North America Before Columbus

1. North America Before Columbus 15,000 BC to 1492

2. The First People in North America • Who were the first? It’s hard to say • 12,000 to 16,000 years ago are widely accepted time frames • Recent Evidence suggests people may have been here for 50,000 years

3. Most Accepted Theory to Date • Theory: people from Asia crossed the “Bering Land Bridge” to get to North America • This bridge was “Open” between 25,000 and 11,000 years ago

4. Clovis People • Is the name given to the first peoples to settle North America • Dates from 13,000 to 11,000 for their arrival • Clovis people left behind many artifacts that have been scientifically dated

5. Clovis People Continued… • There are many sites throughout North America Identified as “Clovis sites” • Sites are identified usually by the types of arrowheads found • They lived by hunting big game, most of which is now extinct

6. Pre-Clovis People? • There have been sites found that date earlier than Clovis People—15,000 years ago in South America • Evidence is found in arrowheads that are not as well made as Clovis • They are thought to have survived by hunting, gathering and fishing • Pre-Clovis sites have caused a great deal of controversy

7. Megafuana • This is the name given to the many large animals that went extinct at the end of the last ice age—about 10,000 years ago • These large animals went extinct at the same time humans arrived in North America—coincidence?

8. Mastodon • Similar to Wooly Mammoth, but had different teeth and tusks • Lived in cold forests

9. Wooly Mammoth • Lived in colder climates • Had thick, greasy hair • Probably used tusks to shovel snow off of vegetation • Many frozen specimens have been found • It is rumored that members of the National Geographic's Society once ate preserved mammoth • Some scientists are trying to create one using preserved DNA

10. Saber Tooth Tiger • While it’s in the cat family, it’s not really a tiger • Probably did not run very fast • Most likely a social animal that lived in groups, as do lions and tigers • Could open it’s mouth 120 degree (modern cats can only go 60 degrees)

11. Giant Beaver • Can you imagine the dam a 900 pound beaver could make?

12. Giant Ground Sloth • One of the largest land mammals ever • Could get to 20 feet tall and weighed 8 tons (same as an African Bull Elephant) • Was a vegetarian • Had no real enemies—their huge claws could easily fend off Saber ToothTigers • Human hunters could have easily caused their extinction

13. Glyptodon • Large relative of the armadillo • About the size of a Volkswagen Beetle • They were herbivores that grazed on grasses • It is believed that humans hunted them and used their shells for shelter

14. Hagerman Horse • Related to the African Zebra • Was a grazer, just like modern horses

15. Camelops • You guessed it, it was just like the camels alive today • Many Clovis sites show signs that these animals were frequently butched

16. After Clovis • Prevailing theory is that Clovis People are the ancestors of all Native American groups • The Clovis way of life ended with the extinction of the animals they hunted • Different groups split off from one another, forming their own cultures in different locations throughout North America • Genetic study suggests that all Native American groups can be linked to a single “founding population”

17. It is Worth Noting… • While scientific evidence points in favor of the “Bering Land Bridge” and “Clovis-first” theories, most present-day Native Americans do not accept these theories • Native Americans generally believe that they have always been in North America • Their evidence—all Native American groups have rich oral traditions • There are no known Native American oral histories that refer to ancestors crossing a land bridge or leaving Asia by other means to come to North America

18. Native American Before Columbus • Today there are 562 Federally recognized Native American tribes • There were probably many more before Columbus • We will now look at the major groupings of Native American tribes throughout the United States

19. Cherokee • The Cherokee lived in the mountains and valleys of the southern Appalachian Mountains • Lived in domed houses in villages along riverbanks • They were farmers, hunters, and fishermen • Held festivals to celebrate planting and harvesting of corn • Invented Lacross

20. Algonquin • These are Great Lakes tribes that include Ojibwa, Delaware, Powhatan, and Massachusetts tribes • Lived in wigwams • Wore very little clothes in summer, dressed in animal skins in the winter • They were hunters, gatherers, trappers, and planters • Traveled in birch bark canoes

21. Iroquois • Included Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca tribes • Lived in what is now New York state along the St Lawrence River • They lived in Long Houses that held 30 to 60 people • Wore mostly buckskin clothes • They grew “The Three Sisters”—corn, squash, and beans • They used snowshoes in the winter

22. Seminoles • They settled in the Southeast, mostly in Florida • Their lived in “Chikee” homes, the homes were usually placed in swamplands • They wore clothing woven from Palmetto • They were hunters and gatherers who traveled in dugout canoes

23. Navajo • Included in this group are the Pueblo, Zuni, Rio, and Hopi tribes, as all had similar cultures and beliefs • Lived in what is now New Mexico and Northeastern Arizona • Their homes were called “Hogans”—these were round houses built with forked sticks and covered with brush, packed earth, hides, and whatever they could find • Their clothing was made from rabbit skins and the Yuka plant • They were raiders (they usually stole crops from the Pueblos), gatherers, and hunters, and eventually farmed for themselves • They are well known for their turquoise jewelry

24. Apache • Also lived in what is now New Mexico and Arizona • They were nomads who did not stay in one place for very long • They lived in “Wickiups,” small dome-shaped homes that were not very sturdy, and women made them in a few hours • They wore deerskin clothes • They did not farm, but women gathered plants, mostly yucca and mescaline (tasted like cabbage) • They are known for their well-made and intricate baskets

25. Northwest Coastal Native Americans • Includes tribes such as the Tlingit and Chicook • Lived along the Northwest coast from Alaska to Northern California • The Northwest Coastal Indians wore little clothing. They wore fiber rain capes and skin robes • They lived in large plank houses in groups of 30 or so • The men tattooed their arms and hands for measuring dentalium. Dentalium was a shell that was strung together and used as money • Of all tribal groups, these people enjoyed the most abundant natural resources • They were hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, and they took slaves. Slaves were a sign of wealth. Children were kept close to their camp for fear that they would be stolen by another tribe and become a slave.

26. Plains Native Americans • Group includes Sauk, Fox, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, Blackfeet, Comanche, and Pawnee tribes • They lived in the area from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Mexico • Most lived in Teepee • They wore buffalo skins • They used “Peace Pipes” in ceremonies

27. Inuit • Lived in the Arctic region of North America • Their homes were igloos in the winter and skin, wood, mud, or sod homes in the summer • Their clothing was sealskin in the summer and in the winter they wore caribou skin • They made the most out of very limited resources, particularly of use were all parts of whales and seals • Never in Anger—they were a very peaceful people

28. Map of Pre-Columbus Tribes

29. About Pre-Columbian Native Societies • Native Americans spoke over 300 languages • Many Native societies had urban settlements, farming, architecture, and complex societies • Native Americans domesticated plants that constitute 50-60% of all crops now grown world-wide • Prior to Columbus’ arrival, there were between 10 and 100 million people who live in the Americas