Newkirk, Riley
1596383
HIS 10 MW
HW ASSIGNMENT #1
1. Olson and Beal (pg.1-21 ):
a. “melting pot” = they define “melting pot” as a term people used to describe the united state’s transcendence into a place of growing diversity.
b. “cultural pluralism” = They define it as the idea of each ethnic group to maintain their own identity without assimilating.
c. “natural rights philosophy” = the idea that everyone is born with certain inalienable rights. In this case, it is protecting people's ability to maintain their own cultures and promote ethnic diversity.
d. “Anglo-conformity” = the idea that American society would survive only if immigrants and minorities adopted the values of the white Protestant majority.
2. Olson and Beal (pg. 1-21):
The northeastern woodlands—rivers, lakes, forested
Examples of tribes: The Penobscots, Pennacooks, Pequots, Narragansetts, and Wampanoags.
Characteristics of tribes:
For the most part, these groups generally lived in agricultural villages and cultivated different crops such as corn, squash, and beans. This was done in a communal garden. They lived in wigwams & hunted game for food and clothing. Majority were independent nations.
The southeastern forests—broadleaf forests, elevation and vegetation
Examples of tribes: The Cherokees, the Timucuans, the Calusas, the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, and Alabamas.
Characteristics of tribes:
These groups mostly lived as farmers in mud plaster homes. They lived in farming communities and raised corn, tobacco, and beans, among other things. They hunted usually small game and gathered resources such as seeds, rice, etc.
The Great Plains—Grasslands
Examples of tribes: The Blackfeet, Dakotas, Sioux, Crows, Cheyennes, Comanches, Pawnees, and Kiowas.
Characteristics of tribes:
These tribes relied heavily on buffalo and followed the herd as nomads, carrying portable teepees alongside them. The buffalo not only provided them with food but with oils, supplies, clothes, cups, spoons, and various other things. They made use of the entire animal. This lifestyle was made easier after acquiring horses from the spaniards.
The Great Basin—great environmental diversity, high mountains, arid planes.
Examples of tribes: The Utes, Paiutes, Gosiutes, Monos, Panamints, and Shoshones
Characteristics of tribes:
Tribes in these areas were not dealt a similar hand to their counterparts in regards to land prosperity. In fact, for most of these tribes, agriculture was extremely difficult and consequently, the people in these communities were quite poor. They subsisted on gathering fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, occasional small game, etc.
The Northern Plateau—Fairly harsh environment, rather cold, generally flat topography
Examples of tribes: The Flatheads, Yakimas, Nez Percés, Walla Wallas, and Klamaths
Characteristics of tribes:
Similar to their counterparts in the Great Basin, these groups struggled with agriculture, were fairly poor, and subsisted on similar gatherings. However, these tribes lived along major salmon rivers and streams; they relied on the fish for survival.
The Southwestern Desert—Clear, dry climate, broad flatlands
Examples of tribes: The Navajo, the Apaches, The Hopi, & Zuñi
Characteristics of tribes:
First Culture
The navajos and Apaches who were nomadic hunters, prone to raiding neighboring settlements. Stealthy as they were, they lived in brush shelters while in the mountains and teepees when going through open country.
Second Culture
These were the more toned down, urban societies. (Hopi and Zuni). They raised beans, squash, and corn and were moderately successful despite the arid weather. These groups were also known for breeding cattle and other animals, as well as elaborate adobe dwellings. Unclear within other groups, these urban societies had social structures and specialized labor.
The pacific coast—Strong Maritime influence, rugged terrain, rich soil, moderate temperatures
Examples of tribes: The Yuroks, Salinan, Chumash, Umpquas, Coos, & Tolowas.
Characteristics of tribes:
Southern California
Over 100 nations, most notably the Yuroks, Salinan, and Chumash lived in this area. These groups lived in nomadic villages and gathered seeds, shellfish, roots, berries, etc.
