Native

American
Unit
Northwest Coast
California
Plateau
Great Basin
Southwest
Plains
Northeast Woodlands
Southeast
Brainstorm: What do you already know
about Native Americans?

Think: Is there anything you would like

to know about Native Americans?

Theorize: How did Native Americans

get to America?
Two thousand years ago, during the peak of the
last Ice Age, a journey from ___________________ into
the Americas would have been unimaginable. North
America was completely covered in ice and tall
glaciers. However, all of that ice made the journey
much easier for people of that time.
The great amount of ice meant that sea levels
were much lower than they are now, and a stretch
of land emerged between___________________ and
___________________ Alaska. Humans and animals could
simply walk from Asia to North America. The land
bridge was called ___________________

Over time, these___________________ and their

descendants pushed southeast, adapting as they
went. In order to keep track of these diverse
groups, historians and scientists have divided them
into “__________________”. These are groups of people
who shared similar habitats and characteristics.
Most scholars break North America—Canada and
the U.S. –into ten separate culture areas:

1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10
 Think: How do we know things
about Native Americans from so
long ago? Psttt: Think scientifically!

___________________ is the study of human life by

looking at artifacts that people who lived long ago
have left behind. ___________________are man--‐made
objects that people from long ago have left behind.
Archaeologists are like detectives. By looking at
artifacts, they try to figure out how people long
ago lived their lives, what art they created, their
religious beliefs, their technology, science, and
invention, and their daily life. Clues archaeologists
use to answer these and other questions about
past civilizations can sometimes be found in the
artifacts they dig up.
 Geography
The United States has a great deal of variation in
geographical features. Using your map, in your
groups brainstorm any geographical features you
can think of and label them on your map. This may
include things such as oceans, lakes, river,
mountains, deserts, forests etc.

Brainstorm: How might the geography effect the

way of life for different groups of Native
Americans?
 Social Structure and Family Life
Tribes and Clans
At the highest level were the ________________ or
nations. These were large groups of people that
had culture, geography, and language in common.
Within each tribe were smaller groups called
_________________. The members of a clan generally
shared a common ancestor and were considered
related to one another. Each clan had its own
symbol or spirit that gave the clan its name. Many of
the clan names were animals, but not all of them.
Chiefs and Leaders
The leaders of the clans and tribes were called
_________________. Depending on the region, these men
were often elected or chosen by the people. They
also sometimes ___________________ the position or
were selected because of their talent and
abilities. They generally did not have total power,
but were respected men who provided advice that
the tribe or clan generally followed.

Women and Men

Women and men had distinctly different roles in
both the daily work and in leadership. The chiefs
and leaders were generally men, however, this did
not mean that the women were powerless. Their
opinion was respected and the women usually
were the leaders inside the home.

Women often spent their time gathering resources.

They also cleaned, cooked and looked after the
children.

Men typically spent time hunting, building houses

and tools, and making village decisions.

Religion and Beliefs

Native American religion tends to focus around
______________. The landscape, animals, plants, and
other environmental elements play a major role in
the religion of Native Americans. Many of the
legends passed down were an attempt to explain
events that occurred in nature.
Native American religion includes a number of
practices, ceremonies, and traditions. These
ceremonies include feasts, music, dances, and
other performances.
________________ is the most common name for the
general beliefs of Native Americans. It is the belief
that all things in nature have a ________________.
Things such as animals, birds, insects, plants, herbs
and trees, natural phenomena such as rocks,
mountains, rivers, lakes, and clouds and celestial
bodies such as the sun, moon, planets and stars
were all believed to have spirits.
In Native American religion the beliefs are based on
communication with the spirit world through
mediums known as a ______________ or
__________________________, who also acted as healers.
There are many stories, legends and myths about
the Creator who is generally referred to as the
Great Spirit. American Indian religion and beliefs
were very different according to the traditions of
tribes so it is not possible to fully define Native
American Religion. However, a majority of regions
believed in a Shaman, Medicine Man or something
close.
Artwork
Native American artwork includes water, oil and
sand painting, leather, wood, pottery and baskets.
The type of artwork and material used depended
greatly on the region in which the tribes lived.
Native American art history is strongly associated
with symbols that were often linked with
__________________. Important symbols in most Native
American art history include the sun, moon, bears,
eagles or people. Pendants and statues were often
created to symbolize and honor Mother Nature.
Everything Native Americans create is done with
time and care so that even ordinary utensils are
often considered pieces of art.
 Clothing
Originally, there were many different traditional
Native American clothing styles in North America.
Nearly every tribe had its own distinctive style of
dress, and the people could often tell each other's
identities by looking at their tribal clothes,
headdresses, and ornamentation.
In most tribes, Native American men
wore ____________________ (a long rectangular piece
of hide or cloth tucked over a belt, so that the
flaps fell down in front and behind), sometimes
with leggings attached in colder climates. For
shoes, they often wore _________________.
Native American clothing for women usually
consisted of skirts and leggings. The materials
used to make clothing varied depending on
resources available to each tribe. Many tribes used
___________________, such as deerskin, to make
clothes.
 Vocabulary
Beringia

Migrants

Culture Areas

Archaeology

Artifacts

Animism

Shaman

Breechcloth

Moccasins

Animal Hide