Native american new york city

It was a strategy that confounded repeated efforts by both the Iroquois and English to conquer them. In times of war, they could abandon their villages, separate into small bands, and regroup in a distant refuge beyond the reach of their enemies. In many ways, the lack of a central government served the Abenaki well. Even at the tribal level, the authority of their sachems was limited, and important decisions, such as war and peace, usually required a meeting of all adults. Occasionally, several tribes would unite under a powerful sachem (chief) for purposes of war, but the Abenaki were noteworthy for their general lack of central authority.

Before contact with Europeans, individual tribes were the usual level of political organization. Abenaki is actually a geographical and linguistic (rather than political) grouping.