The Iroquois Confederacy or League was founded in the sixteenth 
century by the Indian Hiawatha.  Originally, the league was made up 
of five nations (Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida), who 
lived in what is now New York State.  The Tuscarora of the Carolinas 
were eventually included.  The Iroquois Confederacy was the most 
powerful of all Indian alliances, unified in facing their enemies and 
united against the white man's encroachment on Indian territory.  
Each autumn, male councilors from the five tribes, chosen by female 
clan leaders, met to discuss matters of mutual concern.  The structure 
of this league later influenced the colonies in forming a confederacy 
and writing a constitution. The historical map above shows the 
locations of the tribes that formed the league.