Native American Family Values

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.

The Native American’s way of living was different from the Europeans. They believed that man is ruled by respect and reverence for nature and that nature is an

Current American society is constantly affected by events from the past, but sometimes what society thinks is in the past is not so far behind. The way Native Americans were treated historically continually plays a part in current American society. Due to the racism and stereotypes carried throughout society the Native American cultural circle is constantly under fire.

Despite having little rights, hardworking women and children were often the key to success for independent farms. For these small, family-run farms, the children were often the ones who helped work and manage the land. Women were often the backbone of a household, doing the housework, weaving, cooking, and raising large amounts of children. Women were practically required to bear many children over a lifetime in order to staff the farm to maintain the family’s livelihood.

For years, the Native Americans lived a very solitary life with their own unique way of living, that was until the European’s showed up with their very complex way of living. Harmony with nature was a very important aspect of Native American culture. The Native people embraced nature with no intention to modify it unlike the Europeans. They simply cared more about nature and what it had to offer. The spiritual connection between the land and these Natives were distinctive from the Europeans also due to the fact that to the settlers, land meant wealth. As a European, if you owned any land you were considered a wealthy upper class human being. As a Native, no one owned the land and anyone could benefit from the land.

Between Native American Culture and the society we live in today, there are ample amounts of similarities between the two cultures. Some of the things we share in common are ceremonies, respect for animals and nature, good and bad competition and good and evil create a common world. “Coyote and the Buffalo”, “World on the Turtle’s Back”, and “Brother Bear” show us the many similarities we have with the Native Americans. For example we have just about the same respect for animals and nature as the Native Americans did. We also have ceremonies like church, wedding, funerals and much more. We are also in constant competition. It may may not be the same competition as the Native Americans but we are constantly fighting for our grades, our sports and sometimes our friend. It is not always good

The Native Americans lived on millions of acres of land in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida, they inherited all of these lands from their ancestors who cultivated for generations. According to Elias Boudinot the natives considered themselves to be just as equal as the Whites, he states, “What is an Indian? Is he not formed of the same materials with yourself?” (Boudinot, 1826) The natives saw themselves to be no different from the Whites, in fact they cared for one another as a whole, they lived in kinships, where there was never an Indian left alone without a family. They followed a society based off of the concept of interdependence, they had in their mind that everything is dependent of something. The Indians were very advanced, and were able to prosper in their society, although the Whites believed otherwise, and believed that the natives were uncivilized.

Culture, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is stated as “The integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior that dpends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. The customary beliefs, social forms and material traits of a racial, religious or social group. The set shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution or organization. The set of values, conventions or social practices associated with a particular field, activity or societal characteristic.” Of these four definitions, I shall be focusing on the second one to discuss what makes up the culture of American Indians.The culture of the various tribes that made up the Native Americans is one of close knit families, highlyspiritual peoples and living together as one with the land they lived on. They believed in spirits, worshiping and honoring them. Some settled into single locations while others were nomadic, but all had a focus on working with the land around them. Because there are so many varying tribes that make up Native

Indeed it is important to stress the point that in many tribes and in many reservations there is not a unified consensus regarding engagement with the United States or its culture. Many Native Americans are understandably worried about education, jobs, assimilation and healthcare

If one thing is to be respected and understood about the American Indians, it would be that their history and culture goes much further back than contemporary American history. Consequently, the relationship developed between American Indians and the United States is as unique as it is complicated. This unique relationship started because the American Indians were the first faces seen by fresh colonials from Europe. Despite this fact, the American Indians have faced cultural appropriation on a level that cannot be compared to any other ethnic group or minority. Any American who has been through kindergarten can associate Indians and Pilgrims with Thanksgiving, but how many of those Americans can tell about the Battle of Little Bighorn or the Alcatraz Proclamation? The unique relationship between the United States and American Indians has grown over time to allow for the level of appropriation that can be observed today. It is this unique relationship that has allowed the American Indian culture to be exploited because

These natives first inhabiting america lived very similar lives from one another. Most natives hail from an extended family. The tribes took agriculture, hunting, and beliefs very seriously. They all seemed to adapt to environmental changes as time went on in their settlements. Of course when natives first got to America they all experienced different hardships, but overcame them in their own ways. As I read chapter one, by the end of it I realized that most of the tribes individually contributed their knowledge to overcome hardships in history. And they shared these contributions with one another to help each community grow. For instance, Mayans created their numerical system, and Indicas with their irrigation systems, etc. These natives seemed to all have great work ethic, a will to live, and a will to express their beliefs. They all settled areas of untouched land, and created their own societies, and their own futures. American natives banded together to create opportunity, and sought after a better life for themselves. Pre- Columbian Native Americans were not the savages the Europeans described them to be. Native Americans were intelligent, hard working, and misunderstood

Our nation’s history has been deep rooted in the conflict involving Native Americans, ever since the beginning of America and it is one hard to get rid of even as the days go by. The impact of colonialism can be seen in Native American communities even today, and it can only be understood through a cultural perspective once you experience it. Aaron Huey, who is a photographer, went to Pine Ridge reservation and it led him to document the poverty and issues that the Sioux Indians go through as a result of the United States government’s long term actions and policies against them. One must question all sources regarding these topics because there is a lot of biased and misinformation about Native American struggles, and sometimes schools do not thoroughly teach the truth so students can get an insight. There are also different sociological perspectives in this conflict, along with many differing opinions on how to approach the problem and deal with it. This is where ideas clash because people believe their views are right regarding how to handle it.

Native Americans were very important to American history; they were the first people in America (Nash, 2010, p. 13). Native Americans have their own form of governing, vastly different language, religious beliefs, and dress and for some reason the Natives have been generally excluded from American success (Nash, 2010, pg. 14-15). This is especially true when we look at how America put into place the "Manifest destiny" the idea that the United States had the God-given right and duty to take

Native Americans were the people of the land before English settlers claimed the United States as it is today. Throughout time they have been mistreated by white people and forced to be Americanized. Their culture has almost died with their people, and to this day their rights can be challenged as unjustified. Before the 1960’s, Native Americans were pretty much ignored by other groups of ethnicity, especially the whites. However, postwar of Vietnam sparked the American youth to protest politics, and Native Americans stood up for their civil rights as American people.

Native Americans hold a type of esoteric concept that comes from their philosophy of preserving their environment as well as their kinship that ties them together (Access Genealogy, 2009). They not only have social ties, they are politically and religiously organized through their rituals, government, and other institutions (Access Genealogy, 2009). They work together to reside in a territorial area, and speak a common language (Access Genealogy, 2009). They are not characterized by any one certain structure (Access Genealogy, 2009). However, the society agrees on fundamental principles that bond together a certain social fabric (Access Genealogy, 2009). Different Native American tribes throughout the years have had different ideas, opinions, philosophies, which are not always predetermined by their past ancestors.