Northern California
These were the Umpquas, Coos, and Tolowas. These nations relied heavily on fish and it supported their communities well. It is important to notice that in many other Indian Nations, community was a huge aspect of everyday life. Because of this, many things were shared. These tribes differed from the others as they believed in the idea of private property.
3. Values
a. In The Story Of the Creation of the World, it shows that Natives valued their relationship with the Natural World. In particular, it points out that the “Earth-mother” was responsible for providing them with their resources and in turn, they treated the land as such- Like a mother. At the end it mentioned “Thus and in other ways many devised they for their offspring”. I personally think this is saying that it is the Natives responsibility to respond to Earth-mother’s kindness by preserving/maintaining the land for the offspring of its current inhabitants.
View of women
a. In the Story of the Creation of the World, there is a huge emphasis on Earth-mother, a female entity. Seeing as how this entity is so well respected and loved in the story, I think it is evident that the Zuni had a lot of respect for women. Earth-mother is described in the story as a being of extremely giving nature; I think this is a good indicator of how they treat all women in their society. Nonetheless, Earth-Mothers predecessor/creator was still portrayed as a male being which also shows that they most likely follow traditional societal norms of Man being dominant to Woman.
b. In The Discovery of Corn and Tobacco, as Recounted by a Penobscot Elder in 1907, there is a quite brutal series of events described. A man is instructed to kill a woman with a stone axe and then to drag her body seven times among the stumps of a clearing. Although this may seem a bit unsettling, the truth of the story is revealed when the woman turns out to be the mother of corn and tobacco, and through her the man discovers these two new resources. In essence, this is really just another story about a generous female being, further painting women in Penobscot Native society as creators, givers.
View of nature
a. All of the documents display the Natives as having an uncomparable respect for nature, particularly in reading 1-3 A Cherokee Explains the Origins of Disease and Medicine in the 1890’s. Here it is stated that when hunters failed to pay their respects to the animal that they killed, they would be given health problems and or disease. Disease was thought to be a product of disrespecting nature.
b. It is also implied in reading 1-3 that despite seeing nature as a gift to them from earth-mother, they still saw the animals around them as neighbors, rather than just resources that were put there for their disposal. The following excerpt from the reading does a great job of showing the empathy that the Cherokee felt for animals/Nature:
“To make it worse, man invented bows, knives, guns, spears, and hooks, and began to slaughter the larger animals, birds, and fished for their flesh or their skins, while the smaller creatures, such as the frogs and the worms, were crushed and trodden upon without thought, out of pure carelessness or contempt”
On the contrary, the bible states that man has “Dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon earth”. I think this was interesting because we always think of the bible as this great promoter of good values, and yet, there is no incentive to take care of, or appreciate, the world around you. At least not like the incentive that we see in the cherokee beliefs outlined in reading 1-3.
View of food
a. Most of the reading refers to food as resources. Seeing as how each of the readings showed a high regard for animal life, it can be inferred that these cultures were only inclined on eating animals unless it was of great necessity. Otherwise, they show great interest in agricultural sustainability. This is evident in reading 1-1 because of the various references to plants as primary resources. It is also evident in reading 1-2 as the Penobscot natives believed tobacco and corn to quite literally be blessings from a higher power.
4. a. Primary sources: original documents and objects from the time under study – evidence from the past
b. Secondary sources: interprets and analyzes a primary source – uses evidence from primary sources to figure out past
c. In this course, we should use a little bittle of both. However, mostly primary sources as they are the most telling/accurate.
2. Conclusion
Contrary to popular belief, the Native Americans who once reigned the Americas were not all the same. In fact, they were made up of hundreds of different Nations and cultures whose lives were independently shaped by the surrounding environments. For example, The great plains harbored great prosperity for the tribes who lived there. The grasslands and rolling hills were also home to buffalo, animals who provided its nomadic followers with food, clothing, supplies, among other things. In contrast, the cherokees of the appalachians relied heavily on agriculture and were known for having a profound connection with nature.