Information on Indian Tools & Weapons

Weapons were used for hunting and fighting.

A variety of tools and weapons were used by American Indian tribes in North America. Weapons were used for hunting and fighting, either between tribes or with European settlers after colonization began. Tools ranged in use from food preparation to musical instruments and even sports equipment. Transportation was also an important aspect of Indian culture, and it was used for hunting and migration.

Hunting

One of the major American Indian inventions was the tomahawk, which resembles a modern-day hatchet and was used to chop or slice objects. Used by a variety of nations and tribes, this tool could also be used in combat as a close-range weapon or throwing device.

Spears were a common design implemented by cultures across the planet. American Indian spears were generally constructed with a long wooden rod and either a stone or a metal tip. These could be used as weapons in combat or for hunting.

The bow and arrow also is believed to have been a relatively common historical tool. Developed about 22,000 years ago, Indians used the bow and arrow as a hunting device or a weapon to penetrate flesh from a long distance.

Some groups used special weapons for defense and hunting: Algonquin tribes have a long history of laying traps to catch food; Pueblo Indians used sticks resembling boomerangs to kill small game, such as rabbits; Cherokee tribes developed blowguns; and Inuit groups developed various designs of harpoons for whaling.

Food Preparation

Food preparation was an important facet in the lives of all Indians. One of the most basic tools was a grinding stone, which worked as a mortar and pestle, allowing them to mash and mix such grains as wheat and corn to prepare bread and other food items.

The Algonquin people, among others, were adept at making baskets and boxes from birch bark. Plains Indians stored much of their food in containers covered in buffalo hide. Other groups, such as the Pueblo, developed ways to make clay pots from adobe.

Transportation

In addition to the need for basic transportation in hunting and gathering, some groups were nomadic and required efficient ways of transporting materials.

Without the technology to make wheels, the Plains Indians developed a transportation tool known as the travois. It used a triangular form and netting mounted on two long poles. They could be used to store large amounts of goods and were dragged either by hand or by animal during travel.

The Inuit created dogsleds to travel quickly over long distances. A number of dogs pulled a sled that could hold at least one person as well as goods or hunted game.

Various types of boats also were widely used. Many groups used canoes, however, Plains Indians developed something called a bullboat--essentially round tubs made from wood and tanned hide that could float and help collect wild rice. Kayaks were invented by the Pacific Northwest and Inuit tribes.

Culture

Each Native American culture had a distinct form of music and dance that required various tools. A nearly universal musical instrument was the drum, usually made from bent wood or occasionally bone, with skin stretched across the top. Drums were played by hand or beaten with a stick.

Many of the tribes, such as the Plains Indians and Navajo, developed types of flutes. These were either hollowed sticks or bones with holes. These often were decorated with coloring, feathers or beads.

Other Tools

Tobacco and other herbs were smoked for ceremonial use and pleasure. The Lakota people and other tribes of Eastern and Plains Indians developed elaborate pipes known as peace pipes. These featured various types of pipe heads, usually made from pipestone.

A type of lacrosse was played by Southern, Iroquoian and Great Lakes tribes. This game required long sticks with netting at the top. Indians also made balls from deerskin, stone and wood.

References

• Great Dreams: Native American Culture
• Native Tech
• Native Languages: American Indian Pipes (Calumet)