NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES IN THE US

The First Americans

Last Ice Age

Glaciers covered N. America

NomadsWalked from Asia

across the Bering Strait

Some societies were very simple Others very complex

“Bone Pit”

1908-African-American named George McJunkin uncovered very large animal bones in Folsom, New Mexico

Called it the “bone pit” Self-taught in ancient bones,

minerals, arrowheads, geology, natural history

Wrote to scientists about discovery

1922-scientists began research after his death

Bones 9,000 yrs old Some had flint in shape of

spear points-Folsom point

Clovis Point

Clovis, New Mexico in the 1930’s

Clovis point more than 4,000 yrs older than Folsom

Thought to be 1st Americans-more evidence that other groups arrived at the same time

Southwestern Cultures

Hohokam-ArizonaMogollon-SE Arizona

& SE New MexicoAnasazi-4 corners

area on flat-topped mesas

Hohokam

Desert areas, irrigation canals (hand-dug)

Grew cotton for cloth, pottery, and jewelry from seashells

Snaketown-meeting place w/ball courts, dance platforms

Abandoned in 1450-lack of water

“the vanished ones”

Mogollons

Don’t know what they called themselves-Don Juan Mogollan-Spanish governor of New Mexico in 1700s (Mt. Range)

Shelters on high ground & underground

Kivas-underground for religious ceremonies & official business

New form of pottery-clay bowls w/ geometric designs

Carvings-1000s of animals, human faces & masks

No other people created so many artistic images

Anasazi

Master builders “Golden Age” from AD

850-1150 Planned community-roads,

ceremonial buildings “wagon wheel”-center was

Chaco canyon in New Mexico (even though they didn’t use the wheel)

Cliff dwellings-pueblos Signal fires to

communicate w/other villages (obsidian rock to reflect message by firelight)

1150 AD-culture vanishes Drought, lack of resources,

leaders lost power possibly

Woodland Culture

East of Mississippi, Great Lakes region, and East Coast

Hunter-gatherers Mound builders-burial

chambers w/small log rooms Pipes& tobacco & artwork

found inside Adena mounds found in Ohio

on private property (700 BC-100 AD)

Hopewell-mounds found in Ohio in shape of snake

Snake mound-curves for a ¼ mile, mouth is swallowing a huge egg

Symbol of growth and change Artifacts in mound show

trading w/ other cultures

Cahokia

Illinois-by 1200 AD more than 20,000 people

Largest settlement of Mississippians in N. America

Located where 3 rivers come together-Mississippi, Missouri, & Illinois

Planned city w/ palisade (wooden fence)

Mound builders Monk’s mound-found in early

1800s 1500-vanished, unsure why

Possibly disease or wars

Iroquois

Between 1200-1400 AD powerful Woodland culture in upper NY developed

Descended from Mississippians

6 tribes create “Great Law of Peace”-democracy

Great leaders-Hiawatha & Seneca Famous for important speeches

Most powerful Native Americans when Europeans arrive

Great Plains

Between Mississippi river & Rocky Mts.

Sioux, Cheyenne, Comanche & Blackfoot

Rode horses while hunting buffalo-after 1500s when horses introduced to N. America by Europeans

Settlements before 1500s near streams or rivers, dome-shaped buildings, farmers mostly

Pacific Coast

Abundant natural resources Salmon, seafood, wildlife,

nuts & berries, vegetablesPuget Sound in modern-

day Washington stateCedar-used to store dried

foods, houses (longhouses-up to 100 ft.), shoes, tools, clothes, canoes

Potlatch “throw into the air”-celebration where host gave many gifts to guests-only Pacific tribes did this

Inuit

Modern-day Alaska & northern Canada

Were called “Eskimo”-eaters of raw meat

Call themselves Inuit-real people

Harsh frozen environment

Igloos-homes of snowSea mammals & caribou

for foodArt-carvings of soapstone

or ivory