Pre Contact America Flashcards
Describe the similar theme among religions of Native Americans
Their religions emphasized the need for harmony among people, animals, and the natural environment. They were not monotheistic (believing in a single god figure). Europeans would call them “pagans.”
How did indigenous people feel about land ownership?
They did not believe that humans could own land, since it was part of nature.
What currency was used by the indigenous people of the northeast?
wampum - woven strands of shell beads
Identify the main two linguistic (language) groups in the northeast.
The Algonquin and the Iroquois
Describe the lifestyle of the Algonquin-speaking Native American tribes.
They hunted and gathered for food, so they lived a nomadic lifestyle. They traveled over a large amount of territory searching for food.
Describe the homes of the Algonquins
rounded temporary shelters called wigwams
Describe the lifestyle of the Iroquois-speaking Native American tribes.
They lived a sedentary lifestyle because they practiced agriculture. They covered a much smaller area than the Algonquins.
Describe the homes of the Iroquois.
They lived in permanent structures called longhouses, which could hold several families. Longhouses were set up in villages surrounded by palisades (defensive log fences).
What was the Iroquois Confederacy (also called the Iroquois League)?
an alliance of Iroquois-speaking tribes formed as a defense against the Algonquins.
Which tribes were members of the Iroquois Confederacy?
Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and later the Tuskarora
