Meredith Hall

Laura Licea

Early Native American cultures and their development in North America

Numerous early Native American cultures were, and are, located throughout all regions

of North America. From the Inuits in the Arctic, to the Seminole in the Southeast, each tribes

developed ways and techniques on how to use the land and its natural resources to sustain a

functional lifestyle. Their food, clothing, and shelter all came from the raw materials and wildlife

found in their respective regions. Each Native American tribe had its own rich culture. Native

American culture has and continues to contribute to various aspects of modern north American

culture.

ARCTIC (Inuit/Yupik/Aleut)

Location

Present-day Alaska, Greenland, and Northern Canada

Arctic climate

Tundra region

Food

Hunted whales, sea lions, seals, walruses, small birds, caribou, and fish

Made holes in ice in order to fish

Spears and harpoons made using animal bones

Shelter

Tents made out of caribou hide

Igloos (ice)

Karmak (pit-house underground)

Clothing
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Laura Licea

Clothes/mitts/boots made from animal skins and furs

Topped off clothing with a parka (fur-lined, hooded coat)

Boots (Mukluks) made of seal skin

Snowshoes (wood frame with raw-hide lacings)

Transportation

Wooden sleds or toboggans pulled by dogs

Kayaks

NORTHWEST

Kwakuitl Tribe

Location

British Columbia, Canada

Along waterways

Food Hunted deer, birds, small game

Fish, shellfish, sea mammals

Used harpoons, plant fiber nets, wooden fish traps, as well as bows and arrows

Shelter

Cedar-plank houses with bark roofs

Housed multiple families

Clothing

Men wore no clothes or a breech clout made of cedar bark

Women wore cedar-bark skirts

Long tunics worn in winter made of shredded cedar-bark

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Laura Licea

Moccasins for shoes

Hats made of spruce roots

Transportation

Dugout canoes made of cedar logs

Nez Perce Tribe

Location

Present-day Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana

Rivers, lakes, forests, prairies

Food

Fish (salmon from rivers), game, seeds, nuts, fruits, buffalo (when horses were

introduced and they could hunt them)

Shelter

Semi-subterranean pit-house underground made out of logs, dirt, and grasses

Tepee covered in animal skins

Tule-mate lodge covered with sturdy reeds instead of animal skins

Clothing

Made of cedar bark, deer skin, rabbit skin

Buffalo skins were introduced when horses were brought over

Men wore breechcloths, leggings, shirts, robes, breastplates and headdresses

(feathers)
 Meredith Hall
Laura Licea

Women wore long dresses, long moccasins, and a parfleche (bag made of rough

hides used for carrying food

Transportation

Dugout canoes made of hollowed out trees

NORTHEAST (Iroquois)

Location

North American Eastern Woodlands

Eastern United States, Southeast Canada

West of Mississippi

Heavily forested, temperate forests, coastal zones, wetlands, waterways

Food

Deer, fish, birds, shellfish, bison, nuts, berries

Agriculture: beans, corn, and squash

Hunting

Shelter

Long-houses (poles covered in tree bark) housed many families per unit

Wigwams (round hut-like structure made from logs, branches, bark, and fiber

rope) housed single families

Clothing

Animal skins, furs, moccasins to keep warm during harsher weather conditions
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Laura Licea

Decorated clothes with beads, shells, and paintings

Snowshoes made from wood

Transportation

Wooden dugouts

Bark canoes

SouthEast (Cherokee, Creek, Seminole)

Location

Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama,

and Tennessee.

Woodlands and rivers.

Food

Farmed: Corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers

Hunted, fished, and gathered: deer, turkey, small game, fish , berries, nuts, and

fruits.

Shelter

Settled villages near water sources.

Homes were made from river cane, wood, vines, bark shingles, grass thatched

roofs, and plaster.

Homes in tidal areas or areas where storm surge was common had raised floors.

Clothing
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Laura Licea

Men wore breechcloth, leggings, and moccasins made from deerskin. Men also

had tribal tattoos.

Women wore wraparound skirts, poncho-style shirts, and moccasins made from

deer skin and woven fibers. As well as beaded necklaces.

Transportation

Dugout canoes made from hollowed out logs.

Southwest (Pueblo, Navajo, Apache)

Location

present day Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Texas.

Colorado plateau, canyons, mesa, and river valleys

Food

Farmed: corn, beans, and squash

Hunted, fished, and gathered: deer, antelope, rabbits, fish, and wild plants.

Shelter

Pueblo homes made of adobe or stone.

Some tribes moved between settlements near waterways during farming season

and settlements that provided better access to game.

Some tribes were nomadic and lived in tepees made from animal skins.

Clothing

Men wore breechcloth, shirts, and moccasins made from animal skins and woven

plant fibers.
 Meredith Hall
Laura Licea

Women wore dresses made from animal skins and shirts and skirts made from

woven plant fibers.

Additionally the Pueblo tribesmen wore cotton clothing.

Transportation

Walked and had sleds pulled by dogs to carry their stuff.

Plains (Pawnee, Sioux, Crow, Cheyenne)

Location

Present day North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas,

and Missouri. As well as parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas,

Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.

plains

Food

Some farming: squash, corn, and beans

Gathered and hunted : herbs, fruits, other plants, buffalo, deer, and elk

Shelter

Originally used dome shaped earth lodges

Switched to Teepees made of buffalo hide when horses were introduced

Clothing

Men wore breechcloth, leggings, and moccasins. Sometimes (usually to war) men

would wear shirts made of buckskin.

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Laura Licea

Women wore fringed, beaded, dresses and moccasins.

The plains tribes also wore long war-bonnets made from feathers.

Transportation

Walked and used sleds pulled by dogs to travel until horses were introduced. Then

horses became the primary mode of transportation.

Contributions to modern day America

Inspired music genres like, New Wave and Ambient music styles

Native american instruments: stringed, percussion, and woodwind (Apache fiddle)

Ceremonial and everyday totem poles, hats, jewelry

Baskets and pottery

Art and artifact museums, art festivals

 Meredith Hall
Laura Licea

Bibliography

Encyclopedia.com. (2016). Kwakiutl. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from

http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/north-american-indigenous

-peoples/kwakiutl

GeorgiaStandards.org, G. (2017, June 30). Social Studies 3rd Grade Early American

Indian Cultures P1 Content Video. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MYQqSehHyk#action=share

GeorgiaStandards.org, G. (2017, June 30). Social Studies 3rd Grade Early American

Indian Cultures P2 Content Video. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from

https://youtu.be/wQ6pm0T6n5g

Griffin-Pierce, T. (1997). Native Americans: enduring cultures and traditions. London:

Grange.

Kallen, S. A. (2000). Native Americans of the Southwest. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books.

McIntosh, K., & McIntosh, M. (2004). North American Indians Today: Cheyenne.

Philadelphia: Mason Crest .

Native Languages of the Americas website . (2015). Kwakiutl Indian Fact Sheet. Retrieved

September 12, 2017, from http://www.bigorrin.org/kwakiutl_kids.htm

SITA, L. (2000). INDIANS OF THE GREAT PLAINS. MILWAUKEE: GARETH

STEVENS PUBLISHING.

Siteseen Ltd. (2017, February). Nez Perce Tribe. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from

https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/nez-perce-tribe.htm
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Laura Licea

Siteseen Ltd. (2017, February). Inuit Tribe. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from

https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/inuit-tribe.htm

The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. (2016, July 07). Kwakiutl. Retrieved September

12, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwakiutl