Onondaga people facts for kids
Tadodaho Sid Hill, Traditional Chief of the Onondaga Nation at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
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| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 United States (New York) |
Unknown |
 Canada (Ontario) |
2,894 (2019) |
| Languages | |
| English, Onondaga, other Iroquoian languages | |
| Religion | |
| Haudenosaunee mythology, Longhouse/Gai'hwi:io, Kanoh'hon'io, Kahni'kwi'io, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Oneida people, Mohawk people, Cayuga people, Seneca people, other Iroquoian peoples | |
| nųd / noñd "hill" |
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|---|---|
| People | Onųdáˀgegáˀ / Onoñdaʼgegáʼ |
| Language | Onųdáˀgegáˀ / Onoñdaʼgegáʼ |
| Country | Onų·dáˀgeh / Onoñdáʼgeh Haudenosauneega |
The Onondaga people (Onoñdaʼgegáʼ) are a Native American nation whose name means "People of the Hills." They are one of the original founding groups of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, also known as the Iroquois League. These original lands are located in the Northeastern Woodlands of North America. Their traditional territory sits around present-day Onondaga County, New York, just south of Lake Ontario.
In the confederacy, the Onondaga are known as the Keepers of the Fire. This means they watch over the central council flame. The confederacy is imagined as a giant longhouse that protects the different nations. The Seneca and Cayuga live to the west, while the Oneida and Mohawk live to the east. Because the Onondaga are right in the center, leaders meet at the central village of Onondaga. Today, the traditional chiefs continue to meet there to discuss important matters.
Many Onondaga live on the federally recognized Onondaga Reservation in the United States. Other Onondaga citizens live in Canada near Brantford, Ontario. There, they live on the Six Nations territory as part of two communities: the Bearfoot Onondaga First Nation and the Onondaga Clear Sky First Nation.
Contents
Ancient Roots and the Great Peace
How the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Began
According to long-standing oral traditions, a holy leader named the Great Peacemaker came to the area. He wanted to bring an end to fighting among nations. He worked alongside a wise leader named Hiawatha and an important woman named Jigonhsasee. Together, they traveled across the region to convince leaders to choose peace instead of war.
The Onondaga were the final group of the original five to join the confederacy. Their powerful leader, Tadodaho, at first resisted joining. However, the Peacemaker, Hiawatha, and Jigonhsasee helped change his mind and healed his troubled thoughts. Tadodaho then agreed to accept the Great Law of Peace. The symbolic Tree of Peace was planted on Onondaga soil, making their homeland the capital of the league.
Tradition also says that during debates among the Seneca nation, a total solar eclipse darkened the daytime sky. Scientists who study historical astronomy believe this event was likely an eclipse that took place around 1142 AD. Archaeological research using radiocarbon dating shows that towns in this region grew significantly starting around the year 1200.
The Revolutionary War and the New Nation
During the American Revolutionary War, the Onondaga initially worked to maintain a policy of neutrality. However, tensions grew between the fighting sides. In 1779, American forces carried out attacks against Onondaga towns during the Sullivan Expedition. This military campaign damaged towns and destroyed crops.
After the destruction of their homes, the Onondaga allied with the British against the American colonists. During the freezing winter of 1780, food became very hard to find. The following season, swarms of seventeen-year periodical cicadas emerged from the ground. These insects provided vital nourishment to the hungry people. The Onondaga viewed this event as help sent by the Creator to save them.
Following the American Revolution, the 1783 Treaty of Paris gave vast areas of land to the new nation. Many Onondaga relocated alongside the leader Joseph Brant to Upper Canada, moving to the Six Nations land. In 1794, the Onondaga and other members signed the Treaty of Canandaigua with the United States. This agreement officially recognized their rights to their homelands. Later, religious leader Handsome Lake, brother of Cornplanter and teacher of the Longhouse Religion, spent his final days at Onondaga before passing away in 1815. In 1816, hundreds lived in New York state, including at the Buffalo Creek Reservation.
Traditional Life, Clans, and Beliefs
Clan Families and Matrilineal Heritage
The Onondaga community is divided into family groups called clans. These groups are led and cared for by respected women known as Clan Mothers. Kinship works through matrilineal descent, meaning each child belongs to the same clan as their mother. Belonging to a clan creates strong bonds across different nations. When an Onondaga visits another Haudenosaunee nation, fellow clan members are treated as close family.
There are nine traditional clans within the Onondaga:
Every clan member has a responsibility to care for others during hard times or illness. People are required to marry outside their own clan. This rule helps build deep friendships, mutual trust, and unity across the entire community.
