American History

Amerika Sebelum Revolusi

2013-04-25T06:53:00.001-07:00

jauh sebelum saat berlangsung revolusi amerika, amerika adalah sesuatu benua yang tidak bertuan. dianggap masyarakat asli amerika datang dari asia yang bermigrasi saat zaman es. saat es mencair, maka benua asia serta amerika lantas terpecah. masyarakat inilah yang lantas jadi suku asli amerika. dapat dilihat, suku indian di amerika mempunyai cii-ciriistik fisik yang serupa dengan orang asia.

pada 1499 serta 1502, seorang pelaut italia bernama amerigo vespucci lakukan perjalanan untuk mendapatkan dunia baru. waktu tersebut, ia terdampar ke sesuatu pulau besar, yang tidak terduga ini. dikarenakan dikira sebagai penemu benua ini, maka benua itu diberi nama amerika, layaknya namanya.

sejarah revolusi amerika tidak lepas dari penemuan christopus colombus pada benua amerika. pada 1492, christopus berbarengan beberapa awaknya berlayar menuju asia serta timur jauh, tetapi dengan rute sebaliknya dari perjalanan yang biasa dikerjakan. perihal itu juga untuk menunjukkan teori mengenai bahwa bumi ini bulat. saat itu didukung keuangan dari raja ferdinand serta ratu isabella dari spanyol.

didalam perjalanan, colombus yang mengira sudah tiba di india, lantas mendapatkan amerika serta menamakan suku asli sebagai suku indian. bencana ini lantas diawali. colombus yang awalannya memperoleh sambutan baik dari rakyat setempat, mulai lakukan penjajahan serta mengambil hak atas tanah mereka. selanjutnya, colombus membentuk sesuatu koloni kecil di hispaniola yang terdiri dari tiga puluh sembilan krunya. colombus serta kru yang lain lantas kembali ke spanyol membawa emas, rempah-rempah dan masyarakat asli sebagai budak.

pada th. selanjutnya, colombus kembali ke amerika berbarengan satu 1/2 ribu pendatang baru. perihal itu bikin, beberapa orang eropa yang selanjutnya bermigrasi ke benua amerika. sesudah zaman colombus berlalu, jaques cartier lantas meneruskan pembuatan koloni di amerika utara pada 1541. tepatnya di quebec dekat perkemahan suku ironquis. pada 1587, koloni selanjutnya dibikin oleh sir walter raleigh. tetapi, koloni tersebut senantiasa alami pertikaian dengan suku ironquis.

pertikaian yang berlangsung bikin bangsa eropa meragukan amerika sebagai area huni yang layak. didalam situasi tersebut, di inggris mulai bermunculan kongsi dagang yang pingin bikin koloni di amerika. pada kongsi dagang itu tertarik dengan kekayaan alam yang dimiliki amerika sisi utara. perihal itu pastinya bisa beruntung mereka dengan investasi ( penanaman modal ).

pertimbangan tersebut bikin parlemen inggris selanjutnya berikan hak penuh unutk kongsi dagang tersebut. koloni tersebut terdiri dari :

koloni perancis yang mempunyai lokasi dari tempat aliran sungai mississippi di sebelah selatan, dan anak sungainya sampai kanada.

koloni inggris memegang lokasi yang berbatasan dengan lautan atlantik di sebelah timur, dan serta pegunungan alleghary di sebelah barat. koloni inggris di utara ini berbatasan dengan koloni perancis. di sebelah selatannya, koloni inggris berbatasan dengan koloni spanyol.

saat akhir abad ke-17, banyak bangsa dari negara eropa yang lain yang selanjutnya berhimpun untuk pembentukan koloni ke amerika. migrasi besar-besaran yang berlangsung di lokasi eropa daratan, skotlandia, dan irlandia itu dikerjakan dikarenakan mereka jadi tidak senang dengan sistem pemerintahan di negara tiap-tiap. selanjutnya, di amerika mereka mesti berbaur dengan bangsa inggris yang mendahulu serta sesama imigran. berlangsunglah perpaduan budaya yang selanjutnya melahirkan ciri khas bangsa amerika yang tidak sama dengan inggris.

setiap koloni juga mempunyai kebebasan untuk bikin hukum sendiri, lakukan perjanjian dengan masyarakat setempat, dan memililih gubernur sebagai pemimpin pemerintahan. walau demikian, setiap koloni harus membayar pajak pendapatan pada pemerintah kerajaan inggris.

orang-orang eropa berhimpun didalam koloni di amerika dikarenakan sebagian factor.

pingin melacak kebebasan dari ikatan hukum dua agama, yakni katolik serta protestan. dimana ke-2 agama tersebut dikira mempersempit area gerak mereka.

pingin melacak dunia baru. perihal ini lantas memunculkan selisih pada sebagian negara. dimana inggris serta perancis senantiasa terlibat didalam persaingan memperebutkan tempat baru di amerika.

kedepannya setiap koloni ini dapat berkembang serta mempunyai sistem pemerintahan sendiri. dengan timbulnya keperluan dari setiap tempat, selanjutnya dapat menyebabkan berlangsungnya revolusi amerika.

The Declaration of Independence

2009-11-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

If you had to think of one document other than the Bible that people can most easily quote almost without thinking about it, that one document would be the Declaration of Independence. The comparison to the Bible is apt. Not that the Declaration of Independence is holy in a religious sense of the word. But it has a place of reverence in the hearts of the American people and in the history of the founding of this great nation.

While not the first words of the Declaration of Independence, these stirring words have that kind of prophetic power that anyone who hears them in immediately inspired by the beauty, the poetry and the deep truths that were so beautifully expressed in that historic document.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This one statement from that famous declaration so beautifully demonstrates some core principles that show why this document has such a deep impact on the American mind and heart. The statement that the truths in this document were indeed truths is a profound statement in its own right. The Declaration of Independence does that suggest that what is being declared in those pages are theories, possibilities, even political ideology. These are truths which puts them on the same value as statements of values as often taught in a religious setting. Truths are eternal values and values that are not changed by circumstances, by whomever or whatever is handling the government of the land or by the whim of lawmakers. These truths exist above those temporal earthly ideas and live on that plain of the eternal.

“Self evident” is a powerful phrase and it reflects on the founder’s belief in what was called natural law. Natural law is the belief system that there are laws that are part of our natural state of existence and that they cannot be taken away (inalienable). These laws are our rights as creations of the almighty and any government system must recognize these laws because they are above government. It is a basic belief system of the American system that ALL people are entitled to these rights and that they cannot be taken away.

The mention of a creator in the declaration of independence is very important because there are those who would maintain that the separation of church and state tells us that the government is at heart a secular institution. Clearly the founders did not lay the foundation of our country on that groundwork. They saw the inheritance we as Americans have in our rights and freedoms to be part of our legacy from God and as such, above the government and something the government must back off and leave alone as well as prettiest and defend.

The Declaration of Independence is truly an amazing document especially when you consider the “primitive” state of the nation when it was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed on July 2, 1776 to become the backbone of our American system of government. It became an often referenced and quoted document, even becoming a part of President Lincoln’s famous inaugural speech when he said with such deep conviction…

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Because these words are such a deep part of our American heritage, American history and the American spirit, they are often a crucial center part of any study of history in the schools in this country. That is why school children in every state are so familiar with these words.

But it would do us all well to take some time once a year or so and take our copy of the Declaration of Independence and read it either as a private moment of reflection nor with our families. What a wonderful fourth of July tradition that would make. Then as you watch the fireworks celebrating the birth of the country and its independence, you will have those words fresh in your heart to remind you that it was our creator that gave us our freedoms and independence and nobody has the right to ever take them away.

