Native AmericansNative AmericansSS4H1: The students will SS4H1: The students will describe how early native describe how early native

American cultures developed American cultures developed in North Americain North America

SS4H1 The student will describe how early SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in Native American cultures developed in North America.North America. a. Locate where Native Americans settled with emphasis on the Arctic (Inuit), Northwest (Kwakiutl), Plateau (Nez Perce), Southwest (Hopi), Plains (Pawnee), and Southeast (Seminole). b. Describe how Native Americans used their environment to obtain food, clothing, and shelter.

SS4G2 The student will describe how SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. physical systems affect human systems. a. Explain why each of the Native American groups (SS4H1a) occupied the areas they did, with emphasis on why some developed permanent villages and others did not.

Native AmericansNative Americans

Nez Perce Nez Perce Native Native

AmericansAmericansChief

Joseph

Plateau Region

Where did the Nez Perce Where did the Nez Perce Live?Live?

•The Nez Perce lived in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho .•Plateau Region – High and flat with lakes and rivers

How did the Nez Perce How did the Nez Perce Survive?Survive?

The people relied on the rivers, mountains and prairies for sustenance.  They move in a seasonal cycle, In early spring, the women traveled to the lower valleys to dig root crops.  The men traveled to the Snake and Columbia rivers to intercept the early salmon runs.  The men still hunted, but much less during the salmon runs. In mid-summer all the people of the village moved to higher mountainous areas setting up temporary camps to gather later root crops, fish the streams, and do more hunting of the big game.  By late fall the people settled back into their traditional villages along the Snake, Clearwater, and Salmon rivers.  Salmon and other fish, game, dried roots and berries provided winter foods for storage.  However, hunting parties would travel to the hills and river bottoms where the deer and elk wintered.

How did the Nez Perce How did the Nez Perce Survive?Survive?

The basic roots gathered for winter storage included camas bulb (kehmmes), bitterroot (thlee-tahn), khouse (qawas), wild carrot (tsa-weetkh), wild potato (keh-keet), and other root crops.  Fruit collected included service berries, gooseberries, hawthorn berries, thorn berries, huckleberries, currants, elderberries, chokecherries, blackberries, raspberries, and wild strawberries.  Other food gathered includes pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and black moss.

How did the Nez Perce How did the Nez Perce Survive?Survive?

Large game animals that were hunted include deer, elk, moose, bear (black, brown, and grizzly), mountain sheep and goats.  After the introduction of the horse, the men traveled to the Montana Plains to hunt bison, buffalo and antelope.  Even after bison was introduced ,deer and elk meat were still important foods for the winter storage.  Small game was hunted when needed, include rabbit, squirrel, badgers, and marmot.  Birds  such as ducks, geese, ruffed grouse, and sage hens were also hunted. 

Nez Perce hunt to Nez Perce hunt to SurviveSurviveLand Animals

DeerElkMooseBearsMountain Sheep GoatsBisonAntelopeLater on… Buffalo

Water AnimalsSalmon

What did the Nez Perce What did the Nez Perce use for Shelter?use for Shelter?

Earth House: Dug an underground room– Longhouse– Pit House

http://www.native-languages.org/houses.htm

Longhouses were made of bark because women gathered bark in late spring when it was easier to peel. Bark was used to cover the sides and roof of the longhouses. The poles were tied to trees and bent to make a longhouse.

Long HousesLong Houses

Pit houses were made of wood and grass mats. The circular pit houses were flat and had earthen roofs.

Pit HousesPit Houses

What is the Nez Perce What is the Nez Perce Clothing Like?Clothing Like?

The men wore long, fringed buckskin shirts, leggings, belts, a breech cloth, and several types of moccasins.  Gloves were also occasionally worn by the men.    In the cold weather, the men wore bison skin robes. 

http://www.native-languages.org/breechcloth.htm

Women wore long, belted buckskin dresses, corn husk basketry hats, and knee length moccasins.  the dresses were decorated with elk teeth, beads made of shell, bone, and later glass, porcupine quills, and vegetable and mineral dyes. 

Both men and women painted their faces for certain ceremonies or occasions

Chief Joseph and Red Chief Joseph and Red DogDog

How did the Nez Perce How did the Nez Perce Travel?Travel?

Dugout Canoes – hollowed out trees

Dog Sled- Travois

Horses

Thinking Thinking Question…Question…

..

Based on how the Nez Perce

survive….Do you think they had

Permanent Villages or did they move to find

food?