Algonquians & Iroquoians: Farmers of the Woodlands

1.

Identifying and Summarizing the Author’s Central Point or Thesis

During the winter months, the typical Eastern Woodland Indian would involve himself in the action that they called, “still-hunting and stalking.” Throughout this season, Indians would travel on foot across the frozen creeks to pursue their game and hunt. According to Nabokov and Snow, “Waterways and the well-trodden trails that connected them served as the hunters routes into the dense interior forests, where their arrows, snares, and deadfalls yielded moose, deer, beavers, muskrats, and otters in their rivers” (pg. 6). Winter was described to be the best time for these activities for a few reasons throughout the essay. The first reason was that the cold temperatures would freeze the rivers and creeks which would lead them around the forest easier. The ice layered on top of the rivers was thick enough for the indians to travel across with their moose-hide snowshoes. This became a benefit because it then allowed the tribe easier access into the deeper parts of the forest that would be harder to access during the warmer months of the year. The second reason discussed was that the animals were more visible during the winter months which made it the best time for “still-hunting and stalking.” In the winter months, the trees lost a lot of their leaves and white snow would cover the ground. This made animals stand out more easier which allowed the hunters to have better visibility while trying to stalk their prey. Whereas, in the warmer months, the forest was covered in different shades of green and brown colors which made it easier for animals such as deer, beavers, and muskrats to hide better in the internal parts of the forest. As a result, there was a greater chance to catch these prey during the winter months than during the summer.

2.

Summarizing the Main Points

During the winter months while in the action of “still-hunting and stalking,” there were a couple different kinds of bark...