Native American History for Kids - Daily Life
Come meet the early people of the Americas. Read the story of Wise Owl. What was the false face society? Find out why the Navajo destroyed sand paintings before it got dark. Did dream catchers work? Why did the Ojbwa hide pubbles in their moccasins? How did Raven steal Crow's potlatch? Why did the Cherchee have a red chief and a white chief. . Read fabulous myths! Play really fun games. Meet mischievous magical beings. Explore the daily life of those who lived in the Americas a long time ago. Get ready to be amazed!
Northeast Woodland Native American Daily Life
Iroquois Nation - What was the job of the False Face Society? Who were the Three Sisters? What were the Snow Snake Games? Who was Hiawatha? What was the League of Nations? What was wampum? Read the story of Wise Owl. Welcome to the Iroquois Nation in Olden Times.
Ojibwa/Chippewa - Why did the Ojibwa hide pebbles in moccasins? What is a Charcoal Sad Face? How do you play Butterfly Hide and Seek? What is a Dream Catcher? Who was The Invisible Warrior? Welcome to the Ojibwa / Chippewa Native Americans in Olden Times.
Southeast Woodland Native American Daily Life
Cherokee Nation - Why did the Cherokee Native Americans have a red chief and a white chief? What is a Booger Ceremony? What techniques were invented by the Cherokee that made them successful in battle? Where is the Darkening Land? What is the Trail of Tears?
Seminole - What is the job of an animal spirit helper? Why did the Seminole people hang baby cradles from the rafters of their homes? What is a comfortable? Why were beads so important? Welcome to the Florida Everglade Seminole Native Americans in Olden Times.
The Great Plains Native American Daily Life
Plains People - Why did the Plains people prefer tipis to houses? Name 72 things the Plains people made from buffalo. Why were horses called dogs? What were pictographs? Can you decode an ancient message? Why do the elders still speak of Clever Coyote with gratitude?
Sioux Nation - What could boys do when they reached their 10th birthday? What engagement present did the family of the bride receive? Why weren't kids given names when they were born? What did star quilts represent? What was the Seven Council Fires?
Southwest Native American Daily Life
Anasazi/Pueblo/Hopi - Why did the Pueblo dig a hole in the middle of a secret underground room? Who were the giant Natackas? What are kachinas? How did the Pueblo get their name? Who were the Old Ones? What happened at a naming ceremony?
Apache - Why do Apache kids hunt for blue stones? What is a Wickiup? Who were the Devil Dancers? Learn how to play Apache toe and toss games. Read an Apache myth about Child of Water and Little Blue Rock. Welcome to the Southwest Apache Native Americans in Olden Times.
Navajo - When a young couple ate from the same basket, why did all their relatives lecture them? What is a Ketoh? Why did the Navajo make Sand Paintings and then destroy them before dark? What is a Blessingways? Welcome to the Southwest Navajo Native Americans in Olden Times.
Pacific Coastal Northwest Native American Daily Life
Northwest Pacific Coastal - What made the Puget Sound Native Americans "rich" in ancient times? Why were woven mats so important? How did totem poles get started? What could you buy with 5,000 blankets? What's a potlatch all about? Find out How Raven Stole Crow's Potlatch.
Inland Northwest People of the Plateau Daily Life
Nez Perce and the Plateau People - Why did the People of the Plateau tie their babies to a board? Why did small children have to feed everyone in the village except themselves? What was a fishing station? What did the Plateau People believe was far more important than riches? What was the job of a Shaman? Come meet the clever, creative people who lived (mostly) in peace with their neighbors on the plateau between two huge mountain ranges, the Rockies and the Cascades.
California Native American Daily Life
California Native Americans - Why was the bear doctor feared? What was the purpose of the Big Head Dance? Why did certain medicine men hunt rattlesnakes? Why did the Chumash need a ladder to get into bed? Come meet the people who lived in California in Olden Times.
