Eastern Woodlands

By: Sheyla, Taylor, Haley, and Christyn

Mohawk

Nanticoke

Onondaga

FOOD

• The Mohawks, Onondaga, and the Nanticoke tribes all eat the same foods basically.

• corn corn bread• Squash soups and stews• Beans• Deer• Elk• Fishing• Small game

TRANSPORTATION

Both:• Used carved dugout canoes, made from wood• Used dogs on land

• The Onondaga prefer to travel on land with the dogs

ENVIRONMENT

EASTERN WOODLANDSNanticoke: DE, and Maryland. Flat land and on the

coast near waterMohawks: St. Lawrence river, fertile soil for farming,

and forests because they were huntersOnondaga: near lake Ontario, fertile soil, forest

RELIGION

• Nanticoke: believed in many spirits: nature, water, earth, lightning, fire stone, animals, and tree spirits. They made sacrifices to those spirits, such as the first food of the harvest and first game of fishing. They believed in life after death.

• Mohawk & Onondaga: There god was Hahgwehdiyu. They made personifications of everything like Gaol is the wind, Gahome is winter, Adekagagwag is summer, Onathan farmer of wheat, the giant Tarhuhyiawihku held up the sky and Jogah was the nature spirit.

Housing• Nanticoke: Dome shaped homes called wigwams.

These are made from branches and saplings driven into the ground and tied down with vines and hide strips. The outside frames were covered with tree bark, such as cedar, or woven bulrush mats. In the center of the earthen were fire pits. A hole in the roof allowed smoke to leave.

• Mohawk &Onondaga: Lived in long houses that could be as long as 100 feet and hold up to 60 people.

Clothing

• Nanticoke: Wore animal skins, animal fur, jewelry made from shells and quills, moccasins made with deer, and painted themselves with berries.

• Mohawk: Men wore breechcloth and leggings with no shirt. Also men wore headdress that had three eagle feathers on top. Women wore wraparound skirts and shorter leggings, poncho like tunics called overdress.

• Onondaga: Wore same as Mohawk but with deer skin moccasins and their headdress had on eagle feather straight up and one trailing behind.

Adaptations

• Nanticoke: Learned how to hunt, cook food, get clean water, build shelter and how to stay warm.

• Mohawks & Onondaga: They would fish with nets in summer and cut holes in the ice during winter. Also they would move to a new location when the soil was no longer fertile and then come back later when it was.