Shawnee Indians Vision Quest

His name is Wautheeweela. It means Bright Horn, referring to horns on a deer. He is ten years old, and ready to make his journey to prove his manhood. He and other boys from his Shawnee tribe have been physically toughened and taught to be independent since an age of around six. In winters, they have had to break the ice to jump into the freezing river to continue their daily routine of learning to survive with Nature and its elements. Now will be his test of endurance. He is sent into the woods with a bow and arrow and told not to come back until he had shot something to eat. His face is blackened with charcoal, a sign to all who saw him that he is on his quest and cannot be helped. He would

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are indigenous of parts of the Southeastern United States. They have members all the way south as Georgia and are spread out across the Appalachian mountain trail in both North and South Carolina and stretching across into Tennessee. The land in which each tribe is from has a particular way is shaping how they live and defines the important aspects of that culture. In the Eighteenth Century the Cherokee Indians were one of the most heavily populated Indian societies in the Southeastern United States. These Indians have many unique political and spiritual ideas and world views.

At some point in our lives, we all come to realize that death is a part of life. Cultural diversity provides a wide variety of lifestyles and traditions for each of the unique groups of people in our world. Within these different cultures, the rituals associated with death and burial can also be uniquely diverse. Many consider ritualistic traditions that differ from their own to be somewhat strange and often perceive them as unnatural. A prime example would be the burial rituals of the Native American people.

The Shawnee Indians would tell stories to pass along history and stories of their ancestors. Both men and women participated in telling stories. They would tell these stories to anyone who would want to listen or learn about the history or about the ancestors. The tribe would come together into a wigwam which is their home that looks like and igloo made from sheets to tell these stories. They would story tell whenever they would get a

Imagine beautiful yellow and red leaves fluttering about, and men and women working together to collect wild rice from the lake, naming rituals, sowing, and honor. That is what the Sioux tribe did during the early 1800s when Lewis and Clark explored the region. This tribe lived along the minnesota- Wisconsin border, they believed in honored and spirits. Overall, they were skill at hand, and trad was probable fantastic for the Sioux. Most of the Sioux clothing was showered with beads, so they got a lot of pratus sewing and became vary skilled.

Cherokee Indians were found in the south and southeast commonly in these states North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia/Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Old artifacts show that they lived in this region about 11,000 years ago to the present day and that they had very natural reliable resources that they used on a daily basis. The Cherokee Indians had a well-managed system in which they had villages of 60 or less for housing, the women did the cooking, cleaning, farming/harvesting and the men did the hunting and gathering. In the region where the Cherokee’s were known to live at they modified their own weapons, arts/crafts, and clothing also using trees and plants for medicinal uses. The Cherokee Indians were one of

The Sioux Grass Dance is considered to be the most popular style of Native American Music. As one dances to this music, they follow a pattern known as “toe-heel.” This consists of the individual placing the left foot in front of the right and repeating with the other foot. Each male dancer makes many

Today, one can still find several “stomp grounds” which are a series of dances among a sacred fire. It was a secretive ritual for a long time but has slowly increased to a more public performance (Conley).

The sovereign Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is based in Miami, Oklahoma in the northeastern corner of the state. Originating out of the Great Lakes region, the Miami Tribe was forced to move to Kansas and then later to Oklahoma. The population of the community is 4,440 peoples spread across the country and world. A unique thing about the Miami Tribe is despite their small size and diverse geographical locations these people share a special connection. The Miami Tribe values a strong community life, tribe benefits, and opportunities for it’s people. These values explain what it means to be of Miami decent in and out of the community.

Absentee Shawnee is a tribe of Shawnee people and belongs to three federally recognized tribes. They lives in the Eastern of the USA - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and other surrounding states. Historically, they emigrated from Canada to Florida, then Mississippi River to the Eastern Coast. Now, they stay in Shawnee, Oklahoma, specifically Cleveland County and Pottawatomie County. Absentee Shawnee Tribe has about 3,050 members. They follow Blood Quantum Criteria, which requires the members have a minimum of a quarter documented Absentee-Shawnee blood by the setting of the tribal constitution.

During the 19th century, the Shawnee tribe was removed by the U.S. Government to what is now the state of Kansas. The group which became known as the Absentee Shawnee Tribe absented itself from the reservation in Kansas in 1845 (thus their name), and traveled southwards to Texas.

Tecumseh was born on March 1768, Scioto River, Ohio. He was a member of the Shawnee tribe. When he was growing up, he was exposed to a lot of war violence.In 1774, his father, Pucksinwah, was killed by whites. His mother left him to accompany the Missouri River. He later was adopted by “Blackfish” the Shawnee chief.

Around the 1800s, the Cherokee began taking up the economics and politics of the white settlers around them. Some owned plantations and even kept slaves. Many Cherokee’s embraced “white” names. They developed gradually and became one of the successful tribes in the United States. They form a system by which they were controlled called the Cherokee Nation, which was similar to the United States of America government, which included a Chief , a vice-Chief and 32 Council members. A constitution of code laws also in place. The principal chief is the equivalent to the President, the legislative branch of the tribal council to the supreme court and the house of representatives, and the judicial branch called the tribunal is made up of the three tribal

The Shawnee Tribe was known for farming, Shawnee women and men both participated in this activity. The women planted and harvested corn and squash. Shawnee men where in charge of hunting, they hunted in the forest for, deer, turkeys, and small game. They also went fishing in rivers and lakes, Shawnee food included soup, corn beard, and stew. The Shawnee men sometimes went to war to protect their families, women were normally the farmers and took care of the children. Both women and men took part in storytelling, artwork, and music, and traditional medicine. In the past, Shawnee principal chiefs were always men, but either a man or a woman could be a village chief. During the day women farm, harvesting corn and squash, they care for

In the fall of 2014, I did my 3d Vision Quest. The word “vision quest” in Native American Lakota means “He cried for a vision.” Going on a vision quest is an exceptionally spiritual experience that takes place over the course of four days. During these four days you are all on your own in the woods. Along with being alone, you additionally abstain from food as well as water. This all allows you to be open in receiving a feeling of connectedness with the land and the life around you. As per tradition with our elder, we end our four-day fast with two sessions in the sweat lodge.