All About The Iroquois

 

The picture right, bottom is a picture of the longhouse my group made. It is made of wood, paper, hot glue, and model magic. Inside, there is a man tending to a fire. Outside, a woman is planting corn.

The picture at the right, top is a picture of corn because the Iroquois committed to  agriculture, and they grew corn. I got this photo from Vilseskogen's photo stream on Flickr.

   The picture at right is a photo of the totem pole my group drew.  It represents the Iroquois bear clan in the winter. It has a picture of a tree in the winter, because the Iroquois lived in the woods. It also has a picture of the winter night sky. A bear is on the bottom beacause of the bear clan. There is also a picture of The Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash; beacause the Iroquois feasted on The Three Sisters year-round.


   Did the Iroquois have other names for themselves? What did they live in? Did they hunt deer? If you'd like to find out, read on! If you want to know everything about the Iroquois from the food to the  climate, this is the place for you!       
 Their Foods:
The Iroquois ate corn (see picture at very top), beans, and squash, otherwise known as The Three Sisters. To grow The Three Sisters, they would plant the corn first so that the beans- which were planted next- would have something to cling to. Then they planted the squash to keep away weeds. The men hunted deer. The boys were aloud to hunt with the men, after they had caught their first deer. They also made corncakes by patting corn into a circle, and baking it.                                                                                                                                           Their Religions:
The Iroquois believed in a Great Spirit who created everything. He also indirectly guided the lives of the Iroquois people. He was God to the Iroquois.
Their Climate:
The Iroquois lived through mild summers, swept into frigid, harsh winters. They enjoyed phenomenal rainfall, which is why everything from houses to snowshoes are made of wood. It was always plentiful. 
Their Enternainment:
They played a bowl game during the day of  "Cerimonial of Midwinter". The bowl was made of wood and was painted with the four clan symbols: deer, turtle, bear, and wolf. The player places six nuts that are colored on one side in the bowl. The player hits the bowl on the ground. Each nut that turns up colored is worth one point. If five of the six nuts turn up colored, the player goes again. The first person to ten points wins.
Their Culture:
They held six festivals each year. Each lasted several days. During the festivals, they shook rattles and beated drums. The Festivals were: The New Year Festval (winter), The Maple Festival (spring), The Corn Planting Festival, The Strawberry Festival, The Green Corn festival, and The Harvesting Festival. 
Some Interesting Facts:
The Iroquois were also called The Five Nations, or the Haudenosaunee. Their clothing was made from deerskin, and they wore moccasins.    

Why Birds Can Fly

    When the world was new and fresh, Great Spirit created birds. The first bird he made couldn't fly. That bird ran into Crocodile one day while exploring.
    The Crocodile said, ''What's so special about you? I'm ferocious and scare away humans. I eat small animals. Or at least terrorize them.''
    ''Well,'' replied the bird. ''I can talk and chirp and sing. I can walk anywhere I want to.''
    ''Yes,'' answered the Crocodile. ''But so can most other animals. I can swim, Python can slither, Grasshopper can hop. What can you do that's so special?''
    '' Nothing, I guess.'' Bird was glum. Then, suddenly, a light bulb went on in his head! He would go to Great Spirit and demand something special. And so he did. Great Spirit gave Bird the gift of flight. Since then, all birds can fly.

I Fall Ill

   One morning, as the blood-red sun rose majestically over the woodlands, I began to itch. I noticed that my itchy skin was the same color as the sun.
   My mother, Aiyana, said '' Agasga, you have fallen ill with poison ivy.". I was sentenced to bed on the platform of the longhouse until I became healthy again.
   It was hot in my bed of cornhusks. I had a lot to think about, but I wasn't aloud to itch. Mother said itching made it spread and that that was the last thing I needed. While I was in bed, I thought about my family's names. My name was Agasga, meaning water. My mother's name was Aiyana, meaning eternal blossom. My brother's name was Askook, meaning snake. My father's name was Misu, meaning rippling brook.
   Eventually, I fell asleep. When I woke, Mother had brought me some herbs. I ate gleefully, hoping with all of my heart that they would heel me.
   Mother also said everyone in the tribe was worried about Little Agasga. This made me feel important, and it made me smile.
   The days that followed were filled with visitors to the platform. They brought me flowers and cornhusk dolls. Despite the visitors, I felt like the days were boring and monotonous. My family was worried about me, and the tribe was worried I was contagious, especially after a chief announced that I was contagious. I was worried for the sake of the Iroquois. I felt like I should be quarantined. Mother assured me this was not true. I would be fine.
   She was right. After about a week, I was healthy and itch-free. I could live normally again. The tribe was happy for Little Agasga.