Teacher's Resource Guide
NATIVE
AMERICANS
The History
of a People
A VIDEO FROM KNOWLEDGE UNLIMITED®
Other resources from Knowledge Unlimited®, Inc.:
Native American Cultures, 10-poster set
Contemporary Native Americans, 6-poster set
to order or form more information call (800)356-2303
or write Knowledge Unlimited, P.O. Box 52, Madison, WI 53701.
Native Americans: The History of a People
Produced by Knowledge Unlimited,® Inc. Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited,® Inc.
All rights reserved. ISBN 1-55933-096-1
Picture credits: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution; State Historical Society
of Wisconsin; Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas; Woolaroc Museum, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Royal
Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada; Picture Group, Inc.; Wide World Photos, Inc.; The Oneida Tribe of
Wisconsin; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; South Dakota Department of Tourism; New
Mexico Department of Tourism; State of Alaska, Department of Commerce and Economic Development.
Illustrations: Roger Edwards, Joan Donnelly, Ingrid Slamer
Instructional Notes
INTRODUCTION
This video is designed to be used in grades four through 12. At the lower grade levels, teachers can use
the video as a brief lesson on the history of Native Americans. In higher grade levels, the video can
provide introductory information to a unit in American history.
The video NATIVE AMERICANS: THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE is presented in two parts. “Part I: The
Way They Lived” describes the geography and cultures of Native Americans who lived in different
regions of North America. “Part II: The Battle for the Land” presents a brief history of the impact of
European settlers on the Native Americans and their way of life. Duplicating masters of study sheets
are designed to reinforce and expand on concepts covered in the video.
Specific names of native peoples, such as the Chinook, the Navajo, and the Oneida, are mentioned to
highlight the many diverse cultures of the Native American peoples. Native heroes, such as Heinmot
Tooyalaket (Chief Joseph) and Totanka Yotanka (Sitting Bull) are quoted. The conclusion of the program balances the historical approach of the program with information about contemporary Native
Americans, their concerns, and their contributions to society.
TEACHING OBJECTIVES
NATIVE AMERICANS: THE HISTORY OF APEOPLE has two objectives: to give students a sense of
the cultural diversity of Native Americans and to provide students with a brief history of the conflict
between Native Americans and European settlers.
The first objective is accomplished by showing how Native Americans’ way of life differed from region
to region. This information gives students a background for understanding the historical conflicts.
Students will learn how and why the clash between Native Americans and European settlers led to
the “Indian Wars.” Maps illustrate the loss of native lands to the new nation of the United States. The
program also gives a brief description of past and present life on reservations in the United States.
©
Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
1
KEY CONCEPTS
The video and the accompanying study sheets are designed to teach the following themes in social
studies:
• Land Use
Human use of land is determined by climate, geography, and wildlife.
• Culture
A culture is made up of the art, food, science, religion, and customs shared by a group of people.
• Diversity
Native American cultures are widely varied. These cultures share similarities and differences.
• Population Density
Population density is determined by the number of people living in a certain area. Population
density increases as the number of people living in an area increases. Population density
affects land use.
• Interaction
Interaction includes any communication or dealings among people or groups of people. Interaction
between different cultures can result in cooperation, assimilation, or conflict.
• Change
All cultures change over time. Change can be brought about by social, economic, or environmental
influences.
THE MATERIALS
The video provides an overview of Native American cultures based on their geographic location
in North America. The program also tells the story of the clash of Native American and European
cultures, which eventually led to war. Historic paintings and photographs are used to illustrate Native
American cultures. Maps are used to show Native American cultural regions and the loss of nativecontrolled lands. The program runs 25 minutes.
Printed material in this booklet includes suggestions for use, the video script, four study sheets for
duplication, and three study sheet answer keys. An answer key is not included for the last study sheet,
which contains a selection of essay/research topics. Teachers are free to assign study sheets that best
fit the abilities of their students.
©
Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
2
Native Americans: The History of a People
SUGGESTIONS FOR USE
We recommend teachers use these materials in the following order:
• Preview the video or read through the script.
