"Back in traditional days, the native people of southeastern Massachusetts and people on the east coast in general had a diet that was among the most varied of any people in the world. It is a seasonal-based diet, that is to say that as fruits, berries, flowers came into their season they were harvested and consumed in large quantities. While they were fresh and available, surplus was preserved by such methods as drying, smoking, and the like. All forms of fowl, water fowl, and some now extinct fowl were gathered and consumed, such as roasted ducks, roasted geese, passenger pigeon, partridge. As were all the quadrupeds or four legged animals such as deer, bear, moose, elk, raccoon, rabbit, skunk, squirrel. All those four-legged animals. Fishing is in the beginning of the year, the new year time for us is the Spring. Fish were gathered and most often smoked and dried, although when they came up they were also consumed in large quantities. Ergo we have our Spring thanksgiving and the fish are eaten. All plant life was used that is edible. That is to say, the wild greens in the Spring, our so-called First Food, all the way down to our domesticated varieties. Corn, beans, squash, artichokes, other wild tubers, such as, ground nuts, the nut varieties of the Fall harvest, the wild nuts, walnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, hazelnuts. All these items were combined and dried to make things such as acorn breads, fish cakes, dried wheat of pemmican. The diet was maintained a very balanced diet thus ensuring good health and a pleasing palate."

• Map of the Wampanoag country in the 1600's
• Before 1620: Suggested Activities
• Glossary
• Return to Wampanoag Life Before 1620