VHS+History+2+The+First+American

Before any European explorers sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, Native Americans lived in North America.



Six major groups lived on the land that is now the United States.



Depending on where they lived, the Native American groups had different ways of life.









The Northwest tribes lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. These Native Americans fished for salmon and built their homes and canoes from redwood trees.

Their neighbors were the Great Basin tribes. These tribes, like the Shoshone and Ute, were hunters and gatherers. They lived in the area between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.











Multi-story buildings were created by the Native Americans of the Southwest.



These structures have lasted over a thousand years. Some of the buildings are four stories tall.



The homes were set up like apartments. They were often built on the sides of cliffs.







The Native Americans who lived on the Great Plains hunted bison. They used the animal for meat, clothing, and coverings for tents.





These groups lived between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. Descendants of these tribes include the Cheyenne, Siuox, and Comanche.

To the east, the Ohio Valley was the home of the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Creek.

The ancestors of this Southeast group were the Mound Builders.

They buried their dead in large mounds shaped like snakes and other animals.





Some of these mounds can still be seen today.

Several groups of Iroquois lived in Eastern Woodlands of the Atlantic Coast. These tribes formed the League of Five Nations. The groups that belonged to the league were the Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Mohawk.









Every year, each tribe sent representatives to meet and make decisions for all Iroquois.

When European settlers claimed more land in North America, the Native Americans faced many challenges.





As settlers moved west, Native Americans were not allowed to stay on their land.

Battles over the land were fought between the Native Americans and the United States Army. Though the Native Americans lost most of their land, their cultures still live on through their descendants.