Summary
The term Iroquois describes one of American history's most influential Native American confederacies, the Haudenosaunee, or "People of the Longhouse." Based mainly in present-day New York State, they played a major role in regional trade and diplomacy. The Iroquois also helped influence the democratic ways of life in the new United States through Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father who had observed the Iroquois. Enduring the theft of much of their traditional land base following 1800, the Iroquois fought proposals to force them to leave their homelands. In the midst of this, they preserved their culture, with its year-round thanksgiving cycle and reverence for nature.
The Iroquois, Second Edition describes the significant influence these people had on the creation of the modern United States and their continued roles in American society. Full-color and black-and-white photographs, maps, sidebars, a glossary, and other reference features make this narrative history perfect for school libraries and general collections.
About the Author(s)
Bruce E. Johansen is a professor of communication and Native American studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has authored more than 30 books. Johansen's first academic specialty was the influence of Native American political systems on United States political and legal institutions. His best-known books in this area are Forgotten Founders and Exemplar of Liberty. Johansen also writes frequently about environmental subjects, including The Encyclopedia of Global Warming Science and Technology, Global Warming in the 21st Century, and The Dirty Dozen: Toxic Chemicals and the Earth's Future.