Nation Iroquoise
Subtitle: A Seventeenth-Century Ethnography of the Iroquois (The Iroquoians and Their World)
Contributors: Jose Antonio Brandao (Editor, Translator); K. Janet Ritch (Translator)
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: December 1, 2003
Language: eng; fre
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 150
ISBN-13: 9780803213234
Subjects: Ethnography; Indigenous peoples; United States - State & Local - General; History; Ethnic Issues; Social Science; Sociology; North America; USA; Iroquois Indians; Anthropology - General; Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies; Social Science / Native American Studies; 17th century; Government relations; Social life and customs
Description: "Nation Iroquoise presents an intriguing mystery. Found in the Bibliotheque Mazarine in Paris and in the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa, the unsigned and undated manuscript Nation Iroquoise is an absorbing and informative eyewitness account of the daily life and societal structure of the Oneida Iroquois in the seventeenth century." "The Nation Iroquoise manuscript is arguably one of the earliest known comprehensive descriptions of an Iroquois group. Rich in ethnographic detail, the work is replete with valuable information about the traditional Oneidas: the role of women in tribal councils; mortuary customs; religious beliefs and rituals; warfare; the function of the clan system in tribal governance; the impact of alcohol; and the topography, flora, and fauna of the Oneida territory. It also offers important information about the famed Iroquois Confederacy during the 1660s." "Drawing on multiple strands of evidence and following a trail of clues within the Nation Iroquoise manuscript and elsewhere, Jose Antonio Brandao presents the results of a fascinating and convincing piece of detective work. He explains who might have written the manuscript as well as its contribution to our understanding of the Iroquois and their culture." "The book includes the original French transcription and its English translation. Brandao also provides an illuminating overview of Iroquois culture and of Iroquois-French relations during the period in which the Nation Iroquoise manuscript was likely written."--Jacket.