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Native Americans

Definition

The indigenous peoples living in North America before the arrival of Europeans. They had diverse cultures, languages, and societies.

Analogy

Think of Native Americans as the original inhabitants of a house (North America) before new tenants (Europeans) moved in. Each room in the house represents different tribes with their unique decorations (cultures and languages).

Related terms

Tribes: Subgroups within the Native American population, each with its own distinct culture, language, and societal structure.

Colonization: The process by which one group of people takes control over another group's territory, often leading to cultural changes or displacement for the original inhabitants.

Indigenous Peoples: A term used globally to refer to people who were the first inhabitants of a region before colonization or other forms of invasion and displacement.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.