The Native Americans

Discovering America: 3rd Grade The Native Americans

Community Diversity: There were many different native tribes.

Different Indigenous tribes represented as drawings. Historians are unsure about the exact date when the Native Americans established communities in early North America. But they are sure there was more than just one community or culture of people.

Calling the vast array of cultures by one generic name is not the best way to describe a group of people. Sometimes, when we call all Native Americans by that name, we lump them into one ‘Native American’ group. But in reality, each Native American group or community that inhabited early America had different beliefs and customs.

These Indigenous People were split into many tribes, factions, and clans, and many were different from each other in terms of their beliefs, cultures, and customs. Native American tribal communities formed based on where they lived, their religion, as well as their customs, and language. Different Native American tribes lived in many areas of the present-day United States and Canada.

When Columbus first arrived, there were hundreds of Native American tribes throughout early America. Tribes were often at war and differed in their opinion of the new colonists intruding upon their land.

The new colonists quickly learned that peace with one tribe did not necessarily mean peace with another. Often, peace with one tribe meant war with an enemy tribe. Sadly, many times throughout the colonization of early America, the tribal communities and the colonists fought.

Many of the tribes throughout early America when Columbus first arrived are not well-known today. However, tribes like the Cherokee, Apache, and Navajo were large then, and are recognizable in most contemporary history books today.

Historians have learned a lot about Native American history and culture from their traditions and stories. Stories are passed down within the tribes themselves and from generation to generation. Historians also use research and science to learn more about the Native American way of life.

Most Native American tribes did not write down their history. Instead, they shared their culture through paintings, murals, and storytelling/oral tradition. This makes it difficult to understand their culture and customs fully, however, historians use the stories and artifacts to fill in the knowledge gaps.

Using modern tools and technology, archeologists can learn a great deal about past cultures and civilizations. Finding and digging up artifacts such as pottery, tools, jewelry, and weapons tell archeologists how the people who owned those items lived.

Much of what historians know about Native American communities from this time came from ship logs, journals, stories, and other recordings preserved from the first Europeans to arrive. As exploration advanced, so did travel recording and accuracy.

The Native American communities and tribes interacted in many ways with the explorers.

When Christopher Columbus explored the Americas, Native Americans were already living there. In fact, over ten million Native Americans lived throughout many parts of North and South America at the time. By the time European adventurers arrived in the 15th century, scholars estimate that more than 50 million people were already living in the early Americas.

The Native Americans moved from Asia to North America during the last Ice Age. During the Ice Age, thick sheets of ice covered much of Northern North America. As the ice sheets absorbed water, the sea levels dropped, and a land bridge emerged connecting what is now Alaska to Asia. This allowed Native Americans to spread out around early America.

The first Europeans did not travel to the Americas until thousands of years after the Native Americans arrived. By then, the Indigenous People had explored and established settlements in all parts of what the explorers called the New World. While this ‘world’ was technically new to the Europeans, it certainly was not new to the Indigenous People living and migrating there.

When Columbus first arrived in America, he found Native American tribes to be intelligent and resourceful. America at the time was far from empty.

Most Native American Tribes were different from one another. Each tribe had a unique name, held different sacred things, and used different animals and colors as cultural symbols and idols. They also lived in different regions and homes and ate different things.

Social structure played an important role in traditional Native American societies. Scientists are unable to determine for sure whether or not there were written rules or complex governments in Native American society. They do know there was a defined structure and a set of social norms that people were expected to reflect if they wanted to be a part of that community and the Native Americans had some unique communities. Let’s explore some below.

The Hohokam Tribe lived in the Southwest. They were expert farmers who developed advanced irrigation and watering systems for their crops.

The Anasazi People lived in the Chaco Canyon in the Southwest. They built apartment-type buildings with multiple floors for their community.

The Kiowa tribes lived mainly in North Texas and Oklahoma. They are largely credited with developing many different varieties of corn.

The Mound-Builder People lived in the present-day state of Illinois. They built their homes out of the earth and constructed a 100-foot high pyramid.

The Iroquois Tribe created a complex government system. In fact, a portion of the United States Constitution is based on the Iroquois example.

The Native Americans are known to have built over 600 different types of houses to adjust to the environment where they migrated and lived.

The idea of community was important to the Native Americans and remains important today.

Little Patriots

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