Native Americans

Before European explorers came Native Americans were well established in North America.

They were the first inhabitants of North America. Until the mid-1800s when they made contact with settlers, traders, and explorers they lived peaceably on their land.

Also, at that time the American government started enforcing their policies.

First, I have a list of living books.

Native American Books for Kids

I prefer living books when I can find them, then I like to add reference books to our reading list.

Next, there are many tribes of Native Americans.

Tribes of Native Americans

While they were similarities among tribes each tribe was different.

They varied in culture, belief and interaction with the settlers or Europeans.

Again, for the sake of simplicity tribes can be divided into 4 major regions.

However, with older children or if you want a deeper peer into the Native Americans, these general 4 major regions can be further subdivided.

For example, you can add the Southwest region to focus on less.

At this point 4 separations keeps it easy to give children an introduction into a massive study.

Also, this will help guide you as you learn about a region or a tribe and compare lifestyles and geographical areas. This greatly influenced how people lived.

Coastal Indians/ Pacific Northwest

The Coastal Indians lived in what is now Alaska to Northern California and from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains.

For example, in this area resources were bountiful like trees. Tribes could use long planks from the tall cedar trees for their homes.

In addition, this area had a temperate rain forest with an abundance of animals. So, this area had not only an abundance of trees but water.

To survive, they didn’t really need to move around since resources were abundant.

They were hunters, fisherman and gatherers.

The tribes of this area included the Tlingit, Chinook, Nez Perce, Coast Salish, Haida and Yakama.

Woodland Indians/Northeast

The Woodland Indians lived in the area that stretches from the border of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. And from the Mississippi River to the east coast and the Atlantic Ocean.

In this area the Native Americans used the forests where trees were abundant. And used the bark and trees to make warm houses.

Winters were harsh and food scarce. They farmed and planted corn, squash and beans.

Too, they created dugout canoes to travel the waters. They were farmers, woodsmen and hunters.

In this area, groups can be separated into two larger groups. One was the mound builders like the Hopewell and the League of Five Nations.

Five tribes, the Mowhawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca, joined together to form the League. The League was the largest native group in the eastern United States.

Benjamin Franklin said that the U.S. idea of the federal government, in which certain powers are conferred
on a central government, and all other powers reserved to the states, was borrowed from the system of government of the Iroquoian League.

Examples of Native Americans in this area are Iroquois Indians of New York, the Wappani, The Wampanoag, Choctaw, Algonquin, Creek, and the Shawnee. Seminole were in Florida and the Chickasaw. The Cherokees were one of the largest in the area too.

Look at my HUGE unit study and free lapbook about the Iroquois Confederacy. Here is my first page Iroquois Confederacy and my Free Iroquois Lapbook.

Too, look at my hands on activities National Native American Heritage Day Make a Fun Kids Iroquois Bracelet and How to Make a 5 Arrows Craft | Iroquois Confederacy Facts.

More Northeast/Woodlands Native American Activities

Desert Indian/Southwest

Desert Indians lived in the southwestern part of the United States.

The area had limited water supply, but they learned how to farm with limited water.

This region had dry valleys and smaller rivers. The area was covered with cacti, sagebrush, and desert plants.

And they were nomads or wanderers. People who lived by hunting, villagers and farmers.

Some examples of tribes in the area are the Navajo, Anasazi, Hopi, Zuni, Apache, Mescalero Apache and Pueblo.

Plains Indians

Next are the Plains Indians.

The area they lived in was the region between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico.

This landscape could be harsh with limited resources, but they followed the resources.

Some tribes never settled; they were nomadic. They were gatherers, farmers, hunters and fishermen.

Cheyenne, Comanche, Crow, Mandan, Arapaho and Blackfoot are some tribes in that area.

Too, Sioux, Ponca, Omaha, Pawnee, Oto, Lakota, Kiowa, Osage, Wichita, Iowa, the Cheyenne, the Pawnee, Dakota, Wahpeton, Ojibwa and Teton to name a few more.

More The Plains Indian Activities

• The Plains Indians Unit Study & Lapbook
• Texas Native American History Quick Unit Study (Middle School).
• Plains Indians Free Writing Prompts. For Elementary, Middle and High School Homeschooled Kids
• How to Make a Kid’s Paper Bag Native American Vest

As you can see there are huge regions and many variations of tribes that lived within these 4 regions

Compare the Food, Homes, and Clothing of Native Americans

Additionally, comparing the food, homes, clothing and other cultural differences with give your children a bird’s view.

This will help you to dive into huge areas if you want to compare tribes or learn about a few.

Homes of the Native Americans

The Plains Indians lived in teepees or tents because they moved about.

And the tribes who lived along the northwest seacoast or Coastal Indians made homes of wood.

The Southwest Native Americans used dried brick or pueblos.

However, the Woodlands/northeast tribes built home of tree branches covered with bark. There were two main types of houses, longhouses and wigwams.

Food of the Native Americans

Next, learn about the animals that lived in the region.

Some animals were considered sacred to the Native Americans, and most were used for food and utilized for clothing.

Look at some of the animals of the following regions:

Plains – The buffalo provided the Plains Indians everything they needed. For example, the buffalo provided food, clothes, and teepees.

Desert Indian/Southwest -They were farmers too and utilized their small water supply to grow corn, beans and squash.

Sometimes they could find wild turkeys and rabbits. Women would sometimes ground corn for bread from cornmeal.

Woodland Indians/Northeast – They farmed beans, squash and corn when food was scarce. In the wintertime they would hunt deer and rabbits.

They fished using nets and traps.

Coastal Indians/ Pacific Northwest – Salmon was abundant in this area for a short time of the year. Some tribes hunted seals and whales.

Clothing of the Native Americans

Move on to learning about the clothing of the Native American in each region.

All of them made their clothing by hand and used local resources like animals hides, animal furs and plants.

Clothing of the Plains Indians varied as much as the region is diverse and large.

Decorations varied too. The Northern Plains clothing was elaborate. However, the clothing in the Southern Plains was almost void of decorations.

The principal body covering was a whole robe buffalo skin. Men wore tunics or fringed shirts but the clothes were made for traveling.

Some decorated their clothes with porcupine quills and bead work. And both men and women wore moccasins.

Next, the Woodland Indians/Northeast used beaver pelts or animal hides like deer were used to make clothing, blankets, parts of shelters and many other everyday household items.

Men wore long shirts and adapted their clothing to the weather. In the winter they would wear fur robes.

Women wore long dresses made from deerskin and would wear leggings and shawls in the winter for warmth.

Moreover, dress was fairly simple among the Coastal Indians/ Pacific Northwest.

Women wore skirts or gowns. Dress varied by tribe. Some used bark from cedar trees to make raincoats and hats. Men wore robes made from woven cedar bark. They often had detailed embroidery.

They would wear wooden or woven sandals to protect their feet from the elements.

Finally, the Desert Indians clothing was made entirely of natural materials like buckskin, cotton, yucca, and feathers.

Their clothes were designed to keep them comfortable and cool. Men wore loin cloths and women colorful dresses. All from cotton.

Finally, they would wear wide brimmed hats to protect themselves from the sun.

More Native American Unit Study Resources

• 100 BEST Hands-on Free Native American Resources
• How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
• How to Make A Spin Drum | 10 Native American Crafts for Kids
• Create A Fun Cradleboard Craft
• 13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

How to Get the Free Native American Printables

Now, how to grab the freebies. It’s a subscriber freebie.

Too, I have 2 printables which come two ways in this one download.

One printable is for your child to write the answers and the other page has the answers printed or your child draws the pictures.

So, when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) Sign up on my email list.

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