Indigenous American Culture Essay

Native American Culture Essay
The consequences of colonization of 1942 has left many Americans to forget about the first people who inhabited the lands we now call the United
States. Not only has it made us forget, but has dramatically affected Indian Country by the lost of culture, language, families, health, food sources,
environment, and their overall traditional ways of living. As indigenous people are restoring what was taken away from them, Indian Country is also
battling the disease of alcoholism, drug abuse, mental health, physical abuse, lost of Identity, high rates of suicide, poverty, unemployment and
systemic oppression. Not to mention, their rights as Sovereign people. As the result of the American Indian Boarding Schools, The English language
was forced upon them in order for them to completely...show more content...
Historical trauma is more rampant in Indian Country where intergenerational trauma is also prevalent in families and individuals, where that has
become the result of historical trauma. "Based on the theory, Native Americans were subjected to traumas that are defined in specific historical losses
of population, land, family and culture. These traumas resulted in historical loss symptoms related to social–environmental and psychological
functioning that continue today (Whitbeck, Adams, Hoyt, & Chen, 2004)"(Brown–Rice, K. (n.d.) ). This quote by Brown–Rice, supports the fact that
colonization is the casualization of the plethora of issues we see occurring on reservations and with native individuals in general. Although, this may be
true, one important statement that Brown–Rice mentions in the beginning of her paper, is how important it is to not associate all Native Americans
with having mental, emotional, spiritual and physical issues while working with Native American communities because it may not be the case for some
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Native Americans And Native American Cultures
The initial clash between the European and Native American cultures is the start of our Mixed–American history. Like many other colonization stories,
concepts such as culture, religion, trade, and colonialism are tossed in a mix between virtues such as trust, acceptance, and fairness. Often times
neglecting the latter of the mixture. The oddity of such unions is that the native people are generally tolerant with the foreigners... until the foreigner
grows into the oppressor. Such is the case between the Native Americans and the European colonizers. Despite early collaboration, Native American
tribes responded with great despise and animosity towards the expanse of European colonization. The initial contact between Native Americans and
Europeans was rather easygoing. Both cultures didn't quite seem to understand each other and their ways. Nonetheless, both parties found methods to
be partially reliant (for the Native Americans lesser than the former) on the other in ways that helped settle the original inept feelings. An example of
such alliance was the start of Chesapeake colony, Virginia. Early settlements were dismantled by the inadequate environment and lack of food–only
until the collaboration with the Powhatan tribe were they able to then barely survive. With the exchange of survival, the Native Americans were given
goods such as metal tools, objects and other modern goods that helped ease day–to–day Indian lifestyle. Another example of positive collaboration in
the

Indigenous American Culture
The identities of the indigenous American societies changed in their techniques of hunting. Instead of having permanent homes, they divided
themselves into groups of 15 to 50 hunter–gatherers, who would follow the great mammals, "Giant beaver, giant ground slot, mammoth, mastodon,
horses, and camels"(8). But, "By about 1500 BC, people in the American southwest and Midwest had begun to cultivate some maize and squash, but
only as a minor supplement to their hunting and gathering"(11). As one can tell, in the beginning, the indigenous American societies were hunter
gatherers that traveled with their prey, but eventually they learned how to farm, and established permanent homes where they would farm a great
portion of their food. As for the colonizing

Essay On Native American History
A significant amount of Native American history is inevitably extinct. Destroyed during the 1500's with no strength to recover it was never
recorded to be carried on. In this way the Natives were stripped to be molded into what was labeled as right by the European man. This men that
conquered the Native land were not only Europeans, but christians .They began their adventure by abusing their welcome and mistreating the
women and children of the tribes. While most fled to the mountains others were left to deal with the harsh task of the Europeans. The food provided
by the Natives was not enough, the christians needed to taste sweat and toil in order for their hunger to be satisfied. The natives needed to work
harder to be able to feed their families and provide an abundance to their tormentors to stay alive. The Chief's wife was often raped. After reach outs
of peace and questions of action the natives decided words were not a weapon in this battle. Arrows were shot and spears thrown but these merely
scratched the surface of what a gun could travel through quickly. The weapons of the Natives...show more content...
They showed no threat to the Europeans providing these new dwellers with food, clothes, and shelter. Teaching them how to use the land they grew up
on and showing them the steps found in hunting. When the Christians arrived they were unsure of them but believed they could have been delivered
from heaven, after months of pain and agony they came to the conclusion that these men were no angels. Treated as less than because they did not
come from the same place or look similar to the Europeans, did not speak the same language , dress in the same manner or serve the same God. Native
American history was demolished when they were taken from the land they truthfully owned first , and enslaved without warning. The Age of
exploration was the death of a large amount of Native American culture that can never be

Native American Sociology Paper
How did the Native American people groups who shaped North America for centuries become reduced to stereotypes portrayed in movies and other
media? What is the place for advocacy and social justice ministries in these communities? These questions captured my attention during my education at
Taylor University. At Taylor, most students are not aware of Native American tribes beyond the media portrayal in westerns or sports logos. As I
conducted research for the Butler Undergraduate Research conference and the Emmaus Initiative, a nonprofit tracking religious freedom for Christianity
, Islam, and Judaism in the United States, it became evident the blind spot regarding Native American studies and advocacy was a national trend. During
my future...show more content...
Two distinct communities call Winner, South Dakota, home, the Lakota community and White community. Although the majority of my friends from
school were Lakota, there were few Lakota members at our church. Initially, I did not understand this divide between the diversity of the town and the
homogenous white community within many of the churches in Winner. As I grew older, however, my parents explained the historical tension between
the Christian church and Native American tribes. Although practices like forcing Anglo–American culture at boarding schools or banning traditional
religion are no longer church and governmental policy, the memory of these events and the perceptions these events created continue. When I went to
university, I realized the Native American culture and struggles I observed were unknown to the majority of my classmates. I realized I could marry
passions for Native American history and Western American church history as I research the factors that contributed to the historical interactions
between Native American tribes and the church. I intend on using this research raise awareness for Native American issues, support existing efforts
social justice efforts, and promote reconciliation between Native American tribes and the

Native American Culture
Native American Culture Have you ever wonder how the world was created from another culture's perspective? Native Americans used creation myths
to explained to their people how the world was developed overtime. Creation myths are a big part of the Native American culture. they have been
passed down from generation to generation. In the creation myths, harmony with nature, rituals, and strong social values are shown in each myths. The
purpose of having strong social value in these myths is to teach younger Native Americans valuable lesson if they ever do something bad. These myths
reveals how the rituals were created and their intentions for doing it. Creation myths has harmony with nature in it to show a very close kinship
between them...show more content...
For example, I am grateful that nature is give me a chance to capture this deer (line 23–24). The hunter is thanking nature for giving him an
opportunity to come across one of it's finest creatures and letting him capture it. He will not ask nature for more. Another example of social value
would be in the song, "Song of the Sky Loom". The social value that is shown here is to show respect towards nature. An example would be, "That
we may walk fittingly where birds sing, That we may walk fittingly where the grass is green" (Lines 8–9), It is telling human to show their respect to
nature by living at peace with nature and put no harm to it due to its provision to the human race. Finally, the principal Native American belief,
harmony with nature, appears in most works of their culture. Harmony with nature appear in the song, "Hunting Song" on line 23 to line 24: "...Quarry
mine, blessed am i in the luck of the chase" (Lines 23–24). This quote shows that the Navajo hunter is blessed that nature is giving him permission to
capture and eat one of it's creature and being part of nature. Also, it made him feel as one with nature once eats the deer. Another example of harmony
with nature would be in the song, "Song of the Sky Looms" on the opening lines of the Tewa song. An example of harmony with nature would be, " O
mother the earth, O father the sky, your children we are..." (line 1–2). This song is more like a

Native American Culture Research Paper
Cultures are extremely important, and everyone is part of one. You often hear this word at home, in the news, or at school. Culture is something that
defines you. Furthermore, culture is something that can describe you. It is what makes you similar to some people, and what can make you
drastically different from others. What is culture? Culture is something you and a group of people share that are similar to one another. A culture is a
way of life for a group of people and their behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them. The language
we speak, the art, literature, and the heritage we are proud of, our food, our festivals, and our customs and traditions together form our culture. They
...show more content...
Culture is the invisible bond which ties people together. People in a culture might share a religion or language and often have similar attitudes,
behaviors, or beliefs. Cultures have been spread around, developed, and changed over time. The art, literature, language, and religion of a community
represent its culture. Our cultural values and beliefs manifest themselves through our lifestyle. Our moral values represent our culture. The importance
of culture lies in its close association with the ways of thinking and living. Our culture gives us an identity, and helps build our character. The cultural
values shared across our community or social group, give us a sense of belonging towards society. Our culture unites us and gives us a sense of
security. The importance of culture cannot be stressed enough, as it is something that lies within us, around us, and is an integral part of our being. It
defines the way we treat others and

Dbq Essay On Native American Land And Culture
Back when the United States wasn't so immense and powerful, its people and their leaders wanted to expand. The people thought that the entire
country should be theirs, and anyone who stood in their way, including the Native Americans, would pay for it. Manifest destiny was the "motto" for
the country in this time. The first railroad that could cross the entire country was built. This encouraged many to move out west. While this was good
for the Americans, it might not have been so good for the Native Americans. Native American land and culture was impacted by western expansion of
the United States because of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the United States army, or militias, and government.
If a railroad was just built near your house,...show more content...
Document 2 displays the Sand Creek Massacre, where a Colorado militia attacked a Cheyenne village. Around 200 men, women, and children were
killed. To stop the fighting, the US government gave tribes a big reservation in South Dakota and promised not to bother the Native Americans.
Then, gold was found on the reservation. Many Americans went to the reservation to try and get rich. The Sioux tribe was living where the gold
was found, and they weren't happy about these additional visitors. Document 4 tells about the responses from the chiefs of two tribes, Chief Joseph
and Chief Sitting Bull. They speak about how the Americans came in and forced the tribes to move because they wanted the land. The Native
Americans are upset because reservations were made for the tribes, but eventually the Natives are forced off those lands too. Native Americans and
the US army met at the Battle of Little Bighorn, where the US army was completely obliterated. The US army was forced to take the Native
Americans seriously after this major loss. In document 6, assimilation is demonstrated. This most likely would've happened to the Native Americans
if the US forced them to become citizens of the country. Assimilation is the process of becoming socially and psychologically like another group of
people. The Natives would most likely have to dress like Americans, and basically give up their

Native Americans had been able to do what they wanted until Christopher Columbus "founded" America in 1492 (stated by History.com) , which then,
everything changed for them. The native's lives have been affected in the past, present, and will be affected in the future. They have been treated
unfairly by the Americans, which has caused their culture to decrease over the years. Native American's culture, history, and daily life have been
affected by European migration into the Americas. Native Americans have had the most culture and individualism compared to some other place
heard of. They have had many dances, hunting techniques and practices to help them strive as a whole. For example, the Ghost Dance was used to
have the "gods" kill all the white people and bring back the buffalos since they relied so heavily on them for food, clothing, and material for whatever
else they needed(stated by Kathy Weiser) . They wouldn't waste anything and didn't take advantage of wildlife. The natives even helped the pilgrims
with food, shelter, and clothing...show more content...
Today, there are about 330 Native American reservations and in 2014 there were 2% of the total population in the US was Native Americans (stated
by U.S. Census Bureau) . In 2060, it is believed that there will be 2.4% of Native Americans in the US population. The Native American culture and
people will hopefully continue to grow so they can share their culture and not be forgotten and mistreated again. Native American's culture, history, and
daily life have been affected by European migration into the Americas. The natives have been mistreated and have almost completely had their culture
taken away if they wouldn't have fought for themselves. Native Americans are strong people that deserve to live their lives however they want, as long
as it's not

