# data[].attributes.body
The Anebaki made bark mats from wood that were easy to roll up and carry when moving to new villages. These mats were very useful because they could be used for sitting, sleeping, and covering sapling frames during long hunting, fishing, or war trips.During winter, The abenaki lived in wigwams covered with bear and deer skins to stay warm. They also built fires inside for extra heat, and the thick animal skins kept the cold air and snow from getting inside.

When the Abenaki moved to a new place, they built tall wooden walls called palisades around their village for protection. These strong fences kept enemies and wild animals out and showed how much the Abenaki valued teamwork and keeping their community safe. When the seasons changed the Abenaki migrated seasonally between several encampments to take advantage of the resources available to them.  The animals they hunted gave them a lot of use since animal bones were used for awls and needles, beaver teeth were repurposed as knives for carving wood, and clam shells with handles served as hoes for gardening. The Abenaki used natural dyes derived from plants and berries to color porcupine quills, which were then woven into intricate patterns on clothing, boxes, and other items. Animal hides from bear, moose, and deer were scraped, tanned, and stitched together using sinew and bone needles to create clothing for different seasons.

(Wal(Waldman, 2006)

(moose on the loose, 2019)

(harald, 2025)

(Brooks,2000)

# data[].attributes.body
During the French and Indian war the Abenaki tribe allied themselves with the French and they launched many raids against the British settlements in New England. The Abenaki participated in various conflicts  for control of North America lasted almost 100 years—from 1689 to 1763— and are further organized in history books as the following: King William’s War (1689–97), Queen Anne’s War (1702–13), King George’s War (1744–48), and the French and Indian War (1754–63).

The Abenaki participated in  the Algonquians commonly formed confederacies, such as the Abenaki Confederacy, the Wappinger Confederacy, and the Powhatan Confederacy. They had made an intricate system of laws governing tribal interactions, but rather loose networks of villages and bands.

The Abenaki Confederacy consisted of the Abenaki proper, along with other groups in Maine. The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Tribe had a government consisting of 3 branches. The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Tribe’s branches consisted of “The Executive Branch”, “The Legislative Branch”, and “The Council of Elders”.

(Nulhegan Band, 2017)

(Waldman, 2006)

# data[].attributes.body
The Abenaki’s tribe has different ways of celebrating their cultural beliefs. One of the ways abenaki tribe celebrated their culture was by social gatherings and they would perform smoke dances. One of the people in the tribe would  make totems consisting of carved animals that all symbolised something different.

There was a small island in Lake Champlain that the Abenaki called “Bitawbak” which means “Water Between”. It was important to the Abenaki because it connected to their mythology.

The Abenaki were less dependent on agriculture and

Joseph Bruchas of Abenaki and Slovak ancestry has written about Abenaki legends in a number of books, The Abenaki ways of life resembled that of the northeast Indians, combining some farming with hunting, fishing, and gathering.

(Waldman, 2006)

(Vermont Historical Society’s Freedom & Unity, 2006)

(Mead, 2021)

# data[].attributes.body
The Abenaki tribe primarily resided in the states of Maine, New Hampshire , Vermont and Massachusetts. In order to get food, this tribe partakes in hunting, fishing and gathering.  The women and men would have different roles in the environment when it came to providing food for the tribe. Women were expected to do farm work, meanwhile, men went out to fish and hunt.

This was especially helpful because when they transitioned into winter, tribal members lined the interior walls of their cone shaped wigwams and long houses with bear or deer skin for insulation. For protection they would surround the villages with walls of upright logs that are called palisades. For survival they had tried to make their lives as comfortable as they could by adapting as to survival  over the season.

(Waldman, 2006)

# data[].attributes.body
The Abenaki were hunters, farmers, fishers, and gatherers. They worked together to support their community and depended on nature for survival. Hunters caught animals like deer and moose, while farmers grew corn, beans, and squash. Fishers caught food from rivers, and gatherers collected berries and plants. Each role helped keep their way of life balanced.The Abenaki helped one another to survive. They traded goods with other tribes and shared food, tools, and clothing. During the war, they worked together to protect their villages. Everyone had a job, and teamwork was very important in their culture.The Abenaki built a fur trading post to exchange animal furs for goods. They traded with Europeans and nearby tribes for items like tools and cloth.

