Native Americans SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 90 MILLION NATIVE

Native Americans SOMEWHERE BETWEEN … 10 – 90 MILLION NATIVE AMERICANS INHABITED AMERICA AT THE TIME OF THE EUROPEAN ARRIVALS.

�Not a single nation … like it is now �There were 200 distinct groups and over 500 different languages �Native American literature-primarily oral, passed down from generation to generation by storytelling and performances

�They had lived in the land many, many years before the “white man” set foot on their soil. �Maybe around the Ice Age …? �They had gradually migrated across the land southward into Mexico and beyond

� The name “Indian” was given them by Christopher Columbus who mistakenly believed he had landed in the Indies. �They have been labeled Indians, American Indians, and now they prefer Native Americans. �They migrated to all regions of the land were formed into many different tribes.

�These were a people who adapted well and made wise use of all natural resources available. �They believed in respecting the land the abundance of gifts it offered. �They became fishermen, hunters, farmed crops such as corn, and built homes with whatever resources were provided. Some of these included animal skins, sun-dried brick for adobes, or lumber for long houses depending on the regions

�The Native Americans of the east coast met the new 16 th and 17 th century visitors from Europe with excitement � They regarded these men as strange, but were delighted with the steel knives, mirrors, copper kettles, and other intriguing novelties.

� The indigenous tribes were more than accommodating and hospitable. �Initially, the people of this land tried to co-exist with the Europeans. �Without their aid, the first waves of settlers would not have survived in the land they knew little about.

And then …. �But in time the Europeans disregarded all respect for the valued land resources and instead displayed insatiable greed and arrogance. �The Europeans soon pursued their intent to conquer this new continent with brutal attacks and invasion. � The Native Americans soon realized that the invaders would arrive in overwhelming numbers

� But many more problems arose. With all their intriguing gadgets, the colonist brought deadly diseases to the Native Americans. The colonists and explorers brought measles, smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, and many more devastating diseases. � This drastically diminished the Native American population and annihilated entire villages.

�The arrogance of the new settlers created many problems and Indian Wars broke out: � Indian Removal Act (1830), Indian Removal Act— signed by Andrew Jackson. The South really liked this idea … they wanted their land. It was supposed to be voluntary for the Indians … but they felt forced to sign treaties … and many felt forced to move West

�Wounded Knee, South Dakota 1890 one of the worst massacres ever --. 150 men, women, and children were massacred � The U. S, government began Relocation Programs and the now famous Trail of Tears march where hundreds of Cherokee died from starvation, exposure, and illnesses.

� The Native American peoples were not only reduced in number but taken from their homes, stripped of their customs, and even forbidden to speak their native languages. � Their children were taken from them and sent to schools to “civilize” them, forced to abandon every aspect of their heritage.

� In January 1876, the U. S. government forced them to live on ‘reservations’ where the majority of Native Americans still reside today. � The Indian Citizen Act of 1924 offered official citizenship to the Native American tribes � This was partly due to the heroic service of many of them in World War I.

� Others like Jim Thorpe, Sequoyah, and Sacajawea have represented their people with greatness. � There are well over 500 recognized tribal governments currently in the U. S. � They are self-governed and considered to be sovereign nations of people within America.

�There are currently more than 2. 48 million Native Americans, according to the 2000 census bureau. While most still live on the reservations, they are considered some of the most poverty-ridden areas in the United States.

� Unemployment is 5 times higher than the general U. S. population, according to the 2002 Bureau of Indian Affairs � As with many defeated, oppressed people, they have suffered tremendously from the plagues of alcoholism and suicide

�These were once a vibrant and resourceful people. �They have been robbed, humiliated, and removed from all they knew. � Though many have tried through the centuries to civilize, Christianize, and Americanize the Native American people, there are organizations today that recognize the important heritage of these nations.

Puritans � 1608, a group of Puritan separatists, attempting to escape religious persecution, fled England for the Netherlands. The remained there until 1620, hen fled to Delaware. �The sailed on the Mayflower and accidentally landed in Cape Cod �Within 5 months ½ of the original settlers were dead

Puritans were extremely STRICT �Christian faith that originated in England during the early 1600 s �Puritans believed in predestination �They split from the Church of England in 1633 �Many emigrated to the American colonies �Their radical beliefs flourished in the new world

Song of a Sky Loom �Tewa—Pueblo Indians (live in pueblo villages—made of stone) �This is sung during religious rituals

Dinni-e Sin �Means “Hunting Song” �Song of the Navajo �Navajo—original hunters and gatherers �After 11 th century– herding and farming �The Hunting Song– given to them from the god of sunrise and of game animals �Believed: if you sang well you would have sucess