HISTORY OF THE WEST Unit 1 Pre-Columbian Indians.
-
Upload
calvin-burgh -
Category
Documents
-
view
220 -
download
3
Transcript of HISTORY OF THE WEST Unit 1 Pre-Columbian Indians.
HISTORY OF THE WEST
Unit 1Pre-Columbian Indians
Beginning Terms
Institution Anything that is human created in order to pass along
information from one generation to the nextReligion, Education, Government, Family, etc.
Culture Group of people with common institutions that are distinct
from other groups of people Civilization
Group of culture with common institutions that are distinct from other civilizations
Ethnocentrism View world based upon your own culture
Recent Indian Historiography Linear Progressive
Lewis Henry MorganStraight line of progressionScientific justification for “Civilizing
Individuals” Einstein
EthnohistoryCombines History and Anthropology
Cultures not to be judged They are different adaptations to
different environments
Indian Origins During the Enlightenment there were various
explanations for Indians on North American Continent Polynesia
Originating from Pacific Ocean islands Lost tribes of Israel Tribal explanations
Most had to do with animals bringing up mud to start land
Land Bridge Theory (Beringa) Traveled during the Ice Age from the Asia continent
View of Beringa
Migration
Earliest Indian Language Families
Caddoan Da Nene (Athapascan) Siouan-Catawban Algonkian (Algonquin) Kiowa-Tanoan Uto-Aztecan Kootenai (Kutinee)
Language and Regional Distribution
Indian Migration Patterns
Caddoans Left the ancestors of the Mississippian
agriculturalist about 1150 A.D. Mississippian is a generalized term for Indian
groups who participated in agriculture near the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers
Sometime after1300-1400 A.D. they moved up rivers in east Texas and Southeastern Oklahoma
Wichita Indians moved up the Red River, and others into Southern Kansas
Pawnees moved up Republican River into Kansas and Nebraska
Arikaras moved up the Missouri River near Canadian Border
Indian Migration Patterns (Con’t)
Siouan Controversy and speculation on this group
Probably moved in multiple waves Origins in the Ohio River Valley
Manda, Hidatsa, and Dakota/Lakota Indians Moved into the north plains between 1350-1550
A.D. Minnesota, Easter Dakotas and Southern
Canada Ponca, Iowa, Omaha, Missouri, Kansa, Osage
Moved into the middle Mississippi and Missouri valley around the 1600’s A.D
-Hidatsa-Crow Split/Crow became Plains Indians
Indian Migration Patterns (Con’t)
Athapascan From the Mackenzie Basin in Canada
Became the Navajos and Apaches Moved down the Western slopes of the Rockies Ended up in the four-corners region around 1400-1500’s
A.D.
Algonkians Came from eastern woodlands
Became groups like the Blackfeet Agriculturalist who became Plains Indians
Got pushed west from American and European expansion
Indian Migration Patterns (Con’t)
Uto-Aztecans 3 subdivisions migrated onto the Plains
Utes – Furthest south in the Great Basin Commanches – In the middle Shoshones – Furthest north
Plains Indians migration/pushed and attracted
Indian Nation Distribution
Geographical Map
Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure
Lineage Organized along bloodlines
Almost exclusively among village agriculturalists
Those who lived near the Mississippi and Missouri River Valleys
Matrilineal Organized according to female side
Mother, her sisters, and her brothers Easier divorce and better status for women
Father’s role less and often fulfilled by uncles Husband lives within wive’s family
Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)
Lineage (Con’t) Patralineal
Organized according to male bloodlines Father, his brothers, and his sisters
Male role more pronounced, especially for paternal father
Usually female live within husband’s family
Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)
Clan Collection of lineages
Universal among agriculturalists Split based upon identification of animals
Interlocking functions in rituals and ceremonies Usually must marry from different clans
Moiety Collection of bands, lineages, or clans into
sides Usually two Marriage must be outside of moiety
Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)
Tribe Largest political unit recognized by Indians
themselves Confederate style government
Little central authority mandated Lots of variety among the various Indian groups
Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)
Internal structure and central authority Bands among composite (Nomadic) groups
Most of the year scattered around their domain Due to pursuit of buffalo and other game
Membership flexible/ could change Venturing into other’s territory not uncommon
Fights ensued and land gained or lost Organization followed habits of buffalo
All bands gather during rutting time
Central Government Among Composite Tribes
Headman (Chief) May be hereditary but not required
For leadership may turn to someone else Size of following depended on different
traits Hunting/Fighting skills, generosity, powers of
