...the Native American The history of the Native American goes as far back as 1492 when Christopher Columbus first came in contact with Native Americans in Bahamas. “The name “indian” was given to them from Christopher Columbus who mistakenly thought he had landed in the “Indies”. (History.com Staff, 2009) How the attitude and image of the Native American people would change with the induction of the early settlers in Virginia in 1607. With the increase in immigration of settlers and the greed of the “white man” to lay claim to Indian lands, violence erupted in their conquest. After the American Revolution, Britain released all of its North American holdings to the United States. The claims of Native Americans were completely eradicated by this action. For a short time, United States regulated under the presumption that the Indians were overthrown, and therefore, had no rights or claims to the land. On May 28, 1830 Congress passes the Indian Removal Act, allowing the president to pursue ownership of all Indian lands east of the Mississippi River. Under this act, the Indians would be paid back with new lands drawn from the public land west of the Mississippi River. President Andrew Jackson was relentless during the 1830s, despite Supreme Court rulings in favor of the Indian Nation, to remove all eastern Indians to land west of the Mississippi River. During Andrew Jackson’s presidency he scheduled to remove over 90,000 Native Americans. President...
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...years the Native American mascot debate is one that has gotten major press. Native Americans are very angry and want to be heard. The tribal names that these natives go by are something that mean very much to them. School boards, and sports teams around the country have used these mascots, and names to define who the team, and or school is. Today, many people see using Native American names for mascots to be racist. These mascots and cultural figures are part of the Native American culture. To go and generalize these people into a sports team that have nothing to do with who they are, is being very prejudice, misleading, and in many ways wrong. Native Americans deserve the right to be heard and understood that their names, tribal figures, and beliefs are theirs. Mascots used to define them bring nothing but racism, shame, stereotyping, and generalization. Many sports teams, schools, and universities in the US have adopted some incarnation of the Native American warrior as their mascot. However, many people, of Native American heritage as well as non-Indians, believe that the portrayals of Native Americans in this manner is a harmful, racist aspect of our culture, and one that we should take strong measures to prevent. It is not wrong for one to say that racism all around the world needs to be put to an end. We as Americans hold ourselves to high standards of being accepting to all ethnicities. It is hard to understand how we are unable to relate to Native Americans and understand...
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...Imagine being raised in a Native tribe off the East Coast of America. The year is 1398, surrounding you is a rich abundant land full of wild plants and animals. A close knit family where everyone shares, and greed is almost non existent. Day to day survival is what keeps the mind going, but it is never threatened. As you grow up you learn only of your people, and how the world was made for you and you must return the favor with respect. No one tells you your right or wrong, and there is no doubt in your beliefs being false. On a morning just like any other, you take to your hunting trail. It is very common land and you can walk this with your eyes closed without running into vegetation. The birds whistle a common tune, and you can feel and understand what kind of mood they are in. It is quite, but you can still hear and comprehend so many things as the world talks to you. Movement catches your eye and suddenly a great whitetail bucks jumps across the ravine in a non challant manor chasing does. This buck is known in the tribe, and a kill would bring great spiritual power to the people. The buck pauses as he encounters a new scent, thus creating a opportunity to srike. The crisp red oak bow bends to a rate of optimal power, the arrow which took a day to create is perfection as it sits on the stand. The release is smooth and the feathers cut through the air speeding to the target. It is a clean kill, a sacrificed to be made that does not go un appreciative. The 180lb animal...
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...Native Americans The people who first lived in North America can be called American Indians or you can use the term Native Americans. You should not use the terms such as Red Indian or Redskin, because this name originally referred to a specific tribe, the Beothuks, who painted their bodies and faces with red ochre. All of the Native American tribes had some things in common. They lived on the land and they were gathering food in the earliest times and then planting crops later in history. Once they began planting crops, they were able to begin creating villages that were permanent. They all hunted animals. Most of the tribes used as much of the animal as they could. Meat was used for food and Furs and skins were used for clothing and shelters. The stomach of the animal was used to carry and hold water. Bones were used for needles and weapons. All Native American people were very spiritual and they had many religious customs and rituals. They also believed in many gods. They believed in a special relationship with nature. The sun was their most important god. They worshiped the sun because they needed it to grow their crops but they also needed rain, so with that beeing said many had a rain god. Other elements in nature were also worshipped. Most tribes believed in the power of their dreams They were considered to be revelations made by the gods. Most had an important religious leader which some called Shaman wich means medicine man. When Columbus arrived...
