Digital Collections

The word I used most often is Haudenoshaunee. That is the accepted ENGLISH (phonetic) spelling of the word meaning the Iroquois of the Confederacy. To spell it in the language is to spell it Hotinon:shonni - I chose not to use it because it would be difficult for some people to pronounce. In the Mohawk language it is spelled and pronounced as Rotinon:shonni. These three words all mean the same thing. The first use of the word, Haudenoshaunee, is pronounced as it is spelled.

I also made use of the word Kanienkehaka - that means people of the flint, or Mohawk. I have only seen it spelled in Mohawk

• I have never seen an English (phonetic) version of the word. Although, if I were to do so, I would spell it, Ganiengehaga.

Now, Kanienkeha, a shorter word, means the place of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte or Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory (same place). If spelled according to English sounds, it would look like this: Ganiengeha.

Iroquois is arguably a French word meaning something approximate to snake people, or snake eaters. It is a word chosen by other people long ago to describe us. I have used Mohawk and Confederacy words in this unit, as they are accurate and relevant, and are how we are referred to day. However, the difference must be shown between the English words that have been used to describe us in the past (and present), and our own words for our own people. These were the words used before contact, and have survived since contact with Europeans. Students need to know the difference as any research they may do now or in the future will depend on the various names they know for the Haudenoshaunee.