Patchogue
The Patchogue were one of 14 Algonquin- speaking Indian tribes on Long Island in the US state of New York and lived at the beginning of the 17th century on the Great South Bay on the south coast of the island, around where the town of Patchogue in Suffolk County of the same name is today River lies. They believed to speak Quiripi-Unquachog, an Algonquian dialect spoken by the tribes of central Long Island and western Connecticut .
Way of life
The tribe moved to the coast in the cycle of the seasons in the warmer months, while the winter was sheltered by the thick oak forests in the interior of the island. They didn't have to wander too far, as the tribal area only extended about 15 km north to the center. In the northern half of Long Island lived other tribes who claimed the land there as habitat, for example the Setauket , Nesquake and Corchaug .
The main focus of the Indians throughout the year was on the procurement of food, clothing and the production of wampum . They grew crops, mostly corn, beans and squash . The vegetarian diet was supplemented by fish, mussels and game. Everyone did their part to make the tribal community function well. While the men went hunting or fishing, the women tilled the fields and tended the harvest, looked after the children and kept the portable wigwams in good condition.
Political decisions were made by the sachem , a tribal leader in succession, after consulting all adult members of the tribe. Although men usually held this office, there were women at the head of some tribes. The medicine men, called powwow , had a great influence on politics, religion and the healing arts. Special rites and ceremonies were an important part of daily life. Their villages were mostly small and barely fortified until after 1630 the situation changed and they were exposed to constant threats from the more powerful tribes from the mainland. Although they were at times linked in loose confederations , the lack of strong central leadership was an indication that there was little conflict between them before contact with Europeans.
The identity of the Patchogue is now considered extinct as the last survivors went to neighboring tribes and mingled with them in the 18th century.
Individual evidence
- ↑ APA Guides New England - Geography and History, page 30f, APA Publications Ltd., 1991 ISBN 3-575-21415-8
See also
literature
- Bruce G. Trigger (Ed.): Handbook of North American Indians . Vol. 15. Northeast . Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC 1978 ISBN 0-16004-575-4