Transportation Traditional Pequot territory may have been limited to the general vicinity of what is now southeastern Connecticut, but our ancestors were accustomed to traveling great distances both within and beyond our traditional territory, both by land and by water. Transportation by Water The Pequots traveled and fished the region’s waterways in dugout canoes, rugged vessels designed for journeys on both rivers and coastal waters.  Although the popular image of the northeastern Native canoe is one of birch bark, large white birch trees were not commonly found in southern New England. Our ancestors instead used dugout canoes, made from the hollowed-out trunks of pines, chestnuts, or other sizeable trees. Pequot dugouts were round-bottomed, thick-walled crafts that were sturdy and seaworthy, lasting through years of use. Detail of an Ocean-going Canoe from Willem & Johannes Blaeu’s 1635 map, Nova Belgica et Anglia Nova Because no large, ocean-going Pequot canoes have been preserved, we do not know much about their design. Drawings like this detail from a 1635 European map provide some clues. The beaks at either end of this canoe may have cut down wave splash. Most dugouts were between 10 and 14 feet long and could hold 3 to 4 people. These small dugouts, often used for fishing in shallow waters, were wide and flat. Larger ocean-going canoes could reach over 40 feet in length and carry anywhere from 15 to 20 people and their possessions. Designed for more extensive travel, a vessel of this size may have had a beak at either end as well as a sharp prow to help the boat to break the waves encountered in open water. Dugout canoes require "skill in handling, as they are very liable to upset unless one is well skilled in managing them," as one European observed.  Using wooden paddles, the Pequots were able to propel them with speed and successfully navigate the region’s waterways. Transportation by Land Lacking horses, our ancestors were accustomed to long journeys on foot.  Pequot villages were located near the coast for much of the year, but during winter and spring some of the people moved to hunting and fishing camps. These seasonal relocations entailed taking the mats off the wigwams, packing up all of the household and personal goods, and carrying these possessions, as well as infants and small children, for many miles. Women as well as men carried heavy loads.  Tumplines Native people used tumplines, or burden straps, to help transport heavy loads-to carry cradleboards, bags and baskets on their backs, and to pull toboggans. The thin braided ends tied onto the object to be pulled or carried and the wider middle section was placed across the upper chest or forehead. At other times people travelled light, either using the extensive network of paths that linked one community with another or simply finding their way through the woods. Throughout the year our ancestors crisscrossed their territory, traveling up to 60 miles to their planting fields, hunting grounds, and other resource areas.  Native messengers sometimes ran across the countryside to convey information from one village to another. Boys developed their stamina early-a runner could cover as many as 100 miles in a single day.  People who travelled great distances to hunt or engage in warfare often took along a small bag of parched corn meal, or nocake, which could be mixed with water to provide a simple meal. While Native people usually went barefoot when close to home, a lengthy journey required footwear. Lightweight deerskin moccasins were preferred by the Pequots, and snowshoes might be added in winter.