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Facts on Iroquois Arts & Crafts

The Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee, lived primarily in the state of Ohio during the 1600s and 1700s. The Iroquois worked closely with both the French and the British when European settlers made their way to North America. The arts and crafts of the Iroquois are distinctive to their tribe, including the basket, bead work and false masks.
  1. Basket weaving

    • The baskets of the Iroquois can be simple and used for everyday use like a corn washer basket that has an open weave at the bottom and acts as a sieve as corn kernels are being washed. Other baskets are more ornate such as wedding baskets that have color and decorated with antlers, braided sweetgrass, beads and ribbons. It is tradition that husband and wife exchange baskets, according to the Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave, New York.

    Bead work

    • The Iroquois are famous for their elaborate bead work designs. When European settlers came to North America they exchanged glass beads with the Iroquois for goods, land and food. A woman's skirt may have bead work depicting the Iroquois Creation Story with images of the sky dome and celestial tree. Iroquois earrings are made of glass beads strung on the quill of a porcupine. A peyote stitch creates designs in circular pattern and gives a feeling that the pattern never ends.

    False Masks

    • Some Native American tribes created masks. Most masks were used for dances and ceremonies. The Iroquois, unlike other tribes, will not sell, publicly display or mimic the false face mask. The masks are used only in religious ceremonies. According to Native Languages, a non-profit organization which is dedicated to saving language and culture of all Native American tribes, the Iroquois have asked that many false fask masks be returned to the tribe.

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