Chapter 1: Native Americans1.1 Introduction

For thousands of years, Native Americans (First People in America) lived in North and South America by themselves. They did not leave any

writing to tell us what their lives were like so people have to study things that the people left behind like bones, stone and metal tools and pottery. Scientists put the information together to learn about the Native Americans.1.2 Migration Routes of the First Americans

The first Americans probably migrated from Siberia in Asia, to present-day

Alaska during the Ice Age. “Migrated” means that the people moved from one place to another. The people migrated over a land bridge called Beringia that

connected the land. Today that land bridge is not there. It is covered by water.

The people were following animals like mammoths but then the animals started to die off because of disease, overhunting or the change in the climate. People had to find different sources for food, clothing and shelter. They became hunters and gatherers and started to catch smaller animals and fish. They also gathered plants and seeds. The Native Americans

spread across North America and South America.

1.3 Native Americans Adapt to the Environment

Native Americans lived in many different environments. An environment

is everything that surrounds us- land, water, animals and plants. Each environment has its own

climate or weather. Native Americans survived by adapting or changing how they live in the environment.

In order to survive in the environment, Native Americans were able to use the natural resources (materials found in nature) for

food, clothing and shelter. Because North and South America have very different environments and climates, Native Americans developed their own cultures, or ways of life. Those different cultures are grouped together to make ten cultural regions. A cultural region is made up of people who share the same language or way of life. We will read about eight of those cultural regions.

1.4 First Americans’ View of Their Environment

Native Americans had a strong connection to their environment. They believed they were part of the community

of plants, animals and other natural objects. They believed that each part of nature had its own spirit. Each person had to get along with these spirits. They did not

believe that land could be owned by people. They were connected to their homeland and adapted or changed it to meet their needs. They did not want to waste nature.

1.5 Native Americans of the Northwest Coast

The Northwest Coast cultural region runs from southern Oregon into Canada. Winters are cold but not icy and summers are cool. There are thick forests of evergreen trees on the mountains. There is heavy rain during much of the year.

Northwest people had a lot of food available. They built their villages along the beaches and bays. They gathered clams,

shellfish and seaweed. They hunted seals, sea lions, and whales. Deer moose, bear, elk, beavers and goats lived in the forests.

The forests also provided wood for houses and other objects. The woman

used the bark from the trees to make baskets, mats, rope and blankets.

The Native Americans of the Northeast had enough food and materials so they had time to get better at crafts. They made shell buttons, masks and wooden bowls.1.6 Native Americans of California

The California cultural region runs from southern Oregon through Baja California. Ocean storms causes a lot of

rain in the winter and summers are hot and dry.

Many Sources of FoodPeople living along the

coast of the California region ate salmon most of the time. In the southern part, the people ate shellfish. Away from the coast, people hunted deer, rabbits

and duck. They gathered roots, berries, pine nuts and acorns. Acorns were also ground up to use in cooking.Homes and Clothing

The people made houses out of redwood bark or from thick woven reed mats draped over cone shaped poles.

Women wore simple aprons or skirts made from grass, other plants, or leather strips. When it was

cold, they wrapped themselves in animal hides.

California people made cooking baskets, storage baskets, sifters and fish traps. Women wove patterns to make beautiful baskets and decorated them with clamshells or bird feathers.1.7 Native Americans of the Great

BasinThe Great Basin is to

the east of California, between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Rocky Mountains.

The Mountains to either side block the rain which makes this area a desert. Because there was not a lot of water, people traveled much of the time looking for food while carrying water in baskets.Extreme Heat and Cold

Wherever people camped, they made temporary shelters of willow poles shaped

into a cone and covered with brush or reed.

When winter came, temperatures dropped below freezing. To keep warm,

people made robes out of rabbit hides.Searching for Food

Food was scarce due to lack of water. In the spring when water was available, men hunted ducks, women hunted for duck

eggs, roots, seeds, grasshoppers, snakes, jack rabbits, and berries. They used more than 100 types of plants.

