The Indians used other parts of the deer such as skin for clothing and bones for tools. Deer meat, or venison, served as a supplement to the mostly agricultural diet. Each winter men from different tribes would join together for hunting expeditions. Indian men had the primary tasks of fishing and hunting. They used natural resources such as rock, twine, bark, and oyster shell to farm, hunt, and fish. Native peoples of the past farmed, hunted, and fished.
Shelter was made from the material around them (saplings, leaves, small branches, animal fur). They used animal skins (deerskin) as clothing. The Native Americans used natural resources in every aspect of their lives. In fall, they harvested crops and hunted for foods to preserve and keep for the winter. In summer, they grew crops (beans, corn, and squash).
In spring, they hunted, fished and picked berries.
In winter, they hunted birds and animals and lived on stored foods from the previous fall. The kinds of food the Native Americans ate, the clothing they wore, and the shelters they had depended upon the seasons. The images show different aspects of how Native Americans dressed, hunted, and lived. In this lesson, students will analyze primary source images of Native Americans interacting with the environment.
