The First People of North America - Pacific Northwest American Indians
5th Grade Informational Reading Texts
It is believed by many historians that thousands of years ago, hunters following herds of animals like woolly mammoths and bison migrated (or moved) to the Americas on foot from Asia. This belief assumes that they crossed over a frozen land bridge caused by the Ice Age. the Ice Age was when most of the Earth's water was frozen, which resulted in more land being exposed, forming land bridges.
One land bridge was a narrow strip joining where Russia and Alaska are located today. After the Ice Age, when the ice was melted and the water level rose, the land was once again flooded. Over many thousands of years, these original hunters migrated south and throughout the rest of North and South America. We now call the descendants of these hunters and travelers Native Americans or American Indians. There were many small groups of these people and they developed unique cultures based on where they settled and the resources available in those places.
Among the many American Indian civilizations that settled in North America over thousands of years, many tribes settled in the Pacific Northwest region. A region is an area that has one or more features in common. The present day states that would encompass this region are: Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Southern Alaska. In order to understand the Pacific Northwest American Indians, we need to learn about how they interacted with the environment. The geographic theme of human and environment interaction deals with ways in which people use, adapt to, or modify their environment.
Because of the location along the Pacific coast, there were many natural resources available to these American Indians. The natural resources of a region are the natural materials (timber, fresh water, minerals, etc.) that people use in different ways to meet their needs.
Resources such as trees, wildlife, rivers, and the Pacific Ocean all played an important part in the development of the culture of Pacific Northwest tribal groups. One product used from trees is the lumber that was used to build canoes for traveling and plank houses or long wooden homes. The bark of trees was also useful to craft baskets, as well as blankets, shoes, and clothing. Tall vertical poles made from trees, called "Totem poles," were carved with the images of familiar animals from the Pacific region to represent their families and their beliefs.
The plentiful wildlife in the rivers, ocean (fish, seals, whales, sea otters), and forests (deer, rabbits) gave the Pacific Northwest American Indians a steady source of food. This wealth allowed these tribes to be very generous during their many celebrations, which usually included a potlatch. The purpose of a potlatch is to give the most gifts to a visitor. It showed the visitor that the giver had enough wealth to give away and great social standing in the community. It also allowed the community to benefit from the wealth of others.
One land bridge was a narrow strip joining where Russia and Alaska are located today. After the Ice Age, when the ice was melted and the water level rose, the land was once again flooded. Over many thousands of years, these original hunters migrated south and throughout the rest of North and South America. We now call the descendants of these hunters and travelers Native Americans or American Indians. There were many small groups of these people and they developed unique cultures based on where they settled and the resources available in those places.
Among the many American Indian civilizations that settled in North America over thousands of years, many tribes settled in the Pacific Northwest region. A region is an area that has one or more features in common. The present day states that would encompass this region are: Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Southern Alaska. In order to understand the Pacific Northwest American Indians, we need to learn about how they interacted with the environment. The geographic theme of human and environment interaction deals with ways in which people use, adapt to, or modify their environment.
Because of the location along the Pacific coast, there were many natural resources available to these American Indians. The natural resources of a region are the natural materials (timber, fresh water, minerals, etc.) that people use in different ways to meet their needs.
Resources such as trees, wildlife, rivers, and the Pacific Ocean all played an important part in the development of the culture of Pacific Northwest tribal groups. One product used from trees is the lumber that was used to build canoes for traveling and plank houses or long wooden homes. The bark of trees was also useful to craft baskets, as well as blankets, shoes, and clothing. Tall vertical poles made from trees, called "Totem poles," were carved with the images of familiar animals from the Pacific region to represent their families and their beliefs.
The plentiful wildlife in the rivers, ocean (fish, seals, whales, sea otters), and forests (deer, rabbits) gave the Pacific Northwest American Indians a steady source of food. This wealth allowed these tribes to be very generous during their many celebrations, which usually included a potlatch. The purpose of a potlatch is to give the most gifts to a visitor. It showed the visitor that the giver had enough wealth to give away and great social standing in the community. It also allowed the community to benefit from the wealth of others.