The History Center in Tompkins County and all of our programs occur on the traditional and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ ˀ Nation (Cayuga), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (sometimes called the Iroquois Confederacy). It is important for each of us to understand the long-standing history that has brought us to reside on this land and to seek to understand our place within that history, including the history of forced relocation and disenfranchisement experienced by the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ (Cayuga) who remain a sovereign nation and continue the stewardship of their traditional lands to this day.

The materials here have been collected from Indigenous-led educators, artists, and community allies and are shared here with permission. All materials may be downloaded, printed, and shared with  your learning spaces but may not be sold without permission from the original creators. 

PRONUNCIATION & TERMS GUIDE

For pronunciation of the names of the original inhabitants of Tompkins County, Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ is approximately Guy-yo-KO-no and Haudenosaunee is approximately Ho-di-no-SO-ni*. Cayuga or Kayuga is considered an anglicization (English-derived) of  . Please listen to Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ language teacher Stephen Henhawk’s pronunciation in this video  associated the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ language course he taught at Cornell.

The History Center uses the spellings and terms for the Indigenous peoples of this region currently most in use by the traditional leadership of the  Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ *. The previous common-place name used to represent the Six Nations, "Iroquois", is believed to be a gallicized (French-derived) word from a Huron/Algonquian word which translates to "Black Snakes" or "real adders". It is interpreted by some as a derogatory term used during a period when the Huron and Haudenosaunee were warring, and was not a term the Haudenosaunee used to describe themselves. Haudenosaunee translates to "People building an extended house" or "People of the Longhouse" and describes both the traditional structures the Six Nations lived in, and a representation of the original agreement of their Confederacy (Hiawatha Belt); learn more about the use of Haudenosaunee vs. Iroquois in this video from New York State Museum.

*Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ and Haudenosaunee are both words originating in the Iroquoian family linguistic group and may have subtle differences in pronunciation in different dialects. They may also be presented with a variety of spellings in the Roman alphabet. Here are some examples: 

• Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ - also: Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ, Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ',  Gayogohó:nǫ⁷ , Gayógweo:nö’, Guyohkohnyoh, Goiaconyo, Goiacono, Kwĕñio’ gwĕn
• Haudenosaunee - also: Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih, Hodinöhsö:ni’, Hodinoshoni, Hodenosaunee, Hodenushonnees

RECOMMENDED CURRICULUM & TEACHING GUIDES

Click on the image to access each guide.

The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ People in the Cayuga Lake Region: A Brief History

PURCHASE BOOK

Recommended for grades 8 and above.

Published by the Tompkins County Historical Commission in 2022

Professor Kurt Jordan's history of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ brings forward a part of the history of the Cayuga Lake region that had been formerly romanticized or forgotten altogether. It begins at the end of the last ice age 13,000 years ago, and traces the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ people up to the reoccupation of their traditional territory in 2003, and through current events through 2021. Jordan’s short (80-page) book is constructed as a Western-style history that relies mainly on the written record, archaeological evidence, and some community-based oral histories that Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ people shared with him. Readers will think differently about ancient history, recent events, and the landscape of the region after reading this book. Kurt Jordan is Associate Professor of Anthropology and American Indian and Indigenous Studies at Cornell University. He currently directs Cornell's American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program (AIISP). Jordan has studied the archaeology and history of Indigenous peoples in the Finger Lakes region in conjunction with members of the Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih Nations since 1999.

Original printing and research funding support from the Tompkins County Historical Commission Published in 2022