What are the central features of southwestern and southeastern Native American groups of North America?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Students should emphasize that most Native Americans were organized in self-governing groups and that environmental factors along with changing and spreading technology shaped the lives of these respective Indian groups. Accordingly, students should point out that southwestern Indians built large, multi-room residential structures and that the Anasazi constructed large agricultural communities and maintained extensive trading networks. Good students will insert information on changing environmental conditions such as drought to explain why the Anasazi eventually dispersed to form pueblos. When discussing dispersal of technology, students need to explain how southeastern Indians benefited from the spread of agricultural technology to produce agricultural surpluses. Good students will identify the social consequences of these developments as the creation of hierarchical societies with large cities such as Cahokia.