North American Culture Essay

North American Culture Essay
Early North American cultures often used their art to express their spiritual rituals and beliefs. North
American Eastern Woodlanders were an established, settled community. Their burial rituals led
them to build great burial mounds such as the Serpent Mound in Ohio. The Eastern Woodlanders
believed that tobacco was sacred, and that smoking it was a form of prayer. It is interesting that,
although the tobacco originated in the South and was brought North, the stone pipe originated in the
North. These woodlanders were famous for their intricate beadwork and quillwork, which was
regularly used to portray symbolic, spiritual scenes. Unlike the Eastern Woodlanders, the Indians
living on the plains led a nomadic lifestyle. Their lives were dependent on the herds ... Show more
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Some masks were used to represent mythical Cannibal Birds that were believed to kidnap young
noble men and turn them into cannibals. Each of these cultures, though separated geographically,
shared similar beliefs which drove them to establish a way of life largely known for its rituals,
traditions, and art. In analyzing the art of these peoples, one might search for ways to dive deeper
into the art of the culture to understand this way of life. As Amy Tan stated, "I think that it's
important for me to take on the beliefs, because that is where the story is real, and that is where I'm
gonna find the answers to how I feel about certain questions that I have in life." I think that each of
these cultures, and every culture, has searched for an answer to the question of why they exist and
what their purpose is. Early North American cultures settled for devoting themselves to their
spiritual rituals which required them to perform certain acts and create some of the works of art.
"Paul Gauguin, Nevermore, 1897." YouTube. Smart History, 19 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Tan, Amy. "Where Does Creativity Hide?" YouTube. TED Talks, 23 Apr. 2008. Web. 16 Nov.
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Reflection On The Classroom Library
The classroom library scored __6___ points. I would make this classroom library more diverse by
adding more books about children with disabilities and books in the native language of ELL learners
attending the school. During my observation of the library the only book I found that represented
children with disabilities was a short book called "My Friend is Blind". I could not find any books
that children with other disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy could read and relate to. Nor was there
any books that other students could read to gain a better understanding of their classmates who may
have a disability. I also noticed that although there were books about different cultures, every book
was in English, there weren't any books in the Native language of ELL learners. I believe that
having books in the library in the native language of ELL learners will not only further their
learning. Learning a new language can be very difficult, and not having any books in the students
Native Language may make them feel as if it isn't okay for them to speak that language or that it
isn't welcomed in the school, therefore having other books in the students Native Language will
help them to feel a sense of belonging that they might not have felt before. Reflection Reflect on the
selected books as a whole, addressing the following: Do the books in the classroom library reflect
the identities of students? Who is represented? Who is missing? As I observed the school library,

The Father Of American Anthropology
"If we were to select the most intelligent, imaginative, energetic, and emotionally stable third of
mankind, all races would be present." – Franz Boas Franz Boas has been called the "Father of
American Anthropology." Dr. Boas did not obtain his degree in anthropology, but went on to help
create the four fields of anthropology and teach many of the most well–known anthropologists of
today. His contributions to the field of cultural anthropology alone are magnificent, Dr. Boas and his
students had managed to completely alter how we as a society viewed race and culture. On July 9,
1859 in Minden, Westphalia, Germany Franz Boas was born. Boaz was from a Jewish family his
grandparents were conservative, and his parents were very liberal. However, Boaz did not view
himself as Jewish, but rather German instead. At a young age Boaz had spent his time reading due to
poor health, he would later be engrossed with natural science and the history of culture. When Boaz
attended Heidelberg his main focus of study was mathematics and physics, then in 1881 he
graduated Kiel University with his Ph. D in physics and a minor in geography. In 1883 Boas had
went to Baffin Island in the artic to conduct geographical research. Once there he became fascinated
with non–Western cultures, and upon his subsequent return home Boaz had decided to devote his
time to anthropology. Later in 1885 Boas had gone to work with Rudolph Virchow, and Adolf
Bastian. Boas had worked more closely with Bastian who

How Does Ruth Benedict Support The Theory Of Cultural...
Cultural relativism is a theory that explains the differences among cultures and their ethics and
morals. This theory describe the moral, ethical, and societal differences that diverse cultures
experience. Ethical relativism, as described by Ruth Benedict, suggests that normal behavior differs
from society to society. What is viewed as morally right for one society can be viewed as morally
wrong for another society (Timmons, 2012, p. 55). To support this view, Benedict cites how certain
cultural practices are determined by how we are raised and who we are on an emotional level.
Benedict proceeds to give examples of behaviors that appears to be unusual such as, "sadism or
delusions of grandeur or of persecution" (Timmons, 2012 p. 56) and concludes saying that "these
abnormals function at ease and with honor, and apparently without danger or difficulty to the
society" (Timmons, 2012, p. 56). Benedict also uses other examples that may be viewed as immoral
such as homosexuality and murder to explain her argument. In ancient Greek times, homosexuality
was ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Rachels summarizes the idea into one brief statement, "different cultures have different moral
codes" (Timmons, 2012, p. 62). Rachels suggests that all cultures have some values in common and
that there is less disagreement among cultures than it appears. Benedict's opposing viewpoint states
that cultural morals and ethics are, in fact, relative. Rather than having collective rules that govern
the morality of various cultures, Benedict argues that many cultures are the complete opposite when
it comes to specific areas of culture and daily life. Certain characteristics of cultures cannot be
joined under one universal moral code that governs the entire human race. Both Rachels and
Benedict use an abundance of examples to support their arguments and would appear to be correct.
However, each of the author's arguments has their

Northwest Coast Tribes
Northwest Coast Tribal Masks This paper describes the Sea Bear Transformation Mask, created by
Don Svanvik in 2000, and how it reflects Northwest Coast Indian art and culture, specific to the
Kwakiutl tribe. A transformation mask is a large mask with hinged shutters that, when open, reveal
another mask. Audrey and Alan Bleviss gave this mask to the Montclair Art Museum in 2005. The
medium consists of red cedar, cedar bark, copper, pigment, and string. In the Montclair Art
Museum, the mask is displayed in its open form. The inside of the mask shows a man sitting with
his legs bent in front of him while his arms are open and stretched to his sides. His facial features
consist of sharp cheekbones, a wide triangular nose, a goat–t, a thin ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The mask also has a large amount of white and green, which are often recognized as tertiary colors,
mostly used to fill in empty spaces or for design purposes. (www.freespiritgallery.ca) Throughout
history, societies have defined and transformed themselves through their art. When looking at works
of art today, a person sees not only the work of art itself, but also the world from which it came
from. The same is true for this transformation mask, which reflects the works of art and beliefs of
the Northwest Coast Tribes. Almost all artwork of the Northwest Coast Tribes has a story behind it.
This mask is about a young boy named Alikwamae who was successful and well known among the
people in his village. He was orphaned as a child and was therefore sent to live with his jealous
uncle who one day abused him in hopes that he would die. He was very weak when he woke up but
he found a mouse who took him to an Undersea Kingdom where he met the Chief of the Undersea
Kingdom, Kumugwe. Alikwamae wanted to help his people so Kumugwe gave him a power that
would allow him to transform into a sea bear. Alikwamae went back to his village and was able to
transform, heal the sick and injured, predict the future, and interpret dreams.
(www.montclairartmuseum.org) The bear is an important figure in Native American art. It is a
symbol of strength, power, humility, motherhood, teaching, dreaming, and healing. Northwest

