Native American Foods: Technology and Food Sources: Domesticated Animals

Domesticated animals contributed little to the Native American diet and were often more important for other uses. The dog, for example, played a number of roles in tribal life, among them as alarm and dray animals. Dogs performed the important physical work of hauling heavy loads, managing as much as fifty pounds. Dogs were not abused; Native Americans worked as hard as their dogs. Many tribes were loath to eat dog, and in most cases it was served only at special feasts. The meat was highly esteemed and usually was stewed. Before contact, domesticated turkeys were bred and used in the Southwest, where they were as important for their feathers as they were for their meat.