Lecture I. The Native American Inhabitants
Objectives
By the end of this lecture students will:
- identify what they already know and what they want to know about Native Americans.
-be able to describe characteristics of various tribes of Native Americans.
-be able to compare and contrast differences between various tribes of Native Americans.
Introduction
Native Americans and the Natural World
The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of the forests, plains, pueblos or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers; he belongs just as the buffalo belonged. — Luther Standing Bear (1868 – 1939) Native American Wisdom, p. 18
The statements above emphasize the deep connection that Indigenous peoples of the Americas have with their ancestral lands and the natural environments in which they traditionally lived. This connection is rooted in their cultural, spiritual, and historical ties to the land and reflects a fundamental aspect of their identity. Let's break down the statement to better understand its significance:
Cultural Connection: Many Indigenous cultures in North and South America have traditions and belief systems that are intimately linked to the land. They often view the land as sacred and consider themselves stewards of the environment. Their cultural practices, ceremonies, and storytelling often revolve around their relationship with the land and the natural world.
Historical Context: American Indian tribes and nations have inhabited their respective regions for centuries, long before European settlers arrived. Their histories, traditions, and livelihoods are intricately intertwined with the geographical features of their ancestral lands. For example, Plains Indians (those that eventually resettled on the Plains included the Santee, Yankton, the Tenton Sioux, Cheyenne and Missouri) relied on the buffalo for their sustenance and way of life, while Pueblo people developed complex societies in the arid Southwest.
Spiritual Significance: Many Indigenous peoples believe that their spiritual connection to the land is essential. They see the land as more than just a physical resource; it is a source of spiritual nourishment and guidance. Landscapes, animals, plants, and natural phenomena often hold deep spiritual meaning and are integral to their religious practices.
Respect for Nature: American Indian communities traditionally practiced sustainable and environmentally conscious ways of living. They understood the delicate balance of ecosystems and often lived in harmony with nature. This approach contrasts with the European settlers’ more exploitative attitudes towards the land.
Identity and Sovereignty: Land is not just a physical place for Indigenous peoples; it's also tied to their identity and sovereignty. Many Indigenous nations have fought for recognition of their land rights, asserting their autonomy and self-determination in preserving and managing their ancestral territories.
Diversity of Environments: The statement acknowledges that Indigenous peoples’ connection to the land is not limited to one specific type of environment. Whether it's the forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas, different tribes and nations adapted to and thrived in diverse geographical settings across the Americas.
In summary, the statement highlights the profound and multifaceted relationship that American Indians have with their ancestral lands. It emphasizes the cultural, historical, spiritual, and practical aspects of this connection, emphasizing that the land is not just where they live but an integral part of who they are as a people.
If you look at the map of the world you will notice that a narrow stretch of water separates North America to what is now called Russia (The Soviet Union). This stretch of water is called Bering Strait. It is only 56 miles wide, and there are two islands in it. Scientists believe that when the first Americans arrived, the strait did not exist. Instead, the two continents were connected by a large bridge called Beringia. The land bridge was formed during the last Ice Age which moved south from the North Pole. Scientists believe that the first Americans walked from Asia across Beringia to North America between 35 thousand and 25 thousand years ago. After the first Ice Age ended, additional groups of people came by boats, probably around 2000 B.C.
Travelling Reasons
They came in search of food. Trying to understand people far back in the past is like trying to see the bottom of a well with a candle. However, judging from the evidence we now have, these early Americans were hunters (nomadic hunters) who migrated to North America in search of food. There they found an abundance of nuts, wild rye and other fruits. They trapped small game that was easy to kill such as jack rabbits, coyotes, woodchucks and raccoons. They wore hides made of the skin of the buffalo or bison, had fire and cooked their food.
About 7 thousand years ago, the early Americans developed the techniques of big-game hunting. We know this from the so called Clovis points that were discovered near New Mexico, in 1932. (Clovis are Fluted spear points that were found sticking in the bones of mammoths, mainly elephants).
