Introduction

• There are several scattered Native American tribes, that would settle the Americas far before the Europeans.

• Their ancestries date back thousands of years before the Europeans.

1. The Migration Routes of the First Americans + Migrating East and South

• The Natives had their routes in Siberia, from Asia.

• Scientists theorized that the Natives started their journey in Siberia, where there was a landbridge to Alaska that slowly vanished.

• Hunters would follow the animals south and after the land bridge from Siberia to Alaska evaporated, the Siberian hunters had to adapt to their surroundings.

2. The First Americans Adapt to the Environment + American Indian Cultural Regions

• The American Indians had a strong connection to their surroundings, they would be able to live with what they can and learned how to modify the land to suit their needs.

• In the north, they learned how to make homes out of animal skin and how to raise squashes and chili peppers.

• Over the generations, the groups of American Indians developed their own cultures.

• You could split many Native American cultures into 10 major cultural regions by the 1400s.

3. Cultural Region 1: American Indians of the Arctic

• Much of the arctic is made out of tundra, with very little vegetation.

• It was very hard to find food in the arctic tundra, but during the summer that was much easier as the malibu would be more abundant.

4. Cultural Region 2: American Indians of the Northwest Coast

• In the northwest coast, there was an abundance of seafood.

• The forests of the Northwood served as wood for home production.

• Men would create tools such as:

  • clothing with wooden hedges and bone drills.

  • stone chisels and knives

• Women would:

  • sew

  • make blankets

(i swear im not sexist blame the book)

5. Cultural Region 3: American Indians of California

• The California region would have intense weather, with the summers being hot and dry.

• Groups in California would have many sources of food, such as:

  • salmon.

    • The process to get salmon was to fish.

  • ducks.

    • The process to catch ducks would involve bows and arrows.

• The people of California would create homes based on the climate they were in.

6. Cultural Region 4: American Indians of the Great Basin

• There was very limited food in the American Great Basin.

• The climate was extreme hot and extreme cold.

7: American Indians of the Plateau:

• There was an easy climate. with an easier route to get wood.

• Food was easier to get, as it was nearer.

• Abundance of wood fueled better and faster construction.

8: American Indians of the Southwest

• Due to the harsh climate, there was a major difficulty getting food in the Southwest.

• In the Southwest, the native tribes were nomadic.

  • Sidenote: nomadic means agricultural and behind on technology.

• Corn was by far the most important crop in the Southwest, as it was easy to grow.

9: American Indians of the Great Plains

• The Great Plains were vast flat terrain.

• Because of the flat terrain of the great plains, hunting season would become important as it was difficult to grow crops.

• The bison would be important as it would be a source of food.

10: American Indians of the Eastern Woodlands

• In the Woodlands there was an abundance of trees.

• The woods would provide all needed to live, food and construction.

• The woodlands would be cleared for farming.

11: American Indians of the Southeast

• The Southeast was incredibly fertile, and would be very suitable for crops.

• Southeast America had towns mounted by large eastern mounds.