erent forms and changed with each season - among the animals hunted were deers, moose, beavers, cariboues, elks and bears. - during the summer groups would gather to fish and socialize - when winter came they separated into small hunting camps of extended families - due to the harsh climate in which they lived, starvation was quiet common for the Algonkian people and they were known to kill their sick, crippled or badly wounded Political and Social Organization - Algonkian did not have highly developed centered political system - each Algonian tribe was a nation and had its own leaders - the tribe's leaders were called Sachem. - the Sachem title was not elected but inherited - most Sachems were men, but occasionally a Squaw Sachem ruled over the tribe - several other men called Sagomores and Sachem made up the tribal council - the Sagamores also severed as war captions and Shaman - as the Algonkian had no written laws, the Sachem had the authority to make rules and enforce punishments, but in order to act, however, all the council members had to agree to the Sachem's wishes Land and Property Ownerships - Algonkian social structure was patriarchal where men were leaders and heads of families - hunting rights of territories were passed from father to son, but they used matrilineal descents in determining kinship Cultural/Religious Practices - most Algonkian speaking tribes shared similar religious views and creation stories - they all accepted that there was a great sprit or supreme creator call Kautantowwit ; and there were lessor sprits who controlled elements - many tribes had heroic figures who set forth the ideals skills, which the people would require inorder to survive - they also feared evil spirits who they believed caused mischief, misfortune or illness, such as Hanegoategeh; and worshipped good spirits which were thought aided the worthy and punished the wrongdoers - the Algankians believed in an after life where the spirits...
