The Hodinohsho:ni flag design is based on the Hayę́ hwataˀ belt, a symbol of the uniting of the five Nations of the Hodinohsho:ni. The wampum belt was a symbol of unity for hundreds of years prior to its use as a flag. The symbols represent the five Nations, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca; the Tuscarora joined the Confederacy in 1722.
In the 1980s, the Iroquois men's national lacrosse team (now the Haudenosaunee Nationals) needed a flag to represent themselves. Rick Hill, a Tuscarora artist, and historian worked Harold and Tim Johnson (Mohawk Nation) to create the design. H. George