Iroquois

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/iroquois

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the confederacy founding document?The Great Law of Peace (Gayanashagowa)
2. What is the original nations?Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca
3. What is a longhouse and why did the Iroquois live in them?A longhouse is a big, shared house made of wood and bark. It could hold many families from the same clan, helping everyone live together, share meals, and support one another.
4. What is the Great Law of Peace?The Great Law of Peace is a special set of rules that helped the Iroquois keep peace and work together. It says everyone should listen to each other and make decisions together.

Gayanashagowa: The Iroquois name for the Great Law of Peace, their foundational constitution and system of governance.
Clan Mother: Elder women within the matrilineal clan system who held significant political and social authority, including selecting chiefs.
Consensus-Based Decision-Making: A process where decisions are made only after all participants agree, emphasizing deliberation and compromise.
Sovereignty: The supreme power or authority of a state to govern itself or another state.