In 1492 the native population of North America north of the Rio Grande was seven million to ten million. These peoplegrouped themselves into ap-proximately six hundred tribes and spoke diverse dia-lects. European colonists initiallyencountered Native Americans in three distinct regions. Eastern Woodland tribes included the Five Nations of the roquois Confed-eracy, Abenakis, Shawnees, Delawares, Micmacs, Mahi-cans, and Pequots. Some of these tribes were edentary hunter-gathers while others grew maize (corn), beans, and squash. In the Southeast white settlers came into contact ith Powhatans, Catawbas, Cherokees, Creeks, Natchez, Choctaws, and Chickasaws; these people were primarily griculturalists. Pueblos, Zunis, Navajos, and Hopis represented some of the adobe-dwelling bands in the arid Southwest. egardless of their differences, these groups shared some common characteristics. For Native Americans the family, clan, and illage represented the most important social groups. In addition, religions re-volved around the belief that all of nature was live, ul-sating.....
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