▁and ▁the ▁Car ib bean ) ▁begins ▁with ▁people ▁migr ating ▁to ▁these ▁areas ▁from ▁Asia ▁during ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁an ▁Ice ▁Age . ▁These ▁groups ▁are ▁generally ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁isolated ▁from ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁" Old ▁World " ▁until ▁the ▁coming ▁of ▁Europe ans ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century ▁from ▁I cel and ▁led ▁by ▁Le if ▁Erik son ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁voy ages ▁of ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁today ' s ▁American ▁Ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁were ▁the ▁Pale o - Ind ians ; ▁they ▁were ▁h unter - g ather ers ▁who ▁migr ated ▁into ▁North ▁America . ▁The ▁most ▁popular ▁theory ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁migr ants ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁via ▁Ber ing ia , ▁the ▁land ▁mass ▁now ▁covered ▁by ▁the ▁ocean ▁waters ▁of ▁the ▁Ber ing ▁Stra it . ▁Small ▁l ith ic ▁stage ▁pe op les ▁followed ▁meg af a una ▁like ▁b ison , ▁m amm oth ▁( now ▁ext inct ), ▁and ▁car ib ou , ▁thus ▁gain ing ▁the ▁modern ▁nick name ▁" big - game ▁hun ters ." ▁Gr oups ▁of ▁people ▁may ▁also ▁have ▁tra ve led ▁into ▁North ▁America ▁on ▁sh elf ▁or ▁sheet ▁ice ▁along ▁the ▁northern ▁Pacific ▁coast . ▁ ▁Cultural ▁tra its ▁brought ▁by ▁the ▁first ▁imm igr ants ▁later ▁evol ved ▁and ▁spawn ed ▁such ▁cult ures ▁as ▁I ro qu ois ▁on ▁North ▁America ▁and