Native American weaponry was used by Native American warriors to hunt and to do battle with other Native American tribes and Europeans.
Weaponry for Native American groups residing in North America can be grouped into five categories: striking weapons, cutting weapons, piercing weapons, defensive weapons, and symbolic weapons.[1]
Native Americans used many variations of striking weapons. These weapons were mainly used for melee combat with other tribes. In some cases, these weapons were thrown for long-range attacks.
Cutting weapons were used by the Native Americans for combat as well as hunting. Tribes in North America preferred shorter blades and did not use long-cutting weapons like the swords that the Europeans used at the time.
Piercing weapons consisted of both short and long-range weapons. They were used for hunting and combat.
Some Native American tribes carried shields into battle for extra protection. These shields were mostly made from leather stretched across a round wooden frame.
Many of the weapons that the Native Americans used served a more symbolic purpose.
Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica and South America used many weapons similar to those in North America, including spears, bows and arrows, atlatl, clubs, daggers, and shields. However, several additional types of weapons were also used in combat.