Irokeesi

Irokeesi, also known as the Iroquois, is a historically powerful confederacy of Indigenous peoples in the northeastern North American region. The people themselves call their alliance Haudenosaunee, meaning People of the Longhouse. The confederacy was originally formed by five nations—the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca—and a sixth nation, the Tuscarora, joined in the early 18th century.

Geographically, the Irokeesi traditionally inhabited parts of present-day upstate New York and adjacent areas of Ontario and Quebec. Their society was organized around the longhouse and a matrilineal kinship system, in which clan mothers wield significant influence and chiefs are chosen through female lineages. The agriculture of the Three Sisters (corn, beans, squash) supported dense settlements and complex trade networks.

Politically, the Irokeesi practiced a sophisticated system of governance under the Great Law of Peace. The Grand Council, composed of representatives from each nation, made decisions by consensus, addressing issues from diplomacy to war and resource management.

Historically, the Irokeesi engaged in complex relations with European powers, including the Dutch, French, and British, and were central players in the Beaver Wars of the 17th century. In the American Revolutionary period, differing loyalties among the nations led to divided allegiances. Following the 18th and 19th centuries, large portions of Iroquois lands were ceded or relocated, with communities today established in both Canada (e.g., Six Nations of the Grand River, Tyendinaga) and the United States (e.g., New York reservations).

Today, the Haudenosaunee maintain cultural and political continuity, preserving languages within the Iroquoian family, traditional arts such as wampum and beadwork, and the enduring legacy of the longhouse social structure.