All the members of an Algonquian nation 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 the dwellings, collected firewood and stored the food. They also made clothes and gathered wild fruit. When the 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 and big ideas:
[glossary slug=’Patrilinealsociety’]
[glossary slug=’divisionoflabour’]
[glossary slug=’resources’]
[glossary slug=’socialstructure’]
[glossary slug=’nomad’]
[glossary slug=’tradenetwork’]
[glossary slug=’Habitation’]
