The Seneca
by Trevor

Longboy
     One night a storm blew in on the Seneca tribe.  The wind blew sand against their long houses, it started to thunder and lightening.  It was fierce.  The lightening smashed the long house down.  My mother just made it out.  She tried to rush into a different long house, but she slipped into a mud puddle.  My dad helped my mom up.  Dad tried to open another long house door, but the wind kept pushing the door shut.  So every body helped.  The door was just open so mom and dad could get in.  Mom's dress got caught up and dad opened the door just enough so they could get the dress out.  Mom had me.  I was screeching, and the storm stopped.  Everybody started thinking about names.  Everybody agreed for Longboy because of how I made it safely out of the longhouse.  That's how I got my name, Longboy. 
If You Live in the Eastern Wodlands
     One summer day, birds were rushing to the spruce branches to sing a song as deer mice got ready for winter.  The Black Bear hunted for food and there's so much to pick from.  They found berries ripe as can be.  The Bear looked for fish near the Niagara Falls that drops into the Niagara River. The Beaver gets hardwoods for a cozy dam in the Mohawk River.  Mountains are every where as far as the eye can see like the Catskill Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, the Adirondack Mountains, and Mount Marcy.  The Eagle soars over all of them.  All of the lakes and rivers are called Lake Canandaqua, Lake Ontario, Hudson River--Finger Lakes.  In the early winter, rain starts to fall then it gets colder and it starts to snow.  So the Eastern Cottontail (bunny), Woodchuck, Raccoon, Gray Squirrel, and Muskrat got ready for winter.  In addition, the fir trees drip snow.  That's how it is in the Eastern Woodlands.
 
About Longhouses
     Did you know that longhouses are 50 to 200 feet long?  That's how it got its name, Longhouse.  The door has totems hanging in front of it on the inside.  The door is animal skin, like bear skin.  There are trees buried in the ground in two rows.  There's all kinds of bark on the longhouse.  The longhouse has bunks that people sit on and store food, and keep weapons in.  The longhouse holds 30 to 60 families.  There are fire places with holes at the top of a longhouse for smoke.  Outside there is wooden pottery, and wood with corn drying.  So, how would you like to live in a longhouse?
Clothing
     Have you ever worn necklaces made of animal teeth?  The Seneca tribe has.  The women wore vests, rabbit fur capes, and skirts made of animals' skin.  On their legs they wore leather moccasins and breech cloths, almost like a diaper.  Men wore deer skin breech cloths and leather or corn husk moccasins and tunics.  They got their clothes from hunting rabbit, deer, and porcupines.  From most of those animals, they got quills and leather.  They gathered shells too.  So remember, if you wanted jewelry back then, choose animal teeth.

 
Food Rush
     One time it was a snowy winter, and the Seneca tribe was sad and hungry.  Two men went to hunt.  The two men got 1 moose and one deer.  It took one day.  It started to rain.  They found lots of fish in the river.  The two men caught the fish, and they were happy.  They made a fire.  It took 10 days to get to the village.  Every body started eating and got full.  The Seneca tribe also planted corn, beans and squash, also known as the Three Sisters.  If you like these foods, join the Seneca.
Sources

Book: Duvall, Jill.  The Seneca.  1991.

Online database: "New York."  Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.  12/11/2006.

Web site: "Iroquois."  http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/reports1/iroquois.htm#homes.  12/1/2006.
 

Native Americans by Mrs. Hardt's Third Grade Class

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