The American Indians of the Sassafras region - known as the Tockwogh - survived by harvesting the rich bounty of plants and animals of the Chesapeake. They netted rockfish and other finfish, gathered shellfish and crabs during low tides, hunted deer and small game, and gathered wild nuts during the fall. The Tockwogh were also avid farmers, growing corn, squash and other crops.
The Tockwogh built their village within a palisade, a tall stockade wall constructed of sturdy branches. The village consisted of longhouse homes, storehouses, gathering places and garden plots.
The Tockwogh traveled by water in dugout canoes crafted from the trunks of large trees. The craftsmen built each canoe by burning a tree trunk's surface and scraping away the charred wood using oyster shells. They repeated the process until the trunk was hollowed out and the bottom was flattened (to help stabilized the canoe).
Tockwogh men were responsible for hunting, fishing and defending the tribe. The women were tasked with tending gardens, weaving baskets, making clothing and raising the children.
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