What is the difference between Abenaki and Wabanaki?
The political union of the Wabanaki Confederacy was known by many names, but it is remembered as “Wabanaki”, which shares a common etymological origin with the name of the “Abenaki” people. All Abenaki are Wabanaki, but not all Wabanaki are Abenaki.
What are the Wabanaki tribes?
The Wabanaki Confederacy (Waponahki) — translated as “People of the First Light” or “Dawnland” — currently comprises five principal nations: the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki, and stretches from Newfoundland in the north, to mid-Maine in the south, and parts of Quebec in the west.
What was the Wabanaki culture?
The Wabanaki adapted to the changing ecosystem, becoming expert stone and toolmakers, weaving baskets and snowshoes, and creating other cultural items that enabled successful hunting and fishing. Lifestyles were mobile, and people traveled and traded over long distances.
What do the Penobscot call themselves?
Penawapskewi
The Penobscot are an indigenous tribe from the Northeastern Woodlands region that is federally recognized in the state of Maine as well as in Quebec, Canada. Their name originates from a mispronunciation of the name they call themselves — Penawapskewi, which means “rocky part” or “descending ledges”.
Why did the Wabanaki Confederacy form?
The Wabanaki Confederacy formed around 1680 (some say earlier) in response to raids from the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy (specifically the Mohawks) in Quebec and Ontario. The Confederacy fell dormant in the late 1800s after colonial Canada displaced Indigenous governance systems.
What did the Wabanaki eat?
Wabanaki people foraged food from the native landscape, and cultivated corn, beans, and squash plants long before European settlers arrived in Maine.
What did the Wabanaki use sweetgrass for?
Sweetgrass, native to wet habitats in northern North America, is esteemed by Wabanaki tribes (Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot) of Maine. Sweetgrass is used for basket making and spiritual purposes.
Is Penobscot a tribe?
The Penobscot (Panawahpskek) are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic provinces and Quebec.
What is Penobscot famous for?
Their artists are best known for quillwork, beadwork, and basket-weaving, all made possible by the resources from the Penobscot river. The language spoken by the Penobscot people is called Abnaki-Penobscot, an Algonquian language still spoken by Abenaki elders in Canada.
What the Wabanaki gained in return?
The Wabanaki understood the spoken word of the English differently than the written words of submission. The Wabanaki granted the English the permission they sought to return to their former forts and settlements and did not consider this submission. Both sides accepted the written Treaty as a symbol of friendship.
What did the Wabanaki wear?
Abenaki men wore breechcloths with leather leggings. Abenaki women wore wraparound deerskin skirts. Shirts were not necessary in Abenaki culture, but in cool weather both genders wore poncho-like blouses. The Abenakis also used moccasins, cloaks, beaded jewelry, and pointed hoods.
What did the Wabanaki hunt?
Porpoise hunting was common among Wabanaki men, especially the Passamaquoddy. The oil was in great demand for fueling lighthouses and lubricating clockworks.