1.8 Native Americans of the Plateau The plateau is bordered by the Cascade Mountain Range to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east. The mountains have

thick forests and the flatter areas are covered with grass and sage brush. Winters are long and cold while the summer is nice and gentle.Sturdy Houses and Clothing

Homes were made from underground pits that were lined with logs and were then covered with saplings, reeds

and mud.

Plateau used their weaving skills to make blankets and hats. They also

used antelope and deer hides for dresses, leggings, and shirts, They decorated their work with seeds and shells.

Camas and SalmonPlateau people hunted according to

the seasons. They hunted meat in the fall and most of the time they would use fish and plants for food. They gathered

wild onions and carrots and a starchy rood called

camas. The most important food was salmon. 1.9 Native Americans of the Southwest

The Southwest is now present day Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and parts of Texas and Oklahoma. This region is made up of canyons, mountains,

deserts, and flat top mesas. Two major rivers run through this region- The Colorado River and the Rio Grande River. Rain usually never falls in this area.Mesa People

Different people found different ways of adapting to their environment in this area. The Mesa

People made their homes out of adobe, which is sun-baked clay. They built thick-walled houses that protected them from

the hot summer and the cold winter. Their villages looked like apartments and could have hundreds of rooms.

To protect their bodies from the sun, mesa people word clothes made of cotton which they dyed with minerals to make bright colors.Corn Culture

The mesa people learned to irrigate the land to grow corn, beans and squash. The most important crop was corn.

Girls spent many hours a day grinding the corn kernels into cornmeal. The cornmeal could then be baked in clay ovens.

1.10 Native Americans of the Great Plains

This region extended from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River Valley. It had just enough rain for a lot of grassland where buffalo grazed.

Buffalo HuntersThis entire region

relied on Buffalo for food. Groups went on hunting trips in search of Buffalo.

They hunted with spears or bows and arrows.

Using the BuffaloBuffalo was the

main food for the plains people. Women and children cut up the buffalo with bone

knives. Extra meat was dried and kept for winter. They used every part of the buffalo. Buffalo hides were used as shields, containers, warm robes, and

blankets. People made ropes out of buffalo hair. Horns and hooves were used as

spoons and bowls. They even used the Buffalo for houses. The skins were sewed together and put around a cone to form a tipi.

1.11 Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands

The Eastern Woodlands area stretches from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic

Ocean and North to Canada. Winter snow and summer rain help the forests grow and provide water for lakes

and streams. The name of the group that lived here was mainly the Iroquois.Plentiful Woods

The forest provided most of what the Iroquois needed to live. Hunters searched

for deer, bears, beavers, birds and fish. Women gathered fresh greens, nuts and berries. They made

syrup by boiling down sap from maple trees.

Iroquois people used the rivers and lakes for transportation,

fresh water, and for fish. They used the forests for building houses covered with elm bark.Women Farmers

Iroquois men cleared the land by burning down the trees. Women did the rest of the farming. They planted several different types of corn, sunflowers tobacco, squash and many vegetables that we still plant today.

1.12 Native American of the Southeast

The Southeast region stretches from the southern part of the Ohio Valley to

the Gulf of Mexico and from Texas to the Atlantic Ocean. This region has fertile soil near the coastal plains, river valleys,

mountains, and swamps. It has long, warm humid summers and mild winters.

Towns Built around MoundsHomes were made

from mounds of dirt that was moved one basket at a time. Each

mound was created from a log frame covered with clay. People were so busy

making the mounds that they really had no time for growing food except for one type of corn that grew very fast. They were able to harvest two crops a year.A Fertile Region

The land in the south was very fertile and there was a long growing season. Later the people grew other crops besides corn. They also

grew squash, pumpkins, potatoes, wild rice and sunflowers. They collected

seeds and edible plants. They wore simple short deer skin skirts. They

used stones, shells, feathers, pearls, bones and clay to make rings, earrings, arm rings and hai