The Impact of European Influence on the Sioux and Iroquois Nations Essay

The Impact of European Influence on the Sioux and Iroquois Nations - Essay Example They had an intricate democratic system of government within the confederacy. The Iroquois were divided into 3 different clans: the bear, the wolf and the turtle. These clans were not segregated from one another; rather, they were a support network to others within the same clan providing lodging and food for one another while on hunting trips. This support system allowed the trade patterns of the Iroquois to encompass hundreds of miles. The Iroquois society was closely tied to the natural environment. Villages were primarily located near waterways as the canoe was a primary mode of transportation. The women were responsible for planting and harvesting of their staple vegetables: corn, beans and squash. The men hunted deer and bear and fished, providing meat for the family. The land of the Iroquois was rich in a variety of natural resources which were traded within the Nation as well as to the Plains Indians to the west and the tribes to the south. Some of the more important trade it ems included quartzite, copper, jasper and flint. The Northern Plains was home to the Sioux Nation (Oceti Sakowin). Their land was vast, mostly consisting of open plains. Family was central to the Sioux. Mutual respect between the sexes was evident in their daily lives. Unlike the Iroquois to the east, the Sioux tribe was nomadic, following buffalo herds which were their primary source of meat.