• Review any vocabulary words that may be unfamiliar to your students.
• Duplicate Study Sheet masters.
• Use Study Sheet #1 to prepare your class for the video program. The questions on this sheet are
designed to test students’ knowledge and assumptions about Native Americans. Some students
may be able to give partial answers to the questions. Others may not be able to answer any of the
questions. To reinforce what students have learned from the program, teachers may choose to ask
the same questions immediately after the program.
• View the program NATIVE AMERICANS: THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE. If appropriate for your
class, you may stop the tape at the end of “Part I: The Way They Lived” to discuss the cultural
diversity of the Native American peoples. The following questions can lead to thought-provoking
discussions:
— How did climate and geography affect the way Native Americans lived in different regions
of North America? How do climate and geography affect the way we live today?
— Given that there were so many different native peoples, why do you suppose the bison
hunters of the Plains are portrayed more often than other native peoples in books, movies,
and television?
— Why do you think so few Native American peoples in the past used written language to
communicate ideas?
• Discuss the video. Sharpen students’ critical thinking by asking their opinions on the following
questions:
— Do you think anything could have prevented the conflicts between Native Americans and
European settlers?
— What do you think North America would be like today if Native Americans had won more
of their battles?
— Many of the paintings and drawings seen in the video were by artists who were European
settlers or descendants of settlers. How do you think their ideas about Native Americans
affected what they painted and drew?
• Give students Study Sheet #2 to complete in class or as a homework assignment. As a group, discuss
ways in which certain events in American history led to a decline in the Native American population.
• Assign Study Sheet #3 for homework. Students will need to use an encyclopedia, books, and/or
online resources to complete this assignment.
• For advanced study, assign students one or more of the essay projects on Study Sheet #4.
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VOCABULARY
For lower grade levels it may be necessary to define some words and phrases used in NATIVE
AMERICANS: THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE. The video assumes knowledge of the following words:
adobe — Clay for making sun-dried bricks.
alcoholism — Adisease or illness in which a person’s need to drink alcohol dominates his or her life.
altered — Changed.
boarding school — Aschool where students are sent to live for entire semesters.
colony — Aterritory that is separate from, but under the rule of, another nation.
continent — One of the large divisions of land on the globe.
culture — The languages, art, beliefs, and sciences shared by a group of people.
custom — The usual or traditional way a group of people dresses, eats, speaks, celebrates holidays,
and so on.
democracy — A form of government in which the people choose their own leaders.
descendant — An individual who is the offspring of a person or group of people who lived long ago.
extinct — No longer living or existing.
generation — A group of people who live in the same time period.
Ice Age — Term referring to various periods when Earth’s climate cooled enough so that glaciers
grew and spread over large areas of this planet’s surface.
justify — To show or prove to be right or just.
missionary — Aperson who works to bring his or her religion to a group that has different beliefs.
monument — Alarge structure or building, usually made to honor an important person or idea.
myth — A story that explains the ideas or beliefs of a people.
native — Born in a particular place or country.
negotiate — To talk about and come to an agreement.
New World — The name Europeans first gave to North and South America.
pollution — Chemicals, garbage, and wastes that dirty the air, water, or land.
population — In this case, the number of people who live in a certain area.
preserve — To keep food from rotting.
recognize — In this case, to acknowledge.
reservation — Land set aside for Native Americans.
slaughter — To kill; to massacre.
suicide — The act of killing oneself purposely.
surrender — To give up.
symbolism — The use of objects, signs, or people to stand for something else, such as an idea or belief.
treaty — An agreement made between two or more nations or groups.
utensil — A household item, usually used in preparing food.
©
Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
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Native Americans: The History of a People
VIDEO SCRIPT
NATIVE AMERICANS: THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE
Ottawa. Wichita. Navajo. Delaware. Hopi. Blackfoot. Menominee. Arapaho. Tlingit. Mandan. These are
but a few of the native peoples of North America. The Native Americans made up hundreds of different
cultures — with different languages, different religions, and different customs. For thousands of years,
they have lived here, using the land and its bounty for food, clothing, and shelter.
