Iroquois and Algonquian

CulturesCreated by, Kasha Mastrodomenicowww.socialstudiesdifferentiatedinstruction.com

Essential QuestionsWhat are the similarities between the

Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?What are the differences between the

Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?Why is nature so important to both cultures?Where were the Iroquois and Algonquian

cultures located in NYS?

VocabularyPalisades: A high fence made of stakes used for

defenseMonotheism: Belief in one GodPolytheism: Belief in more than one GodMatriarchy: Society that follows the mothers line

and where women have high importance in politicsNatural Resources: Something that can be used by

humans that comes from nature like forests and water

Tribe: A group of people with common ancestry, culture, traditions and leaders

Culture: behaviors and beliefs of a group of people

Iroquois Nation Settlement Patterns

Iroquois Nation Settlement Patterns

Algonquian Settlement Patterns

Iroquois SettlementsClose to a water sourceSecured by long

palisades300-600 people per

villageLong housesAcres of fields for

crops inside and outside of palisades

Trails connected settlements

Algonquian SettlementsHomes: wigwams, 8-10

feet highClose to a water sourceTrails connected

settlementsAveraged 10 people in a

wigwamSecured by long

palisadesSurrounded by growing

fields

Who Are the Iroquois and Algonquians?

Iroquois Algonquians

Iroquois means “real snakes” and is an Algonquian word (they were enemies)

Originally: Kanonsionni - people of the longhouse

Now: Haudenosaunee - 6 separate Indian nations: Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, Tuscarora

Algonquian doesn’t mean anything. It was made up by anthropologists to describe a linguistic family.

Tribes in NY include: Mohican, Mohegan, Munsee Delaware, Abenaki, and Poospatuck

Creation and Religious Beliefs (Iroquois)

Creation story Monotheism: God was “Great Spirit” or

"Ha-wen-ne-yu" with invisible agents, "Ho-no-che-no-keh”, that did his will on earth.

The 3 Sisters were important spirits in charge of maize, beans and squash.

The Great Spirit’s brother, "Ha-ne-go-ate-geh”, was evil and controlled his own evil spirits or invisible agents.

The believers had to choose to follow the Great Spirit” or submit to evil.

Believed in an immortal soul that was judged after death

Festivals and ceremonies were conducted mostly during agricultural seasons to give thanks for protection and survival.

Burning tobacco carried their prayers to the Great Spirit.

Practiced dream interpretation

Creation & Religious Beliefs (Algonquian)

Since the Algonquian tribes were not united, they each had their own religious beliefs

Story Mohegan’s believed in a Great Spirit

with lesser spirits Monotheistic Believe that earth was created atop of

giant turtle’s back Held Green Corn Festival

Abenaki Main God Glooskap Polytheistic Believed in a monster named Pamola

who lived on top of Mount Katahdin Gluskabe was a trickster. They also believed that people could

leave their bodies and enter the realm of the supernatural, usually in animal forms

Importance of the Laws of Nature and the Wise use of Natural Resources (Iroquois and

Algonquian)All tools (animal bones,

stones, sinew from deer helped to create bows), food (plants, fruits, animals, fish), clothing (skins and furs), and shelter (parts of trees made homes) came from the natural environment.

Bowls and cooking tools were made of clay, animal bones and rocks.

Lived near water that provided them fishing, transportation, and drinking water

Gender RolesIroquois Algonquian

Women: keeper of culture, responsible for educating youth using oral tradition and life skills until the age of 12, tended crops, appointed political leaders, head of household, owner of property, social structure followed mothers family line including the clan the children were raised in as well as the last name, made clothing and food, clan mothers, in charge of festivals

Men: hunters and fisherman, taught boys how to do those life skills, warriors, chiefs, traveled between tribes, and trading, collected herbs and made basic medicine, shamans

Mohegan: Men: cleared new corn fields, cut wood

for the palisades, made canoes, hunted Women: tended the corn fields with the

help of children, gathered roots and berries

Both men and women gathered and processed fish and shellfish.

Family line and land ownership followed both males and females

Abenaki: Men: hunters, fishermen, leaders, and

shamans Women: gatherers, hide workers and

curers patrilineal

Both the Mohegan and Abenaki had polygamy in their culture but not everyone had multiple wives.

Family and Kinship and Education

Iroquois Algonquian No other child would be born until the

previous child reached the age of 5, if a child was born before that, adoption was honorable and common.

Adults wouldn’t intervene unless a child was in danger and allowed them to learn from their own mistakes.

Corporal punishment, spanking or hitting, was not done. A child may be reprimanded by the parent and then was reprimanded by others in the community which was embarrassing. They were praised when they did well by all in the community. If a child was really disobedient, water would be thrown in their face with no threat of drowning.

Children were considered adults at the age of 12 and split into gender education through mentors. (boys hunting, fishing and girls crafts and field tending and homemaking)

Boys played lacrosse

Mohegan: Boys learned fishing, hunting,

and competed in sports. Girls learned crafts. Discipline was verbal.

Abenaki: Adoption was common. Adults were teachers and not

punishers. Boys were taught to hunt,

fish, and provide for the family.

Girls were taught to take care of babies, cook, and make clothing.

LanguageIroquois Algonquian

Hear the languagesAll Iroquois belong to

the Iroquoian language family.

In NYS these branches of the language were spoken:Northern Iroquoian

branch: Tuscarora5 Nations Group:

Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, and Oneida

Hear the Mohegan language

All Algonquian tribes belong to the Algonquian language family.

In NYS each Algonquian tribe spoke a similar language but had unique aspects.

Essential QuestionsWhat are the similarities between the

Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?What are the differences between the

Iroquois and the Algonquian cultures?Why is nature so important to both cultures?Where were the Iroquois and Algonquian

cultures located in NYS?