Imagine
40,000 years ago
... the last great ice sheet still covers much of the
north. You are a hunter with your family, tracking animals for food
and for hides to make warm clothing. You carry a stone-tipped spear.
On foot, you follow wild herds through the cold and fog. You cross a
bridge of ice. On the other side, you find a new land. You do not know
that it is a new land. You only know that there are no human enemies
to stop you.
You keep pushing south, following the herds. You
find paradise - elk, deer, bison, wild vegetables, wild fruits - and
forests, with so many trees - and squirrels and rabbits. Fish leap
from the streams.
As time goes by, other people find their way
across the frozen land.
Many years pass. The ice begins to melts. Now
there is a wide strip of water where once there was a walkway of thick
ice. Still, people find their way across the Bering Strait in boats of
bark and hide ...
Early
immigrants
For many hundreds of years, people wandered into
the great northwest. They wandered in all directions across Canada and
the United States. These early people were not only skilled farmers,
they were also clever builders, engineers, and weavers. They made
artistic pottery without a pottery wheel. They loved games of skill.
They created stories and poetry. Although they spoke many different
languages, and had many different customs, they had at least one thing
in common - they were all immigrants.
Native Americans are not actually natives. They
are immigrants, like everyone else in this country. Some scientists
say the first people arrived in the United States over forty thousand
years ago from Asia, crossing the frozen sea. Some say twenty thousand
years ago. It is safe to say that Native American culture is really
old, as old as that of Ancient
China.
How do we know about these
early people?
Typically, when we first study an ancient
culture, we look at the artifacts they left behind. But there is not
much left. The early people of the Americas believed in using things
they found in nature. They did their best to disturb nature as little
as possible. Scientists have found pictographs carved on rocks, which
tell us some things, but not nearly enough.
And normally, we look at oral histories and
ancient proverbs, both of which can tell us a great deal about the
daily life and beliefs of the people who created them.
But things are
not that easy when exploring ancient American cultures. Many oral
histories were lost when European explorers and settlers came to the
Americas. They brought disease. The People became ill with smallpox
and other diseases. Many died. Much was lost. As for proverbs ...
Native Americans did not use proverbs to teach
their children about their beliefs and culture. They used games,
myths, dance, and impersonation, all of which are a very fun way to
learn.
Today ...
Today, there are over 500 federally recognized
tribes in the United States alone. Tribes are ruled by representative
tribal governments. Native Americans today have a variety of jobs,
including doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, ministers, writers,
artists, and workers of all sorts. But they also hold jobs like tribal
leaders.
Neat frame houses have replaced former wigwams
and tepees. Kids go to public school. Some kids additionally attend
tribal school, especially tribal pre-school, where they learn about
their traditions. Much has been lost, but much has been saved through
the hard work of today's tribal leaders.
It's been an interesting study for us, one we
intend to continue. The more we learn, the more we want to learn about
the fascinating culture of these clever, creative, generous
individuals, who call themselves collectively "The People".
Come meet the early people of the Americas in
olden times. Learn what people invented to make themselves happy and
comfortable. Read fabulous myths! Play games. Meet mischievous magical
beings. Explore the daily life of the people who lived in the Americas
a long time ago - some of them right here, in your backyard.
Click
here and Visit
Native Americans in Olden Times
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