The Earliest Civilizations
This civilization is also known as the "rubber people." They traded many resources, played ball games for recreation, and often sculpted jade into figures and masked. They also left behind large, stone heads in many of their cities. Though their disappearance is somewhat mysterious, their culture influenced later civilizations in the region.
Who are the Olmec?
This animal was central to most Plains Indians way of life, and was used for everything from food to tools and clothing.
What are buffalo / bison?
Also known as the Iroquois Confederacy, this name was given to five tribes that united under a common law.
Who are the Haudenosaunee?
The Diné families lived in these homes that always faced East.
What is a hogan?
This tall structure was made by Northwest Indians. They featured animals from the region, but also told the story of a family or tribe.
What is a totem pole?
This empire had its capital in Cuzco, and stretched across the Andes Mountains in South America. Its people worshiped a sun god, had a complex system of roads, and used terrace farms to grow many different crops.
Who are the Inca?
What are horses?
This people in the southern woodlands are believed to be the descendants of the Mound Builders. They often traveled by canoe in the rivers of the American South.
Who are the Natchez?
This word means "village" in Spanish. It is also used to describe cultures such as the Hopi and Zuni people.
What is "pueblo" / "puebloans?"
This event was where Northwest Tribes gathered thousands of pounds for fish to eat throughout the year. It was often their main source of food.
What is a Salmon Run?
Who are the Mound Builders? / Who are the Mississippians?
This structure and home was designed to be set up or taken down quickly for travel. It had an opening at the top for smoke to exit, and was made from the hides of bison.
What is a tepee?
Some woodlands people lived in these homes made of tree bark and wood. They had round tops to protect them from falling rain and snow.
What is a wigwam?
After gaining horses and sheep from the Spanish, this group of people began to raid other people more often, and became skilled herders and weavers. They speak an Athabaskan language, which is notably different from other languages in the region.
Who are the Navajo / Diné?
This invention was used for transportation across water. It was a long and narrow boat that could hold many people inside, while still traveling over shallow or narrow areas.
What is a canoe?
This region is considered a "cradle of civilization," because its warm climate allowed farming to develop more easily. The Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations each flourished here
What is Mesoamerica?
This sled-like invention allowed Plains Indians to transport materials more easily. It was pulled behind a person, dogs, and later, horses.
What is a travois?
This group of people lived in the northern woodlands in a more mountainous area that is now a part of Maine. Because of this, they farmed less than other woodlands tribes and moved more often in search of food.
Who are the Penobscot?
The Hopi people believed these benevolent (good) spirits were among the people for half of the year. They had special ceremonies to honor them, which included music, dance, and dolls.
What are Kachinas?
This is the name for a Northwestern American Indian people that lived in plank houses, and lived off of many resources from the sea such as whales, fish, and shellfish.
Who are the Tlingit?
This word is used to describe a people that have formed a more advanced society, including government, technology, and specialized industries.
What is a civilization?
Also known as "The Heart of Everything that is," this area of what is now South Dakota is sacred to the Lakota people.
What are the Black Hills?
What is wampum?
The Southwest Indians were able to grow corn and other crops, even in the desert, by using this technique. It involved expert irrigation, specialized plants with longer roots, and storage systems for years with less harvesting.
What is dry farming?
These people lived in the very dry Great Basin region of the West. They constructed wikiups and gathered any food they could find, including small rodents, lizards, berries, and insects.
Who are the Goshutes / Paiutes?