Erie Indians (Huron: yeñresh, meaning “it is long-tailed,” referring to the eastern puma or panther; Tuscarora: ken’räks, meaning “lion,” a modern usage, Gallicized into Eri and Ri. From these come the locatives Eri’e and Riqué, which mean “at the place of the panther.” Compare the forms Erieehronon, Eriechronon, and Riquéronon in the Jesuit Relations, all meaning “people of the panther.” It is likely that in Iroquois, the puma and the wildcat originally shared the same generic name, and that the distinguishing term remained as the name for the puma or panther.)
A populous, sedentary Iroquoian tribe, the Erie inhabited, in the 17th century, a territory extending south from Lake Erie (probably as far as the Ohio River), east to the lands of the Conestoga along the eastern watershed of the Allegheny River, and to those of the Seneca along the western watershed of the Genesee River. Their territory also extended north to the lands of the Neutral Nation, probably along a line running eastward from the head of the Niagara River (the Jesuit Relation for 1640–41 says the territory of the Erie and their allies met that of the Neutral Nation at the end of Lake Erie), and west to the western watershed of Lake Erie and the Miami River to the Ohio River. Their lands likely bordered those of the Neutral Nation west of Lake Erie. According to the Jesuit Relation for 1653, Lake Erie “was at one time inhabited toward the south by certain peoples whom we call the Cat Nation, but they were forced to move farther inland in order to escape their enemies whom they have toward the west.” This eastward movement of the Erie may explain why the Awenrehronon (Wenrohronon) migrated to the Huron country in 1639 from the eastern border of the Neutral Nation’s lands. The reason given at the time was that they had, for an unknown cause, broken their alliance with the Neutral Nation (with whom they had been allied), and having lost the Neutral Nation’s support, the Wenrohronon were left vulnerable to the Iroquois. However, the earlier Jesuit Relation (1640–41), apparently referring to these people, says a “strange nation,” the Awenrehronon, lived beyond the Cat Nation, thus placing them east of the Erie and seemingly separate from the Neutral Nation. At that time, the Wenrohronon may have been either completely independent or confederated with the Erie.
Historically, little is definitively known about the Erie and their political and social organization, though it may have resembled that of the Huron. The Jesuit Relations provide only brief glimpses of them, mainly describing their final wars with the Iroquois Confederacy. Tradition suggests the Erie had fought many previous wars with these hostile tribes. From the Relations, we learn that the Erie had many permanent towns and villages, that they were made up of several divisions, that they practiced agriculture, and that they spoke a language resembling that of the Hurons (though it is unclear which of the four or five Huron dialects, collectively called “Wendat” or “Wyandot,” was meant). From these same sources, it is possible to make a rough population estimate for the Erie at the time of their final war. When the Erie town of Riqué was taken in 1654, the defenders reportedly included 3,000 to 4,000 warriors, not counting women and children. Since it is unlikely all the tribe’s warriors were gathered there, a total of about 14,500 Erie at this time is probably a conservative estimate.
The Jesuit Relation for 1655–56 (chapter xi) describes the beginning of the final conflict. Thirty Cat Nation ambassadors traveled, as usual, to Sonontouan (the Seneca capital) to renew the peace. Unfortunately, one of the Cat Nation men accidentally killed a Seneca, enraging the Seneca so much that they massacred all but five of the ambassadors. This act sparked the final war between the Erie and the confederated Iroquois tribes (primarily the Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, and Onondaga), whom the French called the “upper four tribes” or “les Iroquis supérieurs.” The Jesuit Relation for 1654 also mentions that some Hurons sought refuge among the Erie after the destruction of their own country, and these refugees were actively fueling the war that was then terrifying the Iroquois. The Erie had a reputation for bravery and skill in warfare, relying heavily on bows and poisoned arrows. However, the Jesuit Relation for 1656 says they were unable to defend one of their palisaded towns because they ran out of munitions, especially gunpowder, suggesting they also had firearms. It was said that they “fight like Frenchmen, bravely sustaining the Iroquois’ first charge (the Iroquois being armed with our muskets) and then falling upon them with a hailstorm of poisoned arrows,” firing eight or ten arrows before a musket could be reloaded.
After Erie–Iroquois relations broke down in 1653, the Erie attacked and burned a Seneca town, chased an Iroquois war party returning from the Great Lakes region, and destroyed its rear guard of 80 elite warriors. Erie scouts reached the gates of one of the Iroquois’ fortified towns and captured Annenraes (Annencraos), described as “one of the greatest captains.” These actions infuriated the Iroquois nations, which called up 1,800 warriors to retaliate. Father Simon Le Moine, who was in the region, converted one of the two young chiefs leading this force, and the chief was baptized. Both leaders dressed like Frenchmen to unsettle the Erie with their unfamiliar attire. When the Iroquois army surrounded one of the Erie strongholds, the newly converted chief asked the defenders to surrender, warning that “the Master of Life fights for us” and that they would be destroyed if they resisted. The Erie defiantly replied, “Who is this Master of our lives? We acknowledge none but our arms and hatchets.” Neither side gave or expected mercy. After determined resistance, the Erie palisade fell, and the Onondaga “wrought such carnage among the women and children that blood was knee-deep in certain places.” This occurred at Riqué, defended by 3,000 to 4,000 combatants (excluding women and children) against about 1,800 Iroquois. The war continued until about the end of 1656, when Erie power was finally broken. The people were destroyed, dispersed, or taken captive. Six hundred surrendered at one time and were led to the Iroquois country, where they were adopted as one of the groups within the Iroquois tribes. The Iroquois victory at Riqué was costly, forcing them to stay in Erie territory for two months to care for the wounded and bury their dead.
Only two Erie villages are known by name: Riqué and Gentaienton. A portion of those called Seneca today in Oklahoma (formerly Indian Territory) are possible descendants of Erie refugees.
