They already lived within a complex political world of villages, families, sachems, alliances, rivalries, farming communities, fishing grounds, hunting territories, and established routes of exchange.

The coastal landscape was not empty wilderness.

It was a lived-in homeland shaped by generations of Indigenous knowledge.

Corn, beans, and squash were cultivated in suitable places.

Shellfish were gathered along the coast.

Fish were taken from rivers and bays.

Deer and other animals were hunted.

Forests supplied fuel, building materials, medicines, and food.