Agawam and Indigenous People Worksheet

Who were the Indigenous people most closely connected to the Springfield region?

• Iroquois

• Agawam

• Sioux

• Narragansett

What TWO might the name Agawam likely mean?

• “open mouth of a river”

• “Lowland marsh”

• “Great forest”

• “Place of many deer”

Where did the Agawam usually build their villages?

• High on mountains

• Next to the Connecticut River

• In large caves

• Along the Atlantic Ocean

What were the “Three Sisters” that the Agawam planted?

• Corn, beans, and squash

• Wheat, oats, and barley

• Apples, pears, and peaches

• Rice, beans, and potatoes

Which of these describes a wetu?

• A canoe made of birch bark

• A tool for planting crops

• A home made from saplings and bark

• A large meeting house built of stone

Which season was mainly for harvesting corn, beans, and squash?

• Spring

• Summer

• Fall

• Winter

What did families do in the winter?

• Moved to Florida

• Gathered berries and planted crops

• Moved into smaller camps and hunted animal

• Traveled by canoe to trade with villages

Which animal might the Agawam have hunted in winter?

• Cows

• Moose

• Chickens

• Pigs

How did the Agawam view the land and animals around them?

• As resources to be used up

• As separate from themselves

• As part of nature, deserving thanks and respect

• As property that could be owned

How did the Connecticut River serve as a “highway”?

• It had bridges and roads built along it

• People could travel and trade by canoe along its waters

• Horses pulled wagons on paths beside it

• It connected to the Atlantic Ocean directly