The Wampanoag Tribe
Have you ever made a home out of skins and wood or hunted for food? Well, that’s how the Wampanoag tribe lived everyday. It would be hard to do everything yourself with only a little help. If you lived with them you would have to live in the Northeast where it is cold, make your own home, and hunt your food, as well as practicing unique customs.
The Wampanoag tribe lived in what is now Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts in the Northeast. According to tradition they had been there since the dawn of time. The word Wampanoag means “people of the first light” or “people of the dawn.” Today, the Wampanoag live in eastern Massachusetts and the island below Massachusetts in Cape Cod. The land was small and flat with lots of forests. Their land was on the Atlantic Coast, they could get their water from there and Cape Cod, but they got their water from the Charles River and the Taunton River.
Wampanoag homes were called a wetu or wigwam. They are dome-shaped. First, they used about 100 saplings to frame the wetu. Then, they used tree bark to cover the saplings. Next, they used half of the mats made from cattails for the inside. Finally, they added water plant and bulrush to the other half of the mats and cover the tree bark. The wetu protected them from rain, sleet, and snow.
The Wampanoag tribe ate food similar to the food we eat today. Their three main foods were the Three Sisters which included maize, beans, and squash. The Three Sisters grow together. Their main meats were venison, duck, geese, fish, and buffalo. Wampanoag clothing are very similar to other tribe clothing. The Wampanoag men wore feathers on their heads, a cloth on their waste, and feathers on their pants. Women wore dresses with lots of designs made from buffalo.
Wampanoag religion was called Spiritualism. They thanked Mother Earth for animals, plants, and all living things for gifts they needed. One of their celebrations was the Wampanoag New Year. It was in the spring, lasting for a few days, and there was food and dancing.
Wampanoag culture was interesting.They spoke in the Algonquian language family. There were about 300 people in one tribe. They spoke in the Algonquian language family. There were about 300 people in one tribe, and about 30,000 Wampanoags before the Pilgrims came. The Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc., formerly known as the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. Recognized in 2007, they are headquartered in Mashpee on Cape Cod.
In conclusion, living with the Wampanoag tribe would be hard. You would have to live in the Northeast, provide for your own basic needs, and practice traditional customs. In the future, I hope to meet someone related to a Wampanoag Native American.
Bibliography
"Wampanoag Religion ." Wampanoag Religion. TeacherWeb, Inc, 2017. Web. 21 Sept. 2017. <http://www.teacherwebquest.com/NY/WillowAve/PilgrimandNativeAmericanWebQuest/wqr7.stm>.
Berson, Michael. Social Studies. Orlando, USA: School Publishers, 2010. Print
Cunningham, Kevin. The Wampanoag. New York, USA: Children's Press, 2011. Print.