Study Guide
Indian Tribes
- The Powhatan
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The Powhatan Indians lived in the Eastern Woodland region (including Virginia). Forests covered the land. Rain was plentiful, and and great variety of plants grew here. The Powhatan Indians used the forests and the land around them in many ways. They built their homes from wood and bark. They hunted deer and many small animals (not buffalo) in the forests and gathered plants for food.
The Powhatan used wood from the forests to build canoes. They traveled and fished in the region's many rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. They farmed the land as well.The Powhatan adapted well to the land and the climate of the Eastern Woodland. They used the forests for hunting and gathering food, and the wood from the forest for building their homes and canoes. They used the rivers and the Chesapeake Bay for fishing and transportation.
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The Sioux -
The Sioux (pronounced "Sue") lived in the Plains region, in the central part of the U.S. The land was open and flat with very few trees or forests. Herds of buffalo roamed through the tall grasses of the Plains. The Sioux followed the herds and hunted the buffalo.
Their teepee homes, made from buffalo skin, were light and easy to move. The Sioux traveled on horseback. They were warriors who often rode their horses into battle against other tribes.
- The Pueblo
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The Pueblo Indians lived in the Southwest region. In order to grow crops, the Pueblo indians had to irrigate, or water the land. Cactuses grew well in this hot, dry desert climate. The Pueblo didn't move from place to place like the Sioux. They lived in villages, where they built multi-storied homes from adobe clay. They farmed the land around them year after year. They didn't have horses like the Sioux, or rivers to travel on like the Eastern Woodland indians. In fact, when they traveled, they walked.
