The Wampanoag

Researched & Written by Room 16 StudentsPrimrose Hill School  - December 2014

The Wampanoag

Who were the Wampanoag People? The Wampanoags were, and still are, a Native American tribe who lived in North America for more than 10,000 years before Europeans arrived. Wampanoag means ‘People of the First Light’ because they lived in the east. Once there were many different tribes of Wampanoag but now there are only a few. Still, Wampanoags had an amazing culture. They lived very differently from the way we live now but also had many similarities to us. Come and learn about these interesting people!

Location, Location, Locationby Mrs. White

Where in the world did the Wampanoag live? Long ago, they lived in the northeastern part of the United States in what is now New England. Tribes lived on Cape Cod, the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts and in eastern Rhode Island. The Wampanoags lived in villages near the ocean during the summer. They were able to fish and grow food in gardens there. In the winter, they moved inland to the forests

where they mainly hunted for food. At one time, there were as many as 69 villages of Wampanoag people. Some were called Patuxets (Squanto was a Patuxet), others were Pokanoket, Natick, Chappaquidick and Nantucket. However, they were all considered Wampanoag. Nowadays, there are about 300 Wampanoag people. Some live on a Reservation on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Others live in cities and towns. The Wampanoags were the Native American tribe who first met the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Glossary

reservation land set aside for Native Americans

Wampanoag Houses

by:AlexandriaHave you ever wondered how the Wampanoags built their houses? Well, first their houses were called wetus [wee-toos] or wigwams [wig-woms]. They were a roundish shape. One family, with both the father’s and the mother’s parents, lived in one

house including the kids. So that would be about 11 people living in one house! They built their houses by first digging a hole 3 to 6 feet deep, Then they put saplings all the way over the hole. Then they put saplings over the other saplings and that made the frame. They made their houses out of bullrush, leaves, and reeds. That’s how the Wampanoag built their houses.

Wampanoag Food

By Ali

Have you ever wondered what the Wampanoag [wham-puh-no-ag] ate? Well, they ate many things. The men were the hunters, gatherers and fishermen. The main thing to hunt was deer, along with rabbit and bear. They caught shellfish, cod, bass and lobsters. They used bows

and arrows and also large wooden hatchets. The women were the farmers and cooks. They worked hard harvesting and cooking. For example, they planted the three sisters. The three sisters was corn, beans and squash. First the corn was planted in soil. They waited until it was a few inches tall. Then they planted the beans and squash. The corn held up the beans. The beans put nitrogen in the ground so the sisters had nutrients. The children did some gardening and scared the birds away. The Wampanoag had the first interactions with the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims brought many other weapons to Plymouth. The Wampanoag taught the Pilgrims how to hunt, plant and harvest. Then the Pilgrims got the hang of

things. They got better and better. Soon they were experts. All Wampanoag were BIG on food.

Words

harvest reap, pick, collect

pilgrims wiki travelers

interactions

wiki contact

Wampanoag Traditions

By Ava

Do you know what traditions the Wampanoags celebrated? Wampanoags celebrated many traditions.The first one was Cranberry Day. Cranberry Day was held in May. Cranberry Day was celebrated with food like cranberries, clambakes and maybe soup. The Wampanoags did dances that their ancestors had done too to celebrate. Every Cranberry Day the Wampanoags honored a special person.

Another tradition was the Spring Festival. The Wampanoag celebrated the Spring Festival like it was a festival for spring. They did dances ,told stories and had lot of food like turkey, vegetables and, for the main course, soup.Wampanoag children mostly decorated their mom’s or dad’s hair and clothing for ceremonies. Another tradition was Nikomomo.

It sounds like a Wampanoag tradition only , and it is, but we celebrate it today too. It’s called Thanksgiving today. In the past, the Wampanoags thy celebrated with lots of food like corn, beans, squash, herbs, soup and deer meat. The Wampanoags danced to music on Nickomo too.The Wampanoags had traditions just like us!

