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.