ne captured from another Iroquois clan. The individual used to replace the loved one would inherit that loved one’s identity; they would cease to be who they were before. This idea makes one question the importance of identity in Iroquois culture. Did they believe in a “soul?” This can lead to more confusion when one looks at the “death dances” the Iroquois held. In these ritualistic ceremonies, the deceased were believed to actually return to the tribe and dance alongside the clan. The relationship between the Iroquois culture and the European settlers is an excellent example of what can go wrong when two substantially different cultures interact. It goes beyond the fact that European diseases had catastrophic effects on the Iroquois, and yet it can all be attributed to that fact. One could say that had the two cultures worked together more instead of trade and fight, they could have worked out the problems and lived next to each other peacefully. But on the other hand, the simple interaction between the two cultures was how the diseases were introduced to the Iroquois in the first place. Diseases and epidemics take time to overcome, and it seems that neither culture was truly aware of the ultimate consequences of their actions and interaction, or the delicacy and time required to make it work out for both sides....
