<em>The long house is symbolic of the traditional territories held by the Haudenosaunee. Within a long house families all live together in harmony. With the nations united they are all one family living territorially in one long house. The circle is a widely used symbol in many cultures and nations.</em>
To the Iroquois people, the longhouse meant much more than the building where they lived. The longhouse was also a symbol for many of the traditions of their society. Five nations formed the original Iroquois Confederacy. These nations shared a territory they thought of as a large longhouse.