The Museum 's Main Purpose Essay
The museum's main purpose is not only to educate the public about American Indians, but also to
"deconstruct stereotypes" and give tribal members something along the lines of a safe place where
they are welcome to embrace their ethnicity. One factor that showcases the information I previously
stated is the fact that tribal members have free admission into the museum. Another way the
museum salutes the ethnicity of American Indians is by commemorating Native individuals alive
today. Names of famous Native Americans are displayed along with their contributions to the ethnic
group. One of the people displayed is Sarah Deer, who is a professor and lawyer that fought for
Tribal Jurisdiction. Upon arrival, I was informed that the museum is divided by Tribe and the
regions in which each tribe was located. The museum is divided into Alaska/Canada, Northwest
Coast, Southwest, Plains, and Woodlands. The reason I think it is divided this way is so that every
person who visits has the ability to learn about each region of tribes separately. It is easy to make
assumptions that Native Americans were all the same, but the truth is that they are all unique. Each
tribe has their own customs, clothing, food, and ways of life. The Alaska/Canada region includes
tribes like the Athapaskan, Inuit, Cree, Chipewyan, Ojibwe, Naskapi, and the Montagnais. Because
these tribes had to deal with an extremely harsh environment, they adapted by utilizing animals and
tools to help them survive. Their

Kwakiutl Tribe
Across centuries people have asked, what does it mean to live a wholesome life? Is it found in
material objects or by putting faith in the unseen? For native peoples, the answer is found in time.
Time–the past, present, and future. A relationship to history and the future allows for better
understanding of personal identity, cultural tradition, and the ability to change wrongdoing in
humanity. Applied ingenious studies examines dance, music, art, and religion as a means linking
these elements together. Dance and music are important characteristics in indigenous life and
celebrates historical significance with stories. Reflection of the past is associated with dance in the
modern era with groups that keep the traditions alive, like the one in "Dances for a New
Generation". In the Kwakiutl tribe, the Red Cedar dance shares the narrative about the cannibal man
and the taming of the spirits within. Additionally, the Comanche men's traditional dance "emanate[s]
different things like stories of battles and hunting through movements" (Lucas, Phil, and Hanay ...
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How people survived to live in the modern day is because of past knowledge and an understanding
and appreciation for the Earth. Thoughtful consideration of today's issues will help people in the
future because if society decides to change their ways for the better all of humanity will have an
improved life. In "Technologies Toll" Vine Deloria Jr. comments on the importance of bringing
people back to indigenous centeredness. If natives, and everyone, do not change their ways
"technology has been the death of our species. I mean, we are going to become extinct" (Sacred
Land Film...). Knowing that link and being able to see outside of an individual life into a collective
body has allowed society to see this issue and have the potential to make the

Human Nature And How Social Surroundings Play A Large Role...
For over the past centuries Aboriginal people have endured a long history of suffering due too
detrimental effects of Western society; in their attempt to culturally assimilate which has caused
catastrophic consequences within aboriginal individuals and communities as a whole. The extent
and persistence of settler's society inflicted on indigenous people have severely disrupted the culture
and have left traumatic scarring. The traumatic events that the indigenous people have experienced,
have left them with little or no options, leaving them to turn to less favourable ways, of coping with
their reality. To this day, it is still evident that Aboriginal people still face profound social issues
caused by our dominant society, which have left them unable to adapt. In order to understand the
brutality, it is necessary to investigate the importance of culture and history of how Aboriginals
became who they are today, as well the different theoretical approaches in regards to human
behaviours and learning theories associated with it. This is reflected on aspects of our human nature
and how social surroundings play a large role in human development. To understand the traumatic
experiences Aboriginals faced it is crucial to know the importance of culture and the nature of
human relations and development, to precisely pin point what in their history has led them to their
current standings today. This dates back to the late 15th century, pre–colonization of Canada.
Aboriginal people

Essay on Northwest Coast Tribal Art
Northwest Coast Tribal Masks This paper describes the Sea Bear Transformation Mask, created by
Don Svanvik in 2000, and how it reflects Northwest Coast Indian art and culture, specific to the
Kwakiutl tribe. A transformation mask is a large mask with hinged shutters that, when open, reveal
another mask. Audrey and Alan Bleviss gave this mask to the Montclair Art Museum in 2005. The
medium consists of red cedar, cedar bark, copper, pigment, and string. In the Montclair Art
Museum, the mask is displayed in its open form. The inside of the mask shows a man sitting with
his legs bent in front of him while his arms are open and stretched to his sides. His facial features
consist of sharp cheekbones, a wide triangular nose, a goat–t, a thin ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Much of the inside of the mask is the color of red cedar. The ovals that make up the shoulder joints
are filled in with red pigment. The formline that outlines the entire body is black and varies in
thickness. The formline is thick under the feet and around the palms of the hands. The formline
around the chest and knees is a bit thicker and is red. (www.freespiritgallery.ca) The artist made the
arms and legs transparent so the viewer is able to see the subject's skeleton. In the middle of each
arm are two spikes, one on top and one on the bottom, which represents the man's elbows. The
bones of the arms and legs are tinted a slightly darker color looking almost gray. Long strips of
cedar bark that are attached to the outside of the mask can be seen under the arms when the mask is
open. While still open, cedar bark bound together is seen on top of where the arms are placed, on
both sides of the figure's head. The three strings coming from the figure's mouth allow the mask to
close, allowing it to transform and take the shape of a different figure. The transformation mask in
its closed position takes on an entirely new character. This mask is supposed to depict a sea bear;
however, its features closely resemble that of a dragon. The subject's teeth are large and look fierce.
It has two large round nostrils and huge eyes. The cedar bark makes the subject look like it has a
lion's mane. With its mouth open, the

