The Iroquois Confederacy

The Iroquois Confederacy was the dominant Native American tribal power for a long period of time. The Confederacy was a coalition among five Indian nations: the Oneidas, the Mohawks, the Cayugas, the Senecas, and the Onondagas. The Confederacy had a strong hold in the Mohawk Valley located in New York state, though their empire stretched beyond that. According to Iroquois records, the Iroquois Confederacy was formally created in the late 16^th century by two tribal leaders wishing to increase their strength through a military coalition. These two founding leaders: Hiawatha and Deganawidah, immediately emerged as the superior Indian alliance in the Americas. Though the coalition was intended largely to provide support in combating neighboring rival Indian nations, it soon became the primary threat of the colonial powers in the Americas: Great Britain, the Netherlands, and France.
In reality, the colonial settlers were not that militarily superior to the Iroquois and other hostile Indian nations, however disease and nature's brutality greatly weakened the Native Americans. Soon, the Iroquois wasn't as concerned with defeating the colonists, as they were to ensure the survival of their own nation.
The Iroquois, like most Indian natives, had a unique culture that revolved around nature and respect for your elders. A unique aspect of the Iroquois culture was what was referred to as the "longhouse". The longhouse was the center of the Iroquois society, both geographically and culturally. The longhouse was a wooden shelter that was approximately twenty-five feet wide and were varying in length, from eight to two-hundred feet. Within this house, there were multiple fireplaces, and an area where extended families would gather. Extended family would often live in the same longhouse together, and the oldest woman in the household was considered the house elder, and thus was revered by the others. Unlike European society, though men physically dominated the Iroquois culture, women were ultimately the highest authority.
The five member tribes of the Iroquois Confederate States shared common policies both domestically and to outsiders, but they were still distinct from one another and prided themselves on their independence and individuality. Together, the Confederacy thrived, as each tribe specialized in one aspect of "production". For instance, the Mohawks were the merchants who traded Indian goods with European traders, and the Seneca tribe was responsible for supplying furs to other Indian nations.
Due to their tremendous military power, the Iroquois Confederacy were able to successfully defeat their rivals: the Eries, the Petuns, and the Hurons. Gradually, the Iroquois expanded their vast empire by "annexing" other tribes by both peaceful and forceful means.
Ultimately, however, when the European colonists arrived with their diseases and new technology, the Iroquois gradually began to fade away. Many aspects of their culture began to disappear, and political chaos emerged within the Confederacy. By the early 19^th century, the Iroquois Confederacy was essentially non-existent.