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Units of New Hampshire History
Unit 2: The Abenaki Before 1600
Find It!

Find It! The Abenaki Before 1600

All the resources that appear in this unit are gathered here for you—the photographs, maps, objects, audiovisuals, documents, videos, biographies, and vocabulary words. Click on the image below to see a larger view of each resource with more information about each one. On some of the resources you can even zoom in and get a closer look. So go ahead, dive in, and explore. Before you know it, you’ll be thinking like a historian.

Find It! Scavenger Hunt

Can you help Mason find these items on the page and answer the questions?

Scavenger Hunt

Click On An Icon To Find A Resource!

Photographs & Prints in this Unit:

Photograph/Print

Three Sisters

Anna Juchnowicz

2018

Caption:

The Abenaki used a farming technique known as the "three sisters." They planted squash, corn, and beans together. The corn grew straight and tall, and the bean vines grew up around the corn stalks for support. The squash grew at the base of the corn stalks, and its big leaves helped prevent weeds from growing.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Photograph/Print

Indians Playing Lacrosse on the Ice

Edmund C. Coates

1859

Caption:

The sport of lacrosse began with Native Americans in northeastern North America. Many indigenous groups played a game using a stick with a net and a ball, although each group played the game a bit differently. The Abenaki played a type of lacrosse, and also had archery and running contests. Lacrosse games were often large events that had social and cultural importance, and men and women played together. This painting shows a lacrosse match in the winter. It was made by a white American artist in the 1800s.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Whitney Collections of Sporting Art, Yale University Art Gallery

Photograph/Print

Fishing at Amoskeag Falls

Ernest Gould photograph of a mural by William Abbot Cheever

Caption:

People have fished New Hampshire's fast-moving waters for thousands of years. Amoskeag Falls on the Merrimack River is one example of an excellent fishing spot. Each spring, bands of Abenaki would gather at this place to fish. They used spears and nets made from natural materials to catch the fish. This painting was created in the 1970s as part of a mural that now hangs in the Hooksett, NH, town hall.

Image Credit:

Photograph/Print

Indian Sugar Camp

Illustration by Seth Eastman in Information Respecting the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States by Henry R. Schoolcraft (1852)

Caption:

The Abenaki learned how to collect sap from sugar maple trees to make maple syrup and maple sugar. The Abenaki believe that the sweet maple sap is a gift from the Creator. They also believe that Gluskabe changed the sap so that it only flows once a year and has to be boiled down. They used buckets made of birch bark to collect the sap and boiled it in clay pots. Maple syrup season is in the very early spring, so the Abenaki would camp at a site with a lot of sugar maples and produce the sugar and syrup, like in this picture. When the English arrived in the early 1600s, the Abenaki shared this knowledge with them. Today New Hampshire is still famous for its maple syrup. This is an illustration from a book printed in the 1800s.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Abenaki Couple

circa 1750–1780

Caption:

This watercolor drawing shows an Abenaki couple wearing traditional Abenaki clothing in the 1700s. It was made by a Canadian artist. The Abenaki homeland, N'dakinna, includes part of what is now known as Quebec in Canada. During the period of English settlement, many Abenaki moved to Quebec from New England. They were pushed out by war and settlers taking their land. Today thousands of Abenaki live in Canada. The Abenaki are one of the indigenous groups recognized as a First Nation by the Canadian government.

Image Credit: City of Montreal Archives

Photograph/Print

Wabanaki Encampment, circa 1000 BCE

Judith Cooper

1989

Caption:

This painting was made in the 20th century to show what a Wabanaki camp may have looked like about 3,000 years ago. The artist used traditional Wabanaki knowledge, and knowledge about the natural world, to create her interpretation. This painting shows a camp on the coast of Maine. Abenaki camps in what is now known as New Hampshire, especially on the seacoast, would have had some similarities with this camp. Notice how everything the people use is made from the natural world around them.

Image Credit: From the collection of the Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine. [80760]

Photograph/Print

Plymouth Wilderness

Francis S. Drake

Caption:

N'dakinna was rich in natural resources and beauty. There were lakes, rivers, streams, mountains, and trees. There were plenty of animals and plants to hunt and gather for food, shelter, and clothing.

Image Credit: From Indian History for Young Folks, published in 1919, at the Internet Archive

Photograph/Print

Amoskeag Freshet, Manchester

Brian C. O'Connor

2019

Caption:

Amoskeag Falls on the Merrimack River is one of the largest waterfalls in the state. It was also a well-known fishing spot for the Abenaki people for thousands of years. Abenaki people from all over the region would gather there every spring and fall to catch fish. Later, English settlers also fished there. This photo shows a freshet near Amoskeag Falls. Notice how powerful the water is! A freshet is a rush of water in the river during the spring. The extra water comes from the snow and ice melting. This photo was taken in 2019 from a spot just below the dam.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Brian C. O'Connor

Photograph/Print

Abenaki Community

Francine Poitras Jones

2021

Caption:

Abenaki people lived in bands, or communities. Several related family groups made up a band. The family groups were usually related by their female ancestors.

Image Credit: Illustration by Francine Poitras Jones for the New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Abenaki Sachem

Francine Poitras Jones

2021

Caption:

Abenaki people have a lot of respect for the elders in their community. They believe that the elders' wisdom and experience can help guide them in their lives. In Abenaki tribes, the most respected elder was the sachem. The sachem helped people in the tribe resolve conflicts and make big decisions. Another word for sachem is sagamore, or sôgmô in the Abenaki language (pronounced like saw-guh-maw).

Image Credit: Illustration by Francine Poitras Jones for the New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Fishing Weirs

B. K. Goss

2008

Caption:

Weirs are underwater fences used to trap and catch fish. They can be made of stones or wood. Different kinds of weirs have been used to catch fish in many different places at many different times. The Abenaki used them to catch fish on rivers, lakes, and streams. Once the fish were trapped, the Abenaki would paddle out in their canoes and use nets or spears to catch the fish. Then they dried or smoked the fish to preserve them, so they could be eaten throughout the year.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Photograph/Print

Abenaki Wigwam

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

The Abenaki people built wigwams for shelter during the warmer months. Wigwams had a frame of tree branches woven with birch or elm bark. They were cone-shaped or dome-shaped. Each wigwam housed a family. Inside, there were mats made of plant material, soft deerskins, and tanned animal furs to sleep on.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Photograph/Print

Abenaki Village

Francine Poitras Jones

2021

Caption:

Abenaki villages were always built close to a water source. In the village, the wigwams were built in a half-circle pattern, with a fire pit in the center. Around the edges of the village, the Abenaki planted crops to grow food. Some villages were very large, with hundreds of people living there.

Image Credit: Illustration by Francine Poitras Jones for the New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

American Black Bear

Wikipedia user Cephas

2012

Caption:

This photo shows an American black bear, or ursus americanus. This is a type of bear the Abenaki people would have hunted in the Woodland period, and today too. A successful bear hunt provided more than meat for the people to eat. The Abenaki believe that you should only take from the earth and from the hunt what you will use. So every part of the animal is used for something, not just the meat. Sharp bear claws can be used as tools. Bear skins make warm clothing or bedding. The bones could also be tools or weapons, or ground into a paste that was like glue. After the hunt, the Abenaki thank the spirit of the animal for its sacrifice.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Photograph/Print

Abenaki Healer

Francine Poitras Jones

2021

Caption:

In the past and today, a Medawlinno is a respected elder in a tribe who is good at understanding the spiritual world. This person helps people connect with the spiritual world and makes sure everything is in balance. They use music from a flute or a drum, or an offering of tobacco, to communicate with spirits. They lead weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies. Medawlinno are also healers. They know a lot about medical care and take care of sick people.

