The Roots of the Iroquois [Paperback]

Tehanetorens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000 | ISBN-10: 1570670978 | ISBN-13: 978-1570670978 | Edition: 1

This book chronicles the efforts of two Iroquois wise men who labored for 5 years to bring peace among the tribes of the Iroquois. The Iroquois Confederacy that emerged controlled a territory larger than Europe and stood as a model for the fledgling American government.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. The complex history of the Iroquois Confederacy begins with the peace agreement negotiated by two wise men, the Peacemaker and Hiawatha. The Five Nations, comprising the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, were united before the arrival of the white man, and consisted of an area greater than all of Europe. Their Laws of the Great Peace, set out in the Iroquois constitution, inspired the founding fathers of American democracy. But the arrival of Europeans eventually brought wars over land ownership, and despite support and assistance given to the American revolutionaries, the Iroquois Confederacy was weakened and finally divided by the American government. Making extensive use of quotes from individuals and documents from the period, Tehanetorens, "a master storyteller in the Mohawk tradition," presents readers with a lively, detailed look at Iroquois history, illustrated with a selection of black-and-white drawings. Source notes aren't included, but the insights here will still be helpful to students interested in understanding the Iroquois' past. Karen Hutt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Tehanetorens is a master storyteller in the Mohawk tradition and also author of Legends of the Iroquois and Wampum Belts. During his lifelong career as a teacher, he established youth groups at Akwesasne to promote native values and served as president of the Indian Defense League of America. He founded the Six Nations Indian Museum in 1954 to serve as a cultural center for tribal people in the Six Nations region.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Book Publishing Company (TN); 1 edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570670978
• ISBN-13: 978-1570670978
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,107,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Special Groups > Native American Studies

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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid, valuable, keystone work!, August 7, 2000

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Roots of the Iroquois (Paperback)

Roots Of The Iroquois tells of beginnings of the Iroquois Confederacy or the Haudenosaunee, people of the long house, eventually consisting of 6 bands, the Mohawks, Oneida, Onandagas, Cayugas, Senecas, and in the south, the Tuscarorans. These Native American groups established a coalition government with a Great Law Kalianerakowa, or Great Nice Way. Today historians finally are beginning to realize this confederation and system of government was in fact a viable model for the early American thirteen colonies. Illustrated by many exquisite black and white ink drawings and pictures, Roots Of The Iroquois contains both ancient and modern history as well as extensive retellings of the Code of Handsome Lake. The Last Speech of Deskaheh (1925) is very moving, as is the Message To The Folks At Home, an eloquent appeal for education of Indian children, both in their native language and the dominant culture 's language, English. The burden of the Requickening Address is similar, stressing education and the value of learning and preserving one's native language. Reading a Few Laws of the Iroquois Government explains much about the legal regard for women as full partners in Iroquois cultural outlooks. Though brief, Roots Of The Iroquois is a vivid, valuable keystone work.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer