Unit 1 Learning Target: By the end of unit 1 I will be able to show that where you live affects how you live, as shown by the creation of a Native American Cultural Diagram.
Chapter 2 notes
Lesson 1
Time line: A-D (page 74-75)
Vocabulary:
- Pre-Columbian
- totem pole
- potlatch
What was life like for the Native Americans of Alaska?
The Inuit, had to deal with extremely cold winter and mild summers. During the winter they would tell stories to not only spread culture but also educate their children. The Inuit men built houses partially underground, made of soil & wood. When the men traveled they built igloos and hunted walruses, seal, fish, and whales. The women then took the animals and made food and clothing.
Who were the Pomo?
A tribe from western edge of California, who lived off the resources around them. They gathered acorns, caught fish in woven nets, and hunted small animals, birds, and deer. They also made their houses out of the wood around them. The Pomo are most known for their various baskets that have become works of art over time.
What was life like in the Desert and Valley?
The Miwok and other groups from this area hunted deer, elk, and antelope, while trapping otter and beaver in the marshes. The children climbed trees to shake loose acorns, while the women gathered the acorns and made soup, bread, and flour from them. The Cahuilla and Serrano lived in the desert and developed a new kind of irrigation. They dug deep holes in the ground creating wells to store any rain water that fell, allowing them to have lakes to water their crops.
What was life like for the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest?
They made good use of their natural resources, by using trees around them to make boxes, homes, canoes, and utensils. They made sure to only cut those that would be used as plants and animals had right to live. They created totem poles to tell stories and the chief held potlatches to mark an important event or wedding and give out gifts to guests.
Who were the Makah?
The Makah were a tribe that lived in the Washington state area, and were buried in a mudslide. In 1960 their artifacts were found and research was done on their way of life. They lived on the Pacific Ocean and hunted sea life. They traveled by canoe to trade with other tribes. They hunted whales in canoes with groups of 60 people. They used all parts of the whale including the bones. They also waited for the “salmon run” and collected up to 1,000lbs of fish, which was dried and used throughout the year.
Who were the Tlingit?
The Tlingit were a tribe that lived in Alaska, though their climate was mild and warm due to Japan’s currents. They got their food from the sea, and hunted animals in mountains and forests. They were wealthy due to their trading with other tribes by canoe. They lived in plank houses with several relatives and each house had a totem pole to tell their family stories. They also wove baskets and blankets.
Chapter 2 notes
Lesson 2
Vocabulary:
- mesa
- kachina
- migrate
- hogan
- wickiup
Who were the Hopi farmers?
Hopi were members of the large Pueblo tribe, who depended on farming and believed everyone had a role in farming. They struggled with farming due to the low amount of rainfall and high mesas on which they lived. The Hopi used dry farming along with canals, and irrigation to grow the three sisters andcotton. They stored the surplus corn for future dry seasons.
What was life like for the Hopi people?
Like the Pueblo, they lived in houses made of adobe with removable ladders and underground kivas. Men farmed, herded sheep, and hunted deer, antelope, and elk. Men also made clothing for ceremonies and traded surplus clothing. Women gathered nuts and seeds, and were skilled at basket making, pottery, and jewelry, with birds, insects and rain symbols on them.
What is a Kachina ceremony?
Kachina dolls were used to teach children about culture and religious beliefs. The kachinas are spirits that are believed to visit the Hopi village, they bring rain and teach people how to live and behave. During the ceremonies, dancers are given the honor of representing the dolls including the most important one, the Crow mother.
Who was Nampeyo?
She was a Hopi potter, who started making pottery at a young age after watching her grandmother. In 1895 artifacts were found around her house of ancient pottery and she began to copy their designs. She then began teaching pottery and to this day, Hopi’s still carry on her work.
Who were the Navajo’s?
Also known as Dine, they were the largest non pueblo group living in the Southwest. They migrated from Alaska to the four corners and used dry farming like the pueblos. They were also known for their cotton clothing, richly dyed blankets, sandals, jewelry, and pottery. They lived in hogans made of log frames and mud walls with 6-8 sides and they always faced east. The Navajo took sheep from the Spanish and used the meat to eat, the wool for clothing, and the skin for leather. The Navajo believed in a balance with the earth called hozho and sang songs to keep balance.
Who were the Apache?
They lived around the Navajo and roamed freely. They lived in wickiups or dome shaped pole framed houses with skins and reed mats to cover them. Each wickiup included a smoke hole and a chimney. The woman was the head of the household and family’s lived with the mother’s parents. All members of the families worked together gathering plants, hunting, farming, and making wickiups. The name Apache means enemy, which was given to them due to their cruel raids of neighboring villages.
Chapter 2 notes
Lesson 3
Vocabulary:
- prairie
- teepee
- lodge
- drought
- travois
- coup stick
- jerky
What was life like for the people of the Great Plains?
