Native American Indians

Miracle-Josette Creighton

History Definition Acculturation Poverty & Economic Concerns History of Oppression Language & the Arts Racism & Prejudice Sociopolitical Factors Child-Rearing Practices Sexual Intercourse Religious Practices Family Structure & Dynamics Cultural Values & Attitudes Implications

Native American Indians

Native Americans Indians throughout America

found themselves virtually stripped of their cultural identities and relegated to land unwanted by Whites.

Believed: Native Americans Indians migrated from Asia over a land bridge at the Bering Strait during a recent ice age, sometime about 20,000 to 27,000 years ago.

History

Amerind or Amerindian has been used to

designate the 2.5 million nomadic people who lived in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans.

Historically, the name Indian was used, followed by American Indian, and more recently, Native American and Native American Indian.

History

History

Constitute less than 1% of the U.S. population, numbering 1.9 million in 1990.

Population increased nearly 65% from 1980 to 1990.

Geographically dispersed group speaks 150 tribal languages in 505 federally recognized & 365 state recognized tribal groups (BIA, 1988).

History

Largest Tribe

Navajos of Arizona Navajos of New

Mexico

(approximately 160,000)

Smallest Tribe

Chumash of California

Modocs of Oklahoma

(fewer than 100)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) (1998)

defines a Native American Indian as a person who is a registered or enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe or whose blood quantum is one fourth or more Indian, genealogically derived, and who can legally demonstrate that fact to the BIA.

BIA makes Native American Indians the only LEGALLY defined ethnic group living in the U.S.

Definition

Despite the assault by the overarching

dominant U.S. culture on Native American Indian life, many Native American Indians have not become acculturated.

The clash of cultures has caused many Native American Indians to experience a general lack of self-confidence and a sense of helplessness.

Acculturation

10/17/2012

The dominant culture has forced Native American

Indians to become intimate with the concept of poverty.

Suffers in: Employment, Education, Income, and Health.

Unemployment, poverty, and lack of education are all symptoms of the cultural alienation that Native American Indians experience when trying to live in a dominant culture.

Poverty & Economic Concerns

Native American Indians have a long history of

oppression at the hands of European settlers.

Early 1524, Indians were seized by European settlers and sold as slaves in the West Indies; in additionally, expected to adhere to European standards of conduct, cultural values.

Continual of Oppression: Native American Indians was given land that was believed to be useless.

History of Oppression

Rich heritage in NONVERBAL Language, such as using:

body language, eye movement, silence, and tone of voice.

300 Tribal languages.

The Cherokee were the only tribe to develop written language.

Holistic lifestyle is reflected in their arts, such as: tradition of music, dance, and crafts. (Religious Values)

Language & the Arts

10/17/2012

Manifest Destiny

The Loss of Native American Indians’ citizenship rights of voting.

Bearing arms under the 1835 North Carolina state constitution.

Relocation of Native American Indians under the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

Racism & Prejudice

Most Tribes ruled by Chiefs with matriarchal

lines of succession.

The Red Power movement: put more power into the hands of Native American Indians, through three (3) organizations: the National Indian Youth Council, the National Congress of American Indians, and the American Indian Movement.

Sociopolitical Factors

Children are reared by the extended family,

clan or tribe, with grandparents and other elders usually responsible for teaching children.

Rarely discipline unless real danger exist.

Indian parents are generally permissive in their training.

Child-Rearing Practices

Sex is treated as a part of the natural process of life.

Facts surrounding sexual intercourse are understood at an early age.

Premarital sexual experiences are common in most Indian villages.

No stigma attached to child(ren) born out of wedlock.

Sexual Intercourse

Religion is the UNIVERSE.

Four (4) valued objects: God, Self, Others, and World.

Medicine men or Shamans are religious men, considered priests for the tribes.

Dance, Art, and Ceremonial festivals are linked to religious beliefs.

Religious Practices

Native Americans Indians believe in many

gods or spirits, usually with one chief god or Great Spirit.

Worship: Sun, Wind, Water, Fire, Thunder, and Lightning, as well as Animals.

Some Native American Indians accepted and adopted Christianity along with their own beliefs.

Religious Practices

Traditional Family form = Extended Family

Clan = Basic Family Unit

Female: traditionally responsible for and performed the duties necessary to preserve the “Social Organization”.

Elders: responsible for educating children and the leadership in the tribe.

Family Structure & Dynamics

10/17/2012

Strong Present-time Orientation.

Time Consciousness defined by socially, rather than by the clock.

Respect for age and for elders.

Preference for cooperation over competition.

Ethical concern for the natural world.

Cultural Values & Attitudes

Three (3) reactions to White-dominated

society: Bicultural, Traditional, and Marginal.

Bicultural: emulate White pursuits.

Traditional: distrust Whites in the dominant culture.

Marginal: did not attempt to compete with the dominant culture.

Implications

Thank you very much!!!

ReferencesLocke, D., (1998). Increasing Multicultural Understanding. 2ed. pp.59-77. Native American Indians: SAGE Publications.

Miracle-Josette Creighton