The Legend of Big Tree Warrior

the pain that the readers must feel as they witness as the tribe’s erosion under the influence of the

The culture of the Ho-Chunk Nation is quite fascinating to read. The Ho-Chunk tribe was established in Wisconsin as the time of French contact in the 1630s. The name Ho-Chunk can also mean “people of the parent voice” or “people of the Big Voice”. The Ho-Chunk relied more on agricultural products for subsistence. In order to achieve this subsistence the Ho-Chunk planted large gardens and stored dried corn and beans in fiber bags and in pits dug in the ground for winter use. All the Ho-Chunk lived in a single village in the Lake Winnebago area. In this village each family would live in a substantial rectangle house. Within these villages and tribes leadership was dual. There was civil or peace chief who resolved problems by peaceful means. This chief also took advice to the elders and people of the

Not only did the FN understand the need to protect the wildlife, but they also realized the importance of vegetation and water systems. FN used bundling techniques to get the most out of their wild rice while allowing more to grow and seeds to spread. In D. Wayne Moodie’s paper Perspectives on the Ojibwa Production of wild rice Moodie argues the idea that the “practices that were intended not only to regulate the gathering of wild rice, but also to enhance its production.” This idea helps demonstrate that FN were in harmony with their environment as they took extra care to protect the environment to also help themselves and also to show respect for the habitat that they got their resources.

The story of Kana’ ti (The Lucky Hunter) and Selu (corn) revealed considerable amounts of evidence about how they perceived balance and harmony in their culture. In short, they maintained harmony and balance through their spirituality and rituality as Native Americans. Selu had her ritual for cultivating corn, as Kana’ ti had his ritual for hunting and gathering food. Both Kana’ ti and Selu offered a harmonious, ritualistic strategy to obtain food, which helped maintain an even spiritual balance in their system. (Spiritual)

They used what is known as a diffused substinance pattern. By this we mean that by using resources available to them lightly as opposed to intensely using the same resources, they were conserving for the future. These tribes would spiritualize nature. In this culture everything was significant. They held reverence for the environment and a strong kinship with nature. Often these people observed respectful guidelines to avoid spiritual retaliation. For instance, the bones of the beaver would be returned to the river where it had been trapped. This was believed to keep the beavers there plentiful.

The Cheyenne had an interesting culture and way of life. Boys were taught how to hunt, fish, and fight from their fathers. Girls learned how to cook, clean, and do chores around the house. Also, the children went to school and played with dolls, toys, and games. For example, the Cheyenne kids enjoyed playing the hoop game and lacrosse. A Cheyenne woman was responsible for building her family’s house. She dragged heavy posts with her whenever the tribe moved. Later on, the Cheyenne Indians killed buffalo so they could use buffalo hide to make teepees. They lived in teepees because it was easy to set up and take down. As a result of moving frequently, a teepee allowed the Cheyenne tribe to move within an hour. The Cheyenne women harvested corn, squash, and beans while the men hunted deer and buffalo. Also, they ate fish, fruit, and berries. For clothing, the Cheyenne women wore long deerskin dresses that were decorated with porcupine quills, shells, and elk teeth. Cheyenne men wore breechcloths with leather leggings in colder climates. Men wore moccasins while the women wore high fringed boots. Chief leaders had tall feather headdresses and long warbonnets. The hair style for men was long braids with a topknot and women wore their hair loose or braided. The Cheyennes painted their faces for war, religious ceremonies, and feasts. Lastly, the Cheyenne people were very religious. They performed an elaborate Sun Dance, smoked peace pipes, built ceremonial houses, and four arrows represented their sacred object.

Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one.-we have fallen apart” (176). The white man used his owns customs and religion to turn the clan of Umuofia against each other as they began to doubt what they truly believe in. As the colonizers continued to defy and tell the clan members that their customs were wrong, slowly but surely people started to listen to them, leaving their own ways behind them. A similar scenario occurs in Dakotah 38 as the Natives presumptuously cling to the colonizers’ ideas. “They tell us we are the Dakotah and we say ok, we are the Dakotah. They tell us we are the Sioux and we say ok, we are the Sioux. They don’t understand or care who we really are.” The Natives of the Dakotah take what is given to them by the colonizers because of the authority that they won over them. With this, over time many parts of a culture is lost and forgotten because of the brainwashing and cultural wipe of the white men. While these Natives are suppressed by the overwhelming oppression of the whites, others are still sticking to their beliefs. “What did I tell you? Enough with that talk of yours, we speak English here” (Rabbit-Proof Fence). One of the

