How did the environment affect the development of prehistoric indigenous American cultures?

Answer: The environment affected the development of prehistoric indigenous American cultures by tending them to align every aspect of their lives with the surrounding nature.

Explanation: Environment, in the prehistoric indigenous American cultures, was treated as the most sacred entity. Most cultures circled around with the environment both at the center and at the peak. The staple foods, styles of living, styles of farming, clothing, housing, etc., all depended on and changed according to the surrounding environment. Most prehistoric American tribes did not engage themselves in activities that would potentially harm the environment unless it became important for their own survival.

Hence, the environment dramatically played the role of both a catalyst and a hindrance in the development of prehistoric indigenous American cultures.