Who Were the First Americans?

Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

 Native Americans were the people who lived on the North American continent thousands of years before the European settlers started their voyages in the fifteenth century. Most scientists agree that the Native Americans traveled to this land from Asia through the Bering Strait during several series of migrations or movements.

Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

They followed an open corridor to this land and then moved east and south from the Alaskan area. These migrations are believed to have begun more than 10,000 years ago, although some people believe this could have have been as far back as 25,000 years ago!

Alaska

Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

Some Native Americans alive today believe that their ancestors were always here on the North American continent and that they did not come from another continent. They offer stories that have been told to each generation to support this belief.

Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

However they got here, these first Americans had a lot of work to do to survive. They had to adapt to a changing climate as well as new environments and terrains. They began as hunters of large animals, which became extinct and then they moved to smaller game. Many of them gradually became farmers and artisans. They really knew how to use their natural resources.

The Mastodon (Elephant family) once roamed in America. It is now extinct.

Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

These early Americans had to adapt to dramatic changes on land. Great ice sheets melted. The climate of the world became warmer. They were highly nomadic and moved in groups of 25 to 75 people. Their tools were made of stone, bone, and wood. As many as 10,000 years ago they were living all over America.

It is believed that this Waco Sinker was used in fishing.

Beads of both bone and stone, as well as 2 human front teeth and the tooth of a large wolf are in this photo. The orange bit is a piece of a tool used to make pottery

Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

A variety of groups developed as they became more settled. Distinct cultural areas could be identified. In the Northeast, for example, the Native Americans used the forests to get wood to build houses and tools.

This house, called a longhouse, was a common Native American home of the Northeast

Longhouse

The Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest hunted the water for food.

Colville tribe drying salmon

Unidentified Indian Boy in Baby board

Colville tribal member crossing the River in a Canoe Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

In the desert, the Native Americans grew corn and built adobe dwellings.

Adobe churchPresented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

There were many different ways of life. However, the ties to the land remained a common thread among all the groups. In general, scientists refer to six major cultural areas: the Northwest Coastal Area, the Plains Area, the Plateau Area, the Eastern Woodlands Area, the Northern Area, and the Southwestern Area.

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Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

In the 15th century, European settlers and explorers began to arrive. For many years, Native Americans were called Indians because European explorers thought they had reached Asia, or "the Indies." Some Native American groups coexisted with these new settlers while others fought and lost land. Besides the physical loss of land, though, disease was by far the biggest threat to the Native Americans. These diseases spread quickly and utterly destroyed huge portions of the Native American population. Many Native American cultures, such as the Cherokee, Apache, and Coushatta, are thousands of years old, and despite the challenges they have had to overcome, continue to thrive even today.

Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD))

Over a dozen of these mound complexes have been identified and more are likely to be recognized in the future. These mound groups are older than any in North America, Mesoamerica, and South America, and predate the construction of the great Egyptian pyramids.

Built more than 5,000 years ago by Native Americans, the mounds at LSU were part of a much larger trend. Native Americans built large mounds in the eastern part of North America for many reasons. Archaeologists think Native American mounds served as ceremonial and social centers. To date, archaeologists do not know the exact purpose the LSU Indian Mounds, but the structures do not appear to have been burial places, temples or houses. Researchers believe the mounds may have been symbols of group identity where peoples living in scattered bands congregated from time to time for religious and ceremonial purposes, and to feast, dance, and exchange information.Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD)

The End Presented by Brent Daigle, Ph.D. (ABD)