Books in North American Indian Nations series

The Iroquois have lived in what is now upper New York State and Ontario, Canada, for more than 4,000 years. In the 12th century, a man of their tribe called the Peacemaker convinced the five other nearby tribes - the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca - to work together with the Iroquois in a peaceful confederacy. For centuries, the confederacy worked together to build villages, grow crops, and also to defend its members and defeat other tribes. Together, they expanded all the way from Canada to Kentucky. And then white settlers crossed the Atlantic Ocean and destroyed the confederacy and, with it, their way of life. Members of the confederacy took opposite sides during the Revolutionary War. Not long after the United States was formed, white people forced the Iroquois to give up their land. And yet they continued to survive and adapt to a new way of life. Iroquois live throughout the world, but there is one territory that remains home to the six-member confederacy. Read about the past and present of the Iroquois - their culture, government, and family life - in this informative volume.

A thin strip of land and islands makes up the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States and Canada. This region has long been home to many groups of native peoples who spoke different languages and had distinct cultural practices. The native peoples of the Northwest thrived in this land of rocky beaches and cedar trees. • The Chinook developed a special language for trading with other nations. • The Kwakwaka'wakw created masks that could show two different faces. • The Bella Coola had a secret society that performed in a four-night winter ceremony. Many native peoples still live in the Northwest and continue to fish, carve totem poles, and work to preserve their land and cultures. Learn more about the unique history and cultures of the native peoples of the Northwest.

Long before the United States existed as a nation, the Northeast region was home to more than thirty independent American Indian groups. Each group had its own language, political system, and culture. Their ways of life depended on the climate, landscape, and natural resources of the areas where they lived. • The Lenape carved tulip tree trunks into canoes that held as many as fifty people. • The Huron used moose hair to stitch delicate patterns on clothing and on birch bark boxes. • The Menominee combined cornmeal, dried deer meat, maple sugar, and wild rice to make a traveling snack called pemmican. In the twenty-first century, many American Indians still call the Northeast home. Discover what the varied nations of the Northeast have in common and what makes each of them unique.

Long before Europeans explored the lands and waters above the Arctic Circle, several Inuit groups lived in this harsh, snowy landscape. They spoke different languages and developed unique ways to thrive in the ice and snow. These include making homes from whalebones and animals skins and hunting seals with spears through holes in the ice. Many Inuit still live in the Arctic. While many aspects of Arctic life have changed, the Inuit are working to preserve their traditional practices and languages. Find out more about the history and culture of the Inuit.

A long time ago, before the Plains region of the United States was divided up into states such as Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming, this land was home to American Indians. Twenty-eight unique Indian nations built homes and gathered food in the Plains. They spoke distinct languages, set up political systems, and made art. They used the natural resources available in their region in order to thrive. • The Wichita lived in houses made of grass. From the outside, they looked like giant haystacks. • Omaha and Ponca people wore caps made from eagleskin. • Lakota men carved flutes to play songs for the girls they hoped to marry. Many American Indians still live in the Plains region. Explore the history of these various nations and find out how their culture is still alive today.

When explorers and traders moved west across the United States in the 1800s, they found many nations of American Indians already living in the Plateau region near the Columbia River. These nations had their own languages and governments, and they were experts at living in this land surrounded by mountains and filled with rivers. • The Nez Perce could catch salmon with their bare hands. • The Modoc wore woven skullcap basket hats. • The Kootenai made paintings on huge rocks and cliffs using red ocher and fish eggs. Many Plateau Indians still live in this region. They work in a variety of industries, from fishing and logging to hospitality. Read more about the history and culture of the native peoples of the Plateau.

Long before Europeans came to the harsh landscape of the Great Basin, many nations of American Indians lived in the region. They had their own languages and cultures, and they knew how to survive in an area with extreme weather and little food. • The Shoshone made powerful bows that could shoot an arrow through a bison. • The Paiute created duck decoys from reeds to help them hunt birds. • The Washoe weaved baskets from reeds and willow. The Great Basin is still home to many twenty-first century American Indians. They continue to weave baskets, hold traditional celebrations, and speak their native languages. Learn more about the past and present of the native peoples of the Great Basin.

When Spanish explorers came to the Southwest region of the United States in the 1600s, they found over 20,000 American Indians already living in the region. These American Indians were part of many different nations. They had their own languages and cultures, and they had developed ways to survive in the desert landscape. • Pueblo people lived in permanent villages made of adobe brick. • The Hopi had fifty different ways to cook and eat corn. • The Navajo created colorful pictures from sand, cornmeal, and pollen. Many American Indians still live in the Southwest. They make traditional jewelry, use their native languages, and run tourism programs at the Grand Canyon. Find out more about the history and culture of the native peoples of the Southwest.

Who were the first people to call the southeastern United States home? Long before Europeans came to the region, American Indian nations lived off the rich and varied land. These peoples had different languages, governments, and cultures. Their traditions and heritage were shaped by the climate and terrain of the American Southeast. • The Caddo traveled in canoes made from the wood of cypress trees. • The Seminole wove baskets from sweetgrass and dyed them with berries, nuts, and roots. • The Cherokee danced with rattles made of turtle shell strapped to their legs in what is called a stomp dance. Twenty-first century American Indians still call the Southeast home. Find out what these groups have in common and what makes each nation unique.

When explorers and traders moved west across the United States in the 1800s, they found many nations of American Indians already living in the Plateau region near the Columbia River. These nations had their own languages and governments, and they were experts at living in this land surrounded by mountains and filled with rivers. • The Nez Perce could catch salmon with their bare hands. • The Modoc wore woven skullcap basket hats. • The Kootenai made paintings on huge rocks and cliffs using red ocher and fish eggs. Many Plateau Indians still live in this region. They work in a variety of industries, from fishing and logging to hospitality. Read more about the history and culture of the native peoples of the Plateau.