Smoke Signals Essay

Before the 1860’s the native americans were living in peace until the Colonists attacked. The Western Expansion of 1860-90 greatly affected the lives of Native Americans, due to the powerful role

Firstly, in the past they did not have as much freedom as they do in the present. “In this place, words other than English or Latin were unchristian and those who used them were punished severely”. (10) This quote is showing that native kids were striped from their freedom and culture by others. This is significant because it shows how in the past native people struggled with their freedom and were stripped of it. Secondly, in the past they were separated from their family to adopt a new way of life.

This affected the lives of the Native

Native American culture is rich with storytelling and Sherman Alexie shares plenty of them. Victor believes the stories of his ancestors warriors and gruesome defeats while facing the reality of his depressing now. In Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping , Lucille references and “for whatever reasons, our whole family was standoffish. This was the fairest description of or best qualities, and the kindest description of our worst faults.” This unfortunate story moulds the future of Ruthie, Lucille and Sylvie by not allowing others into their story when help is needed and creating stigmas within the community leading to tragedy.

“More than 1,000 tribes still inhabited the northern forests, prairies, and mesa when whites arrived”. The Native Americans, even though seen as savages by the whites, were very civilized in aspects

American Indians in the West have created tribes have created their cultures many years before the first European settlers arrived. The speculations on whether the Indians were “vanishing” due to their inability to adapt to modernity and died out proved to be untrue. Native Americans were living pleasantly the way they were before they were introduced with the plague that came to be the first Europeans. The first permanent settlers in New England began arriving around the time of 1620.The Europeans wanted to live in peace with the Indians. Yet, problems began almost immediately.

The development of agriculture and the rise of industrialization generated new cultures and innovations in the new world. Native people in early America developed cultural distinct , men were in charge of the fishing, hunting, jobs that were more exposed to violence, and the women stayed closed to the village, farming, and child bearing. The way of life possessed by natives Americans did not compel them to conquer and transform new land. As opposed to European colonizers, Native Americans subscribed to a more “animistic” understanding of nature. In which they believed that plants and animals are not commodities, they are something to be respected rather than used.

Native Americans flourished in North America, but over time white settlers came and started invading their territory. Native Americans were constantly being thrown and pushed off their land. Sorrowfully this continued as the Americans looked for new opportunities and land in the West. When the whites came to the west, it changed the Native American’s lives forever. The Native Americans had to adapt to the whites, which was difficult for them.

Merrell’s article proves the point that the lives of the Native Americans drastically changed just as the Europeans had. In order to survive, the Native Americans and Europeans had to work for the greater good. Throughout the article, these ideas are explained in more detail and uncover that the Indians were put into a new world just as the Europeans were, whether they wanted change or

Tribes such as the Aztecs and Incas were almost entirely wiped out by the conquistadors who took their land and riches. It was a mistake that could have been avoided, but the fact that it happened cannot be undone. Native American people are not told that they have no place in society. As many other ethnic people have done, they have the opportunity to hold onto their past while becoming a part of something bigger. The United States holds stories of pain, suffering, and hardships, but it takes all of these unique perspectives and it blends them together.

They tell stories generation to generation. As in “Smoke Signals” Thomas is a very deep blood native American who still tells old stories and follows along the culture very well, but in victors’ case he grew up becoming more modernized and not really caring about his ancestors and traditions. In your typical Indian movie, you have mean

Losing one’s cultural knowledge, and therefore the reality of their culture, allows others to have control over their collective and individual consciousness as well as their destiny. In this case, it is clear that the United States government has had the dominant relationship over the Native

Their history has literally been wiped out right before their eyes due to very cruel actions that have wiped out all the natives. Leaving only a few to be able to carry on this culture. This land is their land before all and having been taken from them by force. Not only was the land taken from them but almost all of their people were killed by settlers that came to conquer lands. This makes their youth today the only way to keep the last of their traditions alive. "

Compare and Contrast the Native American Culture Introduction The Native Americans were the original owners of the United States of America. However, due to the population increase in Europe, the European migrated to America in seek of land for farming, settlement, and spread their religion (Desai, n.p). The two communities lived together and interacted with each other.

Before the Spanish ship that changed it all, which arrived in the “New World” in 1492, thriving organized communities of native people had centuries of history on the land. That ship, skippered by Christopher Columbus, altered the course of both Native American and European history. 1492 sparked the fire of cultural diffusion in the New World which profoundly impacted the Native American peoples and the European settlers. Prior to European contact, Native Americans lived as hunter-gatherers, living and traveling in groups of typically less than 300 people. These Native Americans spoke over 400 languages and practiced a myriad of different religions (The American Pageant).