The Boy And The Loon Analysis
The traditional Kwakiutl story, The Boy and the Loon, comes from a group of First Nations' people
who live along the coast of British Columbia. This tale exhibits many characteristics that are present
in most First Nations' stories. The Boy and the Loon begins in the past, stating "Many generations
ago, there lived a handsome young boy" (Lelooska 14). By starting with this phrase, the storyteller
is showcasing a historical tale that teaches people how to behave. Many First Nations' stories begin
in the past to showcases its importance. Furthermore, the idea behind continuing to tell these stories,
even though they are from long ago is to "keep social order intact" (Hanson). The passing of these
stories through many generations allows the same lessons to be taught and learned by different
people, overall maintaining the same ways of life and personal morals for many generations. .
Another trait that this story exhibits is the use of the number four. While aiding the young boy to
heal, the Loon Chief tells him "We will cross the lake ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In this narrative in particular, the boy and his community learn the importance of acceptance and
tolerance. When the community disproves and shames the boy for his illness, the boy becomes
depressed, wanting to end his life. However, when the boy assumes the role of a healer, he is
accepted by his community and lives a fulfilling life. The lesson taught by this story relates to many
other First Nations stories. The reason behind oral tradition is to pass along a message or lesson
through many generations, so present members continue with the same morals as their ancestors.
The Boy and the Loon relates to First Nations culture as it carries the tradition of passing along a
message through many ages of people. In all, this story has many commonalities with First Nations
stories that relate to indigenous

The Importance Of Moral Isolationism
According to Mary Midgley, moral isolationism "consists in simply denying that we can never
understand any culture except our own well enough to make judgements about it" (Midgley, 322).
Midgley argues that moral isolationism is incorrect and it is illogical. She argues this by saying that
it is possible for outsiders to judge foreign cultures, but moral isolationism is illogical because it
excludes any kind of judgment. She also exposes that judgment is tied to respect and moral
isolationism excludes barriers such as intermixing cultures. I believe that judgment of other cultures
is crucial to the existence of moral values. Without judgment, individuals would not have their own
opinions because judgment goes hand in hand with opinion. However, when one is judging another
culture, they should be aware that their judgment should be respectful and take moral relativism into
retrospect. We have to be ethical and fully understand that cultures vary when criticizing another
culture. If we do not understand Ruth Benedict's belief of moral relativism, then we are not lawful to
judge another culture.
In her essay, Midgley notes that moral isolationism is incoherent because judgment is an opinion,
and is directly related to respect. It may appeal to some that moral isolationism is respectful, but it is
not because it entirely arrogant. "Nobody can respect what is entirely unintelligible to them...to
respect someone, we have to know enough about him to make a favorable judgement, however
general and tentative. And we do not understand people in other cultures to this extent. Otherwise a
great mass of our most valuable thinking would be paralyzed" (Midgley, 322). In order to respect a
culture, judgment has to be involved. Due to this discrepancy, moral isolationism cannot make
sense. For a rightful judgment, one should first understand the foreign culture that they are
examining. Once an individual is fully knowledgeable of another culture's ways, it is possible to
make a rightful judgment. Whether the judgment is a good one, or a bad one, it is still necessary for
one to gain full knowledge.
In relation to judgment, I do believe that cultures should judge each other. I think judgment plays an
important role when

Summary Of Ruth Benedict's Patterns Of Culture
A pattern of culture, written by Ruth Benedict was published in 1934. She was a well–known
American Anthropologist from New York. The main concepts she taught were kinship and descent,
gender, ethnicity, post colonialism, society and culture. However; her book Patterns of Culture was
the most renowned of all her work. It was translated into several different languages and became a
core text studied across numerous universities and educational institutions in America. In the book,
Ruth discusses the three main cultures she analysed – the Pueblo (Zuni) Indians of the Southwest,
the Dobu of eastern New Guinea and the Kwakiutl of the Pacific Northwest coast between
Washington and British Columbia. She suggests personality to be 'writ–large'. ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The chapter on the Kwakiutl people was namely comprised by Franz Boas' work in British
Columbia, Canada. Whilst Ruth analyzed these cultures, she found their perspectives on marriage,
family, resources, and warfare/violence. Ruth Benedict's final proposition is that all cultures have a
similarity. You may find them all to be described as Apollonian, Political, paranoid and or
melancholic. Whilst some cultures can have a combination of all these traits. Ruth Benedict puts
forward the use of the comparative method in looking at cultures in relation and contrast to each
other will act to emphasize differences between cultures and will simultaneously provide the
understanding we need of our own cultural

Ruth Benedict
Are Ethics Relative?
Ruth Benedict: Ethics Are Relative
ID # : 0804014743
"Ruth Benedict: Ethics Are Relative
... Morality is culturally relative."
In this paper, I'm going to discuss the argument that the famous American anthropologist, Ruth
Benedict, has put forth regarding 'ethical relativism'. Ethical relativism is the theory that holds that
morality is relative to the norms and values of one's culture or society. That is, whether an action is
classified as right or wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The
same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another. For the ethical
relativist, there are no universal moral standards –– standards that can be universally applied to ...
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Benedict's argument is: (1) If what is accepted by society, based on shared beliefs, as normal
behavior varies from culture to culture, then morality would vary from culture to culture. (2) Each
culture, based on shared beliefs, decides what is considered acceptable and normal behavior within
their society. (3) Therefore, morality is relative to the culture. If Benedict's argument is true, it
would mean that morality exists solely as a creation of individual society's. Since morality is not an
independent, higher concept outside of societal inclinations, it would be able to be changed by
society. Therefore, since morality can change at any time, morality fails to exist in reality except on
a superficial level, which makes morality meaningless. Why follow any "moral" action in society
then? Just get a majority of people in the society to act conversely to the "moral" action also, and
then the converse action will become "normal" and thus "moral." Consequently, the question
remains, just because an action is "normal," does it make the action "moral?" Benedict states in
Ethics Are Relative, "We recognize that morality differs in every society, and is a convenient term
for socially approved habits." One thing she doesn't end up answering in her essay is that, just
because it becomes a habit, does this make it right?
There have been times, when I looked up in the sky and wondered, ' Oh GOD,

The Patterns Of Culture By Ruth Benedicts
In Ruth Benedicts' book "The Patterns of Culture", He describes the grieving habits of the Kwakiutl
Indians that reside in the Pacific North West. When someone passes away in the tribe, the members
affected by the tragedy grieve in a specific way. The tribe members take all their grievance in their
hearts and convert it into anger, which leads them to lash out at anyone they please. This lashing out
can go to the extreme of even killing people. It does not matter to the Kwakiutl tribe if the party
chosen is guilty or not. The tribe feels that if they are hurting, innocent people should have to feel
their pain as well. In "The patterns of Culture" the chief loses his niece and sister in an accident, so
he has the need to take this grievance he feels and turns it into motivation for killing an innocent
party of seven men and two children who were asleep that were a part of another tribe. At the end of
the excerpt provided in this book in module two, it even says that everyone involved in the killings
of innocent people felt good about themselves when they returned back to where they reside.
Following the definition provided in module two, the ethical view of moral relativism basically says
that anything goes in a culture, there are no moral codes that need to be universal to all people.
Ethical or moral relativism states that every culture has a different view of morality, and we as
humans need to respect that. Going by this explanation of moral relativism, relativists

