Women played a very important role in Iroquoian society. Children belonged to their mother’s clan. This is called a matrilineal society. Children lived in a longhouse with their mother’s family. Moreover, the longhouse was run by the clan mother, who was the oldest woman. The clan mothers also chose the civil chiefs. The chiefs were always men.
Shared tasks
Among the Iroquoian people, society was divided between men and women, who had different tasks. A woman never did the work of a man and vice versa. All work was equally important, however, because tasks complemented each other to ensure the survival of the entire group.
From farming to making everyday objects
Women did all the farming, from sowing right up to harvesting. They also gathered plants, herbs, nuts and berries, collected maple sap and prepared the meals. They prepared animal skins to make clothing. They also made many of the objects used in everyday life. For example, they made jars and vases with clay, and sacks and baskets with bark.
Author: Service national du Récit de l’univers socialIMPORTANT CONCEPTS AND BIG IDEAS:
[glossary slug=’matrilinealsociety’]
[glossary slug=’clansystem’]
[glossary slug=’divisionoflabour’]
- Accessibility – Accessibilité
- Activism – Activisme
- Adapt to the environment – S’adapter à l’environnement
- Adaptation – Adaptation
- Agricultural Zones – Zones agricoles
- Ancestors – Ancêtres
- Animism – Animisme
- Archaeology – Archéologie
- Artistic expression – Expression artistique
- Author – Auteur
- Automobiles – Automobiles
- Autonomy – Autonomie
- Band Council – Conseil de bande
- Barter – Troc
- Birth Rate – Taux de natalité
- Boreal forest – La forêt boréale
- Canoes- Canoë
- Catholicism- Catholicisme
- Celebrations- Célébrations
- Census – Recensement
- Chief – Chef
- Clan System – – Système de clans
- Climate – Climat
- Clothing- Vêtements
- Coast- Côte
- Commerce- Commerce
- Common Front Strike- Grève du front commun
- Community Gatherings- Rassemblements communautaires
- Confederacy – Confédération
- Confederation – Confédération
- Conquest – Conquête
- Construction – Construction
- Consumerism – Consumérisme
- Contact with Europeans – Contact avec les Européens
- Continental climate – Climat continental
- Convenience – Commodité
- Conversion – Conversion
- Cooperation – Coopération
- Cooperative – Coopérative
- Creation Story – Histoire de la création
- Daily Life – Vie quotidienne
- Defense – Défense
- Demographic Composition- Composition démographique
- Dialect – Dialecte
- Distance- Distance
- Distribution of Income – Distribution des revenus
- Distribution of wealth – Distribution de la richesse
- Diversity- Diversité
- Division of labour – Division du travail
- Dogsleds- Traîneaux à chiens
- Economic Activities – Activités économiques
- Economy- Economie
- Education- Éducation
- Elders- Aînés
- Electrification- Électrification
- Empire – Empire
- Entrepreneurship- Entrepreneuriat
- Event- Événement
- Expansion- Expansion
- Facilitate
- Fashion- Mode
- Fauna- Faune
- Feminist Movement- Mouvement Féministe
- Fishing Quotas- Quotas de pêche
- Fishing Rights- Droits de pêche
- Goods and Services- Les produits et les services
- Government- Gouvernement
- Habitat – Habitat
- Habitation – Habitation
- Health – Santé
- Healthcare- Soins de santé
- Hierarchical society – Société hiérarchique
- Hieroglyphs- Hiéroglyphes
- Highways- Autoroutes
- Hunting- Chasse
- Immigration- Immigration
- Indian Register- Registre des Indiens
- Indigenous Spirituality – Spiritualité indigène
- Inflation- Inflation
- Inhabitants- Habitants
- Innovation- Innovation
- Inuit Games- Jeux inuits
- Land Claims – Réclamations territoriales
- Language family – Famille de langues
- Language Laws- Lois sur la langue
- Legends- Légendes
- Linguistic Family – Famille linguistique
- Lowland – Basses-terres
- Maritime Climate- Climat maritime
- Matrilineal Society – Société matrilinéaire
- Media – Médias
- Military Service- Service militaire
- Missionaries- Missionnaires
- Mountain Ranges- Chaînes de montagnes
- Mountains- Montagnes
- Multicultural – Multiculturel
- Music- Musique
- Myths – Mythes
- Nation – Nation
- Nationalization- Nationalisation