The Iroquois: The Language Of The Iroquois

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The Iroquois includes many Indian tribes speaking a language of the Iroquoian family, such as the Huron, Mohawk, Onondaga, and Seneca among others. However, the Huron is often spoken of separately. The Iroquois differs from the Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Iroquois League. All of them were affected by the arrival and colonization by Europeans. While Iroquois have a reputation of being violent, they were at times peaceful and were employed by different European companies; they also spread their culture and some European ideas with them. The Iroquois League has been said to have influenced the Founding Fathers, but is that true? Another question is whether the Iroquois were cannibals. They believed in witchcraft, but witchcraft …show more content…

They were warlike and went out on expeditions to places in New Brunswick, Massachusetts, parts of Maine, and the north shore of Lake Huron. Excursions have been documented all the way to Ohio-Mississippi valley. “’The character of all these [Iroquois] Nations is warlike and cruel,’ wrote Jesuit missionary Paul Le Jeune in 1657.” (Richter, 528) They had different purposes for war than Europeans did. Thus, since the Europeans did not understand the similarities and differences, they were called savage. The Iroquois did not wage war all the time though. The Hudson Bay Company and the Northwestern Fur Company employed Iroquois as canoe men; they were also employed by private enterprises connected with the fur trade or exploration. The Iroquois employed by the Hudson Bay Company “are reputed to have been the most expert in the country, and many stories are told of their skill and spirit of adventure.” (Chamberlain, 460) They also hunted beaver for corporations, sometimes with their families with them. Iroquois were employed as “canoe men, guides, carriers, and voyagers in the service of the Hudson Bay Company.” (Chamberlain, 460) Some of the Iroquois went as far as the Rocky Mountains, where they stayed and brought their culture with them. As time passed though, they mixed cultures until one could hardly tell they were part Iroquois. They did bring dug-outs, the crossbow, and teaching of the Jesuit fathers to …show more content…

It has been thought that they were cannibals, and, though some have tried to challenge that claim, there is evidence that supports it. Thus, “the Iroquois practiced ritual cannibalism in the 17th century.” (Abler, 309) In 1967, archaeologist James Tuck discovered a roasting platform with fragments of human bones showing cut marks. This, though, was not the only find. There have been several archaeologists who have reported evidence of cannibalism dating about 1300 and forward. Of course, it is difficult to prove that the flesh was, in fact, eaten. Iroquois speeches have references of cannibalism, though it could have been metaphorical. There are accounts of cannibalism from supposed eye-witnesses. “Some confirmation is provided for this story [the story of a Christian Huron] by the careful examination of the bodies which confirmed the details of torture and mutilation, even though such an examination cannot prove that missing portions of the body were eaten.” (Abler, 313) In the end, French, Dutch, and English sources, both secular and religious, allege that the Iroquois were

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