Native American Cultural Groups

1. Native American Cultural Groups Learning Objective Upon completion, the learner should be able to demonstrate the ability to distinguish between the represented Native American cultural groups by: analyzing details and contextual clues within the photographs to recognize combinations of clothing, jewelry, accessories, and headdress that distinguish that cultural group from a list of choices. In order to provide an insight to the cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity of Native Americans, and provide alternative mental images that depict the American Indian, this presentation will explore elements of lifestyle and traits in clothes, headdress, hairstyle and other physical appearances that distinguish four cultural groups of American Indians, also referred to as Native Americans. Instructional Designer: Randy S Tanner • These four cultural groups are: • Woodland, • Pueblo, • Plains/Plateau, and • Pacific Northwest Indians.

2. Yes, all of these artists and entertainers are Native American Through Guessing? Can you identify who is Native American?

3. One little, two little, three little Indians… • How many Indians are there? • According to the 2000 U.S. Census (Glaczko, 2001): • 2.5 million registered as Native American, American Indian, Alaskan Native. • 4.5 million registered as predominantly Native American, American Indian, Alaskan Native. • 1 of 4 Americans, whose grandparents were born in the U.S., share Native American ancestry.

4. 500 Nations • The term 500 Nations refers to the diverse, indigenous American population before European contact in the 1490s (Michaelis, 1997). • Over 300 original native languages in use prior to Euro contact; only 175 survive today. ( color-coded for the 10 Major Language Families)

5. Taxonomy of Nations The diversity of language, social customs, spiritual beliefs, and ethnic origins of the hundreds of native nations, or peoples (tribes) has driven classification efforts by historians, anthropologists, and social scientists using various methods (Hodge, 2003; Jack, n.d.; Native Language Network, 2000): • Language – reveals ethnic and genetic links • Crafts – based on basket weaving, pottery, or leather work • Geography – coastal, plains, southwest, southeast, etc. • Socio-political culture – based on shared social characteristics and similar lifestyles. • Unrelated ethnic groups often shared crafts, lodging, and dress styles due to proximity. • Lifestyle and dress were influenced by both internal and external factors.

6. Influence Factors External Factors • Geography/Climate • Unrelated ethnic groups often shared crafts, lodging, and dress styles due to proximity. • Trade/Isolation • Natural barriers of distance or landscape. • Distinctive traits increased with isolation • Commonality increased with inter-tribal trade (beads, shells, craft techniques, Euro iron items) • Raw materials available (bone, flint, obsidian, straw, clay, cedar, cotton, wool) • Food sources (buffalo, deer, otter and beaver) Internal Factors • Cultural Norms (masculine & feminine social roles and distinctions) • Display of status (feathers, scalps, skulls, power shirts) • Values & mores (spiritual ideals, medicine and power, animal totems) (Please refer to the workbook activities)

7. Southeast Woodland Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, & Seminole) Known as the “Five Civilized Tribes,” they were quick to adopt Euro dress and some customs early after contact.

8. Southeast Woodland Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, & Seminole) Locale – Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina.

9. Southeast Woodland Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, & Seminole) External Influences (Hodge, 2003): • Climate – hot and cold extremes • Raw materials available: bone, flint, straw, and clay (no iron, little silver, or wool) • Food sources: crops, deer and small game • Extensive inter-tribal trade • Trade with early Europeans • Cotton and wool cloth • Cloth long shirts • Ostrich and Peacock plumes • Trade silver (silver coins, trinkets, and buckles) were hammered into jewelry items.

10. Southeast Woodland Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, & Seminole) Internal Influences • Cultural Norms – early adoption of Euro clothing styles (Hodge, 2003) • Display of status (large silver gorgets, armbands and tattoos) • Spiritual ideals (West, 2010; Obermeyer 1991): • Animal totems (source of strength and power) not greatly emphasized • Hair was considered sacred (source of power) • Turbans or shrouds were common. • If hair was cut off, it was hidden and guarded with secrecy. • Warriors shaved off most, leaving small lock in back to prevent enemies from reaching their power. • Only the most powerful (chiefs) dared to expose it.