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...The people know today as the American Indian or Native American were in fact the first Americans. They are believed to have originated in Siberian and tracked their way to North America. At this time there were millions of Native Americans all having different languages, cultures, and even religions. They were fisherman and hunters that lived off and respected the land while living in vibrant communities. Although there were battles between tribes these people lived relatively peacefully. The arrival of the Europeans brought extreme change that has lasted for decades. To this day the effects still plague the American Indian. Upon the arrival of the Europeans the American Indians were intrigued by the “white man”. They helped them get accustomed to the climate, taught them how to tend to the land, and shared some of their culture with them. The desire was obviously an attempt to befriend the Europeans but they had no idea how greed would change their lives. Obviously the land became a major priority to the Europeans. They saw profit and this greed inevitably lead what is considered the genocide of the American Indian. As more and more Europeans arrived the treat of the live of the American Indian grew. The Europeans would bring disease, steal their land, and made attempts to try to change everything about the way of life for the American Indians. They brought missionaries to Christianize the American Indian. With more Europeans now living in North America, food was...
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...Commission- The Indian Peace Commission proposed creating two large reservations on the Plains, one for the Sioux and another for southern Plains Indians. 7. George Armstrong Custer- commander of the Seventh Cavalry and was defeated and killed at battle of Little Bighorn 8. Ghost Dance- a ritual that celebrated a hope for day of reckoning when settlers would disappear, the buffalo would return, and Native Americans would reunite with their deceased ancestors. 9. Dawes Act- this act allowed to each head of household 160 acres of reservation land for farming; single adults received 80 acres, and 40 were allotted for children. 10. How did Native Americans respond to land lost due to white settlement of the Great Plains? They attacked them. 11. How did Chief Joseph resist the government's attempts to move the Nez Perce to reservations? They fled their homes and embarked on a flight of more than 1,300 miles. In October 1877, Chief Joseph surrendered, and his followers’ were exiled to Oklahoma 12. Why do you think the government's policy of assimilation of Native Americans was a failure? 13. List the reasons that the government's plans to move the Plains Indians onto reservations failed. 14. Assume the role of a Plains Indian affected by the assimilation policy of the Dawes Act. Write a Journal entry describing how you feel about the policy and how it has affected your life. 15. In what ways were different groups of Plains Indians similar? 16. What...
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...Native American Culture, Text and Curriculum ! 1 Native American Culture, Text and Curriculum Scott T. Timmerman Wisconsin Lutheran College Native American Culture, Text and Curriculum ! 2 Abstract In Wisconsin there is nothing so familiar yet so invisible as the presence of the Indian culture. We find ourselves surrounded by the history of the Native Americans no matter where we go. There are 11 Indian reservations, numerous cities and counties named after Indians and historical images and museums throughout the state. Nonetheless, the vast majority of people from Wisconsin know little about the past or the current culture of the original Americans. There are currently hundreds of different cultures today for Native Americans, yet the still existing Native cultures are lumped under one mistaken title, Indian. Most non-Natives have either never knowingly met a Native person or are unaware of the presence of modern Native communities. They do not know Native American history and they assume Native Americans are only to be found in history. Most children today do not realize that Native Americans are still part of our state today. We need to take a close and honest look at the ways in which Native stories, Native life, and Native people are presented to our children in the classrooms. We need to examine and understand how important children’s literature can be. It can reinforce the worst in us and in our children or it can encourage true intellectual growth. Most...
