Native American communities, ​ A New World of Many Cultures​:

Pre-Colonization

Early inhabitants migrated from Asia across a land/ice bridge in the Bering Strait thousands of years ago.

Indigenous Foods

Foods native to the Americas include maize (corn), potatoes, beans, squash, and tomatoes.

Native American Beliefs

Native Americans worshiped many gods.

Northwest Tribes

People lived in permanent longhouses or plank houses, relying on hunting, gathering, and fishing.

Totem Poles

Large carvings used by Northwest tribes to preserve their history, legends, and myths.

Great Basin Tribes

Tribes like the Shoshone and Nez Perce utilized diverse resources through hunting, gathering, and farming.

Three Sisters

Maize, squash, and beans, which were essential crops for tribes in the Great Basin and Southwest.

Southwest Tribes

Tribes such as the Apache and Pueblos relied on farming and irrigation in arid regions.

Great Plains Lifestyle

Tribes were either nomadic hunters or sedentary farmers, heavily reliant on buffalo.

Horses Introduction

Horses were introduced to the Great Plains in the 17th century, changing hunting practices.

Southeast Farming

Cherokee women cultivated crops like beans, squash, maize, and tobacco.

Iroquois Confederation

A political union of five tribes in present-day New York, relying on hunting and farming.

Cahokia

A significant settlement in present-day Illinois with a population of nearly 30,000.

Wampum

Shell beads used by Northeast tribes for cultural significance and viewed as currency by Europeans.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of people and resources that led to significant losses for Native Americans and gains for Europeans.

Spanish Conquest

Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztecs in 1518, and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca in 1532-1538.

Encomienda System

A system used by the Spanish to enslave Native Americans for labor in the New World.

Bartolome De Las Casas

An advocate for humane treatment of natives and opponent of the encomienda system.

Valladolid Debate

A debate in Spain over the enslavement of natives, featuring De Las Casas and Juan de Sepulveda.

Aciento System

The Spanish system of importing African slaves to replace enslaved Native Americans.

St

The first permanent Spanish settlement in North America, established in 1565.

Pueblo Revolt

A revolt in 1680 where Pueblo Indians drove the Spanish out of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Casta System

A social hierarchy in Spanish colonies based on ethnicity, including Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, and Mulattos.

French Colonies

Focused on trade and built trading posts, forming close ties with Native Americans through the fur trade.

English Colonization

Motivated by wealth, English settlers established colonies and often disregarded Native cultures.

Roanoke Colony

An early English colony that disappeared, with the only clue being the word "Croatoan" carved on a tree.

Spanish Treatment of Natives

Included forced labor, religious conversion, and the establishment of a rigid social hierarchy.

English Treatment of Natives

Characterized by exclusion, lack of intermarriage, and viewing natives as savages.

French Treatment of Natives

Included intermarriage and fur trading partnerships, leading to alliances with Native Americans.