How do you pronounce the word "Cheyenne"? What does it mean?
Cheyenne is pronounced "Shy-ANN." It comes from the Dakota Sioux name for the Cheyennes, Šahiyenan,
which may mean "relatives of the Cree." The name "Cheyenne" has been spelled many different ways,
including Cheyanne, Chyenne, Sheyenne, Sheyanne, and Shyanne. But in their own language, the Cheyenne
call themselves Tsitsistas, "the people."
The capital of Wyoming is named after the Cheyenne tribe, and so are the Cheyenne River (in Wyoming and
South Dakota) and the Sheyenne River (in North Dakota.)
Where do the Cheyennes live?
The Cheyenne Indians were far-ranging people, especially once they acquired horses. By the time the
Americans met them they were living on the Great Plains in what is now South
Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. The US government forced the Cheyennes to move to
Oklahoma during the 1800's, but some escaped and fled north into Montana. Today there are two Cheyenne
tribes, one in Oklahoma and the other in Montana. Here is a map of Montana's reservations.
What was Cheyenne culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here's a link to the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. On their site you can find information about the
Southern Cheyenne people in the past and today.
How do Cheyenne Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many
Cheyenne children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian boys and girls had more
chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys, and
games to play. Here is a picture of a hoop game enjoyed by Cheyenne kids. Lacrosse was also a popular sport
among teenagers. A Cheyenne mother traditionally carried a young child in a cradle board on her back--a
custom which many American parents have adopted now.
What were Cheyenne men and women's roles?
Cheyenne women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and cleaning, a Cheyenne woman built her
family's house and dragged the heavy posts with her whenever the tribe moved. Houses belonged to the
women in the Cheyenne tribe. Men were hunters and warriors, responsible for feeding and defending their
families. A woman might occasionally become a hunter or warrior, but a Cheyenne chief was always male.
Both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Cheyenne homes like in the past?
Originally the Cheyennes lived in settled villages of earthen lodges and birchbark wigwams. As their life style
became more nomadic, they began to use buffalo-hide houses called tipis (or teepees). Here are some teepee
pictures. Since the Cheyenne tribe moved frequently to follow the buffalo herds, a tipi had to be carefully
designed to set up and break down quickly, like a modern tent. An entire Cheyenne village could be packed up
and ready to move on within an hour.
Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage, not for shelter. Most
Cheyennes live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Cheyenne clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Cheyenne women wore long deerskin dresses, and men wore breechcloths with leather leggings. Later,
Cheyenne men adopted the Plains war shirt worn by other Indians of this region. A Cheyenne lady's dress or
warrior's shirt was fringed and often decorated with porcupine quills, shells, and elk teeth. Cheyenne men
wore moccasins and women wore high fringed boots. Later, Cheyenne people adapted European costume
such as cloth dresses and vests, which they decorated with quillwork and fancy beading. Here is a site about
the symbolism of Plains Indian war shirts, and some photos and links about Indian clothing in general.
Cheyenne Indian leaders originally wore tall feather headdresses like the Blackfeet, but they soon began
wearing the long warbonnets that Plains Indians are famous for. Here are some pictures of these Indian
headdress styles. Cheyenne men wore their long hair in braids with a topknot or pompadour, and women wore
their hair either loose or braided. Here is a website with pictures of these Indian hairstyles. The Cheyennes
also painted their faces for special occasions. They used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies,
and festive decoration.
Today, some Cheyenne people still have moccasins or a beaded dress, but they wear modern clothes like
jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions like a wedding or a
dance.
What was Cheyenne transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Cheyenne Indians weren't coastal people, and when they traveled by river, they usually built rafts.
Originally the Cheyennes would use dogs pullingtravois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their
belongings. Here is an article with dog travois pictures. Once Europeans introduced horses to North America,
the Cheyennes could travel quicker and further, and began to migrate frequently to follow the buffalo herds.
What was Cheyenne food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Cheyennes were originally farming people, with the women harvesting corn, squash, and beans while the
men hunted deer and buffalo. Once they acquired horses, the Cheyenne lifestyle became more migratory.
They mostly gave up farming, and followed the buffalo herds as they moved across the plains. Unlike most
Plains tribes, Cheyenne women took part in buffalo hunts along with men. They drove the buffalos towards the
men, who shot them with their longbows. Here is a website with more information about North American Indian
food.
Besides buffalo meat, Cheyenne Indians also liked to eat fish, fruit and berries, and corn that they bought from
other tribes.
What were Cheyenne weapons and tools like in the past?
Cheyenne warriors used powerful bows and arrows, war clubs, spears, and hide shields. Here is a website
with pictures and more information about American Indian weapons.
Who were the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers?
The Dog Soldiers were the most famous of the Cheyenne warrior societies. They were also known as the Dog
Warriors or Dog Men. They had this name because of a Cheyenne legend about dogs who turned into fierce
warriors. Cheyenne Dog Soldiers were especially brave and honorable. When he was defending a Cheyenne
village, a Dog Soldier would stake his long belt to the ground, to show that he would not run away but would
defend his people to the death.
What other Native Americans did the Cheyenne tribe interact with?
The Cheyennes traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains. Once they stopped farming, they
especially liked to trade buffalo hides for tobacco and corn. The Cheyennes usually communicated with other
Plains Indian tribes using the Plains Sign Language. Their closest allies were the Arapaho, with whom they
often shared territory.
The Cheyenne also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes treated war differently than European
countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains Indian war parties
rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war customs included counting
coup (touch an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing the
other tribe's warriors to retreat. So the Cheyenne sometimes were enemies of neighboring tribes like
the Sioux, Comanches, and Kiowas, and other times they were allies. The Europeans who first met them were
surprised by how often the Cheyenne tribe fought with their neighbors, yet how easily they made peace with
each other when they were done fighting.
What are Cheyenne arts and crafts like?
Cheyenne artists are famous for their fine quill embroidery, native beading, pipestone carving, and pottery.
Here is a museum website with photographs ofdifferent Cheyenne art forms.
What kinds of stories do the Cheyennes tell?
There are lots of traditional Cheyenne legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Cheyenne
Indian culture. Here is one story about a race among the animals.
How do you pronounce the word "Cherokee"? What does it mean?
Cherokee is pronounced "CHAIR-uh-kee." It comes from a Muskogee word meaning 'speakers of
another language.' Cherokee Indians originally called themselves Aniyunwiya, "the principal people,"
but today they accept the name Cherokee, which is spelled and pronounced Tsalagi in their own
language.
Where do the Cherokee Indians live?
The Cherokees are original residents of the American southeast region,
particularly Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Here is
a map showing the location of the original Cherokee territory. Most Cherokees were forced to move to
Oklahoma in the 1800's along the Trail of Tears. Descendants of the Cherokee Indians who survived
this death march still live in Oklahoma today. Some Cherokees escaped the Trail of Tears by hiding in
the Appalachian hills or taking shelter with sympathetic white neighbors. The descendants of these
people live scattered throughout the original Cherokee Indian homelands.
What was the Cherokee Trail of Tears?
Trail of Tears was the Cherokee name for what the Americans called Indian Removal. During the
1800's, the US government created an "Indian Territory" in Oklahoma and sent all the eastern Native
American tribes to live there. Some tribes willingly agreed to this plan. Other tribes didn't want to go,
and the American army forced them. The Cherokee tribe was one of the largest eastern tribes, and they
didn't want to leave their homeland. The Cherokees were peaceful allies of the Americans, so they
asked the Supreme Court for help. The judges decided the Cherokee Indians could stay in their homes.
But the President, Andrew Jackson, sent the army to march the Cherokees to Oklahoma anyway. They
weren't prepared for the journey, and it was winter time. Thousands of Cherokee Indians died on the
Trail of Tears. Many Native Americans from other tribes died too. It was a terrible time in history.
Here are memories of the Cherokee Trail of Tears from two 19th-century writers, a Cherokee Indian
who walked the Trail as a boy and an American soldier who accompanied the Cherokees.
How do Cherokee Indian children live?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Cherokee children enjoy hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Cherokee kids had
more chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys, and games
to play. In one popular game, Cherokee kids tried to throw a dart through a moving hoop. Anejodi,
a stickball game related to the Iroquois game of lacrosse, was a popular sport among Cherokee
teenagers and adult men. Like many Native Americans, Cherokee mothers traditionally carried babies
in cradle board carriers on their backs--a custom which many American parents have adopted now.
What were men and women's roles in the Cherokee tribe?
Like their distant cousins the Iroquois, the Cherokee Indians had an even division of power between
men and women. Cherokee men were in charge of hunting, war, and diplomacy. Cherokee women
were in charge of farming, property, and family. Men made political decisions for the tribe, and women
made social decisions for the clans. Chiefs were men, and landowners were women. Both genders took
part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
Today, Cherokee gender role traditions have changed. Cherokee women can be chiefs also... and
Cherokee men are sometimes farmers. However, modern Cherokee people still trace clan relationships
through their mothers.
What were Cherokee homes like?
The Cherokee Indians lived in settled villages, usually located near a river. Cherokee houses were
made of rivercane and plaster, with thatched roofs. These dwellings were about as strong and warm as
log cabins. Here are some pictures of Native American houses like the ones Cherokee Indians used.
The Cherokees also built larger seven-sided buildings for ceremonial purposes, and each village
usually had a ball field with benches for spectators. Many Cherokee villages hadpalisades (reinforced
walls) around them for protection. Today, Cherokee families live in a modern house or apartment
building, just like you.
What was Cherokee clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Cherokee men wore breechcloths and leggings. Cherokee women wore wraparound skirts and ponchostyle blouses made out of woven fiber or deerskin. The Cherokees wore moccasins on their feet. After
colonization, Cherokee Indians adapted European costume into a characteristic style, including long
braided or beaded jackets, cotton blouses and full skirts decorated with ribbon applique, feathered
turbans, and the calico tear dress. Here are pictures of Cherokee clothingand photographs of traditional
Native American clothing in general.
The Cherokees didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Cherokee men usually shaved their heads
except for a single scalplock. Sometimes they would also wear a porcupine roach. Cherokee women
always wore their hair long, cutting it only in mourning for a family member. Men decorated their faces
and bodies withtribal tattoo art and also painted themselves bright colors in times of war. Unlike some
tribes, Cherokee women didn't paint themselves or wear tattoos, but they often wore bead necklaces
and copper armbands.
Today, some Cherokee people still wear moccasins or a ribbon shirt, but they wear modern clothes like
jeans instead of a breechcloth... and only wear roaches and feathers on special occasions like a
dance.
What was early Cherokee transportation like? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes--the Cherokee Indians used to make long dugout canoes from hollowed-out logs. Here is an article
with pictures of Native canoes. Over land, the Cherokees used dogs as pack animals. There were no
horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe. Today, of course, Cherokee
people also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.
What was Cherokee food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Cherokees were farming people. Cherokee women harvested crops of corn, beans, squash, and
sunflowers. They also gathered berries, nuts and fruit to eat. Cherokee men hunted deer, wild turkeys,
and small game and fished in the rivers. Cherokee foods included cornbread, soups, and stews cooked
on stone hearths. Here is a website with some Cherokee recipes you can try out for yourself, and a
page with more information about Native American food in general.
What were some Cherokee weapons and artifacts?
Cherokee hunters used bows and arrows or blowguns to shoot game. Fishermen generally used
spears and fishing poles. Warriors fired arrows or fought with a melee weapon like a tomahawk or
spear. Here is a website with pictures and more information about Cherokee Indian weapons. Other
important tools used by the Cherokee Indians included stone adzes (hand axes for woodworking), flint
knives for skinning animals, wooden hoes for farming, and pots and baskets for storing corn.
What are Cherokee arts and crafts?
Traditional Cherokee art included pipe carving, rivercane baskets, gourd art, and pottery. After moving
to Oklahoma, the Cherokees couldn't get the materials they used to use for traditional crafts, so they
concentrated on other crafts like American Indian beading and textile arts. Here are photographs of
beautiful beaded Cherokee bandolier bags, and a Cherokee artifact display from North Carolina.
What other Native Americans did the Cherokee tribe interact with?
The Cherokee Indians traded regularly with other southeastern Native Americans, who especially liked
to make trades for high-quality Cherokee pipes and pottery. The Cherokees often fought with their
neighbors the Creeks, Chickasaws, and Shawnees, but other times, they were friends and allies of
those tribes.
