Long before the coming of the so-called "civilized" Europeans, North America was inhabited by traveling bands of ancient people. Nomadic tribes, these early ancestors of Southwest Native Americans traveled the land in search of food from the thriving herds of large animals. But possibly as early as A.D. 900, as the wandering herds began to diminish, these people began to settle down and developed societies and cultures around what is called the Four Corners area of the southwest, in southern Utah and Colorado, and northern Arizona and New Mexico. Referred to as "Hisatsinom" by their Hopi descendants, the people are probably better known as "Anasazi," the Navajo name said to mean "ancient enemies." Other, more traditional, Native Americans may simply refer to these ancient people as the "old ones." Whatever the name, it is evident that these people not only settled in, but were also a thriving population and cultural center for the southwest. The Anasazi, ancestors of present-day Pueblos, Zunis, and Hopis of New Mexico and Arizona, fished, hunted small game and birds, and gathered wild foods in their newly developing home. A desert culture, these ancient people learned to live off the land, and even to make the land work for their good. Eventually building elaborate structures in the cliff walls, the Anasazi moved from their early "subterranean pit houses, sunken homes with stonework walls," into elaborately carved mansions high atop cliff walls and stone structures. As they developed aboveground storage facilities, the Anasazis began to build grand houses into the stones, acquiring new living quarters and using their former underground dwellings as "spiritual centers" called "kivas." The kiva, used for religious tea... ... middle of paper ... ...ur-corners regions of the Southwest. Skeletons, village archeological finds, and cliff and rock art are all that remain to tell us about the heritage and culture of the Southwest. Other evidences abound in the stories of the "old ones," still told around council fires and pow wows. The stories of these earlier people are still told by the elders of different tribes, to teach their young ones their rich cultural heritage. Whatever the reasons for the Anasazi civilization's decline, they were a proud and thriving people, filled with culture, arts, trading and civilization. It is a shame that their once proud homes are but ruins for those of us in this new century to view. Perhaps, one day in the not too distant future, some of our own most spectacular structures and civilizations may lie wasted in the dust, another ancient ruin for some future people to explore.
In his essay, “The Indians’ Old World,” Neal Salisbury examined a recent shift in the telling of Native American history in North America. Until recently, much of American history, as it pertains to Native Americans; either focused on the decimation of their societies or excluded them completely from the discussion (Salisbury 25). Salisbury also contends that American history did not simply begin with the arrival of Europeans. This event was an episode of a long path towards America’s development (Salisbury 25). In pre-colonial America, Native Americans were not primitive savages, rather a developing people that possessed extraordinary skill in agriculture, hunting, and building and exhibited elaborate cultural and religious structures.
When researching Pueblo dwellings and the Anasazi people "Anasazi meaning ancient ones in the Navajo language"(Lynnd2012). Information retaining to the culture and how permanent dwellings did not start until the Anasazi started growing their food. Prior to agriculture, all food was product of hunting and gathering, this made moving across the country more frequent to be able to gather enough food. Once they started to farm and cultivate they stated building the first sets of housing which consisted of holes in the grounds and only later would they build on top of the holes with stone and mortar, this didn't happen till around 750AD and was a means for storage.
The Anasazi civilization was a wonderment of there time. They were far ahead of any Indian civilization of that time era. They were cliff-dwelling people who where very knowledgeable in architecture, astronomy, and farming. They had built houses on the sides of cliffs that were more then 5 stories tall with plenty of space and even had religious meeting areas. They had a system for tracking the movement of the sun and the moon and also created a calendar that could track the summer and winter solstices and even the 19 year cycles of the moon. “..an astronomical refinement Europeans had not even achieved yet.” (Liberty Equality Power pg.31)
Kathryn book Life in the Pueblo is based on excavations that she did at Lizard Man Village (Kamp, 1997). This was a small pueblo located in Arizona which is believed to be inhabited between 11th and 13th century. These ancient excavations were first carried out by United States Forest Service and were parts of Grinnell College field school (Kamp, 1997). The aim of the book was to describe Lizard Man Village and present excavation processes and analysis. Kamp 1997 offers archaeological interpretation of the site in relation to the past understandings. She bring out successfully three narratives. These narratives include ethnographic data in relationship to traditional accounts from Hopi (a place which is believed to be the first resident of Lizard Man) (Kamp, 1997). He also bring out clearly the issue of archaeology as well as fictional account basing it on both ethnography and archaeology.
