The story Centennial, by James A. Michener, had sections in it that referred to the way that Native Americans lived in America. These sections told stories that portrayed, partially, to the customs of the Native Americans.
Many general references to their religion, transportation, rituals, and everyday life, were made. I have read these sections and analyzed some of the interesting and important customs that these people had. In the following essay, I will give some examples of these customs, and how they are part of the Native American lifestyles that I read about in Centennial.
As a first example, the Native Americans that I read about during Centennial all had names that were of objects, animals, actions,
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In the story that I read, respecting the elders was a custom that seemed to stand out in the tribes. A lot of people in our present day have respect for their elders, but not to the extreme that the Native Americans did. They were considered extremely wise because of the experience that they had during their lifetimes. A very good example that was heavily discussed in the book was the trading of goods for marriage. In the story, Lame Beaver had to give up his horse to his brother in law in order to marry. This was a custom in tribes that was heavily practiced. Each tribe had its own strong feeling on the significance of it. Hunting was a unique custom to the Native Americans in the way that they performed it. Many techniques were discussed during the book. Long time bleeding, forcing animals off cliffs, horse usage, and spears, were all unique ways that the Native Americans hunted.
A highly important part of the book that was also a unique custom was the sacrifice by the Pawnee tribe. Their ritual was so intricate and planned out that it wound up being one of the most important customs that I have mentioned. In the story, the Pawnee used their ritual to try to sacrifice Lame Beaver. A custom and important part of the Native American culture was the leadership displayed in a tribe. It was a huge responsibility and
One of the themes used in the book is of racism towards the Natives. An example used in the book is of Edward Sheriff Curtis who was a photographer of 1900s. Curtis was interested in taking pictures of Native people, but not just any Native person. “Curtis was looking for the literary Indian, the dying Indian, the imaginative construct” (King, 2003; pp. 34). He used many accessories to dress up people up “who did not look as the Indian was supposed to look” (King, 2003; pp.34). He judged people based on his own assumptions without any knowledge of the group and their practices. Curtis reduced the identity of the Native Americans to a single iconic quintessential image of what Native meant to white society. The idea related to the image of this group of people during the 1900s consisted of racism in terms of the “real looking Indian”. This is not
Booker T. Washington once said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” In 1776, by David McCullough, this quote truly resonates the fact that it is the little things that count, as not necessarily the big picture. Although there are many pitfalls the Americans go through during the course of this story, the outcome of the war would be a positive success to the Americans. As a result, good leadership is a very important factor in accomplishing a goal. Also, encouragement is a big help when it comes to boosting a soldier’s morale. Furthermore, endurance is vital to an army
Native Americans have existed in the different regions-the plains, mountains, marshes- of the North American continent- long before the United States existed. Yet, most were not treated with the respect and dignity that the white American settlers were given. Viewed as outlandish and savage by white settlers, series of negotiations to “correct” the Indian way of life were implemented- through forced relocation, war, and assimilation into white culture. Those who stood up against the American government were viewed as beacons of hope by their fellow Native Americans. Many Native American traditions still exist today, but unfortunately most of them have been lost along with their people.
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When the first colonists landed in the territories of the new world, they encountered a people and a culture that no European before them had ever seen. As the first of the settlers attempted to survive in a truly foreign part of the world, their written accounts would soon become popular with those curious of this “new” world, and those who already lived and survived in this seemingly inhospitable environment, Native American Indian. Through these personal accounts, the Native Indian soon became cemented in the American narrative, playing an important role in much of the literature of the era. As one would expect though, the representation of the Native Americans and their relationship with European Americans varies in the written works of the people of the time, with the defining difference in these works being the motives behind the writing. These differences and similarities can be seen in two similar works from two rather different authors, John Smith, and Mary Rowlandson.
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