| There are many theories about that, but one thing that has been proven is that it wasn't just one group of people who found their way to the Americas.
First, the Olmec civilization is said to be from Africa. If you take a look at their artifacts, the physical features are very similar to other African peoples. There is even a legend about a Prince that sailed toward the Americas and that he was the progenitor of the Olmecs.
Second, there are stories that some Native Americans originated in Russia and crossed the Bering Strait, traveled down the ice corridor during the Ice Age and spread out all over the continent.
Third, other theories state that some may have come from Hawaii, Austrailia, China, Mongolia, etc. No one is sure, but one thing they have found is that many areas had different genetic similarities with other tribes, while some had no similarities at all. This means that these people could not have had a common ancestor within a certain time frame.
Fourth, there are some stories that state that Vikings came here and settled with some tribes, such as the Mandan. It is rumored, but not proven, that many Mandan had blue eyes, some with blonde hair, so this could be true. The Mandan even had stories similar to those of Noah's Ark, indicating that some Europeans actually made it that far inland.
Check out the many Native American web sites out there. Some have their own stories and research as to how their peoples got here. One that you might find interesting is the Lakota Sioux who say their people were born in the Black Hills, which they hold as sacred.
Since this is a question for school, though, they probably want a text book answer. Maybe looking in your text book for the answer they list would help you more?
Good luck.  | 
03-13-2008, 03:03 PM
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