The Mohawk Nation, then known as Kanien'kehake
(people of the flint) was one of the five founding Nations of the Iroquois
League (or confederacy). The name Mohawk was given to the tribe
by the Algonquin
and was later adopted by the Europeans who had difficulty pronouncing
Kanien'kehake. The other
Nations in the Confederacy were the Cayuga,
the Seneca,
the Oneida, and the Onondaga. The sixth Nation to join were the
Tuscarora.
This website is meant as a resource for those of you who seek to
know more about the Mohawk tribe and the Iroquois League. We
have reproduced important historical documents such as the
organization of the Six Nations Confederacy,
the Iroquois Constitution,
the Contracts between the State of
New York and different tribes of the Six Nations of Indians,
specifying their several cessions and reservations of land and a
profile on Theyebdabegea, a.k.a. Joseph Brant; a Mohawk leader who
sided with the British during the Revolutionary War.
In addition to historical documents, you will find a retelling of
the Prophecy of the Seventh Generation, an explanation of the commonly
see symbols and designs of the Haudenosaunee, and a complete online edition
of James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 novel,
The Last of the
Mohicans. Although it is about the Mohicans, a tribe which
had been conquered by the Mohawk, the novel is representative of the
life of Northeastern tribes and their dealings with the Europeans, and
often contains references to the Mohawk.
Finally, as the Mohawk are the keepers of the Eastern Door, we seek
to serve as a doorway towards other online resources and have also
included a discussion board so that you may exchange ideas, comments,
ask questions, and find the answers you seek.
We plan to update the site with more documents and stories in the
future, so be sure to visit regularly.
