Gr 4 Social Studies- Early Societies

Inuit People

• The Inuit are one of the three indigenous groups in Canada, living in the northern parts of the country, with most residing in Nunavut.
• They are experts in surviving in cold temperatures.

Worldview and Spiritual Beliefs

• The Inuit believe they have a connection to the land and respect and care for it, including the animals and environment.
• When hunting, animals are sacrificed, which means they give their life to feed the Inuit people.
• Everything is believed to have a spirit, which is worshipped to bring good luck.

The Arts

• The Inuit enjoy drum dancing, where women singers sit in a circle while men dance inside.
• Throat singing is a popular form of music among the Inuit people.
• Inuit artists use soap stone, wood, ivory, bones, and antlers to create carvings and sculptures.

Shelter and Homes

• The Inuit have two types of homes: one for summer and one for winter.
• Summer homes are made of tents with caribou hides and wooden frames.
• Winter homes are made of sod, with a hole dug in the ground and rocks and sod built up around the outside, and a frame made of wood or whale bones, topped with sod.
• Igloos are used as temporary homes when men are out hunting.

Clothing

• Inuit people wear thick and warm clothing to survive cold temperatures.
• They make jackets, pants, shirts, and boots from animal furs, such as caribou and seal skin.
• Anoraks are jackets made from caribou and seal skin, lined with fur from foxes, polar bears, and rabbits for added warmth.

Transportation

• Inuit people use dog sleds called qamutiks to travel large distances for hunting.
• Qamutiks are made from whale bones and wood.
• They bred strong dogs from wolves and dogs, which eventually became the husky dog breed.
• On water, Inuit people use two types of boats: kayaks for hunting and umiaqs (large canoes) for transportation.

Hunting

• Inuit people hunt for food because they cannot farm due to cold temperatures.
• They use harpoons to hunt seals, walruses, and bowhead whales.
• They also eat wild berries and fish.
• Their high-fat diet provides energy to survive cold temperatures.

Governance

• Inuit people in Nunavut live in small, far-apart communities.
• They elect 19 people, who then choose the government leader and ministers.
• The government leader works with the Canadian government to ensure Inuit people have a voice in Canada.

The Algonkin First Nation

• Also spelled Algonquin, meaning "our allies"
• Lived in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region in southern Ontario and Quebec

Shelter

• Most Algonkin lived in wigwams, which are:
  • Domed shaped
  • Smaller shelters made of birch bark
  • Only one family lived in each wigwam
• Some Algonkin lived in longhouses, which are:
  • Larger shelters made of birch bark
  • Multiple families shared these longhouses

Daily Life and Gender Roles

• Day-to-day life depended on age and gender
• Children:
  • Played outside with friends
  • Helped out around the house
  • Enjoyed hunting and fishing with their fathers
• Men:
  • Responsible for hunting and fishing
  • Protected the community or family in war
• Women:
  • Took care of children
  • Gathered plants
  • Took care of the shelter and cooking

Food

• Algonkin were hunting people
• Ate:
  • Deer
  • Moose
  • Small game
  • Fish
• Grew:
  • Corn
  • Squash
  • Berries
• Used bows and arrows, spears, and traps to hunt food
• Enjoyed maple syrup as a treat from maple tree sap

Tools and Weapons

• Algonkin warriors fought with:
  • War clubs
  • Spears
  • Tomahawks
• Fishermen used spears to stab fish from canoes or through holes in the ice
• Hunters used traps to catch deer by:
  • Setting up fences to direct deer in one direction
  • Spearing the deer as they got closer

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy

• The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or the League of Five Nations, but its proper name translates to "people of the long house".
• The confederacy is a peaceful union of five nations under one government, making joint decisions for the betterment of all communities.
• The original five nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy are the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and the Senecas.
• The Tuscarora nation later joined the confederacy, making it the Six Nations.
• The confederacy's founding date is unknown, but it is considered ancient and immemorial.
• The Haudenosaunee Confederacy was founded by the Peacemaker, a prophet sent by the Creator, who introduced the concept of the Kariwiio (good mind).
• The Peacemaker worked with Hiawatha to teach the laws of peace to the Haudenosaunee and promote unity among the five nations.
• The goal of the confederacy was to end the fighting between the nations and promote peace, with the Chiefs of each nation joining the government that has a direct connection to the Creator.

