American Indians: Settlement, Culture, and Geographic Influences

The Physical Environment and Natural Resources of North America

• The physical environment and natural resources significantly shaped the development of early human settlements and the culture of American Indians.
• American Indian societies exhibited diversity across North America.

Theories of Human Settlement of the Americas

• The curriculum requires that we examine theories related to how humans initially settled the Americas.

Comparison of American Indian Culture Groups

• We need to compare and contrast different American Indian culture groups.
• A key focus is to understand how geographic factors influenced the development of these groups. The cultures we will focus on are:
  • Sioux
  • Anasazi
  • Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)

American Indian Culture Groups in New York State

• The curriculum specifically requires us to examine various American Indian culture groups located within what became New York State.
• The primary group of focus is the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois).
• We must analyze the influence of geographic factors on their development.

Vocabulary

• Bering Land Bridge:
  • A strip of land that existed between Asia and present-day Alaska.
  • It was exposed due to lower sea levels during the Ice Age.
• Climate:
  • The typical weather conditions in an area over a long period.
  • Example: Cold and snowy climate.
• Culture:
  • A group's shared values and traditions.
  • Example: A high school's spirit week.
• Environments:
  • The climates and landscapes surrounding living things.
• Hunter-Gatherer:
  • People who move from place to place to find food by hunting animals and gathering plants.
• Anasazi (Pueblo):
  • An American Indian culture of the Southwest.
  • They adapted to the dry environment through irrigation techniques.
• Haudenosaunee (Iroquois):
  • An American Indian culture of the Northeast.
  • They established stable communities with the five nations: Onondaga, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, and Mohawk.
  • They practiced farming and hunted white-tailed deer.
• Sioux and Crow:
  • American Indian cultures of the Midwest.
  • They were nomadic, following the buffalo for sustenance.
• Inuit and Aleut:
  • American Indian cultures of the northern part of North America.
  • They built igloos to survive the harsh winter climate.
• Natural Resources:
  • Elements available to a society from their physical environment.
  • Includes land, forests, minerals, and water.
• Developed:
  • The process of growth or advancement.
  • Example: A student improving reading skills.
• Influence:
  • The act of affecting someone's behavior or opinion.
  • Example: Children trying to influence their parents' decisions.
• Adaptation:
  • The capability of humans to survive in a specific location or climate.
  • Achieved by changing behavior or physical geography.
• Migration:
  • The movement of people or animals from one region to another.
• Physical Geography:
  • Deals with the physical features and changes of the Earth.
  • Examples: River valleys, mountains, deserts.

American Indian Questions

• Create a unit focus question based on the unit’s main idea, starting with "How" or "Why".
• Create supporting questions to gather information that will support the focus question, starting with "who", "what", "when", and "where".