. ▁ ▁Classic ▁stage ▁( 8 0 0 ▁B CE ▁– ▁ 1 5 3 3 ▁CE ) ▁ ▁C ah ok ia ▁ ▁C ah ok ia ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁regional ▁chief dom , ▁with ▁trade ▁and ▁trib ut ary ▁chief dom s ▁located ▁in ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁areas ▁from ▁border ing ▁the ▁Great ▁L akes ▁to ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁Ha uden osa une ▁ ▁The ▁I ro qu ois ▁League ▁of ▁Nations ▁or ▁" Pe ople ▁of ▁the ▁Long ▁House ", ▁based ▁in ▁present - day ▁up state ▁and ▁western ▁New ▁York , ▁had ▁a ▁conf eder acy ▁model ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 1 5 th   century . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁their ▁culture ▁contributed ▁to ▁political ▁thinking ▁during ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁later ▁United ▁States ▁government . ▁Their ▁system ▁of ▁affili ation ▁was ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁feder ation , ▁different ▁from ▁the ▁strong , ▁central ized ▁European ▁monarch ies . ▁ ▁Le ad ership ▁was ▁restricted ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁ 5 0 ▁s ach em ▁chief s , ▁each ▁representing ▁one ▁cl an ▁within ▁a ▁tribe ; ▁the ▁One ida ▁and ▁Moh awk ▁people ▁had ▁nine ▁seats ▁each ; ▁the ▁On ond agas ▁held ▁four teen ; ▁the ▁C ay uga ▁had ▁ten ▁seats ; ▁and ▁the ▁Sen eca ▁had ▁eight . ▁Represent ation ▁was ▁not ▁based ▁on ▁population ▁numbers , ▁as ▁the ▁Sen eca ▁tribe ▁greatly ▁out number ed ▁the ▁others . ▁When ▁a ▁s ach em ▁chief ▁died , ▁his