Emily Hert

3 March 2016
HUM 101
Thomas

Americas Beginning
As Americans, one of our main values is being individualistic. We pride ourselves
in our beliefs, our interests, and knowledge; and we tend to pride ourselves in the cultures that
shaped us. To think, if we instead blended cultures with the Native Americans, who founded this
land before our european ancestors, or even had a mutual respect policy with them, how
different those beliefs, interests, and knowledge that shape us, would be now. Native Americans
varied in ways throughout the different tribes, but all seemed to live for the passionate
connection in life, earth and spiritual abilities humanity possesses; which I think is something
that has been suppressed in modern day America, just like the natives were when we took their
land.
In history we are taught that Christopher Columbus found this land in 1494, which in fact
he did but he was not the first. According to Powells article, The Mystery of Native Americans,
the first humans reached North America when ginormous glaciers from the last ice age caged in
enough water to lower sea levels, exposing a 1,000 mile wide land bridge, giving hunters from
asia a pathway to Alaska about 15,000 years ago from 25,000-11,000BCE (Powell, 1). After
Columbus settles on native land, he begins enslavement by capturing over 5000 Taino and
shipping them to be Spain to be sold live objects (Malinowski, xxx). Acter being oppressed
through military, social, legal, and economic influences the indigenous population fell by 95%
after european arrival (Malinowski, xxx). Realization of how long these affairs took place can be
understood in American Indians: Answers to Todays Questions, Official US military
involvement in warfare against NA occurred over 115 years from 1776-1891, though US army
involved in dozens of police actions related to Indian tribes 1891-1907 (Utter, 103).
Native Americans tended to travel in tribes and other individual groups, creating
thousands of subcultures throughout the land. One of them being the Potawatomi Tribe, which
my great grandmother was apart of. Potawatomi means people of the place of fire, and they
call themselves Nishnabek, meaning true or original people (Malinowski, 143). The tribe is

originally from the east coast, but migrated westward after a message from the spirit world was
received to do so (Malinowski, 143). They settled by the great lakes, first being Lake Huron,
giving them an abundance of fish and waterways for travel (Malinowski, 145), in the early 1600s
many tribes including the Potawatomi were pushed west toward hostile tribes due to European
settlers moving and taking over westward lands (Malinowski, 145). In the 1670s they became
allied with the french through trading fur, buffalo, and other trades for weapons, horses and
protection, giving them an upper hand to protect their land, some even got converted to roman
catholicism (Malinowski, 145). Around 1695 the french lost control over the great lake regions,
and the Potawatomi found himself allying with the new military force, the british; fighting with
them in the american revolution(Malinowski, 126). In the height of their achievements the tribe
stretched from southern michigan, through indiana and illinois to the end of lake michigan in
Wisconsin in the mid 1800s; but from 1795-1837 38 treaties were signed with the US due to
food scarcity; they ended up trading half of their land in exchange for cash, food, goods,
services, and eventually reservations.(Malinowski, 146). Shortly after, in 1830, US congress
passes the Indian Removal Act, resulting in the next 30 years consisting of forcibly removing
natives, (Malinowski, xxxi) over 150 Potawatomi died during a forced march under this act, half
of them being children; many fled to Canada during this horrid time to escape. (Malinowski,
146). Today members of the tribe live on scattered reservations and communities in southern
and upper peninsula of michigan, northern indiana, northeastern wisconsin, northeastern
kansas, and central oklahoma.
One thing all diverse tribes had in common was, a nature based traditional life style.
Some followed shamanic belief systems, having the shaman as a guardian who could come in
direct contact with the supernatural, giving them power to foretell the future, help achieve good
hunting, fishing, and harvest, success in battle, favorable weather, health and childbirth (Utter,
87). Many natives relied on balance between natural and supernatural forces of cultural and
physical survival. Many had this concept that aan invisible force pervades the universe, and
could be focused on any special place, being, or object endowing it with supernatural power
all are believed to be spirits whether it is of the dead, plants, animals, places, and natural
phenomena (Utter 85-86). Some tribes would even make apologies to animal spirits that had

