Native Americans lived in many parts of this land when explorers came to this country. See on the map where a few tribes lived. You will also be able to see major cultural regions. There were a number of tribes in each region. Tribes in each region often did some things alike because their cultures were similar.
Native Americans or Indians lived here before the explorers came. These people had lived here for a long time and had developed cultures. Over a period of many years, their lives had adapted to the places where they lived. Their cultures were shaped by the environment. Many of the tribes were hunters and gatherers. They would travel to an area where hunting was good. They also found good places to gather what they needed. When seasons changed they might move to a new area. They found new places where they could take care of their needs.
Food they ate came from the place where they lived. Their clothes and homes also came from the things that were around them. They used the trees and plants they found. They used the animals too. For example, life in the arctic region was not the same as in other places. It was not the same as life in the desert. How they lived their lives depended on where they were. The environment affected their culture.
Each group or tribe was different in some way. There were more than 140 of them. Many tribes spoke different languages. Many things in their tribes were different. But, many things about the tribes were the same or similar.
-The names of 27 states get their names from the Native Americans.
-Many North American Indians used small beads in the place of money. The beads were made of shells. These shells were called wampum. They were used to trade with white settlers.
- The largest Indian tribe is the Navajo tribe.
- Warriors painted faces to look fierce.
- Goshute Indians in the west were those that were run off by the other tribes. They lived in the deserts of Utah and Nevada.
- Shoshone tribes met together in a large group once every three years.
Text Credits:
http://www.ushistory.org/us/1.asp;
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/interview/tcrr-interview/ (Buffalo and Native Americans);
http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-cultures/videos/the-buffalo-and-native-americans;
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/polar/myths_arctic.html (Inuit)
http://native-american-indian-facts.com/index.shtml