Seneca Indians
The Seneca Indians were traditionally inhabitants of the New York area between
the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake. However, recent evidence has
pointed to the fact that they may have lived all the way down to the Allegany
River, and up into North Western Pennsylvania. They were
a very large group, with over ten thousand warriors documented by the end
of the seventeenth century. The Seneca Indians were later known as “Keepers
of the Western Door” because they settled the farthest west of all the
Haudenosaunee Nations.
The Economy
In the beginning, the Seneca Indians lived primarily on corn, beans and squash.
They were the staple foods of the Seneca Indians diet. In this society,
the women were primarily the growers and harvesters of the tribe. They
gathered medicinal plants, roots, berries, nuts, vegetables and fruit. In
fact, unlike most other tribes of its time, the Seneca women held sole ownership
of the land and the homes they occupied. They had virtually the same
rights as the men they served, in some cases probably more. In fact in the
Seneca Indians tribe, the women also tended to any domesticated animals they
may be raising for food such as deer, dogs, turkeys, etc. Women had a lot
of power over large family groups, in fact they were often referred to as
the “clan mother.”
Seneca Indian men were primarily in charge of locating and developing areas
to settle, including clearing the forest for planting and harvesting crops.
They were also responsible for hunting and fishing for their families. They
hunted bear, moose and bison, and were very good fishermen. Other diet
staples were beaver, raccoon, rabbit, corn, rice, beans and berries. The men
were often away for long periods at a time, so the women were left to take care
of everything themselves.
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