Description
An in-depth survey of Iroquois culture and history
This masterful summary represents a major synthesis of the history and culture of the Six Nations from the mid-sixteenth century to the Canandaigua treaty of 1794. William N. Fenton, renowned as the dean of Iroquoian studies, draws on primary sources, in both French and English to create a readable narrative and an invaluable reference for all future scholars of Iroquois polity.
Central to Fenton's study is the tradition of the Great Law, still practiced today by the conservative Iroquois. It is sustained by celebrations of the condolence ceremony when participants mourn a dead chief and install his successor for life on good behavior. This ritual act, reaching back to the dawn of history, maintained the League of the Iroquois, the legendary form of government that gave way over time to the Iroquois Confederacy.
Author: William N. Fenton
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Published: 01/29/2010
Pages: 812
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 3.15lbs
Size: 10.15h x 7.71w x 1.64d
ISBN13: 9780806141237
ISBN10: 0806141239
BISAC Categories:
- History | Indigenous Peoples in the Americas
- Political Science | General