This paper reviews and examines Donald Hughes' book "North AmericanIndian Ecology" which focuses on a wide range of ecological and environmental issues faced by Native AmericanIndians in the 20th century.
Abstract This paper explores and details North AmericanIndian life and culture as portrayed in Donald Hughes' book "North AmericanIndian Ecology." This paper discusses the land issues facing the North AmericanIndian tribes including overgrazing, erosion and assessments of appropriate land usage. The writer of this paper finds Hughes' book to be straightforward and concise in clarifying the characteristics of Indian life such as hunting, food growing and rituals.
From the Paper "Tribes are having to mediate the disparate demands of their members and the industrial mindset of the BIA to balance forest use for economic need and preservation for cultural need. Tribes face many of the same problems as non-Native communities held hostage by the timber industry. Replanting has not always kept pace with harvesting on public or trust lands. The push to harvest old-growth timber is constrained by federal mandates to protect endangered species habitats, putting people out of work. Few local communities gain the "value-added" benefits of processing their own timber especially jobs and new businesses and when they do the environmental impact of mill sites has to be factored into any cost-benefit analysis."
Abstract This paper studies the statistically high rate of suicide among AmericanIndian youth, focusing on the impact of acculturation. The paper begins with a brief discussion of the suicide statistics and their distribution among particular tribes. Then the paper takes a critical look at the historical phenomenon of acculturation. Among the effects of acculturation examined are geographic isolation and confinement to the reservation, which led to the disorganization of traditional family structures. The paper then explores how these impacted the negative self-image of youth, and in particular male youth, which is a major contributor to suicide.
From the Paper "In a white man's society the American Indian held little status. While there was slavery, black man may have been deprived of his body and labor and kept from being a part of white society; the American Indian was robbed of his land and forced to acculturate. The American Indians were not free to practice their religion in a land that proclaimed religious freedom. When the census was taken, a black man was counted as half a person; an American Indian was not even considered a human being. This only changed when the white man wanted to buy land; legally an American Indian had to be a human being to sell it (Allen 1973)."
Abstract This paper addresses the changes in AmericanIndian warfare during the period of western settlement in the 19th century. It gives a summary of Plains Indian culture and reasons for conflict, and details conflicts between settlers and AmericanIndian tribes. The paper's thesis, borne out in historical research, is that the introduction of horses and firearms made conflicts between US relocation forces and unwilling Indian tribesmen bloodier than necessary on both sides. The author does not take sides on the Native American sovereignty issue.
This paper discusses the history of the AmericanIndian boarding schools and their influence in developing ?pan-Indianism?, which connected individuals from different tribes.
Abstract This paper explains that the "Friends of the AmericanIndians" believed that education was the only answer to the "Indian problem" to assimilate Native Americans into Euro-American society. The author points out that, whereas, the mission schools were traditionally located on the reservations, the "retraining" process meant that the government-influenced boarding schools were located off of the reservations, usually many miles away from families, so that many children were not able to see their families for years at a time. The paper relates that, although the tribal traditionalists strongly were opposed to families sending their children to distant schools to learn the "white man's" ways, grinding poverty and the overwhelming hopelessness of reservation life caused many Indian parents to consider the possibility of sending their children to find a more prosperous life.
From the Paper "Many times the child was not told ahead of time that they would be leaving home to attend the boarding school. This resulted in a child resisting or fleeing home and hiding in the woods or with sympathetic relatives. The child might also runaway upon reaching the boarding school. One student's account is recorded at the Clark Historical Library (1999). He remembered that on the day that he left, his mother pack his lunch, simply handed it to him, and sent him off to a day school he was attending. When he arrived at the school, he was then told that he was to leave immediately. He and several other children were told to get into a truck prepared with a wire cage. The cage was to keep them from fleeing, and they were then driven to the nearest railroad station."
Abstract This paper discusses Peter Iverson's book, "We Are Still Here: AmericanIndians in the 20th Century." It reviews the impact of two major battles between the American army and AmericanIndians namely, the Battle of Little and Big Horn Battle. It explains how these battles led to the 1890 massacre of Sioux men, women and children at Wounded Knee, which was the final battle in the four-centuries-long war between native Americans and European-American settlers.
From the Paper "Peter Iverson certainly knows what happened at the Battle of Little and Big Horn Battle. It was one of the last great battles in the centuries, war between different American Indian nations and European-Americans. The Sioux won that battle of course bringing ..."
