Native American Native American Culture GroupsCulture Groups

Section 2Section 2

By the 1400s Native Americans livedThroughout all parts of the Americas.Within each of the major culture groups,Different nations shared similar ways of life

During thousands of years, Native Americans developed many different ways to get food, build homes, practice religion, and enforce laws

They spoke more than 1,000 languages.

MAIN IDEA: The earliest inhabitants of North America developed unique and thriving cultures

Compare/ContrastCompare/Contrast

Similarities Differences

Each nation had sm. Group of leader who decided for the whole group

Law enforcement

Shared common ancestory Decided leadership

No one could own land Language

Power of spirits found in nature Food, dress, home, hair

ArcticArcticThe AleutsBoth in the far northern regionShelter is made from sod,

driftwood, whale bone and animal skins

Food: clams, berries and seafoodGood weavers, made elaborate

designsBoth traveled in boats that held

up to 12 passengers made from driftwood

Religion was based on nature spirits and believed in reincarnation (both)

The Inuits• Shelter is made from sod and

skin tents• Food: whale, walrus and seal• Made things from soapstone• Storytelling and singing as part

of their religion and to pass down history

• Both groups mummified corpses

Sub-arcticSub-arctic• Location: Canada and northern US• Homes built mainly from sod• Hunted moose, beaver, rabbit and deer• Art/Recreation: played with dolls, played a

version of basketball and a game of hoops and poles

• Transportation: canoes and rafts• Religion: worshipped nature• Advances: great hunters of meat and owned

large tracts of land

The Northwest CoastThe Northwest Coast• Location: Pacific Northwest• Shelter: homes made from wood• Food: Salmon, bear, moose and seals and

did not grow crops• Recreation: totem poles w/ animals to

praise the spirits• Trans: canoes that hold 50 people• Religion: Worshipped animals• Advances: Carved items out of wood

CaliforniaCalifornia• Location: Along the Pacific Coast• Shelter: made huts out of basic materials

including wood• Food: fished and tried plants• Recreation: build long wooden canoes, • Trans: used canoes and rafts and walked• Religion: believed in what leader believed and

that the ground around them was sacred• Advances: Expert fisherman and made bows

and spears to help them

• Location: pueblo area in what is today Arizona, New Mexico

• Shelter: adobe, brick and stone • Food: corn, squash, beans and grew tobacco• Recreation: made wampuns, sand painting,

pottery• Trans: traveled by river and horses• Religion: Believed in mother nature• Advances: jewelry making, Kachina dolls, crop

growing, well making and canals

SouthwestSouthwest

• Location: Dry desert area in north half of the intermountain region in present Utah and Nevada

• Shelter: hogans (type of hut), long house, plank house and chickee

• Food: seeds, berries, snakes, rodents and insects and lizards

• Recreation: weaved baskets, kids played and planting• Trans: walked and rode horses• Religion: believed in powerful spirit beings based on

mythology• Advances: basket weaving and horse riding

The Great BasinThe Great Basin

PlateauPlateau• Located east on the NW coast• Shelter made underground• Food: Salmon, bugs, fruit and berries• Art/Rec: Rock painting, weaving, carving

and clothing• Trans: Used rivers• Religion: spirits inhabiting living and non-

living things• Advances: built good housing

The PlainsThe Plains• Located west of the Mississippi River to the

Rocky Mtns.• Shelter: lived in tepees and lived in villages• Food: Ate corn, beans, squash, sunflower seed

and grew tobacco• Art/Rec: Used buffalo bones for tools, cooking

utensils and ceremonial purposes• Trans: Used horses from Europeans• Religion: No specific religion – Animists• Advances: Used weapons from Europeans and

were good horsemen.

The Northeast WoodlandsThe Northeast Woodlands

•

Northeast WoodlandNortheast Woodland

• Located in dense forest with fertile rivers in present day Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin

• Houses made of wood and tree bark• Food: grew corn squash and beans “three

sisters”• Art/Rec: Beads, shells used for necklaces, made

woven baskets• Trans: Made canoes from trees and traveled by

foot• Religion: Believed in one great spirit• Advances: Canoes and good weavers

SoutheastSoutheast• Five main tribes: cherokee, seminole, chocktaw, creek,

and chickasaw located in modern day southeast (TX, OK, MO, KY, VA, TN, AK, MD, FL)

• Shelter: Adobe homes• Food: Hunted Buffalo, deer and bear, fished in streams

and farmed• Art/Rec: artwork that represented their environment,

played ball games: lacrosse, version of basketball• Trans: Traveled by foot and canoe• Religion: polytheistic• Advances: good sport player and made canoes,

jewelries and kachina dolls

ReviewReview

• Vocabulary (next slide)

• What beliefs about land and nature did most Native Americans share?

• Think about one of the ten Native American culture areas. Think about the area’s physical environment. Draw a scene that shows that environment.

VocabularyVocabulary

Define the following:

• Shaman

• Totem pole

• Potlatch

• Tepee

• Iroquois League