Welcome to the

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Welcome to the Bryan Museum of Native American
Economics
Plains
Northest
Southwest
Northwest
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e_American_map.jpg
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Welcome to the Bryan Museum of Native American
Economies. This virtual museum has been brought
to you as part of the Native American/Technology
Integration module of the Clark County School
District Teaching American History Grant. My
name is Verena K Bryan. I am a teacher at Steve
Cozine Elementary School, in North Las Vegas. I
am currently in my fourth year teaching third
grade. I hold a BA in Social Thought and
Political Economy and a MSED in Early Childhood
Education. This museum was created to introduce
elementary students to essential content area
information regarding the various economies of
the Northeast, Northwest, Southwest and Plains
Native American Tribes. I hope you enjoy this
presentation and I look forward to your
feedback. Verena K Bryan Steve Cozine Elementary
School 5335 Coleman St. N. Las Vegas, NV
89031 702.799.0690 vkbryan_at_interact.ccsd.net
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The Navajo people of the American Southwest hold
some of the most valuable mineral recourses of
the US Native American Nations. Early economic
endeavors included the herding of sheep and
cattle, fiber production, weaving, jewelry
making, and art trading. During the 20th century
the Navajo people were involved in coal and
uranium mining. Even though economic growth
within the Navajo Nation has taken several
different paths many Navajo people still produce
traditional art work and crafts, like their
ancestors.
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rica/navajo/navajo_silversmith.jpg
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The Chumash used much of their natural recourses
to support their communities. They were hunters
and gatherers. What they were unable to obtain
from their environment they traded for. Because,
they were very skilled at processing and storing
food they did not practice agricultural
techniques and they did not keep livestock. They
were able to use just about everything available
to them in their environment. They even used
shells as money. Today the Chumash people are
known for their amazing and colorful rock
paintings.
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Early Hohokam people were active traders. They
particularly liked trading goods for shells and
stones to make jewelry. They would get goods from
New Mexico and Arizona and carry them to the
coasts of California to trade for jewelry making
materials. The Hohokam people were even known to
trade for parrots. They would then use the
feathers in traditional ceremonies.
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g25.gif
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The Anasazi traded with several Puebloan
communities in the American Southwest. They were
known to trade with the Hohokam and the Mogollon
people. They received goods like sea shells,
parrots, copper bells, and cotton. The Anasazi
trade networks supported open communications
between groups. Demands for trade often lead to
marriages and relationships to flourish among a
variety of neighboring villages.
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Like so many of the Native people of the Plains
the Pawnee relied upon hunting buffalo and
planting corn to support their communities. They
spent part of the year living nomadically. In the
spring, when they would hunt buffalo, they would
live in skin-covered tepees. Meanwhile their corn
grew in their villages. In the fall, they would
return to their villages, to harvest their corn
crops. This cycle of hunting and planting
supported their economic needs on the plains. The
buffalo provided their food, shelter, and
clothing.
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Bison were a large part of the Cheyenne economy.
The bison served as food, clothing, shelter,
manufactured goods, and items which were traded
with other tribes and Europeans. In addition to
hunting bison the Cheyenne gathered plums,
chokecherries, and turnips. Once they encountered
the European settlers the Cheyenne received goods
like coffee, bacon, sugar, and bleached flour.
During the nineteenth century, as bison
populations declined, the Cheyenne economy was
increasingly dependant on trade with Europeans to
supplement for the materials that they needed.
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can/CheyenneWarriors.jpg
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Living on the plains the Blackfoot, like other
Plains people, used the bison that they hunted
for food, clothing, tepee covers, tools, and
ornaments. Once trade began with Europeans the
addition of metal tools changed the way
traditional materials were manufactured. The
Blackfoot actively traded horses, food, mules,
and ornaments in exchange for metal tools, guns,
clothes, food, and whiskey.
http//www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/a
fter1500/history/pictures/blackfoot.jpg
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Much like other Plains people the Osage hunted
for part of the year and then returned to their
villages for the plant harvest. The most
significant changes that took place in their
history came about when they encountered European
settlers. They adopted the use of horses for
hunting and also gained weapons. They traded with
the Europeans for several years. During that time
buffalo populations decreased and ultimately in
1825 they lost their land in Missouri and were
moved to Kansas.
