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WorksheetsNative American Societies Before European Contact TEST
Total questions: 24
Worksheet time: 12mins
What’s a Clovis point, and what does it tell us about the way the North American continent was settled by human beings?
Clovis points are the name archaeologists gave to small coin-like tokens made of shells; it suggests that ancient North Americans used trade currencies
Clovis Point is a mesa in New Mexico that functions as a giant sundial; it tells us that ancient North American peoples used the sun to navigate
It’s a sharpened stone tool, and it tells us that humans have been on the North American continent for at least 13,500 years
The Oneida, Mohawk, Seneca, Tuscarora, Cayuga, and Onondaga peoples of the Northeast formed a political group known as
The Iroquois Confederacy
The Comanche Empire
The Mohawk Trading Union
Where’s the Bering Strait, and what does it have to do with the history of the North American continent?
It’s a waterway that separates present-day Siberia from present-day Alaska; historians theorize that humans made their way across a now-vanished land bridge from Asia to North America
It’s the isthmus that connects Central and South America; anthropologists and paleontologists surmise that human beings originated there
It’s the shortest distance between the North American continent and Denmark; medieval Vikings made their way to Vinland across the Strait in the 10th century CE
"Three Sisters" farming was an agricultural system of companion planting innovated by the Iroquois-speaking peoples of the Northeast; farmers planted corn, beans, and squash together. The beans used the cornstalks as a trellis to grow on, but how did beans benefit the other two plants in the system?
Bean shoots reached out and strangled weeds, leaving the way clear for the other companion plants
Bacteria on the roots of beans ‘fix’ nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil, fertilizing the earth for the benefit of the corn and squash
Bean leaves provided crucial shade for the squash, which can be damaged by too much direct sunlight; the shade enabled the squash to develop vital nutrients
Ancestral Pueblo people had a thriving agricultural society, as opposed to more nomadic societies. What’s the big trade-off for prioritizing agriculture over hunting?
Illness spreads more quickly in sedentary farming communities than it does in nomadic societies
Hunting societies are better at making war than agricultural societies; the former often conquered the latter in the Southwest
Agriculture-based societies have a more reliable source of calories, but are more vulnerable to drought
The Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole peoples were called the “Five Civilized Tribes” by Anglo-European colonists. Why did they deem these five groups of people ‘civilized’, and not others?
They were thought to have the best food and most elaborate art practices
They had the most advanced weaponry prior to European contact
They adopted elements of European colonial culture like Christianity, literacy, and slavery
Cahokia, the largest of the settlements of the Mississippian culture, is renowned for
Monks Mound, an enormous structure similar in size to the Great Pyramid of Giza
Its precarious perch at the very edge of the Grand Canyon
The extremely precise and sharp tools created from the volcanic rock that the city was built upon
Mississippian cultures were vast and complex, but which of these is the most accurate brief description of their societies?
Mississippians were hunter-gatherers and nomads who followed the migrations of bison herds up and down the river valley
Mississippian peoples cultivated corn on Mississippi Valley floodplains and created pottery and immense earthworks
Mississippian peoples lived in cliff dwellings along the Mississippi River, building structures in the shadows of cliffs to escape the punishing Midwestern sun
Artist's conception of the city of Cahokia, near modern-day St. Louis. At its peak around 1100 CE, Cahokia had 20,000 residents. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Based on the evidence of Cahokia, which of the following might historians conclude about the Mississippian peoples?
They had significant social organization, which allowed them to coordinate the construction of large buildings.
They were deeply religious, worshiping a diverse pantheon of gods.
They depended on fishing for their main source of food.
They rarely went to war with other tribes, which gave them time to focus on art and music.
Read the passage and answer the question below.
"Around 7,000 years ago, agriculture emerged in Mesoamerica, including the domestication of maize, beans, and squash, causing major changes in the plants that people cultivated. Three sisters agriculture had spread across Mexico by 3,500 years ago, though they originated at different times."
-Source: Amanda J. Landon, anthropologist, "The 'How' of the Three Sisters," 2008
Which of the following pieces of evidence would best support Landon’s argument in the excerpt?
archaeological remains of ancient seeds
oral histories of hunting and gathering
fossilized animal bones and teeth
written inventories of annual harvests
A depiction of Sioux teepees, painted by Karl Bodmer in 1833. Image credit: WikiArt
Why did the Sioux live in structures like those depicted in the image?
They facilitated a nomadic lifestyle
They were easily disposable
They reinforced egalitarian social structures
They were more durable than other forms of housing
Read the passage below and answer the question.
“There were four chiefs: Mr. Bear, Cougar, Bald Eagle, and Salmon. They met to try to figure out what it was that they were going to do. They knew of a place where there were many salmon. This would be the best thing of the coming people. It would keep them strong and healthy; besides, it would taste so good! But there was a problem. The salmon were being held way up river by a dam and were being guarded by some women, who when crossed would stop at nothing to destroy anything that got in the way of keeping their salmon and doing their work.”
-Native American legend recorded by Martin Louie and Diana Brooks. Published in Wicazo Sa Review, 1990.
Which of the following was a major contrast between the Native Americans described in the passage and those living in the Great Plains region?
Native Americans in the Northeast lived in settled villages, while Native Americans on the Plains lived a highly mobile lifestyle.
Native Americans in the Pueblos relied on irrigation to water their crops, while Native Americans on the Plains relied on rain to water their crops.
Native Americans in the Southeast built mounds to bury their dead, while Native Americans on the Plains cremated their dead in funeral pyres.
Native Americans in the Northwest relied on fishing, while Native Americans on the Plains relied on hunting to obtain food.
How were Mississippian people similar to other Native American groups in the pre-contact era?
The environment in which they lived influenced their societies and economies.
