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Article: Indian Social Life
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
- Author:
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INDIAN SOCIAL LIFE
INDIAN SOCIAL LIFE.
Although European contact affected Native people, adaptation and change have long characterized Indian communities. It can be difficult to differentiate recent changes from precontact trends already in process. In addition, new elements, such as the introduction of the horse by the Spanish, often altered lifestyles well before Native people came into direct contact with Euro-Americans. Across time and space, ongoing processes of indigenous adaptation and change complicate how we assess the transformations traditionally associated with the intrusion of Euro-Americans.
Northeastern Woodlands
The Northeast was a region of small, sedentary ...