North American History: Early American

History 1

Native Americans
 In this lesson
• Native Americans in early American History
• Lifestyle of early Native Americans
• Influence of Native Americans on mainstream American
culture (and world culture!)
 A connection between the U.S. and Asia
• Most scientists believe the first Americans crossed from
Asia to America on an ancient land bridge.
 Similarities: Native Americans
• Physical similarities – DNA links Native
Americans to East Asians, especially people
from Mongolia and the Tibet Autonomous
Region in China.
• Culture – Similarities:
– Style of dress (clothing and even jewelry)
– Religion – similar beliefs and practices
Native American Groups (clip)
 Some major groups
• Kwakiutl  [,kwɑ:ki'u:təl] 夸扣特尔人 (Northwest) –
fishermen, lived in large cedar 雪松 houses
• Pawnee [pɔːˈniː] – Grew corn, squash and beans （ the three
sisters ） and hunted buffalo. Houses made of barks 树皮
and earth.
• Nez Perce – nomads 游牧民 and hunters
• Inuit  [ˈɪnjuɪt; ˈɪnuɪt] – living in Alaska/N. Canada
• Seminole 塞米诺族人 – living in Florida – Woven, thin
clothing using thin cloth and grass. Lived in roundhouses
Incas/Mayans/Aztecs (Central and South America)
also highly advanced societies
The Iroquois 易洛魁人（北美印第安人）
• live in the northeastern part of America (upstate New York to Canada) to
this day
• League of Nations 联盟 – 11th century (Song Dynasty) – group of 5 nations
(Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga and Cayuga) （ never pledge war
against its members)
• An advanced society -an important influence on American history and
politics
– Had an oral constitution ( 成文宪法 )– called the Great Law of Peace
– Representative government ( 代议政制 )– a council with seats from each nation –
using votes and debates
• Gave Native American women a voice in government.
• (possibly) the Democracy origin of American founders
 Unity
From the story of Hiawatha
Solidarity

