Though this is very appealing and beautiful, it was not as glamorous as our media storytellers made it out to be. This is what it may have actually looked like.
Most Paleo Indians lived in small bands of fifteen to fifty people and stayed together for the summer but divided into smaller groups of one or two families for fall and winter. They moved constantly but usually stayed within informal boundaries. They partook in a variety of ceremonies and rituals, and practiced reciprocity.
I find it interesting how many people instinctively imagine the latter image when asked about what they thought of the first Native Americans. Studies done to show the actual culture make a much more interesting story than movies show society. Granted it was not ever really as action packed, it was exciting in the sense of progress and discovery. The culture of these people portrays a lot of the more simplistic instinctive traits in societies today. It may be safe to say that society has dwindled and gone astray from the one straightforward path, but the roots can still be seen in a majority of families.
Kinship ties bound all Native Americans. Gender roles were clear; “hunter-gatherer” or “gatherer-hunter” if you must. They demanded cooperation and order from members. All of these traits show in society today, but in extreme forms. Gender roles are still prominent stereotypes—granted they are highly frowned upon by a number of members. The demand for cooperation and order is evident in the way we built societies around laws and government. We love the stories we hear about those days through exciting thrillers about cowboys and Indians, but there was clearly much more to society in the beginning than a love story between the daughter of a Chief and a traveler. Developing this blog can hopefully bring some details to clarify more so the cultures we know so vaguely about—hopefully more so in my own thoughts seeing as I am a native of a different land.
note: this posting was created on August 30, 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment