A Day in the life of a Mohawk Boy

It is August 7^th I’m waking up in the longhouse. My whole clan lives in it. There are about 59 people in my entire clan.

It has not been hot so I don’t have to sleep in the field. I slept with my clothes on. I wear deer skin cloth with beads on it. I have work to do now so I put my moccasins on my feet.

Mom had planted crops of corn, squash, beans, berries and herbs so I have to scare the crows and small animals away in the morning. This way we will have food to harvest.

 In the afternoon, I am going hunting with my Dad and other members of my clan. We don’t have far to walk to find a buffalo.

 We see a buffalo eating the grass. My Dad has bows and arrows to kill a buffalo. The group of us were hiding behind rocks. My Dad shot an arrow in the buffalo’s tummy. The buffalo looked at my Dad and he became angry and started to charge towards us. My Dad quickly shot another arrow. This time it hit his shoulder. The buffalo fell over as he can’t move his leg.

The clan with my Dad and I began to cut apart the buffalo as he is too heavy for us to carry.

 The horns will be used for spoons, cups and clubs. The teeth are good for necklaces. Hooves are used for glue.

We took the body of the buffalo to the travois which is the sleigh that the dog will use to help him carry it. Then we went back to the longhouse to see the woman of our clan.

 My Mom took the buffalo’s body and dried the meat with smoke or salt. Most of it she ground into a powder. The powder is mixed with berries and melted fat to make pemmican.  Then we ate the buffalo hump to celebrate our kill because it is a special delicacy.

 The sky is getting dark now so my Mom told us to go inside the longhouse to get ready for bed.

 When Mom kissed us goodnight she said, “Have a good sleep because we have another big day tomorrow.”

BY: JUDITH