Native American Culture Essays
Native American Culture is a culture of respect to their ancestors, and to their gods such as the moon, sun, and animals. Believing in
reincarnations, they give sacrifice of animals and dance around fire to be in their gods favor; for when they die they will return in some form of
animal or human. Reasons for the expansion of Europe into the west were 1). They were in search of riches ex. Gold, oil, tobacco, land, crops est.,
they figured if they can find these resources they can trade them and make lots of money. 2) They wanted to conquer other lands with people in it, so
that they can control them; meaning using them as slaves. As slaves you can sale them for profit, work them in your house hold to do your chores, and
work them in your...show more content...
2) The equality to men– meaning women were started to be treated like men in most circumstances like jobs, political matters and in families. 3) The
rights to an education. 4) The change of the surroundings before the change things were tended more for men but after the change things started to tend
for women ex. Books, jobs, and schools. Problems the confederacy faced during their form of government were, Debt– America; during
post–revolutionary war there was no solution to the war debt which was overwhelming to both the nation and state. The confederacy was not
organized, they had no type of police to give the law and follow it, they formed a convention but they did not have a supreme leader to oversee
everything so things were not done correctly, problems of non–uniform commercial policies, nonpayment of state quotas, insufficient sources of
national revenue, and non–attendance by state delegates. Also there the great compromise of the constitution. One of them was the Great compromise,
were small states wanted all states to have the same number of representatives to Congress, and large states wanted representation to be determined by
the population of the state. Another compromise was the 3/5ths compromise, were southern states wanted

Thesis Statement Of Native Americans
THESIS STATEMENT: The Native Americans were historically doomed because of the Europeans inability to accept elements of Native American
culture that they felt were savage, the natives inability to acknowledge the Europeans threat to their lifestyle and land, and the far superior European
army used to defeat Indian tribes. From the very moment that the Europeans stepped on American soil, they displayed their extraordinary military
power and savage outlook towards the native peoples. Their experience with civilized society with access to plenty of firepower gives them an
advantage when it comes to military attacks, and when they use this against the Native Americans, it is almost unfair. They attack the Native
Americans immediately when they step foot on US soil, and kill them as if they are trophy hunting. Barry Lopez, in The Rediscovery of North
America, states about the barbaric Spanish attacks on Native Americans, "The Spanish cut off the legs of children who ran from them. They poured
people full of boiling soap. They made bets as to who, with one sweep of his sword, could cut a person in half" (5). This quote shows how much
power the colonists held over the Native American and how their doom was essentially inevitable. Killing the Native Americans was practically a
hobby for the colonists at this point. The countless battles and land that they gained from the Native Americans also symbolized their power, such as
when the Spaniards invaded the town of Acoma. They

Native American Literature Essay
In all my years of studying literature while living in America, I have only one memory of ever having read anything Native American, and that was in
grade school. Native American literature is typically left out of studies in general American Literature, although there do exist plenty of programs for
studying these types of narratives separately and individually. It has yet to become a prominent area of study and there a differing reasons as to why
this is. Part of the lack of study in this subject in connection with American Literature is for cultural concerns about appropriation and translation, but
part of it is also due to the lack of written communication among early Native Americans. These peoples and their culture, though, are a major part of
American history and the development of the country's ideas that should be considered when studying the development of America through language.
The subject of Native American literature can be something hard to research at times. Information that comes from decedents of these people is
primarily found in the form oral histories that have been passed down for ages. Such records may have been prone to change over time. First–hand
accounts from Native Americans during the colonial era are rare due to a lack of written language, even until the mid–1800s (McKay). Most first–hand
accounts that we have about Native Americans during the era of early settlement come from those who interacted with them. Unfortunately, these

Native American Culture Research Paper
The Native American culture is one that is often times overlooked in the society that we live in today. They were the first ones to settle in North
America and have been here longer than any one else. Keeping to themselves has not really given the opportunity for the rest of the world to learn
more about there culture that has a lot to offer. In the united states the Native Americans come from the original inhabitants of the American continent
who crossed into North America from Asia using the Bering Straits of Alaska. There is no exact time that they made the the crossing to north american
but the time period is believed to be sometime around twenty–six thousand years ago (http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/brookman.htm). Most
schools

