ABSTRACT
When Europeans first arrived in northern New England, they encountered peoples who relied on hunting and gathering, and supplemented these activities with corn agriculture and freshwater fishing. Abenakis living on the Atlantic coast also took advantage of the resources offered by the ocean. As far as Abenaki social and political organization was concerned, the family band was the main unit, and village life and the process of making major decisions was overseen by a council of elders. This type of organization allowed for a fluid political situation.
