Onondaga and Empire An Iroquoian People in an Imperial Era

Onondaga and Empire: An Iroquoian People in an Imperial Era continues the story of the Onondaga, central nation in the League of the Five Nations, also known as the Haudenosaunee, and how they responded to the challenges of interacting with Europeans during the last half of the 17th century. By 1650, the Onondaga had experienced more than a century of contact with European traders and settlers. During this time, they learned how to integrate the strange new materials brought by Europeans iron axes, brass kettles, firearms into their own culture in order to better meet their needs. As interactions with Europeans intensified between 1650 and the peace treaties of 1701, the Onondaga focus shifted from assimilating material objects to understanding alien European concepts and values such as sin, property ownership, and the demands of imperial agents. By learning to utilize these ideas for their own purposes, the Onondaga were able to lead the Five Nations to solutions wampum belts, new diplomatic protocols, and an expansion of the League into a Confederacy that would maintain their sovereignty and protect their culture in a rapidly changing world. Full color. Over 360 figures and 21 tables.