American Indian Culture Regions
Intro
• Imagine that you are an Alaskan Native. Describe what a day in your life would be like.
• Include:– Where you live– What you eat– What you wear
American Indians
are diverse!•When Europeans first arrived in America, they noticed that the Natives were very diverse•Different cultures were developed by Native peoples, based on their environment•Scholars group Native Americans who shared similar cultures into culture regions (or culture areas)
What is a culture region?
Culture Region: a geographic region which shares similar physical
terrains, natural resources, and cultural
characteristics
Three Characteristics of Culture Regions
1.Physical terrain2.Natural resources3.Culture
Physical TerrainClimate &
Landforms
Natural ResourcesPlant and animal life
Cultureeverything that
makes up the way of life of a people
• Shelter• Tools• Language• Clothing• Arts• Religion• Government
Map of American Indian culture
regions
10 Culture Regions1.Arctic
2.Subarctic3.Northwest
Coast4.Plateau5.Great Basin
6. California 7. Southwest8. Great Plains9. Northeast10. Southeast
ArcticPhysical Terrain
• Large, treeless plains, called tundra,
• Frozen and snow-covered
• Winters are long and severe
• Blizzards
Natural Resources• Little vegetation • Dogs, used for hunting and
hauling • Sea mammals major food
source (seals, sea lions, sea otters, walruses, and whales)
• Other game (polar bears, musk oxen, mountain sheep, wolves, wolverines, foxes, rabbits squirrels, and waterfowl.
SubarcticPhysical Terrain
• Mostly interior (except Hudson Bay & Pacific coast)
• Thick pine forests
• Thousands of lakes, ponds, swamps, rivers, and streams
• Long winters with deep snow and thick ice
• Short summers
Natural Resources• Caribou• Large game (moose, deer,
musk oxen, mountain sheep, bison)
• Small game (beaver, mink, otter, porcupine, rabbit, squirrel, and waterfowl)
• Seeds, berries, bark
Northwest CoastPhysical Terrain
• Narrow coastal region • Cool & damp climate with mild
wet winters and cool summers • Thick forests• Many rivers • Mountains • Evergreen forests
Natural Resources• Lots of food source: seals, sea
lions, and fish (salmon, halibut, herring, cod, and flounder)
• Hunted whales• Hunt deer, elk, bear, and
mountain goat • They learned to dry their meat
and fish with smoke
PlateauPhysical Terrain
• High plateau region, surrounded by desert & mountains
• RiversNatural Resources
• Small game• Wild plants (berries &
edible roots)• Fish (Salmon)• Large game in the
mountains (elk, deer, mountain sheep, bear)
Great Basin
Natural Resources• Sparse vegetation• Very little resources• Small game• Foragers
Physical Terrain• Very dry• Surrounded by
mountains, plateaus, & deserts
CaliforniaPhysical Terrain
• Mountain ranges & Pacific coastal regions
• Forest & deserts• Mild climate, with many
warm days• Varied rainfall
Natural Resources• Acorns from oak trees• Wild plants (berries,
nuts, seeds, roots)• Fish, seafood, small
game, birds, deer
SouthwestPhysical Terrain
• Mesas and canyons, Mountains, deserts
• Few rains Natural
Resources• Evergreens
(mountains), cactus
• Small game (rabbits, birds, and rattlesnakes)
Great PlainsPhysical Terrain
• Large inland region • Rolling, fertile tall-
grass prairies • Summers are
typically hot and dry, and winters are long and harsh.
Natural Resources• American bison
(buffalo)• Farmers• Berries
NortheastPhysical Terrain
• Temperate & humid climate • Hundreds of rivers, creating rich soil for agriculture.• Widespread forests*** Sometimes the area is grouped with the Southeast culture area and
referred to as the Eastern Woodlands.
Natural ResourcesAnimals (a variety of
game, large and small:
fish, deer, rabbit,squirrel, beaver, andvarious birds, such as
turkey, partridge, duck,
and goose; also hunted
moose, elk, and bear)
SoutheastPhysical Terrain
• Semitropical • Humid and well-
watered• Saltwater marshes,
grasses, rich soils, swamplands, rounded hills, high grass, and rolling mountains
Natural Resources
• Forests of pine trees
• Animals (deer, squirrel, birds, fish)
On your index card…
• Choose a culture region DON’T write it on the card!
• On the lined side– two animals,– two types of plant life, and – info about the climate
• Remember DO NOT write which region!
• Put your name on the back (blank side)
Musical Chairs
• When the music starts move around the room
• When it stops sit in the closest desk
• Look at the card on your desk.
• From what you know, what culture region does it belong in
• One region at a time you will have a chance to tape your card in the right culture region
• Artic• Subartic
• Northwest
Coast
• Plateau
• Great
Basin• California
• Southwest
• Great
Plains
• Northeast • Southeast
1.Arctic2.Subarctic3.Northwest
Coast4.Plateau5.Great Basin
6. California 7. Southwest8. Great Plains9. Northeast10. Southeast
Culture Region Project Assignments