Native Americans

Abenakis

     The Abenakis, pronounced AH-buh-nah-kee, means “people of the dawn.”  This tribe originates from Main, Vermont and New Hampshire, but their main reservations today are in Quebec.  The Abenakis left their homeland for Canada, due to the mass movement of European colonists.  Some Abenaki groups stayed in the northeast part of the United States, under the rule of Graylock.  Graylock, also known as Wawanolewat (“he who fools others”), was a famous chief of the Abenaki people that never gave into any proposals or offers by the white colonist; he only wanted war.  Different reservations of The Abenkis tribe have their own government and rules, but each reservation today has to follow the Canadian government or the United States government.  There is still a very prominent reservation of Abenaki people in main called the Cowasuck Band.  Paul W. Pouliot is the current chief and president of this reservation. Most of the Abenaki tribe speaks English or French currently, but their native language was Abnaki-Penobscot.  They lived in Wigwams (tepee shaped buildings built out of birchbark) and traveled by birchbark canoes.  Some traditions in the Abenakis tribe are storytelling, fathers showing their kids how to hunt and fish, and putting newborn babies in cradleboards: a type of carrier that is put on the mothers back.

           










Apache

     The Apache Tribe is located in the southwest parts of the United States including Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. .”  There is still around 30,000 Apahe’s living in these areas today.  There is a White Mountain Apache tribe still around today that runs the Hon-Dah casino in Arizona.  The Apache Tribe was originally called themselves the Ndee, but eventually adapted to the name Apache, which means “enemy.”  Just like the Abenakis, the Apache live on different reservations with their own laws.  Each reservation has a chief, and each chief is part of the Apache council.  The Apache council negotiates between different Apache tribes and makes decisions for the Apache tribe as a whole.  Most Apache people can speak English and their Apache language.  Many of the Apache Tribes lived in Wickiups: tepee like structured buildings framed by wooden branches and covered by brush or buffalo-hide.  Important figures in the Apache tribe were Cochise, TY Vicenti and Geronimo.  Both of these people were famous chiefs that were known for their resilience against European colonist.  Ty vicenti is the current president of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.  Some traditions with Apache children are running foot races, playing with dolls and archery games.  Women had the role of maintaining their family’s home, by cleaning, cooking, taking care of the children, and repairing it.  The men were hunters, warriors, and leaders.  Traditional clothing of the Apache Tribe was Buckskin dresses for the Women and Breechcloths for the men.

Sioux

     The Sioux nation is located in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota.  A lot of Sioux people today live mainly in the South and North Dakota.  The Sioux people are split into seven different tribes that have their own rules and regulations, but they still have to follow U.S. laws.  Members of the tribes elect one person to be the leader of the tribe, know as the “itancan” (means chief).  A famous Itancan of one of the Sioux tribes was Tatanka Iyotanka, also know as Chief Sitting Bull.  He was known for his ability of using sarcasm and his ability to peaceful at times, but also ready to take action at other times.  He was very straight forward, and only his decision was the right one.  Albert White Hat was a current Sioux member that became famous for translating the Lakota Language in Hollywood films and being a activist for the Sicanju Lakota.  A Sioux tradition in the past was for the older children to make their own sticks out of wood and string and play lacrosse.  Traditional clothing the Sioux people wore were breechcloths, leggings and moccasins in bad weather. The Sioux people used many different weapons in battle, but the most common weapon was the Sioux Indian Bow.  They used this bow in battle and to hunt buffalo.

Cherokee

     The Cherokee People lived mainly in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas and Kentucky.  They were originally the Aniyunwiya, but slowly adapted the name Cherokee as more and more white settlers came.  The Cherokee were forced out of their homeland and sent to Oklahoma or Texas by president Andrew Jackson.  This long journey is known as the Trail of Tears, where many Cherokee’s were unprepared for the cold weather and thousands of people died.  Duwali (Chief Bowl), a famous Cherokee chief, lead his people from North Carolina to eastern Texas with minimum casualties.  He was then able to reach an agreement with Mexican authorities to give him and his people their homeland in eastern Texas.  A more current famous Cherokee was Jack Dempsey, a professional boxer.  He was one of the top boxers at his time, and was an American heavy weight champion.  The Cherokee’s usually lived near rivers and built houses out of rivercane, plaster and used thatched roofs.  They also used rivercane to make traditional baskets and other crafts.  The Cherokee were also very into making pottery and gourd art.  There is still a very prominent Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma around today. This Nation has many programs to revive other Cherokee groups and to keep old-fashioned traditions going.

         

Navajo

            The Navajo tribe lived in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona.  The word Navajo means “farmlands,” since many of the Navajo’s were farmers.  The Navajo government is formed like many other Native American groups, where there is a chief that is elected by the tribal council.  One of the most famous Chiefs to ever be elected was Hoskininnie Begay.  He lead his people from being captured by the U.S. military for four years, until he found a safe zone in the Monument Valley, Arizona.  Navajo’s traditional gender roles were for the men to be warriors, hunters, and leaders and for the women to take care of the house.  Men made jewelry and women made rugs and traditional sandpaintings.  Navajo’s usually walked as their main form of transportation and used travois, a type of dog sled, to carry their possessions.  The Navajo Nation is still very alive today, with Chris Deschene as the president.  He is an engineer, attorney, veteran, and a community leader. 

       

Work Cited

     Redish, Laura, and Orrin Lewis. "Native American Facts for Kids." Native Americans Facts for Kids: An American Indian Website for Children and Teachers. Native Languages of the Americas Website, 1998. Web. 09 Jan. 2015.

     "Indigenous Voices of the Colorado Plateau." Cline Library. Northern Arizona University, 2005. Web. 10 Jan. 2015.

"Native Americans." Native Americans. AAANativeArts, 1999. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.