Abstract
This paper traces the fascinating history of the third largest Native American tribe in America, the Sioux. It shows the way the Sioux have fared socially, culturally and economically as a tribe living among a white majority in the United States. he paper also examines the book, "Land of the Spotted Eagle", by Luther Standing Bear in which he offers an analysis of his people, the Lakota Sioux, including their relations with the white government. Finally, the paper examines the means in which the Sioux, as well as other Native American tribes, are struggling to maintain their cultural identity in America today.

From the Paper
"Various Native American groups have been pressing for greater respect through legal and other efforts to remove Native American symbols and names from schools, sports teams, and even geographical features. The issue was raised recently with reference to the University of North Dakota, whose mascot and team are known as the Fighting Sioux (Brownstein 46). The issue is not always clear-cut. One term that has been given much attention recently is "squaw," a word once used by white settlers to refer to Indian wives and that is found on hundreds of place names in the country, from rivers to valleys to mountain peaks to town names. An example is Squaw Peak, a familiar Phoenix landmark targeted for change by Native American groups. They claim that the word "squaw" is derogatory to tribal members and all other women, pointing out that the word is derived from an Indian word for female genitalia."

Tags:Chippewa, Dakota, Treaty, of, Fort, Laramie, Nadowesioux, Reservation, Nixon, Civil, Rights, Act

Abstract
This paper gives a brief account of the origins, culture, society, and history of the Sioux Indians. The paper follows their history up to present-day conditions and talks briefly about Sioux society and culture today.

From the Paper
"Of all the North American Indians that lived and survived on the prairies and plains, the Sioux are the most popular and widely known. Their area of habitation ranged from the Mississippi valley in the east to the Rocky Mountains of the west and from the Saskatchewan River in Canada to the Rio Grande in the south. The cultural traits which came to characterize the High Plains Indians were dependent on bison, a limited use of roots and berries, limited fishing, and the skillful use of bison and deerskin for clothing and shelter. However, this culture was also dependent upon the introduction of the horse and to a lesser extent on changes in tribal locations farther east, and "together with the introduction of firearms, the fur trade and the trading of goods, the Plains Indians experienced continuous change from the 17th century and well into the later years of the 19th century in America" (Lund, 67)."

Tags:prairie, tribes, siouan, dakota, winnebago, north, american, civilizations, crazy, horse, sitting, bull

Abstract
The paper notes that throughout the history of the United States not all people have not been treated equally and that the Native-American peoples were forced from the homes and lands that they had always known and that were sacred to them. The paper highlights that today the United States devalues the Native-American peoples and their cultures. The paper discusses the Sioux tribes who made a monumental, but often forgotten, contribution to world and American history and discusses the Sioux lifestyle, culture, mode of livelihood and existence, as well as their rituals and religious beliefs, and their battles with the US.

From the Paper
"Regardless of the extreme extent to which the United States devalues the Native American peoples and their cultures, from Inuit to Hopi, each has a culture that is now recognized as an important contributor to world and American history. While just one of the tribes who made this monumental, but often forgotten, contribution, the Sioux resided in the Great Planes areas of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North and South Carolina. With a population of around 30,000 during the mid-1700s, the Sioux consisted of smaller tribes such as the Wahpekute, Mdewakantowan, Wahpetonwan, Sisitonwan, Ihanktonwan, and the Tetons".

Tags:animosity, genocide, physical, mistreatment, wayward, philosophy

Abstract
This paper examines both what the Sioux cultures were like before European contact as well as what that culture has evolved into. The paper focuses on the music of this people set within a broader artistic and cultural and even political context. The paper is broken down into four chapters: An introduction into the Sioux people, their musical instruments, the songs of the people, and finally a larger cultural context. The final section of this paper examines the Sun Dance and the Ghost Dance as the two most important single types of musical performance.

From the Paper
"Traditional Sioux of the last century - or the centuries before - would have found the entire idea of putting on their best clothes and going to a concert hall to listen - as relatively passive observers - to a musical performance extremely odd. For them, as for other native peoples of the Americas (and arguably other native peoples throughout the world before the onset of industrialization) music was something that was integrated into the fabric of ritual and everyday life."

Tags:native, culture, tradition, politics, colony, dance

Abstract
A documentation of the integral role the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan played in Aztec life - its original purpose and the way the city evolved to become the foundation upon which the Aztec empire was established.

From the Paper
"Tenochtitlan played an integral role in Aztec life, for it served as the hub of all affairs, both inside the city and in neighboring provinces. Built according to the presumed intent of the gods, Tenochtitlan was regarded as a holy city on holy land, being the specific place set aside for them. In this way, Tenochtitlan assumed its important status early on, furthered later as it functioned as the foundation upon which a great and prosperous empire was established. In this later role as it expanded, it gained most of its recognition, becoming more and more noticed and feared by its neighbors; to the Aztecs, however, the religious significance of the city was of greater importance. Moreover, the influence of this religion on the Aztecs was one of the primary reasons for the wars and expansion that made them such a dominant people later on."

Tags:customs, downfall, history, practices, ritual, society, structure

Abstract
The paper outlines the history of Aztec civilization. The paper explores several aspects of Aztec civilization including basic life/family life, government, religion, warfare and the economy of the Aztec people.