What kinds of stories do the Cherokees tell?
There are many traditional Cherokee legends and fairy tales. Story-telling is very important to the
Cherokee Indian culture. Here is a Cherokee legend about theorigin of strawberries. Here's a website
where you can read more about Cherokee mythology.
Who are some famous Cherokee Indians?
One of the best-known people in Cherokee history was Sequoyah. Sequoyah was a very brilliant man.
Although he did not know how to read or write in any other language, he succeeded in inventing a
writing system for Cherokee that is still used today. A famous Cherokee Indian from modern times
is Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to be Principal Chief of the Cherokee tribe.
How do you pronounce the word "Apache"? What does it mean?
Apache is pronounced "uh-PAH-chee." It means "enemy" in the language of their Zuni neighbors. The
Apaches' own name for themselves was traditionally Nde orNdee (which means "the people"), but
today most Apache people use the word "Apache" themselves, even when they are speaking their own
language.
Where do the Apaches live?
The Apache are natives of the Southwest deserts (particularly in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas).
Some Apache people were also located across the border in northern Mexico. One Apache band, the
Na'ishan or Plains Apache, lived far away from the other Apaches, in what is now Oklahoma. Their
customs were different from other Apaches, more similar to their Kiowa neighbors. For that reason, the
Americans often called the Na'ishan "Kiowa-Apaches." Here are somemaps of the different Apache
communities today.
The Plains Apaches are still living in Oklahoma today. Some Apaches from other bands were captured
and sent to live in Oklahoma by the Americans in the 1800's, while other Apaches resisted being
moved and remain in Arizona and New Mexico today. The total Apache Indian population today is
around 30,000.
What was Apache culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here are the homepages of the Jicarilla Apache Nation and White Mountain Apache Tribe. On their
sites you can find information about the Apache people from ancient times until today. You can also
visit this site about the Apache Jii Festival, which has information and photographs about San Carlos
Apache culture for kids.
How do Apache Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Apache children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more
chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys,
and games to play. Apache children liked to run footraces and play archery games. Once the Apaches
acquired horses, girls and boys as young as five years old learned how to ride. An Apache mother
traditionally carried her baby in a cradleboard on her back. Here is a website with Apache
cradleboard pictures.
What were men and women's roles in the Apache tribe?
Apache women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and taking care of children, Apache
women built new houses for their families every time the tribe moved their location. Though it was rare
for an Apache woman to become a warrior, girls learned to ride and shoot just like the boys did, and
women often helped to defend Apache villages when they were attacked. Apache men were hunters,
warriors, and political leaders. Only men were chiefs in the Apache tribe. Both genders took part in
storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Apache homes like in the past?
Most Apache people lived in wickiups, which are simple wooden frames covered by a matting of brush
and sometimes a buffalo-hide tarp. Wickiups were small dwellings, often the size of a modern camp
tent, and an Apache woman could build a new wickiup in two hours if there was enough brush
available. Here are some pictures of Indian brush houses. The Plains Apaches and some Lipan
Apaches used buffalo-hide tipis as housing instead, which are more spacious and easier to heat than
wickiups.
Apache people today do not normally use old-fashioned houses like a teepee or wickiup for shelter, any
more than you live in a log cabin. Most Apaches live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just
like you. However, some followers of the traditional Apache religion do live in modified larger wickiups,
because their beliefs require them to burn down and rebuild their houses whenever there is a death in
the family, which can't be done in an apartment.
What was Apache clothing like? Did the Apaches wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Originally Apache women wore buckskin dresses and the men wore leather war shirts
and breechcloths. In the 1800's, many Apache men began to wear white cotton tunics and pants, which
they adopted from the Mexicans, and many Apache women wore calico skirts and dresses. The
Apaches wore moccasins or high moccasin boots on their feet. An Apache lady's dress or warrior's shirt
was often fringed and beaded for decoration. Here is a site about the symbolism of Plains Indian war
shirts, and some photos and links about Indian costume in general.
The Apaches did not traditionally wear feather warbonnets, but the Plains Apaches adopted these
headdresses from their Kiowa allies. Other Apache people wore leather or cloth headbands instead.
Women usually wore their hair long and loose or gathered into a bun. Many young Apache women
fastened their buns with hourglass-shaped hair ornaments called nah-leens. We haven't yet found a
good photo of a nah-leen to share with you, but here is a photograph of some Caddo women wearing
the same type of hair fastener. Apache men often cut their hair to shoulder length (except in the Plains
Apache tribe.) Here is a website with pictures of these Indian hair styles. Both sexes liked to wear shell
jewelry, especially choker-style necklaces. The Apaches also painted their faces for special occasions.
They used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration.
Today, some Apache people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they wear modern clothes
like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions like a
wedding or a dance.
What was Apache transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Apache Indians weren't coastal people, and rarely traveled by river. Originally they just walked.
There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe, so the Apaches
used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their belongings. Once Europeans
brought horses to America, the Apaches quickly became expert riders and could travel much more
quickly than before.
What was Apache food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Apaches were not farming people like their cousins the Navajos. Primarily they were hunters.
Apache men hunted buffalo, deer, antelope, and small game, while women gathered nuts, seeds, and
fruit from the environment around them. Although most Apache people were not farmers, the Apaches
still ate corn frequently. They got it by trading with the Pueblo tribes and the Spanish, or by capturing it
during raids. Favorite Apache recipes included cornbread and acorn stew. Here is a website with more
information about Southwest Indian food.
What were Apache weapons and tools like in the past?
Apache hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Apache men fired their bows or fought with long spears
and buffalo-hide shields. Here is a website with pictures and more information about Apache Indian
weapons.
What other Native Americans did the Apache tribe interact with?
The Apaches traded regularly with other tribes of the Southwest. They particularly liked to trade for corn
from agricultural tribes like the Navajo and Pueblo tribes. More often, though, the Apaches were known
for raiding neighboring tribes and stealing horses, corn, and other goods. The Apaches had different
ideas about war than Europeans did. The Europeans considered a direct attack honorable but thought
sneaking in and stealing things was cowardly. But to the Apaches, stealthily raiding another tribe's
camp was a brave deed because it meant risking their own lives, but attacking the camp openly would
be shameful, because children and old people were likely to be hurt. Apache warriors usually only
fought real wars over matters of revenge or defending their lands from invaders, like when they fought
against the Mexicans and Americans. At other times, Apache men went on raids primarily to prove their
courage.
What are Apache arts and crafts like?
Apache artists are famous for their fine beadwork and basketry. Here is a website with many pictures
of Apache baskets.
What kinds of stories do the Apaches tell?
There are lots of traditional Apache legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Apache
Indian culture. Here is a Jicarilla Apache story about how fire came to the Apaches. Here's a website
where you can read more about Apache mythology.
How do you pronounce the word "Chickasaw"? What does it mean?
Chickasaw is pronounced "CHICK-a-saw." It comes from their own tribal name, Chikasha, which was
the name of a legendary Chickasaw leader.
Where do the Chickasaws live?
The Chickasaws are original people of the American southeast,
particularly Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. Most Chickasaws were forced to
move to Oklahoma in the 1800's, and their descendants live in Oklahoma today. Some Chickasaws
escaped by hiding or pretending to be white, and the descendants of these people are still living in the
original Chickasaw homelands.
How do Chickasaw Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Chickasaw children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had
more chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have beaded dolls, toys and
games to play with. Toli, a stickball game related to the Iroquois game of lacrosse, was also a popular
sport among teenage boys as it was among adult men. Chickasaw mothers, like many Native
Americans, traditionally carried their babies in cradle board carriers on their backs--a custom which
many American parents haveadopted now.
What were men and women's roles in the Chickasaw tribe?
Chickasaw men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Chickasaw women
were farmers and also did most of the child care and cooking. Both genders could succeed at
storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine. In the past, Chickasaw chiefs were always
men, but today a Chickasaw woman can be chief too.
What were Chickasaw homes like in the past?
The Chickasaw people lived in settled villages of houses and small farms. Chickasaw houses were
made of plaster and rivercane walls with thatched roofs. Here are some pictures of the kind of housing
used by the Chickasaw Indians. Most towns also had a ball field with benches for spectators.
Chickasaw villages were often surrounded by palisades (reinforced walls made of tree trunks) to guard
against attack. Today, no one uses an old-fashioned Chickasaw home for shelter, any more than white
Americans live in a log cabin. Chickasaws live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like
you.
What was Chickasaw clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Chickasaw men wore a breechcloth, sometimes with leather leggings to protect their legs. Chickasaw
women wore wraparound skirts made of woven fiber or deerskin. The Chickasaws also
wore moccasins on their feet. Shirts were not necessary in Chickasaw culture, but men and women
both wore poncho-style blouses in cooler weather. In colonial times, the Chickasaws adapted European
costume into their own characteristic style, including long colorful tunics for men and full skirts
decorated with ribbon applique for women. Here are some photographs and links about Indian
clothes in general.
The Chickasaws didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Chickasaw men usually shaved their
heads except for a single scalplock, and sometimes they would also wear a hair roach. (These
headdresses were made of porcupine hair, not their sharp quills!) Chickasaw women often tied their
hair up on top of their heads with strings of beads. Important Chickasaw men tattooed themselves with
special patterns in honor of their accomplishments, and the Chickasaws often painted their faces and
bodies bright colors during battles and festivals.
Today, some Chickasaw people still wear moccasins or a ribbon shirt, but they wear modern clothes
like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear roaches in their hair on special occasions like a
dance.
What was Chickasaw transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes--the Chickasaw Indians made long dugout canoes from hollowed-out logs. Here is an article with
pictures of Indian canoes. Over land, the Chickasaws used dogs as pack animals. There were no
horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe. Today, of course, Chickasaw
people also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.
What was Chickasaw food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Chickasaw Indians were farming people. Chickasaw women did most of the farming, harvesting
crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. They also gathered wild plants such as nuts, berries,
plums, and herbs. Chickasaw men did most of the hunting, shooting deer, wild turkeys, and small game
and fishing in the rivers and along the coast. Chickasaw dishes included cornbread, soups, and stews
cooked on stone hearths. The Chickasaws also enjoyed sassafrass tea. Here is a website with more
information about American Indians' food.
What were Chickasaw weapons and tools like in the past?
Chickasaw hunters primarily used bows and arrows. Fishermen generally used fishing spears. In war,
Chickasaw men fired their bows or fought with tomahawks and lances. Chickasaw warriors used hide
shields to defend themselves, and sometimes set arrows on fire before shooting them at their enemies.
Here is a website with pictures and more information about American Indian weapons.
What are Chickasaw arts and crafts like?
The Chickasaws were known for their rivercane baskets and other containers, woodcarvings, mulberrybark textiles, and pottery. When they were forced to move to Oklahoma, the Chickasaws couldn't get
the materials they used to use for some of their traditional crafts, so they concentrated more on other
crafts such asNative American beading.
What other Native Americans did the Chickasaw tribe interact with?
The Chickasaws traded regularly with all the other Southeast Native Americans. These tribes
communicated using a simplified trade language called Mobilian Trade Jargon. The most important
Chickasaw neighbors were the Choctaws. Long in the past, the Choctaws and Chickasaws used to be
the same tribe, but then they split. After that, the two tribes sometimes fought each other, and other
times were allies.
What kinds of stories do the Chickasaws tell?
There are lots of traditional Chickasaw legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the
Chickasaw Indian culture. Here is a story about the origin of the Chickasaw Nation.
Where did the Creek Indians get their name?
The white settlers called them Creek Indians after Ocmulgee Creek in Georgia. They originally called
themselves Isti or Istichata, but began to identify themselves as Muskogee soon after Europeans
arrived.
How do you pronounce "Muskogee"? What does it mean?
Muskogee is pronounced "muss-KOH-gee," with a hard 'g' as in 'go.' Sometimes it is spelled Muscogee
or Mvskoke instead. It comes from Maskoke, which was originally the name of a particular Creek band.
Later, this name became used to refer to Creek people in general. Today, many people use the two
words together: Muskogee Creek.
Are the Creeks Seminole people?
No, but some Seminoles are Creek people. The Seminole tribe was originally an alliance between
certain Creek, Miccosukee, Hitchiti, Oconee, and other Indian people of northern Florida and southern
Georgia. Only some Creek people, not all of them, joined the Seminoles.
Where do the Creeks live?
