| Native American Cultures
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| | generalizations, however, are possible.
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| The America that greeted the first
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| | Most tribes, particularly in the wooded
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| Europeans was, thus, far from an empty
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| | eastern region and the Midwest, combined
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| wilderness. It is now thought that as
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| | aspects of hunting, gathering, and the
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| many people lived in the Western
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| | cultivation of maize and other products
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| Hemisphere as in Western Europe at that
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| | for their food supplies. In many cases,
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| time -- about 40 million. Estimates of
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| | the women were responsible for farming
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| the number of Native Americans living in
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| | and the distribution of food, while the
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| what is now the United States at the
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| | men hunted and participated in war.
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| onset of European colonization range from
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| | By all accounts, Native-American society
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| two to 18 million, with most historians
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| | in North America was closely tied to the
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| tending toward the lower figure. What is
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| | land. Identification with nature and the
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| certain is the devastating effect that
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| | elements was integral to religious
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| European disease had on the indigenous
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| | beliefs. Their life was essentially
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| population practically from the time of
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| | clan-oriented and communal, with children
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| initial contact. Smallpox, in particular,
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| | allowed more freedom and tolerance than
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| ravaged whole communities and is thought
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| | was the European custom of the day.
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| to have been a much more direct cause of
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| | Although some North American tribes
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| the precipitous decline in the Indian
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| | developed a type of hieroglyphics to
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| population in the 1600s than the numerous
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| | preserve certain texts, Native-American
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| wars and skirmishes with European
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| | culture was primarily oral, with a high
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| settlers.
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| | value placed on the recounting of tales
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| Indian customs and culture at the time
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| | and dreams. Clearly, there was a good
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| were extraordinarily diverse, as could be
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| | deal of trade among various groups and
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| expected, given the expanse of the land
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| | strong evidence exists that neighboring
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| and the many different environments to
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| | tribes maintained extensive and formal
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| which they had adapted. Some
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| | relations -- both friendly and hostile.
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