5 nations

The Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca nations are the original five nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy), a powerful Indigenous alliance in New York, joined later by the Tuscarora; they are known as the "People of the Longhouse," with each nation holding specific roles, like the Mohawk guarding the East, Seneca the West, and Onondaga holding the Central Fire, forming a unified political structure based on clan systems and powerful Clan Mothers.

The Five Nations (Original Confederacy)Mohawk: "People of the Flint," protectors of the Eastern Door.
Oneida: "People of the Upright Stone," traditionally near Lake Oneida.
Onondaga: "People of the Hills," Keepers of the Central Fire, the heart of the Confederacy.
Cayuga: "People of the Great Swamp".
Seneca: "People of the Great Hill," Keepers of the Western Door.
The Sixth NationTuscarora: Joined later, migrating north from the Carolinas.
Key Concepts