Marilee's Native Americans Resource

Cherokee Comanche Cree Haida Hopi Inuit Iroquois Navajo

Nez Perce Pomo Seminole Sioux Tlingit Ute Wampanoag Misc. Tribes

Clothing Craft Projects Famous People Housing Legends Maps Recipes Songs, Dances, Games Teaching Aids & Class Projects

Creation stories teach that Native Americans have been where they are since the world was created. It is also thought that First Americans migrated from Siberia over the Bering Strait about 14,000 years ago, or perhaps even earlier. The land bridge was dry ground for several thousand years before the sea level rose again and stopped migration. The hunters would have followed the migrating herds of large mammals as they moved south. As the glaciers melted, the First Americans spread to the North American coasts and across the entire continent. Native Americans adapted to the climates and terrains in which they lived and used whatever natural resources were available.

The arrival of the Europeans in the 1500's began a change in the lives of the Indian people that continued through the next centuries. Sometimes the changes were good. The horses brought by the Spanish made bison hunting much easier and safer. But Vikings, Spanish, English and French explorers, colonists and missionaries spread diseases, made slaves of the people, forced relocations, claimed ownership of natural resources and land, and tried to stamp out the native cultures. Some of the Indian people survived, but not without making drastic changes in their life styles.

If you want to learn about Native Americans as they were before the Europeans arrived, it helps to divide the continent into ten culture groups:

Arctic Aleut, Eskimo, Iglulik, Inuit, Netsilik, Sallirmiut Subarctic Ahtna, Attikamek, Beaver, Beothuk, Carrier, Chilcotin, Chipewyan, Cree, Dogrib, Han, Hare, Holikachuk, Inland Tlingit, Ingalik, Kaska, Kolchan, Koyukon, Kutchin, Lake Winnipeg Saulteaux, Montagnais, Naskapi, Northern Ojibwa, Sekani, Slavey, Tagish, Tahitan, Tanaina, Tanana, Tsetsaut, Tutchone, Yellowknife Northwest Coast Alseans, Athapakskans, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Chemakum, Chinookans, Clatskanie, Coosans, Eyak, Gitksan, Haida, Haihais, Haisla, Kwakiutl, Kalapuyans, Kwalhioqua, Makah, Nishga, Nootkans, Oowekeeno, Quileute, Salish, Siuslawans, Takelma, Tlingit, Tillamook, Tsimshian Plateau Cayuse, Coeur d'Aléne, Columbia Salish, Flathead, Kalispel, Klamath, Klickitat, Kutenai, Lakes, Lillooet, Modoc, Molala, Nez Perce, Nicola, Okanagan, Palus, Sanpoil, Shuswap, Spokane, Tenino, Thompson, Umatilla, Yakima, Walla Walla, Wishram Great Basin Bannock, Kawaiisu, Paiute, Shoshone, Ute, Washo Plains Arikara, Arapaho, Assiniboin, Blackfoot, Caddo, Cheyenne, Comanche, Cree, Crow, Gros Ventre, Hidatsa, Iowa, Kansa, Kiowa, Kiowa-Apache, Kitsai, Lillooet, Lipan Apache, Mandan, Missouri, Ojibwa, Omaha, Osage, Oto, Pawnee, Ponca, Quapaw, Sarci, Sioux (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota), Tonkawa, Wichita Northeast Abenaki, Algonquin, Cayuga, Chippewa, Delaware, Erie, Fox, Huron, Illinois, Iroquois, Kickapoo, Mahican, Maliseet-Passamaquoddy, Mascouten, Miami, Micmac, Menominee, Mohawk, Nanticoke, Neutral, Nipissing, Oneida, Onondaga, Ottawa, Petun, Potawatomi, Sauk, Seneca, Shawnee, Susquehannock, Wampanoag, Wenro, Winnebago California Achurnawi, Atsugewi, Cahto, Cahuilla, Chilula, Chimariko, Churnash, Costanoan, Cupeho, Diegueho, Esselen, Gabrielino, Hupa, Karok, Kashaya, Kitanernuk, Konkow, Lassik, Luiseho, Maidu, Mattole, Miwok, Monache, Nisenan, Nongati, Nornlaki, Patwin, Pomo, Salinan, Serrano, Shasta, Sinkyone, Tataviam, Tolowa, Tubatulabal, Wailaki, Wappo, Whilkut, Wintu, Wiyot, Yana, Yokuts, Yuki, Yurok Southwest Acaxee, Acorna, Chiricahua Apache, Cochimi, Cocopa, Eudeve, Goncho, Guayeura, Guarijio, Guasave, Halchidhorna, Havasupai, Jano, Hopi, Jernez, Jicarilla Apache, Jocome, Jova, Jurnano, Karankawa, Kiliwa, Laguna, Maricopa, Mayo, Mescalero Apache, Mohave, Nakipa, Navajo, Opata, Paipai, Papago, Parne, Pecos, Perico, Pirna, Piro, Quechan, R. Grande Keresans, Seri, Surna, Tahue, Tano, Tarahurnara, Tepehuan, Tewa, Tiwa, Toboso, Tompiro, Tubar, Walapai, Western Apache, Xixime, Yaqui, Yavapai, Zacatec, Zuni Southeast Ais, Alabama, Apalachee, Atakapa, Biloxi, Caddo, CaWsa, Catawba, Chakehiuma, Chatot, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chatot, Chitamacha, Choctaw, Cusaba, Hitchiti, Hourna, Keys, Mobile, Muskogee, Natchez, Ofo, Seminole, Tekesta, Timucua, Tohome, Tunica, Tuleto, Yamasee, Yuchi

