Adapted clothing and objects
The Algonquians made their clothes from the materials they found around them. Most of their clothes were made from the skins and fur of the animals they hunted, like beaver, black squirrel, otter, moose, caribou and fox. To make the clothing strong, the skins were cleaned to remove any remaining flesh or fat, and then sewn together using moose or caribou sinew.
Practical clothing
The clothes worn by the Algonquian people were very practical because they kept them warm and lasted a long time. When it was very cold, the Algonquians wore a “long capot” which was a long coat made of seven or eight beaver pelts. Men and women’s clothes were very similar and it was not uncommon for them to swap clothes.
Tools and weapons
The Algonquian people made everything they needed using the materials around them. Tools and weapons (spears, knives and needles, for example) were made of wood, stone, bone and bark. The blades they make for their weapons were as effective as metal blades!
Author: Alexandre Lanoix
See also: Traces of the Past — A new discovery
Important concepts and big ideas:
Habitation, nomad, Subsistence, resources
Adapt to the environment – S’adapter à l’environnement
Resources – Ressources
Subsistence – Subsistance