Haudenosaunee

Names and Identity

The autonym Haudenosaunee translates to 'people of the longhouse,' a reference to the metaphorical longhouse formed by the original five nations of the League. This structure symbolically stretched from the Mohawk Nation, designated the 'Keepers of the Eastern Door,' in the east to the Seneca Nation, the 'Keepers of the Western Door,' in the west. The traditional exonym Iroquois, first recorded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1603, is of debated Algonquian origin. Historically, the confederacy has been called the Five Nations and, after 1722, the Six Nations. Modern Haudenosaunee people use Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Iroquois interchangeably, though they prefer their own name. Scholars sometimes distinguish between the enduring cultural League and the historical political Confederacy, but this distinction is not made by the Haudenosaunee themselves.

Founding and the Great Law of Peace

Haudenosaunee oral history describes the formation of the Confederacy by the Great Peacemaker, aided by Hiawatha and Jigonhsasee, the Mother of Nations. They brought the Great Law of Peace to five warring Iroquoian nations to establish 'The Great League of Peace.' The exact date is considered time immemorial, though oral tradition often associates it with a solar eclipse. Academic estimates for the founding date vary widely, from as early as 1142 to as late as 1660. The founding nations, from east to west, were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. The League is embodied in its Grand Council, an assembly of fifty chiefs, each representing a clan within a nation. This constitution blended law, society, and nature as equal partners, creating a participatory democracy intended to foster harmony and peaceful decision-making.

The Confederacy's structure assigned specific roles within the metaphorical longhouse. The Onondaga became the 'Keepers of the Fire' and hosted the main council fire, which still exists on their territory today. Within the Grand Council, the Mohawk, Seneca, and Onondaga were considered Elder Brothers, while the Cayuga and Oneida were Younger Brothers. This system of governance, where each nation managed internal affairs but united on common issues through the Grand Council, is celebrated as one of the first and longest-lasting democracies in the world.

Historical Expansion and European Contact

Contact with Europeans began with Dutch settlement of Fort Nassau in the early 17th century. Haudenosaunee oral tradition holds this meeting coincided with the Two Row Wampum Treaty, an agreement of mutual coexistence and non-interference. The acquisition of European firearms through the fur trade dramatically increased Haudenosaunee military power. This led to the Beaver Wars, a decades-long conflict where the Haudenosaunee fought the French and their Indigenous allies to control the lucrative fur trade. During these wars, the Haudenosaunee defeated and assimilated neighbouring peoples including the Wendat (1649), Petun (1650), the Neutral Nation (1651), Erie (1657), and Susquehannock (1680). By 1700, Haudenosaunee influence extended from present-day New York north into Ontario and Quebec, and south into Virginia and the Ohio Valley.

In 1722, the Iroquoian-speaking Tuscarora, migrating north after conflict with settlers in the Carolinas, were sponsored by the Oneida and accepted as the sixth nation in the Confederacy. Throughout the 18th century, the Haudenosaunee were central in colonial wars, often holding the balance of power between European rivals. They formalized an alliance with the British through the Covenant Chain. After the French and Indian War, the British issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, forbidding settlement west of the Appalachians to protect Haudenosaunee lands, though it was largely ignored by colonists. The Confederacy's unity fractured during the American Revolution, with the Oneida and Tuscarora siding with the Patriots and the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca allying with the British.

Post-Revolution Dispersal and Land Loss

The 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution, ceded Haudenosaunee territory to the United States without their consent. In compensation, the British Crown granted land in Canada, leading to the establishment of the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. Many Haudenosaunee relocated north, while those remaining in New York were confined to shrinking reservations. A series of treaties, including the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix and the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, forced massive land cessions to the new United States. By 1784, only about 6,000 Haudenosaunee remained in New York amidst a colonial population of 240,000. This period was marked by demoralization, land speculation, and social strife on the reservations. The Oneida and Cayuga sold most of their remaining lands and moved to Canada or the Ohio Country.

• 1783: Treaty of Paris ignores Haudenosaunee sovereignty, ceding their lands to the U.S.
• 1784: Treaty of Fort Stanwix forces major land cessions in New York.
• 1794: Treaty of Canandaigua results in further loss of Haudenosaunee territory.

Despite this fragmentation, the Grand Council of the Confederacy was reestablished after the Revolution. The Haudenosaunee continued to assert their sovereignty, a stance that would lead to significant political actions in the 20th century. In Canada, communities like Kahnawake and Kanesatake prospered through farming and craft sales, and Haudenosaunee men became renowned for their skill in high-steel construction on bridges and skyscrapers from the late 19th century onward. Their expertise began with work on a St. Lawrence bridge in 1886 and led to employment on major projects across North America.

Twentieth Century Sovereignty Struggles

The early 20th century saw renewed Haudenosaunee assertions of sovereignty in response to Canadian policies. After World War I, the Canadian government introduced legislation, including the Soldiers Resettlement Act, aimed at redistributing Native land and forcing citizenship upon Indigenous people, which would remove their land from tribal trust. The Haudenosaunee hired a lawyer to defend their rights, but the Supreme Court of Canada refused the case, declaring Six Nations members were British citizens. Arguing they were a sovereign state that had always treated directly with Britain, the Haudenosaunee decided to petition King George V in 1921. When Canada blocked their passports, they began issuing their own.

In 1923, Cayuga Chief Deskaheh (Levi General) traveled to Geneva with a Haudenosaunee passport to seek membership in the League of Nations. Delegates from Estonia, Ireland, Panama, and Persia supported having their petition communicated to the League assembly on September 27, 1923. However, British pressure prevented the Netherlands from sponsoring their application, and the effort was ultimately blocked. Meanwhile, back in Canada, the government moved to replace the traditional Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council with an elected council under the Indian Act. On September 17, 1924, an Order in Council was signed to hold elections on the Six Nations reserve. Only 26 ballots were cast in the October vote, demonstrating resistance to the imposed system.

