Native American Cultures — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. What happened to many Native American communities after Europeans arrived?
A) They gained more land and resources.
B) They were forced from their lands and faced new diseases.
C) They moved to Europe to start new lives.
D) Nothing changed in their daily lives.
European arrival brought diseases that Native Americans had no immunity to, and many groups were forced off their traditional lands.
2. Which statement best explains why different Native American groups had different cultures?
A) They all came from different countries.
B) They spoke the same language but had different rules.
C) The geography and climate of each region shaped their way of life.
D) European settlers taught each group different skills.
Different environments provided different resources, which led each region's peoples to develop unique cultures, homes, and food sources.
3. A tribe builds homes from wooden planks, catches salmon, and carves totem poles. Which region do they most likely belong to?
A) Plains
B) Arctic
C) Southwest
D) Northwest Coast
Northwest Coast peoples had access to abundant ocean resources like salmon and used tall cedar trees to build large wooden homes and totem poles.
4. Why did Southwest tribes build canals near their fields?
A) To create swimming areas for children
B) To carry water to crops in the dry climate
C) To keep wild animals away from pueblos
D) To connect their villages by boat
The Southwest climate was very hot and dry, so peoples dug canals to bring water from rivers to their farm fields.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Europeans brought diseases that made many Native Americans sick.
Native Americans had no immunity to European diseases like smallpox, which caused widespread illness and death.
2. Inuit people built temporary igloos from blocks of packed snow.
Igloos were dome-shaped shelters made from blocks of packed snow that kept the inside warmer than the freezing air outside.
3. Totem poles were carved from large cedar trees by Northwest Coast tribes.
Cedar trees were abundant in the Northwest Coast region and provided wood for homes, canoes, totem poles, and other items.
4. Eastern Woodlands tribes cleared forest land to grow crops for food.
Southwest peoples used irrigation canals to bring water to their fields so they could grow crops like corn, beans, and squash.
5. Plains tribes held special gatherings called Sun dances to celebrate.
The Sun Dance was an important ceremony for many Plains peoples, held to give thanks and pray for their community's well-being.