The Creeks are original residents of the American southeast, particularly Georgia, Alabama, Florida,
and North Carolina. Most Creeks were forced to move to Oklahoma in the 1800's, like other southern
Indian tribes. There are 20,000 Muskogee Creeks in Oklahoma today. Other Creek people are living in
southern Florida as part of the Seminole tribe, in the Poarch Creek band in Alabama, or scattered
throughout the original Muskogee homelands.
What was Creek culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here is a link to the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma, where you can learn about the Creek people
past and present.
How do Creek Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Creek children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more
chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have beaded dolls, toys and games
to play with. A popular game among teenage boys and adult men was afvcketv (pronounced ah-futchkitt-uh), which is a stickball game similar to the Iroquois game of lacrosse. Creek mothers, like many
Native Americans, traditionally carried their babies in cradleboards on their backs. Here is a website
with Native American cradleboard pictures.
What were men and women's roles in the Creek tribe?
Creek men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Creek women were
farmers and also did most of the child care and cooking. Both genders took part in storytelling, artwork
and music, and traditional medicine. In the past, the chief was always a man, but today a Creek woman
can participate in government too.
What were Creek homes like in the past?
The Creek people lived in settled villages of single-family houses arranged around a village square.
Creek houses were made of plaster and rivercane walls with thatched roofs. Here are some pictures
of Indian homes like the ones Creek Indians used. They also built larger circular buildings for
ceremonial purposes, and most towns had a ball field with benches for spectators. Some Creek villages
had palisades (reinforced walls) around them, to guard against attack. Today, the Creeks live in
modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Creek clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Creek men wore breechcloths and leather leggings. Creek women wore wraparound skirts and mantles
made of deerskin or woven fiber. Creek men did not originally wear shirts, but both genders wore
cloaks in cooler weather. The Creeks also wore moccasins on their feet. Later the Creeks adapted
European costume into their own characteristic style, including cloth blouses, jackets, and full skirts
decorated with ribbon applique. Here is a webpage with pictures oftraditional Creek dress, and here are
some photographs and links about Indian clothes in general.
The Creeks didn't wear warbonnets like the Sioux. Creek men usually shaved their heads in
the Mohawk style, and sometimes they would also wear a porcupine roach. (These headdresses were
made of porcupine hair, not their sharp quills!) Creek women usually wore their long hair in topknots on
top of their heads. Here is a website with pictures of Native American hair. Creek men, especially
warriors, decorated their bodies with complex tribal tattoos, and often painted their faces bright red
during battles and dances. Creek women didn't usually tattoo or paint themselves.
Today, some Creek people still wear moccasins or a ribbon shirt, but they wear modern clothes like
jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear roaches in their hair on special occasions like a
dance.
What was Creek transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes--the Creek Indians made long dugout canoes from hollowed-out cypress logs. Here is an article
with pictures of Native boat styles. Over land, the Muskogees used dogs as pack animals. (There were
no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.) Today, of course, Creek
people also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.
What was Creek food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Creeks were farming people. Creek women did most of the farming, harvesting crops of corn,
beans, and squash. Creek men did most of the hunting, shooting deer, wild turkeys, and small game
and fishing in the rivers and along the coast. Creek dishes included cornbread, soups, and stews
cooked on stone hearths. Here is a website with more information about American Indian food.
What were Creek weapons and tools like in the past?
Creek hunters primarily used bows and arrows. Fishermen used fishing spears, nets, or hooks made of
bone. In war, Creek men fired their bows or fought with tomahawks and war clubs. Creek warriors also
used hide shields to defend themselves. Here is a website with American Indian weapon pictures and
information.
What are Creek arts and crafts like?
The Creeks were known for their American Indian baskets, woodcarvings, and glazed pottery. When
they had to move to Oklahoma, the Creeks couldn't get the materials they used to use for some of their
traditional crafts, so they concentrated more on other crafts such as beadwork.
What other Native Americans did the Creek tribe interact with?
The Creeks traded regularly with all the other tribes of the southeast. These tribes communicated using
a simplified trade language called Mobilian Jargon. They frequently fought with
the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes. The closest Creek allies included the Yuchi, Miccosukee, Alabama,
and Coushatta tribes, who were united into a loose confederacy in the 1700's.
What kinds of stories do the Creeks tell?
There are many traditional Creek legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Creek
Indian culture. Here is a story about why oppossums have bare tails. Here's a website where you can
read more about Creek mythology.
How do you pronounce the word "Hopi"? What does it mean?
Hopi is pronounced "hope-ee," and it means "peaceful person" or "civilized person" in the Hopi
language.
Where do the Hopis live?
The Hopi are natives of northwestern Arizona, where they and their ancestors have been living for
thousands of years.
How do Hopi Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Hopi children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more
chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys,
and games to play. A Hopi mother traditionally carried a young child in a cradleboard on her back.
Here is a website with Native cradleboard pictures.
What were men and women's roles in the Hopi tribe?
Generally, Hopi women were in charge of the home and family. Hopi clans are matrilineal, which
means Hopi people trace their family through their mothers. Hopi men were in charge of politics,
agriculture and war. Hopi political leaders and warriors were traditionally always men. Both genders
took part in storytelling, music and artwork, and traditional medicine.
What were Hopi homes like in the past?
Hopi people lived in adobe houses, which are multi-story house complexes made of adobe (clay and
straw baked into hard bricks) and stone. Each adobe unit was home to one family, like a modern
apartment. Hopi people used ladders to reach the upstairs apartments. A Hopi adobe house can
contain dozens of units and was often home to an entire extended clan. Here are some pictures of Hopi
adobe homes and other Indian houses.
Unlike most old-fashioned Indian shelters, traditional Hopi houses are still used by some people today.
Other Hopi families live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What were Hopi clothes like? Did the Hopis wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Originally, Hopi men didn't wear much clothing-- only breechcloths or short kilts (men's skirts). Hopi
women wore knee-length cotton dresses called mantas. A manta fastened at a woman's right shoulder,
leaving her left shoulder bare. Missionaries didn't think this dress style was modest enough, so in the
1900's many Hopi women started wearing blouses underneath their mantas. This style is still in use
today. Men and women both wore deerskin moccasins on their feet. For dances and special occasions,
women painted their moccasins white and wrapped white strips of deerskin around their shins as
leggings. Here is a site with sketches of Navajo and Hopi clothing styles, and some photos and links
about Indian clothing in general.
The Hopis did not traditionally wear Native American headdresses. Hopi men usually wore cloth
headbands tied around their foreheads instead. Most men wore their hair gathered into a figure-eight
shaped bun called a hömsoma, though some Hopi men began cutting their hair to shoulder-length
during the early 1900's. Umarried Hopi women wore their hair in elaborate butterfly whorls, while
married women wore theirs in two long pigtails. As jewelry, Hopi women traditionally wore necklaces
made of many strands of polished beads. After learning silverworking techniques from the Spanish in
the 1800's, Hopi people also began to wear silver earrings, bracelets, and rings, and today Hopi artists
are famous for their ornate silver overlay jewelry. The Hopis also painted their faces for special
occasions. They used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and dances.
Today, many Hopi people still wear moccasins or mantas, but they wear modern clothes like jeans
instead of a breechcloth... and they only wear legging wraps or kilts on special occasions like a dance.
What was Hopi transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Hopi Indians weren't coastal people, and rarely traveled by river. Originally they just walked.
There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe, so the Hopis
used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry heavy loads. Here is a website
about Native American travois. Once Europeans brought horses to America, the Hopis could travel
more quickly than before.
What was Hopi food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Hopis were expert farming people. They planted crops of corn, beans, and squash, as well as
cotton and tobacco, and raised turkeys for their meat. Hopi men also hunted deer, antelope, and small
game, while women gathered nuts, fruits, and herbs. Favorite Hopi meals to eat included hominy,
baked beans, soups, and different types of cornbread. Here is a website with more information
about Southwest Indian food.
What were Hopi weapons and tools like in the past?
Hopi hunters used bows and arrows. The Hopis did not go to war often, though Hopi warriors did
sometimes have to defend their territory against the Spanish and Navajos. When this happened, they
normally fired their bows or fought with spears. Here is a website with pictures and information
about Native American Indian weapons. Hopi tools included wooden farm implements, spindles and
looms for weaving cotton (and later wool), and pump drills for boring holes in turquoise and other
beads.
What other Native Americans did the Hopi tribe interact with?
The Hopis traded regularly with other tribes of the Southwest, particularly the other Pueblo tribes.
Pueblo trade routes reached into Mexico and to the California coast, supplying Hopi craftsmen with
shells, coral, and turquoise for their jewelry. The Navajos were frequent trading partners, but also
frequent enemies, who sometimes raided Hopi villages.
What are Hopi arts and crafts like?
Hopi artists are famous for their intricately carved kachina dolls, silver jewelry, and
fine pottery and baskets. All of these art forms are still flourishing today. Here is a good site about
the art of Hopi kachinas.
What kinds of stories do the Hopis tell?
There are lots of traditional Hopi legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Hopi Indian
culture. Here is a Hopi story about a rooster and mockingbord trying to win a wife. Here's a website
where you can read more about Hopi mythology.
How do you pronounce the word "Iroquois"? What does it mean?
Iroquois is pronounced "eer-uh-kwoy" in English. It's an English corruption of a French corruption of
an Algonkian word meaning "real snakes." This may have been an insulting nickname (the Algonkian and
Iroquois Indians were traditional enemies.) The Iroquois tribes originally called their confederacy Kanonsionni,
which means "people of the longhouse." Today they call themselves the Haudenosaunee or Six Nations.
Who were the Iroquois tribes?
There were five tribes in the original Iroquois Confederacy: the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga,
and Cayuga tribes. Later a sixth nation, the Tuscarora tribe, joined the confederation.
Many other tribes, such as the Huron and the Cherokee, are sometimes called "Iroquoian" tribes. They are
called that because they are distant relatives of the Iroquois Confederacy tribes and speak related languages.
However, they were never part of the Iroquois Confederacy. In fact, they were sometimes at war with them.
Where do the Iroquois Indians live?
The Iroquois tribes are original residents of the northeastern woodlands area. The heart of the Iroquois
homeland is located in what is now New York state. (The Tuscaroras originally lived further to the south, and
migrated north to join the rest of the Iroquois tribes.) Many Iroquois people still live in New York today, or
across the border in Canada (Ontario and Quebec.) Other Iroquois groups were forced to move west to
Oklahoma or Wisconsin during the 1800's, and their descendants are still living there today.
How do Iroquois Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help
around the house. Many Iroquois children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In
the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But
Iroquois kids did havecornhusk dolls, toys, and games, such as one game where kids tried
to throw a dart through a moving hoop. Lacrosse was also a popular sport among Iroquois
boys as it was among adult men. Iroquois mothers, like many Native Americans, had the
tradition of carrying their babies incradleboards on their backs. Here is a website
with Iroquois cradleboard pictures.
Iroquois dolls
What were men and women's roles in the Iroquois tribe?
Iroquois men were in charge of hunting, trading, and war. Iroquois women were in charge of farming, property,
and family. These different roles were reflected in Iroquois government. Iroquois clans were ruled by women,
who made all the land and resource decisions for each clan. But the chiefs, who made military decisions and
trade agreements, were always men. Only men represented the Iroquois Confederacy at the Great Council,
but only women voted to determine who the representatives of each tribe would be. Both genders took part in
Iroquois storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Iroquois homes like in the past?
The Iroquois people lived in villages of longhouses. A longhouse was
a large wood-frame building covered with sheets of elm bark. Iroquois
longhouses were up to a hundred feet long, and each one housed an
entire clan (as many as 60 people.) Here are some pictures of Indian
longhouses like the ones Iroquois Indians used, and a drawing of what
a longhouse looked like on the inside. Today, Iroquois families live in
modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
Iroquois longhouse sketch
What was Iroquois clothing like? Did Iroquois people wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Iroquois men wore breechcloths with long leggings. Iroquois women wore
wraparound skirts with shorter leggings. Men did not originally wear shirts in
Iroquois culture, but women often wore a tunic called an overdress. Iroquois
people also wore moccasins on their feet and heavy robes in winter. In colonial
times, the Iroquois adapted European costume like long cloth shirts, decorating
them with fancy beadwork and ribbon applique. Here is a webpage
about traditional Iroquois dress, and here are some photos and links
about American Indian clothes in general.
Iroquois clothing
Iroquois moccasins
The Iroquois Indians did not wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Iroquois
men wore a gustoweh, which was a feathered cap with different insignia for
each tribe (the headdress worn by the man in this picture has three eagle
feathers, showing that he is Mohawk.) Iroquois women sometimes wore special
beaded tiaras. Iroquois warriors often shaved their heads except for
a scalplock or a crest down the center of their head (the style known as a roach,
or a "Mohawk.") Sometimes they augmented this hairstyle with splayed feathers
or artificial roaches made of brightly dyed porcupine and deer hair. Here are
some pictures of these different kinds of American Indian headdresses. Iroquois
Indian women only cut their hair when they were in mourning, wearing it long
and loose or plaited into a long braid. Men sometimes decorated their faces and
bodies with tribal tattoos, but Iroquois women generally didn't paint or tattoo
themselves.
Today, some Iroquois people still wear moccasins or a beaded shirt, but they
wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear
feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance.
What was Iroquois transportation like in the days before cars? Did Iroquois people paddle canoes?
Sometimes--the Iroquois Indians did use elm-bark or dugout canoes for fishing trips, but
usually preferred to travel by land. Here is a website with pictures of Indian fishing boats.
Originally the Iroquois tribes used dogs as pack animals. (There were no horses in North
America until colonists brought them over from Europe.) In wintertime, Iroquois people
used laced snowshoes and sleds to travel through the snow.
Iroquois
snowshoes
What was Iroquois food like in the days before supermarkets?
Iroquois
farmers
The Iroquois were farming people. Iroquois women did most of the farming, planting crops
of corn, beans, and squash and harvesting wild berries and herbs. Iroquois men did most
of the hunting, shooting deer and elk and fishing in the rivers. Iroquois Indian dishes
included cornbread, soups, and stews cooked on stone hearths. Here is a
neat slideshow of an Iroquois girl demonstrating a traditional cornbread recipe, and here
is a website with more information about Native food in general.
What were Iroquois weapons and tools like in the past?
Iroquois hunters used bows and arrows. Iroquois fishermen generally used spears and
fishing poles. In war, Iroquois men used their bows and arrows or fought with clubs,
spears and shields. Here is a website with pictures and information about Iroquois
Indian weapons.
Iroquois war club
Other important tools used by the Iroquois Indians included stone adzes (hand axes
for woodworking), flint knives for skinning animals, and wooden hoes for farming. The
Iroquois were skilled woodworkers, steaming wood so they could bend it into curved
tools. Some Iroquois people still make lacrosse sticks this way today.
What are Iroquois arts and crafts like?
The Iroquois tribes were known for their mask carving. Iroquois masks are considered such
a sacred art form that outsiders are still not permitted to view many of them. Native
beadwork and the more demanding porcupine quillwork are more common Iroquois crafts.
The Iroquois Indians also crafted wampum out of white and purple shell beads. Wampum
beads were traded as a kind of currency, but they were more culturally important as an art
material. The designs and symbols on Iroquois wampum belts often told a story or
represented a person's family.
Iroquois
beadwork
What was Iroquois music like?
Iroquois water
drum
The two most important Iroquois instruments are drums and flutes. Native Iroquois
drums were often filled with water to give them a distinctive sound different from the
drums of other tribes. Most Iroquois music is very rhythmic and consists mostly of
drumming and lively singing. Flutes were used to woo women in the Iroquois tribes. An
Iroquois Indian man would play beautiful flute music outside a woman's longhouse at
night to show her he was thinking about her.
What other Native Americans did the Iroquois tribes interact with?
The Iroquois Indians were fierce warriors who fought with most of the other eastern tribes, particularly
the Wabanaki tribes, the Algonquin and Ojibway tribes, and the Mohican bands. The Iroquois tribes
also engaged in trade with their neighbors. Iroquois traders exchanged corn, tobacco and woodcrafts
for furs and quahog shells.
Lakota Tribe
What is the difference between the Dakota and Lakota Sioux? What do these words mean?
There is no real difference. "Lakota" and "Dakota" are different pronunciations of the same tribal name,
which means "the allies." One Sioux dialect has the letter "L" in it, and the other dialect does not. This is
only a pronunciation difference, not a political one. Of the 13 Sioux political subdivisions, seven
pronounce the word "Lakota," four pronounce it "Dakota," one pronounces it "Nakota," and one is split
between pronouncing it "Dakota" and "Nakota." But they all consider themselves part of the same
overall culture.
"Sioux," on the other hand, is not a Dakota or Lakota name. It comes from the Ojibway name for the
tribe, which means "little snakes." Many Lakotas and Dakotas use the word Sioux to refer to
themselves when they're speaking English, however.
Where do the Lakota people live?
The original Lakota homelands were in what is now Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North
Dakota and South Dakota. The Lakotas traveled freely, however, and there was also significant Lakota
presence in the modern states of Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, and northern Illinois, and in south-central
Canada. Today, most Lakota people live in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Saskatchewan.
What was Lakota culture like in the past? What is it like now?
There are many different Lakota bands, but the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota
has an especially informative website where you can learn about Lakota history and culture.
How do Lakota Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the
house. Many Lakota children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian children
had more chores and less time to play, just like early colonists' children. But they did have dolls and
toys to play with, and older boys in some bands liked to play lacrosse. Lakota mothers, like many
Native Americans, traditionally carried their babies in cradleboards on their backs. Here is a website
with Lakota cradleboard pictures.
What were Lakota men and women's roles?
Lakota women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and cleaning, a Lakota woman built her
family's house and dragged the heavy posts with her whenever the tribe moved. Houses belonged to
the women in the Lakota tribes. Men were hunters and warriors, responsible for feeding and defending
their families. Usually only men became Lakota chiefs, but both genders took part in storytelling,
artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Lakota homes like in the past?
The Lakota people lived in large buffalo-hide tents called tipis (or teepees). Tipis were carefully
designed to set up and break down quickly. An entire Lakota village could be packed up and ready to
move within an hour. Originally tipis were only about 12 feet high, but after the Lakota acquired horses,
they began building them twice that size. Here are some pictures of teepees and other Indian
houses. Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage. Most
Lakota families live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Lakota clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Lakota women wore long deerskin or elkskin dresses. Lakota men wore breechcloths with leggings and
buckskin shirts. The Lakota also wore moccasins on their feet and buffalo-hide robes in bad weather. In
colonial times, the Lakota adapted European costume such as vests, cloth dresses, and blanket robes.
Here are more pictures of Lakota clothing styles, and some photographs and links about Indian
clothes in general.
Lakota warriors and chiefs were well-known for their impressive feathered warbonnets, but they didn't
wear them in everyday life. Both Lakota men and women wore their hair long, cutting it only when they
were in mourning. There were many different traditional Lakota hairstyles, but long braids were the
most common. Men often wrapped their braids in fur or tied quillwork strips around them. Here is a
website with pictures of American Indian hair. On special occasions, the Lakotas painted their faces
and arms with bright colors and animal designs. They used different patterns for war paint and festive
decoration.
Today, some Lakota people still wear moccasins or a beaded vest, but they wear modern clothes like
jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers in their hair on special occasions like a
dance.
What was Lakota transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
The Lakota tribes knew how to make birchbark and dugout canoes, but more often, they traveled
overland. Originally the Lakotas used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their
belongings. Once Europeans introduced horses to North America, the Lakota became known as expert
riders and traveled greater distances. Horse riding is still popular in the Lakota nation today, but like
other Americans, Lakota people also use modern vehicles like cars now.
What was Lakota food like in the days before supermarkets?
Originally the Lakota Indians were corn farmers as well as hunters, but once they acquired horses they
mostly gave up farming, and moved frequently to follow the seasonal migrations of the buffalo herds.
Most of their diet was meat, especially buffalo, elk and deer, which they cooked in pits or dried and
pounded into pemmican. The Lakota also collected chokecherries, fruit, and potatoes to eat. Here is a
website with more information about American Indian cuisine.
What were Lakota weapons and tools like in the past?
Lakota warriors used bows and arrows, spears, war clubs, and buffalo-hide shields. Here is a website
with pictures and information about weapons of Native Americans. Hunters also used snares, and when
Lakota men hunted buffalo, they often set controlled fires to herd the animals into traps or over cliffs.
What other Native Americans did the Lakota tribe interact with?
The Lakota traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains. They particularly liked to trade buffalo
hides and meat to tribes like the Arikara in exchange for corn. These tribes usually communicated
using American Indian Sign Language.
The Lakotas also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes treated war differently than
European countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains
Indian war parties rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war
customs included counting coup (touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an
enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing the other tribe's warriors to retreat. Some tribes the Lakota
frequently fought with included the Assiniboine, Chippewa, and Kiowa tribes.
What are Lakota arts and crafts like?
Lakota women are known for their porcupine quillwork and beadwork, and the men are known for their
elaborate buffalo-hide paintings. Lakota artists also makepottery, parfleche, and ceremonial peace
pipes carved from catlinite.
Oneida Tribe
Oneida girls
Oneida dancer
How do you pronounce the word "Oneida"? What does it mean?
Oneida is pronounced "oh-NYE-dah." It comes from their word for themselves in their own
language, Onyota'aka, which means "people of the standing stone."
Where do the Oneida Indians live?
The Oneida tribe originally lived in New York state. Many Oneidas still live there today, though others
were forced to move to Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.
Are the Oneidas Iroquois people?
Yes, the Oneida tribe was one of the original members of the Iroquois Confederacy,
or Kanonsionni in their own language ("league of clans.") The other member nations
were the Mohawk, the Seneca, the Cayuga, and the Onondaga. Later a sixth tribe,
the Tuscarora, joined the confederacy. Today these long-term allies refer to themselves
as the Haudenosaunee ("people of the longhouse") or Six Nations.
Iroquois wampum belt
How do Oneida Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around
the house. Many Oneida children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past,
Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like early colonial children. But they
did havecornhusk dolls, toys, and games, such as one game where kids tried to throw a dart
through a moving hoop. Lacrosse was a popular sport among Iroquois boys as it was among
adult men. Like many Native Americans, Oneida mothers traditionally carried their babies
in cradleboard carriers on their backs--a custom which many American parents have adopted.
Cornhusk dolls
What were men and women's roles in the Oneida tribe?
Oneida men were in charge of hunting, trading, and war. Oneida women were in charge of farming,
property, and family. These different roles were also reflected in Oneida government. Oneida clans
were always ruled by women, who made all the land and resource decisions for each clan. But the
chiefs, who made military decisions and trade agreements, were always men. Only men represented
the Oneidas at the Iroquois Great Council, but only women voted to determine who the Oneida
representatives would be. Both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional
medicine.
What were Oneida homes like in the past?
The Oneida people lived in villages of longhouses, which were large
wood-frame buildings covered with sheets of elm bark. Each
longhouse was up to a hundred feet long, and housed an entire clan (as
many as 60 people.) Here are some pictures ofNative American
longhouses like the ones Oneida Indians used. Today, longhouses are
only used for ceremonial purposes. The Oneidas live in modern houses
and apartment buildings, just like you.
Iroquois longhouse sketch
What was Oneida clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Oneida men wore breechcloths with leggings. Oneida women wore wraparound
skirts with shorter leggings. Men did not originally wear shirts in Oneida culture,
but women often wore a poncho-like tunic called an overdress. Oneida Indians
usually wore moccasins on their feet. In colonial times, the Oneidas adapted
European costume like cloth shirts and blouses, decorating them with beadwork
and ribbon applique. Here is a webpage about traditional Iroquois dress, and some
photographs and links about American Indian clothes in general.
Oneida warrior
The Oneidas didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Oneida men wore
traditional Iroquois headdresses, which are feathered caps with a different insignia
for each tribe. (The Oneida headdress has two eagle feathers standing straight and
one trailing behind.) Oneida women sometimes wore special beaded tiaras. In
times of war, Oneida men often shaved their heads except for a scalplock or a crest
down the center of their head--the style known as a roach or a "Mohawk."
Sometimes they would augment this hairstyle with splayed feathers or artificial
roaches made of brightly dyed porcupine and deer hair. Here are some pictures of
these different kinds of Indian headwear. Oneida women only cut their hair when
they were in mourning. Otherwise they wore it long and loose or plaited into a long
braid. Oneida men sometimes decorated their faces and bodies with tribal tattoo
art, but Oneida women generally didn't paint or tattoo themselves.
Today, some Oneida people still wear moccasins or a beaded shirt, but they wear
modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers in
their hair on special occasions like a dance.
Iroquois moccasins
What was Oneida transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Sometimes--the Oneida Indians did use elm-bark or dugout canoes for fishing trips, but they
usually preferred to travel by land. Originally the Oneida tribe used dogs as pack animals.
(There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.) In
wintertime, the Oneidas used laced snowshoes and sleds to travel through the snow.
Iroquois snowshoes
What was Oneida food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Oneida Indians were farming people. Oneida women planted crops of corn, beans, and
squash and harvested wild berries and herbs. Oneida men hunted for deer and elk and
fished in the rivers and the shores of Lake Ontario. Oneida Indian recipes included
cornbread, soups, and stews, which they cooked on stone hearths. Here is a website with
Iroquois farmers more information about Native food.
What were Oneida weapons and tools like in the past?
Oneida hunters used bows and arrows. Oneida fishermen used spears and fishing poles. In war,
Oneida men used their bows and arrows or fought with clubs, spears and shields. Here is a website
with pictures and information about Native American war weapons.
Other important tools used by the Oneidas included stone adzes (hand axes for woodworking),
flint knives for skinning animals, and wooden hoes for farming. The Oneidas and other Iroquois
were skilled woodworkers, steaming wood so that it could be bent to make curved tools. Some
Iroquois artisans still make lacrosse sticks this way today.
Oneida club
What are Oneida arts and crafts like?
The Oneida and other Iroquois tribes were known for their mask carving, which is considered
such a sacred art form that outsiders are still not permitted to view many of these
masks. Native American beadwork and the more demanding porcupine quillwork are more
common Oneida crafts. The Oneidas also crafted wampum out of white and purple shell
beads. Wampum beads were traded as a kind of currency, but they were more culturally
important as an art material. The designs and pictures on wampum belts often told a story or
represented a person's family.
Iroquois beadwork
What was Oneida music like?
The two most important Oneida instruments are drums and flutes. Iroquois drums were
often filled with water to give them a distinctive sound different from the drums of other
tribes. Most Oneida music is very rhythmic and consists mostly of drumming and lively
singing. Flutes were used to woo women in the Oneida tribe. A young Oneida man would
play beautiful flute music outside his girlfriend's longhouse at night to show her he was
thinking about her.
Iroquois Water
Drum
What other Native Americans did the Oneida tribe interact with?
The most important neighbors of the Oneida tribe were the other Iroquois nations:
the Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Mohawk. Before the Iroquois Confederacy existed the Oneidas
sometimes fought with the other Iroquois tribes, but once the alliance was formed they were loyal to
each other. The Iroquois were fierce warriors who fought with most of the other eastern tribes,
particularly the Wabanaki tribes, the Algonquin and Ojibway, and the Mohican bands. The Oneidas also
engaged in trade with their neighbors, exchanging corn and woodcrafts for furs and quahog shells.
Pawnee Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Pawnee"? What does it mean?
Pawnee is pronounced "paw-nee." This was an English form of the Sioux name for the tribe.
Where do the Pawnees live?
The Pawnee Indians are original people of Nebraska and Kansas. The Pawnee tribe was forced to move to a
reservation in Oklahoma during the 1800's, and most Pawnee people are still living in Oklahoma today.
What was Pawnee culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here's a link to the homepage of the Pawnee Nation. On their site you can find information about the Pawnee
people in the past and today.
How do Pawnee Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many
Pawnee children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and
less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys, and games to play.
Here is a picture of a hoop game played by Plains Indian kids. A Pawnee mother traditionally carried a young
child in a cradle-board on her back--a custom which many American parents have adopted now.
What were men and women's roles in the Pawnee tribe?
Pawnee men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Pawnee women were farmers
and also did most of the child care and cooking. Only men became Pawnee chiefs, but both genders took part
in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Pawnee homes like in the past?
Most Pawnee Indians lived in settled villages of round earthen lodges. Pawnee lodges were made from
wooden frames covered with packed earth. When the Pawnee tribe went on hunting trips, they used buffalohide tipis (or teepees) as temporary shelter, similar to camping tents. Here are some pictures of lodges, tipis,
and other Indian houses.
Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage, not for housing. Most
Pawnees live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Pawnee clothing like? Did the Pawnees wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Pawnee women wore deerskin skirts and poncho-like blouses. Pawnee men wore breechcloths and leather
leggings. Men did not usually wear shirts, but warriors sometimes wore special buckskin war shirts. The
Pawnees wore moccasins on their feet, and in cold weather, they wore long buffalo-hide robes. A Pawnee
lady's dress or warrior's shirt was fringed and often decorated with beadwork and painted designs. Later,
Pawnee people adapted European costume such as cloth dresses and vests. Here is a site about the
symbolism of Plains Indian war shirts, and some photos and links about Indian clothes in general.
Pawnee Indian leaders sometimes wore the long Native American headdresses that Plains Indians are famous
for. More often, Pawnee men shaved their heads except for a scalplock (one long lock of hair in back) and
wore a porcupine roach on top. Pawnee women wore their hair either loose or braided. The Pawnees also
painted their faces for special occasions. They used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and
festive decoration.
Today, some Pawnee people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they wear modern clothes like
jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions like a wedding or a
dance.
What was Pawnee transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Pawnee Indians didn't live near the ocean. When they traveled over land, the Pawnees used dogs
pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their belongings. Here's a website with pictures of
travois. There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.
What was Pawnee food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Pawnees were farming people. Pawnee women raised crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. The
men worked together to hunt buffalo and antelopes. Originally, Pawnee hunters would drive buffalo onto
marshy land where it was easier to shoot them, but once they acquired horses, they hunted buffalo from
horseback. Here is a website with more information about Native American farming.
What were Pawnee weapons and tools like in the past?
Pawnee hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Pawnee men fired their bows or fought with war clubs and
spears. Here is a website with pictures of Native American weapons.
What other Native Americans did the Pawnee tribe interact with?
The Pawnees traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains and the Western Plateau, such as
the Comanche and Omaha. These tribes usually communicated using the Plains Sign Language.
The Pawnees also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes treated war differently than European
countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains Indian war parties
rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war customs included counting
coup (touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing
the other tribe's warriors to retreat. Some tribes the Pawnees frequently fought with included
the Apache, Kiowa and Sioux.
What are Pawnee arts and crafts like?
Pawnee artists are famous for their pottery, woven baskets, and hide paintings.
Pueblo Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Pueblo"? What does it mean?
Pueblo is pronounced "PWAY-bloh." This just means "town" or "village" in Spanish, and was originally used to
refer to the Indian cliff dwellings and large adobe house complexes of the Southwestern Indian tribes. Today,
the word "Pueblo" (with a capital P) is also used to refer to these tribes themselves. There are many different
Pueblos and each has its own name, including the Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Picuris,
Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Santo Domingo, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara, Taos,
Tesuque, Ysleta del Sur, Zia, and Zuni. The Hopi are also Pueblo people, but they are culturally more distinct
from the others, have a separate government, and are usually considered as a different tribe.
Where do the Pueblo Indians live?
The Pueblo are natives of the Southwest deserts, particularly New Mexico. (The Hopi live in Arizona, while the
Ysleta del Sur Tigua live in Texas.) Unlike many Native American tribes, the Pueblo Indians were never forced
to leave their homelands and are still living there today.
What was Pueblo culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here is the homepage of the All Indian Pueblo Council. On their site you can find information about the Pueblo
people in the past and today.
How do Pueblo Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many
Pueblo children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and
less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys, and games to play.
A Pueblo mother traditionally carried a young child in a cradle board on her back--a custom which many
American parents have adopted now.
What were men and women's roles in the Pueblo tribe?
Generally, Pueblo women were in charge of the home and family. Pueblo men were in charge of politics,
agriculture and war. Women played important roles in Pueblo religion and clan governance, but caciques and
warriors were traditionally always men. Both genders took part in storytelling, music and artwork, and
traditional medicine.
What were Pueblo homes like in the past?
Pueblo people lived in adobe houses known as pueblos, which are multi-story house complexes made
of adobe (clay and straw baked into hard bricks) and stone. Each adobe unit was home to one family, like a
modern apartment. Pueblo people used ladders to reach the upstairs apartments. A Pueblo adobe house can
contain dozens of units and was often home to an entire extended clan. Here are some pictures of Pueblo
adobe homes and other Indian houses.
Unlike most old-fashioned Indian shelters, traditional Pueblo houses are still used by many people today. In
fact, some Pueblo people have been living in the same adobe house complex, such as Sky City, for dozens of
generations. Other Pueblo families live in modern houses or apartment buildings, just like you.
What were Pueblo clothes like? Did the Pueblos wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Originally, Pueblo men didn't wear much clothing-- only breechcloths or short kilts. Pueblo women wore kneelength cotton dresses called mantas. A manta fastened at a woman's right shoulder, leaving her left shoulder
bare. Missionaries didn't think this dress style was modest enough, so in the 1900's many Pueblo women
started wearing blouses or shifts underneath their mantas. This style is still in use today. Men and women both
wore deerskin moccasins on their feet. For dances and special occasions, women painted their moccasins
white and wrapped white strips of deerskin called puttee around their shins as leggings. Here is a site with
photographs of Pueblo clothing styles, and some photos and links about Indian clothing in general.
The Pueblos did not traditionally wear headdresses like the Sioux. Pueblo men usually wore cloth headbands
tied around their foreheads instead. For special ceremonies, Pueblo dancers sometimes wore painted masks
or crowns of feathers. Both men and women wore their hair gathered into a figure-eight shaped bun called
a chongo, but some Pueblo men preferred to cut their hair to shoulder length. Except for certain religious
ceremonies, the Pueblos didn't paint their faces or bodies. But they are famous for their beautiful silver and
turquoise ornaments, particularly their elaborate necklaces.
Today, many Pueblo people still wear moccasins or mantas, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of
breechcloths... and they only wear puttee or kilts on special occasions like a dance.
What was Pueblo transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Pueblo Indians weren't coastal people, and rarely traveled by river. Originally they just walked. There
were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe, so the Pueblos used dogs
pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry heavy loads. Here's a website with travois pictures.
Once Europeans brought horses to America, the Pueblo Indians could travel more quickly than before.
What was Pueblo food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Pueblo Indians were expert farming people. They raised crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers, as
well as cotton and tobacco. Pueblo men also hunted deer, antelope, and small game, while women gathered
nuts, fruits, and herbs. Favorite Pueblo recipes included hominy, popcorn, baked beans, soups, and different
types of cornbread. Here is a website with more information about the agriculture of Native Americans.
What were Pueblo weapons and tools like in the past?
Pueblo hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Pueblo men fired their bows or fought with spears and war
clubs. Here is a website with pictures of Indian weapons. Pueblo tools included wooden hoes and rakes for
farming, spindles and looms for weaving cotton (and later wool), and pump drills for boring holes in shell and
turquoise beads.
What other Native Americans did the Pueblo tribe interact with?
The Zunis traded extensively with other tribes of the Southwest. Pueblo trade routes reached into Mexico and
to the California coast, supplying Pueblo craftsmen with shells, coral, and turquoise for their jewelry.
The Navajos and Comanches were favorite trading partners, though they often fought with each other as well.
Other enemies of the Pueblo tribes included the Apache and Utetribes, who frequently raided their territory,
and the Spanish, who forced many Pueblo Indians into slavery and violently suppressed their religion.
What are Pueblo arts and crafts like?
Pueblo artists are famous for their beautiful pottery and heishi jewelry. They also made stone
carvings, baskets, and colorful weavings. All of these art forms are still flourishing today. Here is a good site on
the art of Pueblo pottery.
Shoshone Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Shoshone"? What does it mean? Should it be spelled 'Shoshone'
or 'Shoshoni'?
Shoshone is pronounced show-SHOW-nee. Nobody knows where this word came from or what it meant.
Probably it was an English corruption of a name for their tribe in a different Indian language. In their own
language, the Shoshones call themselves Newe (pronounced nuh-wuh) which means "people." Some bands
prefer the spelling 'Shoshoni,' and others prefer 'Shoshone.' Either spelling is fine to use.
Where do the Shoshones live?
The Shoshone Indians were far-ranging people. Different bands of Shoshoni Indians lived in what is
now Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and even parts of California. Most Shoshone people still live in
these areas today.