The American Cowboy

2009-11-29T09:55:00.000-08:00

Americans have a unique vision of themselves and their role in the world. Unlike perhaps any other peoples in history, Americans see themselves as people of destiny and a people who were put here to do something phenomenal and something significant for history and for all peoples of the earth. This unique self-concept, sometimes perceived as arrogance, is deeply grounded in a set of archetypes that Americans use to form their vision of themselves in the world. And no other archetype is as powerful in the American psyche than that of the cowboy.

The actual American cowboy was indeed a unique individual. While probably not as noble and ruggedly handsome as the images created of him in the movies, they were unique types of men who carved out a civilization from the rugged wilderness that was the American west in the years before the turn of the last century.

Some of the reasons that the image of the cowboy sometimes includes elements of the outlaw and the loner is that much of the legend of the cowboy came from stories of refugees from the broken southern army who took to the life of the cowboy rather than attempt to integrate into a society that included making peace with “the Yankee”. And that type of individual certainly did account for many of the outlaws who went on to become the stuff of legend and stories even to this day.

The renegade and loner image combined with the rough life of an actual cowboy whose job it was to guide those huge herds of cattle along trails such as the historic Cumberland trail where they could be sold to become the steaks, leather and other goods that were sold in rustic American stores of the time. This was a difficult life and the stories of the trail make up many history books for sure. But far more of the stories of the trail are glorifications of that lifestyle that must have been difficult indeed.

But the image of the cowboy was also something that grew larger than what the actual lifestyle of those simple but rugged men must have lived in the American west. It was an image that pulled together heroes as far flung as the Australian Gaucho cowboy, the Japanese Samurai and a knight in King Arthur’s court. It was an image of a man who demonstrated the rugged individualism that all Americans consider to be one of the central unifying traits that makes America great.

The cowboy image is one that even has its influence as high in the social strata of America that it influences the presidency. It is said that there is a tradition for any president when he first is elected and comes to Washington to begin learning this big new job. Tradition h olds that each president has as part of their early duties to sit down and watch the movie High Noon. They say that President Clinton watched it dozens of times in his early years. If this is true, it accounts for how often a new president seems to grow and change in the office and becomes his own version of the great American hero that is depicted in that movie. The American cowboy defends the virtue of the weak and helpless. He is a staunch defender of families and those in society who are trying to carve out a home in a difficult world. As such, the American cowboy fits with the “superhero” image that also appeals to the American system of justice and morality and values.

Even the star wars epic films were fundamentally grounded in the legend of the cowboy. The cowboy concept grew up from a history of our country that included the settling of a big land and the settling of a wilderness that pit the god given will and intellect of man against God’s creation. And it was the will of man that prevailed. That is why American’s admire the cowboy because he represents their own struggles for greatness, for success and to be a heroic figure at least for their families, home towns and churches. And that desire so deeply rooted in the culture of American history will always be what makes America and Americans great.

Cowboy

Native American Dreamcatchers

2009-11-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

A dreamcatcher is a handmade object based on a hoop, incorporating a loose net and decorated with items unique to the particular dreamcatcher. In Native American culture, dreamcatchers were made as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that the dreamcatcher will catch bad dreams during the night, letting through only good ones.

Dreamcatchers are a authentic Native American Indian tradition, can be traced to the Ojibway (Chippewa tribe). The Ojibway would tie strands of sinew string around a frame of bent wood that as in a small round or tear drop shape. The pattern of the dreamcatcher would be similar to how the Ojibways tied the webbing for their snowshoes.

The Ojibway hang the dreamcatcher as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that the bad dreams will get caught in the web and disappear in the morning sun. Meanwhile, good dreams will find their way to the center of the dreamcatcher and float down the feather.

In the Ojibway tribe, dreams were so important that the children were not given name until after a person called as the “namer” of that child had a dream as to what the child should be name. The namer might give the child a charm woven look like a spider’s web in order to protect the baby’s dreams.

Dreamcatchers started to get popular in other Native American tribes such as Cherokee, Lakota and Navajo. Today, dreamcatchers are made in practically every Native American tribe in the United States and Canada. Native American event such as pow wows will also have authentic dreamcatchers for sale.

The dreamcacthers allegedly helps us remember our dreams. It is regarder by some as a serious tool that is much more than a decorative ornament. Hang the dreamcatcher ner the place where you sleep. Should your dreams become too active, simply lay the dreamcatcher down on a flat surface to render it inactive until you are ready to hang it up again. Beads, feathers and fetishes are not appropriate on a dreamcatcher as they interfere with the spiraling motion and can cause disturbing dreams.

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Native American Dream Catcher

Native American Pow Wow

2009-11-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

Pow wow is a fascinating gathering of Native American Indians which may last from days to a week. Pow wow is an important cultural expression of the Native American heritage.

The name pow wow derives from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning shaman. It has since come to be used to describe any gathering of Native Americans of any tribes. An early twenty-first century pow wow is a specific type of event held by Native Americans.

Pow wows have evolved from a formal ceremony of the past into modern blend of dance, family reunion and festival. Over time Pow wow traditions have adapted and changed into a bright, fast and exciting event geared towards Native Americans and visitors alike.

Pow wows can vary in length from a single session of 5-6 hours to three days with one to three sessions a day. Major pow wows or pow wows called for a special occasion can be up to one week long.

This occasion is filled with colorful regalia of the participating dancers from the different Native American Indian tribes. As the dancers parade around the arena, different kinds and types of regalia can be seen. Almost every Native American Indian wears feathers and beads, not just on their headdresses but also on their body apparel. Some of them display different kind of jewelry and even bells dangling on their attire.

The head dancers consist of the Head Man Dancer and the Head Woman Dancer, and often Head Teen Dancers, Head Little Boy and Girls Dancers, Head Golden Age Dancers, and a Head Gourd Dancer if the pow wow will be having gourd dancing. The head dancers are responsible for leading the other dancers during a song and often dancers will not enter the arena unless the head dancers are already out dancing. The head dancers also lead the other dancers in the grand entry or parade of dancers that opens a pow wow.

The Host Drum of the pow wow is a drum group responsible for providing music for the dancers to dance to. At an Intertribal pow wow generally two or more drums are hired to be the host drums, often a Host Northern Drum and a Host Southern Drum. Each drum has a Lead Singer who runs his drum and leads his singers while singing. Host drums are responsible for singing the songs at the beginning and end of a pow wow session, generally a starting song, the grand entry song, a flag song, and a veterans or victory song to start the pow wow, and a flag song, retreat song and closing song to end the pow wow. Additionally, if a pow wow has gourd dancing, the Southern Host Drum is often the drum that sings all the gourd songs, though another drum can perform them. The host drums are often called upon to sing special songs during the pow wow.

Pow wow is normally set up as a series of large circles. The center circle is the dance arena, outside of which is a circle consisting of the MC’s table, drum groups and sitting areas for dancers and their families. Beyond these two circles for participants is often an area for spectators, while outside of all are several rings of vendor's booths, where one can buy supplies, food, or arts and crafts.

The Pow wow begins with what is called the Grand Entry. All the dancers line up by dance style and age. Then they enter the arena while one of the host drums sings a special song. Pow Wows are full of Native American dancing, singing, educational displays, and authentic food. The pow wow is the Native American's way of expressing their cultural heritage. Most dancers seen at Pow Wows today perform social dances which might have had different meanings in earlier days.