Native American Culture Essay
Amidst the early 1600s, European settlers travelled across the Atlantic ocean to North America for religious freedom, economic opportunity, and
political freedom. Seeking the New World for a new life, many colonists had plenty of experiences with Native Americans already occupying the land.
Several unexpected repercussions to Native Americans and their culture erupted as a result of colonization. As a result, many literary authors would
comment on the effects of colonization via literature. There was the typical perception of indigenous people as barbarous, and then there was the more
progressive, understanding perception of indigenous people. In John Smith's The General History of Virginia and in William Shakespeare's The
Tempest, both authors'...show more content...
In The General History of Virginia, Smith describes his Native American captors, with faces painted red and white, dancing in a circle while
screeching out hellish noises (Smith 62). This depiction negatively portrays the indigenous natives because it depicts the Native Americans as
devilish and subhuman. Considering that Smith's audience at the time was primarily composed of readers following the Christian faith, this
portrayal feeds into his audience's fear and leads them to associate this dancing ritual, which is a part of the Native American culture, as sinister. On
the flip side, William Shakespeare utilizes Ariel to showcase the progressive perspective of indigenous people. Ariel greets Prospero by saying, "All
hail, great master! Grave sir, hail! I come To answer thy best pleasure" (Shakespeare I.ii.190–191). Ariel's kind and respectful demeanor towards
Prospero represents indigenous people as innately benevolent and free from the corruption of colonization. By creating Ariel's character, Shakespeare
elicits the idea that not all natives are barbarous, which challenges the general, preconceived notion of natives during the time of colonization. Authors
from both texts do not only depict the views of indigenous people one–sidedly, but they both also explore the other counter perspective of native
cultures. William Shakespeare's The Tempest and John Smith's The General History of Virginia both contain portrayals of indigenous people
progressively and

Native American History Essay
Popular culture has shaped our understanding and perception of Native American culture. From Disney to literature has given the picture of the "blood
thirsty savage" of the beginning colonialism in the new world to the "Noble Savage," a trait painted by non–native the West (Landsman and Lewis
184) and this has influenced many non native perceptions. What many outsiders do not see is the struggle Native American have on day to day bases.
Each generation of Native American is on a struggle to keep their traditions alive, but to function in school and ultimately graduate. The long history
between Native American and Europeans are a strained and bloody one. For the time of Columbus's subsequent visits to the new world, native culture
has...show more content...
A more pressing matter is that of the history in the classroom. With the one sided history being instructed to Native students bring a message that
"Their history does not matter," alienation begins to form and all motivation soon leaves the students (Laura). History class is not the only issue among
students; the nation's standardized test also leaves Native students behind their peers. Many questions are "Eurocentric and culturally bias" resulting in
many students who have grown in a traditional customs unable to answer the questions (Robertson). Many school curricula does not build on the
students strength of the student, it is only if the strength and skill is of the dominate culture that it will get attention (Landsman and Lewis 182). Many
native parents are reluctant for their children to be taught by non native teachers. The experiences through boarding schools has caused generation to
have negative thought of formal education has influence current attitudes to today's education system and teachers. Non native teachers are also at fault
for the reluctance of education. Teacher's who do not try to learn the culture of their native students never learn of many customs that do not appear in
European culture. Eye culture and participation in class are expected in schools by teachers. When teachers do not receive the jesters they believe the
student is being disrespectful or

Essay On Native American Culture
Does everyone comprehend enough of their own culture identity? Every culture has their own identity. We all have the same human race. However,
for me, even though USA is one of the biggest countries in the world, it's hard to believe USA is a multicultural country, which has many people who
came from overseas to the US to represent their own culture in there. There are Native American culture, Mexican culture, Chinese culture, Korean
culture etc. and there is no way to count all the cultures which exist in the US because there are just a lot of them. As an international student who
study in the US came from overseas, there are a lot to see and learn in here. Native American culture is the culture that I heard before but knows
nothing about it until I started learning that in English class this year. I know nothing about Native American and their culture. I never know what do
they look like, I thought they just look like the white American because Native American Indian is also "American"? After I get in touch a little bit
with Native American, they look kind, friendly, willing to help each other, they are not what I thought who is scary and creepy. Furthermore, I
understand that this is the differences between cultures identity. Even though we are not look alike, speak alike, all people in the world have the same
human race. I feel excited to know about Native American Indian's lifestyle because it is always interesting to know about others culture. Even though
some argue