Abstract This paper explains that today the AmericanIndian tribes are believed to have sovereign powers, which can be characterized as independent from both the federal and state governments. Therefore, they are considered to be a nation within a nation under the current American legal system. The writer points out that there are, however, limitations to the tribes' jurisdiction. The paper concludes that, as evidenced by the stand off at Wounded Knee and numerous other historical events, it is clear that Native-AmericanIndians desire real authority over their own relations amongst themselves and perceive themselves as degraded by the lack of full sovereignty.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Challenges of Native American Sovereignty
Wounded Knee
Conclusion: The Future of Native American Sovereignty
From the Paper "In the end, the events at Wounded Knee were exceedingly far more traumatic for Native American Indians in this country than it was for the white American population. The Wounded Knee incident was a direct result of the near-century long inability for Native Americans to come to an agreement with the majority population on the issue of sovereignty within their lands. The form of tribal government that had been granted to the Natives was thus not efficient in solving problems on reservations."
Tags: self-determination intervention jurisdiction globalization, red power
An examination of the nineteenth century exploitation by whites of AmericanIndians. The theft of their lands, reservations and destruction of their Indian heritage.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 3 sources, 1989, $ 47.95
From the Paper " From the Micmac in the Northeast to the Hopi in the Southwest, from the Chinook in the Northwest to the Seminole in the Southeast, the North American continent was filled with Indian tribes when white men first set foot on the shores that would become the United States. For the most part the new white settlers found the Indians to be friendly and willing to trade with them and allow them to share their lands. This friendship would not continue, however, as the white populations grew and exploited the Indian. Much of North America was rich in natural resources which the white men wanted. They also wanted the lands that would provide homes and farms for the constant flow of immigrants that were to arrive.
For the most part the United States government and wealthy easterners were responsible for the Indians losing their land."
Tags:AMERICANINDIAN STUDIES, HISTORY: U.S. (After 1865)
Abstract The paper explores how many programs and government agencies have attempted to address this dilemma of juvenile delinquency. The paper relates that on United States Indian reservations, the current approach to juvenile delinquency includes prevention, intervention and graduated sanctions. The paper offers reasons for the prevalence of this juvenile delinquency and reveals that although the crimes involving delinquent acts by juveniles on AmericanIndian reservations are increasing, the causes are similar to the causes of delinquency of the general population.
Outline:
Brief Background of Juvenile Delinquency
Reasons for the Prevalence of Juvenile Delinquency on Reservations
Conclusion
From the Paper "In the past few decades, juvenile delinquency has emerged as a significant criminal and sociological issue, raising concern among parents, educators, policy-makers and government officials alike. Juvenile delinquency has become a major crime issue on United States American Indian reservations; the public has been overwhelmed with stories from the media, providing graphic evidence of a crime wave generated by American Indian youth living on reservations. According to the Bureau of Prisons, the number of Indian youth in custody has increased by nearly 300% since 1994 (Johnson, 2004). Additionally, statistical data indicates that the arrest rate for Native American youth is about twice that of the overall youth population statewide in North Dakota (Martin, 2002)."
Abstract This paper will discuss how Louis Owens, in his essay "The AmericanIndian Wilderness", evokes the usage of the essay format to describe the ways of the Native Americans in their habitats and the natural environment that they survived in. By revealing a thesis of Native Americans being here first, he states a thesis that can be readily agreed with. We can see how Owens argues for their ownership of the land before the great Manifest Destiny that eventually wiped them out.
Abstract This paper formulates two testable hypotheses to explore the causes behind the theory that the AmericanIndians are underserved by rehabilitation services. Moreover, the paper continues to develop the remaining components of the research in order to test the hypothesis.
Abstract In this paper, four North AmericanIndian myths are analyzed to define the extent to which they illustrate characteristics of myths and legends. The paper brings the theory of the use of language as myth.
From the Paper "Characteristics of Oral and Mythic Literature. Before the invention of writing, the only means of recording human events apart from visual representations, was in stories, myths or legends that were memorized and recited orally to listeners. The universal classics of literature known as the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" created several thousand years ago by the blind Greek poet Homer, were almost certainly recited or chanted and only written down at a much later date."
Abstract This paper examines the attempts of Native-American Tribes to retain their cultural heritage despite many years of repression and attempts by the colonial majority to force its culture on them. The paper looks at the major means whereby Native Americans are trying to preserve and even spread their culture amongst the various groupings and tribes living today in the United State of America. The author then goes on to examine the historical background to the AmericanIndian's cultural repression. He examines, in some depth, the rebirth of Native-American literature and oral history and its impact on the Native-American population and attempts to evaluate its success.
From the Paper "Individual Indians seek to define who they are through culture in varied ways, and are frequently challenged by distance. The revival of culture is centered around reservation life. Reservations schools attempt to transmit the traditions of the past, along with language through native reservation schools that teach language through a bilingual system or through submersion programs and yet many Native Americans live far from home and family, as a result of the pressures of modernization and the fact that economic and higher education opportunities are limited on many reservations. To many Indians it is a challenge to meet the goals of a highly connected social network of family and nation as distance creates change that challenges their ability to meld their historical culture with the white culture they frequently live within. Yet, it is also clear that individual definitions of self are strongly associated with family and cultural connections and traditions. It is for this reason that Native American creativity is expressed in novel ways through many avenues and medias as well as the reason why individual and collective vision become a constant recurring theme in many of these interpretations."
Tags: native americans, indians reservations history culture assimilation tradition
Abstract This paper presents a brief history of the Native Americans of California, focusing on their struggles with colonizing Europeans and their eventual loss of land and civil rights. The paper traces the history of Native Americans in the US back to their arrival in North America from Asia. Next the author describes their settlement and cultures in North America, and California specifically. The paper highlights the arrival of Europeans to Californian, describing the Native American's subsequent loss of loss of land, culture and autonomy. Special attention is paid to the effects of reservations on the Native American population.
Outline:
California Indians Population Decline of California Indian Figure-1: Native California [Census 2000]
Figure-2: Native California Population [Census 2000]
Indian Plight since Columbian Period
Paper includes maps and charts.
From the Paper "This exploitation continued well into the twentieth century and displacement of Native Indian from reserves continued with little or no compensation until the early twentieth century. The enlightened society of the twentieth century began to apply the laws which have been on the statutes for centuries to all Americans. Discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion and sex can not be legally justified anymore. This important factor now provides legal rights and new protection to Native Indians. "
Abstract This article looks at the meeting of the two different cultures of the Puritan colonists and the Native Americans. The writer states that in order to understand how the Indian tribes and the colonial settlers interacted, one firstly has to understand something about the basic differences of culture and attitudes between the two different groups. One of the most important facts with regard to Native American cultures, one which many people do not realize, is that there was no Indian national unity. Rather the Indian tribes were essentially separate and went their own way; with many differences in social customs and perceptions between the different tribes. The writer describes that this explains much of the confusion and misunderstanding that took place when the two cultures met. This is especially true when it comes to the reaction of the white settlers who often saw the Indian tribes as a unified threat against their existence.
From the Paper "On the other hand there was a very different cultural perspective from the settler's point of view. The white colonists were used to thinking in terms of national and social unity. They therefore tended to assume that the Native Americans were a unified threat and were therefore suspicious of the Indian tribes. Therefore many Native Americans would encounter hostility and fear when they first met the colonists that would also create a sense of uncertainly and suspicion among the Indians.
A further aspect that would have influenced the relationships and contacts between the two groups was the idea of private property. Generally the Native Americans did not have a concept of private property, but rather believed in sharing what they had with others. The colonists, being unaware of this different attitude, would have been suspicious and would have feared that their property was in danger."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses the role of the totem pole in the lives of Native-AmericanIndians. The paper first provides a brief history of the totem pole from the perspective of the British explorer, Captain James Cook and then goes on to discuss the history of the totem pole in Native-AmericanIndian culture. The paper then explains the process of creating a totem pole, listing the meaning behind the various symbols.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Totem Pole Significance
The History of the Totem Pole
Steps to Making a Totem Pole
Totem Pole Symbolism
The Great Seal of the US and the Canadian Coat of Arms
Native-AmericanIndian Oral Tradition
The Haida Totem Pole
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper " The Native American Indians did not have a written form of their language and totem pole stories and imagery were shared with the owners of the pole and those who they told. The only meanings which are on record are in cases where the owners of the pole left written record, granted interviews or in cases where the story has been transferred from generation to generation in a story. These stories are referred to as the "oral tradition" which is subject to change and become distorted over time.
According to the website of the Manataka American Indian Council: The Native American Indians placed the totem pole at the front entrance of the family's longhouse for honoring the clan's ancestors, to record the clan's standing, rights and accomplishments, in memoriam of a ceremony or spiritual experience and contains the symbolism of the qualities, experience, and exploits of the family clan. (Manataka American Indian Council, 2006)"
