Iroquois Seasons and Festivals
The Iroquois Year – Divided into 2
Parts – Growing and Sleeping
Year is divided into Months or
“Moons”
• Examples of some Iroquois Moon names:
– The Frogs are Peeping – Summer
– The End of Leaves – Fall
– When I Cough - Winter
The Iroquois year was named and
dated by the major events within
them….
• In the time of our great, great grandfathers…..
• The Year of Katrina – 2005
• ________________________ - Seventh Grade
Iroquois Festivals
• The Iroquois year began when the Earth woke
up.
– First festival of spring was called
• “Thanks to the Maple”
• Purpose –
– Give thanks to the Maple tree and forest and to the Creator
for both.
Activities – Dancing, games , burning tobacco, ends with feast.
2nd Festival: Planting Festival
• Purpose – to plant food for the tribe.
• Activities- women prepared Earth with bone
tools for planting.
3rd Festival : Strawberry Festival
• Purpose – village hunt for fresh strawberries.
• Activities – gave thanks for fresh fruit
4th Festival: Green Corn Festival
• Purpose –honored master of life
• Activities –gave thanks, named babies born
after Midwinter festival, dancing, singing,
feast
5th Festival: Harvest Festival
• Purpose – prepared for long, hard winter,
harvested food
• Activities –Harvested food, gathered crops,
dug pits for storage
6th Festival: Midwinter Festival
• Purpose- give praise and power back to
“Master of Life”
• Get ready for a new year
• Activities- Naming of children born since
Green Corn Festival
• Clean out home
What is Culture?
• Culture is a way of life shared by a group of
people.
– *******Geography affects your culture*******