Native American

Kayla Kormos, Lauren Lievens, and

Kelsi Stover
Backgrou
nd
● “Land bridge” from Asia to Alaska
● 50 million people living in the
Americas before Columbus
“discovered” them
● 10 million living in the area that
would become the US
Background Cont’d
To keep track of the diverse groups, anthropologists and geographers have divided Native
Americans into “culture areas.”

10 separate “culture areas” -

1. Arctic 2. Subarctic 3. Northeast 4. Southeast 5. Plains

6. Southwest 7. Great Basin 8. California 9. Northwest Coast 10.

Plateau
Arctic

● 5,000 miles from eastern Siberia,

across northern Alaska and
Canada, to Greenland
● Known historically as the Eskimos
and the Aleuts
● Hunters and fishermen
● Igloos, kayaks, sleds, dog teams
Subarctic

● All of North America

● Known as the Athapascans and the Algonquians
● Nomadic hunters, fishers, and foragers
Northeast

● East and west from the Atlantic seaboard to the Mississippi valley, and
north and south from the Great Lakes to Tennessee
● Known as the Algonquians and the Iroquoians
● Used the trees of the forest for material for shelter, tools, and fuel
● Hunters, gatherers, fishermen, and farmers
Southeast
● East and west from the Atlantic Ocean to
Texas, north and south from North
Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico
● Lived along river valleys
● Farmers first and hunters, gatherers, and
fishermen second
● Tribes include the Cherokee, Choctaw,
Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole
Plains
● From the Mississippi Valley to the Rocky
Mountains, and southern Canada to Texas
● The introduction of horses by Europeans made life
in the plains possible
● Hunters of buffalo
● Well-known tribes of the area: Sioux, Pawnee,
Blackfoot, Crow, Cheyenne, and Arapaho
Southwest

● From Utah in Mexico

● Agriculture
● Tribes include: Pueblo, Apache, and
Navajo
Great Basin

● Western United States

● Dug for anything edible
● Tribes include: Paiute, Ute, and Shoshoni
California

● Present-day California into Mexico

● Densest population north of
Mesoamerica
● Well-known tribes include: Shasta,
Chumash, and Costano
Northwest Coast
● 2,000 miles from northern California to Alaska
● Oceans, rivers, and forests offered plentiful
fish and game
● Potlach
● Well known tribes include: Haida, Chinook,
Tillamook, and Chimakum
Plateau
● Includes portions of Washington, Idaho,
Montana, Oregon, British Columbia, and
California
● Fast-flowing rivers provided fish and avenues of
travel and trade
● Well-known tribes include: Chinook, Nez Perce,
Flathead, and Spokane
The Arts
● Native American art includes everything from pictographs
and cave paintings to decorative shawls and pottery.
Different tribes can specialize in different styles of art
depending on their cultural values, history and
environment.
● Some examples: Basket weaving, masks, totem poles, hats,
necklaces, dream catchers, pottery and clothing.
● Most art that is made by Native Americans is not just for
the art, they think of it as sacred, shows means of worship
and has deep meaning to what they make.
Dream Catchers
● Dream Catchers came from the Ojibway (Chippewa) tribe,
and was said to be a “spider’s web” that would keep out
the bad dreams and nightmares of children, and let the
good dreams and thoughts come through.
● The circular shape of a dream catcher is said to represent
the circle of life, with no beginning and no end. This is
significant to many Native Americans because they believe
that death is a part of life and that the spirit lives on. They
are woven to resemble a spider’s web, the beads and
feathers are
● Now let’s make our own dream catcher!
Military
Tools Created: Blowguns, bows and arrows, animal traps, nets to catch fish, and spears.

Wars:

● French and Indian War

● Seminole Wars
● Battle of Fallen Timbers
● Battle of Little Bighorn
● WWI

https://youtu.be/OsPVzBXzjqY
Science Contributions and Inventions

● Plant domestication
● Medicine
● Snow shoes
Let’s Make Butter!

● Teaches students the chemical processes involved in

making butter while making a connection to Native
American Culture
● Gives students who have trouble sitting still the
opportunity to move
● This lesson can be modified for elementary use up
through high school use
History of Native American Education
● In 1819, Congress passed the Indian Civilization Act, which led many to found so- called “Mission
Schools”. Until Federal funds stopped at the end of the 19th century, the idea of Mission Schools
were very popular and increasing. Some still do exist.
● In 1879, late 19th century, Federal government’s Indian office developed and expanded a system
by day and boarding schools for indians. This opened the first off-reservation boarding school,
called Carlisle Indian Industrial School, in Carlisle, PA.
● Boarding Schools, were half-day academic and half-day vocational programs which were ran like
military school.
Carlisle Indian Industrial School 1886
● Boys and girls stand outside of Carlisle Indian
Industrial School, in Carlisle, PA. They had just
arrived at the boarding school from Fort Marion,
Florida.
● The founder of the school, Army Captain,
Richard Henry Pratt, said his educational goal for
Indians is to civilize them through total cultural
assimilation.
● He stated in his 1892 speech: “Kill the Indian in
him, and save the man.”
Progressive Education
● In 1928, an investigation went on and criticized the quality of the education (mainly
vocational) that government- run Indian schools provided.
● They were trying to push more child-centered, and culturally appropriate education to
keep with the current philosophy of progressive education.
● In 1934, the “Indian Reorganization Act”, also known as, “Indian New Deal.”
● Also passed, was the Johnson O’Malley Act, which authorized US Secretary of Interior to
enter into contracts with states and territories to pay for the education of Indian Students.
Modern Native American Education
● In 2001, The “No Child Left Behind Act”, which was supposed to raise the relatively low
academic achievement of minority students, including American Indians, but achievement
had only risen for every group except American Indians.
● Today, there are many issues with Native American education. It is very underfunded and
has inadequate staff. Students are not improving their academic levels since 2005, and are
2-3 grade levels behind their white peers in reading and math.
● Only 7% of the 607,000 Native American students in the U.S attend federally run BIE and
boarding schools, and now they are attending schools on and off Indian Reservations.
● https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/18/native-american-education_n_5593253.html
Bibliography
● History.com Staff. “Native American Cultures.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009,
www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-cultures.
● “Native American Contributions.” Scholastic,
www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/native-american-contributions/.
● “Daily Life in Olden Timesfor KidsSoutheast Cherokee IndiansFood and Clothing.” Cherokee Indians
- Food and Clothing - Native Americans in Olden Times for Kids,
nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/southeast/cherokee/food-clothing.html.
● “Culture Areas, Tribes.” American Indians, Culture Areas, Tribes, www.american-
indians.net/cultures.html.
● Multiculturalism in Mathematics, Science, and Technology: Readings and Activities. Addison-Wesley.
● “Grad Rate Highest Since 1974, Native Dropout Rate Still Highest.” Indian Country Media Network,
25 Jan. 2013, indiancountrymedianetwork.com/education/native-education/grad-rate-highest-since-
1974-native-dropout-rate-still-highest/.
● NativeTech: Dream Catchers, www.nativetech.org/dreamcat/dreamcat.html.
● “Native American Science.” Early Native American Science - Quatr.Us, 1 Feb. 2017,
quatr.us/northamerica/before1500/science/.
● Dockstader, Frederick J. “The Function of Art.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,
Inc., 7 Aug. 2013, www.britannica.com/art/Native-American-art/The-function-of-art.