11. Southeast Woodland Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, & Seminole) Distinctive Characteristics • Hair - shaved foreheads, or concealed with turbans (often with bright feather plume) • Jewelry - silver bracelets, armbands, broaches (gorgets), and earrings. (Obermeyer, 1991) • Clothing - quickly influenced by Europeans; long cloth shirt and belt; a carry-along wool blanket or robe for warmth or fancier dress occasions. • Status - as a status of wealth and popularity, men often wore silver bracelets, broaches, and earrings; women wore multiple bead necklaces. • Status - tattoos, associated with combat exploits, were common for warriors. (West, 2010).

12. This concludes the presentation on Southeast Woodland Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, & Seminole) Refer to the workbook activities Section #1

13. Pueblo Indians ca. 1850s – 1950s(Hopi, Zuni, and Acoma) This cultural group represents at least six different ethnic origins that speak over a dozen different languages.

14. Pueblo Indians ca. 1850s – 1950s Locale - New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Texas

15. Pueblo Indians ca. 1850s – 1950s(Hopi, Zuni, and Acoma) When the Spanish explorers met them, they called them pueblos, meaning “villages” (Hodge, 2003) Climate & Locale • Arid climate; several days journey to nearest stream. Resources • Gourds, cactus, yucca, cotton, mud bricks. (no buffalo, no deer, no forests) Food Source • Mainly corn plus beans and squash; limited rabbit, dove, quail, and turkey. • Made clothing out of yucca (a desert plant), by weaving its fibers. • Some cultivated cotton. • After Spanish conquest, wool became available. (Puebloan Peoples, 2010) Trade / Craft • Some wove straw baskets; most excelled in pottery • Extensive trade with Navajo and Apache to gain feathers, silver jewelry, coral and shells.

16. Pueblo Indians ca. 1850s – 1950s(Hopi, Zuni, and Acoma) Distinctive Characteristics • Hair – men wore long and down with a headband; women often rolled and tied their hair (Hopi). • Jewelry – unlike their Navajo neighbors, Pueblos placed little emphasis on silver jewelry. Men & women prized turquoise and bead necklaces with some silver (Puebloan Peoples, 2010).

17. Pueblo Indians ca. 1850s – 1950s(Hopi, Zuni, and Acoma) Distinctive Characteristics • Clothing – men: woven long cotton shirts, cotton breeches and knee-length moccasins; carry-along wool blanket sometimes worn wrapped around like a skirt; beaded sash was common; some wore loincloth over breeches. • Clothing – women: long dress, usually with an outer apron. • Status – intricately decorated sash (with beads or porcupine quills) made by wife displayed proven ability as a family provider.

18. End of Pueblos Refer to the workbook activities Section #2

19. Plains/Plateau Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Sioux, Cheyenne, Comanche, Klamath, and Kalispell) Perhaps the iconic image for most of what the “American Indian” looks like, with grand Eagle-feather headdress, moving their tipis across the plains as they follow the buffalo.

20. Plains/Plateau Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Sioux, Apache, Comanche, Klamath, and Kalispell) Locale: Plateau - Upper Northwest Plains – Midwest (Hodge, 2003) Plateau Indians Plains Indians

21. Plateau Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Klamath, and Kalispell) • Although the Plateau Indians and the Plains Indians live lived hundreds of miles apart, and descend from multiple different ethnic origins, they shared may characteristics that were influenced by their common environment. • Geography : High Plateau or High Plains • Climate: hot dry summers and cold snowy winters • Resources: Buffalo, horse, prairie grass, bones; very few trees; • Food Sources: buffalo, elk, black bears, pronghorn, and deer plus wild fruits, berries, and nuts. They did not eat fish or fowl, unless starving. No agriculture (Hodge, 2003)

22. Plains Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s (Sioux and Comanche) Cultural Norms (Smithsonian, 2010) • Horse-centric nomadic lifestyle. • Hunter-gatherers - followed game animals’ migratory paths. • Strict male/female roles - men hunted & raided; women gathered fruits, seeds & berries • Believed in totems (animal spirits) that served as link between this world and the spirit world. (significance of feathers and skulls of certain animals). • Power shirts - often made of tanned animal hides and adorned with objects such as fur, beads, and locks of hair, were highly important in the culture of many plains tribes, including the Lakota Sioux, Dakota Sioux Cheyenne, and Comanche.