Misc. Tribes

• Don Healy's The Flags of the Native Peoples of the United States
  
  
• Minnesota State University EMUseum's Cultures of North America
  
  
• Lee Sultzman's First Nations Histories: a monumental collection of tribal histories, sorted by region
  

• Kathleen Burnett Native American: photos, individual tribe links
  
  
• ThinkQuest's Californian Native Americans. Site created by 3 California students
  
  
• ThinkQuest's American Indians - Clothing, Face Painting, Games and Ceremonies. Site created by students
  
  
• Encarta.msn.com's Native Americans of North America
  
  
• NativeWeb Resource Center's list of US Tribal Websites
  
  
• Poison's collection of Native American Icons
  
  
• Silverhawk's collection of Native American graphics and backgrounds
  
  
• Suggested Children's Books & Videos
  

  Arctic Peoples (Native Americans), by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2001 California Indians (Native Americans), by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2001 Eastern Woodlands Indians (Native Americans), by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2000 Great Basin Indians (Native Americans), by Mir Tamim Ansary, 1999 Legacy of Generations: Pottery by Native American Women (Video) Native American Indians (Video) Native Americans: People of the Great Plains - Part 1, 1994 (Video) Native Americans: The Nations of the Northeast, 1994 (Video) Native Americans: Tribal People of the Northwest, 1994 (Video) Native Americans: Tribes of the Southeast, 1994 (Video) Northwest Coast Indians (Native Americans), by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2000 Plains Indians (Native Americans), by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2000 Plateau Indians (Native Americans), by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2000 Southeast Indians (Native Americans) by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2001 Southwest Indians (Native Americans) by Mir Tamim Ansary, 1999 Subarctic Indians (Native Americans) by Mir Tamim Ansary, 2000

Maps

• Mountain City Elementary's North American Groups: map, student reports.
  
  
• Berkeley Preparatory School: Map of Native North American cultural regions
  
  
  

Clothing

• Tara Prindle's Native Tech: regional overview of clothing styles including illustrations of clothing worn by 39 tribes, footwear (moccasins), accessories (bags & pouches), instructions for hide tanning. Map of U.S. with locations of 39 tribes. Also Southern New England Indian girl virtual paper doll
  
  
• Southern Native American Pow Wows: 9 outfits worn for different dances. Each photo is clickable to see more info and photos
  
  
  
  

Yuko Green's Northwest Indian Girl and Boy Paper Dolls

Kathy Allert's Little Plains Indian Girl Punch-Out Paper Doll

Kathy Allert's Northeastern Indian Girl Sticker Paper Doll

Yuko Green's Southwest Indian Girl and Boy Paper Dolls

Kathy Allert's Southwestern Indian Girl Sticker Paper Doll

Craft Projects

• ThinkQuest Library: crafts from five regions. Photos and instructions.
  
