Final answer:
Native Americans traditionally survived using their environment through practices like expert hunting and fishing, cultivating crops such as corn and squash, and adapting to abundant local resources like the marine life in the Pacific Northwest.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ways Native Americans Used Their Environment
Indigenous peoples of North America have traditionally used their environment to survive in various ways:
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- Resourceful hunting and fishing: Native populations, such as the Inuit and the First Nations in Canada, have a long tradition of subsisting on hunting and fishing. They have maintained a symbiotic relationship with wildlife, often involving elaborate rituals to show respect and improve hunting success.
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- Agriculture and environmental management: Groups like the Iroquois formed agricultural societies farming crops such as corn, wild rice, squash, and pumpkins. They also managed the environment to promote the success of game animals, enhancing survival through both plant cultivation and game management.
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- Adaptation to local resources: The groups that settled along the Pacific Northwest, for example, adapted to the abundant marine life. They thrived on resources like salmon by perfecting hunting and fishing techniques suited to the densely forested and marine-rich environment.