INDIGENOUS CULTURE AREAS OF NORTH AMERICA
Map by Walter Williams, for use in his classes on Indigenous North American History
1 Subarctic [the oldest cultures, descended from the Paleo-Indian cultures of the original native settlers from north Asia]
2 Arctic [the Aleut spread from Siberia to southwestern Alaska, followed by the Yupik and then the Inuit spread from Siberia, to Alaska, and across northern Canada to Quebec by 5,000 years ago.]
3 Northwest Coast [prosperous coastal villages and towns, based on fishing, trading with interior Natives providing furs in exchange for European manufactured goods, and complex diplomacy playing off British and Russian traders.]
4 Plateau [mixed subsistence based on hunting, fishing, gathering wild plants, and trading furs to Northwest Coast peoples]
5 Basin [small scale bands foraging in the harsh desert environment]
6 California [some of the oldest cultures of North America, which suggest migrants from Asia followed a coastal migration from Alaska, comfortable laid-back lifestyles based on a mixed hunting and fishing subsistence but mainly wild plant foods like acorn nuts from oak trees]
7 Meso-America [this area was the most populous in all of the Americas, with highly stratified societies based mainly on intensive agriculture of corn, beans, squash, and many other plants. Large city-states like the Maya constructed some of the world’s most stupendous architecture, while central Mexico was characterized by large empires that rose and fell over many centuries. The last indigenous empire, of the Aztec, was overthrown by Spanish conquistadores.]
8 Southwest [this mainly desert area received agriculture from Meso-America, but the Pueblo peoples lived in egalitarian farming villages that were usually peaceful. However, their lifestyle was disrupted in the 12th century by the migration of hunting Athapascan peoples (Navajo-Dine’, and Apache) migrating down from the western Subarctic. Over time, the Athapascans adopted Pueblo horticulture.]
9 Eastern Woodlands [this heavily forested area saw the rise of native nations and confederacies, based on a mixed hunting-gathering economy. After 1650 heavy involvement selling furs to European traders, for manufactured goods. Much intermarriage in the Southeast led to mixed cultures with both indigenous and European elements.]
10 Great Plains [this was the youngest culture, based on trade of furs for horses brought to Mexico by Spanish settlers, and trade with British and French colonists.]
On another trip to Yucatan, Walter Williams visited the ancient Toltec Maya city of Chichen Itza.
Intricate Maya stonecarvings show examples of Mayan words and upper class priests.