In most Nations that were part of the Algonquian language familyA language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestral language…, all members were equal. That means women were full members of the tribe and played an important role in the band’s life. Among the Algonquians, men and women had their own separate tasks. It was very rare for a woman to do a man’s work and vice versa.
Women’s tasks
In general, Algonquian women took care of everything that concerned the camp. They built dwellings, collected firewood and stored the food. They also made clothes and gathered wild fruit. When a tribe moved, the women carried the bags so that men could go hunting at a moment’s notice if they spotted any interesting prey.
See also: Traces of the Past: Women’s Tasks
Important Concepts & Big Ideas
patrilineal societyPatrilineal societies are the ones that connect generations through the father’s line. Children are the father’s…
division of labourDivision of labour means the separation of the work process into a number of tasks, with each task…
resourcesResources are anything taken from the earth or nature that people need, use, and are “valued”….
social structureSocial Structure is the way people in a society are organized into institutions and relationships. It…
nomadA nomad is a member of a community of people who live in different locations, moving…
trade networkA trade network is a system of roads, railroads, rivers, airports or anything that is used…
HabitationA habitation is a place of residence like a house, or simply a place in which to live. It…