Then, just a few hundred years ago, explorers and settlers from Europe came to this land. When
Christopher Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador, he mistakenly called the people he found
here “Indians” — he thought he had landed in the Indies, near China.
Instead, he had arrived on a continent Europeans knew nothing about. News of his discovery led other
explorers to North and South America with hopes of finding riches in the New World. At first, only small
groups came. Later, millions would come. Eventually, they outnumbered the Native Americans.
Soon it became clear that their presence would destroy life as Native Americans had known it. This
is the story of the people who were the first to live in North America — the Native Americans.
(Part I - The Way They Lived)
We don’t know much about the first people to live in North America. According to one theory, people
first came to this continent from Asia about 50,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age. At the time, Asia
was linked to North America by a bridge of land in the Bering Sea.
The people who crossed this land were not explorers or adventurers in search of new land — they were
hunters. They followed herds of caribou, mammoth, and bison into a new continent. They travelled from
place to place, moving with the seasons and with the animals and plants that provided their food. Over
time, these first people and their descendants moved throughout all of North America.
Unlike ancient peoples in other civilizations, the first North Americans rarely built large stone monuments or temples. But several groups of ancient Americans did build huge mounds and platforms from
dirt and stone. Dating back 3,000 years, these Mound Builders lived throughout the Midwest. Some of
the mounds were used as burial places; others were built for religious ceremonies. The largest was located in what is now Illinois. It is bigger than Egypt’s Great Pyramid. Some 20,000 people lived in an ancient
city surrounding the mound. But the Mound Builders’ way of life ended about 600 years ago. All of their
great cities were long gone before European explorers arrived.
Another group of ancient Americans built their homes in the cliffs and canyons of the Southwest. The
1,000-year-old ruins of their villages can still be seen in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. These
people, called the Anasazi, made large stone buildings. One of the largest had 800 rooms. But like the
Mound Builders, the Anasazi culture mysteriously came to an end. They abandoned all of their cities
about 700 years ago.
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Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
Native Americans: The History of a People
5
The native peoples of North America lived in tune with the cycles of nature. Their food, clothing, and
shelter usually changed with the seasons. When the weather was warm, they planted hundreds of
different crops. The land provided what they needed and they held a deep respect for the land. Native
Americans within a particular group shared what they took from the land. And they shared the land
itself. The idea that one person could own a piece of land was unknown to them. However, native people
recognized vast areas of land as belonging to a particular group. Occasionally, fights broke out over land
that was claimed by more than one group of native people.
The religions of Native Americans were and are tied closely to nature. Native Americans believed that all
living things — plants and animals — had souls. Most believed the world was made by a single creator.
And as in most religions, they used symbolism and had stories or myths about the creation of the world.
For example, the Chinook people believed that a race of undying men had become fish in order to provide food for humans. Native American religions used special ceremonies involving dance, song, and
prayer to make requests and to offer thanks to the creator.
The Native American way of life depended on the land, the wildlife, and the climate found in five different regions of North America. The regions included the Eastern Woodlands, the Plains, the Southwest,
the Northwest Coast, and the Far North.
In the Eastern Woodlands of North America, native peoples lived in thick forests. They hunted deer,
rabbits, and other animals. They speared fish in hundreds of lakes and rivers. In wet, marshy areas,
they gathered wild rice. In the summer, many groups planted crops of corn, squash, and beans.
Most woodland peoples lived in small villages. Some, such as the Kickapoo and Sauk, made small, round
homes called wigwams from the bark of elm and birch trees. Others, such as the Iroquois and Algonquin,
built large homes from wood and bark, called long houses. In the south, where the weather was warm,
people made homes of branches, clay, and dried grass. After they had hunted and farmed an area for a
period of time, they moved their villages to new land.
