America In The Beginning

Who were the first Americans?

How and why did they come here?

30,000 years ago During a period of low temperatures called an ice age.

The world was covered in glaciers or sheets of ice.

This caused ocean levels to drop

and expose land.

In the Bering straight a land bridge appeared connecting Siberia(Asia) & the Americas.

This land bridge is known as Beringia.

Animals like mammoths crossed the bridge or migrated to the America's.

Hunter's in Asia who moved from place to place to find food or nomads followed the

mammoths and spread out or

migrated to the America's

The ice age ended warming up

glaciers causing water levels to rise

covering up the land bridge.

Some animals died off like mammoths.

Living in many different parts of the Americas the Natives needed to adjust or

adapt to every thing in the new surrounds that made up each of their

own environmentsin order to survive.

What happened when they came to America?

How did they meet their new needs?

America In The Beginning

America In The Beginning

Living in many different parts of the Americas the Natives used the different natural resources in their own different environments for food, clothing, and shelter.

Different groups in different environments

developed their own beliefs and ways of life or culture. Groups in

the same environments adapted similar life styles, and language

creating cultural region.

Many Native American have these things in common.1. Nature has a spirit & believe in many gods .2. No one can own land.4. Only use what is needed (no waste).5. Trade was important to most societies

How did Native Americans adjust to the new environments?

What did they have in common?

8 Cultural Regions

North West Coast

California

Plateau

Great Basin

South West

Great Plains

Eastern Woodlands

South East

PlainsSoutheast

California

Great Basin

Northwest Coast

Plateau

Northeast

Southwest

8 Cultural Regions

North West Coast Weather:long cold winterscool summersheavy rainfall

Natural Resources:ocean/beachesthick forests of fir, spruce, and cedarrugged mountainsseafood/salmondeer, moose, bear, elk, beaver, mountain goats

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to huntFenced in salmon laying eggsused cedar to make rope, mats and basketsshell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masksClothing:Cedar water proof clothing like capes withdecorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coastCedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

Used cedar canoes to hunt Fenced in salmon laying eggs used cedar to make rope, mats and baskets shell needles used wedges, sledge hammers, drills, and knifes to carve wooden masks Clothing: Cedar water proof clothing like capes with decorative shell buttons Shelter: lived near the coast Cedar Long Houses with cedar bark roofs

California Weather: rainy wintershot dry summers

Natural Resources:ocean/coastfoothillsvalley'sdesertsmountainsacorns, oak treesgrass, and plantsredwood trees

salmon/seafood/shellfishdeer, rabbits, ducks, roots berries, pine nuts

Used Bows& arrows, snares, and nets, used cooking stones to heat acorn meal tools from antlers Clothing: grass/leather aprons and skirts Shelter: Cone shaped made of redwood bark, pole, and reeds woven into mats

Great Basin Weather:little rainhot during the day cold at nightNatural Resources:

mostly dessertlow areas surrounded by mountains at the edgeswith valleys that had seasonal lakes and streams

plants that need little water likegrasses, sagebrush, pinon trees, at the outer edges pine trees, and willow

small animals rabbits, lizards, grasshoppers, snakes sometimes ducks , duck eggs during certain seasons seeds,berries pine nuts, roots, cattail

Tools: water baskets sealed with tree sap Floating duck decoys, nets, sharp sticks, flat baskets for catching seeds Clothing: rabbit robes in winter Shelter: Nomadic temporary cone shelters of willow, brush and reeds

Plateau Weather:long cold winterscomfortable summers

Natural Resources:mountains with dense forests in areasflatter in the center with drier grass landsrivers

driftwood, mud, dirt,grass and sage brushfish, antelope, deer, seedsonions, carrots, camas roots, salmon

Tools: woven baskets, willow digging sticks, wooden fishing platforms, nets, and spears for salmon Clothing: antelope and deer hides leggings, dresses and skirts, woven hats, seed and shell designs Shelter: near rivers, partly under ground out of driftwood, mud, sap, and reeds

Great Plains Weather:cold winters hot summers

Natural Resources:mountains surrounding edgestreeless grasslands in the centereast more water and softer soilwest drier dense grass

Buffalo and smaller animals

Culture: Tools: bow made of buffalo tendon, arrows, V shaped stone trap, fire, bone knives, shields, Clothing: Buffalo robes and hides Shelter: Houses called tipis

South West

Weather:high temperatureslittle rain dry/arid

Natural Resources:mountains, canyonsdesserts, flat top mesasrivers, little water

clay, brightly colored plants, cottoncorn, beans, squash, peppers, rabbits

Large thick walled houses made of bricks of adobe(sun baked clay). Up to 4 stories and had hundreds of rooms. Clothes were made of cotton that they grew. Using plants and minerals, they dyed the fabric Lived near naturally flooded areas. Men dug irrigation ditches, and also built dams to hold summer rain. Women spend most the day grinding corn kernels into cornmeal. They used clay pots to cook stews

Eastern Woodlands

Weather:snowy winters , rain

Natural Resources:rivers, ocean/coastlots of lakes and streams

Forests, plants, maple trees, elm,

deer, bears, beavers, birds, fishcorn, sunflowers, tobacco, vegetables,nuts, berries

Long House: Sturdy, log-framed houses covered with elm bark, about 20 feet wide and over 100 feet long. Several related families live in sections of the house. Skirts, capes, and moccasins were made out of deer skins. Women ground corn with wooden sticks . Men often paddled on the rivers and streams in log and bark canoes . They trapped beavers, hunted deer, bear, caught birds, and speared fish. For farming land, men burnt small sections of trees and underbrush. Women did the hoeing and planting. They planted many different types of corn, beans and squash. Made maple syrup and wooden storage canisters.

South East

Weather:long warm humid summersmild winters

Natural Resources:rivers, ocean/coastFertile coastal plainsmountains, swamps

Trees, clay, shells, corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, sweet potatoessquirrels, rabbits, turkeys, deer, alligators, turtles,wild rice, persimmons

Houses were made from strips of young trees woven into a rectangular frame, then plastered with clay. These houses had pointed roofs made of leaves.Towns included many mounds, first mounds were burial sights, but others were larger, and used as platforms for temples. It took many months, even years, to build these mounds, because they moved the dirt 1 basket full at a time.Simple clothing was made of deer skin. Jewelry made of stones, shells, feathers, pearls, bones, and clay.Women used hoes made of stone, shell or animal shoulder blades. Men hunted using small blow guns, and bows and arrows.

Houses were made from strips of young trees woven into a rectangular frame, then plastered with clay. These houses had pointed roofs made of leaves. Towns included many mounds, first mounds were burial sights, but others were larger, and used as platforms for temples. It took many months, even years, to build these mounds, because they moved the dirt 1 basket full at a time. Simple clothing was made of deer skin. Jewelry made of stones, shells, feathers, pearls, bones, and clay. Women used hoes made of stone, shell or animal shoulder blades. Men hunted using small blow guns, and bows and arrows.