The Native American Culture | Teen Ink

The Native American Culture

March 9, 2012
By NotAfraid BRONZE, Saint Paul, Minnesota
NotAfraid BRONZE, Saint Paul, Minnesota
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

I am going to been tell you about the Native American Culture. How it change people live, the way they live vs the way we live today,and what they did for fun. Also to see what happened to the land and how native people were treated missed take for.
The Native American and the White Man had to learn the two different cultures. The Native Americans had to go to a reservation camp (prison). Indianswere thought as primitive and rude people. Native Americans thought that the White Man were different people. White Man Colonel Kit Carson induced hunger on them and burned their crops. 8,000 Indianswere forced to make the “ Long Way” 500 km (300 mi) to the detention camps in New Mexico. Then in 1868, the government gave Indians 3.5 million acres of land in Arizona and New Mexico. Ten of thousands of Natives Americanswere chases away from their land and forced to walk west. Many Natives Americans die of the harsh winter. When March comes around it was recalled the Path of Tears.
The way Native Americans live vs the way we live, is different. The Native American knew how to work together more then the White man. The men and women worked together like how men and women work together now. The Native American people loved to hunt, fish, gather food which took a long time and effort to do. The Native Americans used their environment for survival. Women did most of the gathering herbs and plants. Also the women did most of the farming and helped cook the food. The men cooked most of the food while they were traveling. Some times they worked as a small family groups or large community groups. Large gatherings were times for people to travel. These times were for celebrating and to socialize with the different tribes. The different tribes made their food slightly different from one another. Hundreds of dishes were made, but everyone around the world still enjoys the good food. The Native Americans offered thanks by praying, singing,dancing and having ceremonies. The Native Americans only killed the animals they needed to eat. They used every part of the animal, even the parts they did not eat. They made weapons and other small things that they could use.
The food that was gathered is nuts, berries and other plants. They used some plants for medicine. The Native Americans ate nuts and berries almost every day. The Native Americans used the berries for dyes and many dishes. To help produce berries and other plants, the Native Americans used controlled wild fires. They wanted to help keep the land well and to keep the land looking nice. By keeping the land looking nice, the fires burned the old stuff so the new things could grow without having to fight against the old stuff. The Natives also got rid of the weeds that surrounded the bushes and trees that had nuts and berries. Acorns were used to make breads and cakes. The Natives had to be careful because there was a nasty acid in the acorn that they had to take out.
The White Man made the females do all the cooking, while they were traveling. The White Man did all the hunting and killing. the men also collected some plants. The men did not let the women leave the area that they were staying in for fear that the savages also known as the Native Americans would try to kill or steal from them. The women did a lot of the cooking and cleaning. The places they stayed had to be prefect for the women. Even though the women didn't have any say in how things happened. The women were thought of as stupid and only could do few things. The women would fear things very quickly and the men would eventually have to kill the thing that scared the women. Which meant alot of the Natives were killed. The natives were curious and were trying to be very friendly. But the women only knew of class and didn't associate with those that were poorer or had less class then them.
The Natives were very smart. They built boats and tools to help catch fish and other water animals. Tools such as harpoons, nets, hooks, and lines were made. After making these tools, the native people knew where the best place to fish was. The native people will go there year after year. Those that lived near the ocean used blubber from the animals as fuel and as clothing and shelter. Also the native people used the lefter bones to make tools to help hunt. These things scared the White Man because everyone was to believe that the Natives were stupid. When the White guys found out that the Indiansweren’t stupid they were very angry.

The Native Americans changed the White Mans life. They changed it by teaching them about the new lands. They taught the White Man about the good foods and the bad foods. They taught them about surviving the harsh winters and the really warm summers. They taught the White Man how to tell time, how to make color dye and many more things. The Natives also taught the Whites how to use the new lands plants to help cure sicknesses and to help improve their living. Sadly in return, the Whites gave the Natives barely anything. They made the Natives walk the “Long Way”. A walk that was way too long. Killing many and leaving others suffering. Once the Natives got to New Mexico the land was bought and they were driven out once again. Finally a settlement came around. The Natives were granted land in New Mexico and Arizona. As time went on though the land was taken again. There was no talk, no agreement or anything. Either the Natives left or they were killed on the spot. Those that left had no where to go. They were told to get lost and to never return. Those that stayed were either killed or kept. The women that were allowed to stay were raped and beaten. The men were used as slaves and had to watch as their wife or daughters were raped or sold to another white man.
In the world today native people still have a lifestyle that is similar to their traditional ways. Other native people have a lifestyle very similar to the rest of the worlds people. Some are poor, some are rich, some have jobs like doctors and lawyers, and some have jobs like police officer or farmer. So, as you can see even though we have had a very rough path in the past, The present road is much smoother. I believe that even though this is true I also believe that we will nevhavee a truely smooth relationship with native American. This is caused by the segregated lifestyle of the reservations and the fact that we will always have people who seek to oppress others for any reason they can whether it be for race, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities, appearances, and many more that I just don’t have time to list them all.


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