Native American Groups

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Native American Groups

• Groups by Region

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Food

• All of the Native American groups were excellent
  hunters who used all of the parts of the animals
  they killed to benefit them.

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Kwakiutl Pacific Northwest Coast

• The Kwakiutls were excellent wood workers.
• They made wonderful totem poles that told the
  histories of the family.
• They also lived in Plank Houses that were dug
  deep into the ground.
• They were excellent hunters

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Kwakiutl Plank Houses
Each of these houses had a central living area
and distinct, private sections for sleeping areas
for the many families which lived there.
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Whaling
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Whaling

• Once her husband departed in the whaling canoe,
  the woman returned home where she lay motionless
  and fasted until the return of the hunters.
  Through this inactivity, she hoped to ensure that
  the whale itself would be easily managed.
• The whaling canoe was large enough to carry a
  crew of eight. Directly behind the raised prow
  sat the harpooner. He carried a harpoon of yew
  wood about four meters long. Its detachable head
  was a sharp piece of mussel shell cemented with
  spruce gum between two elk antler barbs. A
  braided line of whale sinew attached to the
  harpoon head was in turn connected to long coils
  of rope made of twisted spruce root. Strung along
  this rope at regular intervals were four inflated
  sealskins.
• When the crew sighted a whale, it approached the
  animal with great caution. Because the harpoon
  was too heavy to be hurled, the canoe had to
  overtake the animal. Standing in the bow, the
  harpooner took careful aim and plunged the
  harpoon deep into the whale.
• Towing the carcass home could take several days
  -- especially if the animal had headed out
  farther to sea during the hunt. Once successfully
  beached, the whale was cause for a great feast to
  which other chiefs were invited. The blubber was
  divided according to each guest's rank, and
  speeches were made applauding the accomplishments
  of the chief's family.
• Whaling was one of the main sources of meat and,
  as the hunters periodically brought home these
  enormous creatures, ceremonies along the banks of
  the villages were held in the whales' honor.

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Iroquois Eastern Woodlands Indians

• The Iroquis Indians were located in present day
  New York State.
• They lived in Longhouses made of wood and bark.
• They created a union called the 5 Nations.

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Longhouses
Physically, the longhouse was a multi-family
residence containing the extended family with a
senior woman as the leader of a clan segment. It
was physically and symbolically an important
structure.
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Sioux Great Plains Indians

• The Sioux Indians lived in the Great Plains
  region.
• The most important thing to them was the Buffalo.
• They used all the parts of the Buffalo to survive.

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The Sioux

• The Sioux used Tipis for shelter so they could
  move around quickly and hunt the Buffalo.

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