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...Native Americans Native Americans are identified as having pre-Columbian ancestors who were indigenous to the land within the nation’s boundaries. Native Americans are represented through distinct tribes, ethnic groups and bands. The terms Native Americans generally identify themselves with varies both geographically and generationally, with many older Native Americans referring to themselves as “Indians” or “American Indians,” and the younger generation identifying with the terms, “Indigenous” or “Aboriginal.” Within the United States, approximately 2.9 million people identify as a Native American. An additional 2.3 million identify as part of this culture and another race (Dayer-Berenson, 2014). There are 566 federally recognized tribal governments in the United States. Each tribe has its own unique political structure, social systems, clothing styles, types of shelter and foods, art and music styles, language, education, and spiritual and philosophical beliefs. A common similarity is the strong tie between Earth and nature among these tribes. The Alaskian Natives who make up 229 of these tribes are further divided into three groups: Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos (Dayer-Berenson, 2014). In addition to these tribes, there is an additional 200 that are not federally recognized. Where and what tribe someone belongs to can depend on the amount of Indian blood they have; however the Cherokee tribe requires no minimum. Since this population can be so diverse the Indian...
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...Native American History Michael Smith Eth/125 02/09/2014 Regena Weatherford The history of the Native American in the United States has not been an easy road to travel. Since man first came to this country, most of them have tried to control some portion of their lives. They had their land taken away from them, were lied to from political figures, and even people trying to control their religions. According to Schaefer (2012), approximately 2,500,000 Native Americans and Alaskan natives lived in the United States in 2010. This is down from an estimated 10,000,000 in 1500. History will show the Native Americans as one of the most discriminated races in the United States. It would seem that everybody who came into contact with Native Americans wanted something from them. Although the reduction in numbers may have been accidental, in 1500 they fell victim to diseases brought by the Europeans. This was just the beginning of their hardship with new people coming to their land. They have suffered famine, disease, forcible relocation, and war. War between their own tribes, and wars with outsiders. Though most of their reduction in numbers came from diseases introduced by foreigners. Once people began to settle in the west, the government became involved, and it was clear that they held the needs of the white man before the needs of the natives. A slew of political treaties were enacted to control the tribes, and make...
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...The identity of ‘Native Americans’ is still a process that is developing gradually in the United States for both who are Native Americans and those who are not. Many seek the identity that will make life easier for them in terms of what is required by law, social and personal reasons (Oberg, Michael L 45). Sherman Alexie is a Native American who was born on October 7, 1966. He is an entertainer and most of work is usually based around what it feels like and what it means to be a Native American within the present time circumstances. At birth he was born with a big head abnormality that made him bullied by other children and many did not expect him to survive the surgery but miraculously he survived the operation. In 1987 he left Gonzaga and enrolled in a creative writing program at Washington State University. While at the institution he read writings of his fellow Native Americans that filled him with the urge of doing his own writing and by 1992 he published his first anthology. His experience as a Native American in a society where the majorities are white always comes out in his work. He talks about his own poverty, alcoholism and hopelessness in his community .as much as his writing is filled with depression, ill-founded fears and sadness; he however, balances these with comic and pop culture so as to join the cultural difference and to have a wider audience. By 1998 he had himself as an award winning poet and novelist and had entered into film making. He created...
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...Native Americans Native Americans were the first to live in America. Looking back the first Native American arrived during the last ice age around 20,000 – 30,000 years ago (Native Americans 2007). There were millions of us. We all had different tribes, but never did we look down on others because of their differences. We were all family. We had homes all over America. New York, Delaware, Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama, Michigan, and that are just a few. We even had tribes in Canada (Swanton 2007). In the 16th and 17th century, we met the Europeans (Native Americans 2007). We have never seen other humans with such a pale complexion. They dressed so differently and seemed to be wearing fake hair. They called them wigs. They were so upbeat with their technology. They had steel knives and swords. We had nothing like that. They had big cannons, mirrors, hawk bells and earrings, copper and brass kettles. They even had big ships. At first, it seemed like a dream (Native Americans 2007). Things were ok for a while, but the Europeans were oblivious to the rhythms of nature and the natural spirit (Native Americans 2007). This became an obstacle and even got to the point they became our enemy. How could someone make us feel so out of place when we were here on this land first? It was so repelling that the Europeans culture was so materialistic. They did not care about the earth, the view of the land, the animals, or the plants. They seem so soulless and they only seemed to care for...
