Native American Studies Exam 1

evidence for peopling of north America

1. environment and geological data-ice age
2. Cultural Artifacts and features
3. Traditional Knowledge
4. Genetic and linguistic markers: DNA, language similarities

European Explanations when they arrived in North America

1512 Papal Declaration: went to pope to see if Natives were actually people
Lost Tribes of Israel: tribe in Bible got lost, ended up here instead of holy land
Atlantis: people migrated from sunken island.

Traditional Oral Histories main points

natural world would give to humans; not human centric stories

Western Scientific view on how Natives got there

Bering Land Bridge

Bering Land Bridge

link between NE Asia and North America; sea level dropped in ice age forming bridge and allowing people to migrate.

relative dating

chronologies: put stuff in order

absolute dating

age of object in years. radiocarbon and C14 dating

Why did natives migrate

follow food and curiosity to expand

Archaic weapons and technology

spear-big game, harpoon: ocean resources, atlatl, bow and arrow, blow gun

other ways natives migrated to north america??

Native Agriculture before contact

east: sunflowers with smaller center
mesoamerica: corn
three sisters: corn, beans, squash

precontact trade was

extensive, formalized, and sophisticated

3 ways to look at precontact trade

1. Mutualism: trade excess goods
2. Social Contract: trade with same people later/ gender specific
3. ceremonial trade: alliances, spiritual smoking of pipe

Effects of trade besides switching goods

alliances, info passed, marriage, disease.

1st European people to visit America

Norse

Why did Spanish come to North America?

land; use alliances with native groups

Why did British come to North America?

Gold?

Why did French and Russians come to North America?

trading fur

Policies before US revolution toward natives

British created treaties but had no authority over colonists who wanted Native land.

US policies toward Native Americans

consolidate its borders. Civilize (adopt into US) and Exterminate (kick them out)
Natives eventually lost right to sovereignty.

Indian Department/BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs 1781?

created to manage Indian peoples. BIA goal was to maintain good relations with sovereign Indian nations to get land and trade.

Indian department (BIA) role now

education, government services, manage trust lands, foster self-determination

Manifest Destiny

Noble duty to tame wild lands & bring civilization

Indian Removal Act

forced natives to move west

Indian Peace Commission

end native wars, put them on reservations

Dawes Act of 1887

give natives land that was already theirs to farm to assimilate into US culture. US gov held it in trust for 25 years and took most of it back.

WW II Native effects

Natives fought in WW II

Indian Recognition Act

gave tribes control over their indian land, took away reservations

Indian Claims Commission

allowed Indians to claim land taken from them.

Termination Policy

withdrawing recognition of Native American groups as legal entities; assimilate them to white culture

main point from video we are water kids story

share different viewpoints in western way, believe they came from water.

Canadian Policies in general

slavery abolished before independence from Britain gained.

Canadian Department of Indian Affairs

manage Indian nations through violence

Canadian residential school system

goal to assimilate natives to white culture; many kids killed at school; cultural genocide.

Indian Act 1876 (Canada)

ban Indian religion, wipe out culture

Land act 1888 Canada

similar to Dawes Act; make indians farm their own land

Indian Act 1951 Canada

1. Citizenship and voting rights act
2. Freedom to practice religion
3. Indians can pursue claims against the government for taking land
4. established councils, govern their internal affairs

Canada Department of Indian affairs and Northern Development

promote self governance

Mexican overarching policy in beginning

classify everyone as Mexican

Repartimiento

One rich landowner had lots of native slaves work on plantations

1850's reform law mexico

1. communal ownership prohibited: get rid of native land
2. Indian Status abolished: classify everyone as mexican.
3. unoccupied lands: not developed toward European standards could be claimed if land was improved. (targeted at native lands)

Yaqui Revolution

stood up to mexican army until they got destroyed

1910's had 2 main policies mexico

assimilation: get natives into mexican culture
preservation of culture: arts, foods

Continuing conflicts today in Mexico

land, mining, oil drilling that destroys native lands

Overall impacts of European intrusion

1. extreme population reduction
2. loss of culture and language
3. disruption of economic system
4. poor living conditions
5. psychological stress
6. changes in territory and technology
7. increased violence and competition among Native Nations
8. resource depletion
9. climate change

Artic political organization

band (family) lived in tribes who lived in groups of families.
Resources changed according to season

artic warfare

based on revenge: never ends
spiritual warfare: send bad omens to each other

artic marriage

marriage: arranged early
wife sharing: exchanging wives forms stronger bond

artic having kids beliefs

infanticide: needs of mother/group were put above baby, child did not have a soul until it was named.
Names passed down through generations

Artic resources

everything was scarce, so don't waste anything
bathing rare because it was so cold

Artic elderly

Once you cannot help family survive (you are burden), you ask for suicide

Artic economics

hunting: seal, shark, whales

material/technology Artic

clothing made of skins and fur
sleds

housing artic

snow house (what we think of as igloo), dome house

kayak

hunt smaller game

umiak

artic large open boat, hunt big stuff like sharks and whales

artic religion (souls)

Humans had 3 souls:
1. immortal: reincarnated after death
2. one that dies when you die
3. soul associated with your name

artic religion

spirits were good and bad
deities gods and goddesses

Artic recently

Impact was not as fast
WW II: military bases were set up that drew into economy

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (1971)

claims against government for taking land: awarded land, money, and rights for hunting and fishing

Recent bad artic

climate change melts ice
alcohol and sugar: negative effect on diet and social behaviors

Unangan affect when Russia left

Russia was there for fish, US exerted more control to extract resources.

Unangan WW II effect

Japanese bombed one island. US used this as an excuse to relocate Unangan to "concentration camps" in US.

Unangan Social divisions

wealthy, commoner, slaves: women and children who spoke different languages

Unangan social seasons and living structure

winter villages and summer camps: gather resources
house in village in confederation. Head of village and head of confederation

Life cycle Unangan

birth: isolation
puberty not celebrated
marriage: exchange of gifts, then man works for wife's family for a few years
death: mourning and isolation of 40 days
burial: mummies, remove internal organs

Unangan Economics

fishing and birds and sea mammals

unangan housing

winter: semi subterranean
summer: cave or tent

Unangan religion

little known because of Russian disruption, but seems to be compatible with Christianity

Unangan 3 levels of life

souls: not just human
sea otters: soul of human reincarnated
Shaman: generally male,

Unangan art

art highly valued
singing, dancing, storytelling
games and competitions
wrestling and chess

Hudson Bay Company 1750

British fur trade disrupted economy, company controlled Inuit of Quebec land for Britain.

Social organization Inuit

bands in summer
winters families dispersed

life cycle Inuit

birth: naming (reincarnation)
childhood: mixed gender roles if there was only one gender of kid
Becoming adult: 1st menses (tattoo), men first kill
Marriage: arranged in infancy

Inuit Economy

fishing and hunting (birds, eggs, plants, walrus, whales, caribou)
used kayaks: could not swim because ocean so cold it kills you (wasn't useful)

Inuit importance of animals

1st humans spoke same language as animals
respect animals because of reincarnation

Inuit Art

sculptures
music: throat singing and drum dancing

James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement 1975

return to traditional lifestyles