First Nation - Wendat PDF

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 18 A3.1 Background The Wendat First Nation is commonly known as the Huron. Huron means “peninsula people” and they li...

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 18 A3.1 Background The Wendat First Nation is commonly known as the Huron. Huron means “peninsula people” and they lived along the St. Lawrence River in the Quebec region. Most of the Wendat left the area after battles with the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). Wendat Family Structure The Wendat were divided into eight clans. The clan was like a large family that followed the mother’s ancestry. This means when a man married a women, the man would join the women’s clan. Therefore, the female members of the clan had the same mother, or grand mother, or great grand mother (and the pattern would continue). The Wendat men and women had equal power in their community. The men were in charge of hunting, war, and diplomacy, while the women took care of the farm, property, and family. Shelter The Wendat people lived in longhouses, which are shelters made of wood and elm bark that can be as long as 150 feet. An entire clan of up to 60 people could live in one longhouse. A longhouse contains beds, areas for storage, fire pits, and holes in the roof for ventilation. Transportation For transportation, the Wendat used birch-bark canoes to travel along the St. Lawrence River. For travelling on land, they used dogs to drag sleds in order to get places. Food and Hunting For food, the Wendat people farmed corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. The men hunted deer, wild turkeys, and small game using bows and arrows. They also fished the St. Lawrence using spears, fishing poles, and large nets. In war, the men used bows and arrows, spears, and war clubs as weapons. Arts and Crafts The Wendat made wampum out of white and purple shell beads. Wampum beads became very popular. They could be used to trade or buy other things with. These wampum beads were just like money is to us! Wampum belts were used to mark agreements between Nations. © Super Simple Sheets supersimplesheets.com