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Description
The Mohawk were one of the five core tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy founded between 1450 and 1600. The Mohawk leader, Hiawatha, and the prophet, Deganawida The Great Peacemaker, united to bring the original tribes together under a peaceful constitution called "The Great Binding Law." It is reported that this document may have informed the founding fathers of the United States when drafting the constitution for a new nation.

The Mohawk were known as the "Keepers of the Eastern Door" who guarded the Iroquois Confederation against invasion from that direction. They generally shared the customs and culture of the other Iroquois tribes, although they maintained their distinctive identity including their traditional hairstyle used when they went to war.

The American Revolutionary War divided the Iroquois between Canada and the United States. The Mohawk, led by Joseph Brant moved to Canada following the victory of the Americans. Mohawk continue to live in both Canada and New York State, many of them working in the steel industry, losing their native language and culture and being assimilated into the city lifestyle. Others remain on the reserve/reservation and have established casinos, although there is disagreement within the Mohawk society between the traditional chiefs who oppose gambling and the elected chiefs who favor the casinos as a way of ensuring economic self-sufficiency.

Description
The Mohawk were one of the five core tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy founded between 1450 and 1600. The Mohawk leader, Hiawatha, and the prophet, Deganawida The Great Peacemaker, united to bring the original tribes together under a peaceful constitution called "The Great Binding Law." It is reported that this document may have informed the founding fathers of the United States when drafting the constitution for a new nation.

The Mohawk were known as the "Keepers of the Eastern Door" who guarded the Iroquois Confederation against invasion from that direction. They generally shared the customs and culture of the other Iroquois tribes, although they maintained their distinctive identity including their traditional hairstyle used when they went to war.

The American Revolutionary War divided the Iroquois between Canada and the United States. The Mohawk, led by Joseph Brant moved to Canada following the victory of the Americans. Mohawk continue to live in both Canada and New York State, many of them working in the steel industry, losing their native language and culture and being assimilated into the city lifestyle. Others remain on the reserve/reservation and have established casinos, although there is disagreement within the Mohawk society between the traditional chiefs who oppose gambling and the elected chiefs who favor the casinos as a way of ensuring economic self-sufficiency.