Northeast Woodland

The land

	The Northeast is covered with rivers, lakes and mostly trees. This was a good place to settle. There were plenty of plants and animals here. The people had no trouble growing and finding food. There were two main Native American groups that settled here, the Iroquois and the Algonquin. Each of these groups was made up of many different tribes. The Mesquaki tribe that now lives near Tama, Iowa are descendants of the Algonquin group.
Homes Because there were so many plants and animals in the woodlands, the people could live together in big groups. A clan, or family group, would live together.
Longhouse The Iroquois lived in a longhouse. The longhouse was about 25 feet wide and 25 feet high. That is huge! Measure your living room. and compare the size. The longhouse could be up to 200 feet long. The longhouse was built from small trees called saplings. These were bent in the dome shape. The saplings were then covered with bark. There were smoke holes in the top and a door at each end. Many families lived in the longhouse. It would be like an apartment building with all of your aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Each family had their own section of the longhouse.
People sat and slept on mats along the edge of the longhouse. Fires to heat the house and cook the meals were built in the middle. Many things were stored inside of the long house. Stings of corn, squash and other foods hung from the rafters to dry.

This wigwam picture was taken along the Iowa River on July 19, 1914. Click on the picture to find the copyright information.

Wigwams

Algonquin families often lived in wigwams. These were very similar to the longhouse. But the wigwam was much smaller, only about 8 or 10 feet tall. Do you remember when you measured your living room? How does that compare to the size of your house?

The wigwam might be round or cone shaped. it was also build from saplings covered with bark. The bark overlapped to keep out the weather. The bark was often then covered with grasses. Finally a hole was made in the roof to let the smoke from the fire escape. The curved surfaces of the wigwam would hold up in all kinds of bad weather.

Beds were mats covered with animal skins. One family lived in a wigwam. The inside also had "shelves" like the longhouse to store food and supplies. Some tribes dug storage pits in the wigwams. The pit was lined with bark to keep out pests. Clay pots were then filled with corn, dried meat, or vegetables and stored for later.

Because there were so many different kinds of food for the Native Americans in this place. They stayed in these homes for many years.

Food

Many foods grew naturally in the woodlands. There were fruits on trees and bushes such as cherries, apples, pears, strawberries, and mulberries. Many vegetables, nuts and rice also grew wild. The Native Americans also tapped the maple trees to make syrup, just like they do at Hartman Reserve in the spring. There were rivers, lakes and oceans near most villages. Fishing was another way to gather food from the environment. The woodland tribes were also good hunters. They hunted deer, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, rabbit, squirrel, bear, turkey and turtle.

Farming

The Woodland tribes were excellent farmers. The main crops they grew were corn, beans and squash, which they called "the Three Sisters". There are many stories of the Woodland tribes helping the pilgrims learn to grow these important crops. They also grew gourds, melons, pumpkins, sunflowers and tobacco. The women gathered the wild fruits, nuts and berries and dried them for the winter. The women and children also did most of the farming. The men were responsible for clearing the land, hunting and fishing.

Rice grew wild along the banks of many lakes. The rice grows on long stalks. Rice was used to make flour and breads. During August, they would go out with a canoe to harvest the rice. One person would steer the canoe while one person gathered the rice. They would hit the rice on the side of the canoe, some would fall into the canoe and some would fall back into the water to be seed for next year.

If you would like to eat rice like a Woodland Native American, fix wild rice the way it tells you to on the package. Then add a bit of maple syrup. Mmmm, mmmmm, good!

Hunting and Fishing

While women were responsible for the farming, the men were responsible for the hunting and fishing. The spring time was time for fishing. They would use hooks, spears or huge nets to catch the fish. Tribes that lived along the ocean also dug for clams and oysters. When the fish were brought back to the village everyone helped to dry the fish. Much of the fish was dried and then stored. Some tribes had a trick for a big catch. If the food supplies were getting low. The men would light torches and put them along the shore at night. The light would attract the fish to their nets.

Powhatan fishing net

This is a drying rack that would have been used to prepare the meat for storage.

The woodland people did not hunt buffalo. But they did eat a lot of meat. There were many wild animals that lived in the woods. One of the most important to the woodland people was the deer. Deer were used not only for their meat, but their hides were used for clothes and moccasins. Their antlers were used to make arrowheads. The hooves made glue and the bones were used to make many different tools. As with most Native American people, the Woodland tribes did not waste anything. Every part of the plant or animal was used and honored by the people.

Wild turkey, rabbits, squirrel, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, and even turtle would make an excellent meal.

The woodland people cooked everything they caught. Nothing was eaten raw. All the food that was brought back to the village was shared by the whole village. No one would go hungry. Everyone shared their food even in the hardest times.

Cooking

During good weather a fire was build outside. The women roasted meat over an open fire. When the weather was not good for cooking outside, a fire was build in the middle of the wigwam or long house. Most foods were boiled, roasted or made into soup. It has been said, that in bad times some woodland tribes might even make soup from their moccasins!

Clothing

	Men The Woodland Tribes used materials they found in nature to make their clothing. They used fur from many animals and the hides from deer and elk. In warm weather the men wore breechcloths and perhaps a finger woven sash over their right shoulder and tied to the waist. The sash was made of deerskin or fibers from an elm or basswood tree. The sash was decorated to show which clan the man belonged to. Decorations were made from porcupine quills or wampum beads (made from shells). Some men may also have worn deer toes on a sash around their knees that made a noise like bells. In colder weather a man would also wear a deerskin shirt with fringe, leggings, and sometimes fur robes. Men and women wore moccasins made of deer or elk hides. They were a short moccasin that was folded down on the top to make a cuff. The woodland men also wore feathers on their head. But their headdress did not look anything like the war bonnet we often think of. The hat was called a Kastoweh. It was made from a black ash frame that wrapped around the head. The Kastoweh band was decorated with deer skin, porcupine quills, and wampum beads. The feathers were eagle feathers. Depending on the tribe, one, two or three feathers pointed up. The rest were pointed down. Click on the link below and print a paper doll and clothing for men of the Iroquois tribe. Woodland Men's Paper Doll Pattern
Women Women wore dresses made of deerskin. This was also decorated with porcupine quills and wampum beads. Sometime wore wrap skirt with leggings. In cold weather they wore animal fur robes for warmth. On their feet they wore moccasins just as the men did. Click on the link below and print a paper doll and clothing for women of the Iroquois tribe Woodland Women Paper Doll Pattern
Iroquois Group 1914 Library of Congress Photo
Project Ideas Crafts Try these project ideas from Mrs. Miller's Class Project Page. This includes page projects such as a dreamcatcher, Iroquois Spirit mask, a corn husk mask and a turtle shell game and many much more. Make a Seminole Patchwork bookmark. Homes Build a wigwam Build a longhouse Wampum Learn about wampum and Wampum2. Make a wampum belt or necklace Food Try some of these Eastern Woodland Recipes. Mr. Donn has a recipe for Fried Corn Bread. Famous Northeast Woodland Native Americans Find out about these famous Native Americans. Think of a way to teach your classmates what you learned. You might dress as this person and tell your classmate about your life. You might make a PowerPoint to show what you learned. You could write a book about the person you choose. Or think of a different way to show what you know. Squanto Tecumseh Sequoyah Pontiac Pocahontas Black Hawk Watch a video from United Streaming Native Americans: People of the Forest. Rainbow Educational Media(2004). Retrieved March 22, 2008, from unitedstreaming: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/

The land

Homes

Longhouse