How is the Shoshone Indian nation organized?
There are nine different Shoshone tribes today. Each Shoshone tribe lives on its own reservation, which is
land that belongs to them and is under their control. Each Shoshone tribe has its own government, laws,
police, and services, just like a small country. However, the Shoshones are also US citizens and must obey
American law. In the past, each Shoshone band was ruled by a chief, who was usually were chosen by a tribal
council. Today, most Shoshone tribes are led by a chairman and council members elected by all the people.
What was Shoshone culture like in the past? What is it like now?
There are some cultural differences between the Eastern Shoshone people, the Western Shoshone people,
and the Northern Shoshone people. In particular, the Eastern Shoshones adopted more elements of Plains
Indian culture. Here are links to the homepage of the Eastern Shoshone tribe, the Te-Moak Tribe of Western
Shoshone, and the Shoshone-Bannock tribe (Northern Shoshones.) On their sites you can find information
about the Shoshone people in the past and today.
How do Shoshone Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many
Shoshone children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores
and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys, and games to
play. Shoshone kids also enjoyed footraces, and girls and women played a ball game called shinny. A
Shoshone mother traditionally carried a young child in acradleboard on her back--a custom which many
American parents have adopted now.
What were Shoshone men and women's roles?
Shoshone women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and cleaning, a Shoshone woman built her
family's tepee and dragged the heavy posts with her whenever they moved. Shoshone men were hunters and
warriors, responsible for feeding and defending their families. Only men became Shoshone chiefs, but both
genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Shoshone homes like in the past?
The Eastern and Northern Shoshones lived in the tall, cone-shaped buffalo-hide houses known as tipis (or
teepees). Since the Shoshone tribe moved frequently as they gathered food, a tipi had to be carefully designed
to set up and break down quickly, like a modern tent. An entire Shoshone village could be packed up and
ready to move on within an hour. The Western Shoshones, who didn't do much hunting, built less portable
wickiup homes. Here are some pictures of tipis, wickiups, and other Native American houses.
Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage, not for shelter. Most
Shoshones live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Shoshone clothing like? Did the Shoshones wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Shoshone women wore long deerskin dresses with wide sleeves. Shoshone men wore breechcloths and
leggings, as well as buckskin shirts when the weather was cool. Both men and women wore moccasins on
their feet. A Shoshone lady's dress or warrior's shirt was fringed and often decorated with porcupine quills and
beadwork. Later, Shoshone people adapted European costume such as cloth dresses and vests, which they
also decorated with beading and traditional ornaments. Here is a site with photographs of Shoshone beaded
clothing, and some photos and links about Indian clothing in general.
Shoshone men did not originally wear Plains Indian warbonnets like the Sioux, but in the 1800's some
Shoshone leaders adopted this custom from their neighbors. Shoshone women often wore basket hats.
Traditionally, Shoshone people only cut their hair when they were in mourning. Shoshone men and women
both wore their hair either loose or in two long braids. Shoshone men often styled the front of their hair into
pompadours or other styles, and sometimes wrapped their braids in fur. Some Shoshones wore facial tattoos,
and they commonly painted their faces for special occasions. They used different patterns for war paint,
religious ceremonies, and festive decoration.
Today, some Shoshone people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they wear modern clothes like
jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions like a wedding or a
dance.
What was Shoshone transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Shoshone Indians weren't coastal people, and when they traveled by river, they usually built rafts.
Originally the Shoshones would use dogs pulling travois(a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their
belongings. Once Europeans introduced horses to North America, the Shoshones could travel quicker and
further.
What was Shoshone food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Eastern Shoshone were big game hunters. Men worked together to hunt buffalo on the plains, and also
hunted deer, mountain sheep, and other animals. The Northern Shoshone occasionally hunted buffalo, but
relied more on salmon fishing, deer, and small game, as well as roots gathered by the women. The Western
Shoshone had a more plant-based diet, particularly pine nuts, roots, and seeds, and also hunted antelopes
and rabbits. Here is a website with more information about Native hunting.
What were Shoshone weapons and tools like in the past?
Shoshone hunters used bows and arrows. Fishermen used spears, nets, and basket traps. In war, Shoshone
men fired their bows or fought with war clubs and buffalo-hide shields. Here is a website of pictures and
information about Native American weapons.
What other Native Americans did the Shoshone tribe interact with?
Shoshone bands traded regularly with each other and also with neighboring tribes such as the Crow, Nez
Perce, and Paiute tribes. The Shoshone were especially friendly with the Paiutes, and intermarried with them
frequently.
The Shoshone also fought wars with other tribes, especially the . Plains Indian tribes treated war differently
than European countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains
Indian war parties rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war customs
included counting coup (touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or
horse, or forcing the other tribe's warriors to retreat. So the Shoshone sometimes were enemies of Plains
Indian tribes like the Blackfeet, Lakota, and Cheyenne, and other times they were peaceful. The Europeans
who first met them were surprised by how often the Plains tribes fought with their neighbors, yet how easily
they made peace with each other when they were done fighting. The Western Shoshone, who lived farthest
from the Plains, did not fight other tribes often.
What are Shoshone arts and crafts like?
Shoshone artists are famous for their beadwork, baskets, and painting arts. Here is an article with pictures
of different Shoshone and other Plains Indian beadwork.
Nez Perce Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Nez Perce"? What does it mean?
Nez Perce is is pronounced "nezz purse" in English. It comes from the French name for the tribe, Nez
Percé (pronounced nay per-say.) Nobody knows why the French called them this. It means "pierced
nose," but the Nez Perce people say that unlike some neighboring tribes, they have never had a tribal
tradition of pierced noses. Maybe the French confused the Nez Perce with another tribe, or maybe
there was once a Nez Perce band or individual who had nose piercings. The Nez Perce name for
themselves is Nimipu, which means "the people."
Where do the Nez Perces live?
The Nez Perce Indians are original people of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state. Most Nez Perce
people live in Idaho today.
How is the Nez Perce Indian nation organized?
The Nez Perces live on a reservation, which is land that belongs to them and is under their control.
The Nez Perce nation has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a small country.
However, the Nez Perces are also US citizens and must obey American law. In the past, each Nez
Perce band was ruled by a chief, who was elected by a tribal council of important men from each
village. Today, the Nez Perce are ruled by a tribal council which is elected by all the people.
What language do the Nez Perces speak?
Most Nez Perce people speak English today. Some of them, especially older people, also speak their
native Nez Perce language. Nez Perce is a very difficult language for English speakers, because of its
long words and consonant sounds that don't exist in English. But if you'd like to know an easy Nez
Perce word, "hóó" (pronounced similar to "hoh") is a friendly greeting. You can also read a Nez Perce
picture glossary here.
Today Nez Perce is an endangered language because most children aren't learning it anymore.
However, some Nez Perce people are working to keep their language alive.
What was Nez Perce culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here's a link to the homepage of the Nez Perce tribe. On their site you can find information about the
Nez Perce people in the past and today.
How do Nez Perce Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Nez Perce children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had
more chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls,
toys, and games to play. Here is some information about a pinecone game enjoyed by Nez Perce kids.
A Nez Perce mother traditionally carried a young child in a cradleboard on her back. Here is a website
with pictures of cradleboards and other Indian baby carriers. now.
What were Nez Perce men and women's roles?
Nez Perce women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and cleaning, a Nez Perce woman
made most of the clothing and tools her family needed. Nez Perce men were hunters and warriors,
responsible for feeding and defending their families. Only men became Nez Perce chiefs, but both
genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Nez Perce homes like in the past?
Originally, the Nez Perce lived in settled villages of earth houses. They made these homes by digging
an underground room, then building a wooden frame over it and covering the frame with earth, cedar
bark, and tule mats. There were two styles of Nez Perce earth houses: oval-shaped longhouses, which
could be as long as 150 feet, and smaller round houses. Dozens of families lived together in a
longhouse, while only one family lived in a round house. Once the Nez Perce began hunting the
buffalo, they began to use tipis like the Plains tribes. Tipis, or teepees, are tall, cone-shaped buffalohide houses. Since Nez Perce hunters moved frequently to follow the buffalo, a tipi was carefully
designed to set up and break down quickly, like a modern tent. Here are some pictures of tepees, earth
houses, and other Native American homes.
Nez Perce people do not live in old-fashioned earth houses anymore, any more than you live in a log
cabin. Native Americans sometimes use a tepee for a camping trip or to connect with their heritage, but
not for permanent shelter. Nez Perce people today live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just
like you.
What was Nez Perce clothing like? Did the Nez Perces wear feather headdresses and face
paint?
Nez Perce women wore long deerskin dresses. Nez Perce men wore breechcloths with leather
leggings and buckskin shirts. Both men and women woremoccasins on their feet. A Nez Perce lady's
dress or warrior's shirt was fringed and often decorated with beadwork, shells, and painted designs.
Later, Nez Perce people adapted European costume such as cloth dresses and vests, which they also
decorated with beading and traditional ornaments. Here is a site about the symbolism of Nez Perce
clothes, and some photos and links about Indian clothing in general.
Nez Perce Indian leaders did sometimes wear feather headdresses, but they weren't long and trailing
like Sioux warbonnets. Nez Perce headdresses were made of a ring of feathers that stood up from a
headband, as in this photo of Chief Joseph and Red Cloud. Nez Perce women usually wore fez-shaped
basket hats woven from beargrass and cornhusks. Nez Perce women and men both wore their hair
long, either leaving it loose or putting it into two braids Nez Perce men often styled the front of their hair
into pompadours or other styles, and sometimes wrapped their braids in fur. The Nez Perces also
painted their faces for special occasions. They used different patterns for war paint, religious
ceremonies, and festive decoration.
Today, some Nez Perce people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they wear modern clothes
like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions like a
wedding or a dance.
What was Nez Perce transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes, the Nez Perce Indians made dugout canoes by hollowing out tree trunks. Here is a website with
pictures of American Indian boats. Over land, the Nez Perces used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag
sled) to help them carry their belongings. Once Europeans introduced horses to North America, the
Nez Perces could travel quicker and further.
What was Nez Perce food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Nez Perce were fishing and hunting people. Nez Perce men caught salmon and other fish, and
also hunted in the forests for deer, elk, and other game. Once they acquired horses, the Nez Perce
tribe began to follow the buffalo herds like their Plains Indian neighbors. Nez Perce women also
gathered roots, fruits, nuts and seeds to add to their diet. Here is a website with more information
about American Indian hunting and fishing.
What were Nez Perce weapons and tools like in the past?
Nez Perce fishermen used spears and nets to catch fish. Hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Nez
Perce men fired their bows and arrows or fought with war spears and leather shields. Here is a website
with pictures and information about Indian weapons and tools.
What other Native Americans did the Nez Perce tribe interact with?
The Nez Perce were allies of the Coeur d'Alene, Yakima, and Salish tribes. These allies often fought
together against the Shoshone and Crow tribes. They also traded goods with each other. The Nez
Perce were especially friendly with the Flathead Salish, and these two tribes often hunted buffalo
together.
What are Nez Perce arts and crafts like?
Nez Perce artists are famous for their quillwork, painting, and basketry. Here is an article with pictures
of different Nez Perce art forms.
Comanche Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Comanche"? What does it mean?
Comanche is pronounced "kuh-MAN-chee." It means "enemy" in the language of their Ute neighbors. In
their own language, the Comanches call themselves Numinu (the people.)
Where do the Comanches live?
The Comanche Indians were once part of the northern Shoshone tribe of Wyoming, but split off from
them and migrated to their modern location in the Southern Plains. By the time Europeans encountered
them, the Comanches were primarily living in Texas, Oklahoma, and and New Mexico. Most Comanche
people today live in Oklahoma.
What was Comanche culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here's a link to the homepage of the Comanche Nation. On their site you can find information about the
Comanche people in the past and today.
How do Comanche Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Comanche children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had
more chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls,
toys, and games to play. Here is a picture of a hoop game played by Plains Indian kids. Once the
Comanches acquired horses, girls and boys as young as five years old learned how to ride. A
Comanche mother traditionally carried a young child in a cradleboard on her back. Here is a website
with Native American cradleboardpictures.
What were men and women's roles in the Comanche tribe?
Comanche women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and cleaning, a Comanche woman
built her family's house and dragged the heavy posts with her whenever the tribe moved. Houses
belonged to the women in the Comanche tribe. Comanche men were hunters and sometimes went to
war to defend their families. Nearly all Comanche chiefs and warriors were men. Both genders took part
in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Comanche homes like in the past?
