Mystery Group #1 Follow the clues to determine identity and location
Shelter Some members of this group built permanent homes of stone. Many others constructed ice houses called igloos built on the ice in the winter. During the summers, the families lived in tents made of animal skins or in huts made of driftwood.
Food Most lived as hunters of sea mammals. They have survived for thousands of years by hunting whales, seals, and walrus, and fishing, though holes in the ice using harpoon-like spears. They also hunted polar bears and caribou. Meat from all the animals was, of course, eaten for food. During the summer months they often collected bird eggs and plants that could not be found during the winter.
Clothing/Additional Information Nearly every part of the animal killed was used for tools, clothing, or other things. Skins of seals and polar bears were made into parkas (coats), pants and boots. Bones of whale and walrus were fashioned into weapons or tools such as needles to sew clothing. Blubber from the whales was used to make oil for lamps, soap, or cooking margarine. Whale teeth were used to carve pictures and became a popular art form called scrimshaw. Even the animal intestines were put to use as waterproof clothing that kept the them dry. Animal tendons, or sinew, were used as thread to sew animal hides together. Masks with thin slits over the eyes were used to prevent snow blindness.
Transportation A one-man boat called a kayak was made from a wooden frame covered with walrus hides. This small boat could move quietly through the water, allowing the hunter to come close to his prey without being heard. They depended on dog-sleds during the winter months. The sled was usually made of wood and was pulled by 2 to 14 huskies. They also used snowshoes to walk on the deep snow.
Mystery Group #2 Follow the clues to determine identity and location
Shelter Their homes were known to be very sturdy and large. Made of planks from cedar trees, they were both wide and long and put together with wooden pegs. Although there were no windows, there was a small hole in the roof to let fire out and fresh air inside. Most homes were built right along the seashore. If it was built by the tribe, the chief was in charge of assigning who lived in each house. If it was built by an individual, he and his family lived in that longhouse. However, if the owner of the house died, it was often burned to the ground for fear of the owner s spirit haunting the family if they remained in the house.
Food There was no shortage of food sources in this area. Deer, moose and elk are just a few of the many animals these Indians hunted on land. The sea, however, is where they got most of their plentiful food supply. They enjoyed various types of fish including Salmon, in addition to shellfish, whale, sea lion, porpoise, seal, and sea otter. They also gathered wild berries, roots, and other plants. The sheer abundance of food made these tribes wealthy.
Clothing This group wore very little clothing, except when it was cold. In the warmer months, men would often go naked, and women would only wear bark skirts.the women made most of the clothing out of softened cedar wood or bark, animal leather, and wool.they wore bark capes and spruce hats as protection against the rain. Necklaces made of beaver teeth, bear claws, and clamshells were popular and symbolized wealth.
Transportation Massive canoes were carved from cedar trees. The canoes were known to hold massive amounts of fish in addition to about 20 warriors. They had to cut down the cedar tree Then split the log in half, without cracking it They burned and scraped out the middle Then filled the hole with water They put hot rocks in the water, which made the water boil, softening the wood for carving
Additional Information This group used totem poles to tell stories, but they did not create the first totem poles. Totem poles were brought to them through trade and they loved them so, they started creating their own. Because they had no written language, the totem poles were a very important part of their culture. The totem poles allowed them to record stories, legends, and myths through images. Beautiful and intricate cedar dance masks were carved out of wood. They were often used in storytelling at ceremonies. Some masks even had a second carved face inside the first to unmask as a story was told.
Additional Information Usually held in winter months, the potlatch was one of the most common traditions. The feast was a way to show off wealth. Dancing, gift-giving, storytelling, and eating were all part of the ceremony. The ceremony usually corresponded with a person's change in social status, for example, marriage, birth, death, and coming of age. It included a feast, singing and costumed dancers, and some potlatches lasted as long as two to three weeks. Each person invited to a Potlatch received gifts related to their social rank. Some examples of gifts: canoes, slaves, and carved dishes. The more wealth that a family gave away (as gifts), the more prestige was bestowed on them.