Outline:
Introduction
History of Aztec Civilization
Basic Life and Family Life
Government
Religion
Warfare
Economy
Conclusion

From the Paper
"For the Aztec civilization family structure was a very important part of life. Marriage was an important aspect of life in Aztec civilization. For the most part women married as teenagers, while men were a bit older when they married. The marriages were usually arranged. It was not uncommon for men to have more than one wife but the first wife and her children were the only ones that could inherit wealth or become successors if the family was of Noble status.
"Upon becoming married, a couple was given land and a home was built. Pregnancy and Childbirth were also seen as a significant and symbolic time during marriage. The Aztec people related childbirth to a war. According to the article during pregnancy the baby was viewed as one being held captive by the womb. Childbirth was seen as a struggle and the baby was viewed as victorious when finally born. Childbirth was also seen as a struggle or battle for the mother and women who died in childbirth were honored in a way that was similar to a warrior who died in battle."

Tags:family, government, religion, warfare, economy

Abstract
This paper tries to understand the business practices and trade cultures of the Aztecs by looking at the environment in which the Aztecs lived, worked and raised their families. The paper briefly discusses the Aztec's ability to maintain their fundamental beliefs and practices relating to internal business affairs and trade despite Spanish colonization, as well as the natural geographical environment of the Mesoamericans and how this helped in creating innovations in farming and agriculture. The paper compares traders and merchants of the Aztec empire to today's merchants and also analyzes how the various economic systems and business practices that the Aztecs practiced, though primitive, allowed the various market sectors and regions to come together to create an extraordinarily dynamic economy.

From the Paper
"Like many other Mesoamerican civilizations, the Aztecs relied heavily upon a variety of markets and business merchants to transport goods and commodities from the producer to the consumer. In this instance, the word "markets" does not connote what we today refer to as global and/or national markets, such as a country like Japan producing and marketing automobiles, televisions and audio equipment. Thus, "markets" refers to a physical space, such as a marketplace or agora as found in ancient Greece where buyers and sellers came together to exchange goods and services under the auspices of the reigning king or emperor."

Tags:ancient civilizations, trade culture

Abstract
This paper discusses various forms of Aztec works of art, including those from a recent find, on exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. This paper looks at how the works of Aztec art counter historical views of the Aztec culture.

From the Paper
"The culture of the Aztecs was primarily forged from the culture of their predecessors the Olmecs, the Toltecs and the inhabitants of Teotihuac. The Aztecs flourished as a civilization for two millennia before being decimated by smallpox and the Spanish conquest led by Cortes. In order to justify the systematic destruction of the Aztecs, the Spanish often represented them as a barbaric and savage culture. However, artworks uncovered in archaeological expeditions have uncovered the inaccuracy that such an assumption represents as the totality..."

Tags:Mayan, Spanish conquest, featherworking, sculpture, terra-cotta, ceramics, jewelry, gods, deities, kings, culture

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the Aztec empire, further examining the ways in which the technological superiority of the Europeans, coupled with sheer good fortune on their behalf, helped them to conquer the Aztecs. First, the paper gives a description of the Aztec's capital city and its living conditions. Then, the author goes on to show the technological superiority of the Spanish, with an emphasis on their firearms, use of steel and of horses. The paper also highlights several incidents of good fortune which made the Spanish conquest less challenging. The paper concludes that the Europeans held important advantages over the Aztecs which resulted in them being able to conquer this part of the New World so effectively.

From the Paper
"It is hard to imagine a city of such grandeur being conquered at all, let alone in a matter of two years by a few hundred men. And yet somehow, Hernan Cortes and a small group of conquistadors were able to defeat the Aztecs and sack their city of Tenochtitlan by means of their advantage technologically and a few lucky breaks along the way. Due to their geographical location, and the trade, resources and interaction with other cultures it afforded them, the Spanish soldiers were equipped with steel, early firearms, and pack animals such as horses. These three items played a large role in the conquest of the Aztec empire."

Tags:Conquistador, Hernando Cortez, Mexico, Tenochitlan, Montezuma, New World

Abstract
This paper examines racism in sports as a serious global issue today. The writer discusses some incidents of racism in sports worldwide and then focuses on the widespread use of Native-American mascots and names for elementary school all the way up to the professional level. The writer presents several arguments for and against using names and mascots derived from the Native-American people. The paper concludes that sports should always be free from such controversies and the best way to do this is to avoid the use of names and mascots that hurt the feelings of other people and belittle their culture.

Outline:
History of Racism in Sports
Sports Team Names and Mascots Derived from Indigenous People
Arguments Supporting the Use of Native American Mascots and Names
Arguments Against the Use of Native American Mascots and Names

From the Paper
"There have been a number of racists events in sports like football, baseball, basketball, cricket and many other games which defame not only the players involved in the game but the game itself. This is the reason why the sporting bodies have adopted strict laws to eradicate racism from their sports. In the year 1995 Essendon Football club player Michael Long filed a complained with the Australian Football League against Damian Monkhorst from Collingwood Football club which was widely investigated throughout that year. The Herald Sun revealed some controversial incidents that came to light when it conducted a special investigation into racism in junior Aussie Rules. There have been many other racists events targeting black individuals. However, the most worrying racists events are those targeted at a particular ethnic race or group of people. Use of Native American mascots and names of ethnic groups has been in practice for a long time and this tradition continues to be used in naming school sports teams in United States of America and Canada. This practice of "playing Indian" has been found to be in practice since 1700s."

Tags:Aztec Sioux, Major League Baseball, religious symbol caricature, National Football League, heroism university