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The role of women and men's economic activities
Among the First Nations, tasks and activities were divided between men and women.
The Algonquians
Among the Algonquians, the men's tasks were related to providing game for food and clothing. They hunted, fished and trapped. The men were also responsible for politics and warfare.
The women hunted small game and gathered wild fruit, in addition to taking care of the younger children. When the men returned to camp with their quarry, the women processed it. They prepared the meat to conserve it and tanned the hides and made clothing from them.
The Iroquoians
Among the Iroquoians, tasks far from the village were reserved for men. They hunted, fished and trapped, but were also in charge of war, commerce and politics. From the age of seven or eight, boys began to accompany their maternal uncles on the hunt.
The women were in charge of horticulture and educating the children. They also processed the quarry brought back by the men. In addition to tanning the hides and making clothing, they had to prepare the food so that it could be conserved as long as possible. The girls learned to perform these tasks with their mothers.
