Northern American Northern American IndiansIndians

By: Timothy ChmielBy: Timothy Chmiel

Where Did They Live?Where Did They Live?

They live throughout North AmericaThey live throughout North AmericaThere are several regions that There are several regions that separate that areaseparate that areaThese regions are the Far Northeast, These regions are the Far Northeast, Southeast, Great Plains, High Plateaus, Southeast, Great Plains, High Plateaus, Great Basin, Californian Region, and Great Basin, Californian Region, and the Southwestthe Southwest

What Did They do for fun?What Did They do for fun? The women of the Great Plains played a The women of the Great Plains played a

game called shinny where you used two game called shinny where you used two straight or curved sticks straight or curved sticks

The point of the game was to get the ball The point of the game was to get the ball past each others goalposts (men played past each others goalposts (men played too)too)

In the southeast, they played lacrosse, also In the southeast, they played lacrosse, also referred to as “ The little brother of war” referred to as “ The little brother of war” because of its dangerousnessbecause of its dangerousness

They were allowed two lacrosse sticks as They were allowed two lacrosse sticks as wellwell

This game could have 100 or more players This game could have 100 or more players per team and have several mile long fieldsper team and have several mile long fields

The point of the game was also to the ball The point of the game was also to the ball past each others goalpostspast each others goalposts

Lacrosse was also called stickball and Lacrosse was also called stickball and baggatawaybaggataway

Target practice with bows was expected out Target practice with bows was expected out of the boys in most tribesof the boys in most tribes

What Were Their Buildings What Were Their Buildings Like?Like?

The people of the Great Plains had tepees with The people of the Great Plains had tepees with decorations and pictures that may have occurred in decorations and pictures that may have occurred in dreamsdreams

They had an east opening to counter act the west They had an east opening to counter act the west windswinds

The Southeast had meeting houses had roofs of thin The Southeast had meeting houses had roofs of thin logs and covered with bark for heavy rain protectionlogs and covered with bark for heavy rain protection

The meeting houses had dried mud walls and were The meeting houses had dried mud walls and were usually windowlessusually windowless

Iroquois had longhouses up to 25ft. wide and 150ft. Iroquois had longhouses up to 25ft. wide and 150ft. Long (Hence the name, longhouse)Long (Hence the name, longhouse)

The Mandan and Hidatsa had dome shaped earth The Mandan and Hidatsa had dome shaped earth lodges that were up to 50ft. wide lodges that were up to 50ft. wide

This sacred lodge had a roof of wood rafters covered This sacred lodge had a roof of wood rafters covered with willows, grass, and sodwith willows, grass, and sod

What Did They Eat?What Did They Eat?The people of the Great Plains ate mainly buffaloThe people of the Great Plains ate mainly buffaloThe far Northeast peoples ate corn, corn meal, beans and The far Northeast peoples ate corn, corn meal, beans and squashsquashThese crops were planted together intentionally because These crops were planted together intentionally because the beans twined up the cornstalks and the squash choked the beans twined up the cornstalks and the squash choked the weeds and kept the ground moistthe weeds and kept the ground moistThe Western Great Lakes also ate corn and squash, but The Western Great Lakes also ate corn and squash, but they collected huge amounts of wild rice and hunted buffalo they collected huge amounts of wild rice and hunted buffalo as wellas wellHigh Plateau peoples ate mainly salmon and edible rootsHigh Plateau peoples ate mainly salmon and edible rootsGreat Plains peoples ate pine nuts, rabbits and anything Great Plains peoples ate pine nuts, rabbits and anything from insects and seeds to lizards and deerfrom insects and seeds to lizards and deerThe Northeast ate corn, fish, squash, and beansThe Northeast ate corn, fish, squash, and beansThe Californian Region also ate fish, seeds, and game that The Californian Region also ate fish, seeds, and game that was availablewas available

