PEOPLE OF NORTH AMERICA 6.3

Cultures of the Southwest Hohokam Lived in present day Arizona. Built irrigation canal s in order to farm in the desert. Name means “vanished ones”. During the 1400s A.D. their settlement was abandoned. Anasazi Settled in the Four Corners region of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Built cliff dwellings. The largest is at Mesa Verde in Colorado Freestanding, apartment style housing called pueblos were also used. Located in New Mexico, Pueblo Bonito was the largest Anasazi pueblo.

Anasazi Built large underground chambers called kivas were dug to hold political meetings and religious ceremonies. A long period of drought and invasions by neighboring tribes caused them to abandon their dwellings.

Cultures of the East Adena and Hopewell Both groups built piles of earth called earthworks as burial mounds, defensive walls, and the bases of buildings. Items found in earthworks suggest that these cultures interacted with peoples from the Gulf Coast, Rocky Mountains, and the Great Lakes. Mississippians Built mounds, large towns, and ceremonial centers. Cahokia was the greatest city and housed 20,000 people and 100 mounds. Left no written records and their cities disappeared when Europeans came to area.

Natchez Carried on traditions of the Mississippians., The had an absolute ruler called the Great Sun which coincided with their worship of the sun god. Society was divided into castes and the highest group were called the suns.

Cultures of the Arctic, Northwest, & Eastern Woodlands Inuit( Eskimo) Settled in Northern Canada around 2000 B.C. Tribes were smaller than in other regions due to the scarce food supply. Hunted sea mammals, used kayaks, and sled dogs. Lived in igloos and sod dwellings. People of the Northwest Coast Their environment was rich with natural resources. Large permanent villages were made from wood. A person of high social statues would trade surplus goods for items that were then given to other group members in a potlatch ceremony.

Iroquois The Northeast United States were home to many tribes that considered themselves Iroquois. They spoke the common language of Iroquois and shared similar traditions. Villages were created on cleared land in forests. The Iroquois League consisted of 5 Iroquois groups: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. These groups met to keep peace. Only men were on the council, but each group had a “clan mother” who added or deleted members from the council.