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Cultural diversity, or multiculturalism, is based
on the idea that cultural identities should not
be discarded or ignored, but rather maintained
and valued. The foundation of this belief is
that every culture and race has made a
substantial contribution to American history.
The people who were the first to live in
America are called First Americans.
They are also called Native Americans or
American Indians.
First Americans lived in many places in the
United States. These places are called
“regions”.
Three regions that we will study are
the Eastern Woodland, Plains, and
the Southwest.
Plains
Southwest
Eastern
Woodland
To meet their basic life needs, First
Americans were very wise. They used
the natural resources of their region.
These are examples of natural
resources:
Trees and plants
Animals
Land and water
Can you be as wise as
a First American?
Test your thinking skills.
To become a wise chief, you must earn 3
feathers.
Answer each question
carefully and correctly.
Are you ready?
The
Native Americans
of the
Eastern Woodlands
1. The Eastern Woodland Indians lived in
forests, near rivers and streams.
What would they use to build their houses?
Seashells
Trees
Please try again!
Their houses were made of wood
and tree bark.
2. Sometimes, many people lived in a
house, so it had to be big.
What is the name of this kind of house?
long house
large house
As many as six families lived in a long
house. It could be 200 feet long!
Please try again!
3. To get their food from the rivers and
streams, the Eastern Woodland Indians
fished
swam
The Eastern Woodland Indians were
very good fishermen.
Please try again!
4. The forests had many animals
that were food for the Eastern
Woodland Indians.
Someone who captures animals for
food is called a
horseman
hunter
Please try again!
They hunted many animals,
including bear, deer and rabbits.
5. The Eastern Woodland Indians ate
vegetables with their meat and fish.
Someone who grows vegetables is called a
farmer
forester
The Eastern Woodland Indians grew many
vegetables, especially the “3 Sisters”—
corn, beans, and squash
Please try again!
6. You’ve learned that the Eastern
Woodland Indians lived near rivers
and streams. To get from place to
place, they probably
paddled canoes and drove cars
paddled canoes and walked
Please try again!
Please try again!
They made canoes from
tree trunks.
You have answered all the questions about the
Eastern Woodland Indians correctly!
Congratulations!
You have earned your first feather!
Click to continue
Cherokee
Iroquois
(Carolinas, Alabama,
Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Georgia)
(What is now New York
State and across the border
of Canada)
Language
Tsalagi
Tsalagi
Beliefs
Spirits and performed
ceremonies to ask spirits to
help them in battle, health,
and hunting.
They believed in a great
spirit who was the leader of
all things.
Customs
Stick ball games (Anejodi)
similar to lacrosse; traveled
by horses
Travel by foot or by boat;
Stick ball games
Art
Painted baskets, decorated
pots, wood carvings, carved
pipes, and bead work
Mask carving, beadwork,
porcupine quill work
Literature
Oral telling of traditions,
and tribal stories by the
campfire
Wampun belts and the
pictures would tell a story
about the family.
The
Native Americans
of the
Plains Region
1. The Plains are flat, grassy areas.
First Americans who lived in the
Plains region moved often to follow
buffalo
deer
Please try again!
The buffalo, also called bison, has a
very large head. It eats grass and
drinks water. An adult buffalo can
weigh as much as 2,000 pounds!
2. The Indians lived in homes that
could be moved quickly.
These homes were called
tents
teepees
Please try again!
Women usually put up the teepee. It was made
with buffalo hides and decorated with paint.
3. The Plains Indians hunted the buffalo for
food and clothing. To capture the buffalo, the
Plains Indians had to know how to
ride a horse
paddle a canoe
The Plains Indians were very good horsemen. They
killed only enough buffalo that they needed for
food. They did not waste any part of the animal.
Please try again!
4. There were many tribes that lived on the
Plains. To protect themselves from other tribes,
the men learned how to fight with bows and
arrows. These men were called
Warriors
Wrestlers
The more feathers a warriors wore,
the greater a warrior he was.
Sometimes, a great warrior was given
a buffalo helmet to wear, also.
Please try again!
5. The Plains Indians did not
settle in one place for a long time.
Tribes that move are called
nomadic
settled
The Plains Indians carried their belongings
on a travois (say “trah-voy”). It was made of
2 teepee poles attached to the harness of a
horse or dog.
It looked like this.
Please try again!
You have answered all the questions about the
Plains Indians correctly!
You have earned your second feather! You
are on your way to becoming a wise chief.
Click to continue
Sioux
(Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana, North and South
Dakota, Whole Midwest)
Language
Lakota/Dakota
Beliefs
There was a great spirit who was the most
powerful of all things and beings. Plants had
spirits of their own. Medicine Man who was
the leader of the ceremonies.
Customs
Traveled by canoes and dogsleds
Art
Bead work, quill work, and buffalo hide
paintings
Literature
Oral tells around the campfire
The
Native Americans
of the
Southwest
1. The Southwest Indians lived in the dry, hot
region of North America. There weren’t many
forests. They built their homes of
Wood
Mud and straw
Please try again!
This mixture of mud and straw is called adobe.
The Indians made the walls of their homes very
thick. This would keep the houses cool.
2. The Southwest Native Americans built
their homes with two or three stories or
levels. To get to each level, they would use
Stairs
Ladders
Please try again!
The ladders could easily be pulled up
and stored inside each room.
3. Even though there wasn’t much rain, the
Southwest Indians learned to irrigate their land.
Irrigate means to
Scratch with a shovel
Bring water to crops
Please try again!
The Southwest Indians made
trenches that brought water from
rivers and streams for their crops.
4. The Indians of the Southwest
were farmers. Corn was an
important crop.
The Indian name for corn is
Mustard
Maize
Please try again!
Did you know that there are more
than 500 ways to use corn?
5. The Southwest Native
Americans also raised sheep. The
wool from the sheep was used for
Weaving clothing and rugs
Making houses
They dyed the wool using berries
and plants.
Please try again!
Excellent, my friend! You have
earned your third feather.
Your wise answers have made you a
chief!
Click to begin again
Pueblo
(Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada)
Language
Pueblo
Beliefs
Kiva was a underground room where rituals and
ceremonies would take place; Kachina dolls
(represented the spirits)
Customs
Cradleboard carrying (like a baby carrier you
see today); Traveled by foot
Art
Pottery (We still collect this today), Navajos
Jewelry (Turquoise), colorful weavings, and
stone carvings
Literature
Oral tells by the campfire