Stories that have been passed on for decades by Indigenous people have many cultural values and meanings that can help teach and guide others. In his book Earth Elder Stories: The Pinayzitt Path, Alexander Wolfe’s includes three stories “The Sound of Dancing,” “The Orphan Children,” and “Grandfather Buffalo,” that reveal important Anishinaabe cultural values. In the story “The Sound of Dance,” the value of family sacrifice is shown as a strong Anishinaabe cultural value. In the story “The Orphan Children,” Wolfe expresses the importance of orally transmitted knowledge as a core Anishinaabe cultural value. Then in “Grandfather Bear,” the keeper of knowledge emphasizes the importance of the connection to the past, especially within family relations in Anishinaabe culture. There are many cultural values that can be found in these three stories told my Alexander Wolfe. Family sacrifice is one of many values shown throughout these stories, specifically in the story “The Sound of Dancing”.

The historical information regarding the Kiowa people reflects on the mythological and culture of the Kiowa people. It sets the tone of identifying the strengths of the tribe, practices and ideas that developed within the tribe. It also shows a relation of the Kiowa people to nature, other mythical creatures and how the culture came into existence. It also shows what made the culture of so much importance to those who practiced it and in what context they felt that they were able to

The subsections of the chapter efficaciously organize the information on Native American culture; one section titled Native American Diversity and Complexity briefly overviews the similarities in culture among Native American tribes: “…kin-based bands of hunters and gatherers…economic and social systems were adapted to the ecosystems they inhabited…extremely productive farmers…” These lines indicate that Native American societies were very primitive and shared aspects similar to those of early civilizations. Further in the reading, in the section titled Sacred Power, the author includes some religious facts on the tribes. “Most Native North Americans were animists…their rituals appeased guardian spirits that could ensure successful hunts and other forms of good fortune.” This means that the tribes were most likely religion-based societies. For every important event, such as invading another tribe or going on a hunting trip; the Natives would have a corresponding spirit to appease for good fortune. In addition, the reading also includes some information pertaining to the status of women. “Throughout the eastern woodlands, as in most of North America, women tended crops, gathered plants, and oversaw affairs within the community; while men were responsible for activities beyond it, especially hunting, fishing, and warfare.” This

The cherokee indians had many different ways of obtaining their basic needs. They had different ways of getting their food, water, and making their shelters.

“After lunch, the totem pole in the corner of the gallery started shouting, loud, explosive shouts that echoed through the collection of sea scenes and made the paintings tremble ever so slightly.” (p. 3) Though throughout the years native communities have fiercely protected their beliefs and practices from outsiders, they are beginning to open up more. They are sharing with those who wish to learn. The generations have grown weary and want to bring change to their communities.

The tradition of Three Sisters is an example of how the Iroquois remain more connected to their culture. According to Three Sister tradition corn must grow in community with other crops rather than on its own; it needs the beneficial company and aide of its companions. The Haudenosaunee believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of the three sisters’ spirits, called Deohako, or “Our Sustainers”. It exemplifies the importance of community within the Haudenosaunee Culture in both a spiritual sense as well as staying true to the Great

After what I had seen over there, I wanted revenge. I wanted to kill” (214). When the war party went out, even Black Elk lost control, and instead of focusing on trying to help his people, he went out and focused on killing those that had harmed his people. He forgot about his vision, and the grandfathers and focused his attention on the wasichus. The fact that even Black Elk, the man who was given powers to heal and who was shown the fate of his people shows that the tribe had indeed lost control. Black Elk was shown what would happen to his people, and yet he had forgotten and went out for blood. “We wanted a much bigger war-party so that we could meet the soldiers and get revenge. But this was hard, because the people were not all of the same mind, and they were hungry and cold.” (217) Although a majority of the tribe wanted to go and get revenge, there were still those who were unsure, cold, hungry, and tired. The whole tribe did not want to go out and fight like they had in the past, and the warriors lost the support of their people to the harsh winter and gnawing hunger, that clawed the bellies of everyone in the tribe. Both Black Elk and everyone in the tribe had lost their support for each other, and lost sight of trying to stay together, and trying to stay alive for as long as the vision would allow. That was when the Sioux lost control of their fate. When they were forced to lower their weapons not only by Red Cloud’s demand,

Building a well-working society is never easy to do, especially in the culture that the Native’s lived in. Everybody had a set of skills that worked best in different areas. All men were warriors, they left to hunt and provide food for the tribe. They were very skilled with their hands, as they used bows, arrows, and knives to kill their prey. Men were looked upon by everyone as hunters, and the better hunter one was, the more popular they were to the tribe. A Native by the name, “Saukamappee”, stated that he “grew to be a man, became a skillful and fortunate, and my relations procured me a Wife.” (Calloway, 44). Those very popular wore buffalo robes, such as a well-known Native who was called “Four Bears”