Just imagine, living in the 19 century and having to hunt and gather your own food, plant and distribute food to neighbors for other food, trade things with other tribes, among other things. In this article, I will discuss the culture of the Hodenosaunee and how it relates to their society.
The environment the Hodenosaunee lived in was located in “Northern New York State in North America called Mohawk Valley” (Murdock, 1934, p. 1). Mohawk Valley was a fertile territory that was between the Genesee River, Adirondack Mountains and some of Pennsylvania. The climate for this region was based on “four seasons, but with a mild winter… [that] was ... warm enough for growing” crops.”(Murdock, 1934, p.2) In addition, the Hodenosaunee enjoyed a considerable …show more content…
Their primary source of subsistence was “the cultivation of plants with hand tools, and art at which the Hodenosaunee surpass all their neighbors. Sometimes several hundred acres of tilled land surround a single village. Of maize or Indian corn, the staple crop, several varieties are known – flint and starchy corns as well as sweet corn and popcorn. In the same fields with maize, and usually in the same hills, the Hodenosaunee plant beans, squashes and pumpkins. They cultivate tobacco, melons, and sunflowers in separate plots. (Murdock, 1934, p. 4) After using the land for some time, the Hodenosaunee used a technique called the slash-and-burn in which, “Tracts of land are cleared by burning them over after felling the trees by alternate uses of stone axes and fire” and “After the fields have been burned over, the ashes are worked into the ground and act as fertilizer” (Murdock, 1934, p.4). In addition, the men in the Hodenosaunee hunted for their meats, however the women often “accompany them to prepare and bring home the kill”. The main weapon the men used for hunting was an arrow that was about 3 feet long, tipped with a head of bone, horn or chipped chert equipped with feathers twisted so as to cause rotation in flight, and carried in a deerskin quiver slung across the back. For
The environment the Hodenosaunee lived in was located in “Northern New York State in North America called Mohawk Valley” (Murdock, 1934, p. 1). Mohawk Valley was a fertile territory that was between the Genesee River, Adirondack Mountains and some of Pennsylvania. The climate for this region was based on “four seasons, but with a mild winter… [that] was ... warm enough for growing” crops.”(Murdock, 1934, p.2) In addition, the Hodenosaunee enjoyed a considerable …show more content…
Their primary source of subsistence was “the cultivation of plants with hand tools, and art at which the Hodenosaunee surpass all their neighbors. Sometimes several hundred acres of tilled land surround a single village. Of maize or Indian corn, the staple crop, several varieties are known – flint and starchy corns as well as sweet corn and popcorn. In the same fields with maize, and usually in the same hills, the Hodenosaunee plant beans, squashes and pumpkins. They cultivate tobacco, melons, and sunflowers in separate plots. (Murdock, 1934, p. 4) After using the land for some time, the Hodenosaunee used a technique called the slash-and-burn in which, “Tracts of land are cleared by burning them over after felling the trees by alternate uses of stone axes and fire” and “After the fields have been burned over, the ashes are worked into the ground and act as fertilizer” (Murdock, 1934, p.4). In addition, the men in the Hodenosaunee hunted for their meats, however the women often “accompany them to prepare and bring home the kill”. The main weapon the men used for hunting was an arrow that was about 3 feet long, tipped with a head of bone, horn or chipped chert equipped with feathers twisted so as to cause rotation in flight, and carried in a deerskin quiver slung across the back. For