Indigenous Cultures of the Americas

​Native American Tribes

​Essential Question:
How would you describe the cultures of various Native American tribes in North America? 

• ​The map shows different Native American cultural regions.

• A cultural region is a geographic area where people with similar languages and customs live. 

• Native American people were spread throughout the continent. They relied on the resources from their environment to shape the way they lived.

Multiple Choice

A ________ is a geographic area where people with similar languages and customs live.

• cultural region

• great basin

• plateau

• trade network

Multiple Choice

What determined the type of homes Native Americans built?

• The size of the tribe

• The materials available and their lifestyle

• The weather conditions

• The time of year

Multiple Choice

What type of homes did nomadic tribes in the Great Plains primarily build?

• Longhouses

• Wigwams

• Teepees

• Plank houses

Multiple Choice

What was a common material used to build a Hogan?

• Wood and adobe clay

• Ice

• Cedar planks

• Tiny twigs and rainbow clay

Native American Tribes

• ​The Iroquois, Mohawk, Blackfoot, and Navajo are Native American tribes that have lived in different parts of the United States and Canada for thousands of years.

• They represent some cultural groups who lived in North America before European settlers arrived.

• Let's take a closer look at the different geographic regions throughout North America.

Eastern Woodlands Tribes
The Huron, the Iroquois, and the Mohawk. 

The Iroquois were a group of five powerful tribes living in what would eventually become New York. They set up a well-developed trade network with British settlers. They grew beans, corn, and squash.

The Mohawk were one of the five Iroquois tribes living near Lake Ontario. They participated in trade with the British and the Dutch. They grew beans, corn, and squash.

The Huron made their homes along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and in the area around the Great Lakes. The Huron Tribe built a close relationship with French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who taught them about fur trading. They grew beans, corn, and squash.

Eastern Woodlands Tribes
The Huron, the Iroquois, and the Mohawk.

Multiple Choice

Which geographic region has many rivers, lakes, and forests and was home to the Mohawk Tribe?

• Southwest

• Pacific Northwest

• Great Plains

• Eastern Woodlands

Multiple Choice

True or False:

Native American tribes from the Eastern Woodlands and the Southwest grew beans, corn, and squash.

• True

• False

• The Blackfoot, Crow, and Pawnee are just a few examples of the Native American tribes from the Great Plains. This geographic region has cold, harsh winters. The resources of this geographic area played a big role in their daily lives.

• The wild grasses growing on the plains were food for herds of large animals. These animals were an important natural resource to Plains Native Americans

• The Great Plains did not have as many lakes and rivers as the Eastern Woodlands, but the ones located there were important sources of water. There also weren't many large forests.

Great Plains
Blackfoot, Crow, Pawnee

Great Plains
Blackfoot, Crow, Pawnee

Many tribes living on the Great Plains followed the herds of bison that were their food. This meant that they had to be ready to move quickly. Their shelters and belongings had to be easy to transport while walking or riding a horse.

Artwork and legends from the Plains often tell tales of great hunts.

Multiple Choice

Which geographic region has cold, harsh winters and was home to the Crow Tribe?

• Southwest

• Pacific Northwest

• Great Plains

• Eastern Woodlands

Multiple Choice

True or false:
Artwork and legends from the Native American tribes of the Great Plains often include tales of great hunts

• True

• False

Southwest
Hopi, Pueblo, and Navajo Tribes

• The Native Americans of the Southwest lived in a difficult environment. The climate was hot and dry with very little rain.

• They did not have access to as many natural resources as tribes in other cultural regions.

• Still, tribes like the Hopi, Pueblo, and Navajo have lived there for thousands of years.

​Hopi

​Navajo

Southwest
Hopi, Pueblo, and Navajo Tribes

Multiple Choice

Which tribe could best be described by this image?

• Cowlitz

• Huron

• Navajo

• Tlingit

Multiple Choice

Which tribe could best be described by this image?

• Iroquois

• Hopi

• Crow

• Chinook

Multiple Choice

Which geographic region has a very dry climate and was home to the Navajo Tribe?

• Southwest

• Pacific Northwest

• Great Plains

• Eastern Woodlands

Pacific Northwest
Chinook, Cowlitz, and Tlingit Tribes

Did you know?

• Totem poles were carved from the tall coniferous trees growing in the Pacific Northwest.

• Each carving told the story of a specific family or important event in the community.

• Totem poles are one of many forms of art used in the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest
Chinook, Cowlitz, and Tlingit Tribes.

• ​The Pacific Northwest has many important resources.

• Similar to the Eastern Woodlands, the forests and streams of the Pacific Northwest provided places for families to hunt and fish.

• There were plenty of water sources and wood to build homes with.

Multiple Choice

Which geographic region has plenty of rainfall, mild seasons, and was home to the Tlingit Tribe?

• Southwest

• Pacific Northwest

• Great Plains

• Eastern Woodlands

Multiple Choice

Read the statement and determine if it is true or false.

Native American tribes from the Pacific Northwest used Totem poles to tell stories about important events.

• True

• False

Open Ended

Think about how geography and environment shaped the lifestyles of Native American cultures across these regions.

What similarities and differences do you see among these cultures? Why might they exist?