Final answer:
The regions where American Indians lived influenced their way of life, with Plains groups adopting a nomadic lifestyle due to the reintroduction of the horse, while other regions developed intensive agriculture, leading to larger, settled communities. Cultural diversity and climate also played significant roles in shaping distinct Native American societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The region in which the American Indians lived greatly influenced their lifestyles, including their methods of subsistence, cultural practices, and interactions with the environment. For instance, the Plains groups transitioned from being agriculturalists to nomadic hunter-gatherers, an adaptation that was largely due to the reintroduction of the horse to North America. This transformation allowed them to efficiently follow and hunt the great bison herds that roamed the plains. In contrast, other regions, such as the Southwest and Eastern Woodlands, saw the development of intensive agriculture, particularly of maize, which led to the establishment of larger settled communities and complex societies, like those seen in Chaco Canyon and Cahokia.
Moreover, the cultural diversity and the impact of climate further shaped the distinct ways of life of different Native American groups. The Native peoples east of the Mississippi, for example, lived in smaller autonomous clans and were more influenced by the resources available in their immediate environment compared to the larger and complex societies found to the west.
In Texas, cultural differences also emerged between American settlers and the Tejanos. Settlers typically differed in that many were slave owners and they remained religiously distinct from the Roman Catholic Tejanos, with implications for the social and political dynamics of the region.