The great plains are located on the prairies in the central parts of the United States from south of Canada to Texas. This area is hot in summer and cold in winter with little rain, forcing the people to follow the herds of buffalo instead of farming. The buffalo provided food, shelter, and clothing for the Native Americans. The Great Plains people lived in buffalo skin teepees, or earth lodges made of grasses, sticks, and soil.
How did the Plains Indians first use horses?
The Indians killed buffalos by the herd as they would stampede them over a cliff. In the 1500’s Spaniards brought horses to the area and soon after, the descendents of the runaway horses had made it to the people of the Great Plains. The Lakota began taming the horses and by the 1700’s the Plains Indians were using them in their village. The men used the horses to hunt and to help pull the travois, and the wealth of a person was based on the number of horses they owned.
How did the Lakota keep records?
The Lakota used a circular calendar to help them keep track of important events. The events were listed counterclockwise on buffalo hide.
What was life like for the children of the Plains?
They were taught culture and listening skills by being told stories and singing songs. All members of the family were responsible for teaching also using games that helped to teach skills. Boys were taught hunting and shooting skills leading to shooting matches and pretend battles. Boys were also taught to use a coup stick which showed their courage. Girls learned to sew by making doll clothes, learned to make teepees by setting up toy size ones, and learned to clean animal skins. Children were given encouragement for success including feathers to show shooting skills.
How did the buffalo represent life to the Plains Indians?
They never wasted any part of the buffalo. Buffalo hair was used to make ropes and belts, while horns were shaped into spoons and cups, and bones could be made into flutes and tools. Most meat was eaten right away, but left over meat was hung to dry and made into jerky to be eaten later. Women scraped the skin to remove fat and washed it to prepare it for teepee making.
Chapter 2 notes
Lesson 4
Vocabulary:
- slash- and- burn
- Creek Confederacy
- longhouse
- wampum
- clan
- Iroquois Confederacy
- compromise
What was life like for the people of the Eastern Woodlands?
These people lived east of the Mississippi river, and lived off the natural resources of the area such as the trees, plants, and animals. They were guided by seasons, in the winter, men hunted deer, rabbits, beaver and turkeys and the women made clothing, while they all told stories by campfire. In the spring they grew the 3 sisters using slash-and-burn methods. In the summer men fished, carved canoes from trees,and built homes. Women gathered berries and wild plants during harvest time, and they dried the food for the winter.
Who were the Penobscot and the Natchez?
The Penobscot were woodland people who lived in the mountainous area in Maine but moved to hunting areas to adapt. They gathered fruits nuts and berries and wore warm clothing made from animal skins. The Natchez were a southeast woodland people who lived in Mississippi. They were successful farmers who wore light clothing to adjust to mild temperatures.
Who were the people of the Southeast Woodlands?
These people were descendents of the Mound Builders and the Mississippians. These people were part of the Muskogean language group. The Muskogean language group includes the Creek
What was life like for the Creek?
Their towns were arranged around a central plaza used for ceremonies and dancing, and houses made with poles and covered with grass surrounded the plaza. The Creek farmed the Three Sisters and hunted small animals. They formed the Creek Confederacy to protect themselves. The Confederacy divided into peace (white) towns and war (red) towns. Red towns declared war, planned military action and met with enemy groups. White towns passed laws and held conquered towns.
What was life like for the Catawba?
These people were part of the Siouan speaking group that lived in the Carolinas, yet scientists are unsure of where they came from. They lived in villages and built temples for public gathering and religious ceremonies.
What was life like for the Cherokee?
These people were part of the Iroquoian language family and lived in the southern woodland area. They grew the three sisters and each village had their own leaders and made their own decisions. Although they had different leaders, they all came together in times of celebration such as the Green Corn Festival, celebrating the summer’s first corn crop.
Who were the Iroquois?
They lived in upstate New York area and spoke languages in the Iroquoian family. They called themselves Hodensaunee meaning “longhouse” which is what they lived in. Villages were connected by trails all leading to the main village. The Iroquois made wampum and used it in ceremonies
Who was the Clan Mother?
Iroquois lived in clans which was a group of families who shared ancestors. The Clan Mother made all important decisions for the clan including how their land would be used. Although the leader of each village was a man, he was chosen by the Clan Mother.
What was the Iroquois government?
As the Iroquois tribe grew over time, fighting began to break out among them due to differences in opinions. Two leaders Deganawida and Hiawatha saw a need for peace. In 1570, 5 separate Iroquois nations joined together to form the Iroquois Confederacy. These nations included the Onondaga, the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Seneca, and the Cayuga. It became 6 nations when the Tuscarora joined in 1722. To keep peace the Iroquois created a set of rules called the Great Law, which were guidelines in which the people were supposed to live by. This is thought to have influenced the future American Government.Deganawida also set up the Grand Council, in which the Clan Mothers would send representatives to meet and have discussions and make compromises. The Grand Council still makes decisions for the Iroquois today.