Native American Cultures
By Mr. Eichmann
Southwest
Cultures - Hopi, Zuni,
Navajo
Environment – Dry, water
scarce, desert,
Economy – corns, beans,
squash, baskets, dolls
Settlements – built with
adobe, pueblos, irrigation
ditches
Great Plains
Cultures – Cheyenne,
Pawnee, Sioux
Environment –
grasslands, no trees,
flatlands
Economy – hunted bison;
used for what they need;
teepees
Settlements – less
settled, nomadic
Great Basin
Cultures – Shoshone, Ute
Environment – Dry and
mountainous
Economy – Gathered seeds;
hunted rabbits and snakes
Settlements – Nomadic
Far North
Cultures – Inuit, Eskimo
Environment – arctic
conditions
Economy – Hunted seals,
walruses, whales, salmon,
caribou
Settlements - igloos
Northwest
Cultures – Kwakiutl, Nootka,
Tlingit
Environment – Forests, coastal
waters
Economy – Salmon and other
fish
Settlements – made of lumber,
canoes, totem poles
Southeast
Cultures – Choctaw, Creek,
Cherokee, Chickasaw
Environment – Warm, forests
Economy – traders of stone
ornaments & other objects
Settlements – various types,
“Mound Builders” (cemeteries)
Eastern Woodlands
Cultures – Mohawk, Oneida,
Seneca, Lenape, Delaware,
Iroquois Confederation
Environment – forests
Economy – hunters, farmers
Settlements - longhouses
Olmec Civilization 1200 B.C400 B.C.
Location – Southern
Mexico
Economy – slash and
burn agriculture; traded
clay figures for goods
Religion – sports played
important role;
polytheistic; jaguar a
religious symbol
Contributions – Earrings,
beads, and necklaces
The Maya (250 B.C.-900 A.D.)
Location – Central Mexico;
Yucatan Peninsula to
Guatemala
Economy- Farming; corns,
beans, and squash, cacao
trees (chocolate) ; Copanmajor trading city
Religion – Many gods; Yum
Kax (maize god); sports
important
Contributions of the Maya
Studied astronomy and
mathematics
Developed accurate
calendar
Written language; first in
North America
Architecture – pyramids
and sculptures
Aztec Civilization (1325-1521
A.D.)
Location – Northern
Mexico
Economy – Tenochtitlan
– major trading city;
farmed tomatoes, chili,
and peppers; 2%
enslaved
Religion – king had godlike power; temples for
many gods; sacrifices
Aztec Contributions
Medicine
Astronomy
Art and architecture
Writing (codex)
Inca Civilization (1200 A.D.-1531
A.D.)
Location – South America;
Andes Mountains between
Peru and Chile
Economy – Cuzco – largest
city; farms and cities built on
mountains; corn important;
irrigation ditches
Religion – “Children of the
Sun”; polytheistic; Machu
Picchu (possibly a religious
site)
Contributions
Road system
1. For trade
2. For moving
armies from place
to place
Quipus – threads
for recordkeeping
Clothing for
identification
Architecture