First Nations people have always traveled along the river to trade with other groups. Several groups within the Iroquois Confederacy live in this region. So do the Ouendat - also known as the Huron, First Nations people.
The Iroquois Confederacy is one of the world's oldest democratic societies. Six First Nations Groups make up this alliance: Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga and Mohawk.
They are also known as "People of the Longhouse". Unlike many other First Nations groups that followed certain types of animals, or moved with the seasons, the Ouendat and members of the Iroquois Confederacy farmed! The soil is rich, and the growing season is long because there are many warm days throughout the year. Of course they hunted as well as farmed. Just as First Nations hunters have great respect for the animals of the forests and lakes, First Nations farmers respect the land. The Iroquois Confederacy give thanks to the food plants they harvest.
The First Nations people in this region formed villages near the fields where their crops grew. The oldest woman of each group was called the Clan Mother. This was an important position as she was responsible for the welfare of the entire clan! The villages were made of groups of longhouses. Longhouses were one long house where several related families lived. They were permanent, they could not be moved, and they were made of wood. Down the middle of the building was a long row of fires. Along the sides were platforms for sleeping and storage. When the families would grow (if someone got married for example) they would add on to the longhouse so the new family members could live there too. They would always move into the longhouse where the wife had lived with her mother - they lived in matriarchal societies. This means the females were important figures, just like the Clan Mothers. Every family traced their ancestry through their mothers and grandmothers.