Iroquois are among the Native American descendants of the first people of this land. Members of other Native nations were conquered, were adopted in the 1600 and 1700s, or fled to Iroquois communities to escape from the encroachments of the new white settlers. Iroquois villages in the early 1600s centered in what is known as upstate New York. Today Iroquois live in 17 communities in the United States and Canada and in urban areas. Iroquois have always been attuned to the needs of the market place.
Archaeological evidence confirms their wide-spread trade networks.
After the European arrival, they became leaders in the fur trade and in selling land. Furs, such as beaver, raccoon, or martin were traded for such items as men's ruffled shirts, ribbon, beads, knives, or brass kettles. When the fur trade ceased and their land base was drastically reduced, trade of utilitarian or decorative objects became essential to a firm economic base. In the mid 1800s through the turn of the century certain Iroquois communities became known for producing tourist items. Women from Tuscarora and Kahnawake created beadwork for sale at the nearby tourist spots of Niagara Falls and Montreal.