House, Family and Village Life
The Iroquois had a type of house that they called Longhouses. Each Longhouse was home to many members of families and these families that lived there together called each other brothers and sisters. Longhouses were often 40 meters or more in length and 10 meters in width. A village could have 30 longhouses with up to 100 people living in each of them.
The front and and back of the longhouse had openings and were fitted with bark doors which were set on wooden hinges. They peeled the bark from the trees, dried it and then cut it into large sheets. After the longhouse shape was traced onto the ground, they dug deep holes and fitted these poles into them. Tree trunks were used to make long wooden poles which were then bent toward the centre and strapped together with bark strips. The roof was curved or peaked to ensure that the snow would slide off of itSometimes a bear or deer skin was hung there as well. The roof was comprised of shingles which were made of thinner pieces of bark.
In the center of the longhouse was an opening which allowed smoke to escape and the light to enter. Partitions which were used to set apart the rooms for each family were made up of hide or bark. Each village site had many longhouses and they were always arranged in a random pattern to prevent the spread of fires. Some other common structures in the village were ceremonial lodges, medicine huts and storage huts. The size of the village depended greatly on how much wild food was available in that particular area.
Each family had its own sleeping or sitting platform which was a metre high. Bear skins were used to keep the families warm while they were sleeping. Their villages were built near hills because it provided them with high points from which they were able to spot enemies and watch for their kinsmen returning to the village. They also wanted to live close to rivers or lakes so that water was easily accessible and the soil was generally sandy.
The largest villages contained over 1,000 people. They had elaborate ceremonies and games and they all worked together to build the huge longhouses. Many families lived together in the longhouses and these families were all related to each other through their female members. This was because all children born to the women in the longhouse became members of a kin group which was called a clan. The clan consisted of people who could trace their descent through their mothers and grandmothers back to a common female ancestor. Male and female clan members of the same age group thought of themselves as being brothers and sisters.
The names of animals, like the bear, wolf, hawk and eagle were used to name the tribes. Each clan was headed by the clan matron, who was the oldest and most respected woman. The matron of the tribe controlled the food supply, selected chiefs and arranged marriages for clan members.
A woman, once married, would remain in the longhouse if her bonds to the clan were more important. She worked in the longhouse and the field with her mother and sisters. The fathers never helped to raise the children, but he would always come back to his own clan to help his sisters. The man's world centered around the woods for hunting and the water for fishing and he was often away from the village. Childbirth proved that a woman was both competent and courageous just as a man was courageous in battle. If a woman cried or made any noises during childbirth, she was considered a bad example. The birth of a girl was always greeted with joy because she would be able to give birth to more clan members in the future. When a boy was born, he was immediately dipped into a stream and this was supposed to ensure that he would be strong and fearless. Each and every baby was always given a taste of animal oil right after birth to help clean out their systems and it was also believed that fed the child's guardian spirit. The naming of the child was special because it gave identity to which clan it belonged to.
Girls learned to make pots with clay. They used corn cobs, fingernails and other objects to press the rims. Girls were also taught the skill of how to pound dried corn into cornmeal which was used for many meals and recipes. When girls reached the age of puberty they had to cook and eat their food alone. They would always do this during each menstrual period.
The boys practiced archery and other skills that would help their coordination, sharpen their sight and improve their aim. Young men also had to learn how to fish and how to snare animals. When boys reached the age of puberty, they had to go into the forest and spend two weeks alone without food and wait for their guardian spirit to show itself. They believed that this guardian spirit could tell them what their future was and it would give them a special song that would provide them with both courage and protection.
They were farmers, therefore they did not need to go to get food, they grew it for themselves. The village was always located near the fields. Every 10 to 20 years, they moved the village to another area so that they could have new and fresh soil to grow their crops in.