Early Native American Exploration and Culture Areas

1. Why did early Native Americans migrate and explore?

2. What was life like in North America before the Age of European Exploration?

Textbook reference: Ch.2 sec.1-2

1. The Coastal Route Theory and The Land Bridge Theory

• The last ice age most likely occurred beginning 100,000 years ago and ended around 10,000 years ago.

• Water from the oceans froze and become part of sheets of ice called glaciers that covered much of North America

• Land Bridge Theory-

• The lowering of sea levels allowed early hunter-gatherers to follow animals migrating from Asia to North America on the continental shelf that connects the two continents.

• A migration route opened up in central Canada when the ice started to melt. This was the opening of the door that allowed early Native Americans to travel south into the rest of North America and later South America. This route in Canada is referred to as the “ice free corridor.”

• Coastal Route Theory- Why do we have other theories besides the land bridge theory?

• Seafaring hunters followed the coastline from Asia to North America and continued down the coast into South America without using the “ice free corridor.”

• Archeological evidence such as human remains and tools found in South America are older than the opening of the “ice free corridor.” This suggests that the Bering land bridge migration route could not possibly be the only route for exploration.

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2. Culture Areas of North America

• Culture The way of life, customs, and beliefs of a particular group

• Native American Culture Areas- Modern social scientists have grouped Native American societies into various cultural groups according to the area of North America they lived in

• There are many factors that influenced culture, therefore creating differences when compared to other Native American societies

• Resources

• Land

• Climate

• Food

• Housing

• Art

• Religion

• Technology

The Tribes of Native American Culture Areas

There are numerous differences between the Native American

tribes that lived in North America.

• Tribe- a community of people that share common customs, language, and rituals

• The following slides will discuss a few examples of the cultural differences that occur as a result of geographical variety

Housing

What can you tell about a culture group by looking at housing?

How are adaptations to climate and differences in culture reflected in housing?

How is resource availability reflected in housing?

• Pit house-

• Teepee-

• Long House-

• Adobe Pueblo-

Culture

What can you tell about a group by looking at culture?How are adaptations to climate and differences in customs reflected in culture?How is resource availability reflected in culture?

• League of the Iroquois-• Sachem-• Potlatch-• Kachinas-

The League of the Iroquois

Sachem

Potlatch

Kachina

I CAN

• I can explain the difference between the coastal route theory and the land bridge mass migration theory and describe why there are different theories

• I can Compare and contrast the Native American culture groups of North America by describing specific examples such as housing, and other aspects of Native American life

Sources:

Maps:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlement_of_the_Americas#mediaviewer/File:Journal.pone.0001596.g004.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Nordamerikanische_Kulturareale_en.png

http://www.maps/PrenticeHall_native_amer_culture_regions_1450.jpg

Housing

http://api.ning.com/files/wFzHvoj3NXlYziK*hnIAj5jiJsRBlzyLhB8Pn2Z-TNb3o06WGAaYyXzTqDwnPcG6UR7V9qoE1lnLKufzl*hm8RBYaxT9Ahc8/NativeAmericanDwellings.jpg

League of Iroquois:

http://community.weber.edu/WeberReads/iroquois%20map.jpg

Sachem:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Sachem_Daniel_Nimham.jpg

Potlatch:

http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ap/a/a095524-v6.jpg

Kachina:

http://joshuaarens.com/tag/hopi/

http://www.alltribes.com/kcenter/kachina-dolls/types-of-kachina-dolls.html