Some Key Battles FoughtSome Key Battles Fought

The battle of Custard and Crazy HorseThe battle of Custard and Crazy Horse The Nez Perce war of 1877The Nez Perce war of 1877 The Modoc War, 1872The Modoc War, 1872 To the people of the Great Plains, war was usually To the people of the Great Plains, war was usually

small bands that attacked in raids in order to small bands that attacked in raids in order to steal horses, avenge death, and was always for steal horses, avenge death, and was always for gaining honor, showing courage, spiritual powers gaining honor, showing courage, spiritual powers and acquiring respect by taking a scalp, stealing and acquiring respect by taking a scalp, stealing a horse, and touching the enemy in battlea horse, and touching the enemy in battle

This left them at a disadvantage against outside This left them at a disadvantage against outside rigementsrigements

What were some What were some tools/weapons?tools/weapons?

In the Great Plains they used a 3 foot bow made of warp In the Great Plains they used a 3 foot bow made of warp resistant hardwoods that were reinforced with sinew strips, resistant hardwoods that were reinforced with sinew strips, after trading with the people of the High Plateau they also after trading with the people of the High Plateau they also had mountain sheep horn bows (more accurate and had mountain sheep horn bows (more accurate and powerfulpowerful

They also used arrows with flint, stone, and even iron, after They also used arrows with flint, stone, and even iron, after the Europeans introduced itthe Europeans introduced it

They also used guns that they got from the EuropeansThey also used guns that they got from the Europeans The Northeast had birch bark canoes to help them travel The Northeast had birch bark canoes to help them travel

through the water, along with deerskin moccasins and through the water, along with deerskin moccasins and stone clubsstone clubs

The Iroquois had “Rabbit’s hind leg” style war clubsThe Iroquois had “Rabbit’s hind leg” style war clubs The Hidatsa had rakes made by attaching a stick to an The Hidatsa had rakes made by attaching a stick to an

antler with sinew strapsantler with sinew straps The rake was used for weeding because it was not wood, The rake was used for weeding because it was not wood,

which was thought to bring worms that would eat their cornwhich was thought to bring worms that would eat their corn

Art/Ceremonies/Religions Art/Ceremonies/Religions The Mogollon people made beautiful black-on-The Mogollon people made beautiful black-on-

white pottery of every kind of creature, and had white pottery of every kind of creature, and had geometric patterns, (sometimes mixed)geometric patterns, (sometimes mixed)

Nez Perce made corn husk, reversible bags that Nez Perce made corn husk, reversible bags that were dyed with all natural dyes, and made of were dyed with all natural dyes, and made of hemp (it carried food, such as roots and berrieshemp (it carried food, such as roots and berries

The Southeast/Cherokee practiced an important The Southeast/Cherokee practiced an important ceremony called the Eagle Dance that celebrated ceremony called the Eagle Dance that celebrated war and peacewar and peace

The dancers wore eagle feathers on their heads The dancers wore eagle feathers on their heads and waved eagle feathered wands to the music of and waved eagle feathered wands to the music of drums and rattlesdrums and rattles

The plains people practiced the Ghost Dance The plains people practiced the Ghost Dance which was related to visions of the end of the which was related to visions of the end of the whites, the return of the buffalo, and contact with whites, the return of the buffalo, and contact with dead relativesdead relatives

Western Great Lakes people smoked tobacco, Western Great Lakes people smoked tobacco, which was thought to increase wisdom, have which was thought to increase wisdom, have special powers, and please the spiritsspecial powers, and please the spirits

The pipe was also used in war meetings, where it The pipe was also used in war meetings, where it was passed clockwise in a circlewas passed clockwise in a circle

Many tribes believed in polytheism, but later Many tribes believed in polytheism, but later some became Christians after European some became Christians after European encounter (such as the “Five civilized tribes.”encounter (such as the “Five civilized tribes.”