23. Plains Indians ca. 1800 – 1830s Distinguishing Characteristics • Horse culture, nomadic, living in Tipis • Leather power shirts and breeches • Bone jewelry • Abundant use of feathers for headdress and other decorations • Hairstyle – long and usually braided (wrapped with ermine) • Dark skin tones from constant exposure to sunlight

24. End of Plains/Plateau Indians Refer to the workbook activities Section #3

25. Pacific Northwest ca.1850s – 1930s(Cayuse, Yakima, Chilkat, and Coast Salish) • Dwellings were sophisticated, built with cedar planks and shingles. • Communal living in “long houses” (Suquamish Tribe, 2011) • Temporary fishing camps were pole frames covered with woven cedar bark mats. • An ethnically diverse mix with dozens of different languages. • Shared a common coastal habitat and natural resources. • Proximity to each other blended social customs and beliefs.

26. Pacific Northwest ca.1850s – 1930s(Cayuse, Yakima, Chilkat, and Coast Salish) • Climate - Warm ocean currents moderate temperature extremes; 150 - 200 days of rain per year; July and August are hot, dry months. • Natural Resources – western red cedar used for canoes, houses, clothing, and tools. • Food Sources - salmon and coastal shellfish as their nutritional mainstay, plus deer, elk, moose, bear, migratory birds, medicinal plants, roots, herbs, and berries. • Cultural Norms - Communal living in “long houses” (Suquamish Tribe, 2011)

27. Pacific Northwest ca.1850s – 1930s(Influence of Habitat) • Some, like the Coast Salish are splinter groups from their Plains/Plateau relatives. • Their appearance changed significantly. • Compare these two groups of Salish.

28. Pacific Northwest ca.1850s – 1930s(Cayuse, Yakima, Chilkat, and Coast Salish) Distinctive Characteristics • Jewelry and fancy dress only worn for festivals or potlachs. • Headdress decorated with bead, quill, and limited use of feathers. • Hairstyle – men wore shorter hair than women. • Clothing – woven bark or grass fabric, sometimes seal skin; rarely used tanned leather due to the wet environment. • Robes and houses often decorated with geometric patterns and animal effigy (totem poles.

29. End of Pacific Northwest Indians Refer to the workbook activities Section #4

30. References Puebloan Peoples (2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puebloan_peoples Smith, S., & Im, S. (2009). Pueblo. eMuseum. Minnesota State University, Mankato. Retrieved from http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/pueblo.html Glaczko, G. (2001). Native American statistics: U.S. census figures. The Heard Museum. Retrieved from http://www.nativevillage.org/Messages%20from%20the%20People/Population%20statistics.htm Hodge, F.W. (Ed) (2003). Handbook of American Indians north of Mexico, Volume 1. Scituate, MA: Digital Scanning. Retrieved from http://www.onread.com/book/Handbook-of-American-Indians-North-of-Mexico-959837 Jack, J. (n.d.). Traditional history of the Coast Salish people. Coast Salish History website. Retrieved from http://www.joejack.com/coastsalishhistory.html Native Language Network (2000). Indigenous Language Institute, Winter Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.ilinative.org/share/newsletter/NLNNewsletter/NewsletterWinter2000.pdf Obermeyer, R. (1991). Turbans in 19th century Seminole Men`s Clothing. NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art website. Retrieved from http://www.nativetech.org/seminole/turbans/index.php Redish, L. (2010). Native American language families. Native Languages of the Americas website. Retrieved from http://www.native-languages.org/index.htm#tree Rehling, J. (n.d.). Native American Languages. Indiana University, Center for Research on Concepts and Cognition. Retrieved from http://www.cogsci.indiana.edu/farg/rehling/nativeAm/ling.html Smithsonian Art Museum, (2010). Symbols of power in clothing worn by the Plains Indians. Retrieved from http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/online/catlinclassroom/lessonplans/cl-b.html Suquamish Tribe (2011). The Suquamish Tribe: History and culture. Retrieved from http://suquamish.org/HistoryCulture.aspx West, P. (2010). Culture: Who are we? [Blog]. Seminole Tribe of Florida website. Retrieved from http://www.semtribe.com/Culture/Hairstyle.aspx