[P. 5 caption for pic opposite and previous page 200-600 cws] -- Preceding pages: in the spring, the menominee and neighboring tribes speared fish by torchlight at night, harvesting 85 percent male fish with efficiency and sustainability. native nations developed numerous unique and vibrant cultures over centuries of life on the continent before european arrival. opposite: a menominee warrior with head roach, war paint, and feathers -- [p. 7 caption 200-600 cws] -- Opposite: north america was home to more than 500 distinct tribes, speaking more than 300 distinct languages from 29 different primary language families, as shown on this map. the linguistic diversity of north american tribes is astounding. european languages have three major classifications by contrast, broken into several families. the largest tribal language families in the united states and canada are na-denø, uto-aztecan, and algonquian (algic). in mexico, some tribal languages are quite vibrant. quechuan has 6-7 million speakers. but most indigenous languages of the americans are extremely endangered -- [p. 9 caption 185 cws[2]] -- Nature infuses indian art and culture. a depiction of the sun dominates this hopi kachina mask (above). an arikara man (opposite) poses with a tanned bear hide --