For those of you who have never heard of the Iroquois here are a few links if interested.
The Haudenosaunee
"The combined leadership of the Nations is known as the Haudenosaunee. It should be noted that "Haudenosaunee" is the term that the people use to refer to themselves. The word "Iroquois" has two potential origins. First, the Haudenosaunee often ended their oratory with the phrase "hiro kone"; "hiro" which translates as "I have spoken", "kone" which can be translated several ways, the most common being "in joy", "in sorrow", or "in truth". "Hiro kone" to the French encountering the Haudenosaunee would sound like "Iroquois", pronounced iʁokwa in French. An alternate possible origin of the name Iroquois is reputed to come from a French version of a Huron (Wyandot) name—considered an insult—meaning "Black Snakes." The Iroquois were enemies of the Huron and the Algonquin, who were allied with the French, due to their rivalry in the fur trade. Haudenosaunee means "People of the Long House." The term is said to have been introduced by The Great Peacemaker at the time of the formation of the Confederacy. It implies that the Nations of the confederacy should live together as families in the same longhouse. Symbolically, the Seneca were the guardians of the western door of the "tribal long house," and the Mohawk were the guardians of the eastern door."
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Please note the feathers in the headdresses. Each nation has their own particular amount that signifies their tribe. Since I am adopted I have not been able to determine much more than I am Iroquois, although I have been adopted into the Tuscarora Turtle Clan by dear friends of mine.
t-shirts