The Comanches lived in buffalo-hide houses called tipis (or teepees). Here are some pictures of tipis.
Since the Comanches moved frequently to follow the buffalo herds, a tipi was carefully designed to set
up and break down quickly, like a modern tent. An entire Comanche village could be packed up and
ready to move within an hour.
Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage, not as shelter.
Most Comanche people live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Comanche clothing like? Did the Comanches wear feather headdresses and face
paint?
Comanche women wore long deerskin dresses, and the men wore buckskin war shirts
and breechcloths with leather leggings. The Comanches wore moccasinson their feet, and in cold
weather, they wore long buffalo-hide robes. A Comanche lady's dress or warrior's shirt was fringed and
painted with tribal designs. Later, Comanche people adapted European costume such as cloth vests
and colorful blanket robes. Here is a site about the symbolism of Plains Indian war shirts, and some
photos and links about Indian clothing in general.
The traditional style of Comanche headdress was a cap with eagle feathers and ermine tails trailing
behind it. In the 1800's, though, some Comanche Indian men preferred to wear the long feather head
dress of the northern Plains tribes. Traditionally, Comanche people only cut their hair when they were in
mourning. Comanche men usually wore their hair in two braids, which they sometimes wrapped in fur.
Comanche women usually wore their hair loose, and sometimes painted the center parts red. Here is a
website with pictures of these Indian hair styles. The Comanches also painted their faces for special
occasions. They used different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration.
Both men and women sometimes wore tribal tattoos on their chests.
Today, some Comanche people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they wear modern
clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions
like a wedding or a dance.
What was Comanche transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Comanche Indians weren't coastal people, and rarely traveled by river. Originally they just
walked. There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe, so the
Comanches used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their belongings. Here is
a website with pictures of travois. Once Europeans brought horses to America, the Comanches quickly
became known as expert riders and could travel much more quickly than before.
What was Comanche food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Comanche staple food was buffalo. Comanche men usually hunted the buffalo by driving them off
cliffs or stalking them with bow and arrow. As they acquired horses, the Comanche tribe began to
pursue the buffalo herds for communal hunts, moving their villages often as the buffalo migrated. In
addition to buffalo meat, the Comanche Indians ate small game like rabbits, fished in the lakes and
rivers, and gathered nuts, berries, and wild potatoes. Here is a website with more information
about American Indian food.
What were Comanche weapons and tools like in the past?
Comanche hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Comanche men fired their bows or fought with long
spears and buffalo-hide shields. Here is a website with pictures and information about Comanche
Indian weapons.
What other Native Americans did the Comanche tribe interact with?
The Comanches traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains and the Southwest. They
particularly liked to trade horses, and Comanche traders were repsonsible for the rapid spread of
horses throughout Western America. Some of their favorite trading partners were
the Wichita and Osage. These tribes usually communicated using the Plains Sign Language.
The Comanches also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes treated war differently than
European countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains
Indian war parties rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war
customs includedcounting coup (touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an
enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing the other tribe's warriors to retreat. So the Comanche sometimes
were enemies of neighboring tribes like the Kiowas, Apaches, and Utes, and other times they were
allies. The Europeans who first met them were surprised by how often the Comanche tribe fought with
their neighbors, yet how easily they made peace with each other when they were done fighting.
What are Comanche arts and crafts like?
Comanche artists are famous for their silver and copper jewelry and fine beadwork. Here is the website
of a modern Comanche artist with photographs of his art.
What kinds of stories do the Comanches tell?
There are lots of traditional Comanche legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the
Comanche Indian culture. Here is one story about how the buffalo herds came to earth. Here's a
website where you can read more about Comanche mythology.
What is the difference between the Lakota and Dakota Sioux? What do these words mean?
There is no real difference. "Lakota" and "Dakota" are different pronunciations of the same tribal name, which
means "the allies." One Sioux dialect has the letter "L" in it, and the other dialect does not. This is only a
pronunciation difference, not a political one. Of the 13 Sioux political subdivisions, seven pronounce the word
"Lakota," four pronounce it "Dakota," one pronounces it "Nakota," and one is split between pronouncing it
"Dakota" and "Nakota." But they all consider themselves part of the same overall culture.
"Sioux," on the other hand, is not a Lakota or Dakota name. It comes from the Ojibway name for the tribe,
which means "little snakes." Many Lakotas and Dakotas use the word Sioux to refer to themselves when
they're speaking English, however.
Where do the Sioux people live?
The original Lakota/Dakota homelands were in what is now Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North and South
Dakota. The Sioux traveled freely, however, and there was also significant Sioux presence in the modern
states of Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, and northern Illinois, and in south-central Canada. Today, most Sioux
people live in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Saskatchewan.
What was Sioux culture like in the past? What is it like now?
There are many different Sioux bands, but the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota has an
especially informative website where you can learn about Sioux history and culture.
How do Sioux Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many
Sioux children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian children had more chores and
less time to play, just like early colonists' children. But they did have dolls and toys to play with, and older boys
in some bands liked to play lacrosse. Sioux mothers, like many Native Americans, traditionally carried their
babies in cradleboards on their backs--a custom which many American parents have adopted now.
What were Sioux men and women's roles?
Sioux women were in charge of the home. Besides cooking and cleaning, a Dakota or Lakota woman built her
family's house and dragged the heavy posts with her whenever the tribe moved. Houses belonged to the
women in the Sioux tribes. Men were hunters and warriors, responsible for feeding and defending their
families. Usually only men became Sioux chiefs, but both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music,
and traditional medicine.
What were Sioux homes like in the past?
The Dakota and Lakota people lived in large buffalo-hide tents called tipis (or teepees). Tipis were carefully
designed to set up and break down quickly. An entire Sioux village could be packed up and ready to move
within an hour. Originally tipis were only about 12 feet high, but after the Sioux acquired horses, they began
building them twice that size. Here are some pictures of tipis and other Indian houses. Today, Native
Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage. Most Sioux families live in modern
houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Sioux clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Sioux women wore long deerskin or elkskin dresses. Sioux men wore breechcloths and leggings and buckskin
shirts. The Sioux also wore moccasins on their feet and buffalo-hide robes in bad weather. In colonial times,
the Sioux adapted European costume such as vests, cloth dresses, and blanket robes. Here are morepictures
of Sioux clothing styles, and some photographs and links about Native American clothes in general.
Sioux warriors and chiefs were well-known for their impressive Native American Indan headdresses, but they
didn't wear them in everyday life. Both Sioux men and women wore their hair long, cutting it only when they
were in mourning. There were many different traditional Sioux hairstyles, but long braids were the most
common. Men often wrapped their braids in fur or tied quillwork strips around them. Here is a website with
pictures of American Indian braids. On special occasions, Sioux people painted their faces and arms with
bright colors and animal designs. They used different patterns for war paint and festive decoration.
Today, some Sioux people still wear moccasins or a beaded vest, but they wear modern clothes like jeans
instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance.
What was Sioux transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
The Sioux tribes knew how to make Here is an article with pictures of dugout and birchbark canoes, but more
often, they traveled overland. Originally the Sioux used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them
carry their belongings. Once Europeans introduced horses to North America, the Sioux became known as
expert riders and traveled greater distances. Here is an article with pictures of horse travois. Horse riding is still
popular in the Sioux nation today, but like other Americans, Lakota and Dakota people also use modern
vehicles like cars now.
What was Sioux food like in the days before supermarkets?
Originally the Lakota and Dakota Indians were corn farmers as well as hunters, but once they acquired horses
they mostly gave up farming, and moved frequently to follow the seasonal migrations of the buffalo herds. Most
of their diet was meat, especially buffalo, elk and deer, which they cooked in pits or dried and pounded into
pemmican. The Sioux also collected chokecherries, fruit, and potatoes to eat. Here is a website with more
information about Native American foods.
What were Sioux weapons and tools like in the past?
Sioux warriors used bows and arrows, spears, war clubs, and buffalo-hide shields. Here is a website with
pictures and information about Sioux Indian weapons. Hunters also used snares, and when Lakota or Dakota
men hunted buffalo, they often set controlled fires to herd the animals into traps or over cliffs.
What other Native Americans did the Sioux tribe interact with?
The Sioux traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains. They particularly liked to trade buffalo hides
and meat to tribes like the Arikara in exchange for corn. These tribes usually communicated using the Plains
Sign Language.
The Sioux also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes treated war differently than European
countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains Indian war parties
rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war customs included counting
coup (touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing
the other tribe's warriors to retreat. Some tribes the Sioux frequently fought with included
the Assiniboine, Ojibwe, and Kiowa Indians.
What are Sioux arts and crafts like?
Sioux women are known for their quillwork and beadwork, and the men are known for their elaborate buffalohide paintings. Sioux artists also make pottery,parfleche, and ceremonial calumets (pipes carved from
catlinite.)
Chinook Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Chinook"? What does it mean?
Chinook is pronounced "chih-nook." This is an English pronunciation of the Salishan place name Tsinuk, which
was also the name used for the Chinook Jargon trade language.
Where do the Chinooks live?
The Chinook Indians are original people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. They live in Washington state.
What was Chinook culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here's a link to the homepage of the Chinook Nation in Washington. There you can find information about the
Chinook tribe in the past and today.
How do Chinook Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many
Chinook children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and
less time to play, just like early colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys and games to play. A form of
lacrosse was a popular among teenagers as it was among adult men. Like many Native Americans, Chinook
mothers traditionally carried their babies incradleboards on their backs. Here are some pictures of Native
American cradleboards.
What were men and women's roles in the Chinook tribe?
Chinook women gathered plants, herbs and clams and did most of the child care and cooking. Men were
fishermen and hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Both genders took part in trade,
storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine. The Chinook chief was always a man, but clan
leaders could be either men or women.
What were Chinook homes like in the past?
The Chinooks lived in coastal villages of rectangular cedar-plank houses with bark roofs. Usually these houses
were large (up to 70 feet long) and each one housed an entire extended family. Here are some pictures
of Indian houses like the ones Chinook Indians used. Today, old-fashioned buildings like these are still made
from cedar wood, but they are only used for ceremonial purposes. Chinook people live in modern houses and
apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Chinook clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Chinook men didn't usually wear clothing at all, though some men wore a breech-clout. Women wore short
skirts made of cedar bark or grass. In the rain, the Chinooks wore tule rush capes, and in colder weather, they
wore fur robes and moccasins on their feet. Later, after European influence, Makah people began wearing
blanket robes. Here is a website on Northwest Indian clothes and textiles, and some photos and links
about Native American Indian costume in general.
The Chinooks didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Instead, both men and women sometimes wore
a basket hat made of finely woven spruce root. The Chinooks sometimes painted their faces, using different
designs for war, religious ceremonies, and mourning, and women also wore tribal tattoos in geometric designs.
Most Chinook people wore their hair long and loose, though some women adopted other fashions like braids
from neighboring tribes. Here is a website with pictures of these Native hair styles. Unlike men from some
Northwestern tribes, Chinook men did not wear facial hair.
Today, some Chinook people still have a blanket cloak or basket hat, but they wear modern clothes like jeans
instead of breechcloths.
What was Chinook transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes--the Chinook Indian tribe made large dugout canoes by hollowing out cedar or fir logs. The Chinook tribe
used these canoes to travel up and down the sea coast for trading, fishing and hunting, and warfare. Here is
an article about Native American boats. Today, of course, Chinook people also use cars... and non-native
people also use canoes.
What was Chinook food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Chinook Indians were fishing people. Their staple food was salmon. Chinook men also caught many other
kinds of fish and sea mammals from their canoes and hunted deer, birds, and small game on land. Chinook
women gathered clams and shellfish, seaweed, berries, and roots. Here is a website with more information
about American Indian foods.
What were Chinook weapons and tools like in the past?
Chinook fishermen used harpoons and nets. Hunters used bows and arrows, and trappers set snares. In war,
Chinook men fired their bows or fought with spears and war clubs. Chinook warriors would wear armor made
of hardened elk hide to protect themselves from enemy archers. Here is a website with pictures and more
information about Indian weapons.
What are Chinook arts and crafts like?
Chinook artists are known for their fine bear-grass baskets and woodcarving arts. Here is a website
about Chinook and other Northwest Indian basketry.