Sometimes, these moves led to fights. Some of the worst battles took place in an area that is now New
York State. The Mohawk, Oneida, Onondage, Cayuga, and Seneca fought against each other for many
years. But in the late 1500s, they made an agreement called the Great Peace, which ended the fighting.
They also formed their own government — the Five Nations of the Iroquois. They voted on all important
matters, making the Iroquois nation one of the first highly organized democracies in North America.
Native Americans who lived farther west on the Plains were surrounded by endless stretches of flat, dry,
grassy lands. The Pawnee, Mandan, and other peoples lived in lodges made of logs covered by dirt and
grass. They farmed the land along fertile river banks and they hunted small animals. But all around
them, there was another source of food — bison. Once or twice a year, the Plains peoples would go after
these huge animals, chasing them off cliffs, where they could easily be killed with spears and arrows.
Later, when Spanish explorers brought the horse to North America, the bison hunt changed — and so
did the lives of the people who lived on the Plains. With horses, they could travel longer distances,
carry more trade goods, and follow bison herds year-round. Many, such as the Comanche, Sioux, and
Cheyenne, relied on bison for all of their basic needs. They used bison horns and bones to make tools
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Native Americans: The History of a People
and bison hair to make rope. They made homes, called tipis, with bison skins and wooden poles. They
cut bison meat into strips and dried it for future meals.
But this way of life on the Plains lasted less than 200 years. During the 1800s, white hunters killed millions of bison. They killed the bison that blocked railroads, they killed bison for their skins, and many
killed bison just for sport. The slaughter of bison left many Plains peoples with no source of food.
Their population dropped as more and more bison were killed. By 1889, fewer than 600 bison were left
in the United States. Only then did the government take action to protect bison from extinction.
In the Southwest, Native Americans lived in a hot, dry, windy land filled with canyons, mountains,
mesas, and deserts. The Hopi, Zuni, and Acoma peoples lived here in small villages called pueblos. Their
homes — made of stone and adobe — were located near rivers. The Pueblo people were mostly farmers.
They planted corn, gathered wild cactus fruits, and hunted jackrabbits for meat.
The Pueblo people were not alone in the Southwest. The Navajo, who were hunters, came to the region
during the 1400s. They lived in small homes made of logs and mud. They learned farming from the
Pueblo people. When Spanish settlers brought sheep into the area, the Navajo became shepherds. And
with the wool sheared from the sheep, the Navajo became expert weavers.
Only a few native peoples lived in the harsh desert basin of the Southwest. The Paiute, Washoe, and
others thrived by following the seasons in their search for water, food, and firewood. Over the course
of a year, they might travel hundreds of miles looking for wild nuts and berries to pick and small
animals to hunt.
Farther west, in California, Native Americans lived in a land of plenty. The mild climate and the wide
variety of plants and animals made it easy to find food. More than 100 different peoples lived on
California’s rich land. This region had the largest Native American population in North America. But
the people here did not build large villages. They lived peacefully in small, widely scattered groups.
Native Americans of the Northwest lived in a land of forests, mountains, rivers, and seashores. The land
here was too rugged for farming. Some people in this region were hunters. But most lived along rivers
and coasts, where fish were plentiful. They caught a year’s supply of fish when the weather was warm.
They dried and smoked the fish to preserve it for the cold winter months.
The Chinook, Haida, and other native peoples built huge houses, large boats, and made beautiful
carvings. They traded extensively with other cultural groups, and were relatively wealthy. The most
powerful families collected a large number of possessions. Then, at special ceremonies called potlatches,
they gave away their belongings as a way of establishing their importance within their group.
Few people lived in North America’s Far North. The land here is frozen much of the year and food is
scarce. Many Native American peoples in this region moved from place to place hunting caribou, deer,
and elk. Farther north, Eskimos, or Inuit, survived by hunting seal, walrus, and whale. In the winter, the
Inuit built igloos from blocks of packed snow. When the snow melted, people moved out of igloos into
sealskin tents or sod homes.
