Location: The Iroquois occupied the land from the banks of the Hudson River to the shores of Lake Erie.
Daily Life: The Iroquois were hunters of many species of animals. They would hunt for bear, beaver, rabbits, muskrats, and of course, deer. Deer were the favored prey for many reasons. The hides were used for clothing, antlers and bones were used for tools, and the meat was eaten. The brains and guts were also salvaged for tanning hides and making bindings. They had many methods of capturing their prey. Bows and arrows were used most frequently on hunting trips. To entrap a large quantity of animals, traps were sometimes set and the animals were herded towards them. Despite the many advantages of hunting these prey, several Iroquoian tribes favored fishing. There was always a wide variety to choose from. Netting and spearing were the most effective ways of catching the fish. These two methods were also used during winter expeditions by cutting holes in the ice.
Best Known Feature: The most sacred tradition to the Iroquois Indians are the rituals involving the false faces or medicine masks. No two masks are ever the same. The creator always make them unique, but they all possess a crooked nose. This is to honor the fabled giant who, because of a loss of a challenge to the Creator, promised to protect the Creators people. The men who wear these masks are believed to have the power to ward off sickness because of a Seneca legend. It is said that the Spirit of Sickness tried to infect a longhouse of people. Before he had the chance to do so, the giant (Great False Face) appeared and scared him away.
Hunt, George T., The Wars of the Iroquois, University of
Wisconsin; Wisconsin, 1940.
Time Life Books, Realm of the Iroquois, Time Warner. Inc.;
Virginia, 1993.
Fenton, William N., The Iroquois Book of Rites, University of
Toronto Press; Toronto, 1963.
Author: Beth Epley