Native American Resources at Costume SuperCenter

Native American Resources

Before Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas, Native Americans were already there, supposedly more than 12,000 years ago. Known as the indigenous peoples of North America, they are now a minority group, accounting for less than one percent of the total population in the United States. Nevertheless, many people are fascinated with their history and culture. Predominantly hunters and farmers, Native Americans developed a harmonious bond with the land and this relationship was tied to almost every aspect of their existence.

Tribes

Native Americans can be categorized by their tribes. From the Cherokee to the Inuit to the Apache, each tribe is defined by its own unique culture or language. Since there are more than 560 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States, it makes sense to group the tribes by region so there are Alaska Native Tribes, Northwest Tribes, Southwest Tribes, Northern Plains Tribes, Southern Plains Tribes, Northeast Tribes, and Southeast Tribes.

American Indian Tribes
Native American Tribes
List of American Indian Tribes
Top 25 American Indian Tribes in the U.S.

Shelters

Since Native American tribes were spread over a large area, their shelters were distinctively different. The shelters could also be temporary or permanent. For instance, the Alaska Native tribes lived in igloos or sod houses while the Southeast tribes lived in wigwams.

Native American Homes
Building a Hogan
Native American Housing

Spirituality

Except for the Inuits, most of the other Native American tribes share common spiritual values. The Inuits believe in the Goddess Sedna and that all living beings have souls. Other tribes believe that the world is created by the Great Spirit and tribes are enriched by the mythical hero or trickster.

Music and Art

Native Americans have a long history of music and art. At public musical gathering called pow-wows, tribes sing songs and dance, dressed in the finest garments. Drums and flutes are popular musical instruments. In the arts, Native Americans are known for their pottery, weavings, paintings, sculptures, carvings, and others.

Agriculture

Native American tribes started to farm more than 4,000 years ago. They learned to cultivate a wide variety of plant species, using them as food and medicine.

Technology

While modern technology advances are seldom associated with Native Americans, they have certainly made some contributions in metalwork, stonework, hunting tools, canoes, and others.

Impact from the Europeans

When the Europeans arrived in North America, Native Americans had to fight off the colonization of their lands. While they benefitted from the more advanced technology and new animals, a lot of Native Americans lost their lives to European diseases such as smallpox, cholera, chicken pox, measles, and others.