The Sioux Indians are a large Indian group, located North of Mexico. The actual Sioux name, Nadouessioux means little snakes. The Sioux Indians moved from the east and then ended up near the Mississippi, then moved again to somewhere around Dakota, a little north of Mexico. They referred to themselves as the Otecti Cacowin (Seven Council Fires) because they had 7 council divisions. They were Mdewakantons, Wahpekutes, Wahpetons, Sissetons, Yanktons, Yanktonais, and the Tentons. The Tenton Sioux nomads lived in teepee's and hunted buffalo. They mainly wore buffalo skin, breech clothes, and moccasins. Most of the groups wore similar clothes and also hunted the same food, buffalo, which were plentiful during this time.
According to tribal legend, “when the life force of the universe first called into earth, the ancient forebears of the Quapaw people were adrift in the froth of the sea. In time, they say, the breath of the sky set them ashore on the glistening coast.” Tradition, as well as historical and archeological evidence says that these tribes of people were wandering the Ohio Valley well before the 15th century. The Quapaw Tribe of Indians, also known as the O-Gah-Pah, or several other translations of the word which in general terms means “downstream people” or the “ones from downstream”, along with their Dhegiha Sioux kinsmen (the Osage, Ponca, Kansa, and Omaha) attained a cultural level of excellence that was only surpassed by the tribes in central Mexico and Peru. The Quapaw Tribe of Indians, history, culture, values, strength, and perseverance have allowed them to stay united as a tribe and sets them apart from other Indian tribes, although they deserve a better fate (Baird “The Quapaw People” 2).
The Mandan are an indigenous tribe native to North America. The Mandan’s are known for being one of the earliest tribes to live on the great plains of the Midwest. Unlike other plains Indians the Mandan were a settled tribe who lived along the Big Bend of the Missouri River in what is now called North Dakota. While most tribes that lived in the plains were hunter/gatherers who lived a nomadic lifestyle following their food, the Mandan were planters living mostly off their crops. Warriors left once a year in hunting groups to go out into the plains in search for Buffalo, which was not only their major meat source, but was also used for clothing and shelter as well.
Mandan villages were the center of the social, spiritual, and economic lives of the Mandan Indians. Villages were strategically located on bluffs overlooking the river for defense purposes, limiting attacks to one land approach. The Mandan lived in earth lodges, which are extremely large, round huts that are 15 feet high and 40-60 feet in diameter. Each hut had a vestibule entrance, much like the pattern of an Eskimo igloo, and a square hole on top, which served as a smokestack. Each earth lodge housed 10-30 people and their belongings, and villages contained 50-120 earth lodges. The frame of an earth lodge was made from tree trunks, which were covered with criss-crossed willow branches. Over the branches they placed dirt and sod, which coined the term earth lodge. This type of construction made the roofs strong enough to support people on nights of good weather. The floors of earth lodges were made of dirt and the middle was dug out to make a bench around the outer edge of the lodge. Encompassing...
Noble, D. G. (1985). Understanding the Anasazi of mesa verde and hovenweep. Pgs. 35-37. Santa Fe: Ancient City Press.
Did you know that the Ancient Indian people of the Southwestern United States have dated back to the year 10,000 BC? First appearing toward the end of the last Ice Age, they were the first “Americans.” (Noble, 1998) When Christopher Columbus arrived in the America’s in 1492 and seeing the people of this land for the first time, he thought that he had landed in India, thus giving them the name “Indians.” (Noble, 1998) However, he was nowhere near India, or that region of the world. Because the Ancient Indians were nomadic people, (people who wondered the lands with no permanent home) through the years they developed, separated, and re-located their clans, developing into what we know today as the American Indian. One group or tribe, are the Hopi Indians. Although the Hopi are still a tribe today, mostly living in Arizona, their population, traditions, skills, and crafts have dwindled throughout the years. Let us sit back, relax, and explore the ancestor’s of the Hopi tribe and learn about their traditions, skill, and crafts.