Image Credit: Illustration by Francine Poitras Jones for the New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Gluskabe and the Whale

Illustration by Tomah Joseph in The Algonquin Legends of New England or Myths and Folk Lore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Tribes, by Charles G. Leland

1884

Caption:

Storytelling is an important part of Abenaki culture. The Abenaki people pass down stories from generation to generation to teach their history and values. Stories also explain things in the natural world, explain the Abenaki's spiritual beliefs, and teach children how to behave. This illustration of Glooskap, or Gluskabe, was made by Tomah Joseph. Joseph was an indigenous person from the Passamaquoddy tribe in Maine. He was an artist, tribal governor, and travel guide. He illustrated the stories he heard from his elders on birch bark. In this illustration, the whale has brought Gluskabe on a journey on the ocean. To thank her, Gluskabe has given the whale a pipe and some tobacco.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections

Photograph/Print

Tanning Animal Hides

Francine Poitras Jones

2021

Caption:

Before 1600, Abenaki clothing was usually made out of tanned animal hides. It took a lot of time to make clothing. The hide had to be stretched on a frame of tree branches. Then it was covered by a heated mixture of animal brains and water. There is an oil called lecithin in the brains that softens the hide. This is an example of the Abenaki using all the parts of the animals they hunt. Once the hide is tanned, it is smoked over a fire to make it water-resistant and durable. The Abenaki also wove cloth out of milk weed fibers.

Image Credit: Illustration by Francine Poitras Jones for the New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

On the Abenaki Trail

Francine Poitras Jones

2021

Caption:

Abenaki groups traveled to gather with larger groups of Abenaki and other indigenous peoples. They gathered for seasonal celebrations and to trade. There were networks of trails all over New England and beyond. This illustration shows a group of Abenaki traveling. What do you notice about the things they brought with them?

Image Credit: Illustration by Francine Poitras Jones for the New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Going to Fight the Iroquois

Francis S. Drake

1885

Caption:

Sometimes the Abenaki people fought with other indigenous groups, like the Iroquois. About 3,000 years ago, the Iroquois began to settle on land that the Abenaki used. But the Abenaki preferred to work things out peacefully with these other groups if possible.

Image Credit: From Indian History for Young Folks at the Internet Archive

Artists from the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki

Photograph/Print

Artists from the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki

Lynn Martin Graton

circa 2000s

Caption:

Today, many Abenaki people still live in New Hampshire, as well as all over the world. They make traditional Abenaki crafts, like baskets, as well as jewelry, musical instruments, rattles, clothing, and all kinds of art. This photo is of Bill and Sherry Gould, who live in Warner, NH, and are Abenaki basket makers. Basket making is an important Abenaki art form. The Goulds show their works of art at museums and art fairs all over the country. The Goulds are from the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki, a Vermont state-recognized tribe. This photograph was taken at the League of N.H. Craftsmen annual fair at the Mount Sunapee Resort.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Lynn Martin Graton and Bill and Sherry Gould

Photograph/Print

Native Americans and English Trading

Theodor de Bry

1597

Caption:

English explorers first met the Abenaki people in the late 1500s and early 1600s. The English and the Abenaki traded with each other for items like beaver pelts, wampum, and metal tools like ax heads. Many people think this image shows an explorer named Bartholomew Gosnold trading with Native Americans in what is now Massachusetts. Other people think it shows a different Englishman trading with Native Americans in what is now Newfoundland, Canada. It is probably not a very accurate image of what the indigenous people looked like. But it does give you an idea of early meetings between indigenous people of New England and English explorers.