Native American Reflection Essay
History 1302 Native American Course In all honesty I have always disliked History classes. But, I can say that this one is by far one of the most
interesting History classes I have had. I liked the focused content from the Natives stories, struggles, and achievements. And how with ease the rest of
the topics were put together through the course. Making it by far the most relatable class I've had, from the modules, to the assignments, and
discussions. It made everything easy to understand. History is one of the classes that I've always put to the side. Because, between the names, dates
and different facts, and stories. It just has never been I think relatable to me. Therefore, I end up losing interest on the class. But, found myself relating
to the different topics. I think the main focus on the Native Americans, seeing their suffering, and struggles. Which I can relate to up to a certain point
as a minority, made me want to be a part of the discussions, I wanted to put my "two cents in" making it easy to understand the different topics, and
giving me a connection to the rest of the class....show more content...
Like Myths and realities of the Native Americans, Native Americans rights, connected to the other topics like the other wars and populist movements,
and the chicano civil rights, or women's rights, and so on. Going with ease through big Topics i.e. Making of America, Causes and effects of WWI,
and WWII – The Industrialism and Urbanization – America between wars, Post war, and post modern America. Without noticing I found myself going
through many of the modules understanding and finding them very interesting. Finding the fact of how little by little I had gone through the different
points of the American history up to the recent ones with 9/11, post 9/11– without me saying I don't get it, or feeling

"My people are few. They resemble the scattering trees of a storm–swept plain...There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a
wind–ruffled sea cover its shell–paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now but a mournful memory.,"
Chief Seattle Speech of 1854. The culture of the Native American people has been deteriorating ever since the Europeans arrived in the Americas. The
impactful and immense loss of lifestyle that they faced is one that can never be recovered, what the United States has given them are generations of
trauma and blatant suffering. However, the U.S. did not stop there, a multitude of cultures have been broken to help keep America pure. For instance,
one of the most significant cultures that have been dismantled by the U.S. other than the Natives and their music were the languages and music of the
African slaves. The apparent likeness of these two cultures in the ways in which their deconstruction impacted them is in more of an abundance, such
as the dominating influence of the Christian religion and the gravely vital role of maintaining what little heritage they could through language. In
contrast to this, the two groups had an opposing difference pertaining to how the Natives and slaves tried to compensate the immense loss of their
culture through the generations.
As mentioned above religion played a key role in shaping both cultures and still have huge impacts on both to this day. The

Essay On Native American Culture
Indian Cultures of North America (Modern USA)
INTRODUCTION:
The History of America has been stongly shaped by a collection of popular myths, stories and overall religious or cultural traditions, but not to the
extent of the Native American History. We are all familiar with myths and legends about the past, namely the creation of our species and the
mythological views of multiple godly figures. The majority of those mythological events have been created to suit Native American cultures. Because
of these stories, Americans have misunderstood much about the Native American culture, For example, many assume that pre–Columbian North
America was a land that was very wide spread and consisted of little inhabitants, when really, millions of Native Americans lived in the land. For
example, Native American societies were full of wealth and held and heir of sophistication, contrary to popular beliefe that the Native Americans
survived only through hunting, gathering, and fishing
INVOLVEMENT WITH THE EUROPEAN CULTURE: The Native American culture was more advanced than we usually give them credit for. It was
because of their sophistication and advancements that they actually influenced much of the European culture. The food they...show more content...
So did the Native Americans. Thousands of languages were spoken in the Americas in 1492. This was a very large factor in recognizing the Cultural
differences between tribes or bands. The misconceptions we have of the Native Americans is not all wrong, Some Indian people were part of a hunter
and gathereing band, but most practiced a more sophisticated method of agriculture. These agriculturally– based Native Americans were the main
cultural influence to the Europeans. This was also a big factor in the cultural diffrences between the Native

Indigenous American Culture Essay

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