persuasion, oratorical skills in consensus decision, and decision making
Decisions through band consensus Not overly effective
Central Government Among Composite Tribes (Con’t)
Sodalities (Exclusive to Composite Groups) Societies or fraternal groups Membership outside of kinship or descendent
lines Bond based upon common interests or functions
Could be ceremonial, religious, craft, social, dance, or soldiering
Soldiering sodalities often ranked with membership earned
Interlocking ceremonial functions provided group cohesiveness
Generally in charge of enforcing group rules and norms
Central Government Among Composite Tribes (Con’t)
Central Council Group of headmen
Met when all bands assemble When decision is made, the headmen return to
their band/moiety/clan to persuade them to follow
Little real power Mediate and led in consensus decision making
camp circle Traditional placement of bands when assembled
together
Central Government Among Composite Tribes (Con’t)
Ranking and stratification Communal unity and sharing
Still some more successful and thus have a sense of rank
How Village Agriculturalist differed Larger populations Government more centralized and
hereditary Somewhat more ranking and stratification
The Supernatural
Thought varied among the different tribes, though there were some similarities Animism
Connection to the animal world Life and Religion are one Myths and story-telling
Used to teach history and religion Dreams play a significant role
Give guidance from the gods/animals
Supernatural (Con’t)
Types of Supernatural beings Primary “god” Effective
Closest to primary being Originating/cultural heroes
Gave group fire or something else of significance
Sometimes the primary god
Instructive Trickster/often in humor
Stories with a lesson or message
Supernatural (Con’t)
Sacred Peace Pipe 2 Parts Ceremonial
Used before most major events
Raiding Buffalo hunts Dances Negotiations Meetings
Another example
Supernatural (Con’t)
Vision Quest Rite of passage for males
Important to go about it in the proper steps Strive for vision, contents of a sacred bundle
and good medicine Sacred Bundle
Includes various medicines that help in guidance and activities
Generally includes eagle feathers, unique rocks, arrows, etc.
Vision gives guidance as to how strong they will likely become
Supernatural (Con’t) Sun Dance
Performed for various reasons Revenge, rite of passage for males
Possibly connected to agricultural past Three types
Tethered to a pole Drag a bison skull Hung from top of an earth lodge
Animal Dances Generally done before the hunting season in order to
bring a plentiful harvest Done in a rotation with other dances during the whole
tribal meeting in the Summer Shaman the head of religious activities among the
Indian tribes Somewhat of a sodality in its’ own right
Image of tethering in the sun
Mandan Sundance
Material Culture
Weapons of the hunt Lance or spear Bow and arrow
Simple Most popular bows made from Bois D’ Arc (Osage
Orange) trees Compound
Reinforced with sinews of buffalo
Horns Usually elk or big horn sheep
Later guns Usually a step or two below Europeans and
Americans
Bois D’Arc Tree
Material Culture (Con’t)
Techniques in hunting large numbers of bison Jump Pound
Push them as a herd into a corner or canyon Surround
Usually surrounding them with fire Force them through one area and kill them as
they came through Also dressed up as coyotes to get up close
and possibly kill them
Food
Types of Meat Deer Antelope Bison Fish
Weir Hooks made of fish bones
Smaller game Rabbits, bird, etc.
Food (Con’t)
Vegetables Roots and Berries
Composite tribes generally traded with village agriculturalist other vegetables Village agriculturalist would grow crops in
river valleys Return during harvesting time
Housing
Tipi Great ventilation for winter and summer Made of buffalo skins
Housing (Con’t)
Earth Lodge Used by eastern village agriculturalist Made with poles of wood structure covered
with grass and mud Constructed collectively in ceremonial fashion
Mandan Earth Lodge
Grass Lodge/Wichita & similar groups
Miscellaneous
Comb Made from cactus or
porcupine quills Horses
Once introduced, it becomes a significant sign of class status
Baskets/Pottery Bullboats
Used to cross over rivers
Plains Indians Bullboat
Apache Baskets
Warfare
Before the horse Line up and threaten one another
Group that seemed overwhelmed usually ran away
Tribes were small in number so any death significant to tribal structures
Therefore low loss and not a “game” Medicine
Influenced by the supernatural Helps protect fighters
Warfare (Con’t)
Coup Ranking of war success
More daring, the more coup received Varied by groups
Killing not necessarily the highest Ex. Touching an enemy tribe without killing
them How different than European warfare
No standing armies or prolonged campaigns More guerilla warfare
Trails Westward
Continental Exchanges The Americas to Europe
Tobacco to western Europe Furs War tactics in some cases Tomatoes
Europe to Americas Peaches Diseases Bees Blue grass