Native Americans Mrs. Simpson’s & Mr. Tavolazzi’s Fifth Grade Class June 2007

Regions Forest River Coast Desert

Four American Indian Cultures Anasazi Makah Mississippians Muscogee

Shelter Lived in villages. Up to 2,000 people lived in a village. They used long grasses to build their shelters.

Tools Built strong canoes from trees in order to travel.

Food Gathered acorns as one of their main foods. Fished and collected food from the ocean.

Clothing Wore simple clothes. The weather was warm so they didn’t need heavy clothing.

Fun Facts About The Anasazi The Anasazi are the People of the Desert. They lived in Cliff Dwellings. Rain was important for growing crops, especially corn. When the rain stopped falling on the mesas, the Anasazi moved into villages nearer water.

Fun Facts About The Makah The Makah are the People of the Coast. They lived near the ocean and other bodies of water in the state of Washington. The Makah fished for salmon and hunted in the summer. They hunted whales, sea lions, and sea otters in the winter. They celebrated their plentiful food supply in potlatch ceremonies.

Fun Facts About The Mississippians The Mississippians are the People of the River. They traded along the Mississippi River with people who lived great distances away. Towns like Cahokia were built around huge mounds. Artifacts found in mounds tell us a lot about the religion and culture of the Mississippians.

Fun Facts About The Muscogee The Muscogee are the People of the Forest. They are also known as the Creek Indians. They hunted, fished, and gathered fruits and nuts in the forests of what are now Alabama and Georgia. They built houses in villages and planted crops in nearby fields. A town council and chief ruled the village together. Religious ceremonied and festivals took place in the central plaza.

Comprehension Questions What is the name of the native people who lived in the forest? In the desert? What is the name of the native people who lived on the coast? On the river? What materials did the Native Americans use to build their houses? What was one type of travel used by the Native Americans? What types of food did the Native Americans survive on? What is the most interesting fact you learned about the Native Americans?

Works Cited Native Americans Desert People sertpeople.htm sertpeople.htm Desert USA Houghton Mifflin Education Place