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dex.html?pageNameIndians20Before20Europeans
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The Wampanoag people were skilled both at hunting
and farming. As Northeast seasons changed they
moved between eating beans, corn, and squash, and
fish and game. Just like several other native
communities the social, political, and economics
duties were the responsibility of the women of
the village. The Wampanoag people belonged to a
confederation (a group of communities that help
one another). Each community was represented by a
sachem (leader) who met with other members of the
confederation to discuss how the communities
would trade with one another.
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panoag20Homesite.jpg
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As part of the Powhatan Nation the Accohannock
Tribe was part of the Accomac Confederation.
Dwelling in what is now Maryland the Accohannock
people were among the first hunters, farmers,
trappers, and fishermen in that region. Being
good at hunting and farming they were able to
provide a large variety of foods for their tribe.
In addition to growing squash and corn their
economy was maintained by hunting deer, rabbit,
bear, elk, and other woodland animals. The
Accohannock people were able to live
self-sufficiently until colonial affects
disassembled their culture.
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The Abenaki people were very similar to other
Native tribes in the Northeast. They were farmers
and hunter/gatherers. When the first French
settlers arrived to the Northeast region the
Abenaki people joined them in the fur trade. The
Abenaki hoped that by understanding the French
they would be able to keep more French from
settling that area. For some time the fur trade
did provide the Abenaki with wealth that helped
their economy. Unfortunately the French saw how
much could be had from trading fur and they took
over more and more land. Soon the Abenaki people
died out because of the diseases brought by the
European settlers.
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banakiak20Village.jpg
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The early Ojibwe, of the Great Lakes region, were
skilled hunters and trappers. Unlike other Native
people they rarely used horses or hunted buffalo.
They lived in small groups that could be easily
supported by the environment. They ate deer,
bear, moose, waterfowl, fish, wild rice, maple
sugar, berries, and a few other plants that they
could grow during the short growing season. Their
economies were completely self-sufficient. That
was until they joined the French in the fur
trade. As a result of their contacts with
Europeans the Ojibwe gained metal tools and
weapons. Their new wealth allowed for their
groups to grow larger. Their contacts with the
French lead to economic growth and it also lead
to the spread of disease and warfare.
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Transportation was an important part of trade to
the Native people of the Americas. For many
tribes the introduction of horses aided their
ability to trade, and gain wealth. For the Haida,
the use of canoes was a major factor in their
economy. Using hollowed out cedar logs the Haida
were able to travel to trade with other tribes.
Gaining property was very important. Social
standing within the tribe depended on how much
property a person had. Therefore it was very
important for Haida people to become as skilled
as possible at gathering wealth.
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anthro2(1).jpg
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Fishing was a primary activity that supported
their economy. Living on the Northern Pacific
coast the Kwakiutl people obtained their food and
recourses directly from the ocean. They fished
for salmon, herring, eulachon, halibut,
shellfish, seals, and many other marine animals.
There skills as fishermen lead to great wealth
for the Kwakiutl people. They also participated
in fur trade through the Northwest. Today they
are still involved in the cash economy of
fishing, logging, and canning.
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The Chinook people used their recourses to
maintain their economy. As were many Northwest
tribes fishing was a major contributor to their
acquisition of wealth. When the European settlers
arrived in this area they began a very productive
trade relationship with the Chinook people.
During this time the Chinook were so important to
this regions trade economy that a new language
formed so the Native people and the Europeans
could communicate. This language was a mixture of
English, French, and several indigenous languages.
http//www.canadahistory.com/sections/culture/art/
paulkane/Chinook20Indians20in20Front20of20Mt
20Hood.jpg
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The Yurok fished, hunted, and gathered. Most
significant to maintaining their daily lives was
the drying of salmon and the harvesting of
acorns. They used acorns in a variety of ways.
The acorn was ground into flour and used as
medicines. The acorn groves were very important
to the Yurok people. The groves were owned my
villages, individual people, and they even had
open groves that could be used by everyone.
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00007mb/files/hb200007mb-FID13.jpg