The Americas to 1500 Essay
THE AMERICAS TO 1500
I. Methodology in the History
This period, which deals with the world the Indians knew before the arrival of European explorers,
poses difficulties flowing mostly from the lack of the usual evidentiary foundation for doing history:
written documents (for example, letters, speeches, treaties, constitutions, laws, books, newspapers,
magazines, almanacs). This lack need not be a major obstacle to historical study, however. Indeed,
one of the most important things we can accomplish in teaching this period is devising ways to give
students a sense of the spectrum of methods that historians use to investigate and understand the
past. We can give students a sense of the breadth and depth of the historian's task and the ... Show
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One last preliminary question: What is a culture? What do we mean when we talk about a given
people's culture? James Axtell has provided a definition of culture that, in many ways, illustrates the
problems of grappling with this slippery concept:
A culture is an idealized pattern of meanings, values, and norms differentially shared by the
members of a society, which can be inferred from the non–instinctive behavior of the group and
from the symbolic products of their actions, including material a artifacts, language, and social
institutions.
The following reworking of Axtell's definition may make it more accessible and useful:
A culture is the body of ideas, ways of looking at the world, values, and standards for conduct and
behavior that a given people or nation hold in common. It includes the range of meanings that
people assign to their own perceptions and behavior, as well as to the natural world around them.
We can define the elements of that culture, and understand how they fit together as a culture, by
examining that people's customs, language, religion, material artifacts, and social and political
institutions.
That Indian peoples lacked some of the elements of European

The History of Piercings and Tattoos
The History of Tattoos and Body Piercing
The largest organ in the human body is the skin. Some people choose to express themselves through
decorating their skin with tattoos, piercing and other kinds of body art. It's true origin, symbolism,
variety, and modern day versions go way back in time.
The first tattoo known to man, was found on Otzi, the "Iceman", in 1991. Otzi himself is from
around 4,000 B.C. Fifty–eight tattoos were found on him, they were all made of lines and dots. No
real symbolism could be made out of the designs. But scientists have a theory that these tattoos were
part of some sort of medical or spiritual healing process.
The process of the first tattoos was long and painful. Some of the first tools used in ... Show more
Ear lobe piercing is the most common and oldest type of piercing. This was also found on Otzi. He
had pierced ears that had been stretched to eleven millimeters around. Roman soldiers and warriors
would pierce their nipples for mainly two reasons. One was to show strength, courage, and bravery,
and the second was for the use of hanging their capes off of their leather breastplates when in a
battle. Nipple piercing in women started in the 14th century when the necklines of dresses dropped
so incredibly low that practically half of the women's breast would be exposed. So they would
decorate the nipple with gold chains, diamonds, silver, and other stuff to make them more attractive.
Other piercing were used to make the body more decorative and attractive to their personal liking.
Reasons for piercing are different. One reason is that a person wants to decorate their body because
they think it makes them beautiful, or it is a custom in their family. The most common piercing is
piercing of the earlobe. Men and women are both seen with studs, or rings in their lobes. The second
most common, believe it or not, is the piercing of the septum. Other common piercing are of the
tongue, bellybutton, nose, and eyebrow. Body art is popular because it makes a person feel different,
or special....in a way. They can be reminded of a turning point in their life through tattoos. Piercing
is popular because it can accent and draw attention towards certain parts

A Middle Ground Between The Extremes Of Relying Too...
The need to find a middle ground between the extremes of relying too heavily on interpreters/texts
and the timely and consuming task of completely immersing oneself into the culture, abandoning
the anthropological eye is clear in Boas' text. Although a command of the language is
"indispensable" in the obtainment of in–depth information, Boas admits that the aim, although ideal
is, "entirely beyond our reach."
Whorf acknowledges the difficulty of stepping away from his native language in order to scrutinize
a foreign tongue objectively, but insists it is essential to do so. Even if the language is learned, it can
be difficult to mentally remove oneself from his/her language's "wirings", in other words, not in
terms of one's own language. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This thinking is innate to our hard wired neural networks and almost impossible to eliminate. Other
groups of people, however, have not been raised in a culture that makes this line of thinking natural
and understandably, we can see how "ten days" would not be conceivable in other societies.
Whorf and Boas each spend a considerable amount of time studying North American indigenous
cultures., Their on–the–field–engagement–to–language–mastery ratio, however, varied. Although
Whorf spent over two years mastering Hop language and carefully trying to extract meaning from
the dissimilarities between Hopi and SAE, he never went out into the field to speak to an actual
Hopi member. Boas, in his work with the Kwakiutl is a more involved ethnographer, who
recognized the value of first–hand information, he believes any grasp of the language is valuable
and can yield critical information about the culture when combined with other methods of
collection. The morality of his methods are questionable, however. He states, "Fortunately the
Indian is easily misled, by the ability of the observer to read his language, into thinking that he is
also able to understand what he reads." In this way, Boas is able to inspire the natives' eagerness to
be put on record. Boas cannot be deemed disrespectful and condescending and further reading of his
texts will prove the

How Morality is Culturally Relative Essay example
How Morality is Culturally Relative
Abstract
Within this world that we live in, there is an enormous amount of people.
Each of these people belongs to different cultures and societies. Every society has traits and customs
that make it unique. These societies follow different moral codes. This means that they will may
have different answers to the moral questions asked by our own society. What I am trying to say is
that every society has a different way of analyzing and dealing with life's events, because of their
cultural beliefs. This is claim is known as Cultural Relativism. Cultural Relativism is the correct
view of ethics.
1. Different societies have different moral codes.
2. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
So, this infanticide and killing of elders does not signal that Eskimos have less compassion for their
children, nor less respect for human life; it is merely recognition that murder is sometimes needed to
ensure that the Eskimos do not become culturally extinct (Pojman,1996).
To continue with the subject of murder, there are many questions about murder that our own society
faces. Within our own society there are conflicting views on topics such as abortion, capital
punishment and, euthanasia. To some these acts are considered to be murder, to others they are
necessary to our society.
The point of this conflict is that even within our own society, there is a discrepancy between what is
morally right or wrong. There is an exception to every so–called moral absolute.
Page 3
Ruth states that homosexuals deal with many conflicts that are culturally based
(Pojman,1996). For example, in our western society, the Catholic religion believes that is a sin for
individuals to partake in homosexual activity. By this I mean, the tendency toward this trait of
homosexuality in our culture exposes these individuals to all the

