ANTHR 7 North American Indians
Study Guide for the Midterm Exam
NOTE: The midterm exam will be given on March 31st. Please bring a Blue ScanTron (A200) to the test. The
exam will include multiple-choice questions, true-false statements, short answer questions (less than 25 words
to answer), and at least one essay question (less than 250 words to answer). I realize there’s a lot of material to
study. SUGGESTION: get together with several people from class, divide up the questions among yourselves,
get answers, then get back together and SHARE. Also, reword each of my study questions into various formats:
multiple choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blanks, short essays. First and foremost, take a lesson from the First
People: HELP EACH OTHER.
1. Jamestown was founded in lands belonging to the
a. Huron
b. Powhatan
c. Narraganset
d. Wampanoag
2. For what are we most indebted to the American Indians?
3. The primary goal of the French in North America was
a. Establishing agricultural colonies
c. Converting the Indians to Christianity
b. Acquiring furs
d. All of these
4. In a few sentences, indicated the major cultural and biological impacts of Europeans / Euroamericans on
American Indians.
5. In Thunder Rides a Black Horse the author, Claire Farrar, speaks of the "mythic present." What does she
mean by this and how is it manifested in Mescalero life?
6. The Powhatan Confederacy was located along the eastern seaboard in the modern state of
a. Virginia
c. New York
b. Massachusetts
d. Pennsylvania
7. The original inhabitants of what came to be called Plymouth, Massachusetts were the
a. Iroquois
c. Narragansetts
b. Huron
d. Wampanoags
8. Frequently during the semester I’ve made reference to California and how it can be used as a model for
much of what happened in other culture areas of North America during the European and American invasion
and expansion. Write several sentences in which you demonstrate this concordance.
9. Massasoit was the leader of the ___________ when the Pilgrims established Plymouth.
a. Powhatan Confederacy
c. Narragansetts
b. Huron
d. Wampanoags
10. What was Beringia and what is its significance?
11. The name of the English colony that was established among the Powhatan Confederacy was
a. Plymouth
c. Jamestown
b. St. Augustine
d. Roanoak
12. By what route or routes did the first migrants into the Americas come?
13. During the first few decades of the Plymouth colony’s existence, they were constantly at war with the
a. Iroquois Confederacy
c. Powhatan Confederacy
b. Narragansetts
d. None of these
14. For most people the Indians and the horse go together like bread and butter, David and Goliath, or Lindsay
Lohan and tackiness. But should they go together in our image of the Indian? Why or why not?
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15. What was one major difference between Hopewell mounds and those of the Mississippian?
16. “King Philip’s” war was
a. an attempt by the Powhatans to evict the English
b. fought between the Huron and Iroquois over control of the French fur trade
c. the Wampanoags’ attempts to oust the English from Massachusetts
d. an outgrowth of the 7 Years War between the Dutch and English for control of New York
e. none of the above
17. Wahunsonacock was
a. the leader of the Iroquois Confederacy
b. the leader of the Powhatan Confederacy
c. the name of the Inuit man captured by Martin Frobisher and taken to England
d. the Indian name of Pocahontas
e. the English-speaking Indian who greeted the Pilgrims at Plymouth
18. What were the “Blue Laws” and what effect did they have on the Indians?
19. Some of the problems with using the culture area concept include the following:
a. Diversity may be ignored
b. Groups being described are frozen in time
c. The concept often stresses material culture at the expense of other aspects of culture
d. Anthropologists disagree about the number of culture areas and the specific nations that should be
included in each area
e. All of the above are potential problems associated with using the culture area concept
20. Some Indian foods eaten in the U.S. today include
a. beans, corn, squash
b. sugar and coffee
c. tomatoes and peanuts
d. all of these
e. all but “b”
21. In the horticultural Indian societies of the Northeastern Woodlands, the traditional role of women
a. was much like that of European women at that time
b. often inferior to European women at that time
c. often put women in roles of social and political power
d. was not important in the food producing spheres of culture
e. “b” and “d”
22. One of the earliest plants raised by Indians in the Eastern Woodlands was __________, whereas one of the
earliest plants raised by Indians in the Southwest was __________,
a. corn / sunflower
b. sunflower / corn
c. beans / corn
d. corn / beans
e. sunflower / tobacco
23. Popular views or stereotypes of American Indians include
a. the noble savage living in a pre-lapsarian Garden of Eden
b. the great warrior mounted on his horse chasing buffalo
c. the bloodthirsty savage
d. the first ecologists
e. all of the above
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24. Define a culture area and discuss the good and bad points of using culture areas to group people. Then give
a brief overview of one of the following culture areas (be sure to include in your overview the defining
features): Northeast Woodlands, Southeast Woodlands, Southwest.
25. Some of the origin ideas for American Indians include
a. Lost tribes of Israel
b. Survivors of the sunken continents of Atlantis and Lemuria
c. The Bering Strait (or Beringian) migration theory
d. Creation in situ by supernatural forces
e. All of the above
26. When an Iroquois woman died, her farmland and domestic property typically were inherited by her
a. husband
c. sons only
b. daughters only
d. oldest sister
e. children
27. How did resources vary for Paleo-Indians, Archaic Indians, and Formative Indians? Include a general time
frame and major characteristics for each period.
28. PaleoIndians
a. Arrived in two migrations
b. Hunted only mega-fauna
c. Tended to use large, fluted projectile points, such as the Clovis Points
d. Gave rise to all American Indian groups
e. Arrived in the Americas about 8,000 to 9,000 years ago
29. What is an atlatl and what was it used for?
30. Spain’s approach to the Americas included
a. converting Indians to Christianity
b. exploiting the lands’ resources
c. establishing colonies
d. using the Indians as agricultural and industrial workers
e. all of the above
31. Briefly discuss the site of Monte Verde. Include in your discussion why the site is so important and what
kinds of things were found at the site.
32. The Dutch, French, and Russians interest and involvement with the Indians focused primarily on
a. converting the Indians to Christianity
b. trading for furs and hides
c. gaining land for agricultural colonies
d. taking of Indians for the growing European slave trade
e. all of the above
33. The removal of most Cherokee to west of the Mississippi is remembered as the
a. Morning the Sun Went Down
b. Day the Stars Fell
c. Trail of Tears
d. Longest Walk
e. Drying Times
34. The English originally came to the Americas
a. to establish an imperial presence to offset the growing power of Spain
b. to engage in trading for corn, beans and squash to feed to growing British populations
c. to establish self-sustaining colonies
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d. to take advantage of the Indians’ superior agricultural knowledge
e. all of the above
35. During the Archaic period, Indian societies
a. spread into nearly every ecological niche in North America
b. built large, earth platform mounds upon which stood their temples and ruling elites’ houses
c. began to broaden their diets to include large amounts of nuts and seeds
d. began living in multi-room, multi-storied apartment buildings
e. “a” and “c” only
36. The fur trade
a. profoundly altered the native cultures of northern North America
b. altered the technologies of the Indians but had little effect on the Indians social and political structures
c. brought about changes in Indian economic systems, settlement practices, territoriality, and technology
d. was of little importance for the Russians
e. “a” and “c”
37. A traditional Cherokee, Huron or Iroquois could NOT marry in her or his matriclan or father’s clan. This
pattern is called clan
a. endogamy
c. exogamy
b. matrigamy
d. patrigamy
e. incest
38. Ways the Spanish mission system impacted Indians included
a. cooperative faming for trade with the missions
b. preservation of Indian cultural traditions
c. removal from their homes for slave labor on ranches, mines, agricultural fields
d. better health and longer life expectancy
39. France and Russia primarily wanted to take land in the Americas for colonization. T/F
40. Monk’s Mound at Cahokia is best know for being
a. the largest earthen mound in North America
b. the center of the League of the Iroquois
c. the capitol of all the cities in the Southeast
d. a complete mystery
e. the center of the Hopewellian culture
41. The English came to the New World because they wanted to settle the land. T/F
42. In the 1830s the US Supreme Court ruled that
a. Indian tribes were really like foreign countries
b. Indian tribes must convert to Christianity and adopt White cultural patterns
c. Indian tribes were to be recompensed for losses of native lands and resources
d. Eastern tribes should be moved west of the Mississippi River
e. Indian tribes were sovereign, dependent nations
43. Indians were used by both sides in the French and Indian war. T/F
44. When writing about early European colonial expansion in North America, most historians depict a movement
that began on the Atlantic coast and moved inexorably westward. However, your instructor said this was a
misleading view. What evidence did he offer to refute the westward-ho view?
45. Cherokee removal was triggered primarily by Euro-Americans seeking Cherokee land (both for its
agricultural potential as well as the presence of gold).
T/F
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46. Which of the following appear during the Archaic period?
a. Diffuse economy
b. Seasonal round
c. Specialized technology
d. Trade over moderate long distances
e. All of the above
47. What were the main reasons Europeans colonized the Americas? Discuss the different approaches of
Spain, France, Russia and England.
48. Prior to European colonization, California had a greater population density than any other area of
comparable size in North America. T/F
49. Socio-political organization among the Natchez was characterized by
a. an intricate and rigid system of classification, characterized by binary opposition in all aspects of social
and political life
b. a class system composed of 4 hierarchically ordered classes
c. a leader who was regarded as a divine being
d. matrilineality
e. all of the above except “a”
50. The low estimates proposed by Europeans for Native American populations prior to European contact
a. were quite accurate
b. explain today’s small Indian population
c. were used to justify European occupation
d. made Europeans sympathetic to Indians need to maintain their traditional land base
e. were used to explain the Indians’ lack of political cohesion
51. The so-called “ghost beads” of the Diné (Navajo) were used to keep ghosts away. T/F
52. The primary goal of religious beliefs and practices among the peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands was
a. the maintenance of purity and harmony
b. the veneration of the Great Sun
c. to venerate the ancestors
d. to celebrated the harvest
e. both “a” and “d”
53. Who was Pontiac and why does he stand out in Indian history?
54. What role did women have in Huron and Iroquoian society?
55. A traditional Iroquois village was
a. built near a lake
b. composed of small, single-family dwellings
c. abandoned after about ten or so years
d. dominated by a large ceremonial round house
e. usually inhabited for 50 – 100 years
56. How were living arrangements traditionally tied to Huron and Iroquoian society (post-marital residence,
inheritance patterns, land-holding, etc.)?
57. Among the Cherokee, the most important crop was
a. cotton
c. beans and squash
b. corn
d. pumpkins
e. tobacco
58. What were the four social classes of the Natchez?
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59. One of the legendary founders of the League of the Iroquois was
a. the Mohawk warrior Wahunsonakawa, also know as Joseph Brant
b. Sganyadiyo or Handsome Lake, a Cayuga visionary
c. Deganawida or The Peace-Giver, a Huron visionary
d. Kateri Tekakwitha, also know as the “Fearless One,” one of the few Onieda woman who had fought in
the French and Indian War
e. Pontiac, the Odawa warrior who later would bring together many other non-Iroquois tribes in an attempt
to drive out the British
60. What is the Trail of Tears?
61. The Green Corn Dance (or Green Corn Ceremony) was a major ritual among the
a. Iroquois confederacy
c. Huron and Erie confederacy
b. Powhatan confederacy
d. Southeastern Woodlands tribes
e. Puebloans
62. Discuss the town structure of the Southeast Woodland Indians.
63. Traditional Cherokee
a. descent was either bilateral or patrilineal
b. practiced lineage and clan endogamy
c. descent was matrilineal
d. were primarily gatherers and hunters
e. “b” and “c”
64. The primary religious ethic among the Southeast Indians was
a. the maintenance of purity and harmony
b. the belief in a single, all-knowing and benevolent god
c. that the world was inherently dangerous and people needed to sacrifice people to appease the gods
d. that when a person died, her/his soul wandered the world bringing death and sickness
e. none of the above
65. Briefly discuss the political organization of the Southeast Indians.
66. The Natchez Great Sun
a. ruled as a divine king
b. was the leader of a royal family
c. was carried about on a canopied litter
d. could be either a woman or man
e. all of the above
67. The primary purpose of the Iroquois False Face Society was to treat illnesses. T/ F
68. Sequoya
a. was the last of the Great Suns
b. was named after trees in California
c. became president of the Cherokee Nation
d. was a Cherokee man who developed a system of writing for his people
e. was none of the above
69. One of the most important innovations during the early Archaic period was
a. the introduction of corn based horticulture
b. the use of mortars and pestles, manos and metates as a way to process nuts and seeds
c. the manufacture of basketry
d. all of the above
e. “b” and “c” only
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70. A typical Iroquois village at the time of European colonization was surrounded by wooden palisades. T/F
71. The Mississippian tradition
a. is famous for the elaborate burial rituals accorded the elite
b. produced immense, flat-topped earthen platform mounds.
c. had its greatest elaboration among the Iroquois and Huron
d. was a culture differentially shared and participated in by hundreds of local societies large and small
e. “b” and “d”
72. What was the Green Corn Ceremony?
73. Women, not men, were the primary Cherokee farmers. T / F
74. Traditionally, the five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy lived mostly in
a. Illinois
c. Michigan
b. Massachusetts
d. Virginia
e. New York
75. A girl’s coming of age was rarely celebrated among the Mescalero Apache. T/F
76. Many of the Southeastern Indians believed the universe to be divided into ___ parts.
a. Two
c. three
b. Four
d. five
77. When the first European explorers penetrated the southeastern U.S., a few of the great Mississippian
centers were still flourishing, including the capital of the
a. Natchez
c. Huron
b. Powhatan
d. Iroquois
e. Cherokee
78. In Cherokee warfare, the “Whites” dominated over the “Reds.” T / F
79. During the War of 1812, also know as the Creek War, it was the __________ who played a major role in
helping Andrew Jackson defeat the British.
a. Natchez
c. Choctaw
b. Powhatan
d. Iroquois
e. Cherokee
80. The first outsiders to contact the Baffinland Inuit were the:
a. Vikings, led by Leif Erikson
c. French, led by Samuel de Champlain
b. Spanish, led by John Smith
d. English, led by Martin Frobisher
81. In the Mescalero life cycle, a ritual focus on ___ dominated.
a. a girl’s first menses
c. a boy’s coming of age
b. death and rebirth
d. ancestor impersonation ceremonies
e. the birth of the first girl to a family
82. The site of Monte Verde is significant because
a. it casts doubt on the claim that Clovis Big Game hunters were the first people in the Americas
b. it was the capital of the Natchez confederacy
c. gives us a picture of Paleo-Indian lifestyles very different from that of the broad-spectrum big-game
hunting Clovis people
d. it contains clear evidence of the beginnings of social stratification during the Archaic
e. “a” and “c” only
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83. Tribes with members that were removed from their homeland during the first part of the 19th century and
relocated to “Indian” country included the
a. Navajo, Apache, some Puebloans
b. Navajo, Apache and a few southern California tribes
c. Cherokee, Choctaw, and Creek
d. Tlingit, Kwakiutl, and several Plains tribes
e. All of these groups were relocated to “Indian” country
84. The pre-European Iroquois winter dwelling is termed a
a. wikiup
c. longhouse
b. pueblo
d. wigwam
85. The Hohokam are best know for their
a. large urban centers with earthen platform mounds surrounded by wooden palisades
b. fluted projective points which they used to hunt the mega-fauna
c. “a” plus extensive irrigation canals
d. irrigation canals and trading ties with Mesoamerica
e. construction of multi-room, multi-storied masonry apartment buildings
86. What triggered the change-over from the lifestyles of the Paleo-Indian period to the Archaic?
87. The Huron traced descent ___ and after marriage residence was ___.
a. patrilineally / patrilocal
b. matrilineally / matrilocal
c. bilaterally (through both the mother’s and father’s family); neolocal (could settle with either side of the
family
d. either through the mother’s family or the father’s family line, depending on economic circumstances;
