Habit of a Mohawk One of the Six Nations

The remarkable copperplate engraving from the 18th century by Thomas Jefferys provides an extremely rare and contemporary view of the clothing and cultural identity of a Mohawk warrior, known as Kanien'kehá:ka. As one of the most notable individuals of the Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee), also referred to as the Six Nations, the figure portrayed in the print wears both indigenous and early European trade items.

This engraving is significant because it demonstrates the habit, or customary attire, of that time period, showing accurate representations of the scalp lock, wampum jewelry, and a traditional tomahawk. Jefferys was appointed Geographer to His Majesty King George III, thus creating the print to educate Europeans interested in learning more about the sophisticated peoples of the northeastern part of America.