Industry & Tools for Living

By the 1700's, the Creek people had been associated with Europeans for many years and were already acquiring metal tools through trade. These metal tools were more durable, but also much heavier so many of the people still preferred to rely on the old bone tools for farming. The Indians used a notched planting stick for setting out young plants -- a practice reintroduced to today's onion growers to avoid some of the stresses of stoop labor.  Knives which the Indians made from stone (flint / chert) and bone were important to many tasks. Trade knives were always a real prize. 

Deer were extremely important in native industry.  The Indians used nearly every part of the deer for things they needed.  The leather, of course, served a variety of purposes:  to make winter clothing, moccasins, bags, pouches and leggings to name a few.  Strips of rawhide and sinew were used in tool making to bind things together as we might use rope or string. The antlers and bone were used to make various items such as hoes and other digging tools, fish hooks, needles, and scraping tools for preparing hides. The hooves were boiled to make strong glue and some were used to make ceremonial rattles which honored the deer.

When the gun arrived, it proved superior to the bow.  Since deer skins were much sought after by the Europeans, the Indians began hunting to trade for guns and other useful items such as iron pots, glass beads and cotton fabrics. This eventually led to the near demise of the deer.  As the deer populations became depleted, the people also became much more dependent on European goods, agriculture and the tools of farming. It took many generations for the deer population to recover and the Indian way of life was forever changed.