NATIVE AMERICANS

The Eastern Woodlands

THINK1. How do you think Native Americans in the Eastern Woodlands lived? • I think they fished, hunted, and grew their own food.• I think they went hunting with spears and bow and arrows.• They survived by eating fish and drank river water.• Got water from rain, streams, water stored underground.• Grew crops, hunted, and made weapons out of wood.• I think they caught fish with hands or used weapons.• I think they used leaves to make clothes.• I think they used wood to build their houses.• I think they built their houses out of cloth and sticks.• I think they built their houses out of wood and dung.• I think they built their houses out of long sticks and cloth.• I think they went to the bathroom in holes• They made wooden and stone speared for hunting• Cannibals• Made houses out of sticks, leaves, and mud• Their food was fish, deer, and bear• Grew crops• They hunted with spears and bows• I think they made tools with rocks, sticks, animal bones, and plants.• They fished by using spears and nets • I think they hunted and fished with spears and bow and arrows.

The Eastern Woodlands1. The many forests of this region provided people with

wood that was used to make their homes and tools.2. These people built their villages along the banks of many

rivers and streams.3. Many different groups of Native Americans lived in this

region, but they all shared the same resource. TREES• Canoes• Shelter• Tools and weapons• Food (cherries and plums)

Division of Labor in the Northeast

1.Jobs were divided between men and women. What do you think the men did?

• Men hunted animals for food and used antlers and bones to make tools.

• Women prepared the food and used animal skins to make clothing and moccasins.

• Division of labor was important because it allowed them to produce efficiently.

Division of Labor in the South

1. The people in this area were better at farming than hunting. They grew corn, beans, squash, and other plants. How did they divide the labor?

• The men cleared the land for planting.• The women did the planting and harvesting

of the crops.

The Iroquois1. Among the Iroquoian groups were the Mohawk, the

Oneida, the Onondaga, Cayuga, and the Seneca. They were known as the Iroquois, or the Five Nations.

2. They lived near the Great Lakes.3. The Iroquois lived in longhouses, which could hold up to

50 people. 4. To protect against enemies, many Iroquois built

palisades, or walls of tall wooden poles around their village.

Replicas of Iroquois Longhouse

Hiawatha and DeganawidaThe Five Nations often battled each other over control of hunting areas. A story about one argument tells of an Iroquois warrior named Hiawatha and Deganawida (the Peacemaker).

• A group was formed about A.D. 1570 named Iroquois League.• It acted as a confederation. This is when a loose group of

governments work together.• Members from each of the 5 tribes were sent to speak for their

group at meetings. These members were called the Grand Council. They helped to settle disputes among people peacefully.

Algonquian1. Some Algonquian groups were the Delaware, the Wampanoag, the

Powhatan, the Ottawa, the Chippewa, and the Miami. 2. Some built houses like the Iroquois. Other built rounded shelters

called wigwams.

The Algonquian1. Since they lived near the coast, they did not rely on their crops as

much as the Iroquois. What do you think their main source of food was?

• FISH! How did they get the fish?• Built canoes to fish in the rivers and along the coast• They used animal bones and wood to make hooks and fishing traps.• Men wore shirts, leggings, and moccasins. Women usually wore dresses.• Their clothing was mostly made from deerskin.

2. Government and Customs• Many of these groups had leaders who governed more than one village. • Some groups had two chiefs, one to rule matters of peace; and the other to

rule matters of war.

RESPONSEWhich language group would you prefer to belong to? Why?