Abstract
This paper briefly explores the cultural differences between the Cherokee and the Blackfoot in relation to sex and gender. It looks at their attitudes towards a woman's role in the family, education, the duty of the husband and wife to reproduce, and discusses how their cultures were also affected by exterior forces.

From the Paper
"Many Native American Indians maintained a gender division of labor and social roles "long before the arrival of Europeans on the North American continent (Hill, 1995)." These tribes varied in how they viewed the importance of women. Most tribes, such as the Cherokee, kept a division of labor and social roles, while encouraging "each person to value the opposite gender as an integral part of the whole-the family, clan and tribe (Hill, 1995)." Most women were valued for their ability to reproduce and their ritualistic knowledge. As the woman aged, her status in the tribe increased. The elders of the tribe, both men and women, were mainly responsible for educating the youth. Women were held in high regard by the Cherokee and tribal law stated "the penalty for killing a woman was double that for killing a man because of the children she might have borne (unknown, 1998)." "

Tags:indian, elder, woman

Abstract
The paper relates that in his book, "Surviving as Indians: The Challenge of Self Government", Menno Boldt discusses the future of the authentic 'Indian' within the cultural mosaic that has become the Canadian identity. The paper discusses how the underlying theme inherent within this text is the pursuit of justice as a means to promote the construction of a distinctive cultural identity for Aboriginal Canadians within a post-modern context that has demanded assimilation rather than the truly utopian conception of integration and tolerance as Pierre Trudeau once prophesized.

From the Paper
"In his book, "Surviving as Indians: The Challenge of Self Government", Menno Boldt discusses the future of the authentic `Indian' within the cultural mosaic that has become the Canadian identity. The underlying theme inherent within this text is the pursuit of justice as a means to promote the construction of a distinctive cultural identity for Aboriginal..."

Tags:indians, legislation, justice

Abstract
This paper argues that U.S. history omits the sacrifices of Indians and slaves that were mistreated by early Americans and that our history books should credit them with their part in building the nation.

From the Paper
"I have been taught from nursery school through my senior year of high school that America is a country governed by one of the greatest constitutions in the world. As a nation, America is the symbol of freedom and equality to the rest of world, much of which is still ravaged by human rights injustices and oppressive governments. We can take pride in the fact that we are citizens of a country that has been impacted by civil rights..."

Tags:U.S. history, slavery, Indians, sacrifices

Abstract
A paper that discusses the use of peyote among Navajo Indians and their implications on religious and medical utility.

Tags:peyote, navajo, indians

Abstract
This paper discusses treatment of Native American Indians during the Great Depression, contrasting their treatment in California with elsewhere, and also discussing treatment of blacks, immigrants, women, and Hispanics.

From the Paper
"Native American Indians, on the whole, fared rather well during the Great Depression. The economic position of Utah's five Paiute bands of Indians, for example, gradually improved during the ...s and Weber State University Professor, Ronald L. Holt states that; "For many Indians, the depression years were a relatively good period." (Bartholomew) This was due in part to the changes in Indians' rights that came with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal which replaced the old system of allotments under which Indians..."

Tags:Native American Indian, blacks, immigrants, women, Hispanics, Great Depression, California, Hollywood

Abstract
This paper briefly describes the Taino Indians, a subgroup of the Arawakan Indians who were a community of American Indians in northeastern South America. The paper relates that the Tainos were farmers and fishermen, and discusses their spoken language (Arawakan) and their written language, which was in the form of petroglyphs. The religious beliefs and practices of the Tainos is also described.

From the Paper
"In addition to their petroglyphs, the Taino believed in consuming "psychoactive" herbs so that they could communicate with Zemis and the spirits of their ancestors in a ceremony that they called Cohoba. Shaman used the spiritual ceremony to cure the sick, predict what lay ahead in the future, and keep their society safe. Everyone involved would fast before the ceremony began. They would force themselves then to vomit by using a long utensil and putting it down their throats. Once they had vomited, they would inhale cohoba from a carved vessel that had tubes for putting up the nose. It was believed that the Shaman would then leave the "natural world" and travel through the hole in the center of the Earth and they would go into the shaft that connected the two realms of the universe (Rouse 1993)."

Tags:petroglyphs, Arawakan, Zemis

Abstract
This paper discusses the Miami Indians, the existence of whom were recorded by French explorers and missionaries as far back as the early seventeenth century. In particular it examines how The Miami Indians in Ohio were defeated by white encroachment on their lands and the government policies of western expansion. It analyzes how their influence in Ohio was significant although not as profound as that of Tecumseh and the Shawnees. It looks at how their major contributions were in agriculture and preparing decorative skins. It evaluates how although the Miami Indians were traditionally a society of warriors, they were unable to successfully combat the overwhelming strength and policies of U.S. Government forces and ended up defeated and diminished as was the history of all Native Americans.

