Study 1 Indigenous North America and Early Contact with 12 free online flashcards. Review key terms, definitions, and concepts with this interactive flashcard deck.
What characterized Indigenous societies in North America before European contact?
North America was home to many distinct Indigenous nations and communities, each with its own languages, histories, political traditions, and relationships to particular homelands.
What activities supported many Arctic and Subarctic communities?
Arctic and Subarctic communities relied on combinations of hunting, fishing, and gathering.
How was the Haudenosaunee Confederacy organized?
It united several nations through a system of council and consensus.
What moved along Indigenous trade networks?
Trails and waterways connected communities over long distances, carrying foods, tools, materials, and ideas.
Why was early European contact not a single shared event?
Contact began at different times in different places; it was not one encounter shared by all Native nations.
What was one devastating effect of diseases introduced from Europe?
Diseases introduced from Europe caused catastrophic loss of life in many Indigenous communities.
How did Indigenous peoples respond to colonization and its lasting effects?
They responded through resistance, negotiation, adaptation, and preservation of cultural practices; Native nations survived and continue to maintain their cultures, communities, and political identities.
How did coastal resources shape life along the Northwest Coast?
Abundant fish and other coastal resources supported settled villages and extensive exchange networks.
What supported many communities in the Southwest?
Many cultivated maize and lived in established villages, using farming methods suited to local conditions.
Name two features of Ancestral Puebloan communities.
Ancestral Puebloan communities built multistory dwellings and used irrigation and other farming methods suited to local conditions.
How did many Northeast and Southeast communities obtain food?
Many combined farming with hunting, fishing, and gathering.
How did Native nations respond strategically to European newcomers?
Native nations made strategic choices, including seeking trade goods, building or changing alliances, and defending their people and homelands.