THE INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES AND THE EUROPEANS
The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
Migration to the New World
The first people to
inhab
it the Caribbean region were
the
Indigenous Peoples
or the Pre
Colu
mbian Indians
as they are also called. The Indigenous Peoples migrated
from Asia and settled
in the Americas and the Caribbean and established a way of life in these
regions.
Most
people believe that the first inhabitants came to the
Americas from Asia between 15
20 000
y
ears ago. This was during the F
ourth Ice Age when large parts of the earth were covered with ice
and the oceans and lakes were frozen. All this time
,
the Bering Str
ait (the narrow stretch of water
which separating Alaska from
the coast of Siberia in north
eastern Asia) was said to be forming an
‘’Ice B
ridge
’’
.
Early man depended on animals for food and clothing especially since the
Ice Age had cause fruits
and herbs
to become scarce. These hunters were nomadic so they travelled from
place to place in
search of food and shelter. These hunters were following her
ds of animals like mammoths, dear
and
caribou without knowing that they were crossing from one continent to an
other. These Asian
migrants are usually referred to as Mongoloids si
nce they came from Mongolia in C
entral Asia.
Settlement Patterns in the Americas
The Asian migrants settled in North America and continued to hunt. As time
passed, these people
developed
a way of life
and also many languages
.
They lived in small family units and made their
homes from the skins of the animals they hunted. Their
homes are
called tents. During the
next
thousands of years, they wa
ndered in many directions. Those who occupied t
he same area, spoke
the same language
,
and shared a common language are said to belong to a tribe.
Some
Amerindians lived in Eastern Canada
(Mohawk)
while some occupied the bleak and barren Artic
regions. They were known as Eskimos. In North America, the A
merindians settled
in
areas such
as the Florida Peninsula and Alaska. Some also settled in the Prairies of
the Great Plains. The
Incas settled in countries such as Chile, Argentina, Nicaragua
,
and Peru. The Aztecs settled in
Mexico
while the Maya settled in the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Honduras,
parts of Belize, El
Salvador, and Southern Mexico. The Mayas, Incas and Aztecs each
developed civilizations which
flourished and they are known as Mesoamericans.
Settlement Patterns in t
he Caribbean
The first group of Amerindians to arrive in the Caribbean were the Ciboney
who settl
ed mainly in
Cuba.
They migrated northwards from Suriname, Eastern Venezuela and Guyana
in South
America.
Archaeologists have not found much evidence in order
to describe what they were like or
how they lived. This is
because they left few artefacts
behind. Sometime afterwards
,
the
Ciboney
were followed by the Tainos (Arawaks) and Kalinagos (Caribs). The Tainos
’
original homeland
was in the forest between the Or
inoco and Amazon Rivers in South America. They travelled in
large canoes and usually settled on each island they encountered. Then
after a few years, some
would move onto another island. The Arawaks were divided into two
principle tribes which are the
Luca
yos in the Bahamas and the Tainos in the Greater Antilles. The Kalinagos
followed the
Tainos into the Caribbean. They lived further south in the jungles around
the Orinoco. They also
THE INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES AND THE EUROPEANS
The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
Migration to the New World
The first people to
inhab
it the Caribbean region were
the
Indigenous Peoples
or the Pre
Colu
mbian Indians
as they are also called. The Indigenous Peoples migrated
from Asia and settled
in the Americas and the Caribbean and established a way of life in these
regions.
Most
people believe that the first inhabitants came to the
Americas from Asia between 15
20 000
y
ears ago. This was during the F
ourth Ice Age when large parts of the earth were covered with ice
and the oceans and lakes were frozen. All this time
,
the Bering Str
ait (the narrow stretch of water
which separating Alaska from
the coast of Siberia in north
eastern Asia) was said to be forming an
‘’Ice B
ridge
’’
.
Early man depended on animals for food and clothing especially since the
Ice Age had cause fruits
and herbs
to become scarce. These hunters were nomadic so they travelled from
place to place in
search of food and shelter. These hunters were following her
ds of animals like mammoths, dear
and
caribou without knowing that they were crossing from one continent to an
other. These Asian
migrants are usually referred to as Mongoloids si
nce they came from Mongolia in C
entral Asia.
Settlement Patterns in the Americas
The Asian migrants settled in North America and continued to hunt. As time
passed, these people
developed
a way of life
and also many languages
.
They lived in small family units and made their homes from the skins of the
animals they hunted. Their homes are called tents. During the next
thousands of years, they wa
ndered in many directions. Those who occupied t
he same area, spoke
the same language
,
and shared a common language are said to belong to a tribe.
Some
Amerindians lived in Eastern Canada
(Mohawk)
while some occupied the bleak and barren Artic
regions. They were known as Eskimos. In North America, the A
merindians settled
in
areas such
as the Florida Peninsula and Alaska. Some also settled in the Prairies of
the Great Plains. The
Incas settled in countries such as Chile, Argentina, Nicaragua
,
and Peru. The Aztecs settled in
Mexico
while the Maya settled in the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Honduras,
parts of Belize, El
Salvador, and Southern Mexico. The Mayas, Incas and Aztecs each
developed civilizations which
flourished and they are known as Mesoamericans.
Settlement Patterns in t
he Caribbean
The first group of Amerindians to arrive in the Caribbean were the Ciboney
who settl
ed mainly in
Cuba.
They migrated northwards from Suriname, Eastern Venezuela and Guyana
in South
America.
Archaeologists have not found much evidence in order
to describe what they were like or
how they lived. This is
because they left few artefacts
behind. Sometime afterwards
,
the
Ciboney
were followed by the Tainos (Arawaks) and Kalinagos (Caribs). The Tainos
’
original homeland
was in the forest between the Or
inoco and Amazon Rivers in South America. They travelled in
large canoes and usually settled on each island they encountered. Then
after a few years, some
would move onto another island. The Arawaks were divided into two
principle tribes which are the
Luca
yos in the Bahamas and the Tainos in the Greater Antilles. The Kalinagos
followed the
Tainos into the Caribbean. They lived further south in the jungles around
the Orinoco. They also