Ian's Story

By Ian Telleen
11-16-09 social studies



This is me, my name is fox. I like to watch the Potawatomi tribe. I live in the eastern woodlands of the United States. Luckily, the Potawatomi tribe never sees me. If they did, they would hunt me down for my fur and meat. I am here to tell what the Potawatomi Indians do during the day. I will also tell you where they live and what they live in. Additionally, I will tell you what they eat, what tools they use and what they wear.

To begin with, the Potawatomi tribe lives in the prairie region and the eastern woodlands. This is the area called Michigan and Wisconsin. Potawatomi people also live in other parts of the Midwest including Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Ontario Canada. Others were forced to move to Kansas and Oklahoma by the government. The Potawatomi people live in wigwams and a lodge. A wigwam is a dome shape form and a lodge is a rectangle form covered in bark.

During the day, while I am hiding, I see the Potawatomi people farming and hunting. I see the women planting and harvesting corn, beans, squash, and tobacco. They also gather berries and rice. The men hunt for deer, elk, wild bird, and catch fish. They also tap trees to get maple syrup. The hunters and warriors use a wooden club, arrows, and a bow. Hopefully they will never use these on me! The fishermen use a net and a spear. They also use spouts and buckets for the maple syrup or water, a knocker for gathering rice, and snow shoes for winter. I also see the men and women telling stories, doing artwork and making music.

Luckily for me, the Potawatomi do not wear fox fur, but instead the women wear deerskin dresses and the men wear deerskin shirts. The men also wear breechcloths and leggings. While I have seen some Indians wearing long headdresses, the Potawatomi normally only have a headband with a couple of feathers in it. When going to war they shave their heads to make a Mohawk style. They sometimes paint their faces for war and ceremonies. That really scares me a lot!

As you can imagine, the Potawatomi people keep me very entertained. I love to watch them hunt, garden and tell stories. I also love any leftover food I can find after they have prepared their meals. Hopefully they will continue to wear deerskins, and I will continue to hide so I can keep my fluffy fur!