Native American Cultures

in the United States

The United States is very large.

We have different customs in different areas and regions.

Just like Spain!

Native Americans in the United States also have different customs.

They all speak different languages and have different religions.

These customs are very much affected by the environment where people live.

However, one common characteristic was sport.

The Native Americans invented the sport of Lacrosse!

http://www.english-online.at/people/native-americans/cultural-regions.htm

In the Northeast

Native Americans in the Northeast were the first to have contact with the Europeans.

Some tribes in the Northeast are: Iroquois, Pequot, Wampanoag, Shawnee, Delaware, Oneida, Erie, Chippewa, and Seneca.

Food

The Native Americans of the Northeast were farmers.

They planted corn, squash, green beans, lima beans, kidney beans, pumpkin, melon, and tobacco.

They also gathered nuts, berries, mushrooms and eggs.

They also hunted black bear, elk, deer, rabbit, wolves, turkey, fish, and ducks.

They lived in longhouses.

They also lived in wigwams.

Typical clothing

In the Southeast

Some wellknown tribes of the Southeast are the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole.

The Native American population here suffered greatly from disease after contact with the Europeans.

Also, the government of the United States forced them to abandon their land in the early 1800s. (The Trail of Tears was shown in the last presentation).

Food

Like the Native Americans of the Northeast, they were farmers, growing much of the same food.

This land was very fertile. They also grew sunflowers.

They are sometimes called the Moundbuilders.

In the Great Plains

Native American tribes from the Great Plains include: Crow, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Comanche and Arapaho.

These people became more nomadic after the arrival of the Europeans.

Food Originally more settled, these people began

using horses to hunt buffalo in the great plains. The buffalo was the main source of food.

The Native Americans of the Great Plains lived in…

Tipis! (also teepee)

In the Northwest

Some tribes of the Northwest: Bella Coola, Haida, Kwakiuts, Makah, Nez Perce, Chinook and Spokane.

Food

These people did not need to grow food!

They lived in an area where food was plentiful. They lived near water, fished salmon and gathered what food they needed.

These people were considered “rich” or wealthy compared to some other tribes.

Art

In general, because they did not need to hunt or farm to survive, these people had more time for art and culture.

They had a very developed social structure as well.

They are famous for their detailed totem poles.

They built longhouses as well.

Alaska

Sometimes the Native Americans in the North are called eskimos.

The most well-known Native Americans in Alaska are the Inuits.

The Inuit also live in Russia, Canada, and Greenland. They live in the Arctic.

The Inuit live in igloos.

Food

Inuits eat and hunt: Whale, walrus,

caribou, seal, polar bears, muskoxen, and sometimes birds.

They do not eat very many plants and do not eat any plants at all during the winter.

The Inuit travel in kayaks and dogsleds.

Clothing

Native Hawaiians

The people of Hawaii have their own unique culture.

It is similar to other cultures in the South Pacific.

The Southwest

We will learn more about the Southwest in our next presentation!

The view from a cliff dwelling in Colorado…

Made by Brenna Eatonfor

CEIP Plurilingüe Ría de VigoApril 2013