Native American Cultures — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Southwest tribes fished for salmon in cold rivers.
Corrected: Southwest tribes farmed corn and beans in dry desert land.
The Southwest region is hot and dry with little water, so tribes there farmed crops like corn and beans rather than fishing for salmon, which is a Northwest Coast activity.
2. Fix the sentence:
The Iroquois lived alone and never formed groups with other tribes.
Corrected: The Iroquois formed a confederacy with five other nations.
The Iroquois actually built one of the most famous alliances in North America — the Iroquois Confederacy — joining five nations together for peace and shared decisions.
3. Fix the sentence:
Northwest Coast tribes built adobe houses from sun-dried bricks.
Corrected: Northwest Coast tribes built plank houses from cedar wood.
Adobe needs sunshine and dry clay, but the Northwest Coast is rainy and forested, so tribes there used the abundant cedar trees to build large plank houses.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The Navajo people of the Southwest are known for weaving colorful rugs.
Navajo weavers raised sheep for wool and used upright looms to create patterned rugs and blankets that are still treasured as art today.
2. Many Native American tribes passed down stories through oral tradition.
Most tribes did not write things down, so elders told stories out loud — an oral tradition — to pass history and lessons to children.
3. The Inuit traveled across snow using sleds pulled by dogs.
In the icy Arctic there are no horses, so the Inuit trained strong huskies to pull dogsleds across snow and frozen sea.
4. Plains tribes used buffalo hides to make warm blankets and robes.
Plains tribes used nearly every part of the buffalo, and the thick hides — the animal's skin with fur — were perfect for warm winter robes.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. All Native American tribes lived the same way.
True False
Tribes lived very differently depending on their region — desert farmers, plains buffalo hunters, and Arctic seal hunters each had their own customs and homes.
2. The Northwest Coast had plenty of fish and tall trees.
True False
The Pacific Northwest is full of rivers packed with salmon and forests of giant cedars, which is why tribes there could fish, build, and carve so easily.
3. Corn was an important crop for many Native American tribes.
True False
Corn, also called maize, was first grown by Native Americans and became a main food alongside beans and squash, which they called the Three Sisters.