Discuss ancient peoples' strategies for surviving in the varied climates of north america. how did their different approaches to survival contribute to the diversity of native american culture? what else might have contributed to the diversity?

Transition from large-game hunting: Paleo-Indian hunters likely followed large game across Beringia and into the Americas. Hunting and the warming of the environment most likely contributed to the extinction of large mammals. Humans then had to adopt more varied ways of providing for themselves, leading to greater cultural diversity.

Archaic Indians hunted animals and gathered wild plants: Rather than engaging in agriculture, Archaic Indians’ survival depended on their ability to harvest enough resources from their environments. The kinds and volumes of resources available to them in different regions shaped their ways of life.

Examples of variation: The peoples of the Great Basin adapted to their varied and volatile landscape by relying on plants as their most important food source. By storing such resources and migrating following better conditions, they were able to survive dry periods and maintain this way of life well after 1492. In contrast, the Chumash of California exploited the coast’s rich supply of fish, forming stable settlements, trading, and warring, with other tribes. These examples suggest that different modes of hunting and gathering could produce different patterns of human society.