North American Indié START UP Look at the Inuit hunter paddling near pack ice. What does this photo tell you about how people might have first moved from Asia to North ‘America? GUIDING QUESTIONS + How did the first people reach North America? + How is environment connected to culture? + How was each of the regional cultures in North ‘America adapted to its environment? TAKE NOTES Literacy Skills: Classify and Categorize Use the graphic organizer in your & Active Journal to take notes as you read the lesson. PRACTICE VOCABULARY Use the vocabulary activity in your &) Active Journal to practice the vocabulary words, Vocabulary Academic Vocabulary igloo descendant Potlatch structure tepee wigwam longhouse BOUNCE TO ACTIVATE The first people to settle in the Americas camesfrommAsia. They probably arrived between 25,000 and 14,000 years ago. Over time, they spread out across the Americas, forming their own cultures as they adapted to the many different environments. Migration to the / s Some of the people who settled in the Americasiprobably:camerbysland. Thousands of years ago, Earth’s climate was very cold. Much of Earth's water was frozen into ice on land. Asa result, sea levels were lower than ‘theyraremow. Lower sea levels exposed the Bering Land Bridge. Thiswaswastriprofiland connecting Asia to North America where AlaskarisitodayePeople may have crossed that land bridge into the Americas in search of food. Early settlers of the Americas may also have come from Asia by boat. These people would have paddled or sailed from place to place south of the ice sheets along the Pacific coast of the Americas. Lesson 2.1 99KEY g Glaciers Land bridge => Land-beldge theory > Coastal-route theory BN | . [ Sh F a aoa - SSO ona The map shows two possible ways that people may have migrated from Asia to the Americas. The First Americans Arrive ATIANTIC ent However the first people arrived, their descendants spread throughout the Americas. Thousands of years ago, some of these people settled in North America. 1, Movement What feature (QEEEEINSSIEEY Compare and Contrast How are the two made movement by land ideas about migration to the Americas alike and different? possible? 2. Draw Conclusions Northern Cultures Northern culture areas include the Arctic and the Subarctic. Which theory would best eealblainesels apretcing The people of these cultures adapted to cold environments. quickly throughout the Arctic Cultures Arctic people lived in a harsh environment. Winters were long, cold, icy, and dark. The sun appeared for Americas? Why? descendant + n,, a parson related to provious sgenorotions of ancestors only a few hours each day at most. Summer days were very long, but the season was short, Arctic people used long summer days to gather as much food as possible. They hunted caribou and moose that fed on summer plants. These people used kayaks and larger boats to hunt seals, walruses, and whales, These animals supplied meat and materials for clothing and tools. Whale and seal oll were sources of heat and light. Arctic people lived In different types of homes. Some homes were bullt partly underground and covered with soll and grass. Other homes were small, round structures covered with tree branches. Some lived in igloos during the winter, Igloos are domed houses made from blocks of snow. Subarctic Cultures The Subarctic culture region covered much of modern Canada and Alaska. Winters there were cold and summers short. The region had large forests. Food was scarce, but more easily available than In the Arctic. 100 Lesson 2.1 * North American Indian Culture Regionsstructure + n., something built or constructed People of the subarctic dug homes into the ground for protection from the wind. To stay warm, they wore fur clothing. They also used snow- shoes and toboggans to move goods. (GEESNSEIEGS Identify Supporting Details How did northern cultures adapt to their environments? Western Cultures Western cultures lived along the west coast of what is now the United ; + Ne states and areas farther inland. The rich coastal environment encour: Te ee a ‘aged permanent settlements. Farther inland, many people moved Xeakondar alge ope around to hunt or gather food in different seasons. Northwest Coast People of the Northwest Coast cultures lived along the rainy coast of the Pacific Ocean. They relied heavily on salmon in rivers and shellfish offshore. Forests provided game, plant foods, and large trees to build canoes. They paddled the canoes into the ocean to hunt salmon, seals, sea otters, and whales. Food was so plentiful in the Northwest that people did not farm. Even so, they settled in permanent communities. Dozens of related people may have lived in a large wooden family house. They built a totem (TorT um) pole near the family home. This tall structure, made from a tree, was carved and painted to relate important events and individuals ina family’s history. Families hosted potlatches to mark important events. A potlatch was ceremony in which a high-ranking family had a feast and gave gifts to their guests. A potlatch was also a time for telling stories. In this way, « family’s heritage was passed down from one generation to the next. California Cultures The people of California also lived in a rich