Mystery Group #3 Follow the clues to determine identity and location
Shelter There were two different styles of housing that Native Americans lived in this region. Longhouses: This style of housing was built with Elm tree bark covering pole frames. These houses were very long, with raised platforms inside, creating two floors in the homes. Wood screens divided the longhouses into separate rooms because many families lived in them together. About 60 people would live in one house. Wigwams: These shelters were round, wooden-framed structures, covered in bark. Wigwams were much smaller than Longhouses. Only one family lived in a wigwam.
Food The typical diet consists of animal meat such as deer, rabbit, and bear. Additionally, they enjoyed a host of delicious nuts, and berries, and farmed beans, and vegetables (corn and squash). Both males and females worked in the fields. With their young children attached to their back, mothers would plant seeds and harvest the fields. Men would teach the boys how to hunt and catch fish. Their diets also included eggs, nuts and wild fruits gathered by the women, as well as maple syrup a popular sweet treat.
Clothing Clothing was made from the pelts (animal skin with the hair or fur still on it) of animals they ate. For example, some wore shirts, leggings and moccasins made of buckskin (animal skin without the fur or hair) during the winter. The women wore skirts woven out of wild grass and covered with furs. They wore leggings underneath. During the hot weather, men only wore a loincloth (a small piece of buckskin between their legs and tucked into a belt) and women wore their grass dresses. Children wore nothing. They painted their faces and bodies. Some men wore silver nose rings and earrings. The men would even cut slits into their ears and wrap the skin in coils of silver wire. The weight of the metal would stretch the skin into great loops, which were admired. Some of them hung down two or three inches. Some men pulled or plucked out most of their hair except for a square or round patch that covered the crown or top part of the head.
Transportation The tribes lived near water for transportation purposes. In general, they fashioned birchbark canoes or dug out canoes from tree trunks. On land, the natives traveled on foot and carried their cargo on their backs, having no pack animals. Dogs were their sole domesticated animals. They used snowshoes in the winter.
Other information Small beads made from quahog shells, called wampum, were used by many. Beads were woven into belt to serve as memory aids when sharing stories and history with younger members of the tribe. Many groups in this area were matrilineal. Women had a lot of power. Although they could not be the chiefs themselves, they were responsible for choosing a group of male council members to lead the tribe.
Mystery Group #4 Follow the clues to determine identity and location
Shelter Some of the tribes lived in round homes much like wigwams - made from logs and sticks, then covered with grass. There was a hole in the top so light could enter. A few tribes had two-storey frame houses covered with bark, others had thatch-roofed houses.
Food They farmed corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes. They also had wild hogs,opossums, raccoons, squirrels, deer, rabbit,, bear, alligators, turtles and fish. Turkey was a regular meal as well as veggies. Corn was used to make cornbread and grits.
Clothing Men did not wear much other than simple loincloths made of deer hide in the warm summer months along with moccasins on their feet. In the cooler weather, they added to fur to their moccasins and wore deerskin shirts and leggings, and fur robes and hats. Women usually wore short deerskin skirts in the warm months and like the men, they wore fur or animal hide robes that were sometimes decorated with jewelry porcupine quills, and feathers to indicate their status.
Transportation These Indians mostly traveled by foot. They also built dugout canoes. They made the canoes from trees from the nearby forests. They chopped down the trees. Then they used tools to dig out the wood and shape it into a canoe. Sometimes the water in the river or stream was not very deep. Then they used long poles to push the canoes along in the water.
Additional information These Indians loved to play Lacrosse. In fact they may be the ones who invented it! The balls were made of deer hair wrapped with strips of deer hide. To get a point, the ball had to go through two tall posts. Indians who lived here also liked to weave. They used plants and grasses to weave baskets, mats, and skirts.
Mystery Group #5 Follow the clues to determine identity and location
Shelter These Native Americans lived in homes called pueblos. They were made of Adobe. Adobe is a mixture of clay and straw that is formed into bricks and dried in the sun. These shelters were usually built on cliffs that had large, shallow caves. These houses had many levels in them. These homes housed one family, but the homes were connected together so many families lived next door to each other. Wooden or bone ladders were used to reach higher buildings and rooms. At night, the ladder was taken inside so enemies could not get in.