海华沙（易洛魁联盟酋长和传奇领袖）
Hiawatha-leader of the Onondaga / Mohawk
"We bind ourselves together by taking hold of each other's
hands so firmly and forming a circle so strong that if a tree
should fall upon it, it could not shake nor break it, so that
our people and grandchildren shall remain in the circle of
security, peace, and happiness.”
This was in existence around 1451 AD (Ming Dynasty in China)
 Origin of American Democracy
• Both Benjamin Franklin (Albany Plan of Union) and George
Washington may have used ideas from the Iroquois League
of Nations. They admired the way it worked.
• The Great Charter and Greek models of democracy were used
in writing the Constitution, but the Great Law of Peace (the
Iroquois Constitution) was also an influence.
• The Great Law of peace also gave ideas for representative
government, debates, votes on issues and a separation of
powers - 权力分离 (the Council did not interfere with tribal
matters).
 Cultural Differences
Native American/European
• One who gives to others is
respected
• Cooperation comes first –
you think of your family,
your nation and put others
first. Trying to ‘stand out’ is
showing off.
• Harmony/Respect for
Nature – the earth is not
yours, if the river changes,
don’t try and move it,
cannot own land as it is
sacred.
• Someone who saves is
respected (a penny saved is a
penny earned)
• Competition is important –
you should always try for
first place but some
cooperation.
• Control of Nature: Nature is
under man’s control, you can
build dams, buy and sell land
as well as rent it, etc. (Indian
giver – negative term from a
cultural misunderstanding)
 Iroquois life
• Lived in longhouses – these
were huge and had many
families
• Marriage by mutual agreement
• Children belonged to the
wife’s family group
• Women raised children, did the
farming, made clothes and
cooked food, ruled the
longhouse
• Men cleared fields, built and
fixed the homes, traded and
hunted and went to war.
Native American Contributions to
American/World culture
 Science
• In mathematics, Mayans (who live in what is now
Mexico, also part of North America), were among the
first peoples in the world to invent the number zero (0),
in the year 350 AD. The Mayans were among the most
advanced astronomers ( 天文学家 ) and mathematicians
of the time.
• The zero was first used in the Middle East by the
Sumerians 苏美尔人 around 300 BC, by the people of
ancient India in 458 AD, and in China 2 centuries later.
 Did you know????
• The following foods all came from the continent of North
America
• Potatoes
• Corn
• Peanuts
• Chili peppers
 And….
• Chocolate was enjoyed by the Mayans of
Mexico and the Aztecs. They would drink it
with chili peppers.
• Chocolate traveled from the Americas to
Europe, where milk and sugar were added
to make the sweet we know today.
 Fruits and vegetables
• Vegetable: Potatoes, Corn, Peanuts, Chili peppers;
• Fruit: avocado, pineapple, tomato, papaya
 Medicine
• Quinine ( 奎宁 ), a drug which is used to treat malaria ( 疟
疾 ) , was first discovered and used by the Native
Americans to treat malaria. It has saved millions of lives.
Famous Native Americans
 Squanto
• Born in 1580, Squanto was a member of the Patuxet tribe
(Massachusetts).
• As a child, he was kidnapped by the British and sold as a slave in
Europe. He gained his freedom, but when he returned to America
in 1619, his whole tribe had died from smallpox ( 天花 ).
• Because he was fluent in English, Chief Massasoit used him to
interpret and talk to the English Pilgrim settlers. Without
Squanto’s help, the English settlers would have died. And without
Squanto, one important American festival would not exist. Do you
know what it is????
 Thanksgiving
感恩节 ( 美国定为十一月的第四个星期四，加拿大
定为十月的第二个星期一，均为公休日 ); 感恩
( 于上帝 );
 Sacagawea (1788-1812)
• She belonged to the Shoshone tribe.
• Sacagawea was a translator (and the only woman) on the
Lewis and Clark expedition 路易斯与克拉克远征 .
• At that time, white Americans were trying to find if there
was a way to get to the Pacific Ocean. Without Sacagawea’s
knowledge of the land, culture and languages, the expedition
would never have made it past the Rocky Mountains.
• As a result, many places (cities and parks) are named after
her, and she is on coins and stamps.
Native Americans Today…
 • Winona LaDuke
Ben Nighthorse • Harvard Graduate
Campbell – Economist ( 经济
学家 )
Colorado State Senator 1993-2005 – Environmentalist
(环保人士 )
– Native American
Activist ( 活动家 )
 N. Scott Momaday
• Pulitzer Prize 普利策奖 winner for House Made
of Dawn 黎明之屋
– described Native American life –
– discusses traditions
– discusses life in mainstream society and its conflicts
• Member of the Kiowa Tribe and Cherokee Tribe
 Homework
1. True or False The Native Americans came to America by boat.
2. What are the ‘three sisters’?
a. 3 Indian sisters in a love story
b. 3 types of laws
c. Corn, squash and beans
3. DNA evidence proves that Native Americans are closely
related to which ethnic group?
a. Han Chinese
b. Mongolians and Tibetans
c. Neither
 Homework
4. What was the name of the Iroquois
Constitution?
5. True or False: Chinese and Native
American culture are similar in some
ways.
6. Which 2 famous Americans admired the
Iroquois Constitution?
 Homework
7. When did the Mayans invent the number zero?
a.300 BC
b.350 AD
c.450 AD
8.Name two vegetables and one fruit that came
from America.
 Homework-Class Exercises

9. What was the name of the Native American

who helped the Pilgrims to survive?
a. Sacagawea
b. Squanto
c. Issaquah
 Answer
• 1. F
• 2. C
• 3. B
• 4. the Great Law of Peace
• 5. T
• 6. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington
• 7. B
• 8. Vegetable: Potatoes, Corn, Peanuts, Chili peppers; Fruit:
avocado, pineapple, tomato, papaya
• 9. Squanto
 Homework – Please take a copy of History Times –
Pocahontas and answer the following questions.

11. True or False. Pocahontas saved Captain John Smith’s

life because she was in love with him.
12. Pocahontas’ father was a Native American chief. What
was his name?
13. What was the Virginia Company?
14. Why did the Virginia Company bring Pocahontas and
her husband, John Rolfe, to England?
15. How often did Native Americans wash
and how often did the English wash?