The document summarizes the cultures of various Native American groups in North America, including the Pueblo people, Mississippians, Eastern Woodlands tribes, Great Plains tribes, Arctic tribes, Subarctic tribes, Northwestern tribes, and tribes of the West and Southwest. Key aspects discussed include methods of farming, housing, reliance on bison and seasonal food sources, and effects of horses and European contact.

1. Section 2: North American
Cultures
Picture depicts a Native American from the Great Basin. Image taken from:
sandomenico.org

2. The Ancestral Pueblo
 The Pueblo people flourished for hundreds of years
and built complex cultures. They built stone homes
that were connected to each other, like modern day
apartment buildings.
 Rain was not in abundance, and so the Pueblo
people had to use water wisely. They dug ditches to
carry water to fields where they grew their crops.
 Due to constant drought, Ancestral Pueblo groups
moved closer to water sources, so it could be easier
to farm.

3. The Mississippians
 The Mississippians arose by the Mississippi River.
They were many similarities and differences
between them and the Ancestral Pueblos.
 The Mississippians are called mound builders, as they
made hills of earth near their villages for religious
reasons.
 Their villages grew because of advanced farming
techniques and tools. As with the Ancestral Pueblos,
they had difficulties growing their crops because of
drought. This resulted in violence between groups
and alliances made for protection.

4. The Eastern Woodlands
 There many differences and similarities between the Northeast
and Southeast Woodlands.
 The similarities were they both grew “the three sisters” and
lived in houses.
 The differences were the in the Southeast, the winter seasons
were milder which allowed for a longer farming season than
the Northeast.
 The Southeast were not concerned with social classes, while
the in the Northeast, social class status was important.
 Finally, the Southeastern people followed the Mississippian
tradition, while the Northeastern people seemed to be more
independent paving their own way of life.

5. The Great Plains
Map of the Great Plains. Image taken from: solpass.org

6. GREAT PLAINS
 The bison was very important to the Native American’s
way of life in the Great Plains, because it provided them
with food (bison’s meat), shelter (the bison’s skin was
used to make tepees), tools (the bones of the bison was
sued to make tools), and cooking pots, which were made
from the bison’s stomach.
 Horses changed the way of life on the Great Plains,
because it gave the people a convenient traveling means.
 Horses also allowed people to move from place to place,
rather than staying in one area. Horses also were used to
drag tepees from one place to another, rather than
having dogs dragging them.

7. Great Plains Continued…
 Tribes in the Great Plains were very religious in
nature and thus they would gather to watch their
warriors dance for several days without eating or
drinking.
 They thought that by doing this, it would help the
entire group in the upcoming year.

8. Arctic Culture
 The people who lived in the Arctic, lived in very harsh
environments. Their winters were very long and summers
short. During the summer time, the Arctic people took
advantage of the long summer days and gathered as
much food as possible.
 They hunted caribou and moose. They also hunted sea
animals such as seals, walrus, and whale. The Arctic
people acquired meat and materials for clothing and tools
by hunting sea animals. They even used whale and seal oil
to heat their homes.
 Finally, they lived in homes made of snow, called igloos.
In the summer time, they lived in homes underground or
tents.

9. Subarctic Cultures
 The Subarctic cultures’ winter was very long and the summers
were very short. Food was often scarce, but was more easily
found than in the Arctic region. They hunted animals such as:
moose, elk, waterfowl, and beaver.
 In the summers they collected berries and other plant food.
They lived in tents during the summer, but in the winter they
dug homes in the ground to protect themselves from the wind.
 Finally, when the Europeans came, they started trading pelts
for goods, such as flour. The Subarctic people realized that by
trading for things that they need, they could stay home most of
the time instead of spending all of their time collecting food.

10. Northwestern Culture
 The people of the Northwest lived a very different
lives than the other people of the North.
 Food was plentiful in the region that the people did
not need to farm. This led to people forming
permanent communities and thus social groups.
 People lived in large homes that had totems in the
front of them.
 Wealthier families hosted potlatches, which is a
ceremony where a wealthy or high- ranking family
had a feast and gave gifts to their guests.

11. The West and Southwest
 The people of Southwest grew corn, beans, cotton,
and squash. They were known as hunter-gatherers,
as they hunted and gathered for their food.
 They lived in wigwams or tepees. Those who lived by
water lived in homes made out of logs. Eventually,
Europeans introduced sheep to the region and the
people started using the wool from the sheep to
make blankets.

12. The West and Southwest
Continued…
 The people of the Plateau and the Great Basin lived a
nomadic lifestyle, because food was scarce.
 They moved constantly to find food for their
families. The people ate mostly plants with the
occasional small animal as a meal. They hunted bison
and buffalo.
 The native Indians in California were very diverse.
They had many different ways of life. Most of the
people were hunter-gatherers, but some were
farmers. Those living by water fished for food and
those living in the deserts kept moving to find food.