Anna Gr.

Shannonville, Ontario

Kingston Regional Fair

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy

The Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy, as it is better known, played a huge role in making life the way it is today for the Iroquois people.  It brought peace to the Nations and provided a form of government for the Haudenosaunee people. The Confederacy is still important in my community today and allows us to keep our traditions alive.

 

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing I learned was how much of an impact the Confederacy made on the Nations and how strongly it still affects my community today.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I want it to be known that the reason the Confederacy was, and still is, so strong is that it was based on peace and mutual respect. The Confederacy united the Nations with these beliefs and they are still practiced today. I think that Canadians should all appreciate the importance of peace and respect and continue these practices in the future.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Many aspects of my life today are the same as those I am studying. Today my people still practice the same ceremonies and traditions of the longhouse and speak the same language. There is still a clan system and a council. As well, women are still hold the same power and importance as they used to, continuing to choose the men who will be Chief and generally assuming the same roles as they would have back then.