HISTORY OF THE WEST

Unit 1Pre-Columbian Indians

Beginning Terms

Institution Anything that is human created in order to pass along

information from one generation to the nextReligion, Education, Government, Family, etc.

Culture Group of people with common institutions that are distinct

from other groups of people Civilization

Group of culture with common institutions that are distinct from other civilizations

Ethnocentrism View world based upon your own culture

Recent Indian Historiography Linear Progressive

Lewis Henry MorganStraight line of progressionScientific justification for “Civilizing

Individuals” Einstein

EthnohistoryCombines History and Anthropology

Cultures not to be judged They are different adaptations to

different environments

Indian Origins During the Enlightenment there were various

explanations for Indians on North American Continent Polynesia

Originating from Pacific Ocean islands Lost tribes of Israel Tribal explanations

Most had to do with animals bringing up mud to start land

Land Bridge Theory (Beringa) Traveled during the Ice Age from the Asia continent

View of Beringa

Migration

Earliest Indian Language Families

Caddoan Da Nene (Athapascan) Siouan-Catawban Algonkian (Algonquin) Kiowa-Tanoan Uto-Aztecan Kootenai (Kutinee)

Language and Regional Distribution

Indian Migration Patterns

Caddoans Left the ancestors of the Mississippian

agriculturalist about 1150 A.D. Mississippian is a generalized term for Indian

groups who participated in agriculture near the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers

Sometime after1300-1400 A.D. they moved up rivers in east Texas and Southeastern Oklahoma

Wichita Indians moved up the Red River, and others into Southern Kansas

Pawnees moved up Republican River into Kansas and Nebraska

Arikaras moved up the Missouri River near Canadian Border

Indian Migration Patterns (Con’t)

Siouan Controversy and speculation on this group

Probably moved in multiple waves Origins in the Ohio River Valley

Manda, Hidatsa, and Dakota/Lakota Indians Moved into the north plains between 1350-1550

A.D. Minnesota, Easter Dakotas and Southern

Canada Ponca, Iowa, Omaha, Missouri, Kansa, Osage

Moved into the middle Mississippi and Missouri valley around the 1600’s A.D

-Hidatsa-Crow Split/Crow became Plains Indians

Indian Migration Patterns (Con’t)

Athapascan From the Mackenzie Basin in Canada

Became the Navajos and Apaches Moved down the Western slopes of the Rockies Ended up in the four-corners region around 1400-1500’s

A.D.

Algonkians Came from eastern woodlands

Became groups like the Blackfeet Agriculturalist who became Plains Indians

Got pushed west from American and European expansion

Indian Migration Patterns (Con’t)

Uto-Aztecans 3 subdivisions migrated onto the Plains

Utes – Furthest south in the Great Basin Commanches – In the middle Shoshones – Furthest north

Plains Indians migration/pushed and attracted

Indian Nation Distribution

Geographical Map

Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure

Lineage Organized along bloodlines

Almost exclusively among village agriculturalists

Those who lived near the Mississippi and Missouri River Valleys

Matrilineal Organized according to female side

Mother, her sisters, and her brothers Easier divorce and better status for women

Father’s role less and often fulfilled by uncles Husband lives within wive’s family

Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)

Lineage (Con’t) Patralineal

Organized according to male bloodlines Father, his brothers, and his sisters

Male role more pronounced, especially for paternal father

Usually female live within husband’s family

Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)

Clan Collection of lineages

Universal among agriculturalists Split based upon identification of animals

Interlocking functions in rituals and ceremonies Usually must marry from different clans

Moiety Collection of bands, lineages, or clans into

sides Usually two Marriage must be outside of moiety

Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)

Tribe Largest political unit recognized by Indians

themselves Confederate style government

Little central authority mandated Lots of variety among the various Indian groups

Fundamentals of Social and Political Structure (Con’t)

Internal structure and central authority Bands among composite (Nomadic) groups

Most of the year scattered around their domain Due to pursuit of buffalo and other game

Membership flexible/ could change Venturing into other’s territory not uncommon

Fights ensued and land gained or lost Organization followed habits of buffalo

All bands gather during rutting time

Central Government Among Composite Tribes

Headman (Chief) May be hereditary but not required

For leadership may turn to someone else Size of following depended on different

traits Hunting/Fighting skills, generosity, powers of

persuasion, oratorical skills in consensus decision, and decision making

Decisions through band consensus Not overly effective

Central Government Among Composite Tribes (Con’t)