Nikomomo Wampanoag Thanksgiving

Cranberry Day a Wampanoag tradition

Spring festival a celebration for spring

Wampanoag Weapons by Charlie

Have you ever wondered about Wampanoag Weapons? Wampanoags had war clubs, knives, spears, tomahawks and bows and arrows. They made their bows by taking sticks and putting feathers on to it. The type of wood

they had to make it with was ashe or hazel. The bows were 5 to 6 feet tall!!!!!. The Wampanoag held their arrows in quivers. They were made out of leather. The tips were made out of bones or stones!!!!!!!! War clubs were rare. War clubs could only be held by the leaders. Those are some facts about Wampanoag weapons.

Glossary War clubs. A war hammer. Tomahawk. Handle with an axe. Wampanoag. A group of Native Americans.

What A Wampanoag Village Looks Like

by Chloe

Have you ever wondered what a Wampanoag village looked like? The Wampanoag village looked like a bunch of human-sized beehives. The houses they made were called wetus or wigwams. Their house was made with spruce bark and saplings . First they cut down a tree, then they took the bark off. After that they shaped it into a dome. Now they had a nice wetu or wigwam. There were about 65 people in a Wampanoag village, one family per wetu, depending on how many kids. In one village there were 100 people because all of them had no kids! That’s what a Wampanoag village looked like.

Wampanoag WeaponsBy Evan

Wampanoags had many weapons. Wampanoags did not have weapons like we have today. They had more of a hand made weapon. All of the Wampanoags’ weapons were made of wood and stone to make the weapon deadly. A common weapon

Wampanoags would use in battle would be a bow and arrow for far shooting. Some weapons were used for throwing and stabbing each other. Wampanoags had some enemies including other tribes. Wampanoags fought many different wars and many got killed. Those are some Wampanoag weapons.

What Chores did Wampanoag Men Do?

by Felix Wampanoag men did a lot of chores for their tribe. Two of their main chores were making mishoons and hunting. Mishoons (mish-oo-ns) were canoes that were made by Wampanoags. Wampanoag men burned trees and scooped them out with clam shells. In the winter, Wampanoag people sunk their mishoons under the ice because it made the wood more waterproof and stronger. Also, Wampanoag men went hunting all year round. They hunted for turkey and deer. In order to hunt they had to have bows and

arrows. They made them by themselves. First, they found a piece of wood about as tall as they were. Then they made two notches in each side. At last, they put a piece of string and attached it. Wampanoag did chores to make their life better.

Wampanoag Tools

By Fritz

Have you ever wondered what tools the Wampanoag had? They had many tools. They hunted certain animals for certain tools. They made arrows by finding a straight growing tree. If they couldn't find one, they would bend a tree and little sprouts would come which were really good for arrows. They would also peel off the bark of a strong branch so it dried very quickly. If the branch wasn't straight, they would bend the branch until it was straight. Then it would be fitted with any sharp thing that they could find. Bows were a very important tool. Some bows were bigger than others. Western bows were smaller than the longbow. Mishoons were a common tool for traveling. Mishoons were Wampanoag boats. Mishoons were made by burning down a tree and packing

it with wet clay. The Wampanoag would then scrape the tree until it fell. Then they would burn the inside to shape it and it would

waterproof the boat. Some could carry 20 to 40 people! Wampanoag people had an amazing history and culture.

Wampanoag Body Paint

Grace A.

Have you ever wondered what the Wampanoag used for body paint? Wampanoag used red, yellow, black, white and ocher . Did you ever wonder how the Wampanoag made those colors? They made red by crushing berries.

They made the yellowish color by crushing flowers. They made black by crushing charcoal. They made white by mixing clay. Finally, they made ocher with crushed up flowers and tree bark. They took bark off the trees, smashed up the bark, added a little water and a tiny bit of mud. Then they mixed it all together to make ocher.The Wampanoag used body paint because it meant signs to the Spirits. They also did it for decoration. The men mostly wore body paint, but once in a while the women would wear it around their ankle or wrist. It was not important for the Wampanoag children to wear body paint unless their parents said they had to. These are ways about Wampanoag body paint.

Glossary

ocher: bark: decoration:a yellow brown color the outside part of the tree the act of decoration

Wampanoag Namesby Gracie h.