Image Credit: Edward E. Ayer Digital Collection, Newberry Library

Photograph/Print

Snow Snake Game

Francine Poitras Jones

2019

Caption:

This painting shows a snow snake game. Snow snake is a winter game that has been played by the Abenaki people for centuries. It is still played today. Each player has a hand-carved piece of wood, the "snow snake." The snow snake is thrown down a path dug in the snow. The person whose snow snake goes the furthest is the winner.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Photograph/Print

Franconia Mountain

John Henry Dolph

1870

Caption:

This is a landscape painting called Franconia Mountain.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Recollections of the White Mountains

Thomas C. Lindsay

1864

Caption:

This is a landscape painting showing bits and pieces of different places in the White Mountains.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Photograph/Print

Mikamwes

Illustration by Tomah Joseph in The Algonquin Legends of New England or Myths and Folk Lore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Tribes, by Charles G. Leland

1884

Caption:

N'dakinna, the Abenaki homeland, is not just New Hampshire. It spreads all over northern New England and eastern Canada, including Maine, Vermont, and northern Massachusetts. This drawing was made by Tomah Joseph in the 1800s. According to legend, mikamwes were small creatures who lived in the woods. Tomah Joseph was an indigenous person from the Passamaquoddy tribe in Maine. He was an artist, tribal governor, and travel guide. He illustrated the stories he heard from his elders on birch bark. The Passamaquoddy people are part of a group of tribes sometimes known as the "eastern Abenaki."

Image Credit: Image courtesy of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections

Photograph/Print

The Manner of Their Fishing

John White

circa 1585–1593

Caption:

This watercolor drawing of indigenous people fishing was made by John White in the late 1500s. White was an English explorer around the area that is now North Carolina. The indigenous people he interacted with were Algonquin, though not Abenaki. Notice the different methods the people in the drawing use to trap and catch the fish.

Image Credit: ©The Trustees of the British Museum

Photograph/Print

Indian Council

Francis S. Drake

1885

Caption:

Abenaki people in the Woodland period traded with other groups of indigenous people in eastern North America. Items they traded include clay pots, wampum, and tools. They also exchanged ideas and friendship!

Image Credit: From Indian History for Young Folks at the Internet Archive

Native Americans Hunting on Mount Desert Island

Photograph/Print

Native Americans Hunting on Mount Desert Island

Engraving by Matthäus Merian in A Brief Relation of the Discovery and Plantation of New England

1622

Caption:

N'dakinna, the Abenaki homeland, is not just New Hampshire. It spreads all over northern New England and eastern Canada, including Maine, Vermont, and northern Massachusetts. This drawing shows Abenaki on Mount Desert Island, which is off the coast of Maine. It shows some of the methods and tools the Abenaki used to hunt during the Woodland period. It was drawn by a European artist who never visited North America. He based his drawing on descriptions of the area and people written by European explorers.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Maps & Charts in this Unit:

Maps & Charts

N'dakinna

Caption:

N'dakinna is the Abenaki homeland. The word N’dakinna means the world and way of life of the Abenaki. N'dakinna covers a huge amount of land that includes most of northern New England, from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Champlain and possibly even farther.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

N'dakinna and New England States

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Abenaki-Inspired Place Names

Caption:

Many places in New Hampshire today have names that come from the Abenaki language. Do you live near one of these places?

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Maps & Charts

Spiritual Balance

Caption:

The Abenaki believe that everything in the world has a spirit, including plants, animals, the land, and the elements. All spirits are important, and all spirits' needs should be respected. Everything in the world is connected through these spirits. It's important to keep all of these spirits in balance. That is why the Abenaki people believe that you should only take from the earth what you need. It is also why they thank the animal for its sacrifice after a hunt.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Objects in this Unit:

Object

Soapstone Bowl

circa 3,000–2,000 BCE

Caption:

This bowl is about 5,000 years old. It is made of soapstone, which is a soft kind of stone that is easy to carve, durable, and can stay hot for a long time. It was probably made by the Abenaki people living around what is now Goffstown, NH. It was found in Goffstown in the 1800s. The bowl would probably have been used for cooking and storing food. It would have been very important to whoever made it, and probably passed down from generation to generation because it was such a useful tool.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Snowshoes

circa 1776

Caption:

Nearly every group of indigenous people in northern North America developed a type of snowshoe. These wide, flat shoes made of branches let people walk on the snow without sinking. When English settlers arrived in New England, they adopted snowshoes and sometimes bought or traded for them with the Abenaki. These snowshoes are said to have been made by an Abenaki and worn by a soldier who served with John Stark in the American Revolution.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Grooved Ax Head

undated

Caption:

The Abenaki had to find everything they needed, like tools, in the natural world around them. This piece of stone is an ax head that the Abenaki would have used to chop or crush wood, food, or other items. It would have taken a lot of hard work to sharpen the cutting edge of the stone. This ax head was probably attached to a wooden handle. The handle would have been fastened to the ax head with another natural material, like a tendon or ligament from an animal.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Birch Bark Canoe Model

circa 1850–1900

Caption:

This is a model of an Abenaki-style birch bark canoe, made in the 1800s. Canoes made out of birch bark were light and easy to pick up and move across a stream or a low point in a river. They were used on rivers and small lakes, while heavier dugout canoes were used on larger bodies of water.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Quilled Box

circa 1800–1860

Caption:

The Abenaki people made boxes and baskets from natural materials. This box is made from birch bark and is decorated with dyed porcupine quills. It took a lot of skill to weave the baskets and boxes and to dye the quills and place them in unique patterns.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

Object

Sap Bucket

circa 1800s

Caption:

The Abenaki were the first to realize that the sap of the sugar maple tree could be collected and boiled down to make sweet syrup. They collected sap in buckets like this, made of bark from birch trees. This sap bucket is from the 1800s but it is similar to buckets used in earlier times. One main difference is that this basket has a metal wire to hang it from the tree. In the woodland period, the Abenaki probably used a cord made from animal hide or sinew or plant fibers instead.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society

Object

Abenaki Animal Resources

Caption:

The Abenaki people used items they found in the natural environment to meet all of their needs. This group of items shows you some of the animal resources the Abenaki would have used, although these items are from modern times. The fur is a beaver pelt, which was very warm. Porcupine quills were used to decorate clothing, baskets, and jewelry. The other items are from a deer. The leather is a tanned deerskin hide, which was used for clothing or shelter. The deer sinew, antler, and jawbone were all very useful tools.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society Education Collections

Object

Ball Rattle

Caption:

Music and dancing are very important parts of Abenaki culture. Abenaki people today like to gather and sing traditional songs. They still use instruments made out of natural materials. For example, drums are made of wood and rawhide, and rattles are made of gourds or rawhide. This rattle is made of rawhide with deerskin trim. Rawhide is animal skin that has been dried, but not tanned. Huron people living in Quebec, Canada, made this rattle in the 2010s. Indigenous people throughout the Northeast use similar rattles.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society Education Collections

Object

Bear Tooth Bracelet

circa 1600s–1700s

Caption:

Abenaki people made jewelry from animal parts, nuts, or shells. In fact, some Abenaki artists still make jewelry from these materials. This bracelet is made out of bear canine teeth. When Abenaki hunt an animal, they thank the animal for its sacrifice and use every part of it, like the teeth in this bracelet.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society Education Collections

Object

Deer Toe Leg Rattle

Caption:

Music and dancing are very important parts of Abenaki culture. Abenaki people today like to gather and sing traditional songs. They still use instruments made out of natural materials. This leg rattle was made in modern times from deer toes, attached to deerskin leather, with glass beads. Leg rattles are used during ceremonial dances. They are tied around a person's leg just below the knee. Abenaki in the Woodland period would not have had glass beads. Instead the beads would have been made of shell, bone, or stone.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society Education Collections

Object

Porcupine Quill Belt

circa 1600s–1700s

Caption:

This belt is made of porcupine quills that have been flattened by pressing or chewing them. The quills were then painted or dyed. It is an example of how the Abenaki made decorative items from natural materials, a practice that continues today.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society Education Collections

Object

Bracelet and Quahog Shell

Caption:

These items are both from modern times. The bracelet is a good example of what a wampum belt or band looks like. The beads on this bracelet are made from clay. In the time before 1600, the beads would probably have been made from the shell of a quahog, which is a type of clam. Quahog shells are mostly white with a little bit of purple on the edges, like the shell in this picture.