Sodalities (Exclusive to Composite Groups) Societies or fraternal groups Membership outside of kinship or descendent

lines Bond based upon common interests or functions

Could be ceremonial, religious, craft, social, dance, or soldiering

Soldiering sodalities often ranked with membership earned

Interlocking ceremonial functions provided group cohesiveness

Generally in charge of enforcing group rules and norms

Central Government Among Composite Tribes (Con’t)

Central Council Group of headmen

Met when all bands assemble When decision is made, the headmen return to

their band/moiety/clan to persuade them to follow

Little real power Mediate and led in consensus decision making

camp circle Traditional placement of bands when assembled

together

Central Government Among Composite Tribes (Con’t)

Ranking and stratification Communal unity and sharing

Still some more successful and thus have a sense of rank

How Village Agriculturalist differed Larger populations Government more centralized and

hereditary Somewhat more ranking and stratification

The Supernatural

Thought varied among the different tribes, though there were some similarities Animism

Connection to the animal world Life and Religion are one Myths and story-telling

Used to teach history and religion Dreams play a significant role

Give guidance from the gods/animals

Supernatural (Con’t)

Types of Supernatural beings Primary “god” Effective

Closest to primary being Originating/cultural heroes

Gave group fire or something else of significance

Sometimes the primary god

Instructive Trickster/often in humor

Stories with a lesson or message

Supernatural (Con’t)

Sacred Peace Pipe 2 Parts Ceremonial

Used before most major events

Raiding Buffalo hunts Dances Negotiations Meetings

Another example

Supernatural (Con’t)

Vision Quest Rite of passage for males

Important to go about it in the proper steps Strive for vision, contents of a sacred bundle

and good medicine Sacred Bundle

Includes various medicines that help in guidance and activities

Generally includes eagle feathers, unique rocks, arrows, etc.

Vision gives guidance as to how strong they will likely become

Supernatural (Con’t) Sun Dance

Performed for various reasons Revenge, rite of passage for males

Possibly connected to agricultural past Three types

Tethered to a pole Drag a bison skull Hung from top of an earth lodge

Animal Dances Generally done before the hunting season in order to

bring a plentiful harvest Done in a rotation with other dances during the whole

tribal meeting in the Summer Shaman the head of religious activities among the

Indian tribes Somewhat of a sodality in its’ own right

Image of tethering in the sun

Mandan Sundance

Material Culture

Weapons of the hunt Lance or spear Bow and arrow

Simple Most popular bows made from Bois D’ Arc (Osage

Orange) trees Compound

Reinforced with sinews of buffalo

Horns Usually elk or big horn sheep

Later guns Usually a step or two below Europeans and

Americans

Bois D’Arc Tree

Material Culture (Con’t)

Techniques in hunting large numbers of bison Jump Pound

Push them as a herd into a corner or canyon Surround

Usually surrounding them with fire Force them through one area and kill them as

they came through Also dressed up as coyotes to get up close

and possibly kill them

Food

Types of Meat Deer Antelope Bison Fish

Weir Hooks made of fish bones

Smaller game Rabbits, bird, etc.

Food (Con’t)

Vegetables Roots and Berries

Composite tribes generally traded with village agriculturalist other vegetables Village agriculturalist would grow crops in

river valleys Return during harvesting time

Housing

Tipi Great ventilation for winter and summer Made of buffalo skins

Housing (Con’t)

Earth Lodge Used by eastern village agriculturalist Made with poles of wood structure covered

with grass and mud Constructed collectively in ceremonial fashion

Mandan Earth Lodge

Grass Lodge/Wichita & similar groups

Miscellaneous

Comb Made from cactus or

porcupine quills Horses

Once introduced, it becomes a significant sign of class status

Baskets/Pottery Bullboats

Used to cross over rivers

Plains Indians Bullboat

Apache Baskets

Warfare

Before the horse Line up and threaten one another

Group that seemed overwhelmed usually ran away

Tribes were small in number so any death significant to tribal structures

Therefore low loss and not a “game” Medicine

Influenced by the supernatural Helps protect fighters

Warfare (Con’t)

Coup Ranking of war success

More daring, the more coup received Varied by groups

Killing not necessarily the highest Ex. Touching an enemy tribe without killing

them How different than European warfare

No standing armies or prolonged campaigns More guerilla warfare

Trails Westward

Continental Exchanges The Americas to Europe

Tobacco to western Europe Furs War tactics in some cases Tomatoes

Europe to Americas Peaches Diseases Bees Blue grass