MAJOR NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

Interesting Perspective and Point

Machu Picchu- the capital city of the Incas. If you ever get the chance to visit Peru you must hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and experience the majestic Andes Mountains as the Incas had done.

Cliff-side dwelling-the way of the Pueblo and Mr. DeGaetano
Sitting Bull- A great Sioux Chief who decided it was time to fight. He had been pushed around too much by the American government. Was he justified in his actions?



Modern Inuit family inside their igloo home. What do you think they are thinking about the photographer who is taking their picture?
Aztec art depicting their ritual of human sacrificing. Here is an interesting question. When does culture cross the boundary into crime? Is it okay for a religious group in California to sacrifice the lives of its members as part of its religous customs? Or what about a tribe from New Zealand that practices canibalism?
Mayan pyramid in modern day Guatemala
The British had to rely on the various tribes of the Iroquois to survive the first few years of colonization. They traded with the Iroquois, learned farming practices from them, and were taken care of when times got tough by certain tribes of the Iroqouis Nation.
Many misperceptions of Native Americans exist. Popular Movies, comic books, toys, etc. have created stereotypes about Native Americans that continue to "teach" the public about how Native Americans lived.

There were thousands of separate tribes in the "New World" upon European contact( ca. 1500). It is a common myth that "indian" tribes are similar in many ways. However, the truth couldn't be more grossely misunderstood. Tribes throughout North and South America had their own identity represented through their various social, economic, and political organization. Languages, customs, religious beliefs, shelters, technological advancement, social structure, along with many other characteristics, varied greatly. Various tribes are better thought of as nations, much like we think of the different European nations around the same time. With that said, we can speak of the Iroquois Nation, the Sioux Nation, or Pueblo Nation.

Major Native American Nations of North and South America

Inuit Nation
Iroquois Nation
Inca Nation (Empire)
Sioux Nation
Aztec Nation (Empire)
Pueblo Nation
Maya Nation (Empire)*

*The Maya Nation will "die off" before European contact. However, they are regarded as the mother culture of many of the meso-american tribes therefore it is important to study them for their influence.

Because we are doing research projects for this unit I will let you do the work of a researcher and find information for yourselves. Remember to use credible sources such as the links I've given you to the right. However, I will give you a little nudge in the right direction http://nativeamericans.com/ is a great database of information on all the major Native American nations. You can find interesting video clips on http://www.history.com/ about all the nations. I just finished watching one in which they found a preserved Inca mummy high up in the Andes.

Also, remember that these tribes are huge and many will have their own official website. Finally, remember to not only research the tribe by its name but also, by using the names of their various different culural, political, etc. aspects. For example you might research the Aztecs by researching Cortes or Montezuma to find information about the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs upon arriving and colonizing modern day Mexico.

Agricultural Revolution, Dawn of Civilization, and the Bering Strait Migration Theories

Here's a little review of what we talked about in class this week.

I put these conflicting images on the blog to give you a feel for the time periods, and paths of migration. But as you can see the general concensus by scientists on the dates is somewhat varied, as is some of the migration patterns themselves. One link below is a scientist's argument against the Bering Strait Migration theory.

Movements-the people, events, laws, speeches, literature, etc. associated with a particular cause. Movements seek change in some aspect of society; whether it be social, political, economic, or most commonly, a combination of all three.

Example: Environmental Movement, Vete Vendosje Movement, Civil Rights Movement

Revolution- a dramatic change(s) in society. Revolutions, like movements, can be social, political, or economic in nature. Most commonly they encompass all three areas and generally speaking almost all aspects of society.

Example: Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Internet Revolution

We also discussed the use of BC, or BCE, and AD, or CE, to mark time.

BC= before Christ (Billions of years ago-0)
BCE=before common era (same as above)

AD=after (Christ's) death (1-2008+)

CE=comon era (same as above)

Finally we discussed the importance of the Agricultural Revolution and how it changed human history.

The agricultural revolution produced a transformation of human society brought about by the invention of the plow, making large-scale agricultural production possible and leading to agrarian societies.
The agricultural revolution had such a profound impact on society that many people call this era the "dawn of civilization." During this same period that the plow was invented, the wheel, writing, and numbers were also invented.
The agricultural revolution further accentuated the changes taking place due to the domestication revolution, extending those effects even farther in society.
During this period, stratification became a major feature of social life. An elite gained control of surplus resources and defended their position with arms. This centralization of power and resources eventually led to the development of the state as the rich and powerful developed the institution of the state to further consolidate their gains.

A short, comical video on the agricultural revolution and the rise of civilizations. At least watch it for the music and funny cartoon at the end of the video.

