1. Land and People Before European Exploration
Pre-Historic Native Americans: Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian

2. Paleo Natives first people living in North America during the Ice Age
hunters and gathers
used wooden spears to hunt large animals
nomadic, moving around to follow the food
wore moccasin shoes and animal skin
made baskets and used rocks for carving and making tools
In Tennessee, mammoth fossils were found at the Coats-Hines Site.

3. Archaic Natives 6,000-500 B.C.E. at the end of the Ice Age
Hunter and gatherers
Moved with the seasons
Hunted smaller animals with an atlatl, a new tool that threw spears
Built brush shelters
Used a mano, a round stone to grind nuts, seeds, and grains
Made bowls for cooking and storage
Wore clothes made of deerskin
In Tennessee, they lived in the Pinson Mounds

4. Woodland Natives 1200 -200 BCE Began to live in towns and villages
Horticulture began with the first farming
Hunted small animals with a bow and arrow
Lived in wigwams or longhouses
Built mounds to bury their dead
Painted their faces, wore masks, and dressed up for ceremonies
Began making pottery
In Tennessee, they lived in Old Stone Fort

5. Mississippian Natives
Lived in communities and had chiefs
Farmed with axes, digging sticks, and fires
hunted and fished
Built canoes
Lived in homes that were built of wooden poles with a fire in the center of the home.
Chiefs’ homes were built on top of mounds
In Tennessee, they lived in the Chucalissa Indian Village.

6. Religious beliefs, customs, and traditions of the Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw Natives

7. Cherokee Natives Lived in the East part of TN
Summer homes were made of a frame of logs, covered in wood, bark, or fabric covered in mud.
Winter homes were round, smaller, and partially sunken in the ground to keep warm
Principal Chief was the highest ruler.
Lived in clans, a group of close-knit families.
Matrilineal society- women were responsible for family, farming, and home. Men were responsible for war and hunting.
Beloved Woman was “Ghigua”. She was a highly respected special woman in each tribe
Played marble games, hand games, and stickball games
Believed in spirits, relied on ceremonies to help them be victorious in war, stay healthy, and grow good crops

8. Chickasaw Tribe Located in West TN
Summer homes were rectangular with a gable roof, porch, and balcony.
Winter home was circular using the wattle and daub structure (mud spread over a basket-like framework) and sunken into ground
Villages circled a Council House that was for meetings, ceremonies, and celebrations
Democratic, but had a chief called the Minko. He led the clan and reported to a higher Minko that led the entire Chickasaw Nation. Second in command was the war chief.
Women made the clothes from animal skins. Women wore skirts and dresses. Women wore their hair up using a string of beads
Men shaved most of their hair except on long lock at the very top called a scalp lock. Men wore breechcloths and shirts.
Women were in charge of slaves, children, and farming. Men hunted.
Played stickball

9. Creek Natives Located in Middle TN
Lived much life the Cherokees and the Chickasaws
Built their towns around a plaza where people held ceremonies or played games
They would split their towns if they believed they had gotten too large.
The Creeks and Cherokees were enemies.
Lived in single-family homes made of plaster and rivercane walls with thatched roofs.
Had palisades, walls, around the village to guard against enemies.
Had a clan society based on mother’s clan. This governed who they could joke with and marry.
Tribal positions were filled by men, but women had financial rights and could own property. They also had much influence with the men.
Each town had an appointed Beloved Woman who communicated with her equals in other towns.