The primary sources for the Indians of Connecticut are
The
Peop1e of Connecticut
and
Land of Steady Habits: Connecticut, U.S.A.
The Indians who lived in Connecticut were of tribes of the Algonquins who came from the South. They lived east of the Mississippi, from Hudson Bay in the North to Tennessee and Virginia in the South. Some of the tribes in Connecticut were the Quinnipiacs, Pequots, Mohegans, Hammonassets, and Ponduks. Each tribe was proud and independent; they fought one another for land on which to hunt. The winner of these battles decided which tribe would rule the other. The many tribes of the Algonquin Indians were similar in the way they lived. Besides being good hunters with the bow and arrow, they trapped and tracked animals in winter when the ground was covered with snow. The skins of deer, bear, beaver, and otter were used for clothes. The Indians traded furs for goods including tools, utensils, and clothing. The native Americans did little farming since the land was worked by hand; the only tools were wooden spades or large shells fastened to wooden handles. For this reason, help was always needed to till the soil. This was especially true when a family wanted to break up a new field. Men, women, and children worked together.
The Quinnipiac Indians were a small and somewhat scattered tribe speaking the Algonquin language and found by the Europeans. When the Quinnipiacs were found by the English, they seemed to have had several camps on each side of the harbor located on high ground above the meadows. We know this because of the relics found—shell heaps, stone implements, etc.
During the seventeenth century the Quinnipiacs added as much as possible to the traditional ways. They engaged in gardening, fishing, and hunting much as before the arrival of the English. The office of sachem remained intact and on several occasions the Quinnipiacs participated in or hosted ceremonial gatherings that included Indians from other places.
Questions for Discussion:
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The teacher asks the students to identify Virginia, Tennessee, and other places of the South on the map.
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2.
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Ask the students to identify the different tribes of Connecticut on the Indian map.
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3.
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Ask the students to explain the major reason that the Indians did not do much farming.
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