Final answer:
The environment significantly influenced the lifestyles of both Coastal and Plateau tribes by providing resources that shaped their diets, economy, and culture. Coastal tribes were adept at sea resources exploitation, while Plateau tribes utilized rivers and benefited from the arrival of horses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The environment played a crucial role in the development and daily lives of both Coastal and Plateau tribes. For Coastal tribes, the proximity to the ocean provided a rich source of food through fishing, shellfish gathering, and whale hunting. This abundance of marine resources led to complex societal structures and enabled the creation of totem poles and large, ornate canoes. Plateau tribes such as the Klamath, Nez Perce, and Flathead, on the other hand, lived in areas with rivers and streams.
They utilized the natural resources around them for food and did not need to travel far for survival. The introduction of horses transformed Plateau societies as well, facilitating travel, trade, and hunting.
Examples from Coastal and Plateau Peoples Coastal Tribes: Coastal tribes, such as the Haida and Tlingit, relied heavily on the sea, developing advanced woodworking skills to craft boats suited for the ocean's demands. These boats allowed them to excel in fishing and whaling, which were central aspects of their culture and economy. Ceremonial practices and potlatches were influenced by this ocean-centric lifestyle, where wealth from the sea was distributed in these gatherings.
Plateau Tribes: Plateau tribes cultivated plants near rivers and engaged in seasonal fishing when salmon traveled upstream. The availability of horses greatly impacted their way of life by making hunting more efficient and promoting trade with other tribes and groups, which diversified their diets and cultural practices.
In summary, both Coastal and Plateau environments shaped the cultures, economies, and social structures of the tribes that lived there, dictating the paths they would take and the adaptations they would make to thrive in their respective environments.