Native Americans: The History of a People
7
(Part II - The Battle for the Land)
For hundreds of years, little changed in the way North America’s native peoples lived. But when
settlers from Europe arrived, they drastically altered the Native American way of life. In some cases,
they destroyed it.
At first, only small groups of settlers came to North America. The French and the British settled in the
East, while the Spanish moved into the Southwest from the land that is now Mexico. The Powhatan
and Wampoanoag and others helped the first settlers survive in the wilderness of the New World.
They showed settlers what animals to hunt, what to fish, and what crops to grow. They showed them
plants that could cure illness.
In turn, the settlers showed Native Americans things they had never seen before. Metal utensils, such
as knives, pots, and pans, made it easier for Native Americans to cook their food. Horses and guns
made it easier for them to travel and to hunt.
But the Europeans and the Native Americans had very different ways of life. The Europeans came from
a land filled with many large villages and farms. They had large ships and castles, guns and cannons,
printing presses and books, merchants and royalty.
But perhaps the most important difference between the Europeans and the Native Americans was in
how they used the land. The Europeans wanted to own and to change the land. Many thought the
natives were wasting the land. They believed the land should be farmed to grow crops, that forests
should be cleared for lumber, and that fences should be put up to mark ownership of land.
The Native Americans didn’t see it that way. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces declared, “The earth was
created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was ... it is no man’s business to divide
it.”Native Americans didn’t want the land to change and they didn’t want to move. They defended
their land from settlers who took it. And the settlers fought back, usually with better weapons.
Religion also played a role in the conflict between settlers and natives. The Europeans were Christians
who believed their religion and their complex culture made them superior. Many of them believed that
Native Americans were part of an inferior, savage race. They used this belief to justify taking Native
American lands and Native American lives. Some missionaries believed they could save native souls
by making them into Christians. A few Native Americans gave up their religion, but most did not.
The arrival of Europeans proved deadly to Native Americans for yet another reason — disease.
Diseases settlers brought from Europe, such as smallpox and tuberculosis, killed thousands of natives.
Many experts believe that disease killed more Native Americans than all of the wars with settlers.
In the late 1600s, about 50,000 settlers lived in colonies along the East Coast. They had small settlements and their battles with natives were small. One hundred years later, in 1790, four million settlers
lived in the land that had become the new nation of the United States. These new Americans had their
own laws, their own armies, and plenty of weapons. They controlled most of the East Coast and they
outnumbered the Native Americans.
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Native Americans: The History of a People
Many groups of native peoples signed treaties giving the United States land in exchange for peace.
But some natives who didn’t speak or read English didn’t understand the terms of the treaties. And
even if they had, the U.S. government often broke treaty agreements. The government allowed settlers
to move onto Native Americans lands. Time after time, the U.S. government supported actions to
take native lands and to kill native people. General James Carleton told his troops, “There is to be
no council held with the Indians, nor any talks. The men are to be slain whenever and whenever they
can be found.”
Angered by the broken promises of the whites, native leaders met and called for war. The army then
stepped up its war against the Native Americans. But in battle after battle, the native peoples were
defeated and were forced to move farther west.
By 1830, native lands made up only half of the United Sates. In that same year, Congress passed a law
allowing the government to move all Native Americans to land west of the Mississippi River. Soldiers
forced more than 70,000 Cherokee, Choctaw, and others out of their homes. They were moved west to a
reservation in Oklahoma. Their journey is known as the Trail of Tears. But it was also a trail of death —
about 4,000 people died along the way.
In a matter of years, not even the western lands were safe for Native Americans. During the mid-1800s,
pioneers discovered gold and silver on Native American land in South Dakota, California, and Oregon.
The U.S. government broke treaties, allowing settlers to move in and begin mining. In the Plains, the
government offered free land to farmers and ranchers. Thousands headed west to build new lives for
themselves.
But many Native Americans refused to leave land they had negotiated in treaties. Bloody fights broke
out between natives and settlers. Settlers who survived battles demanded action from the Army. And
the United States government became determined to win what were called the “Indian Wars.”
