Bison in particular appear to have been important, both for food and for other necessities like tools, clothes, etc. They were farmers but did do big game hunting with the animals that roamed the area (bison, elk, and deer). It is not clear whether loose dirt or sod was then put over this. Bundles of thatch were then attached and a mud plaster was applied over this. The site for a home appears to be excavated, then a light frame of posts constructed and covered in a woven frame of twigs and branches.
The Chan-ya-ta appear to have lived in semi-subterranean homes, often described as a cross between wattle and cub construction homes and earth lodges. The Chan-ya-ta site is located ½ mile from Brooke Creek, near where it meets the Little Sioux River. Only a few of the sites have ever been excavated, including the Chan-ya-ta site in Buena Vista County. The settlements fall under what was considered Little Sioux territory, mostly in Northwestern Iowa. The name comes from one of the first settlements excavated, along Mill Creek. This group of people is believed to have lived sometime between A.D. Malinowski, Sharon and Anna Sheets, eds. The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, Volume I .The Chan-ya-ta were part of what is known as the Mill Creek grouping of Indians. The Encyclopedia of Connecticut: A Volume of Encyclopedia of the United States . The spellings above are as given in the publications cited.ĭeForest, John W. History of the Indians of Connecticut from the Earliest Known Period to 1850 . Note: The spelling of Native American tribal names varies. Western Nehantics, located from the Connecticut River, eastward along the seashore, to a small steam which retains their name (De Forest, p. Wepawaugs, Indian tribe that lived on the East bank of the Housatonic river, probably part of the Paugussett tribe (De Forest, p. Wappinger Confederacy, see Matabesec Confederacy. 46) found in Wethersfield and Middletown (De Forest, p. Tunxis, located on the Farmington river 8-10 miles west of the Connecticut (De Forest, p. Schaghticoke, located in West-Central, Litchfield County, near present day Kent (Gale, p. Quinnipiacs, extended along the shore from Milford to Madison (De Forest, p. 46) found on the East side of the Connecticut river, in East Windsor, South Windsor and East Hartford (De Forest, p. along the hills of New London County to a point ten miles east of the Paucatuc River, and North ten to twelve miles from Long Island Sound (De Forest, p. Pequots, (Mashantucket) the most numerous, the most warlike, the fiercest and the bravest of all the aboriginal clans of Connecticut. 49) lived in villages on both sides of the Housatonic River in New Haven and Fairfield counties (Gale, p. 47) and Huntington, and surrounding townships (De Forest, p. Paugussetts, (Golden Hill) of Stratford (De Forest, p. Nipmunks, found in Tolland and Windham counties, they were subject, sometimes to one, sometimes to another, of the more powerful communities around them (De Forest, p. Narragansetts, A Rhode Island tribe which clashed with the Pequots (De Forest, p. This tribe was associated with the Pequot tribe before the two tribes split in the 1630's (Gale, p. Mohegans, found in the Thames River valley between Norwich and Uncasville. Menunkatucks, located in the Guilford area (History of Guilford). Matabesecs (or Wappingger) Confederacy, located in the Western part of Connecticut/Eastern New York (De Forest, p. Hammononassetts, located in the Clinton and Killingworth area (De Forest, p. 61 but not identified as Eastern Nehantic). Matabesec or Wappinger Confederacy which included the following tribes:įurther information about these tribes and their location in Connecticut at the turn of the sixteenth century is listed below.Įastern Nehantics, located along the border of Connecticut and Rhode Island, (Gale, p.Sequin or "River Indians" which included the following tribes:.The Encyclopedia of Connecticut: A Volume of Encyclopedia of the United States lists the following Native American groups (Indians) found in Connecticut: