E-Book

Native
Americans

By
Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran
 About the Author:

Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on

Management, Business, Ancient Temples and Temple Architecture, and different
cultures of people, to many leading Dailies and Magazines.
His articles for the young is very popular in “The Young World section” of THE
HINDU. His books on Hindu Saints, and Temples of Pilgrimage centers have been
well received in the religious circle.
He was associated in the production of two Documentary films on Nava Tirupathi
Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement
Google for the pictures and several authors for the information of the natives of
America
..American Indian groups

They are classified into : Cherokee, Sioux. Navajo, Lakota people, Cheyenne,
Iroquois. Apache.Crow people. Pawnee people. Modoc people. Paiute. Nez Perce
people, Osage Natie., Ute pe.

Native Americans, also known as American Indians, Indigenous Americans and

other terms, are the indigenous peoples of the United States, except Hawaii and
territories of the United States.

More than 570 federally recognized tribes live within the US, about half of which
are associated with Indian reservations. The US Census does not include Native
Hawaiians or Chamorro, instead being included in the Census grouping of "Native
Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander".

The ancestors of living Native Americans arrived in what is now the United States
at least 15,000 years ago, possibly much earlier, from Asia via Beringia.

The life styles of Native Americans ranged from nomadic, semi-nomadic to static.
They lived in separate tribes across the vast continent of North America and
despite this many of them shared similar beliefs and culture. The Native Americans
had occupied North America for thousands of years before the arrival of the
Europeans. Their North American culture and pre-historic Stone Age lifestyle and
culture had never altered in all of this time. The Native Americans had never
undergone the changes and transition to the Bronze Age culture or the Iron Age
culture. Their weapons and tools were all made of stone, they had not experienced
the use of metals, their culture was a primitive one.

A vast variety of peoples, societies and cultures subsequently developed. Native

Americans were greatly affected by the European colonization of the Americas,
which began in 1492, and their population declined precipitously overwhelmingly
due to introduced diseases as well as warfare, including biological warfare
territorial confiscation and slavery. After its creation, the United States, as part of
its policy of settler colonialism, waged war and perpetrated massacres against
many Native American peoples, removed them from their ancestral lands, and
subjected them to one-sided treaties and to discriminatory government policies into
the 20th century. Since the 1960s, Native American self-determination movements
have resulted in changes to the lives of Native Americans, though there are still
many contemporary issues faced by Native Americans. Today, there are over five
million Native Americans in the United States, 78% of whom live outside
reservations.

Traditional practices of some tribes include the use of sacred herbs such as
tobacco, sweetgrass or sage. Many Plains tribes have sweatlodge ceremonies,
though the specifics of the ceremony vary among tribes. Fasting, singing and
prayer in the ancient languages of their people, and sometimes drumming are also
common.

Native American religions are the spiritual practices of the indigenous peoples of
the Americas. Traditional Native American ceremonial ways vary widely and are
based on the differing histories and beliefs of individual tribes, clans, and bands.

Native Americans affected virtually every aspect of our lives today, including
language, government, literature, recreation, medicine, hygiene, and food.
Europeans influenced Cherokee politics and society and threatened their entire
belief system.

From 1774 until about 1832, treaties between individual sovereign American
Indian nations and the U.S. were negotiated to establish borders and prescribe
conditions of behavior between the parties. From 1832 until 1871, American Indian
nations were considered to be domestic, dependent tribes.

Today, there are over five million Native Americans in the United States, 78% of
whom live outside reservations. When the United States was created, established
Native American tribes were generally considered semi-independent nations, as
they generally lived in communities separate from British settlers.

In fact Native Americans were very religious. Although many Native Americans
believed in a great spirit - called Wakan Tanka - their religion was animistic . It
was based on the desire to appease 'the spirits', which they did in a variety of ways.
The Great Spirit is a conception of universal spiritual force, Supreme Being or
God, and is known as Wakan Tanka among the Sioux, Gitche Manitou in
Algonquian, and in many Native American (excluding Alaskan Natives and Native
Hawaiians) and Aboriginal Canadian (specifically First Nations people).

Until 1924, Native Americans were not citizens of the United States. Many Native
Americans had, and still have, separate nations within the U.S. on designated
reservation land. But on June 2, 1924, Congress granted citizenship to all Native
Americans born in the U.S.

Often referred to as “religion,” most Native Americans did not consider their
spirituality, ceremonies, and rituals as “religion,” in the way that Christians do.
Rather, their beliefs and practices form an integral and seamless part of their very
being. Like other aboriginal peoples around the world, their beliefs were heavily
influenced by their methods of acquiring food, – from hunting to agriculture. They
also embraced ceremonies and rituals that provided power to conquer the
difficulties of life, as wells as events and milestones, such as puberty, marriage,
and death. Over the years, practices and ceremonies changed with tribes‘ needs.

When Christopher Columbus first sailed into the Bahama

archipelago he believed that he had reached Asia and thus the named them"Red
Indians " for the Native Americans. However, it soon became clear that he had
entered a New World previously unknown to Europeans with unfamiliar new
people, flora, and fauna. Probably the greatest impact on Old World culture was the
rapid introduction of New World ornamental and food plants. Soon orchids from
the tropical rainforests of Central and South America were highly sought after
additions to the greenhouse collections of wealthy Europeans. Christopher
Columbus had sailed to the Caribbean region in search of a route for obtaining
spices. However, what he found was not the cinnamon and cloves he sought, but
Jamaican allspice, the dried unripe berries of Pimenta dolce, and chili and other
peppers of the genus Capsicum. It was not long until the new foods from the
Americas were introduced around the world and corn, potatoes, new varieties of
beans and squashes, peppers and tomatoes, and many other foods were rapidly
accepted into the cuisines of the entire world. Now, approximately 60% of the
food consumed worldwide originated from the New World . However, the
introduction of food from Europe and Asia also changed the diets of the Native
American people. Today, few if any of the descendants of the early Native
American tribes eat diets that closely resemble those of their ancestors, although
many indigenous foods are still eaten and Native American foods have been
incorporated into the cuisines of almost the entire world.

The primitive religions and traditions of the Native Americans was based on the
culture of Animism. Animism was a commonly shared doctrine, or belief, of the
indigenous people and various Indian Tribes of North America. Animism is a
religion based on the spiritual idea that the universe, and all natural objects within
the universe, have souls or spirits. In this religion it is believed that souls or spirits
exist not only in humans but also in animals, plants, trees, rocks etc. This belief
and culture is also extended to natural phenomena such as thunder storms and rain
and geographic features such as mountains, caves or rivers also possess souls or
spirits. The Native Americans had no science to explain nature which led to their
belief that the sun, rain, and other forces were controlled by spirits. In religion the
Native Indians worshiped animals, plants, the sun, rain, and wind refer to Power
Animals and Animal Spirits. In festivals, ceremonies and prayers they tried to gain
the favor of these gods.

The Ten Commandments of Native Americans

The arrival of European settlers marked a major change in Native American
culture. Some of the first Europeans that the Indians would meet were often
missionaries who looked upon Native American Spirituality practices as worthless
superstition inspired by the Christian devil. These early missionaries then
determined to convert the Native Americans to Christianity.

As more and more Europeans flooded North America, US and Canadian

governments instituted policies to force Natives onto reservations and to encourage
them to become assimilated into the majority culture.

This also changed their spiritual traditions and when, in 1882, the U.S. Federal
Government began to work towards banning Native American Religious Rights,
which impacted their ceremonies

These attempts to suppress the traditions of Native Americans eventually led to the
Massacre at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890, when the government
attempted to stop the practice of the “Ghost Dance,” a far-reaching movement that
prophesied a peaceful end to white American expansion and preached goals of
clean living, an honest life, and cross-cultural cooperation by Native Americans.
 Though some traditions were lost along the way, many others survived despite the
ban, and various tribes continue to follow many spiritual traditions. Some Native
Americans have been devout Christians for generations, and their practices today
combine their traditional customs with Christian elements. Other tribes,
particularly in the Southwest, have retained their aboriginal traditions, mostly
intact.