About 10 thousand years ago, the Latest Ice Age ended, and the climate of the Americas changed.
These people realized a great civilization. They developed agriculture, built cities with palaces and spacious squares. They built flat-topped pyramids in which they placed stone temples to their gods. Three types of civilizations can be distinguished in that period: Aztecs of Central Mexico, the Mayas of Yucatan and Central America, and the Incas of Peru.
The Naming
Before the invasion of the land by the Europeans: mainly the British, French, Portuguese and the Dutch, the continent was populated by different tribes the Native Americans. They came to be called the Indians. A name mistakenly attributed to them by Christopher Columbus when discovered the West “Indies”. It is such an enduring error that modern historians are anxious to correct by using the term “Native Americans”; though “American” itself merely commemorates the name of another European Explorer, and one far shifter than Columbus.
Who were these Natives? For centuries white observers concocted various and countless explanations, usually with the goal of filtering them into a recognisable historical scheme. Were they, perhaps, the descendants of a lost wave of earlier settlers, perhaps, Egyptians, Hebrew, or even Welsh? The need for such hypothetical roots was all the greater when 19th century explorers found the remains of medieval mound structures in southern Ohio and along Mississippi Valley, evidence of lost cultures far too sophisticated to be associated with the ignorant “savages” they saw around them.
Population
The exact size of the pre-Columbian population is difficult to determine. There are those who take an essentially benevolent view that North America is seen to have been Terra Nullius, land belonging to nobody and thus open to claim and use. Recently, the opposite view has become fashionable, with extremely high estimates of the extent of the native population, the suggestion being that white invaders were responsible for the genocide of flourishing, pre-existing communities. There is often an added implication that the destroyed cultures represented a kind of ecological harmony that was obliterated by the selfish capitalist and Christian Europeans. The number of the inhalants was much smaller and the pace of conquest was far slower. The most plausible suggestion is that around 1500 years A.D. at least two million people lived North of what is now the Mexican Border.
Indian Life
By the 15th Century, most Indians supplemented their activities of fishing and hunting with farming. They grew crops such as maize, squash, and beans, but frequently retained nomadic traits.
Religion: Religion beliefs varied widely, but nature held an important place for Native Americans who were all polytheistic.
Language: It should also be noted that since the Indians had no written language (and thus kept no written records), many aspects of their lives remain a mystery. Some historians opine that the Indians, before the first European contact, had more than three hundred different spoken languages.
The Tribes: Some of the better-known tribes or confederations include the Pueblo, in Southwest; the Sioux in the Midwest; the Iroquois in the Northeast; the Cherokee in Southeast
Essential Questions:
● How did Native Americans live in different environments in the past? Native American ways of life were determined by their natural surroundings. Native Americans in the past developed unique ways of adapting to and shaping the environment.
● How did Native Americans live and work together in families and communities and show respect for each other? How do they continue these practices today? The foundation of Native American culture was the family and extended family relationships that included clan members and, ultimately, the entire tribe or nation. Native Americans had a strong sense of themselves as members of a community. The family continues to be the center of Native American life. Tribal communities continue to hold Native American groups together and serve as a cultural home even when members live far apart. Concern and respect for others, love of the land and patriotism continue to be fundamental values for Native Americans today.
● How and why did Native Americans create beautiful objects for use in everyday life? How did these objects reflect their relationship to the natural world?
References
Bol, Marsha C. North, South, East, West: American Indians and the Natural World. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1998.
Kohn, Rita, and W. Lynwood Montell (eds.). Always a People: Oral Histories of Contemporary Woodland Indians. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997.
Parrella, Deborah. Project Seasons: Hands-on Activities for Discovering the Wonders of the World. Shelburne, Vt.: Shelburne Farms, 1995.
Schubert, Barbara. American Indians. Cultural activities for Grades K – 6. San Jose, Calif.: Reflections and Images, 1977.
Smith-Baranzini, Marlene. Book of the American Indians. Boston: Little, Brown, 1994