Military Service

Haudenosaunee men have served in significant numbers in conflicts involving Canada and Britain, often viewing their service as part of an ancient alliance with the Crown. During World War I, Canada encouraged First Nations enlistment, and Haudenosaunee hunting skills made them valued snipers and scouts. Approximately half of the 4,000 First Nations men who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force were Haudenosaunee. Men from the Six Nations reserve at Brantford were heavily recruited into the 114th Haldimand Battalion (Brock's Rangers), where two entire companies were composed of Haudenosaunee. The Six Nations council saw itself as a sovereign ally to King George V personally, not subject to Canadian law. This perspective was famously expressed by a clan mother in 1916, who asserted that her underage son had the right to enlist because the Haudenosaunee were giving military support directly to their ally, the King.

In 1884, about 100 Canadian Haudenosaunee were hired by the British government to serve as river pilots and boatmen for the relief expedition to the besieged General Charles Gordon in Khartoum, Sudan. On their way back to Canada, these Haudenosaunee river pilots stopped in London, where they were personally thanked by Queen Victoria for their services. A Mohawk from Brantford, William Forster Lickers, enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1914. He was captured at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915, where he was savagely beaten by his captors, as one German officer wanted to see if 'Indians could feel pain'. Lickers was left paralyzed for life.

Contemporary Haudenosaunee Nations

Today, the Haudenosaunee maintain sovereignty over distinct communities. In 2010, over 45,000 enrolled Six Nations people lived in Canada, and more than 81,000 lived in the United States. They govern seven reserves in Canada and eleven reservations in the United States, administered through seventeen First Nations and nine Tribal nations. Each community operates with a significant degree of self-governance, maintaining its own laws, language, and customs. For example, the Onondaga Nation maintains a 7,300-acre territory south of Syracuse, New York, governed by a traditional Council of Chiefs and operating outside New York State jurisdiction. It funds community projects through a tax-free smoke shop, choosing not to operate casinos, and has built a modern multi-purpose arena for hockey and lacrosse.

These nations continue to practice and adapt their cultural traditions. They adhere to philosophies like considering the impact of decisions on the Seventh Generation into the future. While living in modern homes and working in diverse professions, they actively preserve their languages and ceremonial practices. The Grand Council continues to function, and the Haudenosaunee persist in asserting their sovereign status internationally, as evidenced by their ongoing issuance of passports. The Onondaga Nation, for instance, operates a healing center, school, and fire department, employing its citizens in these and other professional roles, and its 1,900-seat arena serves both community and neighbouring teams.

Questions about Haudenosaunee

What does 'Haudenosaunee' mean?

The autonym Haudenosaunee means 'people of the longhouse', in reference to the metaphorical longhouse formed by the five original nations of the League. This 'longhouse' stretched from the Mohawk Nation in the east to the Seneca Nation in the west, with the Mohawk designated as the 'Keepers of the Eastern Door' and the Seneca as the 'Keepers of the Western Door'. A less common, older autonym for the people of the League is Ongweh’onweh, which means 'original people'. The term Iroquois, a traditional exonym, first appeared in 1603 in the writings of the French explorer Samuel de Champlain.

When was the Haudenosaunee Confederacy formed?

The exact date is not known and is considered by the Haudenosaunee to be from time immemorial. Oral history often associates the founding with a solar eclipse. Academic estimates vary widely, with some scholars proposing a date as early as 1142 CE and as late as 1660 CE. The foundational event was the bringing of the Great Law of Peace by the Great Peacemaker to end warfare among the five original nations.

Which nations make up the Haudenosaunee Confederacy?

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy originally comprised five nations from east to west: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca peoples. After 1722, the Iroquoian-speaking Tuscarora migrated north from the Carolinas and were accepted into the Confederacy, which then became known as the Six Nations. The Grand Council of the Six Nations is an assembly of fifty chiefs, each representing a clan of a nation. The League was formed by the Great Peacemaker, Hiawatha, and Jigonhsasee under a constitution known as the Great Law of Peace.

Did the Haudenosaunee government influence the U.S. Constitution?

The extent of Haudenosaunee influence on the U.S. Constitution is debated by historians. Some scholars propose that the Haudenosaunee system of government, a participatory democracy with a Grand Council, influenced American political thought. In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution recognizing this influence. Other historians argue there is little direct evidence and that European precedents were more significant. The Haudenosaunee model itself is distinctive, with decisions requiring consensus and women holding significant political power, including the ability to appoint and remove chiefs.

Where do Haudenosaunee people live today?

Haudenosaunee people live primarily in Canada and the United States today. In 2010, over 45,000 enrolled Six Nations people lived in Canada and more than 81,000 lived in the United States. They retain sovereignty over seven reserves in Canada and eleven reservations in the United States, divided between seventeen First Nations and nine Tribal nations. Significant communities include the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario and various reservations in New York State.

Why did the Haudenosaunee issue their own passports?

The Haudenosaunee issued their own passports as an assertion of their sovereignty and independent nation status. This action was directly linked to their 1923 attempt to join the League of Nations. After the Supreme Court of Canada refused their case in 1921, they decided to send a delegation to petition King George V. When Canada's External Affairs division blocked the issuing of passports for this journey, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy began issuing its own. They have continued to issue passports, though their acceptance for international travel has been limited since 2001 due to increased global security concerns.

Sources and further reading

• Haudenosaunee (Wikipedia)
• Who We Are (haudenosauneeconfederacy.com)
• Today (onondaganation.org)

Checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-18.