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The Subarctic culture area includes most of present-day Canada and Alaska.

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The Arctic culture area is a region near the Arctic Circle that includes present-day Alaska, Canada, and Greenland.

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The Northeast culture area stretches from present-day Canada’s Atlantic coast down to North Carolina and reaches inland to the Mississippi River valley.

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The Southeast culture area is located north of the Gulf of Mexico and south of the Northeast culture area. It includes the present-day state of Florida.

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The Southwest culture area is a vast desert region primarily located in the present-day states of Arizona and New Mexico. It also covers parts of Utah, Colorado, Texas, and northern Mexico.

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The Great Basin culture area is a large, bowl-shaped region surrounded by mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range. It includes most of present-day Nevada.

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The California culture area is located along the American Pacific coast. It primarily covers the present-day state of California.

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The Northwest Coast culture area lies along the Pacific coast, extending from British Columbia in Canada down to Northern California.

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The Plateau culture area is located in the Columbia and Fraser River basins, where several culture areas meet. It includes parts of present-day Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, and Washington.

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The Subarctic region is mostly covered by dense pine forests called taiga, along with waterlogged tundra (wetlands).

It experiences long, cold winters and short, mild summers, with a wider annual temperature range compared to the Arctic culture area.

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The Arctic culture area is a cold, flat region with no trees.

It has long, freezing winters and short, cool summers.

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The Northeast culture area features a variety of landscapes, including forests, rivers, mountains, and coastal regions.

It has a humid continental climate characterized by four distinct seasons.

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The Southeast culture area includes varied landscapes like coastal plains, the rolling hills of the Piedmont, and sections of the Appalachian Mountains.

It experiences a warm, humid climate that is ideal for farming.

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The Southwest culture area has an overall dry climate, with deserts dominating the southern and western parts.

It experiences low rainfall and frequent droughts.

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The Great Basin culture area is defined by its “bowl-shaped” geography, which traps water and prevents it from flowing out. This geography contributes to creating a unique environment where rivers drain into lakes within the basin instead of reaching the sea.

It has an arid climate with low rainfall.

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The Plains culture area covers the vast grasslands between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from present-day Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico.

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The California culture area features diverse landscapes such as coastlines, rivers, redwood forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and valleys.

It experiences a temperate climate with dry summers and wet winters.

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The Northwest Coast culture area features deep fjords, dense rainforests, coastal mountain ranges, and many rivers.

It has a mild climate with heavy rainfall.

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The Plateau culture area includes rolling hills, flatlands, gorges, and mountains, the Columbia and Fraser Rivers being key features.

Its climate varies, being colder and wetter in the north and drier, more desert-like in the south.

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The Plains culture area covers the Great Plains, a large region of grasslands in North America.

It has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters.

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The Inuit

The Aleut

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Cree

Tsattine (Beaver)

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Cayuga

Pequot

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Cherokee

Chickasaw

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Crow

Comanche

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Hopi

Navajo

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Bannock

Paiute

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Chumash

Pomo

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Kwakiutl

Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka)

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Nez Perce

Yakama

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The people of the Subarctic culture area mainly obtained food by hunting and gathering.

They hunted animals like moose, bison, and caribou, and gathered berries and roots.

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The people of the Arctic culture area mainly got their food through hunting.

They mostly hunted marine animals (like seals, walruses, and whales) as well as caribou and fish.

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The people of the Northeast culture area primarily obtained their food by farming.

They grew crops such as corn, beans, and other vegetables.

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The Southeast culture area was a fertile agricultural region where people mainly farmed.

They grew staple crops like maize, beans, squash, tobacco, and sunflowers.

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The people of the Plains culture area mainly hunted.

They used horses to pursue large herds of buffalo across the plains, and also hunted animals like antelope and deer.

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Despite the dry climate, people of the Southwest culture area were able to obtain food through farming.

They grew crops like corn, beans, and squash.

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The people of the Great Basin culture area were primarily hunter-gatherers.

They foraged for roots, seeds, and nuts, and hunted snakes, lizards, and small mammals.

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The people of the California culture area were mostly hunter-gatherers.

They hunted animals like rabbits, deer, and elk, and gathered acorns, berries, and other plants.

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The people of the Northwest Coast culture area mainly relied on fishing.

They caught salmon, whales, sea otters, seals, and other marine animals.

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The people of the Plateau culture area were mostly hunter-gatherers.

They hunted animals like bears, elk, and deer, and also relied heavily on fishing for salmon.

