Native American Cultures — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Plains tribes used every part of the buffalo for food, tools, and clothing.
Buffalo gave Plains tribes more than just food. The hide became clothing and tepee covers, the bones turned into tools, and even the sinew was used as thread, so almost nothing went to waste.
2. The Pueblo people of the Southwest were skilled at making pottery.
Pueblo people of the Southwest used the clay around them to shape and bake beautiful pottery. Their bowls and jars often had bright patterns and were used for cooking, storing food, and ceremonies.
3. Northwest Coast tribes held special feasts called potlatches.
Potlatches were big feasts where Northwest Coast tribes gathered to share food, give gifts, and tell family stories. Hosting a potlatch was a way to show wealth and respect.
4. Eastern Woodlands tribes formed a group called the Iroquois Confederacy.
Five Eastern Woodlands nations joined together as the Iroquois Confederacy to make peace and decisions as one group. Working together made them stronger than any single tribe alone.
5. The Inuit used animal skins and furs to stay warm in winter.
Animal skins and furs were thick and warm, which the Inuit needed to survive Arctic winters. They sewed seal and caribou skins into parkas, boots, and mittens.
6. Tepees could be taken apart and moved because Plains tribes were nomadic.
A nomadic group does not stay in one place. Plains tribes moved with the buffalo herds, so tepees that came apart quickly let them pack up and travel light.
7. Southwest farmers dug canals to bring water to their dry fields.
Crops in the Southwest needed water that the dry climate did not provide. Farmers dug long canals from rivers to carry water across their fields so corn and beans could grow.
8. Totem poles told stories about a family's ancestors and history.
Each carved figure on a totem pole stood for a person, animal, or event in a family's past. The poles helped families remember their ancestors and share their stories with others.
9. The Eastern Woodlands region has many forests, rivers, and lakes.
Forests, rivers, and lakes covered the Eastern Woodlands. The trees gave wood for longhouses and bows, while rivers and lakes provided fish and water for crops.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Eastern Woodlands
→ Longhouses
Tepees
Plains
→ Tepees
Igloos
Southwest
→ Pueblos
Longhouses
Arctic
→ Igloos
Pueblos
Each region's home matched the land. Eastern Woodlands tribes had forests, so they built longhouses; Plains tribes followed buffalo, so they used tepees; Southwest tribes baked adobe into pueblos; and the Inuit packed snow into igloos in the Arctic.