One of the most famous battles took place in 1876 near the Little Big Horn River in Montana. Hundreds
of Sioux and Cheyenne defeated the troops of General George Custer. Not a single soldier survived
the battle that is now called Custer’s Last Stand. It was one of the few Native American victories. In
most battles, the Native Americans were outnumbered and outgunned by the U.S. Army. Soldiers and
settlers killed thousands of Native Americans. They took hundreds as prisoners of war.
The last major battle took place in 1890 at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Three hundred Sioux surrendered after they were surrounded by government troops. But a fight broke out and soldiers killed all
300 men, women, and children. For Native Americans, the Battle of Wounded Knee was one of the
saddest days in their history.
By 1890, most Native Americans had been moved to small reservations. The largest reservation, just
north of Texas, was known as Indian Territory. But even there, the white settlers outnumbered the
Native Americans. In 1907, the territory became the state of Oklahoma, and the natives were once
again moved onto a smaller tract of land.
Native Americans: The History of a People
9
By the early 1900s, Native Americans had lost more than 26 million acres of land. They were left to live
on small, isolated reservations. Before settlers from Europe arrived, millions of Native Americans lived
in North America. By 1900, there were only 240,000 in the United States. In his native language, Sioux
Chief Sitting Bull told an audience of whites, “You are thieves and liars. You have taken away our land
and made us outcasts.”
Reservation life was hard. The land was too poor to farm. Hunting grounds were destroyed. The huge
herds of bison were gone. People on reservations had no way of feeding themselves or their children.
Treaty agreements required the government to provide food for reservations. But often the food rations
were too small or had rotted. Those who tried to leave the reservation risked death from the guns of
soldiers and settlers.
Reservation life was hard in other ways. Starting in the late 1800s, and well into the 20th century,
Native American children were often taken far away from their families to live in government boarding
schools. The schools taught them the ways of white Americans. Children were punished for speaking
their native languages. Children were forced to give up everything connecting them to their cultures —
their clothes, their long hair, and their religion.
Today, almost two million Native Americans live in the United States. Many live in cities, but a large
share of Native Americans live on reservation lands in western states. Usually, there are few businesses
and few jobs on reservations. Many people live in poor, run-down homes. Many children never finish
their high school education. Some experts say that generations of pain and suffering have led to high
rates of suicide and alcoholism among the Native Americans.
But that is only part of the story about today’s Native Americans. Many are now working to correct the
wrongs of the past. They are fighting and winning court cases against the U.S. government. They are
going to court to reclaim water rights, hunting and fishing rights, mineral rights, and timber rights.
On some reservations, Native Americans now operate their own schools and community colleges. They
have built museums to teach people about their cultures. They own and operate businesses, such as
hotels and restaurants. They are doctors, construction workers, police officers, and store managers.
Many people have found a special wisdom in the Native Americans’ respect for the land. In the last
500 years, North America has gone from a land of wilderness to a land of cities, farms, and factories.
The loss of wildlife and the pollution of the air and water has raised questions about careless treatment
of the land. The Native American beliefs can offer important lessons for today’s world.
Over time, the Native American way of life has undergone many changes — most of them forced by
outsiders. But these people have not forgotten their culture. Throughout the United States, Native
American parents are teaching their children native languages, songs, and dances. These people are
Americans. And they have not forgotten that they are the first Americans.
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Native Americans: The History of a People
Name
STUDY SHEET #1
Preview/Review
1. When and how did the first people arrive in North America?
2. What kinds of homes did Native Americans build in the past?
3. How did Native Americans of the past go about getting food? How did they travel from
place to place?
4. What new things did settlers from Europe bring to North America?
5. How were Native Americans’ religious beliefs different from those of settlers?
6. What was the main reason Native Americans and white settlers fought each other?
7. Why did peace treaties fail to stop the fighting between Native Americans and whites?
8. Why did Native Americans lose most of their battles against the U.S. Army?
9. Why was it difficult for Native Americans to live on reservations?
10. About how many Native Americans live in the U.S. today? How does the past affect their
present lives?