The Hopi is an Indian tribe indigenous to Northeastern Arizona and New Mexico. They live in four different villages, those being: the Oraibi, New Oraibi, Bakavi, and Hotevilla. (Brandt, 1954: 17). The villages are located on top of mesas, surrounded by rocks and desert land. The dry land allows them to grow an abundant amount of maize, beans, squash, and primarily blue corn. Hopi men and women are both responsible for different tasks in the tribe. While the men do the farm work, hunting, religious ceremonies, and sheepherding, the women have the authority to own houses, farmlands, and cisterns. Their society is matrilineal; Hopi households revolve around the women of the family. As a result of this, children are always part of the mother’s clan (Nanda & Warms, 2012: 111, 170).
The Zuñi Indians live, today, on the Zuñi Reservation in west-central New Mexico. They occupying the north bank of the upper Zuni river valley of western New Mexico and Eastern Arizona since at least 700 A.D. (Theodore Frisbie; Encyclopedia), Resisters, is the best word to describe the Zuni people. They resisted acculturation. They resisted change to their ceremonial cycle. They are a complex people. They have survived because they have resisted (Arizona Rocks Tours), and unlike many other Native American tribes, the Zuñi Indians were never forced to leave their homelands and are even still living there today. (Bigorrin; Learn for today). Now the Zuñi are the more popular name of the Pueblo tribe, though the natives do not call themselves by this name. They have been known to call themselves by Ashiwi, which means flesh. (The Catholic Encyclopedia.). They are a strong matrilineal clan and start young when it comes to family and clan relations. They hold amazing traditions and religious system with priest and women being involved in political situations and men holding more rank in what they have knowledge and skill in. Many things all coming to a head in religion and holding its main roots there. (Theodore Frisbie; Encyclopedia). The Zuni call their home the Middle Place and they believe it is located at the center of the universe. (Arizona Rocks Tours)
The Great North Road is one of the longest and most famous road among the Chaco roads, which was constructed by the Anasazi residents of Chaco Canyon of New Mexico. It played an important role in the Anasazi culture through its unique design and construction patterns. The Great North Road has helped in researches on the Chaco Anasazi, by allowing to better understand the development of the Anasazi people. Marshall and Soffar's theory suggested that the Chaco roads were created as spirits path for pilgrimage tradition, instead of routes for people who are visiting the Canyon. The roads construction patterns were primarily cosmological. Pilgrims used the North and South roads to reach the symbolic Sipapu of Kutz.
Who really are the Cheyenne Indians? According to historians, they were Indian people who became nomadic and moved to the Great Plains in the 18th century (Berkin 366). Another tribe, the Souix, developed the name of "people of a different language" for the Cheyenne. Some people said that the Cheyenne did not exist until the mid-1600s or at least this is when the earliest known records were found. They are one of the most famous and prominent Plains tribes, too.
The Cahuilla were a Native Southern Californian tribe that occupied the Riverside County, Higher Palomar Mountain Region and East Colorado Desert. The tribe was divided into two groups or moieties know as Wildcats or Coyotes. The Cahuilla lived in small clans that varied in population, and together all the separate clans made up a larger political group called a sib ”http://www.aguacaliente.org/content/History%20&%20Culture/.” The tribe was at first considered to be very simple and savage because they were never interacted with. As the Europeans and Spanish Missionaries considered the desert an inhospitable place that was better to avoid because of its lack of food resources. Little did those European and Spanish missionaries know that the land was ripe with food, only if you knew the land and the seasons. The Cahuilla were a very interesting tribe that cared and loved their land and in return the land would provide them with an abundance of food and resources. The Cahuilla had a very simple yet intricate life that involved a seasonal migration in order to gain access to different foods. They relied on different ways of acquiring food which involved both hunting and gathering.