Ch. 1: Native American Groups

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Ch. 1 Native American Groups

• Vocabulary
• conquistadors, habitat, nomad, origins, clan,
  confederacy

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Ancient South and Central American Civilizations

• Olmecs
• Maya
• Aztecs
• Inca

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Olmecs

• Olmecs are the first recorded civilization in
  Central America and Mexico.
• The Olmec civilization led to the rise of the
  Mayan and Aztec Empires

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Maya

• The Mayan empire followed the Olmecs in power.
• They were eventually overthrown by the Aztec
  Empire.

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Aztecs

• The Aztecs civilization was centered around the
  valley where present day Mexico City is located.
• Their capitol was named Tenochtitlán
  (Ten-o-chit-lan).
• The Spanish conquistadors, led by Cortez,
  travelled to the Aztec Empire.
• The Aztecs performed ritual human sacrifice as
  part of their religion.
• When the conquistadors discovered them they tried
  to get them to stop, because killing people was
  against the Spanish religion (Christianity)
• Eventually it led to the Spanish conquering the
  Aztec Empire and taking control of what is now
  Mexico.

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Early People of North America

• There are two different ideas about the origins
  of Native Americans on the continent of North
  America
• 1. Scientists say The Natives travelled from
  Asia over the land bridge that grew out of ice
  across the Bering Strait during the last ice age,
  or travelled by boat.
• 2. Some Native People say We have always lived
  here. This is where we come from.

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The Ancient People of Tennessee

• Paleo-Indians
• Archaic Indians
• Mississippi Mound Builders
• Cherokee
• Creek (Muscogee)
• Chickasaw

• Archaeologists Uncovering a Native Settlement in
  Tennessee

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Paleo-Indians

• Archaeologists call the prehistoric nomads of
  Tennessee the Paleo-Indians
• Paleo-Indians mostly lived in caves.
• They developed fishhooks and spearheads for
  hunting and fishing for big game, like mammoths
  and giant bison.

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Archaic Indians

• The Archaic Indians developed a tool called an
  atlatl that allowed them to throw their spears
  father and more accurately.

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Mississippi Mound Builders

• The Mississippi Mound Builders built their
  settlements around rivers, like the Mississippi.
• Archaeologists first found evidence of farms
  during the time of the Mississippi Mound
  Builders.
• They built gigantic earth mounds (as much as
  seven stories high).
• Inside the mounds archaeologists have found
  people remains, spears, jewelry, wooden carvings,
  and food containers.

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Cherokee

• One of the three tribes that were located in
  Tennessee when it became a state.
• The Cherokee tribe is made up of seven clans
  Wolf, Paint, Deer, Bird, Wild Potato, Blue, and
  Longhair.
• Cherokee children learned valuable skills from
  adults during the day.
• Boys learned how to make blow guns, darts, and
  weapons and tools from flint. They learned how
  to make cabins and canoes. They also learned how
  to hunt and be warriors for the tribe.
• Girls learned how to weave baskets, make jewelry,
  cook, and take care of their younger siblings.
  They also learned how to gather food from the
  forest, like nuts and berries.

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Creek (Muscogee)

• One of the three tribes that were located in
  Tennessee when it became a state.
• The Muscogee had a form of government called a
  confederacy, where groups of villages got
  together to decide on major issues.
• It was one of the most advanced forms of
  government north of Mexico.
• The Muscogee were renamed the Creek when they
  were discovered by European explorers for the
  Creeks that they lived next to.

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Chickasaw

• The smallest of the three tribes that were
  located in Tennessee when it became a state.
• Each Chickasaw family had two houses. A summer
  house and winter house.
• They would paint their houses with a white-wash
  mixture, both inside and out.
• They used a poison made of buckeyes, or green
  walnuts for fishing.

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Questions about Chapter 1

• Which group of people performed human sacrifices
  for their religion?
• What type of tool did the Archaic Indians
  develop?
• Where did most Native Americans build their
  villages?
• During the Mississippian period the Native
  Americans built what type of structure?
• Where did Paleo-Indians live?
• What were the three groups of Native Americans
  that lived in Tennessee during the time of
  statehood?
• What are the seven clans of the Cherokee?