THE FIRST AMERICANS

Chapter 2, section 2

The Peoples of North America

In 1492 Christopher Columbus thought he reached the East Indies when he really found the Americas.

He called the inhabitant “los Indios” or Indians and soon all of Europe were calling people of the Americas Indians.

Culture Areas and Tribes

Culture area: a region in which people share a similar way of life.

There are many different tribes within each culture area.

Tribe: a group of villages or settlements that shared common customs, languages, and rituals.

Strong bond with the land, animals, and plants in the region in which they lived.

Through religious ceremonies and daily customs they tried to maintain a balance with the forces of their natural world.

Peoples of the North

The Arctic and subarctic stretched across the northern part of North America.

People adapted to harsh climates. Winter temperatures drop to -30 degrees. Snow stays on the ground much of the year.

Arctic

Inuits: people of the Arctic. Collected the limited resources during the

summer, like driftwood from ocean shores.

Igloos: house of snow and ice built in the winter

Food was scarce so Inuits could not live in the same place all year round.

Arctic

In winter Inuits set up camp at a favorite spot near the sea where they hunted for seal.

In spring Inuits paddle kayaks or small skin boats to spear seal, whale, and walrus.

In summer Inuits moved inland to hunt caribou or to fish on rivers or lakes.

Inuits believed that each animal had a spirit. They offered the animal gifts before hunting and sang songs of praise after they hunted.

Subarctic

People of the subarctic also faced a severe environment.

Moved from place to place hunting moose and caribou or fishing in river and oceans.

Many supplied furs to traders when Europeans arrived.

Peoples of the Northwest Coast They enjoyed a favorable climate and

abundant food supply, so they were able to stay in one place throughout the year.

Rich harvests of fish and in the autumn salmon.

Kwakiutls: a northeast coast tribe. Utilized cedar trees from nearby forests

to build canoes and planks from houses. They made rope, baskets, and clothes

from the soft inner bark.

Peoples of the Northwest Coast

Hunted deer, moose, and bear. They built permanent villages. Prospered from trade with nearby groups. Families gained status according to how

much they owned. Potlach: ceremonial dinner to show off

their wealth. They gave away present to all the guests. The more they gave away the more they were respected

Other Peoples of the West

Climates and resources varied in other climates in the west.

Great basin Lies in the dry Intermountain region of

the United States. Little water meant few plants or animals

survived. Utes and Shoeshones: people of the great

basin: spent most of their time looking for food.

Great basin

Hunted rabbits or dug for roots in the desert soil.

Frequent traveling meant few related families traveled together.

Their only possessions were used for hunting or gathering.

Plateau

Lived between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Cascades to the west.

Fish were their main source of food from the rivers.

Hunted and gathered roots, berries, and nuts.

Lived in earth houses partly underground. Nez Perces: Tribe from the Plateau region

California

Differences in climates and resources created diverse cultures in California.

Coastal people fished in the oceans and rivers.

Northern Valley peoples hunted deer, rabbit, and elk or collected berries and nuts.

Southeast desert people lived much like people of the Great Basin.

Peoples of the Southwest

Pueblos: Spanish name for people of the Southwest: descendant from the Anasazis.

Included groups like the Hopis, Acomas, Zunis, and Lagunas.

By 1500’s most lived in villages along the Rio Grande and its tributaries.

Farming, religion, and family life Built adobe houses and farmed corn , squash,

and beans. Kiva: underground chamber where men held

religious ceremonies to try to please the spirits of nature such as wind, rain, and thunder.

Kachinas: masked dancers who represented the spirits. Believed kachina ceremonies would ensure rainfall and good crops.

When men married he went to live with the wife’s family.

Wives owned most of the family property.

Hunters arrive 1500 two new groups arrived; the

Navajos and the Appaches. Both groups lived as hunters but often

raided pueblo fields for food. Navajos eventually adopted pueblo ways

and began hunting and building hogans or house made of mud plaster over a wooden framework.

Apaches continued to hunt following hers of buffalo and other game.

Peoples of the Great Plains Few trees so house were built of sod, or

chunks of thickly matured grass. Tepees: cone shaped tents made of

buffalo hides They fished and farmed (sunflowers) Hunted buffalo, antelope, elk and deer,

and bighorn sheep. Each village included a ruling council who

were their best hunters The chief spoke well and judged wisely

Horses Come to the PlainsA new way of life

Horses reached the northern Plains in the mid 1700’s.

The Spanish had brought the horses to the Southwest 200 years earlier.

Plains people could now travel farther faster and so began raising fewer crops and hunting more.

Peoples of the Southeast

Home to more Native Americans than any other region.

Warm climate, fertile soil, and plentiful rain helpe to produce good crops.

Made house from young sapling trees and plastered walls with clay and dry grass

Farming and religion

Men: cleared the land and hunted Women: planted, weeded, and harvested

crops. Religious ceremonies were linked to

farming. Green Corn ceremony: midsummer when

corn ripened.

Natchez society Hunted fish and farmed along the fertile

Gulf Coast. Divided their year into 13 months each

one named after a different food or animal.

Religion was based on worshiping the sun. Natchez had a class system. One class

member had to marry someone from a different class. So that no one family could hold a class position forever.

Peoples of the Eastern WoodlandsThe House Builders

Iroquois: most powerful people of the region.

Lived in present day New York State. House Builders: this is what the Iroquois

called themselves Long house: built out of poles sided with

bark. Typically 150 feet long and 20 feet wide.

The House Builders

The long house had many rooms. Each room belonged to one family.

Women owned all the property in the long house and were in charge of planting and harvesting crops.

Iroquois men moved in with his wife’s family.

Iroquois women chose the sachems or tribal chiefs

Peace among nations

Iroquois included 5 nations each with its own ruling council.

The 5 nations fought constantly. League of the Iroquois: A union of the

nations 5 nations then late a sixth joined: Pledged to remain peaceful and helpful.

All nations had to agree in order to take action.