More Than Moccasins: A Kid's Activity Guide to Traditional North American Indian Life
For my grandmothers Laura and Doris Thank you for all that you taught and
The kind of trail you make will determine success or failure It is not what you say that counts the most but it is what you do Anna M Shaw Pima
INTRODUCTION For thousands of years the only people that lived in North America were Native Americans Scientists think that they first came from Asia to Alaska during the Ice Age They walked across a land bridge that is now covered by the ocean They lived here for thousands of years before Columbus and his Spanish ships arrived The Spaniards were looking for India so they called the people they met Indians The name stuck It was easier than learning the names of all the Native American groups there were hundreds of different nations The Native Americans lived everywhere in deserts on mountains in valleys in woodlands and in swamps Some farmed some hunted some fished and some were traders Early Native Americans lived in small family groups or tribes all over North America Most tribes spoke their own language had their own customs and formed many nations across the land Years ago people had to make everything they needed There were no stores If they couldn't find what they wanted they traded for it or found some thing else to use The materials they used had to be gathered near their homes because they had to walk everywhere they
The kinds of things each tribe used to make tools clothing toys shelter and food depended upon what they found around them or what they could trade They didn't try to live in a way that didn't make sense The people of the Plains who traveled a lot didn't make clay pots Pots were too heavy and broke too easily when they were moved so they made stor age containers and even houses from animal hides People who lived in the dry desert Southwest didn't make houses from logs because there weren't many trees Instead they created houses from rocks and mud called pueblos In sunny California the grass grew tall and lush People there used the grass to weave mats for their houses clothing to wear and even watertight baskets to cook in They cooked by dropping hot rocks into the basket of stew The Native Americans were resourceful about finding materials to use and they always tried new ideas and ways to use them The projects are designed so that you can do that too While the real item might have been made from hide bone and feathers those things aren't easy for all of us to find and collect So do as they did Look around you for other materials to substitute While you hunt and gather you'll probably find an endless supply of bathroom tissue tubes brown paper bags plastic milk jugs newspapers and empty cans Let your materials
