FYI: This is an essay I wrote this week in American History on different types of Indians. It turned out so well I thought that you might enjoy reading it. ~Photobug
When the Indians crossed the Land Bridge from Asia into the Americas they dispersed into many different types of tribes. Two large groups of Indians were the Eastern Woodland Indians living in America’s northeast, and the Southwest Indians living around Arizona. Just like these people groups lived at long distances from each other, so were their customs.
The Indians living in New England were called the Algonquin. There were many tribes in the Algonquin, including the Seneca. The Seneca had a democratic government, with the chief at the head and councilors and elders to advise him. Everyone voted, and the Indian women got to elect some of the council.
Everything went through the female line. So when you were married, you would take the female’s last name, not the males. And divorce? All the female had to do was to place his belongings outside of the wigwam and the marriage was over.
The Algonquin believed that there was one Great Spirit, and that everything had a soul or spirit. When you died you would live again in a world similar to this one, only that in this second world there was no sorrow and only joy.
All of the Algonquin lived in a cold climate. They were a semi-nomadic people, following the animals and usually camping beside a river. As the animal moved up the river, so would they. They lived in rectangular houses with birch bark, and leaves for the insulation.
To bathe the Algonquin built sweat houses. They would make the sweat houses as hot and steamy as they could, then go into the building. They would stay there in the burning heat as long as they could, then dash into the nearby cold stream. Then they would go back into the sweat house, and repeat performance. This is how they would bathe.
The Algonquin were good hunters. They would trap animals, and even stalk moose by foot on snowshoe! Moose provided much of the Algonquin’s clothing. In the summer they would wear breech cloths, and turkey down coats kept them warm in the winter.
In fact, you may have spoken the Algonquin language and not known it! They gave us words such as moose, wigwam, tomahawk, and moccasin. These northeastern tribes were unique in that they all spoke the same language. In other places, one Indian tribe would not know the language of another tribe just down the trail!
The Iroquois were another Algonquin tribe. They were the Romans of the Indians. They would let other tribes assimilate into their tribe, thus creating their great empire.
The Indians of Southwest North America were entirely different. We know much about them, since their communities have been preserved and we can now study them.
One of the Indian tribes in the Southwest was the Hopi tribe. Hopi means “the peaceful ones”. They farmed on the black mesas of Arizona. In contrast to the Algonquin, the Hopi pretty much stayed in one place, raising crops. They also had an irrigation system to water their crops when needed.
Another tribe in the Southwest was the Navajos. The Navajo were actually not originally from the Southwest; their language is related to the language of Indians in Canada. However, the Navajo moved south and the Hopi assimilated the Navajos into their culture, thus sharing common beliefs. One ancient story goes that way back in time that there were many, many monsters. Monster-killers came, and slew all of the monsters except four: poverty, hunger, old age, and dirt. The Indians believe that the rock formations in Arizona are the burial places of the slain monsters and hold these places scared to this day. The Navajo also dwelt in pueblos.
In conclusion, there are several differences between the Indians of the American Northeast and those of the Southwest. The Algonquin moved about and hunted animals; the Hopi and Navajo stayed in Arizona to farm. There were different beliefs, the Algonquin’s Great Spirit, and the Hopi’s slain monsters. The Algonquin lived in houses of birch and leaves; the Navajo lived in pueblos. And finally, of course, the Algonquin lived in the cold Northeast while the Hopi and Navajo dwelt in the sweltering Southwest.
The Indians living in New England were called the Algonquin. There were many tribes in the Algonquin, including the Seneca. The Seneca had a democratic government, with the chief at the head and councilors and elders to advise him. Everyone voted, and the Indian women got to elect some of the council.
Everything went through the female line. So when you were married, you would take the female’s last name, not the males. And divorce? All the female had to do was to place his belongings outside of the wigwam and the marriage was over.
The Algonquin believed that there was one Great Spirit, and that everything had a soul or spirit. When you died you would live again in a world similar to this one, only that in this second world there was no sorrow and only joy.
All of the Algonquin lived in a cold climate. They were a semi-nomadic people, following the animals and usually camping beside a river. As the animal moved up the river, so would they. They lived in rectangular houses with birch bark, and leaves for the insulation.
To bathe the Algonquin built sweat houses. They would make the sweat houses as hot and steamy as they could, then go into the building. They would stay there in the burning heat as long as they could, then dash into the nearby cold stream. Then they would go back into the sweat house, and repeat performance. This is how they would bathe.
The Algonquin were good hunters. They would trap animals, and even stalk moose by foot on snowshoe! Moose provided much of the Algonquin’s clothing. In the summer they would wear breech cloths, and turkey down coats kept them warm in the winter.
In fact, you may have spoken the Algonquin language and not known it! They gave us words such as moose, wigwam, tomahawk, and moccasin. These northeastern tribes were unique in that they all spoke the same language. In other places, one Indian tribe would not know the language of another tribe just down the trail!
The Iroquois were another Algonquin tribe. They were the Romans of the Indians. They would let other tribes assimilate into their tribe, thus creating their great empire.
The Indians of Southwest North America were entirely different. We know much about them, since their communities have been preserved and we can now study them.
One of the Indian tribes in the Southwest was the Hopi tribe. Hopi means “the peaceful ones”. They farmed on the black mesas of Arizona. In contrast to the Algonquin, the Hopi pretty much stayed in one place, raising crops. They also had an irrigation system to water their crops when needed.
Another tribe in the Southwest was the Navajos. The Navajo were actually not originally from the Southwest; their language is related to the language of Indians in Canada. However, the Navajo moved south and the Hopi assimilated the Navajos into their culture, thus sharing common beliefs. One ancient story goes that way back in time that there were many, many monsters. Monster-killers came, and slew all of the monsters except four: poverty, hunger, old age, and dirt. The Indians believe that the rock formations in Arizona are the burial places of the slain monsters and hold these places scared to this day. The Navajo also dwelt in pueblos.
In conclusion, there are several differences between the Indians of the American Northeast and those of the Southwest. The Algonquin moved about and hunted animals; the Hopi and Navajo stayed in Arizona to farm. There were different beliefs, the Algonquin’s Great Spirit, and the Hopi’s slain monsters. The Algonquin lived in houses of birch and leaves; the Navajo lived in pueblos. And finally, of course, the Algonquin lived in the cold Northeast while the Hopi and Navajo dwelt in the sweltering Southwest.
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