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...nations in terms of the tolerance and harmony between the resident cultures. All this can been attested to the fact that America is an Immigration Country. The country constitutes people from different parts of the world. The process of people moving into the new world that is the Americas where the United State lies began centuries ago and has been an ongoing process to the current day. This paper examines the origins of their Native Americans. This paper also explores their journey into the Americas as the first Immigrants. Their settlement patterns and ways of life will also be examined. The paper also explores how the Native Americans in the Americas fared during the European conquest of the region that is currently identified as the America. Euro-Indian relations, conflicts and their aftermath is also a focus point of the paper, which culminates into the current state of affairs of the Native American community in the Americas. Origins of the Native Americans There are diverse sources of information on the origins and history of the Native Americans. They include oral history passed down through generations. This oral history is as diverse as the Indian Nations. Different tribes have different folklore to explain their origins. For instance, the Haida who reside in British Columbia say that man was shaken out of a clam shell by a raven. The Navajo of Arizona say they sprung out of the ground after which there was a time of great wandering and searching for a home. Almost...
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...extension of his arm. That watch is no longer an impractical piece of jewelry to you, it is ingrained with memories. How would you feel if the only time you can now view that watch is during business hours through thick glass? Allowing museums to possess Native American artifacts infringes on that culture’s right to preserve their heritage. First I will explain who has the right to ownership; second I will analyze what the artifacts in the museum symbolize, and finally assess the extent to which their heritage is being stolen. Ownership can be defined as the legal right to possession. This is not always the person who actually possesses the item, rather the person that should possess the item. In 1990 the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was passed. The act states: federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding to return Native American "cultural items" to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. Cultural items include human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. (1) Although this act is not easy to enforce, it clearly gives the right of ownership of these items to the Native Americans. Lame Deer’s gun can be described as a “sacred object” and it is justifiable that this item is returned. Regardless that the gun is not his current possession, he has the right of ownership. Keeping items such as Lame Deer’s gun hostage in a museum carries...
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...ART 1010 Three Examples of Native American Art Art is defined differently by each person, and I tend to lean towards a personal definition as well. It is a play on the words of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when he was referring to obscenity. “I know it when I see it.” This allows me to recognize what I consider art, and it also gives me the ability to decide what types of art speak to me. Native American art has always been close to my heart because of my personal ancestry, and I hope to pique the reader’s interest in some of the fine examples of this art that are readily accessible today (1964). Native North American tribes, in large part were nomadic and struggled for their everyday existence. Most native art is considered craft work because they were meant to be utilized as practical tools. Some examples include, woven blankets and rugs, pottery, and baskets. Other pieces of their art fall within a few other categories, and include jewelry, beadwork, and headdresses. The architecture of these tribes may not be considered artistic by some standards, but I feel that there is a certain rustic beauty to it. Each of the pieces I will discuss fall easily within these categories. Design is an important element to any piece of art, and it is especially important for craft pieces that are intended for use. The design must meet certain standards to be useful. For example, a blanket needs to not only keep a person warm, but it must be somewhat light and...
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...The Innocent Native Americans The Native Americans were very friendly people. They were willing to help anyone out and did not expect anything in return. The Native Americans shared their land with the Puritans instead of giving it up and they thought of them as their neighbor sharing resources (McLean). They took the Puritans in and showed them how to live and survive off of the land better. In the settler/Native American conflicts, the Native Americans were the victims because of their displacement, pressure to change their religion, and death from diseases and warfare. The Puritans became friends with the Native Americans when they came over. They did not know how to live and survive off of the land as well as the Native Americans did so the Native Americans were generous enough to show them how to plant crops, hunt, etc. The Europeans were amazed that the Native Americans were very productive farmers. Since the Native Americans grew everything in the same field, they were able to replenish the soil and have a well-balanced diet (MacLean). The Native Americans took care of their land and made sure everything was cleaned up and ready for the next crops. According to MacLean, “each year, the native people also burned the undergrowth of the forests, making them easier to move through, and killing vermin” (MacLean). That was the only way that they could eat at that time. They could not just go out to eat at a restaurant if they wanted to because they did not have such a thing...
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