Description
The Susquehannock, also known as the Conestoga, Minquas, and Andaste, were an Iroquoian people who lived in the lower Susquehanna River watershed in what is now Pennsylvania. Their name means “people of the muddy river.” The Susquehannock were first described by John Smith, who explored the upper reaches of Chesapeake Bay in 1608. The Susquehannocks were active in the fur trade and established close trading relationships with Virginia, New Sweden, and New Netherland. They were in conflict with Maryland until a treaty was negotiated in 1652, and were the target of intermittent attacks by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). By the 1670s, their population had declined sharply as a result of disease and war. The Susquehannock abandoned their town on the Susquehanna River and moved south into Maryland.
Language
The Susquehannock were an Iroquoian speaking people. Little of the language has been preserved.
Culture
They built fortified towns, lived in longhouses, and practiced agriculture to support what would have been the largest tribal society by population in the area. Corn, beans, strawberries, and squash were critical foods to and important in traditional foods and ceremonies to this day. The Susquehannock lived in semi-permanent palisaded villages that were built on river terraces and surrounded by agricultural fields. Susquehannock villages contained numerous longhouses surrounded by a double palisade. Multiple families related through the female family line would live in one longhouse. Susquehannock had a varied and seasonal diet. Maize, beans and squash were staple foods, with maize-based meals, usually in the form of soup, making up nearly half of their caloric intake. Deer was the most common animal protein but elk, black bear, fish, freshwater mussels, wild turkey and waterfowl were also eaten. Wild plants, fruits, and nuts supplemented their diets.