Native Americans Prior to European Colonization

The continent of North America was home to many Native American societies long before the arrival of the first Europeans. For thousands of years they lived in isolation influenced only by the geographic diversity of their natural environment. They learned to adapt to the characteristics of the region they inhabited obtaining the necessities for survival. By the time the first Europeans arrived they found a diverse population of Native Americans, some with “highly sophisticated and complex civilizations.”1
Native American societies ranged “from small bands of hunter-gatherers and farmers to well-organized states,”2 depending upon their geographic location. Prior to European colonization it is believed that there were several hundred nations and tribes in the area of the lower 48 states, each with their own language and customs. The nations or societies could consist of several different tribes each made up of various clans. Clans normally consisted of family membersh...