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Modern scientists believe that, the American Indians, or Native Americans, who were the first people to live in North America, came from Asia across the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. They were nomads, that is, they did not live in one place, but instead were always on the move as they looked for food.
    These early inhabitants spread out all over the North American continent. There was a great variety of languages, religions beliefs, and customs among the many tribes, or groups, of Indians. The lifestyle of the people who lived in each culture area reflected the geography of that area. The inhabitants of the Northwest Coast lived by hunting and fishing, but they didn’t lead a nomadic life. They didn’t need to follow animals from place to place because they could take advantage of the resources where they were living. Geography influenced other areas of life, too. Hunting was seasonal work, best in the summer: therefore, the tribe members were very busy at certain times of the year, but in other seasons, they had the opportunity to spend time in creative activities such as woodworking—an art form for which the Northwest Coast Indians became well known.
    Unlike the inhabitants of the Northwest Coast, the Indians of the eastern plains had an agricultural society: they lived in fanning communities and raised crops. The members of these tribes lived differently from those in the Northwest: Because there were so few trees on the flatlands, their houses were of earth instead of wood. While the food was growing, the people stayed in their communities. After the harvest, when they had brought in the crops, the Indians rode west to hunt buffalo. During the months when they were looking for buffalo, the hunters’ lifestyle was similar to that of the nomadic tribes on the western plains.