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=657064dbec74d9eea4be

Here is a site that reviews the basic Beringia migration theory. It includes vocabulary, timeline, and images. Although it is geared more for a younger student, it covers the basics well.

http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/01firstamericans/_Over_the_Land.html

Here is a good article from the discovery.com discussing bering strait migration and the origins of native americans.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/02/13/beringia-native-american.html

I know I'm blasting you guys with links but this one is really intersting. Its a link to the genographic project in which you can explore an on-going project by scientists from around the world working for national geographic in which they study and analyze the early migration patterns of man. You can find out where your original ancestors (prehistoric origins) are from by navigating throughout the links on the site.

https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/

Same website but awesome multimedia relating to this subject. This is a great overview of the early history of man; from origins of homosapians to the rise of the first civilizations. This national geographic site is really good. I encourage you all to explore it.

https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html

Ok, every theory has its holes. Here is a link to a site that argues against the Bering Sea Migration Theory. Remember we will never have many facts therefore issues like this are intensely debated. This author makes some good points.

http://home.earthlink.net/~shiseiryu1/shiseiryu1/nativeamerican/Bering.htm

Ok, I think that's more than enough to keep you guys occupied. Remember to have fun with it. If that means just looking at the pictures, watching the videos, and reading the charts to learn a little more than so be it. If you like exploring more and learning as much as you can by all means thoroughly read through all of these sites and then do your own research. This is a fascinating area of history/science/anthropology that will never stop being studied. We will never know 100% of the truth but we may get closer as technology, artifacts, and more minds are found and developed.

REMEMBER 9/11

Hello everyone, here is the link to poem so you can re-read it for the homework questions. I've also included other links and videos that you should check out for further understanding of this tragic event. Those who have the History Channel should check out the documentary tonight called 102 minutes that changed America. It airs at 10pm Kosova time and should be a great film depicting the events as they unfolded on 9/11/2001. See you guys tomorrow in class.
Link to the Remember 9/11 poem from class
http://www.butlerwebs.com/tragedy/poems.htm#Dedicated%20for%20September%2011th,%202001

Videos from class that we watched
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDh_pvv1tUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZV2L0EM08I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5uIPyYDlQ&feature=related

This is a really good news broadcast from the BBC that sums up the day's events.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPh7ECq9sc0&feature=related

Check out http://www.history.com/ also for personal accounts from the people who lived through it.

U.S. Geography

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A Great collection of Photos highlighting all the National Parks in the United States. From these photos you should get a good idea of the diverse land formations in the United States. After all it is the most diverse nation in the world geographically speaking.

http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/

What national parks did you like the best? Why?

Use the maps and links below to further your understanding of U.S. Geography. I italicized the questions I want you to comment on therefore they should be easy to see. Also, check out the link below to my world history blog. It has great information on world geography. If anything, you should check out the links to the many maps such as the world population map, world GNPs, world literacy rates, world urban density, etc.

A link to my World History blog with interesting information about the world. After all, the world is much bigger and grander than the United States will ever be.

http://www.degaetano-worldhistory.blogspot.com/

Geographic Regions of the United States

Click on the link below to see a map of U.S. Geographic regions. Below the link you will find basic information about each region.

http://www.pwcs.edu/bennett/geo5/usregion.JPG

Coastal Plain
· Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico
· Broad lowland providing many excellent harbors
Appalachian Mountains
· Located west of Coastal Plain extending from eastern Canada to western Alabama
· Old, eroded mountains (oldest mountain range in North America)
Canadian Shield
· Wrapped around Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape
· Hills worn by erosion and hundreds of lakes carved by glaciers
· Holds some of the oldest rock formations in North America
Interior Lowlands
· Located west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Great Plains
· Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river valleys, and grassy hills
Great Plains
· Located west of Interior Lowlands and east of the Rocky Mountains
· Flat land that gradually increases in elevation westward; grasslands
Rocky Mountains
· Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and Range
· Rugged mountains stretching from Alaska to Mexico; high elevations
· Contains the Continental Divide, which determines the directional flow of rivers
Basin and Range
· Located west of Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades
· Area of varying elevations containing isolated mountain ranges and Death Valley, the lowest point in North America
Coastal Range
· Rugged mountains along the Pacific Coast that stretch from California to Canada
· Contains fertile valleys

Which region contains the oldest, therefore the most eroded, mountains in the united states?

Which region contains areas of high and low desert, as well as contains places like The Grand Canyon and Death Valley?

Which region has the highest percentage of urban areas?

U.S. Statistics
Click on this link for the latest in U.S. statistics. You can find out many things from the Census Burea such as population estimates, economic based statistics, ethnic percentages, etc.
http://www.census.gov/

What is the current population of the United States?

What region do you find the highest percentage of African-Americans in the United States?

State Profiles

The link below contains a map and list of all the U.S. states. You can click on a state and get a comprehensive profile of each state. Basically everything you need to know about any given state is presented here. You can do the same thing with major cities of the U.S. on this site.
http://www.factmonster.com/states.html#land

Hello Everyone!!!

Hey everyone,

So... this is a test to make sure everyone has created a blogger account and can post to the site. You will need to set up an account through blogger.com in order to post comments here. It's real simple. All you need to do is create a username and password. Make sure you write it down somewhere so you don't forget it. Once you've created your account post a comment to this thread. It can be anything such as "Here I am", "Merita was here", or even simply "hello". You might want to answer the poll question I've asked for the month. Also check out some of the links to the other sites that will be great resources for you this year and in the future. If you have suggestions to other sites you think that will be valuable to the class please suggest them in your comments. See you in class.

Mr. DeGaetano