Franz Boas : Cultural Anthropology Essay
Born and brought up Jewish in Germany during a very antisemitic time, Franz Boas was a
successful student, earning his doctorate at a fairly young age and holding an academic position in
Berlin. However, in 1886 Boas found himself in New York after having participated in several
ethnographic studies in Canada. He decided to remain in New York for several reasons, the main
one being that it kept him close to the North American Indians and Inuit who were the peoples most
fascinating to him. In 1899 he became a professor of Anthropology at Columbia university and went
on to teach and mentor some of the most important people in Anthropology today. Boaz received
much of his schooling from scholars in Germany, who like many others, were skeptical of
evolutionism. Boaz became convinced that the task of an anthropologist wasn 't simply to study
peoples and their culture but to also carefully and systematically collect detailed data and material
on these particular cultures and only then would one be able to be cognizant of them. In the USA,
this became known as cultural anthropology. It consisted of everything humans have created from
society, symbolism, to materialism. It quite literally encompassed everything human and because of
this reason Boas, advocated for subfields to be created in Anthropology. These fields became known
as linguistics, cultural anthropology, physical or biological anthropology, and archaeology. Students
were then trained in a specific field rather then the

Kwakiutl Tribal Mask of the Pacific Northwest Essay
The Kwakiutl Indian tribe existed before the discovery of North America by the European culture
and inhabited the coast of the Pacific Northwest of the United States and British Columbia in
Canada. The tribe is rich in tradition and culture and has remained steadfast in their beliefs, history,
teachings and artisan skills which have been passed down generation to generation. The artisans in
the Kwakiutl tribe mastered the art of creating special ceremonial masks that are not only beautiful
and aesthetically interesting to the eye, but also mechanically intriguing in which the masks serve a
specific purpose to a theme during different ceremonies that are conducted by tribal specialists
during certain times throughout the year. Kwakiutl ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Masks gave life to various mythological, primitive, bird and animal figures which the tribal
members claimed as their ancestors from long ago and were to believe to invoke supernatural
powers. These mythical beings gave way for privileges and special powers to individual tribal
families and helped to form a family's crest, song or dance. The family would then personify distinct
mythological figures as part of their heritage. The animals and mythological creatures represented in
the masks and a host of other carvings derive from the Northwest Coast's rich oral tradition and
celebrate the mythological origins and inherited privileges of high–ranking families (Gardners,
864). The majority of the masks displayed intricate and mastered use of line in their smooth concave
and convex curves, with crisp sharp lines used to bring focus on a specific feature of the mask. The
features usually being brought to the forefront were delineated nostrils, eyes and lips that were
accentuated by deep cut carving and the use of contrasting color which helped to add form and
realism to the mask. Geometric and organic lines were used to contrast between the parallel lines
which would help create to enhance the features of the mask. The paint colors typically used by the

Potlatch Research Paper
The native peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, held several rituals and
practices that were essential and integral part of their indigenous culture. Derived from the "either
from Chinook Jargon meaning "giving" or from the Nootka verb "pa–chide" which means "to give"
(Drucker 55); a potlatch was "an opulent ceremonial feast to celebrate an important event held by
tribes of Northwest Indians of North America including the Tlingit, Tsimishian, Haida, Coast Salish,
Nuxalk, Kwakiutl and Chinook people" (Alchin 10). The potlatch was practice by theses tribes in
recognition of significant events such as the transfer of tribal titles and privileges, the cultivation of
alliances, birth, death, marriage, and the recognition of social ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The step–by–step process of the potlatch was initiated by the "congregation of people who were
formally invited to witness a demonstration of family prerogative of a host group comprised of kin
or local residences" (Barnett 349). It was then stipulated that "only one person assumed the role of
host and donor of gifts, and any members of his localized kinship group could voluntarily support
him in the preparations of a potlatch in return for patronage favors" (Barnett 350). Following this
stipulation "there was an unequal distribution of gifts which were presented according to rank of the
receiver, and which reflected the donor's judgment of the recipient's social worth" (Barnett 354).
Next the "potlatch allowed the donor to make a claim in his family name to certain distinctions and
privileges. The recognition of these claims must come from the other members of society"
(Barnett357); to which Barnett highlights "was the ultimate goal of the potlatch" (Barnett 357).
Lastly, "although the gifts did provoke a reciprocal response, they should be viewed as true gifts and
not as loans or capital investments; the ultimate aim was the distribution of wealth and not the
accumulation of wealth"

Reciprocity In The Gift By Marcel Mauss
Reciprocity, a form of economic exchange, is an even relationship in which one person gives, and
the recipient then gives. There are three types of reciprocity: generalized, balanced and negative
(Harris 109). Generalized reciprocity is gift giving without any expectation of an immediate return.
With balanced reciprocity, there is an explicit expectation of an immediate return. Negative
reciprocity occurs when there is an attempt to get someone to exchange something he or she may
not want to give up or when there is an attempt to get a more valued item than you give in return.
This is the basis for any economy, but as humankind has advanced and realized that there is a
chance to possibly receive more than one gives, politics have become the other half of the economy.
When politics get involved with the economy, it is no longer about ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He explains that there is a moral obligation to give, receive, and return gifts. It is this moral
obligation that is the basis of all societies and becomes paramount in human nature. This practice
cultivates a sense of responsibility for citizens, who feel an obligation to provide for and to be
provided in a community. Gift–giving, though it seems simple, has been the subject of countless
anthropological works, including the discovery of the Potlatch. The Potlatch is a gift–giving practice
among the Kwakiutl, and thanks to its ambiguous nature, it has become a fascinating point of
research for anthropologists (Mauss 5). Although the act of potlatching entails the giving away of
food and wealth in a guest–host setting, it is also used to settle title disputes and validate an
individual's position in the group. The social standing created through gift exchange is a key
element of Mauss' theory and the influence of these theories continue to be a base for
anthropologists and sociologists

The Native American Culture
Before white people had ever set foot in the new world, the 9–10 million natives had already
inhabited America. "The name "Indian" was given them by Christopher Columbus who mistakenly
believed he had landed in the Indies" ( "Native American History" ). The Native Americans were
people who could adapt to their particular regions and made wise use of the natural resources
around them. They believed in respecting the land and its natural gifts. "We must protect the forests
for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those
who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees"( Qwatsinas ). They
became proficient fishermen, hunters, farmed crops such as corn, and built homes ... Show more
In order to survive they hunted buffalo and wasted nothing, every part had a purpose. Hunting was a
huge part of their life but so was religion. "The worship of the Great Spirit was key to their beliefs" (
"Plains Indians" ). Often a dance was performed called "The Sun Dance" to show respect and love
for their god. Their spiritual belief revolved around nature and the respect they had towards "her".
They also had shaman who were like doctors, they helped heal the sick and injured. Their medicines
would be natural fruits and vegetables or they would just try to convince them that they were not
really