  
• NativeTech's instructions for using leather to make bags ( awl sheath, needle case, strike-a-light, a tobacco pouch ), and puzzle pouches. Also chopper mittens, moccasins, and centerseam moccasins.
  
  
• Tara Prindle's NativeTech: instructions using birchbark to make a miniature canoe, seamless and sewn containers, drinking cups and makaks (sugar containers), water dippers and ladles, full-size and miniature fans.
  
  
• Tara Prindle's Native Tech: instructions using willow to make dreamcatchers, split willow stick deer and dolls.
  
  
• Tara Prindle's Native Tech: instructions using cattails to make mats, dolls, toy ducks, duck decoys.
  
  
• Tara Prindle's Native Tech: instructions using cornhusks to make dolls, bottles.
  
  
• Woven Stitch Crochet Free Pattern: Native American design cross stitch chart>.
  
  
• Teachersfirst.com's instructions for making a cornhusk doll. Also a pinch pot, dreamcatcher and woven belt or sash
  
  
• Odawa Canoe: Public Museum of Grand Rapid's printable canoe.
  
  
• Mountain City Elementary's Eastern Woodland Crafts. Also Southwest, Plains, Inuit, Northwest Coastal Indian Crafts
  
  
• Austin Community College: Making a Seminole Patchwork Bookmark.
  
  
• EnchantedLearning.com: Make a tepee, totem pole, Kachina doll, rattle, dreamcatcher, and paper canoe
  
  
• Southwestern Native American Pow Wows' Craft How-to: changes monthly. Current craft is Lane (Lazy) Stitch Beadwork. Also Wing Fan instructions and photo examples
  
  
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts Surrounded by Beauty: arts and crafts of Native America organized by five regions
  
  
• Suggested Children's Books
  

  More Than Moccasins: A Kid's Activity Guide to Traditional North American Indian Life by Laurie Carlson, 1994 Native American Crafts of California, the Great Basin, and the Southwest (Native American Crafts) by Judith Hoffman Corwin, 2003 Native American Crafts of the Northeast and Southeast (Native American Crafts) by Judith Hoffman Corwin, 2003 Native American Crafts of the Northwest Coast, the Arctic and the Subarctic (Native American Crafts) by Judith Hoffman Corwin, 2003 Native American Crafts of the Plains and Plateau (Native American Crafts) by Judith Hoffman Corwin, 2003 Native Crafts: Inspired by North America's First Peoples (Kids Can Do It) by Maxine Trottier, 2000 North American Indians (Make It Work!) by Andrew Haslam, 2001

Famous People

• Black Kettle (?-1868): PBS.com
  
  
• Black Hawk / Makataimeshekiakiak (1767-1838): Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
  
  
• Black Hawk: Andre Asson's Native American site
  
  
• Chief Joseph / Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt (1840-1904): Powersource.com, PBS.com
  
  
• Chief Joseph: Andre Asson's Native American site
  
  
• Crazy Horse / Tashunca-uitco (around 1832-1877): PBS.com
  
  
• Crazy Horse: Andre Asson's Native American site
  
  
• Geronimo / Goyathlay (1829-1909): Indians.org
  
  
• Geronimo: Andre Asson's Native American site
  
  
• Looking Glass / Allalimya Takanin (1849-1877): PBS.com
  
  
• Sacagawea ( around 1790-1812 or later): PBS.com
  
  
• Sitting Bull / Tatanka-Iyotanka (1831-1890): PBS.com
  
  
• Kidshotline.com's Native American Biographies For Kids
  
  
• Mountain City Elementary's Famous Native Americans: Black Hawk, Chief Joseph, Osceola, Pocahontas, Pontiac, Sacajawea, Sequoyah, Sitting Bull, Squanto
  