Haudenosaunee Society

• The Haudenosaunee people used a clan system, where each First Nation was divided into clans led by clan mothers.
• Each clan had its own longhouse, identified by an animal symbol (e.g., bear, wolf, turtle, etc.).
• Longhouses were expanded as families grew, and some could grow to be almost the size of a football field.
• Small villages had 4-5 longhouses, while large villages had 50 or more.

Role of Haudenosaunee Women

• Women in Haudenosaunee society were equally respected as men.
• Clan Mothers were the leaders of the clan and played a crucial role in decision-making.
• They chose the chief, decided when ceremonies would begin, and planned the necessary food, procedures, and soups.
• Women were responsible for growing corn, beans, and squash (the "Three Sisters") and took care of the plants.
• When a woman got married, her husband would go live in her family's longhouse, and their children belonged to the mother's clan.

Role of Haudenosaunee Men

• Men served as Chiefs and were responsible for serving on the Grand Council, the government of the Haudenosaunee.
• Men were in charge of hunting, fishing, cutting trees down for longhouses and canoes, and fighting wars against other nations.
• Women often decided whether or not to go to war, but the men were the ones who fought.

The Potlatch Ceremony

• The potlatch ceremony was practiced by many First Nations in the Northwest region, including the Tlingit, Haida, Coast Salish, Chinook, and Dene.
• The ceremony was held to celebrate various life events such as births, naming, marriages, mourning the loss of loved ones, and the passing of rights from a Chief to their eldest son.

Meaning and Significance of Potlatch

• The word "potlatch" in the Chinook language means "to give".
• The host of the ceremony would give gifts to all the families in attendance, and in return, the attendees would remember and pass on the knowledge of the events they witnessed.
• A host could achieve high status and respect in their community by giving out many gifts.

The End of the Potlatch

• In 1885, the Canadian government banned potlatch ceremonies, believing they promoted anti-capitalist ideas.
• The government wanted to promote capitalism, where hard work leads to wealth, and people are paid based on their work.
• John A., the Canadian Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, played a role in the ban.

Clothing

• Inuit people wear thick and warm clothing to survive cold temperatures.
• They make jackets, pants, shirts, and boots from animal furs, such as caribou and seal skin.
• Anoraks are jackets made from caribou and seal skin, lined with fur from foxes, polar bears, and rabbits for added warmth.

Transportation

• Inuit people use dog sleds called qamutiks to travel large distances for hunting.
• Qamutiks are made from whale bones and wood.
• They bred strong dogs from wolves and dogs, which eventually became the husky dog breed.
• On water, Inuit people use two types of boats: kayaks for hunting and umiaqs (large canoes) for transportation.

Hunting

• Inuit people hunt for food because they cannot farm due to cold temperatures.
• They use harpoons to hunt seals, walruses, and bowhead whales.
• They also eat wild berries and fish.
• Their high-fat diet provides energy to survive cold temperatures.

Governance

• Inuit people in Nunavut live in small, far-apart communities.
• They elect 19 people, who then choose the government leader and ministers.
• The government leader works with the Canadian government to ensure Inuit people have a voice in Canada.

Haudenosaunee Society

• The Haudenosaunee people used a clan system, where each First Nation was divided into clans led by clan mothers.
• Each clan had its own longhouse, identified by an animal symbol (e.g., bear, wolf, turtle, etc.).
• Longhouses were expanded as families grew, and some could grow to be almost the size of a football field.
• Small villages had 4-5 longhouses, while large villages had 50 or more.

Role of Haudenosaunee Women

• Women in Haudenosaunee society were equally respected as men.
• Clan Mothers were the leaders of the clan and played a crucial role in decision-making.
• They chose the chief, decided when ceremonies would begin, and planned the necessary food, procedures, and soups.
• Women were responsible for growing corn, beans, and squash (the "Three Sisters") and took care of the plants.
• When a woman got married, her husband would go live in her family's longhouse, and their children belonged to the mother's clan.

Role of Haudenosaunee Men

• Men served as Chiefs and were responsible for serving on the Grand Council, the government of the Haudenosaunee.
• Men were in charge of hunting, fishing, cutting trees down for longhouses and canoes, and fighting wars against other nations.
• Women often decided whether or not to go to war, but the men were the ones who fought.