The Seneca Tribe

Small Group Learning Project

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Created by Alex, Lindsay and Liz

Essential Question:�

How was did geography affect this tribe?

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The Seneca Tribe

Group - Alex, Lindsay and Liz

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Table of Contents

• History
• Geography
• Culture
• Language, religion, traditions, customs, songs, games, dances, toys, etc
• Clothes
• Food
• Habitat
• Famous People

Seneca History

• Largest tribe of the Iroquois League.

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• Known as the "Keeper of the Western Door," for the Seneca are the westernmost of the Six Nations.

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• The Seneca women were in charge of elections, and decided who was to become tribal leader, Leaders usually held their posts for life, but could be removed if they became corrupt or proved to be incompetent; the Seneca political system also included a constitution, which is believed to have been the model for the American constitution.

Seneca Geography

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• The historical Seneca occupied territory throughout the Finger Lakes area in Central New York, and in the Genesee Valley in Western New York, living in longhouses on the riversides. The villages were well fortified with wooden stake fences, just one of the many industrious undertakings.
• In the Seneca language they are known as O-non-dowa-gah, (pronounced: Oh-n'own-dough-wahgah) or "Great Hill People."

Seneca Culture

• Seneca Indian Tribes had a matriarchal system.
• Women were in charge of the farming, property, and family.
• They were complete owners of the land and the homes.
• They were the leaders of the tribes and were known as “Clan Mothers.”

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Seneca Culture (continued)

• The official language of the Seneca is Ogwehoweh, in which their name translates to O-non-dowa-gah, or "great hill people."; from which their creation myth said they had originated.

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• Seneca is a complex language with many sounds that are unlike the sounds in English. Seneca is an endangered language today because it’s being ignored by the new generation.

Seneca Clothes

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• Seneca headdress

Seneca clothes

• Seneca men wore breechcloths with leggings. Seneca women wore wraparound skirts with shorter leggings. Men did not originally wear shirts in Seneca culture, but women often wore a long tunic called a kilt or overdress. The Senecas usually wore moccasins on their feet. In colonial times, the Seneca tribe adapted European costume like cloth shirts and blouses, decorating them with beadwork and ribbon applique. Here is a web page about traditional Iroquois dress, and here are some photographs and links about American Indian clothes in general.

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Seneca Food

• They relied heavily on agriculture for food, growing the three sisters: corn, squash, and beans, which they referred to as deohako, "the life supporters"; in addition to raising crops, the Seneca men would hunt in the Fall, and fish in the Spring.

Seneca Habitat

• The Seneca Indians lived in villages of longhouses, which were large wood-frame buildings covered with sheets of elm bark. Seneca homes could be a hundred feet long, and an entire clan lived in each one--up to 60 people!
• Sometimes--the Seneca Indians did use elm-bark or dugout canoes for fishing trips, but usually preferred to travel by land.

Seneca Famous People

• Red Jacket (1748-1830)
• Seneca chief & orator, fought with the British in American Revolution; where his name comes from.
• Cornplanter (1740-1836)
• Embarked on a mission to revive the ancient ways & values.
• Destroy Town
• Seneca chief who signed treaty of 1826.
• Ely Parker (1825-1895)
• First Indian to hold a spot in office as Commissioner of Indian Affairs

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Followup Questions

1) Name one famous person of the Seneca Tribe.

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2) What are the three sisters?

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3) T or F

The Seneca people were a patriarchal society?

https://docs.google.com/a/my.msmc.edu/forms/d/1hYH5wT9NXvUnsojN1qD16g5PlOvdgwycOJL1F-zUxJs/viewform

Resources

First Americans, Native American Indian Studies for Grade Schoolers.. (n.d.). First Americans, Native American Indian Studies for Grade Schoolers.. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://www.ic-migration.webhost.uits.arizona.edu/icfiles/ic/kmartin/School/

Historic Seneca Leaders | Seneca Nation of Indians. (n.d.). Main Seneca Nation RSS. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from https://www.sni.org/culture/historic-seneca-leaders/

Native American Tribes of New York. (n.d.). New York Indian Tribes and Languages. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://www.native-languages.org/york.htm

Native Americans and/or Pilgrims - Library Resources. (n.d.). Native Americans and/or Pilgrims - Library Resources. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from https://sites.google.com/a/nlcsd.org/library/k-2/native-americans-and-or-pilgrims

Seneca Indian Language. (n.d.). Seneca Language and the Seneca Indian Tribe (Onandowaga). Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://www.native-languages.org/seneca.htm

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