Wendat Nation

In the late 16th century, Wendat Confederacy was formed to defend against their common enemy, which was the Iroquois Confederacy. Wendat Confederacy consisted of four allied nations, including Attinniaoenten (Bear), Atingeennonniahak (Cords), Arendaenronnon (Rock), Atahontaenrat (Deer) and Ataronchronon (Bog). However, the last group Ataronchronon (Bog) may have been a division of the Attinniaoenten (Bear) since they may have not attained full membership. Due to diseases introduced by the Europeans and a lack of firearms, in 1648 to 1650, the Wendat Confederacy was defeated by the Iroquois Confederacy. After that, many Wendat refugees were adopted by the neighbouring Tionontati, they would eventually become the Wyandotte Nation in Oklahoma. At the same time some fled to Quebec and became the Wendat Nation in Quebec. == Demographics ==

Before the 16th century, the Wendat's population was approximately 20,000 to 25,000 people. However, when diseases were brought by the Europeans around 1634 to 1642, particularly measles, influenza and smallpox, their population reduced significantly to about 9,000 people. In the United States, there are around 5,900 people that are identified as Wyandot or Wyandotte, currently enrolling as members of the federally recognized Wyandotte Nation that has a headquarter in Wyandotte, Oklahoma. Language Wendat or Huron was the spoken language of the Wendat Nation in Quebec, Canada and some parts of Oklahoma in the United States, and it was traditionally spoken by Wyandot, Wyandotte or Huron people. The language was closely related to the Iroquois language. Wyandot (or sometimes known as Wandat) is considered as a sister language to the Wendat language that was previously used in the Wendat Confederacy. Some linguists saw this as a dialect or a modern form of the Wendat language. It was reported that the language is mostly used in Oklahoma, United States. Around the second half of the 19th century, Wendat died out because there were no living speakers. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, attempts were being made to revive the dormant language by using historical dictionaries and manuscripts from Recollet and Jesuit missionaries. In 2010, the Wendat Community of Quebec and the Wyandot Nation of Oklahoma have been teaching Wendat and Wyandot (the dialect of Wendat) to their community members, respectively. Government Village, tribe and confederacy made up the basic level of government system in the Wendat Nation. At the village level, there were several chiefs to represent different clans, and each chief had different status (e.g.: civil or war chief). Most of their status were inherited, but they could fight for that or being appointed by older women of the lineage. The chief organized a council meeting to discuss about current issues within the village, and men and women were welcomed to give opinions. The meeting for the Wendat Confederacy happened once a year. Jesuit Father Lallemant, noted of the Wendat in 1644: Social organization The Wendats were a matrilineal society in which status and property were inherited through the women's line. Property, clan membership and position could potentially be passed down. == Economy ==

About 70% of the area north and west of Lake Simcoe and south and east of Georgian Bay, where the Wendat nation occupied, was agricultural land. Because of this, most Wendat were farmers, and their economy was based on horticulture by growing maize, beans and squash. The Huron (Wyandotte) lived in Ontario near the northern limit of where agriculture was feasible and had less fertile soils than many other regions to the south and west. Nevertheless, with polyculture (practiced predominantly with the Three Sisters), they produced surpluses for trading with nearby non-agricultural peoples. As the Iroquois and other Native Americans did not plow their land, a team of scholars (Mt. Pleasant and Burt) concluded that their lands retained more organic matter and thus were higher in yields of maize than early Euro-American farms in North America. == Culture ==

Housing Similar to other Iroquoian-speaking people, the Huron built in longhouses that had a rectangular shape with rounded roofs that were covered by bark panels. These houses were built to serve as homes for extended families. Artifacts Wendat societies were village-based and to support their farming efforts, produced utilitarian ceramics that served functional purposes within their lifestyles, while also featuring aesthetic considerations relating to their design and form. Traditional crafts of the Wendat community continued in nineteenth century Quebec, despite colonization. The practices included canoe building, embroidery, basketry, and snowshoe making. Their clothes were very decorative by using porcupine quills, feathers, and wampum, and red was the most favourite colour in their culture. Men wore loincloths and moccasins on their feet, and in the winter, they wore sleeves and a cloak made of fur. On their backs, they wore fire pouches so that they could carry tobacco pipes, charms and personal belongings. Wendat men tended to smoke, so it was common for them to carry a pipe. Women wore the same thing as men, but instead of loincloths, they wore skirts. ==See also==