1. What were some characteristics of American Indian cultures, and how and why did people move within the Americas prior to contact with Europeans?

American Indian cultures were not all the same before the arrival of Europeans. There were several thousand different tribes in the North American continent before the Europeans settled. However, there are some characteristics that many tribes possessed including:

1) Animism - This refers to a belief that all living things have a spirit. With this in mind, the American Indian cultures tried their best to protect, preserve, and cherish the resources provided by the land. These groups often associated a bad harvest with disrupting the spirits of nature.

2) Oral History - Many tribes focused on passing down their tribes history through story telling rather than writing systems.

3) Movement patterns - Many American Indian tribes were nomadic. This means that they moved constantly. This lifestyle was based around hunting large herd animals like buffalo.