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Native American Pow Wow

Native American Indian Beadwork

2009-11-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Long ago the Native American Indian decorated their garments with painted designs. They made colors with pigments of earth, grasses, clays, and berries. In time they began to make fine porcupine-quill embroidery, which they colored by boiling the quills in the paint pigments. Native American Indians also made beads from bone, shell, or dried berries. They fashioned the beads into necklaces or decorations for the fringes of their garments and bags.

About 1675 the European traders brought colorful glass beads to the tribes. The earliest beads brought by the white people were called pony beads by the Indians because they were brought in by the traders pony pack trains. Most of these beads were dark blue. Some were white and a few were a dull red color. The Indians worked them into several rows of blue, then a few rows of white and again the blues. This type of pony beadwork continued until about 1840, when a smaller seed bead was brought in. The Indians still use seed beads.

Originally these beads were not very plentiful. For this reason Indian women use a combination of both quills and beads. After beads became plentiful, the Indians did less of the beautiful quillwork, using it often as an edging for sleeve bands, and legging strips, which were embroidered with broad bead bands. Moccasins, too, carried this combination, but the entire top of the foot would be done in quills, with the narrow band around the foot beaded. These bead strips, or bands, were usually not more than eight beads wide.

THREE TYPES OF BEADWORK USED
For some years after beads were introduced to the Indians, sinew was used in place of needles and thread for beadwork. Sinew is a tendon, or cord. The Indians generally used the long sinew found along the backbone of buffalo, deer or elk.

After the sinew had dried, it was split into very fine threadlike strands. Next, it was soaked to make it pliable. Then, twisting one end to make a point, the Indian woman strung a few beads on it. With a fine awl, she made a hole in the skin she was working on, pushed the sinew through, and pulled the beads up tight. So well did she do her work that not a stitch could be seen on the reverse side of the skin. She did this by splitting the thickness of the hide with the awl.

Overlay, or Spot Stitch
One of the earliest methods of applying the beads is called the overlay, or spot stitch. By using this method, the Indian woman could curve her design, making it into either flowers or leaves or a combination of both.

Lazy Stitch
This type of beadwork was most often used by Western Indians. It lends itself to straight-sided, or geometric, designs, and is most often seen on fully beaded vests and pipe bags and on the tops of women’s dresses.

After the Indians began to obtain cloth from the traders, they also were able to get fine bead needles, and much of the beadwork, especially that of the woodland tribes, was done on cloth.

Loom Weaving
The earliest bead loom, use by the Ojibway women, was a bow-shaped ash branch. To each upturned end they fastened a doubled-over piece of birch bark. Through a row of holes made in these pieces they threaded the loom.

When they worked with sinew, they wove so that as the thread passed through the beads one strand passed over the loom string, the next passed under, and so on. When they used thread and needle, they strung the beads on the thread and then placed the strand under the loom threads, pushing the beads up between the strands. Next they passed the needle back through the beads, taking care this time that the needle passed across the loom strings on their upper side. The beads were then drawn up tight, and the next row was added.

This bow-type loom was easy for an Indian woman to carry with her, but at home she often used a frameliked loom. This was simply four flat pieces of wood lashed together at the corner with wet sinew. As the sinew dried, it held to corners firmly together. In stringing this type of loom, she wrapped the thread around and across the frame from top to bottom. Starting the beadwork near the top of the frame, she worked downward. When she reached the lower end, she gently slid the beadwork over the top.

Native American Beadwork

John F. Kennedy

2009-11-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

In the life of this great nation, a few of its presidents have emerged from the pack as truly historic and memorable even more than others. Of course, the presidents from the generation of the founding fathers certainly fit that bill including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. And presidents that served the country in times of great crisis also are deeply honored in memory. But in recent memory, there probably no other president that brings up emotions of respect and admiration as much as that of John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy seemed to capture the hearts of the American people in a way that was unique in presidents before or since. Part of it may have been the era in history that the country was in when he became the President of the United States. The historic time between 1950 and 1970 was a time when the largest generation of youth, now known as the “baby boomers”, was coming of age. With them a new youth movement brought a sense of optimism, a “can do” attitude and to some extent a sense of revolution. They were looking for new ways of seeing things, a new vision of the future and new leadership and John F. Kennedy was the perfect man of the hour to provide that leadership.

So much about Kennedy’s presidency has an aura of romance and almost a fairy tale excitement of it. From the naming of his family estates “Camelot” to the love affair that the public had with the strikingly beautiful presidential couple, Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy. That touch of magic extended to everything he did and virtually everybody in his family including his younger brother Robert who was idolized as well and almost certainly would have served as president had he not been tragically assassinated during his early bid for that office.

But this was not to say that Kennedy was not a phenomenal leader. He faced serious challenges. The Cuban Missile Crisis may have been one of the most frightening show downs between a nuclear Russia and a nuclear America that has ever happened in history. When it became clear that Russia was beginning to build bases in Cuba and arm them with those terrible weapons, this was no time for a weak president. Had Russia been able to bully Kennedy or intimidate the young president and put those missiles in Cuba, it seems certain that the outcome of the cold war would have been one of failure rather than success. But Kennedy was not bullied or intimidated and using the power of his office, Kennedy stood his ground and stood ground for all Americans and forced the Russians to remove those missiles.

But this was not the only great accomplishment of Kennedy’s administration. It took a leader who had great vision and ability to inspire a nation as nobody else than John F. Kennedy could to set the sights of the nation on landing on the moon. But Kennedy put that desire and that high calling in the hearts of his people and the nation rallied to finally see that man step out on the moon and declare, “This is one step for man, a giant leap for mankind.” That was one of the proudest days in American history and it was Kennedy who inspired us to that kind of greatness.

As much as the life and leadership of John F. Kennedy perfectly exemplified the optimism and youthful zeal of a generation, his tragic assignation changed the country forever as well. On that sad day of November 22, 1963 when Lee Harvey Oswald gunned down America’s beloved president, the hearts of Americans changed forever.

This was one of those days that almost everybody who was alive at the time, from school children to grandfathers remembered where they were when they heard the news. Since we laid to rest this great leader, the presidency itself has never been the same. While Americans will always respect their presidents, that sense of adoration for the man in the White House disappeared forever. But the thing that did not disappear was the ongoing adoration of the man, John F. Kennedy, who inspired a generation and a nation to look forward to greatness and in the famous words of his inaugural address in 1961…

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

John F. Kennedy

Native American Indian Music

2009-11-16T23:53:00.000-08:00

The music of the Native American Indians consists mostly of songs and dances. They have songs for games, children, love, work and social dancing. But most of their music is associated with some kind of religious activity.

RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES
Before 1900 the Plains Indians performed the ghost dance. It was supposed to drive away the hated white men and help the Native Americans get back their land and buffalo. It consisted mainly of singing and dancing. Although the Native Americans do not do the ghost dance anymore, they still sing the songs.

Ghost dance songs are different from other songs of the Plains Indians. They do not go very high or very low, and they repeat each phrase of melody before going on to the next. The older songs of the Plains Indians start very high and work their way down to a low, long, drawn-out tone. These songs are accompanied by a drum played loudly and slowly.

Another religious dance of the Plains Indians is the Sun dance. The Plains dance around a pole in the summer heat, singing and praying for good hunting. The Arapaho and Dakota Indians sing some of their most impressive songs during this dance.

Music is also used in ceremonies to heal the sick. One example is the famous Yeibichai, or night chant, of the Navajo Indians – ceremony lasting 9 nights. In addition to prayers it includes dances and songs sung by men with falsetto, or artificially high, voices.

Another example of healing by music comes from Yuma Indians of the southwestern United States. People who are feeling disturbed go to a hut away from their settlement for a few weeks. Here they make up songs. They think that the songs come to them in dreams or from the god that created the world. When they return, they feel cured.