The trading post became important for their economy and helped them build relationships with others.The Abenaki were not one tribe but a group of many bands called the Abenaki Confederacy. Each band had its own leaders and customs but worked together for safety and trade. The confederacy made them stronger and showed how much they valued cooperation.European diseases, especially smallpox killed many Abenaki people. They had no immunity, so the sickness spread fast. Entire villages were lost, and families suffered. Even after great loss, the Abenaki rebuilt and kept their traditions alive.The Abenaki used wampum, or beads, for trade and gifts. Wampum was used like money and also had special meaning. Giving wampum showed respect and built trust with others. It helped them trade and form alliances with tribes and Europeans.The Abenaki leader was called a sagamore. The sagamore listened to the tribe and made choices based on their votes. This gave everyone a voice. Leaders guided the people, organized hunts, and protected the village. Their system showed respect and teamwork in their society

(Waldman, 2006)

(Facts4Me,2017)

# data[].attributes.body
In the Abenaki Tribe, men and women were given different roles. Men were expected to provide food by hunting and fishing along with being the protector of the family. Meanwhile, women were expected to work on farms, growing crops like squash beans and corn, while also being  the only ones taking care of  the children.

They resided in cone shaped wigwams and longhouses. In addition to this, they were influenced by Aloquian-speaking tribes or bands considering that they were common allies.

For social activity, the Abenaki tribe participated in musical arts. Drums symbolized a sense of stability and groundness for them. Unfortunately, some bands denied women drumming and having separate groups. They also partake in dances with the help of ash rattles for smoke dances and healing songs.

(Waldman, 2006)

(Big Heavy World, 2025)

(Sari, 2016)

(Facts4Me,2017)

(Abenaki Women Share Heritage With Champlain College Community, 2016)

# data[].attributes.body
The Abenaki Tribe consisted of very spiritual people. They honored the spirits of  “Four winds”, which they referred to as “Mother Earth”, “Father Sky”, “Grandmother moon” and “Grandfather son”. They believed that stability and economic self- sufficiency was important in their community. For them, this partly meant controlling their own destinies through the use of energy, committing to the larger community and determination.

In addition, they personified things to strengthen their relationships and connections to the environment.

One  additional belief of the Abenaki tribe was that there are distinct roles for men and women. For example, women  were responsible for taking care of the children. Meanwhile, men were responsible for protecting the family.

(Waldman, 2006)

(Vermont Historical Society’s Freedom & Unity, 2006)

(Vermont Historical Society’s Freedom & Unity, 2006)

(Sari, 2016)

(Welcome to the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation)

# data[].attributes.body
In my opinion, getting to dive deep into the lifestyle of the Abenaki tribe was difficult at times. However, as a result of this research, I gained knowledge about how this particular tribe functioned. This allowed me to compare their lifestyles from years ago, to the lifestyle of American citizens in the present day. I noticed how role based they were, as is common in some communities today. The work load was divided among females and males in order to create a stable and effective routine. This makes me wonder.... how commonly did women and men advocate for these societal roles to stop?

As we know, gender roles still exist today, however, I don't believe it is as practiced as it was back then. And so, to see the change over time is fascinating because it gives me insight into how people and communities choose to operate and why.

In addition, their life being centered around their spiritual beliefs was engaging to me. The Abenaki tribe was a group that was very in-tune with their environment. In their eyes, it would contribute to their ability to control their own destiny. And so, throughout life they prioritized their spiritual journey.

Lastly, one thing that I found intriguing and cool was their cultural practices. I believe that being able to have a better understanding of someones culture is cool for the expansion of your knowledge but especially to see aspects of their life pieced together. Their culture is often expressed through their artistic capabilities. Finding out that they partake in smoke dances at social gatherings, lead me to wonder...How did these social gatherings look and feel ?