The basic division of labor was between the sexes. Certain tasks were
those of women; certain others were those of men—neither did the work
of the other. Apparently there were also individual craft specialty
avocations, in terms of tribe or local group. That is, besides
doing all the tasks that were necessary every day to produce food,
clothing, and shelter, some people also made bowls, pottery, pipes,
etc. It is not known, however, which people (i.e. a few individuals
or almost everyone) within the group made these things.
The tasks of women centered about the home and fields. Theirs was
the job of building the house. They set up the poles, made the mats
to cover them, and fastened on the covering. When the family moved
they took down the mats and carried them on their backs to the next
homesite, where they were put onto the family dwelling in that
place.[347] The woman did all the tending of the crops—she planted
them, weeded them, saw that they were guarded from birds, harvested
them, processed them, and stored them. She also made the various
containers in which they were stored. Whichever of these products
were to be carried to their next camping spot she also carried.[348]
The various collecting activities were the woman’s job—gathering
shellfish for food and to bait her husband’s line, collecting roots,
berries, and seeds, and also gathering the various raw materials
needed for making bags and baskets.[349] When fish or game was
captured by the man of the house he left the kill where it had
fallen and sent his wife to fetch it in. Having collected the game,
the woman skinned it, prepared the meat and dressed the hide, which
she might then make into clothing or some household article.[350]
Besides these things women had the job of motherhood. Along with
the household goods, the baby rode on his mother’s back when the
family moved.[351] Women were valued as highly productive members of
the community. Bride-price is one institution that emphasizes their
importance. The more women there were in a group, the more prosperous
it was considered to be. In war, female captives were prized. A wife
who wanted to leave her husband could run away to the enemy and be
welcomed.[352]
The business of men was to hunt for game, catch fish, and provide
protection for the weaker members of the village.[353] Raising
tobacco was an exclusive activity of men. Men made and maintained
their hunting and war weapons. They also manufactured many of the
household tools and utensils.[354] Woodworking in general was the
province of men: they carved spoons and dishes; they made canoes;
they cut and shaped the poles for houses; they cut down trees to make
new farm land; they constructed fortifications.[355]
Certain tasks were performed by groups of people from the larger
community. One of these was breaking ground for spring planting,
Williams writes that “All the neighbours men and Women forty, fifty,
a hundred &c., joyne, and come in to help freely”.[356] Hunting by
drive, fishing of some kinds, and the building of fortifications were
also communal projects, as was war.[357]
Children, as soon as they were old enough, imitated the tasks of the
similar-sexed parent. Toy bows and arrows and miniature pots were
among their playthings. Children were useful for help in the fields
at such tasks as weeding and keeping away birds. Men who were too old
to hunt might also assist in the agricultural activities, if they
wanted to.[358] Older women whose families were grown no doubt helped
take care of toddlers so that mothers could do things outside the
house such as gardening.