Native Americans

•   The Ice Age caused sea levels to drop exposing a land bridge between Asia and North America.  About 10,000 years ago, early Asians crossed this land bridge to North America.

Paleo Indians

• Paleo Indians were nomadic herders that wandered from place to place following large animals.

• They chipped stones to make knives and spears.               

• The Paleo Indians hunted mammoth, camel, and, an early kind of bison

Archaic Indians

• Archaic Indians lived from 10,000 years ago to 2,500 years ago.

• They used atlatls to throw spears with more force.

• Since there were no large herds to follow they stayed in one place.

• Archaic Indians ate plants, nuts, fruits, roots, and fish.  They learned use fire to cook food and boil water using cooking stones.

Woodland Indians

• Woodland Indians developed about 1000 B.C. and lasted in NC until 1000 A.D.

• They developed the bow and arrow to help hunt deer.

• They ate deer, corn, squash, bottle gourds, and sunflowers, berries and nuts.

• They built permanent villages.  Their houses were round with grass roofs.

Mississippian Indians

• The Mississippian Indians developed about 700 A.D.

• They were mostly farmers.  Ceremonies took place for planting and harvesting times.

• They built ceremonial centers (large cleared out areas surrounded by fences to keep out enemies).  The ceremonial building was placed at the top of a large mound.  Around the mound, the Indians danced and played games.

Native American Lifestyles

• Native Americans lived in clans within their tribes.

• They played daily "Native American Games".

• The men wore breechcloths, women wore apron-skirts, and the children often went without clothes.  Most of the clothes were made out of deerskin.  In the winter, Native Americans wore moccasins, leggings, and match coats.

• Shelters were made from materials at hand.

• Different tribes had different ideas about building shelters and what to build it out of.

• Sticks were used for house framing.  Then mud, deerskins, leaves, or other materials were used for the outside.

• Native Americans cherished animals and envied the gods.

• The Native Americans believed there was three types of beings-the human beings, animals, and the plants.  

• The main gods were the sun and moon.  Other gods were, Kanati,  whose voice was thunder and Long Man, whose voice was running water.

• They also believed in Immortals, little people, ghosts, and two monsters.  One monster was, Tlanuwa, the great hawk.  The other was called Uktena.  It had a body of a snake, antlers of a deer and wings of a bird.

• Another group of Indians called the Cherokee, spoke three dialects of Iroquoian.  They communicated with neighboring tribes by using sign language or speaking Mobilian.  Despite the many different languages, the tribes shared the same beliefs.