The Kwakiutl Of The North Pacific Coast
The Kwakiutl of The North Pacific Coast is a group that encompases many distinct and
extraordinary aspects of a North American native culture.
Setting
The Kwakiutl mainly reside in the geographical region of the North Pacific Coast. Stretching along
the coast of present day British Columbia. This area begins near the southern border of Alaska; from
the Juan de Fuca Strait and extends down south to Yakutat Bay. This region is overlaid with a
diverse landscape that has greatly impacted the Kwakiutl way of life. The multitude of resource
available to the Kwakiutl has prominently sustain practically every aspect of their culture and
society. The ever changing layout of this area created an impenetrable home for the Kwakiutl to
inhabit. The coast is shattered with numerous islands and key rivers such as the Columbia, Salmon,
and Bella Coola. This opens up a system of travel, commerce, and also creating very strict
opportunities for other cultural influences. With the surrounding area thick in dense forests and
rugged terrain that includes mountain ranges to valleys rich with life sustaining variables such as
wild game, plants, timber, and potential settlement. This varied landscape also greatly isolated the
Kwakiutl, making it difficult for any outside influences or possible threats to their way of life, F.
Boas 1966, page 7. With the vast variety of natural resources this area offers it has abundantly
supported the needs to sustain a way of life for the Kwakiutl. Numerous

Evolution Of Indian Reservations
The central theme of this weeks reading was to focus on the effects of reservations on a culture and
the difference between a tribe in the past to now in the present. From the start the Kwakiutls lived in
villages of rectangular cedar–plank homes with bark roofs. These houses were as large as 100 feet
long and held several families from the same clans up to about 50 people. Nowadays old–fashioned
buildings are similar to these but are only used for ceremonial reasoning not for everyday shelter.
The Kwakiutls restored to living in reservations neglecting their own traditional values. Reserves
belong to the Native American tribes and has become legally under their control. The definition of
an Indian reservation is "any of the areas of land given

Haisla Culture Research Paper
Haisla people have occupied lands for more than 9000 years. In 1918, an influenza pandemic has
reduced the Haisla population and wiped out the Wolf and Frog clans, the Haisla community have
been recovered and continues to evolve. Today, there is are about 1700 Haisla, half which lives in
Kitamaat Village. Haisla culture combines with the traditional heritage of Canadian culture. In 1998,
a Na'Na'Kila Institute was established that helps protect and the development of the Haisla culture,
including language. The Na'Na'Kila helped bring back the Haisla totem pole (Gyp'sgolox) that was
removed in 1929 and was missing for more than 60 years. In 1991, it was discovered in the Museum
of Ethnography in Stockholm. On July 1,2006, the totem pole ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Haisla names and words can be written in a phonetic alphabet developed to allow the sounds of
Haisla language to be distinguished. The Haisla primary residence is in Kitamaat Village, located off
the Douglas Channel on British Columbia North Coast. The word "Kitamaat" means "People of the
snow" comes from the Tsimshian people, who originate from Prince Rupert and Metlakatla areas.
The Haisla name for Kitamaat Village is "Tsee–Motsa" means Snag Beach. Kitamaat has rich
biodiversity areas, where it is home to many mammals such as bears, wolves, deer, foxes, and
wolverines that live in the forest help feed the Haisla community. To sustain their generations,
provide food, shelter, and livelihood, Haisla people worked hard to harvest food, build their villages
and develop resources to survive. Haisla land is connected to our past, their culture, and now is their
future. Haisla economic opportunities give respect to their water and wildlife that makes the home
of the Haisla. Kitamaat Village is home to 700 of the 1700 Haisla members. The region where
Haisla people lived on is one of the wettest

A Defense Of Moral Relativism Summary
The ethical relativism theory is that morality refers to the norms of a culture. This means that
whether an action is right or wrong is dependent on the moral norms of the society it is practiced in.
The same action may be morally right in one society, but morally wrong in a different one.
In A Defense of Moral Relativism, Ruth Benedict defends morals as culturally acceptable behavior
in a society. She employs the examples of homosexuality and murder. She chooses these examples
because in our society, they are commonly known as immoral. One of her examples discusses
homosexuality in ancient Greece. Homosexuality had no negative associations with it and was
universally accepted. Benedict also notes that the culture of the Kwakiutl considers

The Big Man And Chiefdom Societies In New Guinea
In the big man and chiefdom societies, gift–giving is sometimes used as a means of attack to gain
personal prestige. The Kwakiutl are a prime example as well as various groups in New Guinea.
According to the lecture notes, the way it works is the citizens of the Big Man societies come and
pay their debt to their leader, then are invited to a huge feast in which the leader gives all that he has
received away to everyone, rich or poor. He becomes known as a generous leader and gains respect
and admiration from his followers. The Big Man societies follow the rule that the more prestige you
gain, the higher your political power and status will be. The chiefdoms, however, do not follow this
rule. Instead, they follow a ranked system based on the

Forging Groups: The Hunter And Gathering Foraging Societies
The hunter and gathering foraging societys do not have any recognized status differences and tend
to share resource. However, there are people who have skills and talets not shared by other and
some who are more influincual in decision making. They are polytheism which means they tend
recognize supernatural beings with equal or close to equal power and influence over the world. Most
foraging groups are closely family related and it is the basis for social organizations, which can be
called bands. When resources are abundante a few bands may even form together to better use each
bands tallants and resources. They practice population control because most foraging sociaties can
not sustatin a large group of people. Most foraging cultures are

Aztec And Inuit Comparison Chart
Arctic (Inuit):
Where: They live in the northern areas of North America where it is very cold such as Alaska (the
Alaskan coast), and Canada. This cold climate influences their whole way of living.
Obtain Food: Due to the harsh weather they were not able to farm or grow any crops. They mostly
lived off of meat from hunting animals such as seals walruses, and whales. They also ate fish and
wild berries. To keep their energy up in the long winters they would eat foods with lots of fat in it.
When hunting whales the Inuit would prepare by bringing on lots of men in order to capture it. They
would attach makeshift balloons to the harpoon so the whale couldn't get away from them after it
was hit with a harpoon. Since a whale is a mammal it needs ... Show more content on
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Had special dances and prayers for a good harvest.
Plains (Pawnee):
Where: Central America in the plains that stretch from the Mississippi River to the Rocky
Mountains and from Texas into Canada. Settled near rivers and built earth lodges (a home that
Plains Indians made using bark, earth, and grass). These lodges protected people from cold and
stormy weather. Extended across Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and
South Dakota.
Obtain Food: They grew crops of corn, beans, pumpkins, and squash. The rainfall made the land
very potent for growing crops and keeping up with a farm. During the winter they hunted buffalo,
although they are mainly agricultural. Animals in the area included Bison, deer, elk, bear, porcupine,
antelope, prairie dogs, eagles, and wolves.
Clothing: The clothes that men wore consisted of breechcloths, buckskin tunics, and leggings. Warm
buffalo fur cloaks and blankets were also worn to protect them against the rain and cold. They also
wore soft soled moccasins to cover their feet.
Shelter: Pawnee Indians lived in Teepees, which is a cone–shaped tent covered in buffalo skins.
They were easy to set up and take down. They also use travois poles to set up