From the Paper
"The Miami were known as the tattooed or naked Indians. They were lighter in color and shorter than other Illinois tribe. In spite of the severe weather of the Great Lakes region, they wore skins, leggings, and moccasins during the winter. During the summer, they wore only breechcloth and moccasins, which exposed intricate tattooing on their skin. Men wore unornamented skins most of the time. Fringed, beaded, and quilled clothing were worn for festive occasions. Women usually were lightly tattooed on the cheeks or chin. White men could never duplicate the skill of preparing skins, making the Miamis skins much more desirable. As trading continued, the Miami women used brooches and glass beads to add prestige to their clothing. They developed techniques to get striking effects such as skillful applique and nickel-silver decoration (Murdoch, 21). But even the finest of these skins was discarded by Miamis whenever they could secure European cloth (Anson, 20)."

Tags:tecumseh, shawnees, agriculture, skins, government

Abstract
The paper briefly explains the history of Canadian Indians. The writer details the pattern of death and the main diseases that affect the Canadian Indians, including lifestyle related diseases, infectious diseases and the increased number of violent deaths. The paper discusses the high rate of drug abuse, and suicides found in this group of people. The writer explains that most articles written about these issues suggest the need to increase income, education and social opportunities for Indian youth and adolescents. In conclusion, the writer states that the Indian communities have adapted and integrated both traditional and western approaches to fit their own unique sociocultural needs.

From the Paper
"Native Aboriginal also have an increased risk for diabetes. This is probably because their original diet was low in simple carbohydrates and over the centuries, their bodies adapted to this regime. Diabetes is 4-8 times more common in Canadian Indians compared to the general Canadian population. In some Indian communities, up to half of all adults have diabetes. Indian Elders suffer from higher rates of complications from diabetes. Unfortunately, the individuals least open to the regimen of western medicine are Indian elders, making proper treatment of their diabetes more difficult. They are not able to return to the original diet of their ancestors and often die early of complications. "Also there are numerous challenges facing these same individuals, families, and communities in their struggle to reduce the harm due to substance use/abuse. Among Indian and Native people, special challenges include whether or not, and, if so, how to adapt treatment or prevention programs for use in their own communities. Another challenge is how to draw upon and incorporate cultural values, skills, and knowledge into this struggle. In addition, how to reconcile certain cultural practices, such as the ceremonial use of tobacco and peyote, with messages about harmful substance use continues to be a challenge as well. Others include how to develop self-sustaining programs once private, state, or federal support for their start-up has ended. For instance, the Wheel Council uses traditional arts like storytelling as a means to heal social problems such as racism, drug addiction, violence, economic injustice, health crises, child abuse and neglect."

Tags:native, aboriginal, drugs, alcohol, suicide

Abstract
This paper explains that Lewis and Clark managed to adhere to their objectives for the expedition handed out by Jefferson, including proclaiming American sovereignty in the West, advancing American trade, and promoting peace between Indian tribes, while attempting to establish a peaceful and profitable relationship with the Native American tribes. The author points out that, during their expedition, Lewis and Clark encountered nearly 50 Native American tribes, each with distinct and often characteristic responses to the white presence; some tribes provided the expedition with a great deal of assistance, others hindering the expedition. The paper relates that the expedition's plans to bring peace between the Indian tribes meant that the Americans would provide guns to the Nez Perces and the Shoshones; the Blackfoot opposed this plan, fearing that it would hurt their power in the region; therefore. the Blackfoot warriors tried to steal the expedition's guns.

From the Paper
"Promoting peace between the Native American tribes was a complex process for which Lewis and Clark were little prepared. The Lewis and Clark expedition came upon the American Natives long after complex and lengthy histories of intertribal warfare had developed, making any intervention by the expedition temporary at best, and futile, at worst. The intricate trade network systems among the native tribes played an enormous role in the relative successes and failures of Lewis and Clark's inroads into Native American culture. Lewis and Clark knew little of the complexities of trade among the tribes, including the demanding and complex trade alliances between the Assiniboine and Manda/Hidata, and the trade between the Arikara and Teon Sioux."

Tags:sacagawea, sovereignty, trade, peace, assistance

Abstract
This paper analyzes the themes of culture, dignity and self-respect in Native-American short stories. "Borders" by Thomas King, for example, is a short story about a mother and a boy who belong to the Blackfoot tribe living on a Canadian reservation. The story is told from the boy's perspective and is a remembrance of an experience he and his mother endured while trying to cross the border between Canada and the United States. Other stories analyzed within this paper include "How to Write the Great American Indian Novel" by Sherman Alexie, "Captivity" by Lousie Erdrich, "Captivity" by Lousie Erdrich and "Indian Boarding School: The Runaways" by Lousie Erdrich.

From the Paper
"To analyze 'How to Write the Great American Indian Novel' by Sherman Alexie, it is important to understand the term 'horse culture' because it is a metaphor mentioned throughout the piece time and time again. The term horse culture is metaphorically used to sarcastically imply a superior culture--stronger, braver, more prosperous, and more beautiful.
"The term 'half-breed' is also used over and over again. The author mentions that the hero should be a half-breed--half white, and half Indian. This implies that being half white makes the Native American look less ethic, more commercially appealing, more acceptable as a human being to the dominant white culture. The author further brings this message home by saying that the Indian woman '...should be compared to nature: brown hills, mountains, fertile valleys, dewy grass, wind, and clear water.' Here he is trying to emphasize a Caucasian commercialized perception of a beautiful Native American woman--something from Disney's Pocahontas--not a real woman."

Tags:culture, dignity, self-respect, experience, themes