Native American Cultures: The Southeast

By Encyclopaedia Britannica, adapted by Newsela sta on 06.22.17

Word Count 462
Level 580L

Seminole children at the Brighton Reservation in Florida in 1948. Photo by: State Library and Archives of Florida

The Native Americans of the Southeast lived in what is now the southeastern United States.
This area goes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.

The southeast included many dierent tribes. It included the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw,
Creek and Seminole. It also included the Natchez, Caddo, Apalachee, Timucua and Guale.

Food And Housing

The Southeast Native Americans were farmers. They grew mostly corn and beans. They
hunted deer, bears and other animals. They also caught sh from the rivers and sea.

Most lived in small villages. Some native people lived in larger towns. These towns were
protected by fences. They had temples or council houses. The council was the group of
leaders who made decisions for the tribe.

Clothing And Craft

Most of the clothing was made out of deer skin. Southeast Native Americans also wore
leggings and fur robes. These kept them warm in the winter.

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The Southeast peoples made canoes, bows and arrows using wood. They made arrowheads,
clubs and tools from bone and stone.

Society

Each tribe was led by a chief. The chief was the leader during peacetime. During war, the tribe
followed a war leader.

Tribe members were also divided into clans. Those from the same clan were descended from
the same person. Sometimes, people from the same clan lived in dierent villages.

Men and women had dierent jobs. Women farmed and prepared food. Men went to war,
traded and hunted.

Religion

The Southeast peoples believed that humans, animals and plants all had souls. This belief is
called animism.

They thought that animals should be respected. Even while hunting, certain rules had to be
followed. Killing an animal without following the rules could have bad consequences. For
example, it was thought to cause illness.

Conict With Europeans

The Spanish explorers landed in the Southeast during the 1500s. Many Native Americans
were killed by the Spanish. Others died of diseases or were captured as slaves.

In 1830, the U.S. government made the tribes leave their land. The tribes were forced to settle
in the west. Over the following years, over 100,000 native people left their homes. Many got
sick and did not have enough food. This terrible journey was called the Trail of Tears.

The Seminole had been ghting to stay in Florida since the early 1800s. Their ghts against
the U.S. Army were called the Seminole Wars. By 1858, the Seminole were tired of war, and
most of the tribe left.

At the time, tribes could choose their own leaders. After 1900, chiefs and tribe leaders were
chosen by the U.S. government instead.

This changed during the 1970s. Native Americans were allowed to choose their leaders again.
Today, the Southeast tribes have started businesses to make money. They have used the
money on education and healthcare.

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