The native Penacook, Winnipesaukee, Pigwacket, Sokoki, Cowasuck and Ossipee tribes, collectively known as the Abenaki, once thrived along the Granite State's great rivers. Influences of these "men of the east" abound today, from the boiling of sap for maple syrup to the game of lacrosse and traditional corn-and-bean succotash. Historian Bruce Heald has mined, curated and saved the real story of this land's first people. Learn the unwritten laws of hospitality, respect for the aged, honesty, independence and courtesy. Discover celebrations and innovations in the good times, later European disease epidemics and hostilities and a culture's enduring legacy.