Environment and Location
People here had to keep moving because the animals they hunted never stayed in one place for long.
The Plains
In the Eastern Woodlands, tribes such as the Algonquin and Wampanoag built small, round homes made from tree branches, bark, and mud. These homes stayed warm in winter and cool in summer.
They were wigwams, made from wooden frames covered with bark, grass, and clay or mud.
In the Pacific Northwest, people didn’t need to farm because the ocean gave them plenty of this fish, which they caught in large numbers each year. What fish was it?
Salmon
In the Plains, people gathered each summer for a special ceremony to honor nature and give thanks for survival. What was this ceremony called?
The Sun Dance
The Pacific Northwest tribes built some of the largest wooden homes in North America using cedar boards that kept out rain and cold. What were these big wooden homes called?
Plank houses - made from thick cedar planks, often big enough for several families to live together.
Fish, whales, and tall cedar trees gave people everything they needed — without farming.
Pacific Northwest
Some people on the open grasslands built a portable home that could be taken down quickly whenever the buffalo herds moved. What was this home called?
It was a tipi (teepee).
The Plains tribes followed large herds for food and materials. Which animal did they depend on the most, and what did it provide besides food?
The buffalo — it provided hides for homes and clothing, bones for tools, and meat for food.
Tribes in the Pacific Northwest carved totem poles with images of animals and ancestors. What was the purpose of these carvings?
To tell stories, record family history, and honor spirits or ancestors.
Some Plains tribes used every part of the buffalo after a hunt — nothing went to waste!
What were buffalo bones and horns used for?
They were made into tools, weapons, dishes, and spoons, showing how resourceful the tribes were.
This region had four seasons, rich soil, and many rivers — perfect for farming.
Eastern Woodlands
Families in some forest regions lived together in very large wooden homes called longhouses.
These homes could fit many families and were made from tree bark and poles.
Why do you think people in this area built longhouses instead of smaller single-family homes?
Because they had plenty of wood and lived in settled villages where family groups stayed together for protection, warmth, and cooperation. (Eastern Woodlands tribes such as the Iroquois.)
In the Eastern Woodlands, tribes grew three main crops that worked well together. They were called the “Three Sisters.” Name these three crops.
Corn, beans, and squash.
Although each region had different ceremonies, all believed the natural world was alive with spirit and power. What is the name for this belief that everything in nature has a spirit?
A powerful alliance of tribes, including the Mohawk, Seneca, and Onondaga, worked together under a shared law called the Great Law of Peace.
What was this group of Northeastern tribes called?
The Iroquois Confederacy (or Haudenosaunee)
Some people built homes from adobe, a mixture of sun-dried clay and straw, instead of using wood. What kind of land did they live in, and why was adobe a smart choice there?
They lived in the Desert Southwest, where there were few trees and very hot, dry conditions — adobe kept homes cool and used materials found nearby
Tribes in the Pacific Northwest used cedar wood to build their homes, canoes, and even totem poles.
Why was cedar wood the best material for building in this region, and what did it help people survive?
Cedar was strong, easy to shape, and didn’t rot in the rain, making it perfect for the wet, coastal climate.
It helped people stay warm and dry during long, rainy winters and allowed them to build large, lasting homes from local resources.
In the Desert Southwest, farmers grew only small crops of corn, beans, and squash — just enough to feed their families.
They didn’t farm for trade or to sell food.
What is this type of small-scale farming called?
Subsistence farming
The Eastern Woodlands tribes named their family groups after animals like the bear, turtle, or wolf.
These animals were believed to protect and guide each clan. What are these animals referred to as?
They are called animal totems — symbols of a clan’s spirit, strength, and connection to nature.
The Cherokee and Creek lived in the fertile lands of the Southeastern Woodlands.
They built towns, farmed crops, and formed organized governments. What made these tribes stand out as some of the most developed in North America?
They had permanent farming villages, written or structured forms of government, and strong trade and political systems, showing a high level of organization and advancement.
Explain one example of how the environment shaped a tribe’s entire way of life — including their homes, food, and traditions.
Plains tribes used buffalo for nearly everything — food, clothing, shelter (tipis) — because trees and water were scarce.
Pacific Northwest tribes built cedar longhouses and carved totem poles because forests and fish were abundant.
Desert Southwest tribes built adobe pueblos and farmed small crops because clay and sun were plentiful, but rainfall was rare.
Eastern Woodlands tribes farmed the “Three Sisters,” hunted in thick forests, and built wigwams from bark and mud due to rich soil and trees.
Compare: one tribe lived in portable tipis, another in heavy clay pueblos. How did the environment shape these two very different housing styles?
The Plains tribes needed to move with buffalo herds, so they built light, portable homes. The Desert Southwest tribes stayed near farms, so they built strong, permanent adobe homes.
The Desert Southwest tribes, like the Hopi and Pueblo, couldn’t rely on hunting or fishing for food.
What farming method did they use to grow crops in dry land, and why was it important for their survival?
They used irrigation — digging small channels to bring water from rivers to their crops.
It was important because it allowed them to grow food in a hot, dry climate with little rainfall.
Only the Pacific Northwest tribes carved totem poles. Why do you think this tradition didn’t develop in other regions?
Other regions lacked tall cedar trees and had fewer extra resources or time.
Totem poles were possible only in a place where forests and food were abundant and people could focus on art instead of constant survival.
In the Southeastern region of the Eastern Woodlands, several tribes built permanent villages, farmed fertile land, and developed organized governments.
Name all five of these highly developed tribes.
The Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Choctaw, and Chickasaw — known together as the Five Civilized Tribes.