Wampanoag names were very important. Names gave people identity and showed who their ancestors and family were. Wampanoags weren’t always named at birth. They were given names such as Long Tooth or Pale Eyes because of the way they looked. Later, they were given new names which described big events in their lives such as Kills Two Eagles or Runs From Bear. Out of respect, Wampanoags used family names for what was very close to them. For example, fire or sky sometimes were called “grandfather”, the sun might

be called “father, and the Earth was “mother” or “grandmother”. Fathers and uncles were called “nok” by the children. Grandparents raised the children while the parents were doing important chores, like getting food and doing what they needed to do to help their family survive. People older than the child’s parents were called ‘grandmother’ or ‘grandfather’ sometimes like us.

Do you know some Wampanoag names for animals?

wolf ontoquas

bear maske

fox whauksis

rabbit motuckquas

squirrel shannucke

gosse wawpatucke

crow kongkont

snake askooke

goldfish nammos

1 = e 2 = d 3 = a 4 = f 5 = c 6 = b

Some Wampanoag animal names are very different and some are similar to what we call our animals. Some are hard to pronounce and some are not. It is amazing what has changed over the years from when the Wampanoag lived and now!

Wampanoag Foodby Jace

In the spring, the Wampanoag women and children planted seeds. They planted corn, beans, squash, onions, herbs and melons. The picture shows the woman planting her seeds in her garden. When she plants the corn she puts three herring fish in the hole and puts the corn seeds on top of the fish. The fish feeds the corn plant.The women harvest the plants in the fall. Another word for picking the plants is harvesting. The other picture shows

the three sisters, corn, beans and squash, being harvested. They saved the food to eat all winter.

Glossary:1. Herring: A small saltwater fish

that is a member of the sardine family.

2. Harvest: The picking of plants when it is ripe. 3. Squash: Vegetables with different shapes that grow on

vines. They are usually yellow or green.

Free Time with the Wampanoags!

by: Kaylee Have you ever wondered if Wampanoags had free time? They usually did. They always found time to take a break and have fun. Wampanoag girls made dolls and necklaces. When the girls made the dolls, they were learning because they were practicing for when they got older to make their own clothing. The

Wampanoag girls used deer hide for the clothing. Wampanoag boys made little toy mishoons. They were learning too so when they got older they knew how to make real mishoons.

Both boys and girls played games together. One of the games was called the Stick Game. A hoop was attached to a stick and you had to try to flip the hoop up and over, on to the stick.They also played the same sports that we play today! Almost all Wampanoags played lacrosse and football.

They also had free time in many different places, at ceremonies, in wetus, and outside. At ceremonies they danced, feasted, prayed, made things, and played games. That’s what Wampanoags did in their free time.

Glossary- mishoons: a kind of boat that the Wampanoags used- deer hide: a skin from a deer- wetus: a house that the Wampanoags lived in

WAMPANOAG PROTECTION

by Kevin

Wampanoag people use symbols and weapons for protection. Wampanoag (wamp-an-o-ag) people put mud on their faces for spiritual protection. Spiritual protection would keep them from harm. They also wore tattoos that mean something such as peace symbols, strength symbols and a certain animals like a bear or a deer. Wampanoags used weapons to protect themselves and hunt animals. After they killed the animals they cooked them then ate them. Wampanoags usually used wooden bows and

arrows to hunt. They carved quartz to make the top of an arrowhead and they carved wood to make the bow. They also used axes and spears. They used a feather at the end of the arrows as something to make the arrow fly better. A bow and arrow was the most popular weapon that they used. Wampanoags used many weapons and symbols for protection.

Wampanoag Women’s Chores

by Lily

Have you ever wondered what Wampanoag women’s chores were? Wampanoag women were called squaws. Squaws made every meal of the day. They cooked turkey, corn meal cakes and cranberries. They loved to make meals. Girls learned how to make dolls clothing so when they’re older they would know how to make their own. Squaws made bags and baskets to store

stuff in. They did five to seven chores a day and it took five to ten minutes to do two chores. Kids did not help with the chores because they were too young. You had to be fifteen and older to do chores. Did you know that it took two people to do certain chores? Cooking, gardening and basket making took two people. Squaws didn’t do the same chores as men because they had their own right to do different things than men. This is what Wampanoag squaws did for chores.

squaws Native American women

How Wampanoag Children Learned

by Madison

Wampanoag children would not go to school but they still learned. Girls would use dolls for learning. They would make clothes and all sorts of bags and mats. Girls would learn how to collect shellfish and berries when they were very little. They would learn a lot so when they were older they would know a lot and teach their children. The boys would

learn how to make small canoes so when they were older they knew how to make a bigger one. They would also learn how to make a wetu when they were about thirteen or fourteen. Boys would also learn how to be really good Wampanoag hunters. Boys learned how to make bow and arrows and how to use them.

