Welcome to the Welcome to the Bryan Museum ofBryan Museum of

Native American EconomicsNative American Economics

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Welcome to the Bryan Museum of Native American Economies.

This virtual museum has been brought to you as part of the Native American/Technology Integration

module of the Clark County School District Teaching American History Grant.

My name is Verena K Bryan. I am a teacher at Steve Cozine Elementary School, in North Las Vegas. I am

currently in my fourth year teaching third grade. I hold a BA in Social Thought and Political Economy and a

MSED in Early Childhood Education.

This museum was created to introduce elementary students to essential content area information

regarding the various economies of the Northeast, Northwest, Southwest and Plains Native American

Tribes. I hope you enjoy this presentation and I look forward to your feedback.

Verena K Bryan

Steve Cozine Elementary School

5335 Coleman St.

N. Las Vegas, NV 89031

702.799.0690

vkbryan@interact.ccsd.net

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The Navajo people of the American Southwest hold some

of the most valuable mineral recourses of the US Native

American Nations. Early economic endeavors included

the herding of sheep and cattle, fiber production,

weaving, jewelry making, and art trading. During the 20th century the Navajo people were involved in coal and

uranium mining. Even though economic growth within the

Navajo Nation has taken several different paths many Navajo people still produce

traditional art work and crafts, like their ancestors.

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The Chumash used much of their natural recourses to

support their communities. They were hunters and

gatherers. What they were unable to obtain from their

environment they traded for. Because, they were very skilled at processing and storing food

they did not practice agricultural techniques and they did not keep livestock. They were able to use just

about everything available to them in their environment. They even used shells as

money. Today the Chumash people are known for their amazing and colorful rock

paintings.

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Early Hohokam people were active traders. They particularly

liked trading goods for shells and stones to make jewelry.

They would get goods from New Mexico and Arizona and carry

them to the coasts of California to trade for jewelry making

materials. The Hohokam people were even known to trade for parrots. They would then use

the feathers in traditional ceremonies.

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The Anasazi traded with several Puebloan

communities in the American Southwest. They were known to trade with the Hohokam and the Mogollon people.

They received goods like sea shells, parrots, copper bells,

and cotton. The Anasazi trade networks supported open communications between groups. Demands for trade often lead to marriages and

relationships to flourish among a variety of

neighboring villages.

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Like so many of the Native people of the Plains the

Pawnee relied upon hunting buffalo and planting corn to support their communities. They spent part of the year living nomadically. In the spring, when they would hunt buffalo, they would

live in skin-covered tepees. Meanwhile their corn grew in their villages. In the fall, they would return to their villages, to harvest their corn crops. This cycle of

hunting and planting supported their economic needs on the plains. The

buffalo provided their food, shelter, and clothing.

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Bison were a large part of the Cheyenne economy. The

bison served as food, clothing, shelter,

manufactured goods, and items which were traded with other tribes and Europeans. In addition to hunting bison the Cheyenne gathered plums, chokecherries, and turnips. Once they encountered the

European settlers the Cheyenne received goods like

coffee, bacon, sugar, and bleached flour. During the

nineteenth century, as bison populations declined, the Cheyenne economy was

increasingly dependant on trade with Europeans to

supplement for the materials that they needed.

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Living on the plains the Blackfoot, like other

Plains people, used the bison that they hunted

for food, clothing, tepee covers, tools,

and ornaments. Once trade began with

Europeans the addition of metal tools changed

the way traditional materials were

manufactured. The Blackfoot actively

traded horses, food, mules, and ornaments in exchange for metal tools, guns, clothes, food, and whiskey.

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Much like other Plains people the Osage hunted for part of the

year and then returned to their villages for the plant harvest. The most significant changes that took place in their history

came about when they encountered European settlers. They adopted the use of horses

for hunting and also gained weapons. They traded with the Europeans for several years.

During that time buffalo populations decreased and

ultimately in 1825 they lost their land in Missouri and were moved

to Kansas.

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The Wampanoag people were skilled both at

hunting and farming. As Northeast seasons changed

they moved between eating beans, corn, and

squash, and fish and game. Just like several other

native communities the social, political, and

economics duties were the responsibility of the women

of the village. The Wampanoag people

belonged to a confederation (a group of

communities that help one another). Each community

was represented by a sachem (leader) who met with other members of the confederation to discuss

how the communities would trade with one

another.

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As part of the Powhatan Nation the Accohannock Tribe was part of the

Accomac Confederation. Dwelling in what is now Maryland the Accohannock people

were among the first hunters, farmers, trappers, and fishermen in that region. Being good at hunting and farming they were able to provide a large variety of

foods for their tribe. In addition to growing squash and corn their economy was maintained by hunting deer, rabbit, bear, elk, and other woodland animals.

The Accohannock people were able to live self-sufficiently until colonial affects

disassembled their culture.

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The Abenaki people were very similar to other Native tribes in the Northeast. They were

farmers and hunter/gatherers. When the first French settlers

arrived to the Northeast region the Abenaki people

joined them in the fur trade. The Abenaki hoped that by understanding the French

they would be able to keep more French from settling

that area. For some time the fur trade did provide the Abenaki with wealth that helped their economy.

Unfortunately the French saw how much could be had from trading fur and they took over

more and more land. Soon the Abenaki people died out

because of the diseases brought by the European

settlers.

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The early Ojibwe, of the Great Lakes region, were skilled hunters and

trappers. Unlike other Native people they rarely used horses or hunted buffalo. They lived in small groups

that could be easily supported by the environment. They ate deer, bear, moose, waterfowl, fish, wild rice,

maple sugar, berries, and a few other plants that they could grow during

the short growing season. Their economies were completely self-

sufficient. That was until they joined the French in the fur trade. As a

result of their contacts with Europeans the Ojibwe gained metal

tools and weapons. Their new wealth allowed for their groups to grow

larger. Their contacts with the French lead to economic growth and it also lead to the spread of disease and

warfare.

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Transportation was an important part of trade to the Native people of the

Americas. For many tribes the introduction of horses aided their ability to trade, and gain wealth. For the Haida, the use of canoes

was a major factor in their economy. Using hollowed out cedar logs the Haida

were able to travel to trade with other tribes. Gaining

property was very important. Social standing within the tribe depended on how much property a person had. Therefore it was very important for

Haida people to become as skilled as possible at

gathering wealth.

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Fishing was a primary activity that supported

their economy. Living on the Northern Pacific coast

the Kwakiutl people obtained their food and recourses directly from

the ocean. They fished for salmon, herring, eulachon,

halibut, shellfish, seals, and many other marine animals. There skills as fishermen lead to great wealth for the Kwakiutl

people. They also participated in fur trade through the Northwest.

Today they are still involved in the cash economy of fishing,

logging, and canning.

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The Chinook people used their recourses to maintain

their economy. As were many Northwest tribes

fishing was a major contributor to their

acquisition of wealth. When the European settlers

arrived in this area they began a very productive

trade relationship with the Chinook people. During this time the Chinook were so important to this regions

trade economy that a new language formed so the Native people and the

Europeans could communicate. This

language was a mixture of English, French, and several

indigenous languages.

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The Yurok fished, hunted, and gathered. Most significant to maintaining their daily lives

was the drying of salmon and the harvesting of acorns.

They used acorns in a variety of ways. The acorn was

ground into flour and used as medicines. The acorn groves were very important to the Yurok people. The groves were owned my villages,

individual people, and they even had open groves that

could be used by everyone.

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