Native Americans Before European Contact

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Questions and Answers

Before European contact, Native American societies demonstrated remarkable ______ by utilizing local resources for farming, hunting, and gathering.

adaptation

The Great Basin tribes, facing the challenges of deserts and salt flats, primarily relied on ______ for sustenance, complemented by hunting small animals.

foraging

Unlike the nomadic tribes of the Great Basin, the Great Plains people eventually established ______ villages where they cultivated crops such as corn and beans.

semi-permanent

In the Pueblo society, chiefs governed villages, and religious ceremonies were conducted in special round rooms known as ______.

<p>kivas</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ______ people, thriving along the Columbia River, were renowned as expert fishermen and whale hunters, engaging in trade with fish, furs, and canoes.

<p>Chinook</p> Signup and view all the answers

Distinguished by their confederacy with a constitution, the ______ society granted considerable power to women, reflecting a unique social structure.

<p>Iroquois</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ways of life among the Native American populations significantly depended on ______, which impacted their cultures and sparked conflicts related to the use of resources.

<p>geography</p> Signup and view all the answers

Highlighting their adeptness in resource utilization, the Pueblo people in the arid Southwest cultivated crops like corn, cotton, and melons using advanced ______ techniques.

<p>irrigation</p> Signup and view all the answers

In contrast to other tribes, the society of the Iroquois was distinguished by its ______ structure, where family lineage was traced through the maternal line.

<p>matrilineal</p> Signup and view all the answers

The Algonquian tribes demonstrated political diversity through their self-governance, with each tribe managed by ______ composed of respected leaders.

<p>councils</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Great Basin Native Americans

Foraged for roots, seeds, and hunted small animals in the deserts and salt flats of the Great Basin. They were nomadic and lived in simple shelters.

Great Plains Native Americans

Hunted, gathered, and later settled in semi-permanent villages to grow crops like corn and beans. Men handled hunting and politics; women managed agriculture and the home.

Pueblo Native Americans

Farmed corn, cotton, and melons using irrigation in the harsh southwest. Villages were self-governed and lived in stone and adobe dwellings.

Chinook Native Americans

Expert fishermen and whale hunters living along the Columbia River. They traded fish, furs, and canoes, with social status based on wealth.

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Iroquois Native Americans

Formed a confederacy with a constitution. They lived in longhouses, family lineage was traced through the mother, and their government involved a council with both men and women as members.

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Algonquian Native Americans

Varied diet and lifestyle based on location, with some farming and others hunting or fishing. Each tribe governed itself with councils.

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Study Notes

  • Before European contact, Native American societies adapted to their environments using local resources.
  • They farmed, hunted, and gathered food in accordance with the environment available to them.
  • Their way of life depended on geography, which shaped their cultures and caused debate over resource use.

Great Basin

  • The Great Basin region includes the Rockies, Sierra Nevada, Columbia Plateau, and Colorado Plateau.
  • The deserts and salt flats of the Great Basin meant people foraged for roots, seeds, and small animals.
  • Groups were small and nomadic.
  • Simple shelters were made from willow poles.
  • Despite few material goods, culture was rich in storytelling, beadwork, and religious rites.

Great Plains

  • The Great Plains is in the Midwest.
  • People hunted and gathered food.
  • They later settled in semi-permanent villages to grow corn and beans.
  • Men were in charge of hunting and politics.
  • Women handled agriculture and the home.
  • Homes were made of packed earth.
  • Animist religious practices were central.

Pueblo

  • The Pueblo people lived in the Southwest.
  • Farming included corn, cotton, and melons, with irrigation techniques.
  • They also hunted.
  • Villages were self-governed by chiefs.
  • Stone and adobe were used to build dwellings.
  • Religious ceremonies were held in special round rooms called kivas.

Chinook

  • The Chinook lived along the Columbia River in the Northwest.
  • They were expert fishermen and whale hunters.
  • Trade included fish, furs, and canoes.
  • Senior members led the villages.
  • Social status depended on wealth and possessions.
  • Elaborate gift-giving ceremonies maintained social harmony.

Iroquois

  • The Iroquois formed a confederacy with a constitution.
  • Women held significant power in society.
  • They lived in large villages made of longhouses.
  • Society was matrilineal, meaning family lineage was traced through the mother.
  • Government involved a council with both men and women as members.

Algonquian

  • The Algonquian lived on the Eastcoast.
  • Diet varied based on location, with some farming and others hunting or fishing.
  • Each tribe governed itself, with councils made up of respected leaders.
  • Homes included wigwams and longhouses.
  • Some tribes had permanent villages with protective walls.

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