Fun Fact 2: The Native Americans lived in different tribes across the continent of North America, however many tribes had similar cultures and beliefs
Fun Fact 3: Native American experts categorized the Native American Indians by location into to ten main groups. The groups are shown by area on the map in the image above
Fun Fact 4: The names of the ten main Native American groups are: the Great Plains Indians, the Northwest Native Americans, the Northeast Woodland Indians, the Southwest Indians, the Southeast Native Americans, the Great Basin Indians, the Plateau Indians, the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Indians and the Native Americans of California
Fun Fact 5: The different Native American groups led different lifestyles which varied depending on the local landscape and weather conditions in the location of each group
Fun Fact 6: Some Native Americans were nomadic (did not live in one place, but travelled between seasons) some were semi-nomadic, and others were static (remained in the same place)
Fun Fact 7: What different types of static houses did the American Indians live in? Types of static homes include; earthen lodges/houses, hogans, pit house, longhouses, adobe house (made from clay and straw) and plank houses (made of wood, usually cedar)
Fun Fact 8: What different types of nomadic houses did the American Indians live in? Types of nomadic homes include; tepees, wigwams, brush shelters and wickiups (made of grass or brushwood) and chickees (a thatched covered, open sided shelter)
Fun Fact 9: The groups of Native American Tribes spoke different languages! It is estimated that there were many languages spoken in around 600 different dialects
Fun Fact 10: Native American Language experts grouped the languages of the Native American Tribes into six main regional groups; Siouan, Aleut, Algonquian, Athabascan, Chinookan and Uto-Aztecan
Fun Fact 11: What did Native American Indian tribes eat? Diets varied depending on what was available in the region. It was common for the diet to include bison, caribou, deer, rabbit, fish, birds, plants, fruit, nuts, berries and honey
Fun Fact 12: How did the changing seasons affect the Native American way of life? The changing seasons affected lifestyles in different ways; the food varied, the warmth of the home and clothing changed and the mode of transport may have altered
Fun Fact 13: Religions and beliefs were very important to the Native American Indian way of life. Animism is a commonly shared belief amongst American Indian tribes, it is based on the spiritual belief that everything, living, natural or inanimate and has a soul or spirit
Fun Fact 14: Festivals and ceremonies were very important to Native American culture and were closely linked to religion and beliefs. It was customary to hold ceremonies and rituals to worship and pacify the spirits; the festivals and ceremonies would include chanting, singing and dancing
Fun Fact 15: What are Native American totem poles? Native American Totem Poles are large trees carved with figures that represent faiths and beliefs. The carvings, colours and symbols on a Totem Pole have spiritual meanings and significance |
