My Life in the Narragansett Tribe

Thanks to Mr. Barber for his help!

My Tribe and Region

I am Chilali. That means snowbird. That is my name because my mother saw a snowbird flying overhead the moment I was born. She says it gave her the courage to keep giving birth.

I am part of the Narragansett tribe, the bravest tribe in the area.

My family and I live in the Eastern Woodlands region, the best place to live.

Become Me...

Journal Entry 1: Fall

A day in the life of me…We are packing our things to move from our

wigwams, our summer home, to our longhouses, our winter home. I am going to have to get used to living with the entire tribe again. I am so used to just sleeping with Toe-Ta and Eetsa. But I will be warmer sleeping with the entire tribe.

Journal Entry 1: Fall

A day in the life of me...Here comes Eetsa. She is wearing a classic knee-

length skirt. Toe –Ta is with her. He is wearing deer-skin leggings and a loincloth. Today we will go to Nickommoh, our feast, so they are also wearing turkey feather capes.

Journal Entry 1: Fall

A day in the life of me…Eetsa is collecting corn for Nickommoh. I am so

excited. There will be a huge feast and then we will go to the sweat lodges to cleanse ourselves. Toe-Ta was out hunting yesterday. He came back with deer, elk and turkey.

Journal Entry 1: Fall

A day in the life of me...Eetsa is harvesting corn for the feast. She is also

taking care of Achak, my little brother. Toe-Ta is out hunting again. Enapay, our chief is walking by. His son, Dyami is with him. He’s so handsome…

Now Eetsa is cooking pan bread for midday meal. Father is putting on war paint. As an accomplished warrior in the tribe he will be putting on demonstrations of valor.

Journal Entry 2: Fall

The land...Toe-Ta is back from hunting. Yesterday was

Nickommoh and we used up all our meat and he went to get more. He traveled all the way through the western mountains and came back with rabbits, deer and other animals. I will go into more detail later. He came all the way back from the mountains to Great Bear Lake, the Creators gift to the Narragansett. I am so proud of him.

Journal Entry 2: Fall

The land…Today Eetsa is going to take me to Violet River to

collect medicinal plants. She said she wants me to collect three things from under those bordering hornbeam trees: birch bark, juniper berries and hazel leaves. I want to do my best. I want to be a medicine women when I grow up...

Journal Entry 2: Fall

The land…Toe-Ta came back from scouting. He said that

there are many turkey and deer. He said that there are also several black bears attacking honeycombs. Since he used up all our supplies at Nickommoh we have to restock and honey is a good medicine. It is also very tasty! Maybe I will sneak some for myself when he comes back with the honey...

Journal Entry 3: Fall

The Great Spirit’s moods…Brr! It is the time of the rains. It is usually rainy

here but each fall the Great Spirit sends some rain to ensure that we do not enjoy ourselves so long we forget him. But these rains are cold as well as wet. Eetsa takes out our warm buffalo robes from the Nimmipu and our fur-lined moccasins. I am glad that we moved to our longhouse. It is nice and warm here…

Journal Entry 3: Fall

The Great Spirits moods…Toe-Ta is setting out to meet some fur traders. They are

Salish. They might have otter or beaver pelts and we could make good boats out of those or swimming things since they are waterproof. He will take a sled and will walk behind it in snowshoes. Meanwhile, Eetsa is ensuring we have enough food for the winter. She saved up the food we farmed and now she is checking the woven baskets. I sneaked some dried meat yesterday. I wonder if she’ll notice…

Journal Entry 3: Fall

The Great Spirits moods…Pound, pound, pound. Brrrrr! I’m freezing! The

great rains have come. Eetsa is cooking pemmican for supper. She is using the dried deer meat Toe-Ta brought back last week. I’m starving! I hope we have a break soon. Then we can have a dance to pray to the Great Spirit to end the rains soon…

Journal Entry 3: Fall

The Great Spirits moods…The great rains lasted for one week. Eetsa says

we are lucky that it was so short. She says that usually they are much longer. The rains are becoming shorter and so we must be praying to the Great Spirit more often. Kautsa agrees. She says that when she was a girl the rains could last almost a month…

Journal Entry 3: Fall

A lot of dew at the time

Cool weather

A lot of moisture

Heavy Rainstorms

Swollen rivers

Floods

A lot of plant watering done for you

Journal Entry 3: Fall

The Great Spirits moods…After the rains there are many swollen rivers.

Toe-Ta is getting out our canoes. Now we will fish! After the fishing season is over he will pack away our canoes. Then we will use sleds and snowshoes to get around. Our warm robes are already out. Toe-Ta and Eetsa will save salmon, meat and berries for the winter. It is always so busy…

Reflection

The busy season is over. We are safe and happy and prepared for winter. The tribe will survive the winter, for our medicine woman foretold it. And guess what?! She said that she will take me as an apprentice! She will teach me the arts of medicine and then, when she dies I shall become the next medicine woman! I will be relied upon by my tribe and will be able to foretell the Great Spirits will.

Reflection

It is time for the summer season. Eetsa says that it is nearly time for my training as a medicine woman to begin. I am so excited! Soon I will be treating simple injuries. Then I will begin to do more complicated things. Slowly I will progress until I will be able to step in as medicine woman any time.

Sources

http://www.bronsonbattlecreek.com/services/birthcenter/nativeambabynames.shtmlNarragansett." America the Beautiful. Grolier Online, 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2012Redish, Laura, and Orrin Lewis. "Narragansett Fact Sheet." Native Languages

of the Americas. N.p., 1998. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bigorrin.org/narragansett_kids.htm>.

"Rhode Island ."NC WiseOwl. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.school.eb.com/elementary/article?articleId=345520&query=narragansett%20tribe&ct=#TOP>.

Glossary

Toe-Ta: FatherEetsa: MotherAchak: SpiritEnapay: BraveDyami: EagleNimmipu: The People, known by white men as Nez PerceSalish: Another Native American tribe, that use tepees for their

housingPemmican: a mix of dried berries and crushed dried meat: very

nutritious.Kautsa: Grandmother

The Narragansett