o make a triangle shape. They then took birch bark, which is waterproof, and layered the sheets over and over until the structure was covered. The top of the wigwam was left open to act as a chimney. Animal furs and woven mats were used as flooring and an animal hide was hung to cover the door opening. Paintings of animals and birds decorated the outsides of the wigwams. When the tribe would move, the birch bark would be removed and taken with them(Nova Scotia 1).Hunting was the main source of food for the Mi’kmaq. Driving stakes into the streambed trapped larger fish, such as salmon and sturgeon. A net, called an abi, was made with intertwined tree branches. The bait that they used for fishing was called wa’adegon. Fishhooks were made out of copper or a hook shaped bone that was sharpened at both ends. For larger fish, a leister was used. This tool was a three-pronged spear. There was a center point and two points that came out on each side of the middle point. Lobsters and shellfish were dug out of the seabed with sticks and roasted on coals, (Nova Scotia 2-3; Wallis and Wallis 27-28; Davis 27).Hunting meat changed when the seasons did. During the summer, animals such as moose, caribou, deer, beaver, and porcupine were stalked on foot. Porpoise, walrus, and seal were hunted in the water by canoe in the water. In the winter, they would break A beavers dam and crack the ice in 40-50 different places. The beavers would then have to come out of the broken holes in the ice. Moose were the Mi’kmaq’s most productive food and were hunted from February to mid March. Meat and fish would then be dried and smoked to preserve them. Berries, roots and edible plants were also a source of food for the Mi’kmaq, (Nova Scotia 3; Davis 27).The gear used for hunting was mostly man made. Some of items used for hunting were animal bone, teeth, claws, hair, quills, shells, clay, stone, wood, roots and bark. ...
