- Definition
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a long-standing alliance of Indigenous nations, like the Mohawk and Seneca, who came together under a shared set of laws to live in peace and govern themselves.
The five original nations—Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca—agreed to stop fighting each other and follow the Great Law of Peace.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is like a student council where representatives from different classes come together to make decisions for the whole school.
Ask your child: If our family and our neighbours made a team, what's one rule we would need?
Common mix-up: Kids may think the Confederacy was just a temporary alliance for fighting. It was created as a lasting government to ensure peace and cooperation among the nations.
Examples
- Within the Confederacy, the Onondaga Nation has the special role of being the Keepers of the Central Fire.
- In the early 1700s, the Tuscarora nation joined, and the group became known as the Six Nations.
- Decisions were made by a Grand Council of Chiefs, with representatives from each of the member nations.
Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
