Culture And Lifestyle Of The Ottawa Community

Clothing

Ottawa women and men have numerous and unique styles explaining their roles. First, Ottawa women wore long dresses with removable sleeves, and in the winter, they wore robes made of rabbit skin, they also sometimes wore one long braid. This explained their living habits, their clothing style symbolized women who worked at home. Therefore, Ottawa men usually went naked or wore only a coat, even in the cold weather and in battles, to show that they were tough. Moreover, In the 1800’s, some Ottawa men wore their hair in the Mohawk method, using grease to spike their hair very high in front and sometimes added a porcupine, they also had several tribal tattoos over their bodies. In addition, The Ottawas regularly wore leather shoes made out of animal skin. They also modified themselves to European clothing. For example, blouses and jackets made out of cloth, finishing them with decorative beadwork. Traditionally, they wore a leather headband with feathers standing up in the back. Overall, the Ottawa’s clothing represents their actions in a stylistic way and demonstrates how they lived their life.

Roles

Genders played a special role in the Ottawa community, everyone had a specific role to play and at the same time, they all helped the family contribute and unite. To begin, Ottawa women were farmers and did most of the childcare, cooking, and giving the child a basic education. Most women did not leave their home, and if they did they would go plant crops for their families. Moving on, Ottawa men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Ottawa leaders were always male. Moreover, almost all of the children go to school and help around the house, most of the boys go shooting and whaling with their dads. The kids had more chores and less time to play. Ottawa kids did not have toys to play with, and older boys played lacrosse. In addition, both genders learned storytelling, artwork and music, and popular medicine. In conclusion, they both had important positions helping the family or community.

Religion

The Ottawa religion was based on elements of their society with important significance and skills. Ottawa religion was very sensible and complex. Ottawas had to learn Christian beliefs to have an easier economic lifestyle, so women could have a more comfortable job. However, they did not allow Ottawas to follow Christian education. They applied Ottawa influences into Christian practices, and they included the fundamental ideas of their own religion. Moreover, their methods started to collapse. Eventually, they started practicing Catholic beliefs leading them to a more controversial state. Ottawa tribes considered Christian and Catholic rights and beliefs. In addition, they believed in both religions and practiced both of them. They did not have a specific religion that all Ottawas accepted. Overall, religion on the Ottawa community was very sensible and complicated due to so many social disagreements.

Food

Both men and women were farmers, they ate many foods and prepared traditional dishes when they celebrated a cause. Ottawa women were good at growing vegetables, for example, beans, corn and squash. However, men were the best at getting the meat, for example, fish, deer, and buffalo. Moreover, in the year 3000 B. C to 1000 B. C throughout the Late Archaic age, plants and animals started to develop which affected the size of populations to grow. In addition, in festive days the Ottawas made cornbread and soups to celebrate an accomplishment or a victory. The Villages were considered as support for food collection. Men and women have a special role to provide everyone with the food they need, even children. Children learn from an early age that they need to learn the skills to last. For example, growing crops and fishing. Overall, the Ottawa tribes took care of themselves reasonably well, they cook many foods including natural ingredients and animals, they prepare loaves of bread and soups.

Home

The Ottawas built their own home and lived comfortably in them, their homes also have a unique style that demonstrates their custom. The Ottawas made their homes out of saplings, bark, and rush mats. Many historians think that they lived in teepees. However, they lived in homes made out of wood and skins. The houses have a similar shape to an igloo. The houses were very large, the houses were constructed to fit a maximum of 9 people in a family. In addition, the houses were constructed by men in the family or other men helpers. The leaders of the Ottawa community did not help to construct the houses, but they just waited until the houses were built up. To round up, their houses were not teepees. According to the Ottawas, their homes were comforting and enough space for many people. It takes a certain amount of time to construct the houses, but at least they have a place to stay and to be warmed.

Ceremonies

The Ottawas had a variety of ceremonies consisting of celebrations of life, games, and activities. In most of the ceremonies they hosted, they included singing, dancing, games, and family bonding time. In every ceremony, there was a purpose, for everyone to feel like they belong in this world and to sometimes be rewarded with gifts. One of the ceremonies they had was called the Ghost Dance ceremony. This ceremony was created for the remainder of a Messiah. This ceremony started in 1988, and eventually, it expanded to many more Ottawas. The Ghost Dance was a religious ceremony, the tradition of the ghost dance journey was assumed to have committed to Lakota endurance to assimilation. Another ceremony from The Ottawas is the Peyote Worship. This ceremony is about consuming food, as it is very important to them because it is a form of survival. This ceremony starts in the morning and throughout the day. There are drums playing and a short dance with 5 women. The Ottawas took this ceremony very serious because it was an example of “culture diffusion”. Overall, the Ottawas had many ceremonies, some were violent and some were not. Their ceremonies were very cultural and they were very artistic.

Settlement

Throughout the adventure of the Ottawas, they have settled in a variety of locations, but they considered their hometown to be Manitoulin Island. To begin, in 1400 the Ottawas first lived on the east in Lake Huron. In 1615, villages were torn on in Manitoulin so in the 1630s they started moving to Mackinac which is near Michigan. Moreover, in 1651 they had to move again because Iroquis had ordered them to leave and stay in Green Bay Wisconsin and from there the had to move to the southland to Lake Superior in 1658. They stayed there till 1670 when eventually the went back to Mackinac. In addition, in the 1690s the French associates removed the Iroquois of the Great Lakes and some Ottawa natives had to retreat to Manitoulin where people have lived regularly after. However, in 1701 many took a trip to Detroit and Saginaw Bay and stayed there. The Ottawas stayed in 1741 stayed in Mackinac until the soil started to rot and the moved to Grant Traverse in Michigan. In 1846 the Ottawas and the Potawatomi both moved to Kansas. Overall, they have traveled many times and they don't have a place to call home, although Manitoulin Island was pretty close.