Algonquians in the Eastern Sub-arctic

Climate -less harsh than ArcticHotter and longer summersSparse forests, coniferous trees

Seasonal Migration

Fall and Winter - moved to hunting grounds to track caribou, moose, and deer, snow slows the pace of the animals

Spring and Summer- Return to their summer camps, add fishing and gathering berries to their diet.

Clothing and Habitation

Wigwam - a circular wooden structure covered with bark

Men and women wore loincloths, gown to cover the upper torso, leggings, and moccasins

Division of Labour (Responsibilities)

Tasks were rigidly divided Men - hunted, fish, made canoes and

snowshoes, traded with other nations, defend territory

Women - taking care of children, made clothes, useful objects (baskets)

Iroquoians in the Northeast

Climate - moderate Occasional harsh winter, summers are

hot with longer growing period

Sedentary Lifestyle

Lived primarily from agriculture 65% to 80% of diet came from growing

crops Corn, squash, and beans Lack of knowledge of fertilization meant

that they moved their villages every 10-30 years.

Habitation

Lived in longhouses made of wood and covered with elm or cedar bark.

Division of Labour (Responsibilities) Men - hunting, fishing, building

longhouses, constructing palisades (wooden fence), cleared forest for agriculture, traded with other nations, defended the village

Women - childcare, made clothing, prepared food, collected firewood, as well as sowing, caring, and harvesting the fields

Social, Political, and Economical Structures The way the Aboriginal peoples:

Lived their lives with each other (Social) Ran their communities (Political) What they goods they traded and what they

traded for (economical)Was largely determined by the scarcity (lack

of) or abundance (lots of) of natural resources in their surrounding environments.

Nomadic Societies Examples: Inuit and Algonquians To follow game they had to be mobile, so living in

small groups of a few families was much easier The importance of the hunt meant that the most

skilled and courageous hunter was chosen to be chief, who would ask as a spokesperson for the group

The hunt also meant that nomadic societies were patriarchical. The men of the family and group made most of the decisions. They also traced their lineage through the men of the family

Sedentary Societies Example: Iroquois Sedentary life entails (means) a much more complicated

social and political structure because when you are not moving constantly, people grow accustom to certain things and arguments about what belongs to who and who should being doing what are more frequent.

Their government was hierarchical and consisted of several councils.

Certain Iroquoian nations joined together to form “confederacies”. These were meant provide security and promote their common interests. Their decisions were not binding though. Each nation was autonomous (free to make their own decisions)

Iroquois: Matriarchical Society

Traced their lineage through the women in the family. After marriage, men went to live in house of their wife’s family.

The oldest woman in the clan would be appointed chief. She was responsible for everything affecting community life

Economic Networks From about 1500, Aboriginal nations maintained

trade networks with each other. Sedentary peoples traded their agricultural

products (corn, beans, tobacco) to nomadic people for their meat, skins, and fur.

Copper from west of Lake Superior was very valuable commodity used for making tools and weapons.

Shells from the East coast were also very valuable and were used for making necklaces and tools.