The Earliest Americans 8-1.1 Summarize the collective and individual aspects of the Native American culture of the Eastern Woodlands tribal group, including the Catawba, Cherokee, and Yemassee. The Earliest Americans Native Americans and the New World

Native Americans in South Carolina The first American Indians came to South Carolina about 13,000 B.C. Native Americans were divided into regional groups based on where people lived & languages they spoke South Carolina’s Native Americans = Eastern Woodlands

Native American Ways of Life Tribes spoke different languages, but also had many things in common. They all: Lived close to nature and adapted their life styles to the landscape. Saw their own well-being as intertwined with the health of their natural environment. Women had power. Did not have a concept of personal land ownership. Land was held ‘in trust’, by the tribe.

Eastern Woodland Indians 1st to encounter European settlers, who called them Eastern Woodlanders, because they were forest dwellers Used Natural Resources Rivers – Transportation & Fishing Clothing – Animal pelts/hides Tools – Rock or Wood Shelter – Tree bark & animal hides Land – Fertile, rolling hills & clay soil

Roles of Men and Women MEN Men cleared the land and hunted for food They fought when necessary They trained boys to follow the same role WOMEN Planted and harvested crops Cared for children and trained the girls Some women even served as chiefs.

Native American Politics Each group had a chief There were separate chiefs for war (red) and peace (white). Each group had a spiritual leader, or medicine man. He or she led the worship and healed the sick. Met as a council to make rules (women were included)

Native American Land Use (Technology) They used sharp points carved from rocks and animal bones for hunting as well as spears, and bows and arrows Housing was made from natural resources available in the area such as tree bark and animal hides. Clay and sand was used to make pottery. How do we know this? The Artifacts left behind. Artifacts are objects remaining from a particular period made by humans.

Native American Spear Points

Movement of Native Americans The groups never stayed in one area. In many cases, groups would leave after wars. The first Native Americans were hunters and gatherers. Nomadic: ______________________________ Over time they developed agriculture (farming) techniques and began to settle down in one area year round. They cut trees and burned the brush to create farmland, (slash/burn agriculture) which was plentiful and fertile. Rocks and bones were used for farm tools. They grew corn, (pole) beans, squash, (known as the “three sisters”)pumpkins, tobacco and gourds.

South Carolina Eastern Woodland Indians The 3 most important SC tribes are: - Cherokee = mountains - Catawba = Piedmont region - Yemassee = Along the coast

The Cherokee They lived in the foothills and mountains of SC Part of the Iroquoian language group Called themselves the “Real People.” Were a powerful nation Lived in villages w/ up to 600 people in daub and wattle houses. Summer homes = Open air Winter homes = made of a mixture of grass and clay called daub. Roofs made of bark and branches called wattle.

Cherokee Lands in SC

The Catawba Part of the Siouan language grouped Called themselves the “River People” Lived along the rivers of the piedmont region (York & Lancaster County) Homes were wigwams - sapling frames covered with bark or mats made of grasses and reeds. They are famous for their clay pottery Today, the Catawba are the only officially recognized tribe in SC

Wigwams

Catawba Pottery

The Yemassee Part of the Muskogean language group Originally from Spanish Florida but moved to the coast of SC near the mouth of the Savannah River to escape the Spanish. During the summer they lived on the beach in wigwams Fall, winter, and spring - inland in wattle and daub homes like the Cherokee. Clams and oysters were part of their diet. They fled back to Florida after war with the settlers, called the Yemassee War.

Native American Nations

When Europeans Arrive Eastern Woodland Indians traded furs and deerskins for iron tools, weapons, and guns. As the number of settlers increased they took Native American land, cheated them in trade, and forced many into slavery. This led to hostilities between the two groups

Europeans Arrive Native American life changed greatly when the Europeans began to come to South Carolina Disease from the arriving Europeans began infecting the natives, and because their immune systems were not able to fight off the new strains of diseases, the Indians began dying by the thousands. The most prominent disease was Smallpox. Native American tribes in SC would never be the same

Countries that will settle SC Spain Great Britain / England France