Narragansett
Lands: The traditional homeland of the Narragansett includes the western part of present-day
Rhode Island adjacent to Narragansett Bay. Their population was around
10,000 people in the 1600's. Because of diseases introduced by European
colonists along with warfare, the population of the tribe plummeted to only 200
people. Their numbers have since rebounded and at present count there are 2,456
people in the Narragansett tribe.Traditions: Corn was the traditional staple of
the Narragansett. They also gathered nuts and
berries and other plants. The Narragansett were skilled hunters and
fishermen; they used meat to supplement their diet.
The typical family lived in
a structure called a wigwam. Canoes were their primary means of transportation. They
would seasonally move to where food was readily available, living by the coast
in the summer and moving inland in the winter.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not
claim expertise on the Narragansett.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the web address of this page.
If you are Narragansett, your feedback is much appreciated.
Narraganset Indian Tribe http://www.narragansett-tribe.org/
Resources:
Bodge, Goerge Madison. King Philip’s War. Genealogical
Publications co, Baltimore: 1967
Simmons, William. The Narragansett. Chelsea House Publishers, New
York: 1989
Sultzman, Lee. “Narragansett History”, http://www.dickshovel.com/Narra.html 1999
“Narragansett Bay”, http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Our_Country_vol_2/narragense_da.html 1999
“Narragansett”, www.comptons.com/encyclopedia/articles/0675/06790912-a.html 2000
Written by: Bryan Mitchell |
