The Lenape Tribe
known as the Delaware Indians and Delaware people.
Their diet mainly consists of corn, beans, squash (which was grown), deer, turkey, and elk (which was hunted). Lenape lifestyle followed the matrilineal clan system. Through the entire tribe, there were three clans; wolf, turtle, and turkey, which was decided by the female line. Actually today they are also known as the “original Philadelphians”. Lenapehoking means the land of the Lenape, this includes; New Jersey, Delaware River in Pennsylvania, Hudson Valley, & New York Harbor, in New York.
Three plants that held multiple purposes for the Lenape tribe are; milkweed, cattail, and willow. In early spring, milkweed is used as a vegetable (asparagus like), some actually chewed it like gum.The milky latex inside of the milkweed plant was used as medicine that treated ringworm and warts
If cattail is able to mature, “edible young flower heads form into cottony down that could be used for disposable diapers, bedding, and insulation.” The Lenape tribe ate the roots of the cattail and used it for medical purposes. The pain of minor wounds and burns was able to be relieved once the roots of the cattail would touch the skin, and “also were saved for treatment of diarrhea, gonorrhea, and worms.
Willow branches were used to build sweat lodges, and also were woven into baskets, cradle boards, and even sleeping platforms. In their medical field, Willow was extremely valued and was used to “relieve headaches, fever, arthritis, rheumatism, internal body aches, and external swellings.”
The Eyak Tribe
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Eyak, Tlingit, and Haida divide themselves into moieties, while the Tsimshian divide into phratries. The people depend on the oceans and rivers as well for both food and travel. They are historically located on the Copper River Delta and near the town of Cordova, Alaska. Food was seasonal for them which meant food must be preserved for the winter, and early spring. They preserved the food by smoking in smokehouses. It was also dried. Plants were used for business, particularly trade. The plants were managed with minimal maintenance-such as trimming, watering, and fertilizer or pesticide applications.