More CulturesThe Iroquois were a confederacy of eastern Woodland tribes that existed between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic seaboard and south to the Carolinas. The confederacy itself consisted of six tribes - the Cayuga, Mohawk, Onadaga, Oneida, Seneca, and the Tuscarora.. The Iroquois all spoke mutually intelligible dialects of a single Iroquain language. These tribes called themselves Haudenosaunee, or "people of the long house" for the large communal homes that they constructed. There were also a large number of unaffiliated Iroquoian tribes who were often at war with the league members. Many of these later came under league domination. Although defeated tribes were never again allowed autonomy, they were often adopted and incorporated into the victors' tribe. The Algonquin were the other primary northeastern linguistic and cultural group and were the traditional enemies of the Iroquois. The Iroquoian people were agriculturists who grew maize, beans, and squash. Hunting, fishing and gathering augmented their diet as well. The Iroquoian groups lived in settled towns and often erected tall wooden palisades around them for protection from enemies during frequent warfare. Tribal organization was totemic and matrilineal with interwoven political, religious and clan affiliations both within and between tribes. Fierce warfare was common and finally prompted the formation of the "Great Law of Peace" resulting in the confederation, which was only open to Iroquain speaking tribes. This all occurred before European contact and the principles of the accord may have contributed to the ideals embodied in the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of the United States.