Page 181 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

Native Americans SEE ALSO

▸ ▸ Arctic p.25
▸ ▸ Art p.28
People first moved from Asia into the Americas more ▸ ▸ Dance p.76
than 25,000 years ago. When Europeans first arrived in ▸ ▸ North America
the Americas in the late 1400s, there are thought to have p.184

been 50 million people already living there in tribes. ▸ ▸ Religion p.208
These people are known as Native Americans. ▸ ▸ Homes
pp.244–245

The center
of this mask
shows the Cultural areas
sun god.
There were once hundreds of Native
American tribes, each with its own
traditions. This map shows the ten
Native American cultural areas. The
tribes of each area often shared similar
customs or ways of life.

KEY
Art and beliefs Plateau Southeast
Native Americans had many gods and beliefs. By the early
16th century,
Some rituals involved dance, and people the Native American Northwest Southwest
often expressed their beliefs through art. population had fallen to Arctic Plains
For example, the Bella Coola tribe used this
carved mask for dance ceremonies. only 400,000 Subarctic Great Basin
due to disease
brought by the Northeast California
Europeans.

Homes
Native Americans lived in
different kinds of homes.
Northeast farmers had
Finding food longhouses, which were
Some tribes grew crops such as potatoes, corn, homes built for several
or tomatoes. Other tribes relied on hunting wild families. Plains hunters
animals, such as buffalo, or gathering plants. used tents called tepees.

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