Food:

The three staples of Native American food are corn, squash, and beans. Other
foods that have been used widely in Native American culture include greens, Deer
meat, berries, pumpkin, squash, and wild rice.They were involved in fishing, and
lived close to water front.
Many Native Americans were largely hunter/gatherers until the Europeans arrived.
Although many Native American tribes had well-developed agriculture, they did
not have domesticated animals, and they still depended heavily on the wild plants
and animals for food. When Europeans arrived, the Native Americans had already
developed new varieties of corn, beans, and squashes and had an abundant supply
of nutritious food.
Rituals & Ceremonies:

Death Ceremonies – Native Americans celebrated death, knowing that it was an

end to life on Earth, but, believing it to be the start of life in the Spirit World. Most
tribes also believed that the journey might be long, so afterlife rituals were
performed to ensure that the spirits would not continue to roam the earth. Various
tribes honored the dead in several ways, by giving them food, herbs, and gifts to
ensure a safe journey to the afterlife.

The Hopi Indians believe that the soul moves along a Sky path westwards and that
those who have lived a righteous life will travel with ease. However, those who
haven’t will encounter suffering on their journey.

To ensure a safe journey, they wash their dead with natural yucca suds and dress
them in traditional clothes.

Prayer feathers are often tied around the forehead of the deceased, and they are
buried with favorite possessions and feathered prayer sticks. Traditional foods and
special herbs are served and placed at the graveside.

Many tribes who had been converted to Catholicism, also celebrated All Souls’
Day, each November 1st, which celebrates the dead. Many believe, that on that
day, the spirits return to visit family and friends. In preparation, various tribes
would prepare food and decorate their homes with ears of corn as blessings for the
dead.

Green Corn Dance

Also called the Green Corn Ceremonies, this both a celebration and religious
ceremony, primarily practiced by the peoples of the Eastern Woodlands and the
Southeastern tribes including the Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, Yuchi, Iroquois, and
others. The ceremony typically coincides in the late summer and is tied to the
ripening of the corn crops. Marked with dancing, feasting, fasting, and religious
observations, the ceremony usually lasts for three days. Activities varied from tribe
to tribe, but the common thread is that the corn was not to be eaten until the Great
Spirit has been given his proper thanks. During the event, tribal members give
thanks for the corn, rain, sun, and a good harvest. Some tribes even believe that
they were made from corn by the Great Spirits. The Green Corn Festival is also a
religious renewal, with various religious ceremonies.Cleansing and purifying
activities often occur, including cleaning out homes, burning waste, and drinking
emetics to purify the body. At the end of each day of the festival, feasts are held to
celebrate the good harvest. Green Corn festivals are still practiced today by many
different native peoples of the Southeastern Woodland Culture.

Healing and Medicines:

The healing traditions of Native Americans go back for thousands of years, as the
many indigenous tribes of North America learned that by mixing herbs, roots, and
other natural plants, that they could heal various medical problems. But, remedies
were not the only part of the Native American healing process.
With more than 2,000 tribes of indigenous people in North America, the healing
practices varied widely from tribe to tribe, involving various rituals, ceremonies,
and a diverse wealth of healing knowledge. While there were no absolute standards
of healing, most tribes believed that health was an expression of the spirit and a
continual process of staying strong spiritually, mentally, and physically. This
strength, as well as keeping in harmony with themselves, those around them, their
natural environment, and Creator, would keep away illness and harm. Each person
was responsible for his or her own health and all thoughts and actions had
consequences, including illness, disability, bad luck, or trauma. Only when
harmony was set right, could their health be restored.