Seasonal Celebrations and Daily Traditions
Giving thanks is at the very core of Onondaga everyday life. Throughout the year, community members gather in the wooden longhouse for festivals tied to nature and changing seasons. The community follows a lunar calendar based on the moon cycles. Special leaders called Faithkeepers help plan each ceremony when the proper time arrives.
During ceremonies, people sing songs and dance counter-clockwise, following the movement of the moon and stars. Important events include:
- The Planting Feast in May, asking for healthy crops
- The Strawberry Feast, held when wild berries ripen
- The Green Bean Dance, marking early garden harvests
- The Green Corn Dance, celebrating mature corn
- The Fall Thanksgiving Feast, celebrating the harvest
Special ceremonies use strings of woven shell beads called wampum. Wampum records treaties, seals friendships, and preserves historical agreements. It plays an essential role in discussions of national importance.
Traditional Games and Athletic Contests
Sports have always been an exciting part of Onondaga life. The most famous traditional sport is Lacrosse, an ancient team game played with webbed sticks and small balls. Foot races are another beloved event that showcases speed and stamina.
In addition to traditional games, Onondaga children adopted popular folk games. These pastimes include mumble the peg, playing with round marbles, outdoor ball games, and fun rounds of Hide-and-seek and Blind man's buff.
Discoveries from Archaeology
Archaeologists studying early Onondaga sites have discovered many interesting facts about how ancient ancestors lived:
- Villages stood on high hills surrounded by wooden palisades for protection
- Artisans carefully crafted clay pots and smoking pipes with unique shapes
- Skilled toolmakers produced sharp tools out of durable stone and animal bone
- People shared large longhouses where multiple families lived happily together
- Craftspeople often carved expressive human faces on valuable everyday items
- Ancient objects show deep respect for bears during special ceremonies
System of Government
The Council of Traditional Leaders
The Onondaga Nation maintains a traditional matriarchal form of government that has survived for centuries. Leaders known as chiefs, or Hodiyanéshu’, are chosen by the Clan Mothers. A chief does not win power through an ordinary political Election, nor does he simply get power from a hereditary monarchy.
Instead, a Clan Mother selects a humble and thoughtful man to represent the clan. When a leader passes away, a special condolence ceremony takes place to welcome the new chief. If a chief acts unwisely or fails to listen to his people, the Clan Mother has the legal authority to remove him from his position.
Firekeepers of the Grand Council
Within the larger Confederacy Chiefs Council, the Onondaga serve as the central Fire-Keepers. They guide major discussions and keep the laws running smoothly. The title of Tadodaho belongs to an Onondaga chief who serves as the lead presiding officer during meetings of the Grand Council.
The Onondaga send fourteen chiefs to represent their community at the Grand Council. They ensure that all discussions respect the Great Law of Peace, working alongside chiefs from the other five member nations.
Communities and Modern Governments
Today, Onondaga communities hold official recognition from regional and national authorities. These governments include:
- The Onondaga Nation, a federally recognized government on the Onondaga Reservation near Nedrow, New York and Syracuse
- The Onondaga Clear Sky First Nation, a First Nation Band Government at Six Nations of the Grand River
- The Bearfoot Onondaga First Nation, also located at the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario
Notable Onondaga Leaders and Role Models
Many Onondaga people have made major contributions to diplomacy, culture, literature, and athletics:
- Canassatego (c. 1684–1750), a famous speaker who urged American colonies to unite like the Haudenosaunee during the Treaty of Lancaster
- Dinah John (c. 1774–1883), an Onondaga craftswoman who lived to be more than one hundred years old
- Samuel George (1795–1873), an Onondaga chief who led the community for over twenty years
- Tom Longboat (1886–1949), a world-famous marathon runner from the Grand River community
- Madge Skelly (1903–1993), an accomplished actor, stage director, and speech educator
- Leon Shenandoah (1915–1996), a respected Tadodaho and leader of the Grand Council
- Oren Lyons (born 1930), an artist, college professor, and advocate for Indigenous rights
- Tonya Gonnella Frichner (1947–2015), an international human rights lawyer and activist
- Alfred Warner Jacques (1949–2023), a master woodworker famous for carving traditional wooden lacrosse sticks
- Eric Gansworth (born 1965), a talented author, poet, and painter
- Sid Hill, who became the Tadodaho and continues serving as traditional leader
- Lyle Thompson (born 1992), a record-breaking professional lacrosse player
Language Names and Words
The name of the Onondaga nation is pronounced differently depending on the regional language:
- Onöñda'gega in the Onondaga language
- Onontakeka in the related Oneida language
- Onondagaono in the Seneca language
See Also
In Spanish: Onondaga para niños
- Onondaga language
- HMCS Onondaga (S73)
- John Arthur Gibson