Arctic/Far North Native American Daily Life
Far North - What trick did the Kutchin people use on their enemies? How did these early people stop ghosts from entering their homes? What magical powers did the Inuit think their Shamas had? What is the purpose of a finger mask? Welcome to Alaska Natives and the people of the Arctic and Far North in Olden Times.
Central & South American Native American Daily Life
The Inca Empire - The Incas never invented the wheel. They never invented a system of writing. They had no use for money. Yet, high in the rugged Andes Mountains of South America, the Incas built thousands of miles of well-paved roads, kept accurate records, and enjoyed vast wealth. Everyone in the empire was well fed and no one was homeless. Meet the Children of the Sun.
The Maya Empire - The Maya lived on the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America. During their stay, they build pyramids, temples, stelas, and ball courts. 1,500 years later, they abandoned their cities, leaving only a few people behind. While they were there, they did incredible things! Explore Daily Life in the Maya Empire, read the adventures of The Hero Twins, and Meet the People of the Corn.
The Aztecs - Why did the Aztecs search for 200 years to find The Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus? What did conquered people have to pay in tribute? Why did the Aztecs build floating gardens? Read the story Journey of a Princess to discover how the Aztecs treated some very honored guests. Welcome to ancient Mexico.
Native Americans for Kids
Native Americans in US, Canada, and the Far North
Early people of North America (during the ice age 40,000 years ago)
Northeast Woodland Tribes and Nations - The Northeast Woodlands include all five great lakes as well as the Finger Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River. Come explore the 3 sisters, longhouses, village life, the League of Nations, sacred trees, snowsnake games, wampum, the arrowmaker, dream catchers, night messages, the game of sep and more. Special Sections: Iroquois Nation, Ojibwa/Chippewa, The Lenape Indians. Read two myths: Wise Owl and The Invisible Warrior.
Southeast Woodland Tribes and Nations - The Indians of the Southeast were considered members of the Woodland Indians. The people believed in many deities, and prayed in song and dance for guidance. Explore the darkening land, battle techniques, clans and marriage, law and order, and more. Travel the Trail of Tears. Meet the Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, Choctaw, Mississippians, Seminole Indians and Cherokee Indians.
Plains Indians - What was life like in what is now the Great Plains region of the United States? Some tribes wandered the plains in search of foods. Others settled down and grew crops. They spoke different languages. Why was the buffalo so important? What different did horses make? What was coup counting? Who was Clever Coyote? Meet the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Comanche, Pawnee, and Sioux Nation.
Southwest Indians - Pueblo is not the name of a tribe. It is a Spanish word for village. The Pueblo People are the decedents of the Anasazi People. The Navajo and the Apache arrived in the southwest in the 1300s. They both raided the peaceful Pueblo tribes for food and other goods. Who were the Devil Dancers? Why are blue stones important? What is a wickiup? Who was Child of Water?
Pacific Coastal Northwest Indians - What made some of the Pacific Northwest Indian tribes "rich" in ancient times? Why were woven mats so important? How did totem poles get started? What was life like in the longhouse? What were money blankets and coppers? How did the fur trade work? How did Raven Steal Crow's Potlatch?
Inland Plateau People - About 10,000 years ago, different tribes of Indians settled in the Northwest Inland Plateau region of the United States and Canada, located between two huge mountain ranges - the Rockies and the Cascades. The Plateau stretches from BC British Columbia all the way down to nearly Texas. Each village was independent, and each had a democratic system of government. They were deeply religious and believed spirits could be found everything - in both living and non-living things. Meet the Nez Perce
California Indians - The Far West was a land of great diversity. Death Valley and Mount Whitney are the highest and lowest points in the United States. They are within sight of each other. Tribes living in what would become California were as different as their landscape.
Native Americans of the Far North: What trick did the Kutchin people use to catch their enemies? How did these early people stop ghosts from entering their homes? Why was the shaman so powerful? What is a finger mask? Play games! See and hear an old Inuit myth! Enter the mystical world of the people who lived in the far north in olden times. Algonquian/Cree, Athapascan/Kutchin, Central Canada, Inuit, The Shaman
Comparison Chart (Europeans & Indians)