the high plateau region between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Cascade Range and Canadian Coast Ranges on the west

Physical features: Consists of the taiga, boreal forest, ecosystem of coniferous forest and large marshes.

Climate: Cold northern winters

animals (moose, caribou, bison, beaver, fish) and wild plant foods (berries, roots, sap)

In the subarctic area, food resources were not always available and not abundant that they always had to be scared of starvation.

American subarctic can be separated into two parts

east subarctic- Speakers of Algonquian languages, Innu of northern Quebec, the Cree and etc. (after the beginning of the fur trade, displaced the Cree from what are now west-central Ontario and eastern Manitoba.)

western subarctic - Athabaskan speakers, (land from Canada into Alaska).

they had various weapons, tools, and traps which took a very important role on keeping them alive, and since they move around a lot, they had high development in vehicle, adapted to the weather.

Physical features: relatively flat surface(ground)

Climate: very cold temperatures for most of the year

many vegetables in the north - large herds of caribou and other animals to the inland North

Coasts - sea mammals and fish

People nearest the Arctic Ocean- relied on temporary house igloo

Caribou hunters of northern Alaska -dome-shaped tents made from a double layer of caribou hides

Kashim- used for public and ceremonial occasions and as a men’s residence. Women had their own homes where they worked and cared for their children.

carved objects from stone, bone, and walrus ivory, and also carved small animal figures and masks to use in religious ceremonies.

kept warm in clothing made from animal skins and furs-pants, boots, mittens, and a hooded coat called a parka. In very cold weather they wore two of each garment.

Physical features: temperate forests, meadows, wetlands, waterways, and coastal zones

Climate: temperate with moderate precipitation

corn (maize), beans, squash, deer, fish, waterbirds, leaves, seeds, tubers, berries, roots, nuts, and maple syrup

forested environment of the region

-->most materials produced in the Northeast were made of wood.

labour was divided on the basis of gender and age

• Grandparents, great-aunts and great-uncles, and older siblings and cousins --> helped parents care for children from toddlerhood on, teaching them the ways of the group

• Women--> grew, gathered, or caught the majority of the food consumed by a group

• Men --> held councils, warred, built houses, hunted, fished, and made the implements they needed for these activities.

Physical features: (inland) landscape of rolling hills and major river systems that is predominantly covered with forests of oak and hickory

Climate: warm temperate climate in the north and subtropical conditions in the south

Beans and squash were often planted alongside corn

deer, bears, and turkeys

fish

In much of the region- hot houses

South- houses often had raised floors, palmetto-thatched roofs, and open sides.

West - the Caddoans lived in domed grass houses.

descent was almost universally matrilineal, or reckoned through the mother

late in a woman’s pregnancy, both she and the father were generally subject to various dietary taboos and restrictions on their activities

Physical features: grassland, prairie, mountains, hills, and valleys

Climate: continental, with annual temperatures ranging from 0 °F to 110°F

corn (maize), beans, squash, and sunflowers

bison, elk, deer

Fish, fowl, and small games

Some recognized descent from both male and female equally or bilaterally. Others recognized descent only from either male or female lineage.

Every group had regulations governing marriage.

Physical features: rolling hills, rich river valleys and high flat areas called plateaus

Climate: aridity, warm temperatures, and clear skies

corn (maize), beans, and squash

turkeys, and dogs

period of Spanish colonization- horses, burros, and sheep were added to the agricultural repertoire

viewed the raising of children as a serious adult responsibility - most felt that each child had to be “made into” a member of the tribe

training in customary gender roles from the beginning of the childhood

• girls- food processing and childcare

• boys- given chores such as collecting firewood or tending animals.

Physical features: flat valley, basinsm desert

Climate: low relative humidity and sharp drops in temperature at night

jackrabbits, antelope, and waterfowl

gathered pine nuts and berries

In summer- simple brush windbreaks.

In winter- built domed wickiups

Tribes that used horses- replaced these shelters with Plains-style tepees

Believed in religious concepts derived from a mythical cosmogony, beliefs in powerful spirit-beings, and a belief in a dualistic soul.

Groups were generally small, frequently mobile, and had a highly fluid membership --> reflected the rather difficult and arid environment of the cultural area.

Physical features: rugged topography- marked by mountain ranges and deserts

Climate: lack of rain, gentle climate

Marriages were almost always arranged by the families of the future bride and groom because of their implications for long-term economic and social bonds and obligations.

Oral literature—and especially a variety of elaborate creation tales and epic poems—was the art form for which native Californians were most renowned.

The mountain-dwelling Miwok- cone-shaped bark houses

Physical features: rugged coastline, wide and narrow beaches, deep fjords, mountains, islands, forests, and inland rivers and lakes.

Climate: relatively mild climate

Gitxsan, Haisla, and Heiltsuk

Berries, fish, and mammals with some herbs, birds, and shellfish

Ways of getting the food sources:

fishing, berry picking, and hunting

A plank house

In house societies the key social and productive unit was a flexible group of a few dozen to 100 or more people who considered themselves to be related (sometimes only distantly), who were coresident in houses or estates for at least part of the year

slaves had few or no rights of participation in house group decisions. They usually had been captured in childhood and taken or traded so far from their original homes that they had little hope of finding their way back.

Physical features: rolling hills, high flatlands, gorges, and mountains.

Climate: Temperatures range from −30 °F in winter to 100 °F in summer. Precipitation is generally low and forms a snow cover during the winter, particularly at higher altitudes.

Salmon, trout, eels, suckers, and other fish

in traditional Plateau societies the village formed the key sociopolitical unit, although the political hierarchy used in governing each village varied from tribe to tribe

The life cycle of the individual was marked by fixed ritual acts that opened the gateway to the different social roles he had to enact. These rituals began before birth.