Native American
Native a person born in a particular place or country More (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)Native American beliefs:
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Native Americans believe that plants, animals, clouds, etc. carry and embody revelation, meaning they help reveal the truth about things occurring around them.
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Native Americans consider religion to be the relationship between living humans and other people or things.
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Like other tribes of people around the world, their beliefs were influenced by their meals, such as the hunting of animals to the selling of foods.
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The Dakota, a Native American tribe, uses a term called Wakan Tanka, which means the greatest sacred ones or supernatural whereas anything that is mysterious is referred to as Wakan.
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They believe that in the Plains area of the U.S., men should have the ability to gain power or have a relationship with a good element. To go through this process, the man has to be prayed over by a priest to help give it supernatural powers, and the man should also fast and pray for a certain amount of time until that man has a dream or vision about a certain power.
Biases/Myths/Stereotypes on the Native
American culture:
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“All Native Americans are pretty much the same.” - FALSE! Every Native American tribe is unique, just like how within Europe, Italians are different from the Irish. Every tribe has its own language, culture and beliefs.
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“Native Americans are barbaric and violent.” - FALSE! These countless acts of violence committed against Native Americans are almost never depicted, whereas, every image of a Native American is showcased with them holding a knife or tomahawk. These minor differences in depiction for centuries have led people to carry the misconception that Native Americans were barbaric and “needed” to be civilized.
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"Native Americans get a free ride from the US government.” - FALSE! Native Americans are subject to the exact same taxes like all other Americans, and while they do receive government benefits, these benefits do not meet the needs of the Native Americans whereas access to healthcare clinics in both urban areas and reservations were limited.
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“All Native Americans live on reservations.” - FALSE! Native Americans are not restricted to living on reservations, and reside in urban settings as well! In 2012, the US Census Bureau reported that about 70% of Native Americans live off of reservations.
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“Native Americans happily welcomed their first European guests: Pilgrims, taught them how to live in America, sat down and feasted with them (now known as Thanksgiving), and then just minded their business.” - FALSE! Firstly, the Wampanoags were in contact with Europeans for about a century before the Pilgrims arrived, and it involved blood and slavery by Europeans. Secondly, while it is true that Wampanoag leader Ousamequin reached out to the Pilgrims first, he did not do this because he was simply friendly. He lost a great population of his tribe to an unknown epidemic disease, and saw the English as a way to defend his tribe against rival tribes. Additionally, the Thanksgiving story does not indicate, in the slightest, about how the relationship between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims deteriorates and results in violence, death and pain.
Racial discrimination against Native Americans:
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When Europeans arrived in “the New World”, they stole the land from Native Americans, and in many instances enslaved the Indigenous people as well.
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Founding father / American hero George Washington, wanted to “get rid” of the Native Americans,many white Americans saw them as uncivilized.George Washington’s solution to the “Indian Problem” was to “civilize” them, by stripping them of their culture and attempting to make Native people like white Americans.
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The Indian Removal was signed in 1830 by president Andrew Jackson, and led to many tribes being expelled from their lands in the south east after they were promised they would not be forced to leave. Their journey during the Winter of 1831 was described as “a trail of tears and death”.
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Although this nation was stolen from Native Americans, their history, the complexity of their cultures, and the facts of their continued existence in the United States today are lessons rarely taught within schools across the country.
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A football team in the NFL was called the “Washington Redskins,” a hateful ethnic slur coined “by White men [as] they watched the blood run down faces of Natives that had been scalped for small bounties late in the 19th century.”.
Misconceptions:
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‘Native Americans are cannibals’ -While some cultures did practice cannibalism, generally cannibalism was looked down upon.
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‘Native Americans are one group of people’ -There are many cultures and peoples spread across the continent
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‘Native Americans originated the practice of scalping’ -Scalping was practiced around the world. While there were certain tribes that took scalps as trophies, the majority thought the practice was abhorrent. The English colonizers popularized it and expanded on the practice of scalping by offering bounties for native american people’s scalps.
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‘Native Americans live in Teepees’ -Most Native Americans today live in modern homes. Some do use Teepees for ceremonial and community events. Also Teepees were only used by the plain native Americans, not all Native American tribes.
Role/Impact in Present Day Culture:
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Many English words and cities were adopted from Native American languages such as barbecue, chipmunk, woodchuck, hammock, hurricane, moccasin, Seattle, and Miami
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Native people made contributions to our understanding of agriculture. Despite many technological advancements, some of the traditional farming methods of the Native Americans are still recognized as sustainable and most suited to local environments.
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“The Arts are also influenced by the Native Americans. Wool rugs, jewelry, and pottery are some examples of traditional arts and crafts that are still valued commodities in this country.
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The idea for U.S. government was adopted from Native Americans: “Benjamin Franklin said that the idea of the federal government, in which certain powers are given to a central government and all other powers are reserved for the states, was borrowed from the system of government used by the Iroquoian League of Nations.”
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Native Americans also served during WWI, WWII, and other battles! “Even though many of them were not even citizens, more than 8,000 Native Americans volunteered and served during World War I. Well over 24,000 served during World War II.”
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One of the most notable contributions during World War II was the service of the Navajo Code Talkers, a special group of volunteers who did top-secret work using a secret code in Navajo that could not be broken.“
Local Native American Cultures:
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Rhode Island was originally land belonging to Native American tribes, predominantly home to the Narragansett and Wampanoag.
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Current estimates show that currently there are around 4,500 people living in the U.S of Wampanoag and Narragansett descent respectively.
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In 2020, both the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes are both federally recognized Native American groups.
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The Wampanog people still exist to this day. They own a trust of land on Martha’s Vineyard.
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The Narragansett tribe still operates and most of its members live spread out through Rhode Island.
Native American Cultures:
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Rhode Island was originally land belonging to Native American tribes, predominantly home to the Narragansett and Wampanoag.
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Current estimates show that currently there are around 4,500 people living in the U.S of Wampanoag and Narragansett descent respectively.
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In 2020, both the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes are both federally recognized Native American groups.
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The Wampanog people still exist to this day. They own a trust of land on Martha’s Vineyard.
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The Narragansett tribe still operates and most of its members live spread out through RhodeIsland.
Famous Native American leaders:
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Powhatan (1545-1618)- Powhatan, proper name Wahunsenacawh, is best known for being the father of Pocahontas. However, as a commanding leader to the Powhatan Tribe, he extended his authority to over 30 tribes which contained 15,000 people that thrived throughout the Eastern Coast of America.
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Geronimo (1829-1909)- An Apache leader who belonged to the Bedonkohe band of the Chiricahua Apache tribe (near Southwestern United States, namely Arizona). Though he was not considered a chief to the Chiricahua Apache tribe, he was integral to the Native American resistance against the United States and Mexican Militaries. He was known to be vicious against all forces as Mexican troops had slaughtered his entire family.
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Metacomet (better known as King Philip 1638-1676)- As a Wampanoag, his tribe attempted to get along with the colonists at first and pursued trade with them. He even took the name King Philip in order to boost the relations between the colonists and tribe. As the settlers began to take his lands and insult his people, he waged King Philip’s War to stop the expansion.
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Obwandiyag (aka Pontiac 1720-1769)- He is best known for the conflict named after him: Pontiac’s War. Pontiac allied with the French’s side in the French and Indian War, due to the fact he and his tribe were unhappy with British policies. One of his most notable achievements was his siege of Fort Detroit, but they failed to capture it.
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TekoomsÄ“ (aka Tecumseh 1768-1813)- As the leader of the Shawnee tribe and a large confederacy that opposed the United States during Tecumseh’s war and was on the side of the British in the War of 1812, Tecumseh was remembered as a considerate and powerful leader. He was killed in the Battle of Thames, leading to the disbandment of his confederation.