HURON/ WYONDAT TRIBE

WYONDATS MEANS PENNISULA PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE IN OKLAHOMA USE THE SPELLING WYANDOTTS. HURON WAS THE FRENCH NAME FOR WYONDAT, AND IT MEANS 'WILD BOAR'. THEIR LANGUAGE IS RELATED TO THE IROQUOIS. THEY WERE ENEMIES THOUGH. THEY ARE ORIGINAL RESIDENTS ORIGINAL RESIDENTS OF SAINT LAWRENCE VALLEY IN QUEBEC. MANY FLED TO OHIO AND MICHIGAN. OTHERS FLED TO OKLAHOMA TO KANSAS DURING INDIAN REMOVAL OF THE 1800'S.

THEY HAVE TWO COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. ONE IN KANSAS AND ONE IN OKLAHOMA.EACH TRIBE HAS LAND THAT IS MOSTLY FOLKS WHO SPEAK ENGLISH. IN CANADA THE HURONS SPEAK FRENCH. THE LAST FLUENT HURON WYANDOT SPEAKER DIED IN THE 1960'S. SOME ELDERS REMEMBER THEIR LANGUAGE.

THE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL AND HELP THEIR PARENTS AND THEY HELPED IN HUNTING AND FISHING. IN THE PAST THEY HAD MORE CHORES. THE TEENS PLAYED LA CROSS. THE MOTHER'S MADE CRADLEBOARDS AND CARRIED THE BABIES ON THEIR BACKS TO HAVE THEIR HANDS FREE. THE MEN HUNTED, WERE WARRIORS, AND DIPLOMATS. THE WOMEN WERE IN CHARGE OF FARMING, PROPERTY, AND THE FAMILY. THE MEN AND WOMEN HAD EQUAL DIVISIONS OF POWER. MEN MADE POLITICAL DECISIONS, FOR THE CLANS. TODAY WOMEN CAN BE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO .

THE HOMES THEY MADE FROM WOOD POLES COVERED WITH SHEETS OF BARK. EACH HOUSE WAS 150 FEET LONG. UP TO 60 PEOPLE LIVE IN A CLAN AND COULD LIVE IN LARGER HOUSES. THE VILLAGES WERE PALLISADED FOR PROTECTION. TODAY LONGHOUSES ARE BUILT FOR CEREMONIAL PURPOSES ONLY.

IN THE PAST THEY WORE DEERSKIN LEGGINGS AND BREECHCLOTHS. THE WOMEN WORE DEERSKIN DRESSES AND WRAPPED AROUND SKIRTS. WITH MOCCASINS. THEY DIDN'T WEAR LONG HEADDRESSES. THE WOMEN AND MEN USUALLY WORE THEIR HAIR LONG. SOME MEN SHAVED THEIR HAIR IN MOHAWK STYLE. MEN PAINTED THEIR FACES AND WORE TRIBAL TATTOOS. WOMEN DID NOT.

THEY USED TO MAKE BIRCH BARK CANOES TO TRAVEL IN. OVER LAND IN PREHISTORIC TIMES THEY USED DOGS AND PACK ANIMALS. THEY WERE FARMING PEOPLE. THE WOMEN HARVESTED CORN, BEANS, SQUASH, AND SUNFLOWERS. THE MEN HUNTED DEER, TURKEYS, SMALL GAME, AND FISHED.

THEIR ARRT INCLUDED POTTERY, WEAVING, BEADWORK, AND MAKING WAMPUM BELTS. THEY CONTROLLED THE TRADE ROUTES HERE. ALMOST ALL THE EASTERN ALGONQUIAN TRIBES USED THEM AS TRADING MIDDLEMEN. THEY FOUGHT WITH THE POWERFUL IROQOUIS CONFEDERACY AND SENECA. STORY TELLING IS STILL VERY IMPORTANT TO THEIR CULTURE. THEIR SPIRITUALITY IS VERY COMPLEX. DURING THE 16TH CENTURY THERE WERE 16,000 FOLKS. HOWEVER, BY 2009 THERE WERE ONLY 3000 REGISTERED HURON IN CANADA.

BIG-ORRIN.ORG
NATIVE-LANGUAGES.ORG