Iroquois Confederation

Fill in the Blanks

How did the Iroquois Live?
The Peacemaker established clans within
the nations of the Iroquois Confederacy.
The clan system united the nations and
ensured peace among them. The
Peacemaker setup Iroquois society as
matrilineal. This meant clan members
traced their family history and ancestors
through their ______________. Each clan
was made up of a group of families that had a common ___________
ancestor. When people married, the husband moved into his
_________ longhouse.
Members of the same clan were considered ___________. They
always extended ________________ to each other, even if they
came from different nations. People of the same clan did not
_________ each other. Within each nation members of the same clan
lived _____________ in a __________________.
Who was the Peacemaker?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
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Longhouses:
Longhouses were __________ _________ ___________where many
families of the same clan lived together.
The longhouse was an important place in the ________________ of
the Iroquois. It was where _______ and __________ met in separate

groups to discuss __________ and

__________, and to advise their leaders.
People were expected to attend these
discussions, because _____________ - or
agreement - of the group was crucial.
Children:
Children grew up hearing about issues and ___________ how decisions
were made. Both men and women had _______________ positions in
the Iroquois _________________. Girls and boys knew they too
would have important roles when they ________ _____.
Clan Mothers:
Usually the oldest and most ____________ women in the clan. The
title was hereditary and passed onto the women relative that was
thought to be best suited for the ______________. Clan Mothers
were responsible for their clans welfare and for maintaining
______________ and ______________ within the
clans and nations.
They selected the _____________, the male
leaders of the _______________ Confederacy. The
__________ ______ ____ __________ said the
Hoyaneh had to put the needs of their people first.
The Clan Mothers could ___________ Hoyaneh who
failed to do this.
Womens Councils:
Women who were not _________ ____________ took part in
councils. Through consensus, they _____________ the Clan Mothers.
Within each clan, womens councils and mens councils advised the Clan
Mothers. The Clan Mothers in turn advised their Hoyaneh of the
peoples position on issues.

Men:
Men had two ways to make their voices heard: as _________ and
through _______ ___________.
Hoyaneh were the male leaders of each nation of the Iroquois
Confederacy. Hoyaneh means ____________ ____ ______
___________. The Hoyaneh were chosen and advised by their _____
__________. Each nation had several Hoyaneh.
Most of the time, they met to make decisions
for their nation - decisions about whether to
___________ or move a _________, for
example. They used consensus to arrive at the
best way forward. the Hoyaneh also
represented their nation at meetings of the
_________ ___________.
The Grand Council:
The Grand Council met to discuss issues that affected that whole
Iroquois Confederacy, such as peace treaties, _________
____________, and decisions to go to _____. The Grand Council was
made up of the Hoyaneh from each nation - ____ __ ____. Although
they rarely spoke at Grand Council meetings, all Iroquois people _____ and ________ - had ways to make their voices heard in the
decision making of the Grand Council.
Through the Womens and Mens Councils of their clans, they advised
the Clan Mothers of their positions on issues. The Clan Mothers, in
turn, chose and advised the Hoyaneh. If a Hoyaneh didnt carefully
consider the advice of his Clan Mother, the Clan Mother __________
him. After the _______ warning, she removed him and chose someone
else.

Decision Making:
To make a decision, the Grand Council discussed issues in a set order.
Council decisions had to be unanimous, so the Grand Council always
worked towards consensus.
Consensus:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Steps of the Grand Council:
First Step ____________________________________________
Second Step __________________________________________
Third Step ___________________________________________
If All Nations Agree
____________________
Structure of Government:
Within each clan and nation, councils of men and women discussed
issues and advised the _______ ____________. The Clan Mothers
chose the Hoyaneh to represent their people. Within each nation, the
Hoyaneh formed a __________ for that nation. This council make
decisions that helped its nation function well, such as sharing
_____________ and locating ____________.
Hoyaneh from each nation represented their people on the
___________ ______________. The number of Hoyaneh for each
nation was established by the __________________.
The Grand Council met when a member nation called for a meeting. The
role of the Hoyaneh at the Grand Council meetings was to
_______________ the people of their clan and nation. The Clan
Mothers advised the Hoyaneh and attended Grand Council meetings to

make sure their Hoyaneh fulfilled their role as

__________________.
Wampum:
Records of ________________ events, ________, contracts,
_____________ or treaties among nations, made by ____________
specific patterns of _______ beads into __________ or ________.
When the Iroquois first encountered Europeans, they discovered
people with very different ways and values from their own. The
Iroquois proposed a ___________ treaty - the Two _______
______________ Treaty - based on three values: _____________,
_______________ and __________ _______________. Each of
the white lines in the Two Row Wampum Treaty defines the
relationship between the sovereign nations who agree to the
_________. The Iroquois concluded the Two Row Wampum Treaty
with the British in _______.
The Hiawatha Wampum Belt:
This wampum belt records the structure and principles of the Iroquois
Confederacy. Each of the figures on the belt represent one of the
____________ five nations of the Confederacy, in their geographic
__________.