Southwest. The region that today encompasses The region that today encompasses west Texas west Texas...

Southwest

• The region that today encompasses

• west Texas• New Mexico• Arizona• southern California• northern reaches of Mexico

• Leading up to end of fifteenth century major change in the region

• Anasazis –Mesa Verde (Colorado) –Canyon del Muerto & Canyon De Chelley (Arizona)

–Chaco Canyon (New Mexico)

• Population of Chaco numbered 8000• Largest apartment complex in USA until

19th century

• In1300s society disappeared• Formed new towns, joined others or

vanished• Drought, war, illness?• Whatever caused change it

highlights one thing• Life was fragile and difficult in the

region• The spirits of the earth and sky had

to be appeased• Adaptation, adoption and change all

needed

• Largest current nation in the

region Navajo• Recent arrivals in 1492

–Language puts them originally in Northwest Canada

• Adjusted culture to the region• Materially in manner they

extracted a living from the region

• But also through stories

•Emergence into a fourth world

•Blanca Peak, Mount Taylor, San Francisco peaks, La Plata Mountains

•4 sacred mountains delineating their boundaries

• Other nations in the region - Hopi and Acomas

• Known as the Pueblos due to their housing form

• Many villages occupied for hundreds of years

• Period allowed for expansive towns with linked houses

• Helpful against severe weather and attacks

• Often on the top of Mesas

• Region afflicted by short growing season, sandy soil, uncertain water

• Despite this, a successful economy based upon agriculture

• Highly organized and developed ceremonial process

• With proper homage they ensured– Rain and good harvests

• Ceremonies also cemented social order

• Ceremonies lasted from a few hours to a week or more

• Time split between public events in plaza and smaller events in Kivas

• Leaving the Kiva, represented emergence from a lower world

• Different forms representing different animals appeared

• Ceremonies contained great solemnity and great humor

• All aimed a reinforcing the idea of harmony and balance within life and society

Stuff

Early American Towns

•Arriving colonists often represented Native Americans as

•Wandering Nomads–Remember my caution over the word

•But Urban America existed before the arrival of Europeans

Pueblo Bonito: 600 – 850 rooms Built A.D. 919-1085

Cliff Palace Mesa Verde – A.D. 700-1150200 rooms/ 20 Kivas

Cahokia pop. 10,000 – 30,000 A.D. 1050 -1250

Philadelphia 1763 23,000

Car

• Taos Pueblo• People living in

it in 1540 – • present

Hochelaga-Present day Montreal

Indian Village of Secoton

• “rype corne”

• “greene corne”

• “corne newly sprung”

Back to the Southwest

• Another group of Athapaskans in the region

• The Apache• Around 1492 Apache still

moving southward • splitting into the people known

today as:• Jicarilla, Lipan, Chiricahua,

Mescalero

Yuman language people

•Extended from central Arizona

• to the Mohave desert in eastern California

• Yavapais, Havasupais,–North and western Arizona

Yavapai• Occasionally winter allowed

for temporary settled communities

• usually a nomadic group following food seasons

• Wandered across miles of land and thousands of feet in different elevation

Havasupai

• Around 100 A.D. moved into Cataract Creek Canyon

• Part of Grand Canyon• Divided time between hunting and

gathering on Plateau during Winter• Summers on the canyon floor with

irrigated field• “People of the Blue Water”

• Recently one nation from this region has hit the headlines• The Haluspai

• In Colorado River region largest group were• Mohave• Used river overflow to grow corn and beans• Caught fish in the river

– Supplied a sufficient diet and allowed for other opportunities

• Symbolic warfare• Based on honor as reward rather than

territory• As with many other groups certain people

through dreams were able to gain power to help in warfare

Southern California• Mountainous lands rimming the Pacific

Ocean• People linked through Uto-Atecan

Language group– A categorization of origin

• Nations developed in different ways• Strong territoriality• Defending not boundaries but food

and other resources

• Eg• Ancestors of the Luiseño

– Gathered food from Ocean and coast• Acorns• Major part of diet • Contained large amount of tannin –

bitter • In order to remove this several steps

were necessary– Take hull of acorn– Crush the nut with stone pestle– Leach out tannin with repeated pouring of

warm water

• The climate of Southern California– (before over population and smog)