Characteristic of Native American Indian Songs
Although they have no harmony and few melody-making instruments, the Native Americans do use intricate melodies. In the eastern United States the Shawnee and the Creek tribes have songs in which a short bit of melody is sung alternately by a leader and a group. This kind of singing is called responsorial.

In many tribes, especially those of the Plains Indians, the singers put a great deal of tension of their vocal chords. The result is a kind of frenzied, intense tone. In some of the Pueblo tribes, singing in a low, growling voice is preferred. Elsewhere, singing in a high voice is heard.

Many songs of the Plains Indians are made up of two parts. In the first part the singer starts high and gradually works his way down the scale, singing only meaningless syllables, such as “hey-hey” or “ho-ho”. Then he starts high again, singing the real words of the song. He ends on low tones, again with meaningless syllables.

A typical song of the Arapaho Indians has words like these: “Man, look up here, I am the bird,” and “Young man it is good that you are going on a war party; when you become a chief, you will be famous.”

TRIBAL MUSICIAN
Most members of a tribe participate in the musical life of the tribe. But there are usually no professional musicians. Often the people important in the religious ceremonies – the priests, shamans or witch doctors – are the leaders of the musical life. As in the vision quest of the Plains Indians, many young men make up songs.

Most members of a tribe can sing and know many songs, but not so many can play instruments. A good singer in one tribe may not be considered good in another tribe. Some tribes think the quality of the voice is most important. Others think it is the loudness.

Music as valuable treasures
Many Native American Indians tribes think of their songs as treasured possessions. They believe that a song belongs to a person. The owner of a song can give it away, sell it or pass it on his children. The Native Americans of the northwest coast buy and sell songs for large sums. They believe that music is something of the spirit and that a song has something to do with a person’s soul. So to give a song away, or even to let someone hear it, is to give away part of one’s soul.

Native American

Kokopelli: A Humpbacked Flute Player

2009-11-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Kokopelli is a fertility deity, who is worshipped by many Native American Indian tribes in the Southwest. And like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also thought to be a trickster god, traveling trader, insect, musician, warrior and hunting magician.

Kokopelli likeness varies almost as much as his legends. He is usually illustrated as a humpbacked flute player often with a huge phallus and antenna-like protrusions on his head. The first identified images of him appear on Hohokam pottery dated to sometime between 750 A.D and 850 A.D.

According to the Hopi myth, Kokopelli carries unborn children on his back and distributes them to women. He often takes part in rituals relating to marriage, and Kokopelli himself is sometimes depicted with a consort, a woman called Kokopelli-mana by the Hohokam and Hopi. At San Idelfonso, a Pueblo Village, Kokopelli is thought to be a wandering minstrel with a sack of songs on his back who trades old songs for new. An according to Navajo legend, Kokopelli is a God of harvest and plenty. It is thought that his sack was made of clouds full of rainbows or seeds.

Kokopelli may have originally been a representation of ancient Aztec traders, known as pochtecas, who traveled to the Southwest from northern Mesoamerica. These traders brought their goods in sacks slung across their backs and this sack may have evolved into Kokopelli's familiar hump. These traders also used their flutes to announce themselves as friendly as they approached a settlement. This origin is still in doubt, however, since the first known images of Kokopelli predate the major era of Aztec-Anasazi trade by several hundred years.

Another theory is that Kokopelli is actually an anthropomorphic insect. Many of the earliest depictions of Kokopelli make him very insect-like in appearance. The name "Kokopelli" may be a combination of "Koko", another Hopi and Zuni deity, and "pelli", the Hopi and Zuni word for the desert robber fly, an insect with a prominent proboscis and a rounded back, which is also noted for its zealous sexual proclivities. A more recent etymology is that Kokopelli means literally "kachina hump". Because the Hopi were the tribe from whom the Spanish explorers first learned of the god, their name is the one most commonly used.

A similar humpbacked figure is found in artifacts of the Mississippian culture of the U.S. southeast. Approximately 1200 to 1400 AD, water vessels were crafted in the shape of a humpbacked woman. These forms may represent a cultural heroine or founding ancestor, and may also reflect concepts related to the life-giving blessings of water and fertility.

Kokopelli is one of the most widely recognized images today. His images can be found on anything such as T-shirts, ball caps, key chains and so many more things. A bicycle trail between Grand Junction, Colorado and Moab, Utah, is now known as the Kokopelli Trail.

Native American

Thomas Jefferson

2009-11-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

Thomas Jefferson is one of those almost mythic figures from early American history that stand tall as one of the great heroes of the revolution and the early definition of what this country was going to become. Sometimes it’s easy to look at a figure that stands so tall in history and think, perhaps some of that is myth. But when you look at the history of the times, he was every bit as great as our adoration of him suggests he was.

Thomas Jefferson’s service to the new American union lasted over fifty years. He not only contributed to the core philosophical underpinnings upon which our democracy I based, he served in a variety of offices and made some phenomenal contributions to the developing country including…

* 1775 - Served in the Continental Congress
* 1776 – Wrote the Declaration of Independence
* 1779-1781 - Governor of Virginia
* 1783 – Elected to Congress
* 1784-1789 – Commissioner and minister to France
* 1790-1793 – America’s first Secretary of State under George Washington
* 1797-1801 – Served as Vice President of the United States
* 1801-1809 – Third President of the United States
* 1803 – Approved of and helped launch the Lewis and Clark Expedition
* 1803 – Purchased the Louisiana Territory for the United States
* 1815 – Launched the Library of Congress
* 1825 – founded the University of Virginia

This phenomenal record of achievement is virtually unmatched in any public service record of comparable public servants. But Jefferson’s contribution were more than just offices served, he was one or two or three key philosophical thinkers of his time that laid the ideological foundations of America.

It is impossible to overemphasize the accomplishment he writing the Declaration of Independence. This document has taken on such a central position in American history that it is viewed with the reverence usually reserved for religious documents. It so eloquently communicates the beliefs and the values of the American system of government that Jefferson can be seen as a true minister and prophet of those ideals.

Thomas Jefferson also believed strongly in Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion of the country as far as the Pacific Ocean. He provided the inspiration, the funding and the political muscle to launch the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition that was responsible for discovering vast new lands and treasures in the heartland of America and providing inspiration to a country to “go west young man” and to achieve that dream of becoming a nation that stretched “for sea to shining sea”.

Jefferson had a thirst for knowledge that was virtually unquenchable. He passed that passion for learning on in the building of the University of Virginia. But his contribution to education that has made such a huge mark on American society was the building of the American library system by which citizens of any community can have access to large volumes of information at no cost. It was an amazing experiment in public education. But today few of us can imagine a world where we cannot at any time just “go check it out at the library”. Libraries have become that central to the American way of life.

It seems that Thomas Jefferson made an impact on every aspect of society from the educational systems of the growing country to government and even making his viewpoints on religious freedom an important part of how America approached this crucial topic. The entire concept of “separation of church and state” was one that Jefferson championed.

It should be noted that in his writings it was clear that the separation of church and state works because it is there to restrict government from illegally restricting the religious rights of citizens. Sometimes we misinterpret Jefferson’s concepts that this governmental restriction is there to limit religious freedom when in fact, it is there to encourage all the religious freedom that the citizens of America need to honor and worship with complete openness and to never fear that the government will hinder who, what, when, where or how they go about expressing their religious ideas.

It’s important to look back at the genius of this man, Thomas Jefferson and be grateful that he was the man of the hour for such an important time in the development of the great nation of the United States of America.

The Legacy of Columbus

2009-11-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

If you thought back to the first things you ever learned about the history of America, the one that jumps out is that Columbus sailed the ocean blue and discovered America is 1492. While the date is correct, we later learned when our study of history became more scholarly that there is some dispute about whether Columbus discovered America at all. So what is the real legacy that this legend of Columbus has given to the American culture that has made him such a revered figure in cultural history?

So much of the Columbus story is approximate that, at first review, we would almost relegate the story of how Columbus discovered America to the level of a myth that borders on superhero worship. But Columbus was not a myth. There really was an explorer named Columbus who carried out three bold journeys across the ocean and during those journeys, he did indeed discover “the new world.” His ships really were named the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria and he did indeed embark one of those three voyages in 1492.

The legacy of Columbus then is more than just the facts of his exploratory journeys and their outcome. There is reason to believe that Columbus’s fabled “discovery of America” did not occur on North American soil but somewhat further south of here, somewhere in the Bahamas. But the legacy of Columbus lies in his spirit and the challenge he took on that is part of the American spirit and one we identify with so strongly.

Part of the legend was that Columbus embarked on this trip for the new world despite the prevailing “scientific” belief that the world was flat. Now research in recent times have surfaced sufficient documentation to show that sailors of that time never did believe that teaching. Their extensive knowledge of navigation and astronomy, which is crucial for any successful sea voyage, was sufficient for sailors to know that the earth was round and that they would never “fall off the edge.” However, the image of those brave men launching out to sea, against the advice of popular opinion, to find something new and exciting so connects with the American spirit of discovery and adventure that this myth persists as part of the legacy of Columbus.

Americans do have a tremendous sense of discovery and adventure and a deeply seated need to conquer new lands, to reach out beyond their own grasp and to do the impossible. This was the spirit of Manifest Destiny which gripped the nation long before there was any reason to believe that this meager band of colonists had the resources to settle a great nation. Americans always have had such a firm belief in themselves and a core faith that they could do the impossible. That part of the American spirit is what connects to Columbus’s setting out on these bold missions facing certain dangers so he too could discover new lands and have great adventures.

The legacy of Columbus also lies in the American desire to explore. Even though the source of the quotation is only a science fiction show, the “mission” of the fictional space ship “The Enterprise” sums up a deep desire in the heart of all Americans.

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Her five year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.

For Americans, the mission of James Kirk is a perfect restatement of the mission of Christopher Columbus. And it is the mission of America which has driven this country and its citizens to discoveries and achievements that have never been done before. It is that spirit of Columbus in all Americans that is one of the things that have made this country great.

Benjamin Franklin

2009-11-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when a country is just getting organized, its citizens are considered to be uneducated, out of touch or primitive. But exactly opposite was the truth when the great American experiment began to take shape. The world did not see America as provincial or simple and that is due to a large part to the work of the man many that many have called “The First American”. That man was Benjamin Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin stands out amongst those we would call “The Founding Fathers” because he was neither a military man nor a politician. He was one of the few we think of a one of our nation’s fathers that never served as president. But that does not mean that his contributions to the start of this great country were not profound and far reaching.

Benjamin Franklin could easily be described as what was popularly known in his day as a “renaissance man”. He was truly proficient in many fields of discipline and he had a mind that was fascinated with all areas of study and knowledge. As such he brought to the discussions with his fellow founding fathers a knowledge of political theory, an awareness of history and an ability to speculate on the perfect union that was crucial to the laying the conceptual foundation of what America would come to be when it blossomed into reality.

For many, we remember Benjamin Franklin as a great scientist and inventor. And to be sure he qualified in that realm as well. Every school boy or girl has that image of him flying that kite to capture electricity to test his theories that is so popular in our mythology of his accomplishments. But these images are no myth for Franklin was truly a great inventor contributing to the world such important innovations as the lightning rod, swim fins, the catheter, the harmonica and bifocals. In that way, Benjamin Franklin had as much in common with Michelangelo as he did with Thomas Jefferson and indeed he was in good company if listed with either.

But it was a political theorist and a philosopher that Franklin made huge contributions to the development of the American experiment in its early formations. It was he who was able to envision the concept of a new American nation. But his talents did not end at his ability to use his powerful mind to envision the future so well. He was also a talented communicator, writer and teacher so he was able to use his eloquence and magnetic personality to promote the idea of an American nation both within the colonies and internationally.

Benjamin Franklin was truly a citizen of the world as he was as comfortable in the courtyards of France as he was in the pubs of Boston. In fact, he was so popular on both sides of the Atlantic that he served as America’s first ambassador to France and therein lies one of his greatest contributions to the independence of the new country. He was able to use his vast popularity and his trained powers of persuasion to cause the French to enter the battle on the side of the colonies against the British which was a major contributor to the success of the revolution to free America from English control and launch the independent American nation.
Franklin’s writings have become treasured documents among the archives of this important time in American history. But just as much as his written work, his influence as a thinker, an intellectual and an international diplomat set the standard for others to follow after him and truly established America as a member of the international community of nations.

Abraham Lincoln

2009-11-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

We would like to think all of our presidents of the United States were truly great men and to be sure, just handling the awesome responsibility of the presidency takes a special kind of individual. One of the unique and great things about the system of government in America is the concept of citizen leadership. This is the idea of an ordinary citizen rising up and becoming president for a while and then returning to private life.

But of the handful of men who have held that office, a few have stood out for their great achievements and leadership in a time that changed the country for ever. And one of these truly great presidents was Abraham Lincoln. Probably more than any other president, Lincoln had to handle an internal civil war that was far more than shouting and name calling. This was a dispute that could have torn the country in half and starting a rupturing that could have resulted in dozens of small weak independent states instead of the powerful nation we know as America today.

It was Lincoln’s leadership, his commitment to values and his strong moral fiber that made it possible for America to find its way through that war and then to begin the healing process that would eventually lead the nation back to unity once again. Lincoln’s term of service from 1860 until his death was one of considerable challenge. If he only had the problem of dealing with the attempt by the south to succeed from the union and his ability to keep those states as part of the American national territory, he would be lauded as a great American indeed.

One of the little known leadership styles that Lincoln used to his advantage in the organization of his presidency was his appointment of talented national figures from opposing political parties to be part of his cabinet. Lincoln felt that he needed to have close advisors from the opposing viewpoint to keep from having his presidency become insulated from the American people and one sided. By gathering members of the “loyal opposition” into his trusted inner circle, Lincoln was always aware of both sides of every issue which made him a stronger leader.

But that is not even his greatest accomplishment or the one that we remember him for the most. His bold and unchanging opposition to slavery is without any doubt his greatest contribution to the history of America and indeed to world history as well. When he was willing to put everything on the line to stop this barbaric social sin, Lincoln made a stand, against the popular opinion of the time in many cases that he would be the figure to bring slavery to an end.

It was not a stand that came without cost. The civil war was one of the bloodiest and costliest in the nation’s history if for no other reason than all casualties; on both sides were casualties of America. It would take many decades for the ravages of that horrible war to be repaired. The schism between north and south continued for decades and is still a part of our national personality in this country.

But the end result was what Lincoln wanted to be his legacy. By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to make the end of slavery permanent, Lincoln followed that up with the passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments which made permanent the freedoms that were hard fought and won in the Civil War.

The freedom that was won for so many black Americans in that war permanently enshrined the memory of Abraham Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents in the hearts and minds of all Americans. Small wonder the monument honoring him on Washington’s national mall is one of the most revered spots in the nation and one that thousands flock to each year to give respect for this great president that made liberty and freedom a reality for all Americans, not just a few. And his face on Mount Rushmore is well deserved so the very mountain itself shouts out, this is one of the greatest leaders in the history of this great country.