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society Education Collections

Object

Deadfall Trap

Wikipedia user Yourcelf

2009

Caption:

In the past and today, one way the Abenaki people gather food is by hunting. They use all kinds of tools for hunting, like bows and arrows, axes, and traps. A deadfall trap uses a heavy log or stone to hunt large prey. A piece of bait is placed under the log or stone, and when the animal goes to get the bait, it trips the cord. Then the sticks holding up the log or stone fall, and the log or stone crushes the animal and kills it.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Object

Longhouse Interior

Howard

undated

Caption:

During the winter, the Abenaki people lived in longhouses. These were much larger than wigwams. Several families lived in a longhouse. They slept on platforms covered with animal furs. Fire pits ran down the middle of the longhouse. This longhouse was made in modern times to show people what it would have looked like in the time before 1600.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Object

Abenaki Clothing

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

The Abenaki people made clothes out of tanned animal skins. Clothes were dyed with natural materials, like berries, to make them colorful. Clothing was also decorated with shells or beads. The shells or beads were tied on with animal tendons called sinew. Because this clothing was made in the present day, it uses artificial waxed sinew, and the beads are made of metal. This clothing was made by Francine Jones, a member of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Object

Fringed Clothing

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

The Abenaki people made clothes out of tanned animal skins. The fringe on clothing had an important purpose. If the clothing was damaged, fringes could be removed and used to repair it. This clothing was made by Francine Jones, a member of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Object

Clothing Decorations

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

The Abenaki people made clothes out of tanned animal skins. The clothing was decorated, which was a chance for people to be creative and artistic. Clothes were dyed with natural materials, like berries, to make them colorful. Clothing was also decorated with shells or beads. The shells or beads were tied on with animal tendons called sinew. This photo shows how the shell was attached with sinew. The holes would be made with a bone needle. Because this clothing was made in the present day, it uses artificial waxed sinew. This clothing was made by Francine Jones, a member of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Object

Moccasins and Peaked Cap

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

These are moccasins and a peaked cap like the Abenaki would have worn in the time before 1600. Both pieces were made in the present times but they show how moccasins and a cap would have looked in the past. They were made out of buckskin, hand stitched, and hand beaded. They were made by Francine Poitras Jones, a member of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation. They are on display in an exhibit about Abenaki art and culture in the airport in Burlington, Vermont.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Object

Beaded Possibles Bag

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

This is a beaded Possibles bag like the Abenaki people would have used in the time before 1600 and many people still use today. It's called a "Possibles" bag because it is an everyday bag. You would carry in it everything you might possibly need in a day. They were convenient storage containers that could be worn around the waist or shoulder, or kept in a wigwam or longhouse. This Possibles bag was made in the present day but it was made the same way it would have been in the time before 1600. It is made out of buckskin and stitched by hand with artificial sinew. It was made by Francine Poitras Jones, a member of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation. It is on display in an exhibit about Abenaki art and culture at the airport in Burlington, Vermont.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Object

Wampum and Cowrie Shell Necklace

Francine Poitras Jones

Caption:

Abenaki art, such as jewelry, is still made today. This necklace was made in the present day by an Abenaki artist from the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation. It is made of wampum shells, cowrie shells, and silver-plated and glass beads. Cowrie, silver, and glass would not have been used in the Woodland period. Although some parts of the necklace are modern, the importance of the wampum shells has stayed the same.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Francine Poitras Jones

Object

Longhouse Reconstruction

Caption:

During the winter, the Abenaki people lived in longhouses. These were much larger than wigwams. Several families lived in each longhouse. A longhouse had a frame and support posts made of logs or tree branches. This frame was then covered with birch bark. Animal hides kept snow and rain out of the doorways. This image shows a reconstruction of a longhouse that the Iroquois indigenous people would have lived in during the Woodland period. The Iroquois were neighbors of the Abenaki, and their longhouses were similar.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Ontario Museum of Archaeology, London, Ontario, Canada