been killed, in order for them to come again when they need food (Utter, 87). Peyote, extracted
from roots in cacti, became a religion spread through the Great Plains in the 1870-90. The plant
is believed to brought individuals closer to the spirit world receiving a euphoric feeling when
intaking; tribes would develop their own ceremonies, songs and symbolism vowing to be
trustworthy and honorable and community oriented when following the peyote road (Milanowski
xxxii). The Peyote road was a way of exhibiting brotherly love, family care, obedience, charity,
steady work, and avoidance of alcohol; the Aztec called it the divine messenger believing it
could open the doorway to speak with God and receive spiritual power, reproof, and healing
(Utter, 92). Visions were received throughout majority of natives, usually at puberty, but also
through quest taking place by seclusion and fasting, frequently lead by an animal guide who
taught and spoke to this individual on a spiritual level (Utter, 87). Birds are of great significance
in a majority of native cultures through their symbolic meaning of achievements and/or ranks,
stemming from belief that they fly with and among the spirits. They have been used for
protection in war, to balance arrows, in ceremony, and simple aesthetic pleasures.Many of these
beliefs and values were seen as unholy in the eyes of settlers.
Unfortunately the Removal Act was one of many adding to the biggest genocide the
world has ever seen. Although they often had warfare between tribes themselves as well as with
foreign settlers. These would take place for many reasons, some being personal, some being
for supplies. For example, when fur supply was weak for the Iroquois, other tribes would be
attacked to steal their fur starting the beaver wars (Malinowski, xxx). Other events that added to
the native decline was, the General Allotment Act of 1887, involving the tribes no longer having
ownership of their land, from 1954-62 congress carried out a policy of termination giving local
governments control over tribal members, denoting their authority, from 1634-37 an army of
puritans, pilgrims, mohegan, narragansett attacked and set fire to Pequot forts, killing 700 of
their members, and in 1539-43 Spanish explorers brought disease killing thousands through an
epidemic (Malinowski, xxx). Native religion was greatly oppressed for centuries; in 1769 spanish
reduced slave labor if converted to christianity, canadian government states the Indian Act to
give up tribal loyalties in order to become a canadian citizen and save themselves from the
hardship,which only 250 indians did so from 1857-1920, and traditional ceremonies became

outlawed, resulting in slow roasting over a fire and hanging as punishments if caught in
participation (Utter, 88). The most basic philosophical difference, according to Jack Utter is,
native cultures generally have had the acquisition of wisdom and the development of spiritual
awareness as their philosophical

goals. On the other hand, american society is

philosophically inclined toward acquisition of info and the development of profit (AI 78).
Although the natives were not always peaceful peoples, they still bring a lot of
value in culture that seems to have bound tribes together throughout history. Now knowing that
this land should be belonged to the Native Americans who founded and cherished it, a respect
should be given, no longer should their rights be taken advantage of. Thankfully reservations
have taken stability to help restore tribes. Many natives now suffer stemming from identity loss
and these traumatic experiences of depression, ptsd, and addiction; Southwest Native American
MICRA Project using methods over a 4,8 and 12 month period for substance abuse users
seeking help Factor 1 reflected behavioral practices, while Factor 2 reflected more global beliefs
Factor 1 was negatively related to substance use and positively associated with measures of
tribal identification , both showed tremendous increase in wellbeing and decrease of substance
dependency(Greenfield 1). To think if we had let them influence us more than shunning them,
maybe the united states would be a different kind of authentic than it is now, one that doesnt
necessarily follow the british trends, or let the economy fall into the hands of the elite, there
could be more followers toward native religions, opening the door for humans to get in tune with
their spiritual side, who dont fit in with current religions commonly known.

The

possibilities are endless to what could have happened, but we cannot go back in time. We can
however, try to make up for it in ways of educating ourselves, focusing on the present, and
applying connection in day to day life with newfound attributes; and with that i will leave hope for
greater impact for change in this last quote, the greatest single issue facing native americans in
the future is the same on facing us all-- the end of Nature (Utter, 239).