Boys and girls were both taught to respect nature and animals. If a child lied, the mother or father would punish their kid. Girls and boys would learn from their grandmother or grandfather. It was very important to learn these things because they learned how to survive.

How Wampanoag Travelledby Owen

Have you heard of the Wampanoags? They are a Native American tribe who travelled a lot. They mostly travelled by foot and boat. One of the boats they made was the dugout canoe. The dugout canoe was made by cutting down a tree. First they cut off the bark. Then they found clay from the riverside. Then they packed the clay up to where they cut off the bark. After that they started to burn the tree down. The clay stopped it from burning all the way. Once the tree fell, they started to burn off the inside. They packed the sides with clay so it wouldn't burn all the way. That process went on for up to one week or 12 days . After the burning process. they used clam shells to move the coals to make sure it didn't burn all the

way through. That is how the Wampanoag made a dugout canoe / mishoon. The Wampanoag mishoons were used for fishing and trading trips. The Wampanoag tribe sometimes had battles against other tribes . A war boat was made the same way as the mishoon. The war boat could hold up to 40 people . The Wampanoag people traveled A LOT!

What the Wampanoag Women worebySonie

Have you you ever wondered what the wampanoag girls wore? The types of clothes they made were breeches, skirts, moccasins, leggings, robes and belts. To make the clothes they needed different items. The items they used were deer hide, plant fibers , bear skin , fox skin, bullrush and

moose hides. The colors that were on their clothes were brown, hazelnut, red and black. This is some

information about the wampanoag women and what they wore.

Glossary

1 } - Deerhide - a type of skin that comes from deer2} - Hazelnut - a type of color3} - Breechcloths - a type of clothing they wore 4} - moccasins - a type of shoes the wampanoag wore

Wampanoag Weapons and Toolsby Will

There are many different types of tools and weapons that were necessary in order for the Wampanoag Indians to survive. Some of the types of tools and weapons they used were tomahawks, bow and arrows, pestles, spears, knives, clay pots, clubs, tobacco pipes, and farming hoes. These tools and weapons were made out of materials like stone, shells, shale, soapstone, brewerton, granite and wood. They gathered these materials from animals, trees and other objects from nature.

The Wampanoags made their own tools and weapons. Clubs were made by carving them out of small trees and sharpening the roots. Arrows were made by sharpening rocks and tying them to sticks. Their bows were made by carving wood then tying string made of animal skin to them. Spears are similar to arrows but they had a longer stick. Axes, hoes, and tomahawks were made by tying rocks to a stick. Those were the weapons and tools of the Wampanoag.

How the Wampanoag Healed The Sick

by Zoe

Have you ever wondered how the Wampanoag healed the sick? There was a man called the medicine man. The medicine man was like a doctor when the Wampanoag lived, but just called the medicine man. The mother or father would pay him to make them better, just like today! The medicine man had tools. The medicine man would use the tools if you had something in your skin like little small pebbles, twigs, rocks and dirt. But if you were sick, he would sing and dance around you.

Have you ever wondered how the Wampanoags made medicine? The Wampanoags picked a lot of berries. They would pick berries that were good for you. They would also pick herbs and roots. The medicine man mixed all of the berries and herbs and roots to make medicine.

Did you know that Europeans gave the Wampanoags a bad disease called smallpox? That disease killed a lot of Wampanoags. Europeans came to trade with the Wampanoags. Back were Europeans lived,

they owned farms. The animals they had on the farm gave them smallpox. But the Wampanoags didn’t own farms or farm animals. So when the Europeans came to trade with the Wampanoag, the disease traveled with the Europeans and gave it to the Wampanoags. Few people survived. Can you believe how much they did back then to heal the sick?

herb:

root

a plant used for medicine.

bottom of the plant that holds it