The Oneida
by Raven

 
Fast Elk
     It was hard for my mom when the white men tricked us.  They gave us money and said will you sign this paper.  We didn't know we sold our land.  Now it is even hard for my mom with a baby and clothes because she had to move quickly.  Soon mom is ready to have a baby!  We have to set up camp now!  Next she had the baby, "Hey look.  What is that?  It is an elk," said Mom.  Dad said, "We can use it to move quickly.  Ok, wrap the baby up and get on."  Dad says, "yah, yah".  So they thought about my name on the ride, and they said they could call me Fast Elk because the elk helped us to move quickly.
Eastern Woodland
     I woke up and saw all kinds of animals.  I saw a beaver making a dam on Erie Lake.  I saw a gray squirrel on a sugar maple eating a nut.  We travel to Lake Ontario to get our water.  Two men go up the Adirondack Mountain to get fire wood from a Canadian Spruce while the women are making a fire with scrap.  My clan (family) is called Bear because we have black bear in the Eastern Woodland.  The other animals are woodchuck, raccoon, white tailed deer, muskrat, house sparrows, snowshoe hares, and the eastern cottontail.  I will wake up and do the same thing tomorrow.
 
Very Long Long House
     Have you ever lived in a 300 foot long house?  Well, an Oneida has.  A long house is made of tree bark.  The bark is then tied over poles.  At the top of the long house is an open space for smoke to get out.  On the inside it had poles tied at the top for rafters.  A long house looks like a 300 feet long rectangle.  Inside, there are bunks, a fire place and seats where they hide tools.  On the outside there is pottery and drying racks.  Would you like to live in a long house?
Clothing
     Have you ever worn breechcloths?  The Oneida has.  Breechcloths are like a towel wrapped around you, but made out of deer fur.  If you think a towel made out of deer fur is different, wait until you see vests designed with quills.  They also wore moccasins for slippers.  The men wore tunics and leggings made from corn husk and leather.  They got their clothing from hunting animals and used their teeth for necklaces and animal fur for clothes.  Now you know what a breechcloth is.

 
Food
     A woman and a girl planted corn, squash, and bean seeds in the garden.  It started to rain.  The plants are starting to grow.  The corn, squash, and beans grew.  The men and women got hungry.  They took the corn and baked it on a fire and made corn cakes.  They ate the beans, squash, and corn cakes and danced.  Oneida also hunt fish and deer.  Enjoy your meal of squash, beans, and corn!

 
Sources

Book: Duvall, Jill.  The Oneida. 1991.

Online database:  "New York". Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.  12/20/2006. 

Web site: "Iroquois".  http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/reports1/iroquois.htm.  12/20/2006.

Native Americans by Mrs. Hardt's Third Grade Class

Native American Index ~ Mrs. Hardt ~ CCS ~ MSAD 50