Ethical Relativism Moral Or Immoral
Brittany Haskell Mr. Legge CLN 4U Due: December 19, 2014 Ethical Relativism Moral or Immoral
Ethical relativism is the theory that holds that morality is relative to the norms of one 's culture. That
is, whether an action is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is
practiced. Moral or ethical relativism is the idea that what is considered moral or immoral depends
on the accepted behaviors within the society in which the determination is made. Therefore, what is
considered moral or ethical in one society may be considered immoral or unethical in another, but
each society is equally correct. For this reason the question remains, if and action is considered to be
moral does that mean that the action is also normal? Although something may seem right to
someone living in a different community, people living in a society like ours today may feel
differently. Ethical Relativism can be looked at are moral or immoral in many different ways.
Looking at the articles Guarding The Boundaries, A Defense of Ethical Relativism and Butterflies
and Wheels, it is clearly shown that although ethnical relativism may seem immoral, but really in
many ways is moral. In the article Guarding The Boundaries, by Anthony Daniels. The philosopher
states that men can no more avoid making moral and aesthetic judgments than they can avoid
eating. In our society it is clearly shown that abuse is incorrect and immoral, but looking at in in a
different perspective can

Totem Poles
People believe that totems originated around the Northwest Pacific Coast where Native Americans
had specific rules and traditions about how they were made and used. Although no one knows for
sure how long the Native Americans have been living in the North America region, it is known that
their culture is very much centered around their spiritual beliefs as individual families and clans.
Despite the common belief that totem poles represent Native American gods, in many tribes they
were used to represent the beliefs and traits of the family who owned it. The making of a totem pole
is a long and complicated process. Before a totem pole is carved a meeting of the elders, sponsors,
and master carver is held and the master carver designs a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
If a totem was painted the colors would have symbolized directions. North was represented by the
color yellow. Blue was symbolic of the west. Red was the south while the north was represented by
white (Page 43). Totem poles were used for different things in each tribe. For example, in the
Lillooet tribe mortuary poles were used to mark grave sites ("Lillooet" American History). In the
Haida totems were used as a way of indicating rank in lineage ("Haida" American History). For the
Tlingit tribe mortuary poles are given as wedding gifts to be placed outside the home of the
newlyweds ("Tlingit" American History). "Wood carving was probably the preeminent Bella Coola
art. Masks, entry poles, house frontal poles (with entry through a gaping mouth), and carved posts
were often painted and decorated with crest figures. They had no fully developed totem pole"
("Bella Coola" American History). "The Kwakiutl were artists. Even in utilitarian items, visual art
was joined with rhetoric, mythology, and performance art to glorify the kin groups. Wooden objects,
such as massive house posts, totem and commemorative poles (non aboriginal), masks, rattles, feast
dishes, and other objects used for crest displays were carved and/or painted" ("Kwakiutl" American
History). When other cultures think of Native Americans, part of what comes to mind is totem poles.
Totem poles can show lineage,

How Hereditary And Environment Has Affected The People...
This environment has composition of several aspects and these aspects are cordially interdependent
with environment and heredity, as well as this is coming from the evolution eras and the concept of
heredity is the basic model of this effective and eminent source of heredity in chronological order. .
Although hereditary & environment has always been a deciding factor in determining our future, yet
majority of us hardly even bothered to look over these factors.
In this assignment I am trying to develop my understanding about how hereditary & environment
has affected the people around me and referring to some journals in order to highlight the theoretical
part as well. I have tried to draw a conclusion based on my personal and professional experience.
Defining Hereditary
Introduction and meaning
Heredity is one of the powerful factors that contribute to the formation of human personality. It
influences man's social behavior too too. It is through the process of heredity that children normally
get some of the physical and psychological characteristics of their parents. Heredity refers to the
biological process of transmission of certain biological and psychological characteristics from
parents to their children through what are known as genes. Human society is not only dynamic but
also diverse. Differences are found between societies and between societies and within the same
society among the peoples and groups. In fact, society is based on the principle of difference.

Werewolves Beliefs
Carine Kessie
Prof: Van De Water
English 2010–29
Friday 24, 2017
Origin of Werewolves
Throughout history, there are records of the trials of confessed or accused werewolves. In fact, they
were questioned and executed the same way witches were, because they often witches were
considered also werewolves. These so–called "werewolf's trials" give us a historical glimpse at
rampant human belief in werewolves. Some of the people who were accused of being werewolves
were arrested because villagers needed someone to blame for dead livestock or some other
unexplainable occurrences. Also others were accused because actions far more sinister and less
likely to be contrived.
Wolves figure prominently in the mythology of nearly every Native American tribe. ... Show more
One of the earliest and best known iterations is found in the Roman poet Ovid's poem
Metamorphoses, which was published in 8 AD. According to Ovid: King Lycaon was the tyrant of
Arcadia. One day Zeus came to Lycaon's palace masquerading as an ordinary man. After Zeus had
revealed his true identity, the king secretly planned to test whether Zeus was actually a god. So,
King Lycaon killed one of his hostages named Epirus, boiled and roasted the victim's flesh, and
served it to Zeus. However, Zeus did not eat it given to him. Extremely enraged and also disgusted
by what the king has done, he set the king's palace on fire and killed all of the king's sons (50 sons
in total). He also cursed the king, and sent him into the wild where he transformed into a howling

A Study Of Culture And Marvin Harris ' Cultural Materialism
Anthropology as the study of culture is an intricate practice guided by theory to generate
explanatory value from encountered societies. This paper will examine two contrasting angles
provided by Ruth Benedict's configurational anthropology in Patterns of Culture and Marvin Harris'
cultural materialism in Cannibals and Kings. Whereas Benedict's configurational anthropology
approaches culture as an expressive art form, Harris's cultural materialism explains the peculiarities
of cultural customs as a process governed by environmental restraints and innovation. Each theory
will be briefly overviewed and then broken down by fundamental axes to guide the comparison.
Benedict's Patterns of Culture introduced the non–anthropologist to cultural relativity and the
socially constructed nature of race in the 1930s post World War era. Beyond political agenda,
Benedict offers a theory of culture that attempts to explain how individual behavior is molded by the
overarching ethos or spirit of a culture. Benedict argues that culture exists as patterns, which are
dominant themes woven throughout cultural institutions that have their own goals and ambitions.
These themes determine culturally appropriate behavior by selecting from a metaphorical 'arc' of
behavioral potentialities that comply with its chosen theme (Benedict 1934:35). In this way, cultural
institutions do not exist simply to meet physiological or psychological needs but rather are
articulations of a culture's goals or

