These tribes lived in the north east region including southern Ontario, the state of New Yorks northern parts and around the larger parts of the St.Lawrence River and the Susquehanna Valley. They mainly lived on fish and they were farmers who lived in fortified villages. They didīnt came into contact with the early white settlements as they lived far enough away from them.

Around 1570 the s.c. Iroquois Society was founded. The society consisted of 5 nations, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk who 1720 also included the Tuscarora tribe. The English called the society "Five Nations" and the French called it "Iroquois." Haudenosaunee is the name that the Iroquois people call them selves. The word Iroquois comes from the French language and was something that the first Frenchmen called the indians in the north east region. It actually meant "black snakes." Haudenosaunee means "People building longhouses." They also call them selves "Ongwehonweh," which means "The first people" Haudenosaunee are actually 6 separate nations living united with one traditional law, who they call "the Great Law of Peace."
The society was originally founded to solve the constant war conditions between the tribes in the region. One wanted to reach a lasting peace between the tribes and one united front against intruders.

The people in the society are following 3 principle grounds:
Every individuals acting is based on the individuals own decision, and all collective actings must be acknowledged by the members.
Everyone will share with other people. In periods of need the well-being of all individuals will be considered.
Charity and generousity were considered to be principles of highest value.
Man is part of nature, not isolated from it. The earth and the woods couldīnt be owned by anyone.

The Iroquois Society is the first of itīs kind in world history of societys between different nations and it still exists today. According to oral tradition the society was founded by the profhet Deganawida, who through a vision could speak to the ruler of all lives.
The tribes of the society were:
Seneca, "Onondowahgah," - "The people of the large hill".
Cayuga, "Guyohkohnyoh," - "The people in the muddy land area".
Onondaga, "Onundagaono," - "People of the hill".
Oneida, "Onayotekaono," - "The people of the upright standing stone".
Mohawk, "Kanienkahagen, - "The Flintstone keepers".
Tuscarora, "Ska-Ruh-Reh" - "The collectors of Hamp or the Shirt carriers".

The tribes of the Iroquois Society have since long time ago been divided into a clan system. Newborn babies were baptised in to their mothers clan. The woman had a lot of power in the Society, among others because she was responsible for the main food sources who came from gardening. Corn, beans and squash were the main nourishment and they were considered as spiritual gifts from the Creator. They were called the three sisters and were celebrated in many different ceremonies. The Iroquois people were almost vegetarinas, as meat had little value. They knew 34 different fruits, 11 different nuts, 12 edibel roots, 6 different mushrooms, 38 bark and blade products. Maple sap was used as a flavour and to drink.

Their greatest enemy were the Hurons. Both the Iroquois and the Hurons were extremely cruel in their treatment of their enemies. As soon as the Hurons took a prisoner, they teared his finger nails away, and bite or cut off the fingers that could draw a bow. Even if this caused bad infections, the prisoner seldom died from it, and in the Huron camp he was served food and was taken care of so that he could be able to endure the torture he should go through. The Hurons were on the French side in the French-English war, and the Iroquois on the English side, even in the Revolutionary war at the end of the 1700s. The Historian Francis Parkman describes the destiny of an Iroquois prisoner who was caught by Hurones in the cruel Iroquois-Huron war 1648-1650. "He was executed through burning, made by such a great presicion that it took 12 hours before he died. The prisoner showed the curage that one awaited from an Iroquois warrior. He sang and told stories about Huron indians who had been adopted by his tribe. As he finally died the body was cut up and shared with the people to be eaten.

These tribes lived in the Great Lakes area. They usually co-operated and the area became a center for resistance against the european trespass. West and north of the Huron region lived the Chippewa people, who inhabited what today is the larger part of the state Wisconsin, north eastern Minnesota and the south western parts of Ontario. Contrary to the Iroquois people who lived further south and therefore had to use bark from elm trees to their huts, tools and canoes, the Chippewa had access to a superior material, the birch bark. They were neither depending of growing plants as they harvested the wild rice which they had plenty of along the many waterstreams. "The rice" (Zizania aquatica) was in fact not a real rice but a watergrass plant with a high nutritional value. They harvested the rice in August/September and the people worked together in smaller groups. Fom the canoes they inclined the nearly sex meter tall rice stalks with a stick, and hit the stalks with another stick to get the rice grain.

The collecting of Maple syrup was another important activity. Maple sugar was used as party food and in ceremonies. The Maple trees were cut in the trunk about one meter over the ground to extract the syrup. A stick of Cedar was then fixed into the tree so that the syrup could drip down in a birch made container. The large wooden areas contained plenty of wild growing food as cranberry, gooseberry, blueberry, black and red raspberry, cherries and grapes, hickory, beech and walnuts, wild onion and potatoes. In the late summer as the plants were fully developed they collected herbs for medical treatment.
For the Chippewa people the birch bark was the base of their culture. It was used in building canoes, containers for storing their berries, water and Maple syrup and also used in building there homes. The Chippewa people knew exactly when to pick the birch from the tree without killing it. They cut the birch in different thick layers depending of what they should use it for. The artist and explorer George Catlin became especially impressed of the Chippewa canoe and in the fullfilled skill it had been built:"The Chippewa peoples birch bark canoe is possibly the most beautiful and easiest craft thatīs ever been invented. It is so brilliant in itīs form and sawn together with ropes made of the roots of the lark tree, that it floats like a cork."

The Sauk & Fox tribes had the same language and almost the same cultures. They have been allied with close connections since 1733. By tradition both tribes hunted both smaller animals and big game in the autumn and winter, and then lived in carpet covered houses in hunting camps. In the summer they grew corn, beans and squash and lived in barch covered huts in the river valleys. They were enemies to the Chippewa indians but allied to the Iowa, Winnebago, and the Potawatomi people. During colonial time they fought the French until 1737. Both tribes were defeated by the United States Army in Black Hawks war 1832, and were moved from Iowa to Kansas 1837 and 1842.

From the book The Native Americans.
The Indigenous People of North America.