Native American Nations and Culture Areas

The indigenous peoples of North America are often organised by anthropologists into culture areas — broad regions whose peoples shared similar environments and, as a result, comparable patterns of subsistence, housing and social life. This framework helps make sense of the great number of distinct nations by grouping, for example, the bison-hunting peoples of the Plains, the farming villages of the Southwest, the fishing societies of the Pacific Northwest coast, and the woodland peoples of the east.

Within these regions lived nations whose names are still widely recognised. On the Plains and in the Southwest were peoples such as the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, Crow and Cheyenne. The Hopi were among the Pueblo farming peoples of the arid Southwest, raising maize and building permanent stone and adobe settlements. In the eastern woodlands, the Iroquois and Mohawk belonged to a long-standing political confederacy, while the Cherokee formed a populous society in the southeast. Each nation had its own language, governance and beliefs, even where neighbouring peoples shared a way of life.

Archaeology adds depth to this picture by tracing the long history of human settlement in North America, from early hunting cultures through the rise of farming and complex societies, including peoples who built large earthwork mounds. Combining excavation, oral history and the testimony of living communities, researchers continue to document the heritage of Native American nations and the variety of cultures that developed across the continent.

Frequently asked questions

What is a culture area?

A culture area is a region whose indigenous peoples shared a similar environment and, consequently, comparable patterns of food gathering, housing and social organisation.

Who were the Pueblo peoples?

The Pueblo peoples, including the Hopi, were farming communities of the Southwest who built permanent villages of stone and adobe and cultivated maize.

How does archaeology study Native American history?

Archaeologists excavate settlements, tools and earthworks, and combine the findings with oral history and living traditions to document a very long human presence.