Key Idea: The natives were a diverse peoples who formed complex societies that varied significantly across regions, from the agricultural communities in the fertile valleys to the nomadic tribes of the plains.

Southwest Societies:

The cultivation of maize 🌽 spread from the Mexican heartland throughout the Southwest and across much of North America
- The introduction of maize cultivation led to significant population growth among Native American societies as it provided a reliable food source
- Maize cultivation significantly enhanced trade networks, as surplus production allowed for the exchange of goods and resources and facilitated interdependent relationships between different tribes
Developed large, elaborate irrigation systems 💧 to grow maize in the dry climate
Reliance on agriculture led to the creation of permanent settlements that the Spanish referred to as pueblos, meaning small towns 🛖
- Pueblo: a term referring to a number of American Indian tribes in the Southwest and their permanent dwellings, which were made of stone and mud bricks

Great Plains Societies:

The people of the Great Plains (and the Great Basins) tended to develop mobile lifestyles due to the lack of resources
The abundance of buffalo 🦬 created a plentiful, protein-rich food source for the Plains Indians at the cost of permanent settlements, since buffalo hunters had to follow the migrating herds
- The introduction of horses 🐴 by Europeans assisted hunters in pursuing their prey

Great Basin Societies:

Environmentally diverse ⛰, but lacked resources
Marked by hot, arid conditions that were too dry to support agriculture
Native populations lived nomadic lives as hunter-gatherers 🏹

Eastern Societies:

Along the Atlantic seaboard, many native societies developed a mix of agricultural and hunter-gatherer economies, fostering the development of permanent structures

The Iroquois, a confederation of six nations, lived in settled, permanent villages
- Built longhouses constructed from the abundant timber 🪵
- Relied primarily on farming in addition to gathering, hunting, and fishing 🐟 to provide sustenance
- “Three Sisters”: corn 🌽, beans 🫘, and squash
- Traditionally, a matrilineal society—inheritance and descent pass through the mother’s line

Northwest Societies:

Developed a mix of foraging 🌿 and hunting 🏹
In some areas, they supported themselves with the vast resources of the Pacific Ocean and the rivers 🌊
The Chinook people built extensive plank houses, which housed whole families in kinship groups

Credits: Marco Learning

Q: What differences existed between native societies in North America?

A: Natives in the Great Plains and the Great Basin tended to live nomadic lifestyles, while natives in other regions tended to live in settled communities supported by agriculture.

Q: What similarities existed between native societies in North America?

A: Their lifestyles were heavily influenced by their natural environments. In all regions, tribes traded goods with one another and fought wars over access to water sources and hunting grounds.

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