1. By: Bella Beilman, Melanie Duckworth, Rachel O’Bryan, and Yufei Wang Native Peoples of the Ohio River Valley and Southeastern Mississippi

2. Location The Ohio Valley consists of the drainage basin of the Ohio River and its tributaries. It includes most of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia as well as parts of surrounding states. The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Shawnee were some of the main tribes in the Southeast region in the Valley.

3. Environmental/Environmental Interaction Ohio River Valley is in the humid continental zone. This zone has year round weather where winters are cold with snow and summers are mild. Miamian soils are the most extensive soils in Ohio River Valley. The soil and climate allowed crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat to grow well. Crops like corn, soybeans and wheat were also main food products of Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Shawnee and other tribes located in the region.

4. Political Structure Broken into separate tribes – septs Most leadership positions were actually hereditary through women’s families Councils - overall and individual septs Mostly older men Some leaders held position because of marriage to a chief's daughter (usually eldest)

5. Economics Choctaw and Shawnee were highly active in the French fur market Horses revolutionized Choctaw trading by making goods easier and swifter to transport The Cherokee traded salt from the streams with their European Natives The Chickasaw were highly active in the slave trade until the introduction of Africans to the continent All of the groups of these areas took advantage of the fertile soil by planting and trading crops with the Europeans and each other

6. Roles for Women Shawnee women were trained as skilled helpers and artisans Choctaw women were considered the heads of their household and were revered as life givers and diplomats Chickasaw women took an active role in oral tradition and story telling, and watched over slaves Cherokee women were autonomous and had the right to obtain divorces and accuse men of crimes Overall, women in these societies filled the roles of mother and farmer

7. Religious Beliefs Connected to agricultural productivity (maize) Cherokee: Saw the world as existing in pairs of opposites-- Summer and Winter, Day and Night, Male and Female, Water and Fire, etc. Shawnee: A supreme maternal deity controlled a large number of other deities-- Study life cycles Choctaw: Most important of their supreme beings was a grandmother figure Chickasaw: One creator, life after death

8. Relationships with Europeans Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Shawnee encountered Europeans in the 1540s The Spanish first encountered these groups in the 16th century and other Europeans encountered them in the 17th century Began trading with the Spanish Hernando de Soto claimed the Mississippi River and the land around it for Spain Enslaved the Native Americans he encountered De Soto died on the banks of the Mississippi River and was buried in the river to prevent the Natives from discovering he was dead

9. Relationships with Neighboring Tribes Choctaw & Chickasaw used to be one single tribe Enemies of Iroquois As time progressed, inter-tribe relationships changed Mentioned tribe were often allies Fighting among all of the tribes in region

10. Art The Chickasaw tribe was known for its beadwork and pottery Cherokee artisans wove grass baskets The Shawnee craftsman created beautiful wampum beads The Choctaw created intricate wood cravings and were also known for the rivercane baskets Artisans were most often women

11. Examples of Native Artwork

12. Music and Dance Dances were more about participation than performance The Choctaw were one of the few Native American tribes in the New World to allow women to partake in the tribal War Dance Chickasaw men danced to thank the spirits for good harvest; danced as a way of proposing to females In the Cherokee culture, only men had the right to sing in or lead a dance The Shawnee participated in stomp dancing, were tempo was set with foot movements, for social and religious purposes Dances focused on thanksgiving, petition for help, or animal spirits

13. Works Cited http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-01-06/news/0301060014_1_ohio-river-ohio-valley-wgn http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/usanewe.htm http://www.bigorrin.org/chickasaw_kids.htm http://www.bigorrin.org/cherokee_kids.htm http://www.bigorrin.org/choctaw_kids.htm http://www.bigorrin.org/shawnee_kids.htm http://www.city-data.com/states/Ohio-Climate.html http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/oh/soils/ http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Agriculture_and_Farming_in_Ohio https://prezi.com/sz6mn6xcv-kn/chickasawchoctaw-and-navajo/ http://what-when-how.com/native-americans/shawnee-native-americans-of-the-northeast-woodlands/ http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Cherokees.aspx http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/mississ.html http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/de-soto-reaches-the-mississippi http://www.learner.org/interactives/historymap/indians6.html http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/american-indians/resources/cultures-americas-1200- bc%E2%80%93ad-1600 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/de-soto-reaches-the-mississippi http://painterfactory.com/essentials/f/80/t/20267

14. Works Cited Continued https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee http://www.merceronline.com/Native/native02.htm http://www.bigorrin.org/shawnee_kids.htm http://www.bigorrin.org/choctaw_kids.htm http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=33568 http://www.fivecivilizedtribes.org/FiveTribes/Choctaw/ChoctawHistory.aspx http://choctawnation.com/news-room/biskinik-e-news/2011/05/23/women-the-givers-and-supporters-of-life/ http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Choctaw-Economy.html http://www.jstor.org/stable/483216?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Northeast-American-Indian-Facts/Shawnee-Indian-Facts.shtml http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Shawnee_Indians http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Southeast-American-Indian-Facts/Chickasaw-Indian-Facts.shtml http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/01/10/power-cherokee-women-3767 http://study.com/academy/lesson/chickasaw-tribe-history-facts-quiz.html http://www.choctaw.org/culture/dancing.html https://www.chickasaw.net/Our-Nation/Culture/Society/Social-Dances.aspx http://firebearsplace.com/cheorkeedance.htm http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Northeast-American-Indian-Facts/Shawnee-Indian-Facts.shtml