Evolution of the Onondaga Iroquois: Accommodating Change, 1500-1655

Description

The early history of the Onondaga Iroquois and their cultural responses to the European invasion are illuminated in this valuable study| Evolution of the Onondaga Iroquois. Drawing on a wealth of archaeological evidence and historical documents| James W. Bradley traces the origins of the Onondaga| beginning around a.d. 1200. Much attention is devoted to the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries| which were marked by the introduction and growing popularity of European trade goods. Bradley shows how the Onondaga creatively used and viewed these exotic objects; such items as axes and kettles were adapted to meet traditional Native needs. During the period shortly after the first encounters with Europeans| the Onondaga successfully adjusted to changes in their world rather than being overwhelmed by them. Their accommodation resulted in such celebrated cross-cultural creations as wampum and the League of the Five Nations. James W. Bradley is founder and president of ArchLink| a nonprofit organization linking archaeology with education and preservation.