Shortly after midnight on October 12, 1492 land was sighted in the bright moonlight. Traveling across the Atlantic Ocean in three ships - the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria - Christopher Columbus and his crew landed on what we now call San Salvador, a small island in the Bahamas. Sponsored by Spain, Columbus was in search of a western sea route to Asia. He believed that he had landed in the East Indies, his original destination, and he called the people living on the island "Indians."

Other explorers followed Columbus, such as Ponce de Leon in 1513. Also from Spain, Ponce de Leon was the first European to land in Florida. He landed near St. Augustine and claimed the land for Spain. Jacques Cartier from France came later and explored the St. Lawrence River Valley. He claimed the North American land near Quebec, Canada for France. Christopher Newport from England landed in present day Jamestown, Virginia. All these explorers continued to identify any native people they encountered as "Indians."

Today there is still debate over who really "discovered" the New World. Other people may have journeyed to the New World first, but it was Columbus who made sure that his discoveries were well documented and presented for history. Columbus presented the New World to Europe. He ignited the desire in Europeans for more exploration and eventual colonization. Columbus made the Old World aware of a "new" land and a "new" people.

There were millions of Native Americans living in the Western Hemisphere when the New World was "discovered" by the Europeans. Groups of hunters and gatherers, farming societies and the mighty Aztec and Maya civilizations all existed in North or South America long before Columbus arrived.

Native American culture in North America dates back to the Ice Age. Some scientists believe that around 20,000 B.C. early humans began to cross a bridge of land that once existed between Siberia and Alaska called the Bering Land Bridge. This land bridge is now covered by water called the Bering Strait. These early humans were probably looking for better game to hunt. They brought with them knowledge of fire and dogs, as well as the desire for a better and richer life for themselves and their families.

Between 10,000 B.C. and 9200 B.C. the Clovis people lived as a culture of hunters and gatherers. They lived in small extended family groups. Using bones, antlers and stones they made simple tools. They fashioned their spear points into distinctive shapes and hunted the woolly mammoths that once lived in great herds on the western plains. As the mammoths began to die out, the Clovis people began to fade as well. A new culture developed with emphasis on hunting bison.

Environment and habitat were important factors in the daily life of all Native American Indian tribes. Survival of any tribe depended on how they adapted to weather conditions and what natural resources were available to them. Location determined how a tribe dressed, their shelter and what they ate. Tribes living in the Northeast had a very different lifestyle from tribes in the Southwest. There are 10 basic Native American Regions or Culture Zones in North America. Each area has distinct characteristics that impacted the tribes who lived there and helped to shape their individual cultures.

The ARCTIC REGION is home to the Inuit, once known as Eskimos. This area of North America is harsh with long winters and few hours of sunlight. During the winter, the land is covered with ice and the soil below never thaws. The land is mostly treeless. Only mosses, lichens and stunted shrubs will grow there. Few Arctic people could farm so they moved around when necessary to find food. In winter, they relied on sea mammals, sea birds, fish, polar bear and caribou for food. In summer they might be able to find rabbits, rodents or birds such as owls. Clothing and housing were needed to offer protection from the cold. Parkas, pants and boots made from animal skins were necessary in the winter. Sealskin, which is waterproof, was used for clothing during the rainy season in summer. Hide tents and huts were used for shelter in the summer and snow houses or igloos were used in the winter. The Inuit used kayaks, sleds and snowshoes for transportation.

The SUBARCTIC REGION, including some of Alaska and most of Canada, is not as barren as the Arctic Region, but the winters are still long with deep snows. Stunted pine, fir and spruce trees cover the land, their shallow roots barely digging into the earth. Numerous lakes and rivers are spread across the countryside forming a chain of inland waterways. Summers are short and the many lakes provide an ideal environment for mosquitoes and black flies to breed. Native Americans living here, such as the Chippewa and Cree, found the land too harsh to farm and became nomadic hunters. They tracked moose, bear, deer, beaver, otter and other animals. They lived along the trail in simple lean-tos made of brush. They also made small cone shaped tents that were covered with animal hides. Animal hides were also used for clothing, which had to be warm in the winter and protect them from the mosquitoes and flies in the summer.

