The Cree: Mysterious Winter Months

A beavers dam and crack the ice in 40-50 different places. The beavers would then have to come out of the broken holes in the ice. Moose were the Mi’kmaq’s most productive food and were hunted from February to mid March. Meat and fish would then be dried and smoked to preserve them. Berries, roots and edible plants were also a source of food for the Mi’kmaq, (Nova Scotia 3; Davis 27).

Woodland Indians inhabited the large geographical area in eastern North America. The varying climates and four seasons affected how each individual group of Indians lived and ate. The Appalachian mountains and Great Lakes prohibited movement of people to some extent. Some people were able to harness the shoreline water as a means of transportation. Gardening and harvesting of crops became a way of life for these people but was sometimes complicated by the harsh winter conditions in northern Wisconsin. Utilization of natural resources controlled the economy. These Indians were very knowledgeable about the trees and plant life in their area. They used the abundant wildlife as part of their

The article “the inuit paradox” starts off with an Inupiat woman describing the most common foods that she consumed growing up in an Inuit community in which foraging is necessary for survival. She describes that the traditional Inuit diet focused primarily on meat that was foraged from the environment.

Minnesota offered a healthy, varied diet to the Sioux because of its abundant resources. Once the Sioux settled into the plans and became gathers and hunters, but they were once primarily farmers. In the Beginning of spring the Sioux rise from their winter village, and the men and women go their separate ways. Maple tree groves provides sweet maple

The Inuit people had high metabolism rates. This is also related to body heat and how they adapted to their cold environment. By having a high metabolic rate they were able to produce body heat as well, thus keeping them warm. The last way in which the Inuit people adapted biologically to their environment is via adaptation to foods. The Inuit people’s diet consists of high protein and fat. They ate foods such as seal, whales, and freshwater fish.

When the Native Americans were forced onto reservations they stopped hunting and preparing their own food. Instead the United States government gave them food that their bodies were not used to digesting. Indians were not used to eating flour, lard, canned meats and poultry that are swimming in fat, and canned fruits and vegetables packed in sugary syrup.

The Plains Cree Tribe lived in Canada, north and west of Lake Superior in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Women wore dresses made out of deerskins, Men wore animal skin leggings,a loincloth which is a small piece of cloth or skin worn between the legs and a belt to hold the loin cloth. They did not speak english, their language is called Montagnais. They lived in teepees.

Northern Indians depended on hunting and gathering. During the spring they lived near the river which allowed them to catch fish, whales and seals. Children would catch birds and bird eggs for food. They kept their hunting to a moderation which allowed animal populations to be sustained. They also ate native plants such as strawberries, raspberries, and other wild plants. During the months of October through March Indians moved to the forest where they hunted beaver, moose and deer. They tried to use every part of the animals they hunted; they used the animals' skin as clothing and their bones as tools. Certain tribes had rules on what to do with left over animal parts. They kept population from increasing in the winter by not storing enough food, which caused some Indians to die during the winter. They also set big forest fires during the summer and fall, which in the long run increased nutrients in the soil. An abundance of grass for the animals made the soil warmer and drier, which allowed oak trees to grow. When the colonists arrived everything changed, the land began to be altered.

The Sioux tribe followed the buffalo migration because that is what they would mostly eat apart from elk and deer. They used each part of the buffalo for many purposes. They carved the horns into cups and spoons. The teeth became tools and decorations, and were used in ceremonial rattles. The brain was used to process leather. Bones were made into knives, arrowheads, and shovels. Hides were used to make teepee covers, clothes, belts, bag, dolls, and shoes. The hair was used for headdresses and to stuff pillows, pad saddles and weave ropes. The tongue, heart, and liver were eaten right away. Muscles were cut into strips and preserved as jerky.

Throughout the long history of the seminoles it took many things to survive. One thing they needed to survive was food. Many of the tribe members were farmers. The women harvested crops such as squash, corn, rice, mushrooms, pumpkins and beans. In addition, the men usually did the hunting for their

Almost never do historians recount how the Natives used sophisticated techniques such as field burning to replenish the nutrients to the soil, or alternating crops as to lessen the burden on the soil as to produce a plentiful harvest or to insure an abundance of game meat during the sparse crop months, they cleared land around their communities to make taking game meat easier. Natives believe the land is sacred and is bountiful if tended to, and the game meat they used as sustenance, as a gift.

Spring: The Dakotas tribe were returning to their camps when Spring had arrived. They got straight to tapping the maple trees.They would use the syrup for sugar and hard candies. They would also use the syrup for geese and duck bills.They would trade the syrup for other goodies .They would hunt muskrats,otters, beavers,minks, and martens. The muskrats were used to feed hunters.

The Sioux ate what they found in the homelands. Buffalo was an important food, it was mostly hunted in the fall. None of the buffalo was wasted. It was eaten and made into clothing, tipi coverings, shields, and weapons. The Sioux also made pemmican from dried meats, dried berries, dried fruits, nuts, and melted buffalo fat. The meat, berries, fruits, and nuts were crushed. Then they poured melted buffalo fat over the mixture. The pemmican was stored in animal intestines and bladders. The containers were lightweight, watertight, and safe from insects.