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Because they moved frequently, people of the Subarctic culture area lived in cone-shaped, easy-to-move tents and lean-tos during the summer. When it became too cold to hunt, they stayed in underground dugouts for warmth.

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Many people in the Arctic culture area built dome-shaped homes using sod or timber, materials that helped retain heat and shield them from the cold climate. In the colder northern regions, they also constructed homes from blocks of ice (igloos), which also provided excellent insulation against freezing temperatures.

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People in the Northeast culture area lived in wigwams—small, dome-shaped homes made with wooden frames covered by bark or woven mats. These homes were easy to build and provided good protection from the region’s cold winters and rainy weather. Some also lived in longhouses, which were larger rectangular buildings designed to house multiple families.

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People in the Southeast culture area built wattle and daub houses. These houses had a framework of poles and woven branches covered in clay, mud, or plaster, often topped with thatched roofs. They chose this type of housing because it was well suited to the warm, humid climate of the Southeast (It keeps the interior cool even during the summers).

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People in the Plains culture area usually built tepees, which were cone-shaped tents made from wooden poles and covered with bison skins. These were portable homes designed to be easily folded and carried, which suited their nomadic lifestyle of following bison herds.

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In the Southwest culture area, many people lived in permanent settlements called pueblos, multistory buildings built from stone and adobe. These dwellings were well-suited to their sedentary, agricultural way of life in the hot, dry weather.

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People living in the Great Basin cultural area were often on the move, so they lived in compact, easy-to-build wickiups. These wickiups were made of willow poles or saplings, and were covered with barks, leaves, and brush.

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Some living in the California cultural area built dome-shaped or cone-shaped houses from a frame of poles covered with tightly bound tule reeds (tule houses; they used tule as it was an abundant material). These houses provided insulation and protected the home from rain.

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The people of the Northwest Coast culture area lived in large, rectangular houses called plank houses built from cedar or redwood timber. These sturdy homes suited their largely sedentary lifestyle, providing warmth and protection from the cold, wet climate.

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In the Plateau culture area, many lived in pit houses during the winter. These circular dwellings were built by digging a pit several feet into the ground, with a roof supported by poles and covered with earth. This design provided insulation, keeping the interior warm and protected from harsh winter weather.

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People of the Subarctic culture area used toboggans, snowshoes, and lightweight canoes as their primary means of transportation.

Some groups also practiced shamanism, with shamans serving as healers, diviners, and intermediaries with the spirit world. They also practiced vision quests.

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People of the Arctic culture area crafted warm, waterproof clothing from seal and otter skins specially adapted to withstand freezing temperatures and wet conditions.

They developed aerodynamic dogsleds and sleek kayaks designed for efficient travel over icy waters.

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While most depended more on farming for food, the tribes around the northern Great Lakes primarily depended on wild rice rather than cultivated crops.

Some tribes also traced their lineage through the mother’s line, organizing their social and political life around matrilineal clans.

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Peoples of the Southeast culture area structured their communities around small ceremonial and market villages known as hamlets.

They also used the “Black Drink,” a ritual emetic brewed from yaupon holly leaves, in purification ceremonies.

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Peoples of the Plains culture area were renowned for their elaborately feathered war bonnets, which symbolized honor and leadership.

They also created pemmican, a high-energy preserved food made from dried bison meat mixed with fat and berries. It was ideal for long-term storage.

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Many villages were centered around large underground ceremonial chambers called kivas.

Peoples of the Southwest culture area were renowned for their intricately patterned pottery and finely woven baskets and blankets.

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People of the Great Basin culture area practiced egalitarian leadership, where authority depended on individual skills rather than formal hierarchy.

While newly married couples often lived with the bride’s family initially, their residence was flexible. Usually, though, their residence was influenced by food availability (live where there’s food).

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Many California culture area tribes had leaders whose roles were primarily advisory. Important decisions were usually made through consensus among community members.

They practiced controlled burning to manage vegetation, enhance hunting/gathering, and promote biodiversity.

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Northwest Coast culture area tribes held elaborate potlatch ceremonies, using gift-giving to reinforce social status and redistribute wealth.

The salmon cycle was central to their beliefs. Rituals were performed annually to honor and ensure the salmon’s return.

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Peoples of the Plateau culture area traditionally wore clothing made from bark, such as breechcloths, aprons, and ponchos.

Most groups practiced bilateral descent, tracing lineage equally through both maternal and paternal lines.