PPPPP 700

Quilts In American History

2009-05-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Quilts have been a an expression of American women over the past hundred years. Quilts are being reappraised by historians, art critics and a growing public as a form and expression of American folk art. The creativity of generations of American women is gaining recognition for their quilts.

Quilts are no longer stored in closets and trunks. Happily quilts are finding their way back into our lives and homes. Many quilts can also be found on the walls of galleries and museums in the world. Quilts have come to be a remarkable design tradition which has developed in the United States, since colonial times.

By the mid-eighteenth century there were three distinct English needlework styles used in quilts which had found their way to America. First there was the appliqué covers, pieced patchwork (stitched shapes) and quilted whole cloth coverings.

In the 1770’s a religious revival movement called The Great Awakening was offering a more generous and loving picture of God. This was important in the story of quilting because it transferred the responsibility for moral and religious education directly from the clergymen to the women in the home. Women established an environment where training would be offered to America’s future citizens. The nineteenth century encouraged the creation of a well-ordered and comfortable domestic setting.

This new domestic way of life was the main reason for the development of needlework and quilting as occupations for women. By the 1800’s it was considered necessary and proper for a young lady to do needlework in order become a better homemaker and companion.

After the Revolutionary War and again after the War of 1812 the American market was flooded with manufactured goods. These included fabrics. It became family traditions for neighborhoods to gather for functions – these were often composed of women – needlework and quilting were take the shape of becoming what is known today as quilting bee’s.

Quilting took a social and involvement of entire family for weddings and births. Husbands and brides-to-be drew complex patterns on a quilt top or cut out templates from which patterns were cut. Grandmothers and children threaded needles and cut out patterns, while mothers sewed pieces together and quilted the op. A quilt represented the creative efforts of an entire family.

The manufacture of cotton was America’s first national industry. It became a well-applauded talent to make something beautiful out of a basket of old scraps, and the creation of a handmade quilt symbolized womanhood.

The growing middle classes with a network of women’s sewing circles, often associated with churches, became a reform. Quilts were made to benefit worthy causes. Together with continuing tradition of bees, quilting, get-togethers, fairs, and auctions, quilts were the new social acceptance.

American

American Family Foundation

2009-05-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Among the dozens of different groups that have sprouted over the years clamoring for various family-related issues, the American Family Foundation (AFA) has to be one of the most highly-visible and controversial of the lot. The groups has come a long way since being established as a wholly conservative, Christian non-profit organization in 1977 by Rev. Donald Wildmon. At that time, the group was known as the National Federation for Decency and it was based in Tupelo, Mississippi.

One of the areas where the AFA is visible is through the articles that it publishes regularly promoting traditional nuclear family values and the main tenets of Christianity. The group is known for its strong support for Christian missionaries and its intense hatred and opposition against abortion, homosexuality and pornography. They are also known for their role in promoting "clean entertainment" and for preaching the values of thrift and railing against excessive debt.

As an activist group, the AFA is one of the best-organized in the country, especially when it comes to launching boycotts and letter writing campaigns that promote traditional values that they hold dear. Among the more prominent boycotts that the group has undertaken are those against fashion company Abercrombie & Fitch (on the grounds that it uses "softcore pornography in company catalogs"), film distributor Movie Gallery (which it refers to as a "distributor of pornographic videos"), convenience store chain Kmart (for its role in the "Sale of adult-rated music CDs") and athletic brand Nike (for "promoting a back door move to legalize homosexual marriage").

Its track record of activism also includes major boycotts against popular TV shows, movies and businesses that it perceived to be promoting indecency. They have also set out on crusades against some well known and highly regarded consumer brands such as Crest, Volkswagen, Tide, Clorox, Pampers, MTV, Burger King, the Carl's Jr., Kraft Foods, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Old Navy, NutriSystem, and American Airlines.

There is no cause that is too small for the AFA. In fact, in 2004, the AFA launched an attack against the cartoon film Shark Tale on the grounds that the animated flick was brainwashing children into accepting gay rights.

Family

American Culture

2009-05-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

The first idea that comes to my mind when I think of American culture is uniqueness. Our culture is drastically different from so many others around the globe and those differences (some good and some bad) are what make our unique country what it is.

Culture is defined by The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third edition as “The sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another. Culture is transmitted, through language, material objects, ritual, institutions, and art, from one generation to the next.” American cultural traits are vast because of the diversity of its population.

Key American cultural traits are outlined in the textbook Global Issues and Change by B. Johnson and J.S. Johnson they are listed as 1) Freedom, 2) Individualism, 3) Self-Reliance, 4) Achievement and 5) Pragmatism. All five of these characteristics have played an important role in the shaping of the American culture but the one that stands out the most is freedom. Without freedom none of the other characteristics would have developed. Freedom is what has made the entire American experience possible. The individualist idea developed as a result of the larger goal of freedom, they are offshoots of each other. Individualism requires a freedom of the individual, which was not possible under colonial rule where England took precedence over the individual. Furthermore self-reliance, achievement and pragmatism all were made possible by America’s freedom.

Progress is what always has and continues to drive America both in business and its citizen’s personal life. We are always looking for ways to improve a product, or develop a new one and similarly are always looking to improve our lives. Optimism permeates American culture, and is the motivating force for so many looking to improve their lives. A fundamental core to the American dream is that anyone, from anywhere, can be anything they want to be if they work hard and have the motivation to accomplish the tasks needed to reach their goals. America historically is a nation of progress, with its humble beginnings in The American Revolution it has developed through the colonial period, into the frontier days, to the industrial revolution and into modern times. We have constantly moved steadily higher as a civilization and have always overcome any obstacle placed in our path (Great Depression for example). Progress always has been and always will be a part of the American character. As we continue to progress into a world economy which continues to become increasingly Americanized it will be interesting to see how the American culture progresses and is accepted into the twenty first century.

The American culture has produced one of the most economically booming eras in history. The fact that we have created more wealth in the past 50 years than has been created in all the centuries of the world before 1950 speaks volumes. (Global Issues and Change, B. Johnson and J.S. Johnson) and (Global Fortune: The Stumble and Rise of World Capitalism by Ian Vasquez). Our unique culture has shaped both us as individuals and our country as a whole into the superpower we are today.

references:

culture. (n.d.). The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Retrieved August 14, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture

Johnson, B., Johnson, J.S. (2004). Global Issues and Change. Nappanee, IN: EvangelPress.

Vasquez, I. (2000). Global Fortune: The Stumble and Rise of World Capitalism. Washington D.C.: Cato Institute.

Related: Astronomy

American

The Salmon In Northwest Native Indian Artwork And Culture

2009-05-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

There are several species of salmon fish in the Pacific Northwest region. These are the Coho, Sockeye, Pink, Chum, Atlantic and the largest which is the King or Chinook. Salmon are born in the rivers and swim down to the ocean where they live in the saltwater. At spawning time, they return to the river where they were born, lay the eggs, and then die.

The young hatch and start the life cycle over again. Salmon fish have always been an important mainstay food source for the Northwest Native Indian people as well as much wildlife in the region including many large birds, bears, and river otters. This is the reason why the salmon is a popular subject in Northwest Native Indian artwork and culture.

There are several species of salmon fish in the Pacific Northwest region. These are the Coho, Sockeye, Pink, Chum, Atlantic and the largest which is the King or Chinook. Salmon are born in the rivers and swim down to the ocean where they live in the saltwater. At spawning time, they return to the river where they were born, lay the eggs, and then die.

The young hatch and start the life cycle over again. Salmon fish have always been an important mainstay food source for the Northwest Native Indian people as well as much wildlife in the region including many large birds, bears, and river otters. This is the reason why the salmon is a popular subject in Northwest Native Indian artwork and culture.