What was their way of life? What was their way of life? The people of the Western Great Lakes were The people of the Western Great Lakes were

farmers in the summer, (the women did a farmers in the summer, (the women did a lot of the planting) were semi nomadic in lot of the planting) were semi nomadic in the winter, and the men hunted buffalo the winter, and the men hunted buffalo throughout the yearthroughout the year

The people of the Great Basin were nomadic The people of the Great Basin were nomadic hunter-gatherers that gathered in large hunter-gatherers that gathered in large encampments during pine nut harvests and encampments during pine nut harvests and rabbit drivesrabbit drives

The Californian Region people were also The Californian Region people were also hunter-gatherershunter-gatherers

The Iroquois, part of the Northeast were The Iroquois, part of the Northeast were sedentary farmers and hunterssedentary farmers and hunters

How do they depend on How do they depend on their environment?their environment?

The people of the Great Plains depended on The people of the Great Plains depended on buffalo for shelter,(tepees) clothing, food and buffalo for shelter,(tepees) clothing, food and transporting goods with hide bags and boatstransporting goods with hide bags and boats

The Iroquois depended on the trees for The Iroquois depended on the trees for longhouseslonghouses

The Mandan and Hidatsa depended on the The Mandan and Hidatsa depended on the mud and trees for their housesmud and trees for their houses

The people of the High Plateau depended The people of the High Plateau depended mountain sheep horn bows for hunting and mountain sheep horn bows for hunting and tradingtrading

When Europeans came and destroyed many of When Europeans came and destroyed many of these people’s resources and killed Buffalo for these people’s resources and killed Buffalo for fun, you can’t even imagine how frustrated fun, you can’t even imagine how frustrated they would be at the Europeans they would be at the Europeans

GovernmentGovernment The Iroquois is a great example of the main The Iroquois is a great example of the main

type of government in North American tribes type of government in North American tribes because they had the strongest political and because they had the strongest political and military force in North Americamilitary force in North America

Each tribe, Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, Each tribe, Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, Oneida, and Cayuga was self governedOneida, and Cayuga was self governed

It was lead by a great council, made up of It was lead by a great council, made up of men chosen by elderly women of each tribe men chosen by elderly women of each tribe that could also remove them from the great that could also remove them from the great councilcouncil

Other tribes would be led by chiefs or great Other tribes would be led by chiefs or great warriorswarriors

Extra InformationExtra Information In the 1500s the “Five civilized tribes” lived in planned In the 1500s the “Five civilized tribes” lived in planned

villages, and had skilled farmers and hunters, had villages, and had skilled farmers and hunters, had advanced medical knowledgeadvanced medical knowledge

Three-hundred years later they used American Three-hundred years later they used American agriculture, had laws in writing, and some became agriculture, had laws in writing, and some became ChristiansChristians

In the 1830s the whites forcibly moved the “Five In the 1830s the whites forcibly moved the “Five civilized tribes” (Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, civilized tribes” (Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, Seminole to Oklahoma, many died on the wayCreek, Seminole to Oklahoma, many died on the way

To the far north, on Vancouver Island, dentalium shells To the far north, on Vancouver Island, dentalium shells were valued ornamentswere valued ornaments

They were brought south through trade, and became They were brought south through trade, and became money in the Californian Regionmoney in the Californian Region

The longer shells had more valueThe longer shells had more value

BibliographyBibliography

Murdoch, David. Murdoch, David. North American Indian.North American Indian. New New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1995York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1995

Benjamin, Capps. Benjamin, Capps. The Old West: The Indians.The Old West: The Indians. Chicago: Life-Time Books Inc.Chicago: Life-Time Books Inc.

““Native Americans in the United States.” Native Americans in the United States.” WikipediaWikipedia

““Native American Facts For Kids” Native American Facts For Kids” Google.comGoogle.com, , 1/12/10 <http://www.native-1/12/10 <http://www.native-languages.org/kids.htm>languages.org/kids.htm>

Pictures from Google.comPictures from Google.com