NORTHEAST REGION tribes included the Abenaki, Chippewa, Powhatan, Shawnee, Iroquois, Mohawk, Oneida and Seneca. These are all considered "Woodland Indians" because most of the land in the Northeast is covered with woods and forests. The forests provided many resources; wood, water and wildlife were plentiful. Permanent villages were established and wooden longhouses were favored for housing but wigwams were also used. Tribes would often leave the villages during certain seasons to go on hunting trips. Indians in this area were hunter-gatherers and some were excellent farmers as well. The Wampanoag were skilled and successful farmers. Several times each year they would have harvest ceremonies to give thanks to the earth for the food they were able to grow. In 1662 the Wampanoag Indians took pity on the starving Mayflower Pilgrims. Their kindness and knowledge of farming helped to save the Pilgrims, who had lost half their numbers the year before. Today, people in the United States celebrate the good fortune of the Pilgrims with the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Part of Canada, Washington State, Oregon and several groups of small islands make up the NORTHWEST REGION. This area is surprisingly warm due to a southern ocean current that warms the water and the air. It is also a wet region with over 100 inches of rain per year. Rocky cliffs instead of sandy beaches line the water's edge. Giant evergreen trees cover much of the land forming a canopy that blocks most of the sun. The forest floor is dark and wet and thick with ferns and mosses. These giant trees provided the Native Americans in this region with sturdy timbers to build their homes. The same timbers were also used for their giant totem poles, finely carved chests, masks and dugout canoes. Hunting in both the sea and on land was plentiful. Fish, particularly salmon, was important to their diet. Native Americans from this region include the Chinook, Nootka and Kwakiutl.

GREAT BASIN is a term given to the immense desert in the western part of North America. This region is shaped like a bowl, with mountains around the edge. All the rivers and streams of the higher elevations drain down into the Great Basin's sandy soil, which pulls the water deep underground. At one time, the region contained many lakes. Utah's Great Salt Lake still remains in this region. Death Valley is also part of this area. Life was hard in this dry and barren region. Native Americans living there knew how to dig for edible wild plants. They would also hunt and gather berries, seeds and nuts. Small game such as gophers, snakes and lizards were also hunted for food. Bannock, Ute, Paiute, Shoshone tribes lived in this region.

The GREAT PLAINS REGION consists of vast grasslands from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Texas. These grasslands supported a number of grazing animals such as antelope, deer, elk and buffalo. Hunting on the Great Plains was plentiful and the buffalo provided food, clothing and other raw materials for tools and shelter. Life was nomadic as they followed the buffalo's migrations across the grasslands. Horses helped with their traveling and the tipi provided portable housing. Clothing was made with leather and fur from the animals they hunted for food. Their clothing was often decorated with quillwork, beads, fringe or feathers. As trappers, settlers and other immigrants began to spill into the Great Plains, cloth and blankets were introduced to and used by the Native American tribes living there. Tribes of this region included the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Crow, Pawnee and Sioux.

Surrounding the Columbia River is the Columbia Plateau, this area is known as the PLATEAU REGION. Dense forests of evergreens cover this area and some of the tallest trees in the world are found here. Many rivers and streams from the surrounding mountains flow into this region. Because the forests are so dense, few land animals can find enough to eat in this region, but the waters are abundant with fish. Salmon was plentiful and important to the Flathead and Nez Perce who lived there. Most tribes lived by the side of a river. In the winter they lived in earth-covered pit houses, which serve as natural insulators to keep them warm. Simple lean-tos were used in warmer months.

The CALIFORNIA REGION is rich with wild edible plants and game. California Indians thrived here and their populations grew. Since edible plants were so available, there was no need for farming to grow food, but the tribes there did grow tobacco. Because the weather was mild, simple shelters were made from earth, wood or brush. Clothing was also simple and very little was needed or worn. Tribes in this region include the Miwok and the Pomo.

Parts of Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida make up the SOUTHEAST REGION. This area includes the Smokey Mountains, the Mississippi floodplain, the Florida Everglades and other fertile lands. The rich soil of this region helped to make the Southeast Indians excellent farmers who were skilled at growing corn, beans, squash, potatoes and melons. Permanent villages grew up around their fields. Homes were constructed by using tree branches and vines to make a framework that was then covered with mud and plant materials. Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee, Natchez and Seminole lived in this region.

The Cherokee and Seminole both wore headdresses that resemble a turban. Settlers started trading cloth, cotton shirts and blankets with the tribes and these were worn along with traditional buckskins. Later, as the first sewing machines were introduced, Seminole women developed a unique way of piecing small fabric scraps together to form intricate and distinct patchwork clothing.

The SOUTHWEST REGION includes most of what is now Arizona and New Mexico. It also includes parts of Utah, Colorado, Texas, California and some of Mexico. The land in this region is varied and includes plateaus, mountains, deserts and canyons. The Grand Canyon is part of this area, as well as the Painted Desert. The climate is very dry and plant life is sparse. Animal life is also sparse with only small animals, lizards and birds surviving there. Native Americans living here either moved around hunting small game or became skilled farmers. The tribes of this region include the Apache, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni and Pueblo. Most Native Americans in this area lived in pueblos, apartment-like homes made from adobe bricks or stone. Nomadic hunters favored cone shaped dwellings covered with brush called wickiups or log and stick framed homes covered with earth called hogans.