©
Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
Native Americans: The History of a People
Name
STUDY SHEET #2
Population/History Comparison
Match statements A-E with the dates listed below. As a group, discuss how events in American history
affected the population of Native Americans.
A. Part of North America becomes the new nation of the United States.
B. European settlers form towns in eastern North America.
C. Thousands of settlers move west to mine gold and silver.
D. Christopher Columbus discovers the New World.
E. Most Native American peoples have been moved to small reservations.
YEAR------ESTIMATED NUMBER OF NATIVE AMERICANS
1. 1492----
at least 1,000,000
2. 1630----
800,000
3. 1776---4. 1860---5. 1890----
500,000
300,000
248,000
©
Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
Native Americans: The History of a People
Name
STUDY SHEET #3
Map Study Skills
Write the name of the region where each of the peoples listed here lived.
1. Yakima
2. Hopi
3. Seminole
4. Apache
5. Kiowa
6. Yuma
7. Aleut
8. Huron
9. Haida
10. Inuit
©
Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
Native Americans: The History of a People
STUDY SHEET #4
Independent Study
1. Write a report on one of the Native American leaders listed below. Include information on where and
when the leader lived, and explain his importance in Native American history.
• Chief Joseph — Nez Perce
• Sitting Bull — Sioux
• Sequoya — Cherokee
• Geronimo — Apache
• Wovoka — Paiute
2. Most Native Americans did not have a written language. Write a paper explaining how they communicated with each other in each of the following situations.
• Communication about a people’s history
• Communication with other peoples
• Communication over long distances
• Communication with white settlers and traders
3. Write an essay about how each of the following events changed the relationship between Native
Americans and white settlers.
• In 1622, natives killed more than 300 settlers.
• In 1803, the U.S. bought the Louisiana Territory from France.
• In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act.
• In 1862, the Homestead Act became law.
• In 1871, the U.S. ended all treaties with Native American nations.
4. Some historians believe that the founders of the U.S. Constitution drew some of their ideas from
the Five Nations of the Iroquois. The following points describe some of the rules of the Iroquois.
Write a report explaining the ways in which the Iroquois government was similar to and different
from the Constitution.
• Five peoples were united into one league.
• The Five Nations of the Iroquois protected their members from attacks by peoples
who were not members.
• The league was ruled by a council.
• Council members were drawn from leaders of member nations.
• Each of the peoples of the Five Nations sent a given number of leaders to the council.
• Council members who misbehaved could be removed from office.
• Matters before the council were debated at length before a vote was taken.
• A council vote had to be unanimous for the Iroquois league to take action on a matter.
5. The story of native people losing their land to outsiders continues today in many parts of the world.
For example, the cultures of many native peoples in South America are now being threatened by deforestation and mining. Use your library’s Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature to find recent magazine
articles on this subject. Look under the heading “Indians of South America, Government Relations.”
Write a report explaining the problems of one such group and what, if anything, is being done to
protect their way of life.
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Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
Native Americans: The History of a People
SUGGESTED ANSWERS FOR STUDY SHEET #1
Preview/Review
1. When and how did the first people arrive in North America?
Many experts believe the first people to arrive in North America crossed a land bridge from Asia tens of
thousands of years ago. They were hunters who had no idea they were crossing onto a different continent.
2. What kinds of homes did Native Americans build in the past?
Native Americans built a wide variety of homes in the past. They built apartment-like homes from stone and
adobe, tipis made from animal skin, wigwams, large buildings made from logs, shelters made from grass and
twigs, igloos, and so on.
3. How did Native Americans of the past go about getting food? How did they travel from place to place?
Native Americans were hunters, farmers, fishers, and food gatherers. They traveled on foot, or in canoes. A few
hundred years ago, when Spanish explorers brought horses to the New World, Native Americans in the West
and Plains regions began to travel on horseback.
