North Early American Civilization:
Early North American civilization began either before 35,000 B.C.E. or about 10,000 years later during a prehistoric glacial period (ice age). North Americans (Native Americans) most likely emigrated from the continent of Asia to North America and were the first inhabitants of America. During this time, large amounts of water froze into sheets of ice, which turned the Bering Strait into a large bridge between Asia and North America. This new land bridge made people from Siberia able to migrate to what is now known as Alaska. Over a period of about 25,000 years, settlements spread from the Alaskan coast, down to Central and South America, as well as further into the mainland of North America. Early North Americans were mainly drifting hunters and gatherers. Early North Americans were a blend of many different people and their lifestyles varied depending on where they settled. Some relied on hunting, gathering, agriculture, farming, and fishing. They were very diverse in language and could speak around 1,000 different languages. They had to know many different languages to be able to communicate with one another as they all had different dialects and they would keep translating the words until they got the right language and could carry on their conversation. Most people today do not know very many languages other than their own and people usually fish and hunt just for fun or for that nights meal, but not to live off of as we get our meats from other resources in this day and age. The Americans took the land from the Native Americans even thought they had found it first. We then came to an agreement that the natives would have a certain area of the land for them to live and have their own government.
The Gutierrez map was hard to see even with the zoom tool you because could not read any of the words on it or tell what some of the things were. I believe that the Native Americans were the unclothed men with bows and arrows sitting around campfires possibly preparing food. They are located in what is now South America. There also looks like there may be a teepee which represents native habitation and is located in what is now Mexico. I am not sure how the placement of the Native Americans on the map would strengthen the European claims of sovereignty. Taking a guess I would say that if the Europeans made certain claims about the Native Americans that the placement of them on the map may have shown proof of their claims or at least made their claims more believable. The treaties of Cateau Cambrsis signed between Spain and France and France and England in 1559 brought peace to Europe; I believe that this is why the French and Spanish coats of arms are on the upper left corner of the map. I am unsure as to what the meaning of the Portuguese coat of arms is in the lower right hand corner of the map, but I am guessing that it is most likely the same meaning, that they had signed treaties as well. Usually on maps, especially on this map, they try to include all the things that are meaningful or have something important to do with is and with this map being so old I am sure that they put the coat of arms on there to represent the signed treaties between those countries.
References: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. (2006). PSI Source: Gutirrez Map. Retrieved June 14, 2010 from http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0072970871/student_view0/chapter1/psi_source__gutierrez_map.html
Hbert, Dr. J. R. (n.d.). The 1562 Map of America by Diego Gutirrez. Geography and Map Division. Retrieved June 14, 2010 from http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/frontiers/gutierrz.html