Native American

Add Sand Painted Lamps To Your Southwest Dcor

2009-04-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

There is no other style that's quite as distinctive as the Southwestern dcor. There are two style the natural version and the city version but no matter which you have adding sand painted lamps to your southwest dcor will definitely look great!

If you're not sure what a southwest dcor might look like picture the Grand Canyon's red mountains, the green of the tall desert cactus, and the Native American and Mexican pottery and textiles that are such an important part of American heritage.

The two types of southwestern style are the same but different. Colors remain true to both. Think desert sunset, prairies, and hills. But the materials used are different. The natural version uses over scaled furniture that's rugged and rustic with plenty of wood, iron, and stone. The city version uses peach and teal colors, wall hangings, coyote figurines, and plastic cactus decorations.

The natural is by far the most superior design. Use Native American Indian accents such as tapestries, pottery, textiles, and paintings. Organic materials including rocks, stone, wood, and metal are important and so are adobe fireplace and log pole ladders. Use lots of bright patterns within natural colored fabrics.

You might think about doing your walls in soft sand tones with perhaps a deep contrasting red wall. Use Navajo designs and patterns for borders and throw rugs.

And to go with all that dcor nothing looks better than Navajo Sand Painted Lamps. The sand paintings transposed onto the lamps come from full size Navajo paintings, many from healing ceremonies.

Sand paintings are very colorful and detailed and each figure has a special meaning. The designs are those that are very familiar and very important to the Navajo people. Yels or Yays which are the Navajo holy people are very common in sand paintings combined with the four sacred plants - tobacco, squash, beans, and corn - are all very popular in the sand paintings. You will also commonly find plants, lightning, animals, bows & arrows, and rainbow.

Traditional artists make the sand from rocks that are gathered and then crush into sand producing the wide array of colors used in sand paintings. This amazing art form has been transformed onto the lamps by the artists. This is a very complex process since a lamp is not a flat surface like a painting. The end results are spectacular!

If you are going to try your hand at a sand painted lamp then you can purchase the correct type of sand at your local craft store or department stores like Walmart.

There are many different sizes of sand painted lamps on the market from the smaller accent lamps to the larger table lamps. Choose shades that are in the traditional southwestern colors and make sure that the shade does not overpower the art work on the lamp body.

Choose lamps in a size that works with your room and don't be afraid to place them in positions that make them stand out and get noticed. The sand painted lamps are truly a work of art and it's a shame to tuck them out of the way where they don't get the attention the deserve.

Joanne is an author of Decorz.com. If you're looking for more lighting decor ideas for your home visit http://www.decorz.com.

Native American

Educating Your Family On Native American Indian History

2009-04-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

In the United States, a large amount of information is taught in local schools. This information is often vital to the success of a student. Math, science, English, physical education, and history are taught in many schools. The information taught in those subjects varies from school to school. Unfortunately, not everything that should be taught in a lesson plan is.

The history of Native American Indians is something that many individuals know little about. Native American Indian history is taught in most schools located on Indian reservations, but they should not be the only place where it is taught. Most public and private schools quickly cover Native American Indian history, but many students do not learn everything they could or should.

If Native American Indian history is not extensively covered in your child’s school, there are a number of ways that you can educate them yourself. Many parents wonder why they should continue to educate their children on the history of Native American Indians. The answer varies, but there are number of different ways that a child could benefit from being educated on Native American Indian history.

As previously mentioned, there are a number of different ways to educate your children on the history of Native American Indians. Many of these ways can include the whole family. In addition to educating your child, your family could also spend quality time together. What could be more fun than that?

In history classes across the country, most students are educated in the form of books. Books are a valuable source of information, but there are ways to educate a child and have fun at the same time. Parents are encouraged to take their children to a Native American Indian museum. Native American Indian museums are located all around the country. They allow children to physically see Native American Indian artifacts and much more. This experience is more memorable than reading a passage out of a book.

Another way to educate your children on Native American Indian history is to play a game. There are a number of online websites that offer homemade game ideas or you could develop your own. Board games or flash card games can be developed. These games can easily include important Native American Indian history facts. Children of all ages love games and it is a fun way to learn at the same time.

In addition to playing a history game or visiting a museum, it is also possible to learn the history of Native American Indians by watching movies. There are a wide variety of educational movies available for parents and children of all ages. Watching these movies together as a family is a great way for everyone to educate themselves on the struggles that the Native American Indians faced and the victories that they achieved.

It has been said that children that are educated on the history of multiple cultures will grow-up more diverse. Don’t limit your child by only letting their school educate them. You never know, but you may learn valuable Native American Indian history facts yourself.

About the Author
Edward Charkow is the administrator for American Indian History. For more information please visit: http://www.americanindian-history.com

Native American , History

Kachina Doll

2009-04-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

To a shaman a kachina isn't really a doll or a child's toy. Also, it isn't a collector's piece of art or a decoration. However, it is often used that way, and that's ok too. There is a place for that approach in our lives. They do make a powerful addition to any home's decor, and make a great conversation piece. So, if you are a history buff, especially American history, a kachina collection is most appropriate. Kachinas origionally came from the Hopi and Navajo tribes in the American Southwest. If you enjoy sacred art, like I do, add a kachina to your collection.

However, if you are a mystic, shaman or are spiritually oriented, a kachina is really a working tool. The kachina acts as a connection to aspects of the life force. Some kachinas act as a contact to protective energies. All kachinas connect you and your environment to spirit forces that can be helpful to you in endless ways. They change the Feng Shui of any room or situation for the better.

So when searching for a kachina, look for it's qualities and it's historical use. If you need help with any issue in your life, purchase a kachina that is designed to target that problem. If you can't locate one that is exact to your needs, then go with your gut reaction...and trust that.

A kachina is really a type of primitive fetish, something you really relate and connect to. If you don't relate deeply, the kachina will not be as effective as a helping tool. You do need to talk and communicate with the kachina, like some speak to saints, and ask for specfic help.

If you use your kachina as a sacred messinger, keep the area around the fetish clean and clear. You want to help the kachina to not pick up negative or damaging energies. Treat the kachina and it's environment as you would any sacred object, and enjoy it's help.

Finally, like all relationships, your connection to your kachina can take time. The longer you have it the more you get to know each other. So as time goes by, your kachina can shift it's help to you as your needs change.

* There are many kachinas available today, some are expensive...one of a kind works of art. However, as a working tool you don't have to spend alot to get the right piece. Remember that your connection to the specific kachina is more critical then anything.....it simply must 'talk' to you.

* As a shaman, I have seen kachinas helping people who didn't even realize that they were getting help. So you don't have to be a believer........they help anyway. Hey, we could all use a little help these days!

About the Author
Jerry is a professional shaman. He publishes an online magazine dealing with shamanism and holistic living. You can view a good selection of inexpensive kachinas in the publication: To access the magazine or shop for kachinas, click here: http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com/page/page/2189668.htm

Native American , art

Native Indian Kachina Dolls Facts

2009-04-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Kachina doll is one of the most prominent forms of Southwest Native Indian artwork. Masked and costumed Native Indian dancers who represented various spiritual and natural elements of life are called Kachinas. Spirits could represent different types of people including clowns, singers, warriors and even wood carriers. Various wildlife or animals such as eagles, bears, buffalos, deer, owls, butterflies and badgers are often represented. There are Kachinas for the sun, moon, stars, earth and even different crops such as squash.