  
• Nativeamericans.com's Native American Biographies
  
  
• Suggested Children's Books
  

  Chief Joseph: Nez Perce Peacekeeper (Famous Native Americans), by Diane Shaughnessy, Jack carpenter, 1998 Chief Ouray: Ute Peacemaker (Famous Native Americans), by Diane Shaughnessy, Jack Carpenter, 1998 Pocahontas: Powhatan Princess (Famous Native Americans), by Diane Shaughnessy, Jack Carpenter, 1998 Pocahontas: An American Princess Princess (All Aboard Reading), by Joyce Milton, Shelly Hehenberger, 2000 Sacajawea: Shoshone Trailblazer (Famous Native Americans) by Diane Shaughnessy, Jack Carpenter, 1998 Sacajawea: Her True Story (All Aboard Reading) by Joyce Milton, Shelly Hehenberger, 2001 Sequoyah: Inventor of the Cherokee Written Language (Famous Native Americans) by Diane Shaughnessy, Jack Carpenter, 1998 Sitting Bull: Courageous Sioux Chief (Famous Native Americans) by Diane Shaughnessy, Jack Carpenter, 1998

Housing

• Paula Giese's Map of North American Precontact Housing: pictures of 12 different housing types
  
  
• Dee Finney's Native American Housing
  
  
• Suggested Children's Books
  

  Native Homes (Native Nations of North America), by Bobbie Kalman, 2001 Igloo (Native American Homes) by Yasmine A. Cordoba, illus by Kimberly L. Dawson Kurnizki, 2001 Longhouse (Native American Homes) by Cynthia Breslin Beres, illus by Kimberly L. Kawson Kurnizki, 2001 Plank House (Native American Homes) by Dolores A. Dyer, illus by Kimberly L. Dawson Kurnizki, 2001 Tipi (Native American Homes) by McCrea Adams, illus by Kimberly L. Dawson Kurnizki, 2001

  
  
  

Legends

• StoneE's Native American Lore: Over 130 stories
  
  
• Dinetah's Stories from the Blanket Weaving Woman: 8 Navajo, Hopi, and Pueblo stories. Also 15 Stories of Creation and Origin
  
  
• Glen Welker's Indigenous Peoples' Literature: Over 100 stories & legends.
  
  
• Paula Giese's Aadizookaanag - Traditional stories, legends and myths organized by tribe
  
  
• The Native American Bedtime-Story Collection: 11 stories
  
  
• Tales of Wonder: 10 stories
  
  
• Gateway BSA: 19 Native American stories
  
  
• ThinkQuest Library: Summaries of 19 picturebook legends written. Site created by kids for kids. Includes a wordsearch
  
  
• Hopi Information Network: Rabbit Shoots the Sun
  
  
• Literacy Materials: How the Bees Got Their Stinger
  
  
• Suggested Books and Videos
  

  The Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths by Jean Guard Monroe, 1987 Tales of Wonder - Native American Stories for Children (video), 1999

Recipes

• Native Way Cookbook: The Cookbook of the Grandmothers - extensive collection of recipes, both traditional and contemporary
  
  
• Paula Giese's Native Recipes: 7 fry bread, 10 wild rice, 5 maple syrup, 14 corn, 6 beans/greens, 7 squash/pumpkin, 3 deer, 12 fruit/berries, 7 teas, 2 chocolate, links
  
  
• Tara Prindle's Native Tech: over 150 recipes submitted by site visitors plus recipes for Seneca roast corn soup & succotash.
  
  
• Oneida Indian Nation Native Foods's Three Sisters Cookbook: 13 corn, 16 bean, 16 squash recipes
  
  
• RecipeSource Native American Recipes: 32 recipes
  
  
• Native Peoples Magazine's Recipes
  
  
• Andre Asson's Native American Recipes
  
  
• Gutsy Gourmet's Native American Recipes
  
  
• Native Peoples Magazine's Recipes
  
  
• Cooking Post's Traditional Native American Recipes
  
  
• Bruce's Kwakuitl Recipes from 1914: boiled halibut bones/heads, whale, salmon guts, sea slugs, salmon
  
  
• Fourth World Documentation Project: 2 sececa recipes from the Woodland Culture Area
  
  
• TeachersFirst.com: 3 recipes
  
  

Yeffe Kimball's The Art of American Indian Cooking: Over 150 Delicious, Authentic & Traditional Dishes from Five North American Regions