neolocal
e. matrilineally; patrilocal
88. To what cause or causes do most scientists attribute the initial population decline of the Native Americans?
89. The Proclamation of 1764
a. was Great Britain’s attempt to organize their new North American empire
b. stabilized relations between Great Britain and the Indians residing in lands ceded to Britain at the end of
the French and Indian War
c. attempted to stabilize relations between the U.S. and the Indians residing in lands ceded to the U.S at
the end of the Creek Wars (aka, War of 1812)
d. was meant to control, and in some areas halt, the colonization by British colonists of lands west of the
Appalachian Mountains
e. all of the above except “c”
90. What’s the name given to the people who occupied the Monterey-S.F. area prior to European colonization?
91. In anticipation of combat, a Natchez man would consume a “war drink” which
a. induced an altered state of consciousness during which the warrior could enlist the aid of his
supernatural helpers
b. acted as a powerful emetic and thus purified the warrior
c. acted as a powerful narcotic and thus rendered the man immune to pain associated with combat
d. was meant to control the man’s fear responses
e. all of the above except “c”
92. The most dramatic early historic change in Indian life was the introduction of
a. guns
c. diseases
b. alcohol
d. trading for profit
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93. The primary social unit for many of the groups living in Northeast and Southeast Woodland culture area was
the
a. Nuclear family
c. patrilineage
b. Patri-clan
d. matrilineage
94. Among the Huron and Iroquoian Confederacy, women played critical economic roles because they
a. were responsible for providing the bulk of animal protein in the form of fish and small mammals
b. owned the hunting rights to certain group territories
c. controlled all trading relationships, even after the coming of the Europeans
d. owned the fields which provided the bulk of the food
e. possessed greater spiritual power due to their ability to give birth
95. Which of the following subsistence patterns predominated in the Eastern Woodlands?
a. Slash-and-burn cultivation
c. hunting of large game
b. Fishing and the taking of sea mammals
d. all of these
e. “a” plus gathering and hunting
96. In which of the following groups was trading for macaws important?
a. Mississippian
c. Cherokee
b. Hohokan
d. Ancestral puebloan
e. Huron
97. With reference to those members of the Iroquois League who fought with the British during the American
Revolutionary War, at the end of the Revolution, George Washington ordered the Continental Army to do
what?
a. Prohibit colonists from settling in Iroquois territory
b. To destroy the Iroquois lands, villages, fields and orchards
c. Assist them in integrating into white society
d. Round them up and place them on the newly created St. Regis Mohawk reservation
e. “a” and “c”
98. Deganawida, “The Peace Giver”, was an important figure in the formation of the
a. Powhatan confederacy
c. Iroquois confederacy
b. Pontiac pan-Indian confederacy
d. Huron confederacy
e. first peaceful trading relationships between the Huron and the French
99. According to anthropologists:
a. people first came to the Americas sometime between 8,000 – 9,000 years ago
b. one of the earliest migration routes into the Americas was along the Pacific coast sometime before
11,000 years ago
c. there were people living in the Americas as early as 25,000 – 30,000 years ago
d. people did not enter the Americas until the Ice Ages had ended
e. there was a single migration of people into the Americas and from those migrants all pre-European
American natives are descended
100.
Among the Huron and Iroquois, political leaders were called _________, were always _______, and
appointed by _________.
a. wigwams / females / a body of elders
b. sachems / males / clan mothers
c. sachems / females / clan fathers
d. Great Suns / males / the out going Great Sun
e. Sachems / females / clan mothers
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101. The Natchez
a. were an important asset to the French during the French and Indian War
b. were one of the last of the Southeastern Mississippian cultures
c. social organization was similar to that of other Iroquoian-speaking groups in that overt political
leadership was vested in heads of prominent patrilineages
d. successfully negotiated treaties with the U.S. that have allowed them to remain in their ancestral
locations right down to the present
e. both “a” and “d”
102. Pontiac’s war was significant in that it
a. was the first attempt by an Indian leader to form a pan-Indian resistance to European colonization
b. resulted in the expulsion of the Spanish from Florida
c. brought together the warring factions of what would later become know as the League of the Iroquois
d. forced the English at Jamestown to recognize Indian rights to their land
e. both “a” and “c”
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