Mohawk (people)

Mohawk (people), Native North American tribe of the Iroquoian language family and of the Northeast culture area. Once the easternmost and chief people of the Five Nations of the Iroquoian Confederacy, the Mohawk had nine delegates on the confederacy council, three from each clan—the Wolf, the Bear, and the Turtle. They occupied the Mohawk River valley and were semisedentary; the women farmed and the men fished or hunted, depending on the season. As in other Iroquoian tribes, families lived together in large bark-covered dwellings called longhouses. Each community was governed by a ruling council and a village chief.

Their first encounter with Europeans was in 1609 when they fought against the French explorer Samuel de Champlain. They were early associated with the Dutch, from whom they bought firearms, and later most became firm allies of the British, fighting with them first against the French and then against the American colonists. After the American Revolution the Mohawk took refuge in Canada, where many have remained. About 5,000 reside on reservations at Brantford, Ontario, and at the Bay of Quinte. They still farm, and many work in construction. Two settlements are found in Franklin and Saint Lawrence counties in New York State. In the 2000 U.S. census about 14,000 people identified themselves as Mohawk only; an additional 13,000 people reported being part Mohawk.

See also Native Americans of North America: Northeast; Iroquois.