4. What new things did settlers from Europe bring to North America?
Europeans brought horses, metal tools, and guns. They inadvertently brought diseases from Europe that
had been unknown in North America. They also brought new ideas about religion, government, and land
ownership.
5. How were Native Americans’ religious beliefs different from those of settlers?
Most Native Americans believed in gods and spirits that were part of nature. The settlers believed in one God
who had power over all of the forces in nature.
6. What was the main reason Native Americans and white settlers fought each other?
The two groups fought over many things. One of the main conflicts was over land. Native Americans didn’t
believe in the idea that land could be owned by any single person. The settlers believed that land should be
“put to use” — for farming, cutting lumber, and building cities. Native Americans were mostly hunters and
gatherers who did not try to change the land. When settlers cleared land, the Native Americans had no place
to hunt. As more and more settlers came to America, the Native Americans were forced off of their land. This
struggle over land led to the Indian Wars.
7. Why did peace treaties fail to stop the fighting between Native Americans and whites?
The U.S. government allowed settlers to move onto lands promised to native peoples in peace treaties. In some
cases, the treaties were violated by the government itself. Other treaties failed because Native Americans who
did not speak or read English did not understand the terms of the treaties.
8. Why did Native Americans lose most of their battles against the U.S. Army?
The U.S. Army had better weapons and more soldiers. There were too few Native Americans to defeat the
large, well-equipped forces of the U.S. Army.
9. Why was it difficult for Native Americans to live on reservations?
Native Americans were removed from land and isolated on reservations that were often unsuitable for farming
or hunting. Native Americans depended on food rations from the government. Their children were often sent
far away to school. As a group, the Native Americans were no longer able to follow the way of life that they
had known for many years.
10. About how many Native Americans live in the U.S. today? How does the past affect their
present lives?
There are about two million Native Americans in the U.S. As in the past, many still live on reservations. Most
reservations are poor, but several have built business to provide jobs for people. Today’s Native Americans are
taking legal action to ensure rights given to them many years ago in treaties with the U.S. governments.
©
Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
Native Americans: The History of a People
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ANSWERS FOR STUDY SHEET #2
Population/History Comparison
1. 1492 —— at least 1,000,000
D. Christopher Columbus discovers the New World.
When Columbus arrived, there were at least one million Native Americans north of present day Mexico.
But their population was small compared to the population of Europe.
2. 1630 —— 800,000
B. European settlers form towns in Eastern North America.
At this point, many Native Americans had died from disease brought by European settlers. Others were
killed in fights with settlers.
3. 1776 —— 500,000
A. Part of North America becomes the new nation of the United States.
By 1776, the native population was half of what it had been when Columbus arrived. Disease and fighting with settlers continued to kill many Native Americans. Many who had lived along the East Coast
were forced to move into the territory of other peoples to the west, causing battles between different
groups of Native Americans and more Native American deaths.
4. 1860 —— 300,000
C. Thousands of settlers move west to mine gold and silver.
The discovery of valuable metals on Native American land led the U.S. government to break treaties.
Natives were angry about the government’s broken promises. Many fought back when troops ordered
them to move off of the land given to them in treaties. In addition, settlers continued to hunt and kill animals that the Native Americans depended on for food.
5. 1890 —— 248,0000
E. Most Native American peoples have been moved to small reservations.
A few small groups of Native Americans continued to fight in the Southwest until 1900. But almost all
groups had been defeated and forced onto reservations by 1890. Many Native Americans died during
long journeys to reservation lands. Others died on reservations from the lack of proper food and medical
care.
ANSWERS FOR STUDY SHEET #3
Map study skills
1. Yakima — Northwest Coast
2. Hopi — Southwest
3. Seminole — Eastern Woodlands
4. Apache — Plains
5. Kiowa — Plains
6. Yuma — Southwest
7. Aleut — Far North
8. Huron — Eastern Woodlands
9. Haida — Northwest Coast
10. Inuit — Far North
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Copyright © 1992 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.Student activity sheets may be duplicated for classroom use.
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Native Americans: The History of a People