Eastern Woodland Eastern Woodland Indians TribesIndians Tribes

TribesTribes

The group of Native American known as the The group of Native American known as the Woodland Indians is made up of several Woodland Indians is made up of several tribes. These are some of the major tribes.tribes. These are some of the major tribes.

Delaware Wampanoag Huron

Narraganset Powhatan Iroquois

Mohawk Oneida Onondaga

Cayuga Seneca Tuscarora

LocationLocation

These tribes lived east of the These tribes lived east of the Plains in the forest areas along Plains in the forest areas along the eastern part of the United the eastern part of the United States. They lived there long States. They lived there long before the Europeans came to before the Europeans came to this continent. The people of this continent. The people of these tribes found everything these tribes found everything they needed to live in the forest.they needed to live in the forest.

Map of the area the Eastern Woodland Indians lived.

ClothingClothing

Their clothing was made mostly Their clothing was made mostly from hides of animals. In the from hides of animals. In the winter, the men and women winter, the men and women wore shirts/skirts, leggings, and wore shirts/skirts, leggings, and moccasins made of moccasins made of buckskinbuckskin. . Buckskin is clothing made from Buckskin is clothing made from the skins of animals, mainly the skins of animals, mainly deer. deer.

This is a picture of the traditional dress of men in many of the Eastern Woodland tribes.

Dyed quills decorated Dyed quills decorated moccasins in red, blue moccasins in red, blue and violet. These are and violet. These are Seneca quilled moccasins Seneca quilled moccasins

Wampum Wampum

Wampum belts and necklaces were Wampum belts and necklaces were made from wampum beads. These made from wampum beads. These beads were actually white and beads were actually white and purple shells. Wampum was used purple shells. Wampum was used as money between white man and as money between white man and Indians. Indians.

Wampum belts were used as a form Wampum belts were used as a form of communication between Indian of communication between Indian tribes. tribes.

Wampum BeadsWampum Beads

The white beads are made from the inner spiral The white beads are made from the inner spiral of the channeled whelk shellof the channeled whelk shell

These are some of the types of shells used in the wampum belts created from around 200 AD to colonial times.

The Great Chain, or Covenant Belt, is generally thought to be a belt presented by the U.S. government to the Iroquois in 1794 at the Pickering Treaty at Canandaigua, N.Y. Adapted from The Native Americans. Edited by B. & I. Ballantine. 1993

This is a sample of a wampum belt.

How to make dyesHow to make dyes

The Eastern Woodland Indians The Eastern Woodland Indians used many plants to create dyes used many plants to create dyes to dye fibers, quills/blankets, to dye fibers, quills/blankets, and other items used to decorate and other items used to decorate their clothing and household their clothing and household goods.goods.

FoodFood Many of the Eastern Woodland Many of the Eastern Woodland

tribes hunted small game such as tribes hunted small game such as deer, rabbit, and bear. Berries, nuts, deer, rabbit, and bear. Berries, nuts, and wild plants were also used for and wild plants were also used for food.food.

Since their villages were usually near Since their villages were usually near the ocean, streams, or lakes, they the ocean, streams, or lakes, they also fished using spears and nets. also fished using spears and nets.

FoodFood

Corn, beans, and squash were the Corn, beans, and squash were the most important crops planted. They most important crops planted. They were known as “The Three Sisters” were known as “The Three Sisters” as they were also grown together. as they were also grown together.

Many of these tribes were considered Many of these tribes were considered to be excellent farmers. to be excellent farmers.

ShelterShelter

The Iroquois Indians lived in wigwams and longhouses.

Wigwams were made by bending young trees to form the round shape of the home. Over this shape pieces of tree bark were overlapped to protect the Indians from bad weather.

Longhouses were Longhouses were long rectangular long rectangular homes. homes. Longhouses were Longhouses were made by made by building a frame building a frame from young from young trees.trees.

ToolsTools

Snowshoes made winter hunting Snowshoes made winter hunting easier for the Iroquois. They easier for the Iroquois. They traveled up to 50 miles a day traveled up to 50 miles a day wearing the snowshoes in deep wearing the snowshoes in deep snow. snow.

ToolsTools

An axe was created from An axe was created from stones to help with carving, stones to help with carving, splitting, or chipping wood splitting, or chipping wood and stone into the needed and stone into the needed items.items.

ToolsToolsArrow points and spear points were carved from flint stone and attached to the shaft for arrows or spears as needed by the men using them.

ToolsTools

The antler was used The antler was used for flaking secondary for flaking secondary chips and notching chips and notching the points when the points when making arrowheads making arrowheads and spearheads and spearheads

These clay beads These clay beads were found at were found at Matt’s Landing Matt’s Landing near Port Elizabeth near Port Elizabeth on the Maurice on the Maurice River in South River in South New JerseyNew Jersey

The copper beads The copper beads were found near were found near Beasley’s Point during Beasley’s Point during the excavation for a the excavation for a housing development. housing development. Deposits of copper Deposits of copper have been found in have been found in northern New Jersey. northern New Jersey.

This clay pipe was found intact on This clay pipe was found intact on the Riggins Farm in New Jersey.the Riggins Farm in New Jersey.

Pots were made using clay coils, etched with sticks and other things, and fired in coals.

ToolsTools

The men The men created dugout created dugout canoes from canoes from tree logs. They tree logs. They used carving used carving and wood and wood burning to burning to create the create the canoes.canoes.

Special Groups in the TribeSpecial Groups in the Tribe

The False Face Society was a The False Face Society was a group of medicine men who wore group of medicine men who wore frightening masks made of wood. frightening masks made of wood. They were thought to posses They were thought to posses special powers when they put on special powers when they put on their masks.their masks.

Sometimes the Sometimes the Indians wore Indians wore corn husks corn husks masks or painted masks or painted their faces to their faces to frighten away frighten away the evil spirits. the evil spirits.

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