Abenaki Warrior - Migakawinno Aln8ba |
The way of the Warrior was a hard way to go. It is generally assumed by many commentators that the life of the Indian man was one of leisure, with the bulk of the heavy work done by the woman. The man was responsible for hunting, fishing, clearing trees, building the wigw8m or long house, making the canoe, carving the household cooking and eating items, instructing the young boys, caring for his in-laws in their old age, etc. While he took little part in the day-to-day affairs of his wife's household, he was also responsible for ensuring the safety of his Family, Clan, and Band. There could be no sustenance farming of the "Three Sisters" if there existed danger of enemy raids against the villages. Therefore, defense was an important aspect of a man's life. In the historic period, it became necessary to erect perimeters of palisades around the village. Long trees, most likely pine, were cut down, sharpened on both ends and embedded several feet into the earth around the main village dwellings. Look-out towers stood high above, so that there would be a chance of early warning should danger threaten. To be a warrior meant that one could endure without complaint, all hardships of cold, hunger, pain, and weariness. This was what the young boys aspired to, and with the help of their maternal uncles, they were trained from an early age to shoot the longbow and wield the tomahawk, and knife. They learned to walk swiftly and silently through the forest, tracking animals or people with deadly skill. The French complained that their Abenaki allies came and went as they pleased, with no notice. That is to say, if you were an enemy, you would not hear or see us until it was too late! With the advent of the acquisition of European firearms in the mid- 1600's, the Aln8bak quickly mastered the use of powder and ball. The accouterments of war changed as metal knives and iron-bladed hatchets were traded to us. The warrior's kit changed accordingly. The long-bow was largely replaced by the musket, as the skills of arrow-making fell into disuse by the mission villages along the northern rivers. Dawnland People mainly allied themselves (as it suited them) with the French, and received military aid as well as trade goods and food-stuffs. An aide-de-campe under Marquis de Montcalm described the appearance and equipment of the Abenakis in the mid-1700's. Heads were shaved except for the crown, with scalp locks plaited and adorned with deer- hair roaches, feathers, and wampum. Their noses and ears were bored to be hung with silver pendants, wheels, and "ball-and-cones." Their faces and exposed skin were painted with cunning and terrifying designs with pigments of red, black, and white mixed with bear fat. In cooler weather, trade shirts (W8baksak) with ruffles were prized, and worn until it fell off. The shoulders were painted with ochre, and the shirts were supposedly never washed, hence they always requested more. Finger-woven sashes of brightly colored hues and cunning designs were worn about waist, with the knots tied in back. Into these sashes, the warriors stuffed knives, hatchets, and the ever-present tobacco pouches, sometimes small hand-held mirrors, as well. Leggings of deer skin, or woolen trade material fitted to about mid-thigh, held by thongs to the waist and gartered with finger- woven or wampum bands. Their moccasins were worn flaps down or laced up around the ankle, depending upon need. The warrior wore his scalping knife suspended from his neck to get at quickly, in a quilled leather sheath. The knife in question was a short, cheaply made steel blade with wooden handle that was a commonly requested trade item from both the French and English. It was a utilitarian tool, being used to eat with skin animals, as well (Jajagw). A shoulder slung bag of brain tan ornamented with quills and trade beads (Baskhigan) of French, English, Dutch, or Spanish manufacture was the main weapon of choice. Its large caliber (20+ gauge) was smooth bore, and equally suited fro ball, buck, or bird shot, or a combination of both to ensure stopping power. Flintlock "fowlers" were a trade-staple in North America well into the 1800's among Natives. A woolen blanket (Maska) was worn wrapped around the torso, with the end draped over the left shoulder, leaving this arm free. It could also be worn as a pack-sack, tied with trump line or leather strap, with additional moccasins, rations and personal items. Examples are described as dark trade colors with rows od colored silk ribbons sewn on the length of the hem. The equipment of the warrior was designed for ease of motion to maneuver most quickly in the woodlands of the Northeast. The heaviest of items carried was the musket, and often was slung over the back with a sling or strap. A warrior carried a spoon and sometimes a small metal pot resembling a coffee or tea pot in which to boil corn meal for his mess. Warriors were far more adept at living off of the land, and again the French complained that their savage allies would disappear to hunt for fresh game at the most inopportune times...but the officers of the French King Louis were only too happy to be the beneficiaries of meat supplied by the hunters! The Native warriors could travel huge distances without rest; they were raised from childhood with the rigors of seasonal migration for hunting, fishing, and gathering of edibles on the trail. When possible, travel was accomplished by birch-bark canoes (Wigwaol) for military means. Most warriors were familiar enough with their construction and maintenance, that they could construct them from scratch, if need be. In the more southerly locations, where birch was not abundant, elm bark was substituted. But elm bark did not hold up nearly as well as the canoe birch, and the resulting crafts were temporary at best. The rations for the warrior were generally comprised for ground corn meal or parched corn, with strips of dried, smoked meat or fish. As mentioned before, these were supplemented at every opportunity with fresh foodstuffs, gotten by military issue, hunting, fishing, or booty taken in raids. It is said that an army marches on its stomach, and the French were certainly no exception. Along with the Compagnies dela Marines et Franches, marched the wagons containing provisions for His Most Royal Majesties' troops. The Abeankis got their first tastes of pork, peas, and wheat bread from the commissary. Frequently, oxen were slaughtered to feed them, which they cut into pieces and boiled in their kettles. Wine and brandy found their way into our hands, with shocking results! Our warriors were utilized as scouts and shock troops by the French, and as a buffer between the Colonies of New England and New France. The Jesuits had a two-fold mission among us; not only to Christianize the Abenaki, but to use us as a constant threat and source of irritation to the english on their northern border. In the field, Abenaki warriors distinguished themselves in ferocity and tenacity against the English. Scalps and captives found their way north to our villages and the settlements of the French. In historic accounts, we are called by a variety of names - St. Francis Indians, French Indians, Abenaquiois, Loups, Openangoes, Soriquois, Missiasiks, ect. Led by many war leaders, the warrior was still capable of making split-second decisions in the field. War Chiefs led by example, not absolute authority. The French observed that of all their Native allies, the Abenakis were the least to conform to the orders of French Commanders. They obeyed when and if its suited them, and the French could do nothing but try to keep them in their good graces, lest the Sauvages turn on them! Back to Traditional Lifestyle Main Page |
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