Wendat

The Wendat Tribe

Geography and Natural Environment

Intro

Altough many people know them as the Huron the correct name is Wendat. The name Huron was given to them by the Europeans because their mowhawk style hair reminded them of the hair on the neck of a boar (hur meaning boar head in french). The Wendat were the original settlers of Ontario. And before the settlers they had around 400 000 people (the numbers dwindling to 100 000 by 1640).

The Wendat's land was diverse and had meadows, mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests (maple, walnut, birch, evergreens, douglas fir, hemlock, and oak). Water bordered them on three side (north south and west). On the east Ontario bordered it. The other two lakes where south lake Erie and West lake Huron. Since they were near so much water they traveled mainly by canoe.

Culture

Explorers

The Wendat spoke what we now call Iroquoian languages. Feasts were very important to wendat religion. They involved dancing, special rituals, and often contests and games. The wendat had special healers called shamans who cured illnesses, predicted the future and controlled the future weather using visions and dreams. They used snowshoes freuently which are stil used today.

Innovations and Inventions

The Wendat used snowshoes to travel on open plains. Thier long tails helped the wearer to stay stable while walking on snowy surfaces. The snowshoes were made of wood and strips of animal hide. The Wendat used canoes to travel the many rivers and lakes. Each canoe (made of birch bark) could carry about 5 men and 91 kilograms of cargo. They were about 7 metres long and 1 metre wide in the centre. The Wendat ate a lot of fish and trapped them with spears and weirs. Weirs are a fence that spans a small body of water. When fish swam into the fenced area they were trapped. Box traps, made from logs, were used to catch large animals such as bears. Snare traps, made from tree branches, were used to capture small animals like rabbits.

The Wendat met the French explorer Samuel de Champlain. They chose to meet him after trading with the Algonquins and being told how they were useful friends. After that they traded very frequently. Before explorers their weapons consisted mainly of bows, war clubs, and spears. After they had more guns.

Food

Clothing

Social Needs

In the Wendat tribe there was lot’s of farming. It was done by women. Farming provided most of the food for the Huron. Common crops were corn, beans, pumpkins, sunflowers, and squash. Meat was very important. Men hunted things like deer and fished in rivers or lakes. Corn was very useful and made into a type of corn meal used for soup and bread.

Wampum Belt

In a family there where parents, children, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. The Wendat believed in an existence of three worlds and found spiritual meaning in the sky, land, and water. In Wendat society only men were allowed to be cheifs, but only women could vote. The daily life revolved around clan life. A clan is like a very extended family. Everyone in a family belongs to the same clan. In Wendat culture the clan was passed through the mothers line. People belonged to the same clan their mother came from. You could only marry people from a different clan. After that the man would move into the womans house. There were eight clans each one represented by an animal that was important to the Wendat culture. They were as following; turtle, wolf, bear, beaver, deer, eagle, porcupine and snake.

The Wendats clothing was made from furs and hides coming from deers or beavers. The amount of clothes depended on the season. During summer the men would wear only a loincloth (a piece of hide hung from the waist) and women would wear fur skirts. Leather moccasins were worn for foot protection. In the winter they wore lots of clothes for warmth. Their legs were covered with leggings made from hide. Cloaks were used as coats. Babies were wrapped in fur. As they grew, children wore clothes similar to adults. Accessories included porcupine quills, beads, and feathers. Belts called Wampum belts were belts that were beaded very precisly and needed alot of skill to make. Combs were used as well. These were made from bone. Men hunted the furs. Hair Styles variy from: long braided, half shaved, scalp lock

Interesting Facts

• The Wendats were known for using dogs as pack animals.
• Primary Wendat colours were red and black.
• The average height of the males was 5'9" to 6".
• The Wendats were know for their stamina and ability to travel long distances with little supplies
• Hair styles varied (acording to preferences) from long and braided, half shaved, and scalp lock
• Many warriors would shave their heads before war

Climate

Location

The climate where the Wendat lived (Eastern Ontario) was snowy and icey during the winter months. During summer it was fairly warm and humid. Since they were near waterthey traveled mainly by canoe and ate a lot of fish.

Shelter

The Wendat lived mostly in eastern Canada. They were sedentary. They were bordered on 3 sides with water. They are next to present day Georgin Bay.

The Wendat lived in villages near water and forest protected by 9 ft. walls called palisades. Water was used for transportation and forest was used for lumber and building material. People lived in longhouses which usually had 6 families including parents, kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Houses were made out of elm, birch, or alder trees and were made by men.