|
The basic house type of northern Iroquoian peoples such as the HURON and IROQUOIS, the longhouse sheltered a number of families related through the female line. It was established throughout the Iroquoian area by the 12th century. They were 8 m wide but of variable length (one 94 m long was uncovered at the Moyer site in southern Ontario). Longhouses described by the early French explorers and by the Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century were somewhat shorter. In the 18th century, longhouses were replaced by single-family dwellings for residences, but continued as political and ceremonial structures. Followers of the HANDSOME LAKE RELIGION continue to refer to the buildings that house their ceremonies as longhouses.
The 17th-century dwelling was constructed by driving flexible poles into the ground at fixed intervals. These were then bent over and lashed together. Horizontal poles strengthened the frame, and cedar-bark (Huron) or elm-bark (Iroquois) sheathing covered the structure. Sleeping platforms ran the length of the house. Each of the 3 to 5 hearths, 6 m apart down the middle of the longhouse, was shared by 2 nuclear families of 5 or 6 persons. Firewood was stacked in vestibules near the entrances at either end of the structure. The Iroquois characterized their confederacy as a longhouse of 5 fires.
 Iroquois Longhouse InteriorIroquoian Longhouse interior (artwork by Lewis Parker).
 Exterior of Reconstructed LonghouseSte-Marie Among the Hurons, near Midland, Ontario. Built c. 1640, reconstructed 1960s (photo courtesy Ste-Marie Among the Hurons).
Author
RENÉ R. GADACZ
Links to Other Sites
Raid on Deerfield
A narrated history of the 1704 Raid on Deerfield and its aftermath from Native and European perspectives. Also features fascinating stories about Native societies, cultures, trade practices, and traditions. This multimedia website is from the Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
Four Directions Teachings
Elders and traditional teachers representing the Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk, and Mi’kmaq share teachings about their culture. Animated graphics visualize each of the oral teachings. This website also provides biographies of participants, transcripts, and extensive learning resources for students and their teachers. In English with French subtitles.
Native Dance
A superb multimedia website dedicated to native dance traditions from coast to coast in Canada. Features audio and video clips, in-depth interviews and articles for students, the image research database for scholars, downloadable resource kits for teachers, and more. Produced by Carleton University and The Sumner Group Inc., with the assistance of many other organizations and contributors.
Site Droulers-Tsiionhiakwatha
The Tsiionhiakwatha/Droulers archaeological site interpretation center, a prominent Iroquoian village in Quebec lies. Circa 1450, approximately 500 St.Lawrence iroquoians established a village near the La Guerre River in what is now the municipality of Saint-Anicet.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Time waits for no man… and neither do trains... |
|
| Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ... |
|
|
| The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of self-proclaimed modern artists. The original members - ... |
|
|
| Sir John Alexander Macdonald, lawyer, businessman, politician, first prime minister of Canada (b at Brunswick Place, ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| John Ware, "Nigger John," horseman, rancher (b near Georgetown, SC 1845; d near Brooks, Alta 11 Sept 1905). ... |
|
|
| Créditistes, Québec party involved in federal politics. For nearly 2 decades before its 1958 formation ... |
|
|
| Julia Verlyn LaMarsh, "Judy," lawyer, politician, broadcaster, novelist (b at Chatham, Ont 20 Dec 1924; d at ... |
|
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
| THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA |
|
| Christmas. Of all Christmas music Handel's Messiah has been the major work most frequently performed during the Christmas season across Canada. Christmas portions of Messiah were performed as early as 30 Dec 1793 at Quebec, ... |
|
|
