American Indian Unity and Diversity: Ancestral Puebloans and Iroquois Confederacy

Flashcards covering unity vs. diversity among American Indian groups, the Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi), and the Iroquois Confederacy, including leadership, social structure, and key historical points.

Why is Columbus Los Indios misleading as a label for Native Americans?

Because he didn’t reach India, and using a singular term implied all native peoples were the same, which they were not.

What is the 'pre-Columbian evidence problem' for Native Americans in the USA?

There is no written evidence before 1492; researchers rely on archaeology and anthropology.

What is notable about the age of human activity evidence in Texas?

Evidence traces back to 13,500 BC (about 15,000 years ago), showing very early human presence.

What was the estimated population of American Indians on the eve of European conquest?

Likely around 10 million, a tiny fraction of today’s population.

What are two unity arguments about Indians across the Americas?

1) Polytheistic beliefs with a pantheistic universe where gods are in nature and among people; 2) Emphasis on the community over the individual and lack of private property.

What are some key diversity arguments about Indigenous groups?

Hundreds of languages, many distinct tribes, different habitats leading to economic differences, and varied social structures (hunter-gatherers vs. farmers).

What does the Four Corners region refer to?

The central zone where the modern states of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet.

Who were the Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi)?

Ancestors of the Pueblo peoples; built in the Four Corners region with sites like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde; long-distance trade; declined by around 1300.

What are two probable causes for the decline of the Ancestral Puebloans in the 1200s?

Prolonged drought and soil-depleting slash-and-burn farming.

What notable change occurred in Mesa Verde regarding dwellings?

Dwellings were moved from mesa tops down to cliff ledges to free up more farmland.

How were Pueblo Indians organized socially and politically around contact with Spaniards?

They lived in small towns (pueblos); men were farmers and women crafted baskets, ceramics, and textiles; shamans organized religion and held power, making their political culture a theocracy.

Who were the shamen and what roles did they play?

Shamen were multi-task leaders—priests, doctors, counselors, and historians who organized religion and held political power.

Where were the Iroquois located and what characterized their society?

In the Northeast (today’s New York and surrounding areas); farmers in forested, well-watered lands; women as farmers; men as hunters/warriors; more militaristic and less centralized than the Pueblos.

What was the Iroquois Confederacy and its government like?

A federation of tribes (Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk) with the Council of 49; men as warriors; elder women could elect/recall leaders; day-to-day issues handled by tribes, while broader issues were addressed by the council; a federal system rather than democracy.