How much do you know about Native American culture? (general, empire, tanks)
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Most of the culture of the Five Civilized Tribes, Creek, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Seminole and Choctaw has been lost; however, the language of some of the tribes is being taught again.
Typically, most indians eat a lot of starchy foods i.e., beans, sofki, breads, potatoes, fry-bread ect., hence the trouble with diabetes is high among them. Indians use their tribal medicine made from roots, natural running water and other "secret" ingredients. If someone doesn't believe in the medicine, it simply won't work for them.They believe in "little people", stihkinni, and shapeshifting. They believe a person must be buried with all their body parts. They hold three day wakes and someone is with the recently passed-on at all times. And, last but not least, they are very tribal as in they all live near each other and if a white person is with them, they make fun of them and stick with their color.
Thats about all I can think of for the Indians in Oklahoma.
I lived with Cherokee in NE OK and had a different experience. I agree with Sky walker in that poverty is away of life. The BIA is a mess. I've seen identical houses both government built and Indian owned. House A had carpet and indoor pumbing and central heat. . House B had a 50 Gallong oil drum in the corner for heat, linoleum and non running water. The reason House A was nicer was because the lady was widowed and her kids paid for everything. It is a national shame. I lved 25 years in Cherokee Territory and learned more than I am willing to put in print.
The reason I posed the question the way i did, is because I've learned more about Indians in those two conversations of several hours, than I've learned in all the books I've ever read combined.
Sure, I've known people who say "I'm part Indian" (my brother in law, for example), but they've never lived on a reservation, or even visited one. Most assimilated Indians just don't really know much more about Indian history and culture than the rest of us do.
There were quite a few cultures and historical eras that to consider them all the same would leave out much.
Most NA history seems to be focused on just one aspect, war between Indians and Europeans.
There was quite much from roads they built, the way they used dogs, then horses to transport cargo, the many migrations, the civilized tribes who had agriculture, their food, textiles, daily life, etc...
A problem I have with the history that comes from NAs themselves is that it either appears highly romanticized or mysterious with poetic speech. That is not history but then again we all have our own national mythologies.
Quite a bit. I knew people who were part of the siege in Wounded Knee in 1973 (American Indian Movement) and I was there about a month after it ended to see them.
Currently reading "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S.C. Gwynne. Which is about Quanah Parker, his white mother, and the Comanches.
A few years ago we were up in Four Corners and got to talking with a guy (Navajo) who was about to take a group of German tourists out for their "John Wayne BBQ". (His words Lol.) Found out we had mutual friends. All of the tourists were amazed to see a white woman talking English with this man. Still makes me smile when I think of it. (BTW there are people who live on the rez up there who live without electricity and an easy source of water or enough food.)
Most Americans know very little about the ways Native Americans lived in the past. The only thing they know less about is how their own ancestors lived.
Most Americans know very little about the ways Native Americans lived in the past. The only thing they know less about is how their own ancestors lived.
Well, Why don't you enlighten us? My ancestors were Indian on my fathers side, in fact my gggrandfather was hung in the Arapahoe Nation in early 1900 for horse theiving. I did a lot of reading on the Indians of the southwest in colonial times and learned a bit there. I would like to know what a hometown guy has to say.
Many of my husbands paternal ancestors were born in New Mexico and are in the Isleta book of Births and Marriages as well as Pauline Chavez travesty of a genealogical study.
There were hundreds of tribes and their culture varied signficantly even within the same region.
AFAIR, there were more than 500 American Indian Nations within the current contiguous 48 states, and more than 300 different languages. To ask about a single American Indian culture is like asking about a single European culture.
Actually, on further thought, the number of American Indian cultures is approximately double the number of European cultures of which I'm aware. Not that I'm a cultural anthropologist or anything.
Most of the culture of the Five Civilized Tribes, Creek, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Seminole and Choctaw has been lost;
With all due respect, where this this come from? I know that heroic efforts have been made to preserve and document the culture and languages of the "Five Civilized Tribes", including their several variants. In fact, and speaking only for the Choctaw, even today there remain enclaves of culture, in or near the original home lands, that are still very much alive.
Regards,
-- Nighteyes (Mississippi Choctaw)
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