The document summarizes key aspects of culture for various Native American groups based on their geographic regions. It describes how the physical environments of the Eastern Woodlands, Great Lakes, Eskimo, Northwest, Plains, and Southwest regions shaped aspects of their lives like food sources, housing, and transportation. For example, it notes that Eastern Woodlands tribes enjoyed a varied diet from farming, hunting, fishing, and tapping maple trees; Plains Indians relied on nomadic buffalo hunting; and Southwest Indians developed stable food sources through agricultural modifications suited to their inhospitable climate and topography.

1. NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE REGIONS
EASTERN WOODLAND/GREAT LAKES CULTURES

2. Provide the physical
characteristics of the
environment that shapes the
cultural characteristics for the
tribes of the Eastern Woodlands
& Great Lakes.

3. Food sources for these tribes included farming (corn & rice), ….

4. …. hunting and fishing in the bountiful lakes and forests, and ….

5. … the tapping of maple trees for sweet syrup to enhance their foods. In sum, did these
tribes enjoy a varied and balanced diet?

7. Identify the materials used by these tribes to construct their homes. Homes ranged
from the smaller and more temporary in the summer ….

8. …. to the larger and more
permanent longhouses of the
Iroquois.

9. Identify the primary modes of transportation for these tribes. How did their
physical environment impact modes of transportation?

10. ESKIMOS
Identify area encompassing the Eskimo tribes of North America.

11. Describe the physical characteristics of their environment that shape their culture.

12. Food sources for the Eskimos included hunting moose & caribou, ….

13. …. seal hunting, which is
controversial, and ….

14. …. whale hunting, which is also controversial. Consumption of seal & whale fat is
extraordinary, but they do not suffer from heart disease – why? Why isn’t farming a
major food source?

15. Describe traditional Eskimo housing.

16. The traditional igloo has been largely replaced by more permanent pre-fabricated
housing, but many eskimos continue to use the igloo when they embark on long trips to
check their trapping lines.

17. With a combination of higher body fat percentages
and warm clothing made from seals, the Eskimos
stayed remarkably warm in their frigid environment.

19. …. the kayak was the transportation mode of choice.

20. NATIVE AMERICANS of the
NORTHWEST
The Indians of the Northwest lived in a long stretched out
area encompassing the northwest corner of the present-day
U.S. and southeast Canada.

21. Identify the region’s climate zone and its’ climate characteristics. Would this
environment be a more favorable one, or less favorable one?

22. Food sources were widely varied and included salmon fishing, ….

23. …. and whale hunting, which was always dangerous.

24. Describe the type of housing found (building materials, sturdiness, etc).

25. Identify the modes of transportation available to this group of Indians. What would
have been the primary mode of long-distance transportation?

26. NATIVE AMERICANS of the PLAINS
The area encompassing the Plains Indians tribes
is the vast mid-section of the present-day U.S.
and south central Canada. Identify some of
the present-day states.

27. Describe the physical features of their environment, including climate and
topography.

29. The physical environment provided a distinct food source for the Plains Indians – what
was it? And identify other food staples.

30. Describe the importance of the buffalo in the Plains Indian’s culture? What were white settlers
doing to this food source?

32. Housing for these Indians was distinctive.

34. A distinct cultural trait of the Plains
Indians was their nomadic way of life.
Why were they nomadic? How
would being nomadic affect the size
of their groups?

35. To thrive in their nomadic lifestyle, the Plains Indians relied on the horse as their
primary mode of transportation. How did these people gain access to horses? They
became the most skilled horsemen in the world. Because horses were prized so highly,
rival tribes would conduct daring and dangerous raids on each other to acquire more
horses.

37. NATIVE AMERICANS of the SOUTHWEST
Identify the present-day American states encompassing the area for this native
group.

38. Describe the physical environment for the Southwest Indians, including climate &
topography.

39. Given their more inhospitable environment, these Indians enjoyed a surprisingly varied
diet. Identify the primary staple foods and describe any modifications that ensured
a stable food source.

40. Like the other Native groups, the
housing of the Indians of the
Southwest was greatly affected
by the physical environment and
the needs of the people.

41. Describe the type of housing that would be commonly found in this region. Were these
homes built to be more permanent?

42. And like the other Native groups, the environment provided the materials to make
everyday items, such as the clay pottery made by the Southwest Indians.