Native American Cultures — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. What was one major effect of European arrival on Native Americans?
A) Native Americans gained more land to farm.
B) New diseases killed many Native American people.
C) Europeans taught Native Americans how to hunt.
D) All tribes became wealthier through trade.
Native Americans had no immunity to European illnesses like smallpox, so when settlers arrived, these new diseases spread quickly and devastated whole communities.
2. What was the main purpose of the Iroquois Confederacy?
A) To build roads between villages.
B) To keep peace among the member nations and make decisions together.
C) To train warriors for battle against Europeans.
D) To create a single language for all tribes.
The five Iroquois nations had been at war, so they joined a council called the Great Law of Peace where they could solve problems through talking instead of fighting.
3. Why did Pueblo people build their homes on top of each other like apartments?
A) They wanted to be closer to the clouds.
B) Building upward saved space and made the village easier to defend.
C) They did not have enough adobe for separate houses.
D) Each family needed to live on a different floor.
Stacking adobe rooms kept good farmland free for crops, and enemies could not climb in easily because the only way up was a removable ladder to the roof.
4. How did the potlatch tradition strengthen Northwest Coast communities?
A) It was a contest to see who could eat the most food.
B) Hosts gave away gifts, which built trust and showed generosity.
C) It was a secret meeting held only by chiefs.
D) Potlatches were held to punish members who broke rules.
At a potlatch feast the host shared food and valuable gifts with everyone, proving leadership through generosity and creating bonds of trust between families and clans.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. European settlers brought diseases that Native Americans had never seen before, like smallpox.
Germs that caused smallpox and measles came across the Atlantic with settlers, and because Native Americans had no immunity, these diseases spread with terrible speed.
2. The Iroquois Confederacy was also called the League of Five Nations.
The original confederacy united five nations — the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca — earning the name League of Five Nations.
3. A chief or council often led important meetings and made decisions for the tribe.
Many tribes did not let one ruler decide everything; instead, a council of respected elders gathered to debate and choose the best path for the community.
4. Many tribes signed treaties with European governments, but these agreements were often broken.
Treaties are official agreements between nations, and although tribes signed many to protect their land and rights, settlers and governments frequently failed to keep their promises.
5. Native Americans taught European settlers to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash.
Corn, beans, and squash were the Three Sisters that Native farmers grew together — settlers had never seen these plants before and learned how to plant them from local tribes.