build the everyday objects.
What were the roles of the men ?
They were hunting, fishing, clearing the fields for farming and going to war. The Civil chiefs and the war chiefs were always men. They were playing a very important political role in the village.
What were their modes of transportation ?
Transportation at the time was limited to walking, snowshoeing and canoeing.
What is animism ?
According to many Indigenous peoples’ beliefs, every person, animal, plant and object is inhabited by a spirit. This is called Animism or an animist religion.
Why natural resources were so important to the Iroquoians ?
Natural resources provided the Iroquoians with everything they needed for food, clothing, shelter, medicine, and entertainment.
What were the roles of the women ?
Women did all the farming, from sowing right up to harvesting. They also gathered plants, herbs, nuts and berries, collected maple sap and prepared the meals. They prepared animal skins to make clothing. They also made many of the objects used in everyday life.
Who ran the longhouse ? Who was in charge ?
The longhouse was run by the clan mother, who was the oldest woman. The clan mothers also chose the civil chiefs.
What is a Shaman ?
A Shaman is an expert on the spirit world. Through the rituals he performs, he can come into contact with the spirits and acquire great power.