Assignment: Practice- Regional Indigenous Cultures
In this assignment. research an Indigenous group that developed in the geographic area in which you live. Then you will answer questions about your chosen Indigenous group.
These are some helpful starting points to guide your research, but you will likely have be more specific search for the group you are researching.
On the Web...
1. Native Land Map: Use this map as a resource for zooming in to your geographic region and selecting an Indigenous group that lived there.
2. National Museum of the American Indian: This Smithsonian museum's website may contain information and exhibits about the Indigenous group you are researching.
3. National Archives: The National Archives website houses many records and documents relating to how Indigenous groups were affected by European colonization.
4. National Congress of American Indians: This provides a complete directory of all federally recognized Indigenous groups, including links to individual groups' websites.
5. Guide to Online Primary Resources: This web page lists a variety of resources from the University of California, San Diego, including primary resources.
6. Smithsonian Learning Lab: The Smithsonian Learning Lab has thousands of resources and documents relating to North American Indigenous groups. Make sure to be as specific as possible in your search terms.
Answer some general questions about the Indigenous group you have chosen to research.
A. What Indigenous group are you researching?
B. In what geographic region did that group develop?
C. What are some typical geographic features in the area in which the group lives or lived?
D. What language does the group speak?
E. How did the Indigenous group set up its homes? How were the group's communities organized?
F. What did the Indigenous group primarily eat?
G. How did the Indigenous group organize its leadership? What was the social structure?
H. What religious practices did the group engage in?
I. How was the division of labor within the group organized?
J. What was daily life like for a member of the group?
K. Was art an important part of the group's culture? If so, what were the main forms of art the group created, and how were they used?
L. How was the group you have researched affected by European colonization?
M. How does the Indigenous group live today?