WHALING WAS A WAY OF LIFE FOR NATIVE AMERICANS
Small mobile kayaks were often used on hunts.
- For centuries, the Native Americans in the New England area did small-scale whaling.
- Harpoon boats were derived from the Native American strategy: small, mobile, speedy boats that would be launched when a whale was spotted.
- The Wampanoag tribe used small, kayak-like boats. They needed many boats to drag the whales to shore.
Indians whaled in close proximity to shore, in very small boats
American Indians rarely went farther than 10 miles offshore. Their boats were small and there was no real need to travel so far out. Whales were so abundant that a whaler could literally harpoon one from the beaches!
When whales washed ashore, the Indians would butcher them, salvaging everything possible-- from meat to oil to bones-- nothing was ever wasted.
When whales washed ashore, the Indians would butcher them, salvaging everything possible-- from meat to oil to bones-- nothing was ever wasted.