EASTERN WOODLAND NATIVES

• The Eastern Woodlands was a Native American cultural region long before European colonists arrived there to start settlements. The region extended from the eastern edge of the Great Plains all the way to the east coast. It also extended from just above the current northern U.S.- Canadian border all the  way south to the Gulf of Mexico. 

• Rich in natural resources, the Eastern Woodlands provided a wide variety of agricultural land, forests, mountains, rivers, and lakes in addition to the oceans of its coastal borders. The region had definite seasonal climate changes, with cold winters and hot, humid summers. The Native American people who lived in these areas had to learn how to adapt their lifestyles to the changes in order to survive and meet their needs

• Water is always an essential resource for living things, and the Eastern Woodlands region had many rivers, lakes, and streams. Not only did these bodies of water meet the obvious needs of people and animals for drinking and washing, but they also provided an important way for people to travel and transport goods. The flexible birch bark of the local forests was an important resource because it allowed the natives to make canoes. They used canoes fortraveling, and also as a base from which to catch fish. Natives who lived near the ocean waters also collected seashells, which they used to make jewelry and other ornaments. 
• The forests of the Eastern Woodlands provided many other resources  besides the birch bark for canoes. Several kinds of plants were woven to make baskets, trays, and even sandals. An abundance of animals lived in the forest, providing plenty of fresh meat for the natives who hunted them. Some animals commonly hunted by the natives included deer and rabbits. Native Americans used every part of the animals they hunted. The meat was eaten, the bones were carved into tools or arrowheads, and the skins were used to make clothing and blankets. An occasional bear skin made a nice, warm winter blanket or coat. The natives were able to meet all their needs in the Eastern Woodlands.

 Name:__________________________________

Answer the following questions based on the reading passage. Don’t forget to go back to the passage whenever necessary to find or confirm your answers.

1) How did the Eastern Woodland natives meet their needs for clothing?

2)   How were the water resources beneficial for the Eastern Woodland natives?

3)   What characteristic of the forest’s birch trees made them suitable for building canoes?

4)   Many natives were skilled in working with plant materials. Name something that was made out of local plants.

 5)   Why do you think Americans today are so much more wasteful than the natives were in early America?