Algonquin Tribes of Indiana

Algonquin Tribes of Indiana

The Algonquin tribes of Amerindians is a grouping of several tribes in North America with similar language and culture. The Algonquin family was the most widespread group in North America, with tribes located from the northeast to the western United States and into the south. Individual tribes of the Algonquin group originally numbered in the hundreds. Many of these tribes are extinct These tribes spoke different dialects of the language group.
All of the tribes that inhabited Indiana during historic times were members of the Algonquin grouping of tribes. These tribes were the Lenape, or Delaware, Shawnee, Pottawatomie, Miami, Kickapoo Piankashaw and Wea.

My recently published book, the Algonquin Tribes of Indiana, covers the lifestyle, religion, agricultural practices and general social construction of this large family of tribes.

Readers will uncover many interesting facets of Algonquin life, such as the size of their villages and the ways they made fire. Fire was both utilitarian and ceremonial. They had three main tools to make fire, the pump drill, the bow drill and striking a mineral called pyrite against a sliver of flint. The book details each of these methods as well as some of the ceremonial practices regarding fire.

The weapons they used for hunting and warfare included the war club, the tomahawk, knife and, before European contact, the bow and arrow. The book details these weapons, and more, as well as describes the general method used to shape flint into an arrowhead or tomahawk.

The Algonquin tribes made extensive use of pottery, which they used to store and cook food. Since they did not develop the pottery wheel, they used a coiling. After digging the clay, they processed it and moistened it after which they rolled it into coils. They could then form the coils into the desired shape after which they dried the object in the sun. Once dry, they would cure the object in a kiln, after which they would decorate it and use it. The book includes a general description of the entire process of Algonquin pottery making.

The book is the first in a series of books that will follow that will relate the history, customs, religious practices and traditions of each of the tribes that lived in Indiana at the time of the War of 1812. The book is part of my Indiana’s Timeless Tales series, which relates the history of Indiana from the prehistoric period until statehood in 1816. This is the 7th book in the series.

The book, as well as the rest of my 130+ titles can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple and other online book sellers in ebook, audiobook and soft bound formats. My web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com, has links to all of these vendors as well as a way to purchase the books direct from me.