What other Native Americans did the Chinook tribe interact with?
The Chinooks were known for their skill as traders. Their most important trading partners were
the Nootka, Klamath, and Interior Salish tribes, but their trade network extended all the way south to California
and east to the Great Plains. Occasionally different Chinook bands would fight wars against each other or
against other Northwest Coast tribes, but mostly they remained dominant through trade and control over the
Columbia river mouth.
How do you pronounce the word "Mohawk"? What does it mean?
Mohawk is pronounced "mo-hawk." It comes from a name their Algonkian enemies used to call them, meaning
"man-eaters." In their own language, the Mohawk people call themselves Kanienkehaka, which means "people
of the flint."
Were they really man-eaters?
It's not clear anymore whether that name was supposed to be literal, or an insult, or just a figure of speech to
show that the Mohawks were fierce. Some Mohawk people believe that in ancient times, before they joined the
Iroquois Confederacy, their ancestors used to eat enemies they had killed in battle. Other Mohawks think that
never really happened and cannibals were always rare and strange in Mohawk society, like they were in other
cultures.
Where do the Mohawks live?
The Mohawks are original people of New York state. Here is our map of New York Indian tribes and the
location of their original home lands. Some Mohawk people still live in New York today, but most Mohawks
retreated to Canada in the 1700's.
Are the Mohawks Iroquois people?
Iroquois wampum
belt
Yes, the Mohawk Indian tribe was one of the original members of the Iroquois
Confederation, or Kanonsionni in their own language ("people of the longhouse.") The
other member nations were the the Seneca, the Oneida, the Cayuga, and
the Onondaga. Later a sixth tribe, theTuscarora, joined the confederacy. Today these
long-term allies refer to themselves as the Haudenosaunee or Six Nations.
How do Mohawk Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around
the house. Many Mohawk children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the
past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like early colonial children. But
Mohawk children did have toys and games. Mohawk girls liked to play with cornhusk dolls,
and boys played a game where they tried to throw a dart through a moving
hoop. Lacrosse was also a popular sport among Mohawk boys as it was among adult men.
Like many Native Americans, Mohawk mothers traditionally carried their babies
in cradleboards on their backs. Here is a website with pictures of cradleboards and
other Native baby carriers.
Mohawk doll
What were men and women's roles in the Mohawk tribe?
Mohawk men were in charge of hunting, trading, and war. Mohawk women were in charge of farming, property,
and family. These different roles were reflected in Mohawk government. Mohawk clans were always ruled by
women, who made all the land and resource decisions for each clan. But Mohawk chiefs, who made military
decisions and trade agreements, were always men. Only men represented the Mohawks at the Iroquois Great
Council, but only women voted to determine who the Mohawk representatives would be. Both genders took
part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
What were Mohawk homes like in the past?
Iroquois longhouse sketch
The Mohawk people lived in villages of longhouses, which were large
wood-frame buildings covered with sheets of elm bark. One Mohawk
house could be a hundred feet long, and an entire clan lived in it--up to
60 people! Here are some pictures ofIroquois longhouses like the ones
Mohawk Indians used, and a drawing of what a long house looked like
on the inside. Here is aphotograph of an Iroquois longhouse, and here
is a picture of what a longhouse looked like on the inside. Today,
longhouses are only used for ceremonial purposes. The Mohawks live
in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What was Mohawk clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Mohawk men wore breechcloths with leggings. Mohawk women wore
wraparound skirts with shorter leggings. Men did not originally wear shirts in
Mohawk culture, but women often wore a poncho-like tunic called an overdress.
Mohawk Indians usually wore moccasinson their feet. In colonial times, the
Mohawks adapted European costume like cloth shirts and blouses, decorating
them with beadwork and ribbon applique. Here is a webpage about traditional
Iroquois dress, and some photographs and links about American Indian
clothesin general.
Mohawk traditional
clothing
Mohawk Indian
moccasins
The Mohawks didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Mohawk men wore
traditional Iroquois headdresses, which are feathered caps with a different
insignia for each tribe. (The Mohawk headdress has three eagle feathers on
top.) Mohawk women sometimes wore special beaded tiaras. In times of war,
Mohawk men shaved their heads except for a scalplock or a crest down the
center of their head--the hairstyle known as a roach or a "Mohawk." Sometimes
they augmented this haircut with splayed feathers or artificial roaches made of
brightly dyed porcupine and deer hair. Here are some pictures of these different
kinds of Indian headdresses. Mohawk women only cut their hair when they were
in mourning. Otherwise they wore their hair long and loose or plaited into a long
braid. Here is a website with pictures of Indian women's hair. Men sometimes
decorated their faces and bodies with tattoo art, but Mohawk women generally
didn't paint or tattoo themselves.
Today, some Mohawk people still wear moccasins or a beaded shirt, but they
wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear
feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance.
What was Mohawk transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Iroquois
snowshoes
Yes, there were two types of Mohawk canoes. A canoe made from elm bark was light and
fast. A dugout canoe, made from hollowed-out logs, was long and could carry many
people. Here is a website with pictures of different Native American canoe types. Over
land, the Mohawks used dogs as pack animals. (There were no horses in North America
until colonists brought them over from Europe.) During the winter the Mohawks used sleds
and laced snowshoes to travel through the snow.
What was Mohawk food like in the days before supermarkets?
Iroquois
farmers
The Mohawk Indians were farming people. Mohawk women planted crops of corn, beans,
and squash and harvested wild berries and herbs. Mohawk men hunted for deer and elk
and fished in the rivers. Traditional Mohawk foods included cornbread, soups, and stews,
which they cooked on stone hearths. Here is a website with more information
about Native American food sources.
What were Mohawk weapons, tools, and artifacts like in the past?
Mohawk hunters used bows and arrows. Mohawk fishermen used spears and fishing
poles. In war, Mohawk men used their bows and arrows or fought with clubs, spears
and shields. Here is a website with photos of Native American weapons.
Iroquois war club
Other important tools used by the Mohawks included stone adzes (hand axes for
woodworking), flint knives for skinning animals, and wooden hoes for farming. The
Mohawks and other Iroquois were skilled woodworkers, steaming wood so that it could
be bent to make curved tools. Some Iroquois artisans still make lacrosse sticks this
way today.
What are Mohawk arts and crafts like?
The Mohawk and other Iroquois tribes were known for their mask carving, which is
considered such a sacred art form that outsiders are still not permitted to view many of
these masks. Iroquois beadwork and the more demanding porcupine quillwork are more
common Mohawk crafts. The Mohawks also crafted wampum out of white and purple shell
beads. Wampum beads were traded as a kind of currency, but they were more culturally
important as an art material. The designs and pictures on wampum belts often told a story
or represented a person's family.
Iroquois
beadwork
What was Mohawk music like?
Iroquois water
drum
The two most important Mohawk instruments are drums and flutes. Iroquois drums were
often filled with water to give them a distinctive sound different from the drums of other
tribes. Most Mohawk music is very rhythmic and consists mostly of drumming and lively
singing. Flutes were used to woo women in the Mohawk tribe. A young Mohawk man
would play beautiful flute music outside his girlfriend's longhouse at night to show her he
was thinking about her.
What other Native Americans did the Mohawk tribe interact with?
The most important neighbors of the Mohawk tribe were the other Iroquois nations:
the Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida, and Cayuga. Before the Iroquois Confederacy the Mohawks sometimes
fought with the other Iroquois tribes, but once the alliance was formed they were loyal to each other. The
Mohawks were fierce warriors who fought wars with the other eastern tribes, particularly the Wabanaki tribes,
the Algonquin and Ojibway, and the Mohican bands. The Mohawks also traded with their neighbors,
exchanging corn and woodcrafts for furs and quahog shells.
Powhatan Tribe
How do you pronounce "Powhatan?" What does it mean?
Powhatan is pronounced "Pow-HAT-un." ("Pow" rhymes with "cow," and "HAT" rhymes with
"cat.") Powhatan meant "waterfall" in the Virginia Algonquian language. It was originally the name of Chief
Wahunsonacock's home town (which was located near a waterfall.) Sometimes you may see it
spelled Powatan orPowhatten instead.
Where do the Powhatan Indians live?
The Powhatans lived in Virginia, where they famously interacted with the Jamestown colony. Some Powhatan
descendants still live in Virginia today. Other Powhatan Indians were driven northward and their descendants
live in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Who were some famous Powhatan Indians?
The most important Powhatan Indian was Chief Powhatan. His real name was Wahunsonacock. "Chief
Powhatan" was his title as the leader of the Powhatan Confederacy. Chief Powhatan was actually more like a
European king than a traditional Algonquian chief. In most Algonquian tribes, village chiefs came together in
councils to make important decisions, and all the chiefs had to agree to take an action. But Chief Powhatan
was an absolute ruler. Village chiefs had to obey Powhatan's commands and pay tribute to him.
The most famous Powhatan Indian was Chief Powhatan's daughter Pocahontas. A lot of stories told about
Pocahontas are not true. Pocahontas was only eleven years old when she met John Smith, and they did not
have a romance. The story about Pocahontas saving his life may not be true either. But Pocahontas really did
marry another English colonist, John Rolfe. It was the most famous interracial marriage of the time.
Pocahontas was only 21 when she died, but many people are descended from her son Thomas.
What was Powhatan culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here is the home page of the Powhatan Renape Nation, where you can learn about Powhatan Indian life in the
past and present.
How do Powhatan Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things any children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. In the
past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like early colonial children. But they did
have dolls and toys, such as a miniature bow and arrow or hand-held ball games. Like many Native
Americans, Powhatan mothers traditionally carried their babies in cradleboards on their backs--a custom which
many American parents have adopted now.
What were Powhatan Indian homes like in the past?
The Powhatans didn't live in tepees. They lived in small round houses called wigwams, or in larger Iroquoisstyle longhouses. Here are some pictures ofAmerican Indian houses like the ones Powhatan Indians used.
Some Powhatan villages were palisaded (surrounded by log walls for protection), and each village had a
council house and food storage building. Today, Native Americans only build wigwams or long houses for fun
or to connect with their heritage. Most Powhatans live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like
you.
What was Powhatan clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Powhatan women wore knee-length fringed skirts. Powhatan men dressed in breechcloths, with leggings in
cooler weather. Shirts were not necessary in the Powhatan culture, but Powhatan people did wear mantles and
cloaks made of turkey feathers in the winter. Powhatan men and women both wore earrings anddeerskin
moccasins. Here is a picture of Powhatan Indian clothing, and some photographs and links about American
Indian costume in general.
The Powhatans didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Usually they wore beaded headbands with a
feather or two in the back. The Powhatans painted their faces and bodies with different colors and designs for
different occasions, and often wore tattooes. Powhatan men and women both wore their hair long, but
Powhatan men often cut theirs shorter on the right side than on the left.
Today, some Powhatan people still have a traditional headband or moccasins, but they wear modern clothes
like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance.
What was Powhatan transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes, the Powhatans made dugout canoes by hollowing out large trees. Here's a website with pictures
of Indian boats from different tribes. Over land, the Powhatan Indians used dogs as pack animals. (There were
no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.) Of course, today Powhatan people
also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.
What was Powhatan food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Powhatans were farming people. Powhatan women planted and harvested corn, squash and beans.
Powhatan men hunted for deer, turkeys, and small game and went fishing on the shores. Powhatan foods
included soup, cornbread, and stews. Here is a website with more information about traditional Indian food.
What were Powhatan weapons, tools and artifacts like?
Powhatan warriors used tomahawks or heavy wooden war clubs. They also carried shields. Powhatan hunters
used bows and arrows. Fishermen used nets and pronged spears to catch fish from their canoes. Here is a
website on the history of Indian weapons.
What are Powhatan art and crafts like?
The Powhatan tribe is known for their American Indian beadwork and basketry. Like other eastern American
Indians, Powhatans also crafted wampum out of white and purple shell beads. Wampum beads were traded
as a kind of currency, but they were more culturally important as an art material. The designs and pictures on
wampum belts often told a story or represented a person's family.
What other Native Americans did the Powhatan Indians interact with?
Primarily they interacted with each other. Remember, the Powhatans originally lived in many distinct tribes.
The Powhatan Indian villages usually traded with each other, but before Chief Powhatan united them, they
sometimes fought with each other. The Powhatan bands also frequently fought against the Iroquoian tribes of
Virginia.