• Was bountiful • Allowed free time• Led to development of a

“warrior” culture• With ceremonies to prepare

people with strength and courage

• Late teenage years• Boys lay in pit while adult

men let loose ants on his body–Had to stay still suffering numerous bites

• Eventually allowed to stand and ants were dusted off

• With nettles

• Chumash• Santa Barbara region went as far south

as ….. • Malibu (a Chumash word)• Highly skilled hunters and fishermen –

Ocean going canoes• Harpooned sea lions seals otter,

swordfish• Also settled on offshore islands• Ceremonies reflect this duality• Swordfish and Barracuda dances• Bear dances

Northeast

• We Six Nations of Indians feel we have potentially a superior social system to that of the United States. If only we were left alone, we could redevelop our society . . . Which was old in democracy when Europe new only Monarchs.

• Ernest Benedict. Mohawk, 1942

• Iroquois are a confederacy of 5 later 6 Nations

• Symbolized by their housing• A multi-family dwelling • Longhouse

• Not always that way

• “Three sisters”

• Corn, Beans & Squash

• Arrived in Northeast pre 1000 A.D.

• Became a major part of life style in northeast

• 1536 Cartier visited Hochelga

• When they left the town gave Cartier fish & bread

• “throwing so much of it into our longboats that is seemed to rain bread”

• Arrival did two things• 1) Brought prosperity,

population, and power • 2) Brought new political

factions• Led to an increase in conflict• Fueled by “Mourning Wars”

–Never-ending warfare

• An Onondaga chieftan, know to us today as

• Hayenwathea or Hiawatha• Lost three daughters • Tadadaho, an Onondaga

Shaman –Possibly responsible

• Instead of revenge decided to break cycle

• Wandered in forests in grief

• Deganwidah – Huron

• Eased Hiawatha’s grief

• Words of condolence and beads of Wampum

• Symbolically wiping away tears and returning wisdom

• Rituals became the way in which the Iroquois dealt with outsiders

• Daganwidah and Hiawatha composed “Laws of Peace” – recorded on a wampum belt

• Travelled throughout nations• Mohawk• Oneidas• Cayugas• Senecas• All agreed

• Only hold out• Tadadaho

– The Onondaga Shaman

• Hiawatha combed the snakes out of his hair

• Eased his torment

• 5 nations agreed to unite in common defense

• Each nation retained control of local affairs

• But acted through the Grand Council at Onondaga for common or national affairs

Jump ahead• 1744 Treaty of

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

• Canasatego, Onondaga Sachem

• Frustrated at bickering between Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland

• “We heartily recommend Union and good agreement between you…

• Our wise forefathers established union and amity between the Five Nations; this has made us formidable; this has given us great weight and authority with out neighbouring nations.

• We are a powerful Confederacy; and, by your observing the same methods our wise forefathers have taken, you will acquire fresh strength and power.”

• It would be very strange thing if Six Nations of ignorant savages should be capable of a scheme for such a union, and be able to execute it in such a manner as that is has subsisted ages, and that appears indissoluble; and yet that a like union should be impracticable for ten or a dozen English Colonies.

• 1751

Congressional Record -- SenateWednesday, September 16, 1987 100th Cong. 1st Sess.133 Cong Rec S 12214

• RESOLVED BY THE SENATE (THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCONCURRING), That:

• (1)     The Congress, on the occasion of the 200th Anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution, acknowledges the historical debt which this Republic of the United States of America owes to the Iroquois Confederacy and other Indian Nations for their demonstration of enlightened, democratic principles of government and their example of a free association of independent Indian nations;

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