ASL Native American History for Kids

Native Americans. Do you know who the first people to live in America were? People think it was Christopher Columbus and his crew. Others think it was European settlers or people that came to live here from Europe. But it was actually the Native Americans. Native means they were born in America, though it wasn't called America at the time. This was long before it became the United States. They were here much earlier than Columbus. When Columbus discovered America and its people, he named the people Indians because he thought he was in India. You may have heard other people call them Indians too. The correct term for how we refer to them is Native Americans. The Native Americans lived in both North and South America, including Alaska and Hawaii. There were different tribes and cultures who lived in different parts of the country. A tribe usually consisted of families or communities that spoke the same language and had common beliefs. They also shared the same customs or traditions. Some well-known tribes include the Cherokee, Apache, Cheyenne, Iroquois, the Ute Nation, and Navajo Nation. There were many other tribes as well. Each tribe has its own type of home, foods they ate, tools, clothing, and more. The tribes are no different than people across the world today who have their own cultures and customs. Most historians believe the tribes were quite peaceful before the arrival of Columbus and other Europeans. Native Americans designed their homes according to the weather and area where they lived. A tipi was built using long poles for the frame or structure. The poles were tied together in a bundle at the top. Each of the legs or poles was then spread out, creating a large circle at the bottom. The poles were then wrapped with buffalo hide to protect the people from the weather and to keep them warm. The tipis could easily be taken down and put back up again, making it the perfect house for people who moved a lot. A wigwam was about 8 to 10 feet tall. Like the tipi, it was also made from wooden frames. These frames were covered with sheets of bark from a birch tree. Native Americans also used birch bark to cover canoes because it was waterproof and strong. It was also used for other things like baskets. A wigwam was more rounded than a tipi. Some wigwams were covered with grass. Those were called grass houses. Grass houses were much larger than a wigwam. A longhouse was a permanent home. Unlike the tipi, it was not moved from place to place. It was built from wood and bark in the shape of a rectangle. Holes were created in the roof to allow air to escape. There were doors on both ends of the house, similar to many houses today. Tall poles from trees were curved and then used to create the roof. These houses were also covered with bark. Longhouses were about 80 feet long and 18 feet wide and could hold about 20 people. A pueblo was a home built right into the side of a cliff, which is why it was also called a cliff dwelling. These homes were built of bricks made from clay. They sometimes were built inside of caves. Some pueblos were four or five stories high. Ladders were used to go from floor to floor. These houses could hold many people. Some other types of Native American homes were wattle and daub, plank house, igloo, and chickie. The materials used to build homes depend on where the tribes lived and what was available to use. The clothing that the Native Americans wore were also different from tribe to tribe. If an area where Native Americans lived was warm like Arizona, then less clothing was warm because of the heat. In contrast, if it was a cold area like Alaska, clothing was layered for warmth. A common material for clothing was animal skins. The soft leather of the animal hides was used for shoes as well as covering for some of their homes. Plants and cotton were also used for clothing. Native Americans used the resources around them like plants, bark, and roots to create dye. They used the dyes to color their clothing, baskets, mats, and other items. Many tribes hunted buffalo or caribou for food as well as deer and rabbits. Fishing was widely used to provide food for villages that were close to rivers or streams. Spears, nets, and fish traps were made to catch the fish. In cold regions like Alaska, ice fishing was common. A small hole was cut into the ice and long spears were used to catch the fish. Farming was important to many of the tribes, especially in warmer climates. Main crops included corn, beans, and squash. Native Americans created many beautiful works of art. Pottery is the process of using clay to create handmade pieces. These works of art were not only beautiful but very useful. Pottery was used to store grain and other foods. It was also used to collect water. Colorful baskets, blankets, and carvings such as totem poles or sculptures carved into large tree trunks were created. Some tribes like the Navajo and Pueblo were famous for sand paintings. Native Americans also had traditions which included religious and other ceremonies. Stories, music, dancing, games, and sports were enjoyed. Like every people and culture in the world, the Native Americans lived, worked, and played based on their beliefs and customs. Native Americans still live throughout the United States today. Hope you had fun learning with us. Visit us at learnbright.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.