Food There weren't a lot of animals in the region so the Indians didn't often hunt for food. Instead, they were farmers. Most were traditionally farmers and lived in permanent homes. Due to the harsh environment farming was challenging and usually required irrigation. They dug ditches to collect water for their crops. One of the most important foods they grew was maize. They grew 24 different types of corn. They also grew beans, squash, melons, pumpkins and fruit. They also ate cactus. For meat, they often ate wild turkeys.
Clothing These Native Americans did not wear much clothing. They used their long hair to cover their bodies. Moccasins were usually worn on the feet. Some tribes also grew cotton to use for clothing when the weather got cold.
Transportation These Indians traveled by foot. There were many mesas and cliffs. The Indians dug holes in the sides of the mesas and cliffs. Then they put their hands and feet in the holes so they could climb them. There were not many rivers so they did not need canoes. They used baskets to carry things and dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry heavy loads.
Other information These Indians are famous for their beautiful traditional baskets. These baskets are colorful and have beautiful patterns. The indigenous people of this region have been using the same basic method of basket making for thousands of years. Baskets dating back to 6,000 B.C. have been found in this region. Some of the tribes in this area carved Kachina dolls, which were spirits from ancestors who returned with the clouds and rain. They believed the spirits once lived among them but were offended and left. Kachina dolls were made from wood and had masks and costumes to look like the men who dressed up as Kachina spirits. The Indians used the clay to make pottery. They made bowls and pots. They also liked to make beautiful pictures with sand. This was called sand painting. They used dyes from plants to color the sand. They liked to make sand paintings for special days of the year.
Mystery Group #6 Follow the clues to determine identity and location
Shelter Many of the tribes were nomadic and followed the buffalo migrations which provided their food. These tribes spent a good part of the year living in camps that could easily be dismantled and moved to follow the buffalo migrations. They lived in teepees. A teepee was made from leaning poles together and covering them with buffalo hide. Other tribes stayed in one place. The few tribes that didn't move around lived in dome-shaped grass lodges covered in mud.these tribes lived in permanent villages year round.
Food and additional information Buffalo were extremely important. It was their main food source, the hide was used for shelter and clothing, the bones were used to make weapons and tools, the horns were used for various items including spoons and cups, tails were used as whips, and the buffalo s stomach was used as a container to hold water. The Indians used the natural resources available to them wisely. They only killed the number of buffalo they needed and did not waste what they killed. To kill the buffalo hunters chased the buffalo off a high cliff. Then the hunters below would be able to gather food from it. Another way was to drive the entire flock of animals into a small space then use spears and arrows to shoot them as they pass by. (More animals in a tight space, more likely that spears and arrows can do damage) Buffalo was the main food source but they also hunted other animals like antelope, and elk. Tribes that were not nomadic also farmed.
Clothing Men usually wore animal skin leggings, a loincloth (a small piece of cloth or skin worn between the legs) and a belt (to hold the loin cloth). When it was cold, they wore buffalo skin on their shoulders. Women and girls wore dresses made of deerskin.
Transportation They would transport many of their processions by using the long poles of their tepees, with animal hides strung between them, to create a sled. This sled was named a travois. The travois would be dragged behind horses or dogs. Bullboats, a round watercraft created by stretching a bison skin over a framework of willow withes, were often used to transport large quantities of meat or trade goods downstream.
Additional Information Feathered war bonnets (or headdresses) were a military decoration. A chief's war bonnet was comprised of feathers received for good deeds to his community and worn in high honor. Each feather would represent a good deed. The eagle was considered the greatest and most powerful of all birds and thus, the finest bonnets were made out of its feathers. The bonnet was only worn on special occasions and was highly symbolic. Its beauty was of secondary importance; the bonnet's real value was in its power to protect the wearer. The bonnet had to be earned through brave deeds in battle because the feathers signified the deeds themselves. Some warriors might obtain only two or three honor feathers in their whole lifetime, so difficult were they to earn. A high honor, for example, was received by the warrior who was the first to touch an enemy fallen in battle, for this meant the warrior was at the very front of fighting. Feathers were notched and decorated to designate an event and told individual stories such as killing, scalping, andcapturing an enemy's weapon and shield.