Native Americans

Native American groups expanded all the way down to Central America Present day Mexico was known as “Mesoamerica” Large Civilizations Maya, Aztec, and Incas (South America) Present day US did not have large civilizations Spread out Diverse lifestyles Native Americans in North America were organized into regions based on where they lived

Native Tribes in the US Communities were often large but most groups were diverse and spread out

Culture Tribal Units Connection with nature Spiritual Chief or leader Connection with nature Spiritual Multiple “Gods” Men hunted and fished Women tended to the crops and worked in the households No written language Did not believe in division of property

The Northwest Coast Oceans and rivers Built permanent villages Salmon Fish Built permanent villages Status= closeness to the village’s chief Possessions showed social status Blankets, shells, skins, canoes Athabaskan Haida, Tlingit, Penutain, Chinook, Tsimshian and Coos

The Plateau Small villages by rivers Fishing for salmon and trout Gathered berries, roots, and nuts Columbian exchange brought horses Idaho, Montana, Eastern Oregon and Washington

The Southwest Arizona, New Mexico Parts of Colorado, Utah, and Texas 2 separate lifestyles Sedentary farmers Corn, beans, and sqush Pueblos – stone Hopi, Zuni, and Yuma Nomadic Hunting and gathering Raiding other communities for their crops Hogans – mud and bark Navajo, Apache

The Plains Siouan, Cheyenne, Arapaho Settled Hunters and farmers Later became nomadic Hunters- teepees

Southeast Humid, fertile, agriculture region Maize, beans, squash, tobacco Market villages – known as hamlets Cherokee, Chickasaw, Seminoles, Choctaw, creek 5 Civilized tribes

The Northeast Iroquois v Algonquian Aggressive Lived on rivers Farming