They were largely nomadic, depending on horses to follow herds of animals.
They had no religious practices or beliefs.
They had an egalitarian social structure, where individuals were generally equal in status.
Read the passage and answer the question below.
"Around 7,000 years ago, agriculture emerged in Mesoamerica, including the domestication of maize, beans, and squash, causing major changes in the plants that people cultivated. Three sisters agriculture had spread across Mexico by 3,500 years ago, though they originated at different times." -Source: Amanda J. Landon, anthropologist, "The 'How' of the Three Sisters," 2008
Why was this method of planting important?
These three were “cash crops” for societies like the Iroquois and Susquehannocks, as these were the only commodity they could sell to the English to fund their Confederacy
These three crops mutually supported each other's growth, a system that spread from present-day Mexico northward into the present-day American Southwest.
These three crops attracted wild turkeys and other wild game, which made hunting easier for more sedentary communities.
These three crops were arranged ceremonially so that they could be used for religious purposes as offerings for the gods
Native Americans lived in teepees as they followed herds of bison across the Great Plains. Which of the following environmental factors led bison to flourish in the Great Plains?
The wet grasslands of the western Great Plains created prairie ideal for grazing.
The arrival of horses in 1519 made it easier for Native Americans to herd and breed bison.
The melting of glaciers provided new water sources for bison herds.
Bison were chased onto the Great Plains by prehistoric predators.
Read the passage below and answer the question.
“There were four chiefs: Mr. Bear, Cougar, Bald Eagle, and Salmon. They met to try to figure out what it was that they were going to do. They knew of a place where there were many salmon. This would be the best thing of the coming people. It would keep them strong and healthy; besides, it would taste so good! But there was a problem. The salmon were being held way up river by a dam and were being guarded by some women, who when crossed would stop at nothing to destroy anything that got in the way of keeping their salmon and doing their work.”
-Native American legend recorded by Martin Louie and Diana Brooks. Published in Wicazo Sa Review, 1990.
Based on passage, in which region of North America do you think the Native American people who told this legend lived?
the Pacific Northwest
the Great Plains
the Southwest
the Northeast
Why is it important that the Three Sisters agricultural system combined beans, corn, and squash?
Those three crops together provided complete nutrition; no single plant can provide all the nutrients a human body needs to survive
Beans, corn, and squash were the three cash crops that the Iroquois harvested and sold to England in order to fund the operations of their Confederacy
Those three crops attracted wild turkeys to Mohawk communities, making hunting much more convenient
Iroquois-speaking peoples lived in structures called longhouses. What did they tend to be made out of?
Wooden struts covered in tanned animal skins
Bent saplings for supports, leaves for thatching, and bark for shingles
Sun-cured bricks made from mud and straw
Monk’s Mound in Cahokia is an enormous earthwork very near to the Mississippi River. What do archaeologists believe it was used for?
It was most likely a concert venue for huge Mississippian dance recitals
It’s believed to have been a temple or chief’s residence
Archaeologists believe it was used to store surpluses of corn
Chaco Canyon, in modern-day New Mexico, is almost 600 miles from the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean. What does the presence of California seashells in archaeological digs tell us about the people who lived in Chaco Canyon 1000 years ago?
They had elaborate trade routes with societies that lived on the coast
They used seashells to temper their pottery
Their empire extended to the Pacific Ocean
Which of the following conclusion might historians make about the Mississippian people from the evidence of Cahokia?
They lived a nomadic lifestyle, following herds of animals across the Plains.
They lived in settled villages and farmed, allowing for the growth of large populations.
They preferred fishing for their food over farming.
They were not sophisticated enough to build lasting structures.
Read the passage and answer the question below.
"Around 7,000 years ago, agriculture emerged in Mesoamerica, including the domestication of maize, beans, and squash, causing major changes in the plants that people cultivated. Three sisters agriculture had spread across Mexico by 3,500 years ago, though they originated at different times." -Source: Amanda J. Landon, anthropologist, "The 'How' of the Three Sisters," 2008
How did the cultivation of maize affect settlement patterns in the American Southwest and present-day Mexico?
It caused Native Americans in the area to develop permanent settlements supported by a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
It caused Native Americans in the area to live a nomadic lifestyle, constantly searching for new ground to cultivate.
It caused Native Americans in the area to develop permanent settlements supported by farming and irrigation systems.
It caused Native Americans in the area to live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, where most of their diet was dependent on animals they hunted.
Examine the image and answer the question below.
Which of the following factors most influenced the adoption of largely mobile lifestyles by early societies in the Great Basin and Great Plains?
The climate of the Great Plains consisted of periods of drought, making farming impossible.
Frequent earthquakes and flash floods made stone houses and pueblos unsustainable.
The arid Great Basin limited farming opportunities close to major waterways, making permanent settlements undesirable.
Religious beliefs stipulated that devout individuals should live nomadic lives.
Read the passage below and answer the question.
“There were four chiefs: Mr. Bear, Cougar, Bald Eagle, and Salmon. They met to try to figure out what it was that they were going to do. They knew of a place where there were many salmon. This would be the best thing of the coming people. It would keep them strong and healthy; besides, it would taste so good! But there was a problem. The salmon were being held way up river by a dam and were being guarded by some women, who when crossed would stop at nothing to destroy anything that got in the way of keeping their salmon and doing their work.”
-Native American legend recorded by Martin Louie and Diana Brooks. Published in Wicazo Sa Review, 1990.
This passage provides evidence to support which of the following assertions about Native American societies more broadly?
Native Americans’ food sources and environment shaped their living patterns.
Native American societies only hunted salmon, and no other fish.
Native Americans relied on three-sister farming.
Native American women fished, while Native American men tended crops.
