The Shawnees moved about in search of game during winters. In the
growing season they settled in rather large villages where they raised
crops of corn, squash, and beans. The Shawnee Indians ate a wide variety of food. The men
hunted and the women farmed the land. The animals they hunted were
deer, turkeys, squirrels, other small animals, and fish. The main crops
the Shawnee grew were corn, squash, and beans. They referred to these
crops as the Three Sisters.
The tribe carried on extensive trade
in animal skins and salt; production of the latter was a major industry
for the Shawnees, who extracted the mineral from the many salt springs
in Kentucky.
Clothing
Shawnee clothing was made of dressed skins and consisted of a shirt for
men and a longer overblouse for women. Both sexes wore leggings and
moccasins. Their clothing was often decorated with dyed porcupine
quills, bright-colored feathers, and paint.