Cayuga

/kəˈjuːɡə/ noun

Definition

A member of the Cayuga people, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, or their language.

Etymology

From the Cayuga people's own name in their language; entered English through colonial contact with Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) confederacy nations. The name likely means 'people of the swampy land' in the original Haudenosaunee language.

Kelly Says

The Cayuga were part of the most sophisticated democratic government in North America before Columbus—their confederacy system actually influenced the structure of the U.S. Constitution!

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