Carolyn J. Niethammer's American Indian Cooking: Recipes from the Southwest

Beverly Cox's Spirit of the Harvest : North American Indian Cooking

Juanita Tiger Kavena's Hopi Cookery

Earl Mills's Cape Cod Wampanoag Cookbook: Traditional New England & Indian Recipes, Images & Lore

Songs, Dances & Games

• Southern Native American Pow Wows: history, etiquette, terminology, drums & songs, dance styles, terminology, links
  
  
• Native American Sounds: wav files
  
  
• Tara Prindle's NativeTech: more than 20 games and toys including online games. Also Virtual American Indian paper doll
  
  
• Education World's Ball and Triangle Game
  
  
• Suggested Songs, Dances & Games Books
  

  American Indian Games (True Book) by Jay Miller, 1997 Eagle Drum: On the Powwow Trail With a Young Grass Dancer by Robert Crum, 1994 Indian Games and Dances With Native Songs: Arranged from American Indian Ceremonial by Alice C. Fletcher, 1994 Handbook of American Indian Games by Allan and Paulette MacFarlan, 1985 How to Dance Native American Style: Beginning Steps (video) Modern Fancy Dancer by Scott C. Evans, J. Rex Reddick (illus) 1998 North American Indian Games (Watts Library: Indians of the Americas) by Madelyn Klein Anderson, 2000 Powwow: A Good Day to Dance written & photograhed by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, 1998

Teaching Aids & Class Projects

• Project Willow: Nevada Washoe lesson plans
  
  
• Debbie Reese's Teaching Young Children About Native Americans: inaccurate views, stereotypes, teaching suggestions, practices to avoid, resources
  

• Fourth World Documentation Project: introduction for teachers, Plymouth Thanksgiving Story, Iroquois Thanksgiving Prayer, Indian corn, recipes, story of corn husk doll
  

• Mountain City Elementary: Gay Miller's 5th and 6th Grade Students collection of photos, links, games, crafts
  

• Bellingham Schools' WWW 3rd Grade Resources: links to Native American sites - art, crafts, music, poetry, specific tribes, teacher resources
  
  
• Ask ERIC's Shelter of the Native American Tribes of the Eastern Woodlands Region: lesson plan for grade 2 & 3
  
  
• Digging into Native American Legends: class project seeking information about the culture of Native Americans through the study of native folktales and history
  
  
• Cleo J. Bellah's 2nd-4th grade Native American interdisciplinary unit
  
  
• B.Guzior and M. Huffstetler's Primary grades collaborative thematic unit
  
  
• Tracy's 2nd grade Aboriginal Thematic unit
  
  
• Education World's Activities to Celebrate Native American Heritage including a wordsearch of tribal names
  
  
• Janice Freeman's Board Game of Early California Indian life.
  
  
• Victor Leger's 5th grade Environmental Adaption of the Native American Indian unit
  
  
• Teaching American History Institutes's 5th and 8th grade resource site. Also Margaret Hill's Project-based WebQuest
  
  
• Suggested Teachers' Books
  

  More than Moccasins: A Kid's Activity Guide to Traditional North American Indian Life by Laurie Carlson, 1994 Native American: Projects, Games, and Activities for Grades K-3 (Troll Teacher Idea Books) by Mary E. Connors, Dona Herweck, 1998 Native American Arts & Cultures, Primary (Teacher Created Materials) by Mary E. Connors, Dona Herweck, 1996 Native American Arts & Cultures, Grades 4 - 6 (Teacher Created Materials) by Ellen L. Kronowitz, Barbara Wally, 2000 Native Americans Today: Resources and Activities for Educators, Grades 4 - 8 by Yvonne Beamer, Arlene B. Hirschfelder, 2000 Using Literature to Learn About the First Americans": A Thematic Approach to Cultural Awareness by Judith Cochran, Jan Keeling, 1993

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"May the wind blow softly on your face
May the sun shine lightly upon on your shoulders
May the rain always fall and your grass always be green
May you always enjoy the peace of our earth
and see the beauty that lies with-in yourself
May your life be fulfilled, with but simple things".

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