Object

Abenaki Clay Pot

Vicki Blanchard, potter, citizen of the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki

2021

Caption:

The Abenaki people started making clay pots at the beginning of the Woodland period. The clay pots were practical and artistic. It was a lot easier to cook with a clay pot, which was lighter than a stone bowl and sturdier than a container made of birch bark. The pots were also used for storage. The outside of the pots were decorated with beautiful designs, like zig-zags, dots, lines, and triangles. Clay pots were also traded with indigenous groups who lived in what is now New York, Ohio, and other places to the west. Abenaki pottery was a very popular trade item. This pot was made in the present day by an Abenaki potter.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Vicki Blanchard, potter, citizen of the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki

Object

Water Drum

circa 1990

Caption:

Music and dancing are very important parts of Abenaki culture. The water drum was first used by the indigenous Haudenosaunee people (also called Iroquois). During the Woodland period, water drums would have been made out of a hollowed log or ceramic pot and filled with water. When the drum membrane is hit with a drumstick, the water makes a unique sound. Around the mid-1700s, when the Abenaki had a closer relationship with the Haudenosaunee, they started to use water drums as well. Abenaki women, especially, use this type of drum. This particular drum was made in the present day out of wood. The drum head is thick leather and is held in place by metal ring covered with fabric. The drumstick is carved out of wood.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum

Object

Gourd Rattle

Morningstar, Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki

2020

Caption:

Music and dancing are very important parts of Abenaki culture. In the Woodland period, Abenaki people made musical instruments out of materials they found in the natural world. One example is a gourd rattle. First the neck of the gourd is cut off. Then the insides of the gourd are scooped out, like carving a pumpkin. When the gourd is dried, you put the seed back in, and they make a rattling noise. Then the gourd is fitted with a wooden handle. Sometimes they are decorated with beautiful designs. Many Abenaki people today still use rattles made of gourds. This gourd rattle, showing a bear, was made in present times by a citizen of the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk Abenaki.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Morningstar Studio

Audiovisuals in this Unit:

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Creation

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Creation

circa 1995

Story told by Joseph Bruchac

Image Credit: Produced by the New Hampshire Historical Society

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Where Gluskabe Camps

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Where Gluskabe Camps

circa 1995

Story told by Joseph Bruchac

Image Credit: Produced by the New Hampshire Historical Society

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Gluskabe Creates Companions

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Gluskabe Creates Companions

circa 1995

Story told by Joseph Bruchac

Image Credit: Produced by the New Hampshire Historical Society

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Gluskabe Changes Maple Syrup

Audiovisual

Mason Presents: Abenaki Stories: Gluskabe Changes Maple Syrup

2020

Adapted from First People of America and Canada—Turtle Island, https://www.firstpeople.us/

Image Credit: Produced by the New Hampshire Historical Society

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Virtual Field Trip: Fort at No. 4

2023

Caption:

Image Credit: New Hampshire Historical Society

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Biography

Passaconaway

circa 1575–1665

Caption:

Passaconaway, also called "Papisseconawa," was the leader of the Penacook people, an Abenaki tribe living in the Merrimack Valley. He lived during the time of English exploration and settlement of the Abenaki homeland, called N’dakinna. The Penacook were part of a large and powerful group of Abenaki tribes, called a confederacy. Passaconaway was a very important and respected leader. The Abenaki believed that he had special powers, like being able to see the future, to control the weather, and to transform into the shapes of animals, like bears. His name means "child of the bear" in the Abenaki language. When the English arrived, Passaconaway encouraged the Abenaki to live peacefully with them. He believed this was the best way to keep his people safe and preserve their culture and way of life. It is hard to know exactly when he was born and exactly when he died, but legend has it that he lived to be 120 years old!

Image Credit: Engraving by B.W. Thayer Company in C. E. Potter's History of Manchester, 1856, New Hampshire Historical Society

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