![[Pasted image 20250201171803.png]] Women typically cultivated corn, beans, and squash and harvested nuts and berries, while men hunted, fished, and provided protection. Both parents shared responsibility for raising children, and most major Indian societies in the east were matriarchal. In tribes such as the Iroquois, [[Lenape]], [[Muscogee]], and [[Cherokee]], women had both power and influence. They counseled the chief and passed on the traditions of the tribe. This matriarchy changed dramatically with the coming of the Europeans, who introduced, sometimes forcibly, their own customs and traditions to the natives. Trade with Europeans also decreased the importance of women’s agricultural contributions to the tribes’ subsistence, which lessened their status in Indian society and influence on decision-making. --- Next: [[1.21 Northeastern Woodlands]] Back: [[1.19 Woodlands]]