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Native american culture and traditions
Native american culture and traditions
Native american culture and traditions
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Culture is defined as “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.” Our textbook specifically mentions beliefs, values and traditions, among other aspects, that are passed throughout generations. A culture may evolve through the years with the addition of technology and other influences from the globalization of our society. The Native American culture has remained very true to tradition, although there has been some assimilation. For instance many people today are constantly in a rush or have very full schedules. Native American culture views time as a “gift from the Creator.” Time has been traditionally measured in terms of natural events. The main focus is not on planning but living in the moment, from one day to the next.A value that has been passed through the generations encourages giving and sharing of material possessions rather than attainment. Their cultural frowns upon greediness and materialistic behaviors. Some tribes encourage giving away material possessions during a celebratory ceremony. One ceremony many are more familiar with is the Native American Pow-Wow. This is an event that can lasts from one day up to one week. During a pow-wow, people gather to socialize as well as traditional activities that include music, dancing, traditional clothing and food. Native American traditions are largely based in religious beliefs. Many topics mention the Creator and spirits, as well as their powers. They believe the Creator communicates with them through their natural surroundings and life experiences. Beliefs and values are derived from principles in regard to the Creator as well the connection people should strive to maintain with the Creator. Visions p... ... middle of paper ... ...n. When making decision, a person will seek the advice of family and elders. The final decision will typically arise from the preference of the group versus that of an individual. Much importance is attached to gaining their approval before proceeding. Because so many others need to be consulted, the decision-making process moves slowly. Family elders are very important to decision making and child-rearing. Identity is tied closely to one’s family or clan membership. Consequently, much attention to maintaining family relationships; less importance attached to occupation, work role, income, etc. The Native American culture is rich in history and does not get the acknowledgement that it should in history. Native American history is rich is culture, loyalty to their family and to their tribe. This is a small sample of some of the culture aspects of Native Americans.
Pages one to sixty- nine in Indian From The Inside: Native American Philosophy and Cultural Renewal by Dennis McPherson and J. Douglas Rabb, provides the beginning of an in-depth analysis of Native American cultural philosophy. It also states the ways in which western perspective has played a role in our understanding of Native American culture and similarities between Western culture and Native American culture. The section of reading can be divided into three lenses. The first section focus is on the theoretical understanding of self in respect to the space around us. The second section provides a historical background into the relationship between Native Americans and British colonial power. The last section focus is on the affiliation of otherworldliness that exist between
The Pueblo culture contended many fragments to their culture that varied from the Spaniards Culture. The Native Americans were nature reliant they received all their necessities from the earth. They not only used the land but also thanked the earth. They included over three hundred spirit or gods that the pueblos prayed to for various different reasons, they called them Kachinas. Some of the spirits were Sun god, the rain god, star gods, the wind god and many other divinities. The Natives adore the Kachinas with praise for good crops, good health, family, homes, protection and various other things every day. Customs for the pueblos included rituals to heal problems such as disease in people who are sick, women who are not infertile and many other issues in the tribe. They contained Kivas; kivas were an underground compartment custom for secretive ceremonial practices. The purposes for Kivas were for the Pueblos to get closer to the spirit world. They thought that everything living came from the inferior part of the land. Pu...
The Native American’s way of living was different from the Europeans. They believed that man is ruled by respect and reverence for nature and that nature is an ancestor or relative. The Native American’s strongly belie...
Throughout ancient history, many indigenous tribes and cultures have shown a common trait of being hunter/gatherer societies, relying solely on what nature had to offer. The geographical location influenced all aspects of tribal life including, spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices. Despite vast differences in the geographical location, reports show various similarities relating to the spirituality, healing philosophy and healing practices of indigenous tribal cultures.
This paper addresses the results of interviews, observations, and research of life in the Ottawa tribe, how they see themselves and others in society and in the tribe. I mainly focused on The Little River Band of Ottawa Indian tribe. I researched their languages, pecking order, and interviewed to discover the rituals, and traditions that they believe in. In this essay I revealed how they see themselves in society. How they see other people, how they see each other, what their values were, what a typical day was etc. I initially suspected that I would have got different responses from these questions but in reality the results in the questions were almost completely the same. I studied this topic because mostly all the people that are close to me are associated in the Ottawa tribe. I additionally love the Native American culture, I feel it is beautiful and has a free concept.
People have been living in America for countless years, even before Europeans had discovered and populated it. These people, named Native Americans or American Indians, have a unique and singular culture and lifestyle unlike any other. Native Americans were divided into several groups or tribes. Each one tribe developed an own language, housing, clothing, and other cultural aspects. As we take a look into their society’s customs we can learn additional information about the lives of these indigenous people of the United States.
Duane Champagne in Social Change and Cultural Continuity Among Native Nations explains that there has never been one definitive world view that comprises any one Native American culture, as there is no such thing as one “Native community” (2007:10). However, there are certain commonalities in the ways of seeing and experiencing the world that many Native communities and their religions seem to share.
With the dwindling population of Native Americans, it is fair to assume that most do not want their culture to die out. The falling rate of Native Americans could be the fire needed to get them active in their heritage. It is the perfect opportunity to learn more about their own culture and pass along the knowledge, discovering new art, stories, and history through their elders and oral traditions. From another view, their role is to also gain a voice in politics to help preserve their tribes and reservations, as well as try to keep unemployment and poverty rates
Community, rituals, magical beliefs and practices are very important things to Native American people. Native American people live by these rituals and beliefs, they live around their community; their community isn’t just that, but their family as well. Parents don’t just raise their children but the whole community has a hand in raising all of the children. Family is a very important part of Native American people’s lives, they keep traditions going with their families, parents raise their children the same way that they were raised by their parents.
I have decided to discuss the topic of Spirituality in Native Americans. To address this topic, I will first discuss what knowledge I have gained about Native Americans. Then I will discuss how this knowledge will inform my practice with Native Americans. To conclude, I will talk about ethical issues, and dilemmas that a Social Worker might face working with Native American people.
Community takes high precedence over self in Native American culture. They are a collectivist culture which means the tribe members will work as a whole to raise children and help one another (Hodgins & Hodgins, 2013, p. 449). Native Americans view many tribe member s as close family. The concept of family “stretches far beyond the concept of the traditional nuclear family in Western culture” (Lettenberger-Klein, Fish, & Hecker, 2013, p. 149).
Native American religion tends to center around nature. The scene, creatures, plants, and other natural components assume a noteworthy part in the religion of Native Americans. Many of the legends passed down were an attempt to explain events that occurred in nature. Native American religion incorporates various practices, services, and conventions. These services might be to pay tribute to various occasions. The act of taking certain psychedelic drugs was usually used to increase more prominent knowledge or speak with the divine beings. Functions may incorporate feasts, music, dances, and different exhibitions. Imagery, particularly with creatures, is frequently a typical piece of Native American religion. Creatures were utilized to speak
What is culture? Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving
The term “culture” refers to the complex accumulation of knowledge, folklore, language, rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, and customs that link and provide a general identity to a group of people. Cultures take a long time to develop. There are many things that establish identity give meaning to life, define what one becomes, and how one should behave.
Culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects and behavior. It includes the ideas, value, customs and artifacts of a group of people (Schaefer, 2002). Culture is a pattern of human activities and the symbols that give these activities significance. It is what people eat, how they dress, beliefs they hold and activities they engage in. It is the totality of the way of life evolved by a people in their attempts to meet the challenges of living in their environment, which gives order and meaning to their social, political, economic, aesthetic and religious norms and modes of organization thus distinguishing people from their neighbors.