Hunting, fishing and gathering were means of subsistence* for the Algonquian people. These activities provided them with food and materials to make clothing and houses.
Hunting
The men of the Algonquian tribes hunted with a bow, club or spear, depending on the game being hunted. When a hunter got an animal, he shared it with the other members of the band.
Fishing
The Algonquians mostly fished in the summer, when they set up camp along the water’s edge for several weeks. They also fished when travelling by canoe. They did this by trailing a fishing line in the water behind the canoe. Their fishing hooks were made from bones shaped like a hook.
Gathering
The Algonquian people got a lot of their food from gathering. Depending on the season, they could gather fruits, vegetables and plants like wild leek, wild rice, cattails and various berries. In the spring, they collected maple sap to make syrup. Unlike the Iroquoian people who were sedentary, the Algonquians did not farm because they did not stay in the same place long enough to grow crops.
* SubsistenceSubsistence means the minimal resources that are necessary for survival. A subsistence economy relies on hunting and cultivation for food and surrounding trees for building shelter. More = Feeding themselves and ways to find or create only what was essential.
Important concepts and big ideas:
[glossary slug=’adapttotheenvironment’]
[glossary slug=’divisionoflabour’]
[glossary slug=’nomad’]
[glossary slug=’resources’]
[glossary slug=’subsistence’]
[glossary slug=’tradenetwork’]
