Haudenosaunee Way of Life PDF

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 42 A1.1, A3.7 Longhouse Shelter The Haudenosaunee used the clan system. Each First...

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 42 A1.1, A3.7 Longhouse Shelter The Haudenosaunee used the clan system. Each First Nation was divided into clans, which were led by clan mothers. Each clan had its own longhouse that was identifiable by an animal: bear, wolf, turtle, snipe, eel, heron, hawk, beaver, and deer. Within one longhouse, many generations would live. Children lived with their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. As families grew larger, longhouses were expanded. Some longhouses would grow to be almost the size of a football field! Small Haudenosaunee villages would have four or five longhouses, while large villages had 50 or more longhouses. It was common to have 50-60 people living in just one longhouse. Role of Haudenosaunee Women Women in the Haudenosaunee society were as equally respected as men. Clan Mothers were the leaders of the clan. When a Clan Mother passed away, they passed the title to a female relative. They would choose the chief who they would work with to make decisions for the people. Clan Mothers decided when ceremonies would begin and the food, procedures and soups that would be necessary. Women in general were important as they gave birth, which meant they were responsible for delivering the future generations. When a woman got married, her husband would go live in her family's longhouse. Their children belonged to the mother’s clan. The women also took care of the plants. Women grew corn, beans, and squash, which were the stable foods that the Haudenosaunee people survived on. These three crops are known as the “Three Sisters.” Role of Haudenosaunee Men Women were the heads of the clans, but men served as Chiefs and were responsible for serving on the Grand Council, which was the government of the Haudenosaunee. Men were in charge of hunting and fishing, cutting trees down for longhouses and canoes, and fighting wars against other nations. The women often decided whether or not to go to war, but the Champlain’s Battle with the Haudenosaunee, July 1609 men were the ones who fought. © Super Simple Sheets supersimplesheets.com