environment, especially along the coast. They relied largely on gather- ing and processing acorns and other plant foods. They also hunted and fished. They left behind huge mounds of seashells that they had thrown away. Rich food sources encouraged permanent settlements. California people lived mainly in small, round huts. These were made of wood ‘and reeds. Those living near water usually lived in villages. Those living farther inland migrated, or moved around, with the seasons. The Plateau and Great Basin Like people in the drier inland regions of California, people in the Plateau region lived ina dry, moun- tainous region. They hunted and gathered wild foods. After horses came to North America, many shifted their way of life. The Nez Perce (nez purse), for example, began to migrate. They followed bison herds that provided food, clothing, and tools.{INTERACTIVE | Native American | Architecture is print of a family of Indians from the Great Plains shows the clothing, shelter, jewelry, and weapons the Plains people made from available resources. Food was scarce in the Great Basin, a dry area between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. GreatBasinypeoplelivedtnismg), {groups and moved often to find food. They ate mostly plants, though they also hunted small animals. They lived in huts made from branch, and brush or shelters made with animal skins. The Southwest ThelSouthwestistarregioniofaridand’semiarie CiRGRESTUS HUH EOPIE hunted and;gathered, Eventually in parts oft, region, people began to farm corn, beans, and squash. They irrigated, or channeled water to, their fields. Farming people in the Southwest built homes out of adobe, or dried ‘filidThese homes often had several stories. The Spanish who came ty the region called the large structures pueblos, from their word for “vil. lage.” The Pueblo Indians still ive in the region today. Other groups, such as the Navajo, also live in the Southwest. The Great Plains Many American Indian peoples lived on a vast grassland called the Great Plains. It stretches actos central North America. Before the arrival of Europeans, many Plains people were farmers. They lived in villages along rivers. Their homes were large, round earth lodges made from soll and grass. They grew corn, beans, squash, sunflowers, and tobacco. Plains people hunted bison outside the planting and harvesting seasons. Men followed the bison on foot, shooting then with bows and arrows. After the hunt, women prepared the animal skin, called the hide, to make leather and clothing, They made tools from bones and cooking. pots from the stomach. They used most other parts of the animal for food. Plains people often lived in portable, cone-shaped homes called tepees. Some people used dogs as pack animals to drag their tepees from place to place. Horses later were used for this purpose. Many peoples lived on the Plains. They spoke different languages, but they traded using a sign language develope! for that purpose. Draw Conclusions How did the environment affect whether Western peoples settled in permanent villages? 102 Lesson 2.1 » North American Indian Culture RegionsEastern Cultures Ineastern North America, wetter climates created vast forests. Peoples in the Northeast adapted to its cold winters, while those in the Southeast took advantage of milder climates. Northeastern Cultures The Northeast was covered with forests. The climate was warm in the summer and cold in the winter. The women usually farmed land that had been cleared of Most Northeastern people lived in a longhouse or a wigwam. A ‘4.Com, beans, and squash ‘was a home formed by bending the trunks of young trees ut wel Soother ‘and tying them together to make a round frame. It was covered with Serpent bark or reed mats. A was similar, but rectangular. Each culture regions. Ionghouse was home to several branches of an extended family. Southeastern Cultures Winters were milder in the Southeast, so thé growing season was longer than in the Northeast. In addition to corn, squash, and beans, the people grew tobacco and sunflowers. They lived in houses made from wood or with small branches covered in clay or mud. ‘Some peoples of this region, such as the Natchez, lived in large villages, built mounds, worshiped the sun, and had social classes. Other peoples lived in smaller settlements. Compare and Contrast How were wigwams and longhouses similar to and different from each other? & Lesson Check 5. Identify Costs and Benefits Why were Practice Vocabulary FY : both tepees and earth lodges used as 1. ? ; aban What happened at a potlatch? housing on the Great Plains? Analyze Information What advantage 6 Waiting Werkahoptntroducs did a tepee have over a wigwam or fee Wiis ate idee longhouse? Claims Write a few ideas in your @ Active Journal about the effects of Criti kia is early technology on the environment in ical Thinking and Writing North America. They will become part 3. Draw Conclusions Why did some groups of essay making an argument about the take up farming while others did not? benefits and drawbacks of technology that 4. Identify Cause and Effect How did you will write at the end of the topic. geography affect the housing available in the Northern cultures? Lesson 2.1 # North American Indian Culture Regions 103