Haudenosaunee

Haudenosaunee, also called the Iroquois Confederacy, is a historical and contemporary alliance of six Iroquoian-speaking nations in the northeastern part of North America: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. In Haudenosaunee languages the people call themselves the People of the Longhouse. The confederacy is bound by the Great Law of Peace, a constitution guiding inter-nation relations and collective decision-making.

Formation and governance: The Great Law of Peace, dated to the 15th–16th century, created a governance system based on consensus and shared leadership. Each nation maintains its own government, while a Grand Council of sachems handles inter-nation affairs. Clan mothers select and can remove leaders, reflecting Haudenosaunee matrilineal kinship. The Mohawk are commonly described as the eastern door and the Seneca as the western door, symbols of balance.

Culture and society: Haudenosaunee society is traditionally matrilineal, with clan membership passing through the mother. Longhouses housed extended families; agriculture centered on the Three Sisters crops of corn, beans, and squash. Wampum belts record treaties, history, and laws, and oral traditions preserve collective memory.

Geography and modern status: The confederacy's historical homeland spanned parts of present-day upstate New York and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Today Haudenosaunee communities remain in these regions, and the Confederacy maintains cultural and political institutions, including the Grand Council. Ongoing issues include land rights, treaty obligations, language revitalization, and sovereignty.