NATIVE AMERICANS

Native North Americans occupied North America before the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th century. They have long been known as Indians because of the belief common at the time of Columbus, that the Americas were the outer reaches of the Indies (i.e., the East Indies). Most scholars agree that Native Americans came into the Western Hemisphere from Asia via the Bering Strait or along the North Pacific coast in a series of migrations. From Alaska they spread east and south. Several waves of migration are said to account for the many native linguistic families, while common origin is used to explain physical characteristics that Native Americans share (though with considerable variation)—facial features, coarse, straight black hair, dark eyes, sparse body hair, and skin color ranging from yellow-brown to reddish brown.

Some scholars accept evidence of Native American existence in the Americas back more than 25,000 years, while others believe that people arrived later, perhaps as recently as 12,000 years ago. In pre-Columbian times (prior to 1492) the native population of the area north of Mexico is conservatively estimated to have been about 1.8 million,  some authorities believe the population was as large as 10 million or more. This population dropped dramatically within a few decades of the first contact with Europeans. Many died from smallpox, influenza, measles, and other diseases to which they had no immunity.

There were roughly six major cultural areas, excluding that of the Arctic, Northwest Coast, Plains, Plateau, Eastern Woodlands, Northern, and Southwest.