FROM NOMAD TO FARMER

• Some historians believe that the earliest people in North America may have traveled here from the continent of Asia thousands of years ago when Earth was experiencing an Ice Age. Their theory is that much of the water that separates Asia and North America would have been frozen at the time, forming kind of an ice bridge that they were able to walk across. Perhaps they were hunters following their food. Perhaps they were adventurous and wanted to explore. We do not know for sure. What we do know is that the earliest North Americans were nomads, traveling from place to place instead of setting up one regular place to call home. Their migration to North America could make them the ancestors of the people we call Native American Indians.

• Eventually, these nomads must have gotten tired of traveling around so much. They had already learned to search for and gather plants growing in the wild. Soon, they began to learn about agriculture, how to raise plants and animals for human use. With more reliable sources for food, there was less of a need to keep moving around. Since they were beginning to look for more permanent homes, paying attention to the resources of specific locations became important. Living near water sources, such as streams or rivers, helped ensure that they could water their crops and take care of human and animal needs for water as well. It’s not surprising, then, to discover that most early villages were located very close to water sources.

• Although people were moving around less often than before, they were still migrating to other areas. Every time a group or tribe moved into a different natural environment they had to adapt to the climate and resources of that area. The clothing they wore, the kind of houses they built, and even the kind of food that they ate depended upon the region in which they lived. Over time, four major cultural regions developed in North America: The Eastern Woodlands,   The Great Plains, The Pacific Northwest, and the Desert Southwest.

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.    The “ice bridge” theory has never been proven, but could be true. Do you think it is a reasonable explanation for how Native American Indians came to North America? 
2.   Name some things you might consider benefits of living life as a nomad.  
3. Besides having a fresh water source, how could living by the river meet the tribe’s needs? 
4. Why did tribes in different areas live in different kinds of houses? 
5. In which of the four cultural regions would you choose to build a home? Explain your choice.