evidence for peopling of north America
environment and geological data-ice age
Cultural Artifacts and features
Traditional Knowledge
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
Mutualism: trade excess goods
Social Contract: trade with same people later/ gender specific
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
Citizenship and voting rights act
Freedom to practice religion
Indians can pursue claims against the government for taking land
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
communal ownership prohibited: get rid of native land
Indian Status abolished: classify everyone as mexican.
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
extreme population reduction
loss of culture and language
disruption of economic system
poor living conditions
psychological stress
changes in territory and technology
increased violence and competition among Native Nations
resource depletion
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:
immortal: reincarnated after death
one that dies when you die
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