Wyandotte
“Islander or Dweller on a Peninsula”

Nation

Wyandotte themselves say the birth of their tribe was in 1652. It was made up of parts of other tribes.
Moved from New York after the Beaver Wars (fought over ability to hunt pelts and sell to Europeans). Went to Montreal and Detroit
Came to Ohio in 1745.
Wyandotte were part of the "Big Four" Native nations of Ohio.
Played a large part in the Revolutionary War by being allied with the British. They were afraid of the expansion of the white settlers.

Matriarchal.
Lived in long house villages surrounded by stockades.
Lived in clans named after animals.
Each clan had four women councilors chosen by the heads of the families.
Council chose chief.
Agriculture, hunting, fishing and gathering sustained the people.
Hair styles for men changed with what was happening. There were different hairstyles for war, work, etc.
Men wore decorated moccasins, a cloth shirt or tunic of deer skin, beechcloth or kilt and leggings. These were decorated with beads or porcupine quills.
Had "bandolier bags" or shoulder pouches worn over the left shoulder.
Everyday clothing had little decoration.
Women wore a tunic over a skirt that wrapped around them with the flap on the left held up by a belt. Underneath were knee-high leggings and moccasins.

After 1815 the Wyandotte signed treaties that gave them Reservation land in Ohio and Michigan.
After 1820 many Wyandotte adopted the Methodist faith.
By 1832 all of the Wyandotte of Ohio were at the Upper Sandusky reservation.
In 1842 the Wyandotte signed the paper that would begin their removal to the west. They actually moved in 1843.