Herbal remedies filled an important role within these healing practices, stretching
beyond the body’s aches and pains and into the realm of spirituality and harmony.

The herbs and other natural products used in remedies were generally gathered
from their surrounding environment, resulting in a wide variety of cures. However,
sometimes items that were unavailable locally were traded over long distances.
Herbs and medicinal plants were often seen as deeply sacred.

Many of the various practices have been passed down orally from generation to
generation and never documented in writing, which leaves many of the healing
remedies a mystery. Only rarely did the healers, such as the Cherokee, who
developed a written language, put their formulas or practices in writing.

When early Europeans arrived in the United States more than 500 years ago, they
were surprised to see Native Americans recovering from illnesses and injuries that
they considered fatal. In many ways, the Indians‘ herbal remedies were far superior
to those known to the new immigrants.

But, for the Native Americans, they had no remedies for

the “diseases of civilization,” or white man’s diseases, such as measles and
smallpox, which would wipe out thousands of them over the next few centuries.
Not only lost were these many Native Americans, but also, bodies of knowledge
that went to the grave with healers. Despite the loss of some of the information,
much of it has survived to this day, utilized by both Native Americans, and non-
natives alike. Many modern medicines are based on plants and herbs that were
used by Indians for thousands of years. In fact, more than 200 botanicals, derived
originally from Native Americans, have been or are still in use in pharmaceuticals.
Medicine people were often born into a family with many generations of medicine
people. Others may have had a vision that led them to study medicine. In either
case, those that wished to become healers would first serve a long apprenticeship
with an experienced medicine person before they were qualified to act alone.

Always a respected member of their tribes, being a medicine person was a full-
time job, ensuring the well-being and balance of both individuals and the tribe
itself. In return for his or her services, the healer was provided for in all ways,
including food, shelter, and any assistance that might be needed. Gifts were given
to the healer for services rendered, which might include a wide variety of skills
such as herbal medicine, bone-setting, midwifery, and counseling.
Dress:

Originally, there were many different traditional Native American clothing styles in
North America. Nearly every tribe had its own distinctive style of dress, and the
people could often tell each other's identities by looking at their tribal clothes,
headdresses, and ornamentation.

In most tribes, Native American men wore breechclouts or breechcloths (a long

rectangular piece of hide or cloth tucked over a belt, so that the flaps fell down in
front and behind), sometimes with leather leggings attached in colder climates.
Here's a page of breechcloth and legging pictures. In some tribes Indian clothing
for men was a short kilt or fur trousers instead of a breechcloth. Most American
Indian men did not use shirts, but Plains Indian warriors did wear special buckskin
war shirts decorated with ermine tails, hair, and intricate quillwork and beadwork.

Native American clothing for women usually consisted of skirts and leggings,
though the length, design, and material of the skirts varied from tribe to tribe. In
some cultures, Indian women's shirts were optional and were treated more like
coats. In others, Native American women always wore tunics or mantles in public.
And in some tribes women usually wore one-piece American Indian dresses
instead, like this Cheyenne buckskin dress. Nearly all Native Americans had some
form of moccasin (a sturdy leather shoe) or mukluk (heavier boot), with the styles
of footwear differing from tribe to tribe (as you can see from these mocasin
pictures). Most tribes used cloaks in colder weather, but some of the northern tribes
wore Inuit-style fur parkas instead. Most variable of all were headgear and formal
clothing, which were different in nearly every tribe.

After colonization, the clothes of Native Americans began to adapt some articles of
European costume to their own style, decorating cloth garments with characteristic
Native American beadwork, embroidery, and designs. Some traditional American
Indian garments, such as buckskins, ribbon dresses, and beaded moccasins, are still
worn in many tribes, particularly to formal events. Others, such as breechcloth,
leggings, headdress and dance shawl, are only worn at powwows and religious
ceremonies. In general, American Indians use the word regalia for traditional
clothes which are used for ceremonial occasions.

