1. Native American Cultures
Chapter 2, Section 2
How did people live in different culture areas of North America?
How did climate and resources affect Native American cultures?
What beliefs did different Native American groups share?
What was life like among the Iroquois?

2. Introduction to Culture Areas of North America
Chapter 2, Section 2
A culture area is a region in which people share a similar way of life.
Each culture area was home to many different tribes.
A tribe is a community of people who share common customs, language, and rituals. Members of a tribe saw themselves as a distinct people who shared a common origin.
In different culture areas, people met their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter in different ways:
hunting and gathering
fishing
farming
trading

3. Examples of How Climate and Resources Helped Shape Culture
Chapter 2, Section 2
Region
Some of the People
Characteristics
Far North
Inuits
1. Frozen seas and icy, treeless plains.
2. Lived in pit houses, houses dug into the ground and covered with wood and skins.
3. Clothing made out of furs and sealskins.
Plateau
Utes, Shoshones
1. Cold and dry environment with hardy plants and animals.
2. Collected pine nuts and dug for roots.
3. Hunted mountain sheep and rabbits.
4. Had few possessions.
Northwest Coast
1. Mild temperatures and abundant food; forests.
2. Fish from the sea.
3. Houses and canoes of planks.
4. Permanent villages.
5. Families held potlatches, or ceremonial dinners where the family gave gifts to the guests.
Southeast
Natchez
1. Warm, moist climate.
2. Hunted, fished, and farmed the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
3. 13-month calendar, each month named after a food or animal.

4. Culture Areas of North America
Chapter 2, Section 2

5. Culture Areas of North America
Chapter 2, Section 2

6. Shared Beliefs of Many Native American Groups
Chapter 2, Section 2
Respect for the earth and the forces of nature
Prayers and ceremonies were designed to keep a balance between people and forces of nature. Native Americans believed that people must adapt their ways to the natural world.
The world was full of powerful unseen forces and spirits, which Native Americans honored.
Special ceremonies
In farming areas, tribes held special ceremonies to ensure good rainfall. At Pueblo festivals, some dancers were dressed to represent kachinas—spirits with the power to bring good harvests.
In the Southeast, when the corn ripened in the fall, the Green Corn Ceremony marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one.

7. Life Among the Iroquois
Chapter 2, Section 2
Location
The Iroquois lived in the Eastern Woodlands, in present-day New York State.
Dwellings
They called themselves “The People of the Long House,” for their sturdy dwellings, which were about 150 long and 20 feet wide. Several families lived in a long house.
Role of women
Women owned all the household property and were in charge of planting and harvesting. When a woman married, her husband moved in with her family.
Political organization
A clan was a group of two or more related families. Women chose the clan leaders
The Five Nations
The Iroquois included five nations—Mohawk, Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida, and Cayuga.
League of the Iroquois
Around 1570, the five nations formed an alliance to end the fighting between the nations. The alliance became known as the League of the Iroquois.
A council of 50 tribal leaders, called sachems, met once a year to make decisions for the League.

8. Section 2 Assessment A culture area is a region in which
Chapter 2, Section 2
A culture area is a region in which
a) people developed many, very different ways to meet their basic needs.
b) most of the people share a similar way of life.
c) there are many different cultures.
d) everyone speaks the same language.
Although there were many different groups of Native Americans, they shared some basic ideas, including
a) the practice of worshipping their rulers.
b) the belief that people must marry outside of their social class.
c) the practice of putting on a ceremonial dinner to give away some of their wealth.
d) a deep respect for the earth and the forces of nature.
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9. Section 2 Assessment A culture area is a region in which
Chapter 2, Section 2
A culture area is a region in which
a) people developed many, very different ways to meet their basic needs.
b) most of the people share a similar way of life.
c) there are many different cultures.
d) everyone speaks the same language.
Although there were many different groups of Native Americans, they shared some basic ideas, including
a) the practice of worshipping their rulers.
b) the belief that people must marry outside of their social class.
c) the practice of putting on a ceremonial dinner to give away some of their wealth.
d) a deep respect for the earth and the forces of nature.
Want to connect to the American Nation link for this section? Click here.