Iroquois Confederation

The Mohawk warrior with his famous hair style that framed the European view of Native Americans for generations was one of the original five nations of the Iroquois League/Confederacy. The first five member nations were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca. In 1722, the Five Nations of the Iroquois  became the Six Nations with the addition of the Tuscarora. When it was formed, the Iroquois Confederacy became one of the earliest existing participatory democracies in history.  Ben Franklin was so impressed with the Iroquois Confederation that he incorporated many of its systems into his concepts for the fledgling American Republic.

The tribes united for peaceful relations and mutual protection as early as the 12th century (some sources say the 13th, 14th or even 15th centuries). The Confederation formed a council of up to 56 chiefs from the tribal clans and villages. In Council, each of the tribes has one vote on decisions on civil affairs relating to the Confederacy. Of interesting note is the fact chiefs were appointed by the women clan elders who also had the power to remove chiefs they felt were no longer qualified for the position.

The Clans of Six Nations were:
Mohawk-Wolf, Bear and Turtle
Oneida-Wolf, Bear and Turtle
Cayuga-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Heron and Hawk
Tuscarora-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Deer, Beaver and Eel
Seneca-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Deer, Beaver and Eagle
Onondaga-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Deer, Beaver, Hawk and Eel

The Iroquois name for their League was Haudenosaunee or People of the Longhouse. Their Confederacy was the best organized and therefore the most powerful and effective of the tribes of the North East, even with a population at its greatest of less than 20,000, in the mid-1700's. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, they were powerful Allies for the British against first the French and then the American Revolutionaries.

At the height of their power the Six Nations of the Iroquois controlled territories that stretched from modern South Eastern Canada, Western New York, to Michigan and Eastern Illinois. They, therefore, controlled more than 2,670,000 acres (4,173 square miles) of land.  In 2021, they owned only 86,716 acres, the rest was lost through treaties, wars, purchases and eminent domain. 

Over 125,000 Native American consider themselves as members of the Iroquois Confederacy today. Most are located in the United States while around 25% live in Canada.