Plains women used bison hides and the softer, finer skins of deer and antelope to
make garments. ... On the northern Plains, men wore a shirt, leggings, and
moccasins. In cold weather they wore bison-skin robes, called buffalo robes,
painted with scenes of battles they had fought

Housing:.

The list of different types of Native American homes and shelters included tepees,
wigwams, brush shelters, wickiups, chickees (stilt houses), earthen houses, hogans,
earth lodges, pit houses, longhouses, adobe houses, pueblos, asi wattle and daub,
grass houses, tule lodges, beehive thatched houses, kiichPlains Indians lived in
teepees, portable homes made of poles and animal hides. They were efficient home
for the Plains Indians because they stayed cool in the summer and warm in the
winter. A doorway was cut into the hide that could be closed shut or folded open
depending on the weather conditions. Plains Indians continuously moved as they
followed herds of buffalo, thus a home that was easy to put up and take down was
necessary
Family

On the whole, Native Americans maintain a large household. Families, on average,

are larger than the national average.. This is partially due to living arrangements
and extended families and in part due to a higher birth rate. Native Americans have
a birth rate that is one-sixth greater than that of the population as a whole. Native
American teens have a birthrate nearly fifty percent greater than that of their non-
Native peers

Marriages:.

Marriage" is less of a relevant cultural concept than family. Not all tribes or clans
have "wedding ceremonies" and the concept of marriage is locally derived. One
study with a large sample of Native Americans, however, found that Native
Americans, on average, ranked marriage lower in importance than people in all
other major racial or ethnic groups.
Cultural Beliefs Related to Marriage

When it comes to defining marriage or family, there is much variety among tribes.
Many tribes have a clan system that is actively involved in childrearing and have
elders who engage in family life, e.g., they educate children on their cultural
history. One study found that sixty-two percent of Native Americans disagreed or
strongly disagreed with the statement that having children was one of the main
reasons to get married. This could be because of the communal responsibility of
childrearing in some traditions. In the Navajo tribe, for example, grandparents and
fellow clansmen-referred to as "brothers" and "sisters"-are considered part of the
family and carry the responsibility of family members.

Based on the tribal/clan definition of "marriage" data on "out-of-wedlock"

childbearing may or may not be accurate. A higher share of Native American births
is to a never-married mother.•

Native Americans face many challenges to forming and sustaining healthy

marriages. One of the greatest challenges is poverty. The proportion of Native
Americans living below the poverty line is more than twice the national average.
Native American children are twice as likely to live in poverty as their non-Native
counterparts. They are almost twice as likely to be in a home in which neither
parent is employed.

The concept of spirituality pervades all Native American beliefs, values, behaviors,
and worldviews , and therefore spirituality is likely to play an important role in
marital (and familial) relationships. Yet given the diversity of Native American
tribal cultures, one cannot categorize spirituality into one homogenous definition or
conceptualization.

Family structure varies from tribe to tribe in terms of gender roles, from the
matriarchial structure seen in the Navajo to patriarchial structures in many other
tribes. Gender roles and expectations are directly related to the dynamics within
couple relationships.

Native Americans highly value traditional beliefs concerning relation, harmony,

balance, spirituality, and wellness; as part of valuing "relation" all these beliefs are
interrelated. Therefore, "relation"-ships are core to their values.
Native Americans Take Power

The cultural assimilation of Native Americans was an assimilation effort by the

United States to transform Native American culture to European–American culture
between the years of 1790 and 1920.
George Washington and Henry Knox were first to propose, in an American context,
the cultural transformation of Native Americans. They formulated a policy to
encourage the civilizing process With increased waves of immigration from
Europe, there was growing public support for education to encourage a standard set
of cultural values and practices to be held in common by the majority of citizens.
Education was viewed as the primary method in the acculturation process for
minorities.
Native Americans are absorbed into the main stream and hold senior positions in
the trade, industry and the Government of date.