Period 1 (Before Europeans) Flashcards
Before _, there were no Europeans in the Americas.
1491
Were all tribes a big group?
No, the term, “indians” was made by Europeans, and they saw themselves different from each other
Where did the tribes live?
All of Americas
Where is the Arctic Circle?
The Arctic
Where is Tierra del Fuego?
Tip of Argentina
Were the Natives at peace?
Were at war with each other (for a variety of reasons) or at peace
Who lived in the Mexico and Southwest?
Aztec/Mexica and Pueblos
What kind of culture and government did the Aztecs have?
Militant warrior tradition, polytheistic, feudalism, with a priestly class
What is fuedalism?
A single monarch rules over local rulers
What was Aztec gender roles like?
Patriarchy, but women could own property and agree to business contracts
Aztec economy
Agricultural (sometimes cacao beans = currency)
How did the Aztecs cultivate crops?
Chinampa
What were the Pueblos?
Related, but culturally distinct tribes
Pueblo society
Complex agricultural, with villages of multi-story buildings made out of local materials (mud)
Western Pueblos vs. Eastern Pubelos
Dry Farming vs. Irrigation
Similarities of Western vs. Eastern Pueblos
Both focused on 3 Sisters
3 Sisters
Squash, beans, and corn
Significance of Mexico and South west tribes
One of the major sources of domesticated crops; Squash, beans, and cotton were first cultivated there
Chinampa
Floating rectangular plots of land on lake beds
American Indians of Great Plain culture
Basically nomadic, with big focus on hunting and gathering
Important resource of American Indians of Great Plain
American Bison/Buffalo
Supplies buffalo provided
Tepees
Men role in American Indians of Great Plains
Hunt, trade, politics
Women role in American Indians of Great Plains
Made clothing and oversaw family tepee
Language of American Indians of Great Plains
PISL: Plains Indian Sign Language
Midwest Indians society
Mostly stationary, but some nomadic
Important resource for Midwest Indians
Maize
What did Midwest Indians do for resources?
Trade
What are Cahokia Mounds
Remnants of pre-columbian cities of Mississippian culture
What are the Native Americans that lived in the Great Plains identified as?
American Indians of the Great Plains
What are the Native Americans that lived in the Northeast identified as?
American Indians of the Northeast
American Indians of the Northeast agriculture
Companion planting
How do the 3 Sisters demonstrate companion planting?
Cornstalks provided structure for beans to grow up, while squash held moisture in soil
What did the American Indians of the Northeast not do?
Maintain livestock or use technology
How did American Indians of the Northeast cross bodies of water?
Large canoes and rafts, which couldn’t cross oceans
What was an important resource of American Indians of the Pacific Coast?
Acorns
What did the American Indians of the Pacific Coast do, instead of traditional agriculture?
Forest gardening
What resources were important to the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest?
- Salmon, spiritually and materially
- Shellfish and root crops
What was a Potlatch to the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest?
A gift-giving feast for parties/important occasions
