The truth of the matter is that both of these views oversimplify Native American cultures. When you look at Native American history, you are not looking at the history of one people. There were dozens upon dozens – perhaps hundreds – of Native American tribes. They had different languages,different cultures and customs, and different ways of living. There may have been some broad commonalities between many of these Native American cultures, but they were dwarfed by their differences. Some of them were nomadic while others were settled. Some of them were primarily hunter-gatherer societies while others practiced agriculture.