Welcome Thank you for purchasing from A Journey Through Learning. We hope that you enjoy our unit study entitled North American Indians. Getting started is easy. First, take the time to just browse through the pages to familiarize yourself with the layout. In this book, you will find several topics about North American Indians and their way of life. Each topic has an: * information page * activity page(s) * vocabulary study Information Page Each of the topics has an information page to read to your child. You will notice that some of the words in the information pages are underlined. Vocabulary Study The underlined words are vocabulary words. Read each sentence that contains the vocabulary word very carefully. It is important that your child hear the vocabulary words in context. Ask your child if he/she can get the meaning of the word from listening to the sentence it is contained in. Next, turn to the vocabulary pages in the back of the book. Here you will find an area for your child to write down the actual definition of each vocabulary word. Vocabulary study increases your child s knowledge of the topic! Activity Page When your study of the topic is complete, it is time to go on to the activity that correlates with the topic. Some of these activities are more for fun while others are more challenging. All of them will enrich your child s understanding and knowledge of each topic. We hope you and your child are blessed by this study! Please check our website frequently for new products! www.ajourneythroughlearning.com Thanks again, Paula Winget Nancy Fileccia Copyright 2008 A Journey Through Learning LLC
Table of Contents Indian Regions Lewis and Clark Sacagawea The First Americans Apache Indians Geronimo Caddo Indians Cherokee Indians Trail of Tears Chinook Indians Chumash Indians Natchez Indians Nez Perce Indians Pequot Indians Pocahontas Powhatan Indians Squanto Sioux Indians Wampanoag Indians Homes Food Clothing Moccasins Headdresses Money Uses of the Buffalo Communication Wild Horses War Paint Powwows Rain Dances Weapons War Shields
The Caddo Indians The Caddo Indians lived in east and northeast Texas. This region of Texas is called the pine forest. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean across the South and into East Texas. The Caddo Indians were farmers. Their farms and villages were near flowing creeks or springs with fresh water. They were considered sedentary because they lived in permanent housing. Unlike most Indians who moved to follow the herds of buffalo or other animals, they stayed in one place. They lived off their crops. They planted corn, beans, and squash. They also hunted deer, turkey, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals in the woods around them. The main food source for them was the buffalo. They did not waste any part of the animal. They would dry the meat to preserve it. This way they would have meat even in the middle of winter. They used the skins to make robes and clothing. The hair was used for blankets. The Caddo Indians were, for the most part, a friendly tribe. They did not have many enemies to the west and south of them. However, the Osage Indians that lived to the north were their enemies. The Caddo Indians did not live in teepees like most Indians. They lived in tall, cone-shaped, grass huts. The huts were made from a wood frame and covered with cut cane and long grasses. Inside the huts was nice hand-made furniture and floors covered with woven grass and split cane mats. Many families usually lived together in one hut. The Caddo Indians made and used farming tools in their fields. They had hoes, shovels, axes, saws, and drills. For weapons, they had bows and arrows.
Caddo What does the tribal name mean? What foods did they grow? What habitat did they live in? Draw a picture or find on one the internet. Who were their enemies? What weapons did they use? Draw a picture or find on the internet. What region of the United States did they live in? Color the region on the map. What animals did they hunt? List them on the pelt.
The Caddo Indians were great farmers. They were very advanced in the tools that they used. They are known to have had tools like hoes and digging sticks. Because they lived in the woods, they had many wood working tools like axes, plains, drills and saws. They made beautiful polished stone axes. For weapons, they had bows and arrows. Using clay and sticks, see what tools you can come up with. Draw a picture of your tool. Write what your tool would have been use for.
Trail of Tears The Cherokee Indians once lived in the valley of what is now the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia and the Carolinas during the nineteenth century. Around this same time, the pioneer settlers began moving into the same territory. The Cherokee was one of the largest tribes in the east. The settlers voiced a concern about the land on which the Cherokee lived, feeling that the Cherokee took up too much of the land. In 1830, Congress passed The Indian Removal Act. This stated that the Indians could be forced to leave their land if the U.S. government told them to. In 1835, the Indians were forced to sign the Treaty Party. In this treaty, the Indians agreed to give up all the land east of the Mississippi River in exchange for Indian Territory in Oklahoma. In the summer of 1838, the government forced about 16,000 Cherokee to leave their homes and go to Oklahoma. They walked 1,200 miles through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. During this time, they endured torrential rains and other inclement weather conditions and inadequate food, water, and clothing. Along the difficult journey, the Cherokee faced starvation, disease, and exhaustion. By the time they reached their new home, over 4,000 Cherokee Indians had died. Today this route is called, "The Trail of Tears."
