THE NATIVE AMERICANS

Native American Diversity By the year 1500, Native Americans had divided into hundreds of cultural groups who perhaps spoke up to 2,000 different languages. Each group adapted to its ENVIRONMENT whether in frozen ice fields, scorching deserts, or densely forested woodlands.

These were the major CULTURAL REGIONS of North America.

Some native cultures based their economies on farming, while others relied on hunting and fishing. Depending on where they lived, different groups had different technologies. For instance, on the coast, some Indians used tools made from shells. In the desert, irrigation was used. Environment affected religion too. Native Americans strongly believed that certain places were sacred—and that animals, plants, and natural forces had spiritual importance.

People of the North and Northwest Coast

 In the far north, people like the Aleut and the Inuit, had to deal with snow and cold for much of the year. They were mainly hunters, and hunted things like whales, seals, and walruses.  They hunted these animals for food, and used skins to make clothing. Land animals like caribou were also hunted using weapons made from bones and antlers.

Further south, on the Northwest coast, people also hunted sea mammals. Fishing for salmon was very common. Living near the forests, trees were often used for houses and boats. They sometimes traded things like shells with inland Indians for things like furs. Some tribes in the Northwest held a POTLACH or special ceremony where all possessions were given away to claim social status or benefit the community. They were held on special occasions such as the naming of a child or mourning the dead.

Members of the Chilkat Tribe

People of the Columbia Plateau, Great Basin, and California

 These native people did not rely as much on the sea. They mainly hunted for or gathered food, and moved around a lot.  Men hunted deer, elk, antelope, rabbits, snakes and birds. They also fished. Women gathered nuts, seeds, roots, and berries. Many were also excellent weavers.  Many were religious, and had dances or ceremonies for various reasons.

Members of the Bannock Tribe

People of the Southwest

 One of the more well-known tribes here are the Pueblo. They used IRRIGATION for farming, and lived in many-storied houses made from adobe—dried mud bricks.  They raised corn, beans, and squash, as well as doing some hunting.  Other tribes such as the Navajo and Apache came after the Pueblo. They were HUNTER- GATHERERS.

People of the Great Plains

The Great Plains is a relatively flat, grassy area between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. These are often the Indians many people STEREOTYPE all Indians as being like. Many picture them as always being horse riders. However, they had no horses until the Spanish arrived in the Americas in 1500s.

Some Plains Indians were NOMADS or wanderers, while others lived in villages by rivers and farmed. The BISON or buffalo, was the most important animal to these people. They not only used the animal for meat, but used their hides for shelter and clothing, and their bones for tools. Many Plains people lived in TEEPEES, and in winter, some of the northern Plains Indians such as the Mandan and Pawnee lived in LODGES that were partly underground and had earthen walls.

People of the Southeast

 The southeast region has mild winters and warm summers with plentiful rainfall. The long growing season allowed crops like corn, beans, squash, and pumpkins to be grown by tribes such as the Choctaw and the Chickasaw  Men did the hunting, while women usually farmed. Family ties were traced through the bloodlines of women.

Seminole Indians

People of the Eastern Woodlands

This region had plenty of fish, game, and rain, but the climate was colder with snowy winters. Some natives here practiced SLASH-AND- BURN FARMING where trees are cut down and burned. Ashes from the fire enrich the soil. When the soil was worn out, the land was abandoned, and a new field was created.

Many natives of the region lived in LONGHOUSES, or bark-covered shelters that could house 8-10 different families. Some natives also lived in WIGWAMS which were dome-like structures covered with deerskin and slabs of bark. Many villages were protected by pole fences to ward off enemies. The Iroquois Indians of this region gave women a lot of power. If a male leader did something wrong, women of the clan could vote him out of office.

The Eastern Woodland Indians were some of the first to be affected by European settlement. They were eventually driven west of the Mississippi River, or killed.

As you can see, there is no “typical Indian”. There were many different cultural groups who lived very differently from each other, usually based on their environment. Native Americans played a large role in the history of the United States, and we will be discussing them periodically throughout the year.