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The Algonkian peoples - composed of over one hundred distinct groups and communities, sharing a common language family and similar lifeways - have traditionally inhabited much of the eastern United States and Canada. The Algonkian peoples are sometimes referred to by the spelling variation Algonquin, which is derived from the Algonquian of early French written accounts. There is also a single tribal nation named Algonquin/Algonkin from southern Quebec and Ontario. The replicated village at IAIS includes a sachem's wigwam, a bark-covered wigwam, a reed-covered wigwam, a Three Sisters garden and a dugout canoe. For the Algonkian peoples, the longhouse was the home of the leader (chief, sachem, sagamore) and his family. The largest “longhouses” used in Connecticut were approximately 30 feet long, as compared to the Iroquois longhouses of Western New York, which were often 150 feet long. In the democratic Algonkian culture, this large space was needed for people to meet together to discuss important issues such as war or relocation. Wigwams were a traditional dwelling for many Woodland families. The sturdy wigwam interior frame was constructed of saplings tied together with basswood bark. Large pieces of elm or tulip tree bark were then applied to the frame and secured with an exterior framework. Wigwams had a central fire for heat, cooking, and light with a smoke hole at the top of the wigwam providing ventilation. Reed-covered wigwams were commonly used by communities living by the shoreline, where reeds are plentiful. |