Trail of Tears The Cherokee Indians once lived in the valley of what is now the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia and the Carolinas during the nineteenth century. Around this same time, the pioneer settlers began moving into the same territory. The Cherokee was one of the largest tribes in the east. The settlers voiced a concern about the land on which the Cherokee lived, feeling that the Cherokee took up too much of the land. In 1830, Congress passed The Indian Removal Act. This stated that the Indians could be forced to leave their land if the U.S. government told them to. In 1835, the Indians were forced to sign the Treaty Party. In this treaty, the Indians agreed to give up all the land east of the Mississippi River in exchange for Indian Territory in Oklahoma. In the summer of 1838, the government forced about 16,000 Cherokee to leave their homes and go to Oklahoma. They walked 1,200 miles through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. During this time, they endured torrential rains and other inclement weather conditions and inadequate food, water, and clothing. Along the difficult journey, the Cherokee faced starvation, disease, and exhaustion. By the time they reached their new home, over 4,000 Cherokee Indians had died. Today this route is called, "The Trail of Tears."
Trace the path that the Cherokee Indians traveled. In the circles, write 5 things that you have learned about the Trail of Tears journey.
Nez Pierce Indians The Nez Pierce Indians or Plains Indians were skillful at herding and using horses. They spent their days roaming the plains hunting buffalo. The buffalo was their means of survival. Every part of it was used for something. As the buffalo moved on looking for food, the Nez Pierce moved with them. They were nomads, meaning that they moved from place to place. Because they were constantly on the move, their homes had to be able to move with them. The Nez Perce lived in portable homes called "tipis." The tipis were made from buffalo skins. Long poles were grouped together and tied with string at the top. It was then covered with the dry hide from buffalo. The Nez Pierce Indians were known for the breast shields that they wore. The shields were made from the dentalium shells. Men's breastplates came down to the waist. Some women and girls were wealthy enough to have breastplates that hung to the ground. They were sometimes trimmed with bells and jingles and were very heavy. The Nez Pierce Indians are most noted for their unusually peaceful relationship with Americans. Tipis
Nez Perce Breastplate Craft You can make a breastplate with these materials: White tag board or poster board Yarn Stapler Colored markers Scissors Hole punch Cut two side strips from the tag board; they should measure 10 inches by 1 inch. Cut 10 more strips that measure 8 inches by ½ inch. Staple the narrow strips onto the two wide strips along sides, spacing the strips about ½ inch apart. Punch a hole at the top of the side strips and tie on enough yarn to go around your neck. Cut two 6-inch pieces of yarn. Punch a hole at the bottom of the side strips, loop the yarn through the hole, and knot it to hang as a tassel. Use markers to color the center sections of the strips to look like colored beads and bone sections. You can add real beads or bells or feathers for decoration if you want to.
These are some of the foods that the Nez Perce Indians ate. Ingredients Fry Bread Water (you can never tell the exact amount, just add until dough is elastic like) probably about 2 cups 1 tsp. salt 2 tbs. sugar 2 cups powdered sugar 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 6 cups flour Oil for frying Directions Mix ingredients and knead dough (not for long). Let rise for about 10 minutes. Make pieces about 1/2 in. Thick (if you like thick fry bread). Poke a hole in the middle of the dough before you fry it. Fry in oil until golden brown. Note: When bread is done, put butter on it and sprinkle with sugar Corn Cakes Ingredients 3/4 cup flour 1 1/4 cups milk muffin tin 4 tbsp sugar 2 eggs 2 bowls (large & small) 1/4 cup oil 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal whisk Directions 4 tbsp baking powder Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin with butter or use cupcake papers. Put the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and baking powder in large bowl & mix well with whisk. In smaller bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and oil together. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients. Mix well until smooth (1 min or less). Spoon into muffin tins filling cups 1/2 full and bake for 15-20 min., or until corncakes are golden yellow and light brown around the edges. Cool for 5 min. before removing from tins or serving.
Vocabulary Caddo Indians sedentary preserve woven The Cherokee circular blowguns buckskin Trail of Tears forced inclement inadequate