Bigfoot Existence
Harmish Naik
Henderson
English 9
April 12, 2016
Bigfoot's Existence Does Bigfoot actually exist on this very planet of Earth? Yet, many people do
not know if Bigfoot really exists or not. Bigfoot has been a real big mystery. The mystery has not
been solved yet as of right now. Although people believe Bigfoot is not a real living thing, the
sightings, research, places of origin and evidence left behind suggests that Bigfoot is a living thing
on Earth. The evidence left behind from Bigfoot proves Bigfoot is a living thing on this very planet
of Earth. "Bones were found identifying the size of a very big creature." (Bigfoot Facts). The size of
the bone identifies that there is a Bigfoot living in this world. "Footprints in the forests indicate a
creature that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"It wasn't until 1958 that the Bigfoot legend really started to kick off in the United States. That year,
a man named Gerald Crew found a set of large footprints at a construction site where he worked in
California" (Upton). Gerald Crew examined the large footprints and declared the footprints were
from a very big species that could have been Bigfoot. "In 1967, the 'Patterson–Gimli film' was
captured. The film shows a tall, hairy 'Bigfoot' walking through the forest" (Upton). This real film of
Bigfoot's existence grabbed the public's attention about this topic and the person captured real
footage of the Bigfoot walking in the forest. "The legend of Bigfoot existed long before the
European men arrived in the New World. The Coastal Indians tribes of British Columbia and in
particular the Kwakiutls had carved totem poles and face masks which clearly had references to a
'man–beast'" (Shackley). Even a long time ago, many Indian tribes living in North America have
maybe have seen or heard about Bigfoot being alive and living in the woods on North American
soil. Also, the man–beast face masks referenced Bigfoot's facial feautre of the

Aborginal People
Aboriginal People
Learning statement
Before taking this course I was not known to the fact that aboriginal people have significant
importance in Canada. This course seemed to be very interesting to me, as it was totally new to me.
It was not only interesting; it opened the gate way to new information which I was never aware of
before. I got to learn a lot of new and interesting facts about the aboriginal people, which changed
my perspective about them, and increased my learning. With the passage of time I got to learn very
interesting facts about aboriginal people, their mixture, and culture and how they civilized. I have
got to know they their historical background still has an impact in the societal life of Canada.
The key ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Collection of people urbanized each with possessing its own culture, civilization, and nature. In the
northwest are the Athabasca, Slavey, Dogrib, Touchtone, and Tlingit. The length of the soothing
coast were the Tsimshian; Haida; Salish; Kwakiutl; Nootka; Nisga 'a; Senakw and Gitxsan. In the
basics were the Blackfoot; Káínawa; Sarcee and Peigan. In the northern wooden areas there were
the Cree and Chipewyan. Approximately near the Great Lakes were the Anishinaabe; Algonquin;
Míkmaq; Iroquois and Huron. Near the Atlantic coast were the Beothuk, Maliseet, Innu, Abenaki
and Mi 'kmaq.
Many Canadian Aboriginal civilizations recognized individuality and stamps that built–in enduring
or urban resolution, agriculture, public and monumental, complex societal hierarchies. These people
had evolved and distorted by the occasion of the first enduring European arrival, and have been
brought onward from side to side archaeological study.
There are signs of get in touch with before Christopher Columbus between the first peoples and
those from other different continents. Aboriginal people in Canada interrelated and communicated
with Europeans around 1000 CE, but long–drawn–out get in touch with came after Europeans
established everlasting settlements in the 17th and 18th centuries. In Columbus ' occasion there was
conjecture that other Europeans had completed the trip in very old or modern times. European
printed accounts usually recorded openness of the First

Aboriginal Rights in Canada: Are They Being Denied?
Aboriginal Rights in Canada: Are They Being Denied?
When Canada was first inhabited by the First Nations people, the land was completely their own.
They were free to inhabit and use the land in whichever manner they saw fit. However, since the
arrival of the European settlers, the First Nations people have been mistreated in countless ways.
They faced many issues throughout history, and are now facing even more serious problems in our
modern society like having to endure racism, discrimination and social ridicule. Given what they
already have to deal with, the last thing they should have to worry about is the denial of their rights
which is a problem that Aboriginals have to contend with as well.
Denial of Aboriginal rights is a very ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Sparrow test then outlines what might justify an infringement upon an Aboriginal right. An
infringement might be justified if:
The infringement serves a "valid legislative objective." The court suggested a valid legislative
objective would be conservation of natural resources, in which First Nations interest would come
second only to that;
"There has been as little infringement as possible in order to effect the desired result;"
Fair compensation was provided, and,
Aboriginal groups were consulted, or, "at the least... informed."
(Hanson, Salomons)
This case and the resulting test were instrumental in defining aboriginal rights. However, it was also
very controversial as it confirmed one thing: aboriginal rights are not absolute and this has been
highlighted in numerous cases whereby aboriginal rights being denied.
Firstly, Aboriginals have been run out of their native lands and what little they have left is constantly
being fought over by the Natives, the government and major corporations. Mr. Norman Slotkin, a
lawyer for the Union of Ontario Indians, had this to say:
"Most nations consider the notion of land to be an important one. But to Canada 's aboriginal
people, it is also a strong cultural symbol. Native identity is drawn from the land: It has been a form
of subsistence, and an integral part of creation myths.
For this reason, it is only with

Indian Migration Research Paper
Inhabitants of the "New World" migrated to this new land and proceeded to spread themselves out
across the land based upon strategic geographical and agriculture needs, as well as the need for
protection against other Indian nations. What Europeans call Indians originally travelled across the
Bering Straits from inhabitable, Asian lands, such as Siberia. The cultures that would later develop
in America would come from these nomads being a mix of Asian, African, and European people.
Once these people were here they started to migrate South and East for up to 15,000 miles from
their starting location. The beginning difference between Indian tribes that formed were the
structures of their houses. In the Alaskan region Indians lived in rectangular, plank houses called
Kwakiutl. However in the Wichita area the tribes lived in domed, thatched houses. In the Prairie
area the people would form earth lodges and in the Northeast the Algonquians designed a barrel–
roofed rectangular house. The style and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There were twelve Semitic languages documented by the European explorers when they first
arrived. Dialect and specific language separations allowed for around two thousand different
languages to be spoken on the North American continent. This vast number would be caused by
words that can be compared to modern day slang. Each tribe, nation, and region would have their
own words for things, trees for example, that appeared all over the North American lands. Due to
varying geographical conditions Indian villages had to find stable sources of food and water; they
did this through the invention of agriculture. Agriculture then lead to the downfall of migration and
the beginning of stable, city–like environments. Indians began to develop ways to bring water to
arid land so they could plant and supply food for themselves. In doing this these people could
increase the population, stabilize the population, and develop a

North American Culture Essay

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