There is a Kachina spirit for every purpose and in fact, there are over 900 documented Kachinas in history. Kachinas are considered guardians or messengers to the Gods. Interestingly enough, dancers from the tribes are usually male even if a female Kachina is impersonated in a performance.
Southwest Native Indian tribes such as the Navajo, Zuni and Hopi, made Kachina dolls for use in religious ceremonies. The carved Kachina doll was also used as a teaching tool. What the spirits taught the elders of the tribes were then taught to the others through the representations in the Kachina dolls.
Kachina dolls were originally given to women and children of the tribes as gifts but later on, they were made for everyone’s enjoyment. Kachina dolls are one of the major art forms right up there along with rugs, jewelry and pottery in Southwest Native Indian art.
Common sizes for Kachina dolls range from a few inches to over 20 inches in height. One can easily find smaller dolls which are often priced under $100 but a large Kachina doll made by a well known name artist could easily be priced at several thousand dollars. Such a doll is a much sought after and highly prized piece of artwork by collectors of Southwest Indian art. Original higher end Kachinas are usually signed by the artist and come with some sort of documentation certifying its authenticity. Collectors should seek out only reputable sellers of Kachina dolls to ensure Native made artwork.

About the Author
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery (http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca) , an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.

Native American , art , Craft

How Can It Make A Difference In Your Fashion -native American Silver Jewelry?

2009-04-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Every woman at one time or another in their lives experienced the passion and excitement of carrying and use of accessories which was inspired by our ancestors of the Amerindians. Thanks to our many hundreds of years, different styles of Native American Jewelry have proved to be unique and distinctive in their designs that were created and worn by almost every generation. Benefiting from the popularity of these kinds of jewelry was the popularity that has been demonstrated by the prominent and prosperous people who have posted their choices for many years.

If you are the least bit interested in knowing how it would feel to wear some of these same models as your favorite stars and styles of our native America where hundreds of years ago then you're in chance for today, you can decorate yourself with the luxury and elegance of this beautiful looking American Indian jewelry.

In reality, there is hundreds of Native American Jewelry diverse that you can choose to pride. Most of these items are manufactured develop gold, some of the most modern can be found made of platinum, silver or bronze. You have to properly view and select one of these beautiful jewelry that you are43 in search of a necklace, a matching bracelet, stone rings, watches elegant style and many other delicious jewels. You will not challenge you need to do is find a model you will find calls to your taste and find that one style that will complement your personality.

In the field of necklaces, you can easily explore a wide range from simple string types for the man in your life belongs to those outstanding and pendants designed specifically for women. Once you have these collars around the neck sparkle of these stones finely detailed certainly provide a radiant glow of your personality and get noticed in a crowd.

If you are really passionate about jewelry, you can even match your necklace with a bracelet or ring complementary. As with any type of jewelry that you can often find that the Native American jewelry can be purchased as a careful design and construct4ed set. It is often your best choice to decide on the purchase of several pieces at once. These pairs of jewels and coins represent the ultimate key that allows you to get the best call and get the look you're really after.

By: Double Dee Deals

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Turquoise Jewelry including Native American Jewelry at Double Dee Deals.

Native American, Jewelry

Sarsaparilla: Herbal Impotence Remedy is Native to Americas by Shane Crafton

2009-04-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

There has been an increasing interest in male sexual enhancement solutions and it stands to reason that it may be difficult to decide which product is right for you. On MensBlogTalk.com you can hear what real people are saying about Sarsaparilla

To get up to date information on Sarsaparilla, check out the in-depth review on the respected TheMansChoice.com

Review Summary

Sarsaparilla is the root of a vine native to tropical areas in the Western Hemisphere and used by the indigenous peoples there for a variety of conditions, including impotence and sterility. It is becoming popular as a male enhancement drug because some believe it helps the body produce testosterone. Not all experts agree and the verdict is out, as consumers have not experienced the so-called benefits and testing has not confirmed the claims.

Ingredients At A Glance

This plant, and the medicinal compounds made from its root, should not be confused with sasparilla, which is derived from a tree and used as a flavoring for root beer. Sarsaparilla, or Smilax, is a woody vine in the lily family that grows in the rainforest. It produces climbing tendrils, flowers and berries, but the medicinal part used by humans is the root, which can grow to 6 to 8 feet. Sarsaparilla can be made into a tea and is also sold in capsules.

Ingredients In Focus

Sarsaparilla root has been used by natives of tropical regions of the Western Hemisphere - Central and South America and the Caribbean - for centuries. It was brought back to Europe by explorers who noticed the way it was used as a medicine: It is a detoxifier, anti-bacterial, digestive, pain reliever, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that is used to relieve fever and rheumatism. It was used to treat syphilis until the early 20th century. It has also been used to treat impotency (erectile dysfunction, or ED) and sterility in traditional societies. There is not actual proof that this herb has carried out the purported functions. The root contains plant steroids and saponins, which some claim help the body to produce testosterone (activity has been demonstrated in laboratories but not in the human body as yet). The saponins are also believed to help the body absorb other nutrients and make the ingredients in natural supplements more bioavailable.

Lifestyle

While it is used to treat ED in the rainforest, perhaps in conjunction with other elements that those outside that environment know nothing around, Sarsaparilla has not been shown to have any efficacy in the production of testosterone or in promoting circulation to the genitals to aid erectile function. Some plant steroids have been shown to be a precursor to hormone production in the laboratory, but these effects have not been duplicated in the human body. Sarsaparilla, however, is known to be a healthy general tonic and to help the body absorb other nutrients, so it could be a good addition to a male enhancer that contains other, proven ingredients like Tribulus Terrestris and Yohimbe. It is available as a supplement by itself or in combination with other ingredients. There are no known adverse side effects, although taking large doses is thought cause some irritation to the gastrointestinal tract.

Positives

• Contains plant steroids and saponins
• Possible general tonic for health

Negatives

• Not proven effective in treating ED
• May work better when combined with other ingredients

Final Thoughts

Some marketers of Sarsaparilla claim that it contains testosterone; this is patently false as no plant materials so far have been shown to contain that hormone. Others claim that the plant steroids and saponins in this root are involved in conversion to testosterone, but this so far has not been clinically proven. This is likely why most men who have commented on using this herb for sexual enhancement do not have anything good to say. This ingredient is a very useful one, medicinally, but not so much for ED or other male sexual dysfunctions. We would recommend it only as part of a combination supplement that contains powerful enhancers like Tribulus Terrestris and Yohimbe and/or Damiana. The links posted above will direct readers to consumer provided information on hundreds of male enhancement products. The resources are quite popular among men who are conducting searched for male enhancement methods.

About the Author
Shane Crafton is a diet editor, who's team specializes in health, fitness and weight loss reporting.

Native America

Midterm Questions Of Social History Of America: Native American And African American

2009-04-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

America has always been a pluralistic society, broken into small groups with symbolic boundaries separating different sects. Positively, the pluralistic society allowed certain immigrant groups to remain affectionate and loyal to their ancestral religions and cultures, and also to actively participate in American political life. A civic culture developed in America, under the guidelines of republicanism:

“Government through elected officials, the eligibility of all citizens to participate in public life, and the freedom to differ in religious and individual life “(Miljkovic-Gacic & Ferrell, 129-133)

European immigrants could become members of the polity on a basis of equal rights with native born citizens regardless of the country they came from or the religion they believed in. While European immigrants were enveloped in the American myth, and all this vast land had to offer, two other groups: blacks and Native Americans were not allowed the same opportunities. The myth did not apply to Native Americans (Indians). Indians were not encouraged to remain in touch with their cultural and religious roots the way other groups were. The American government did not want the heathens to continue with their uncivilized lifestyle.

Consequently, several programs were developed to help the Indians assimilate to the American way of life. Once the Indians were pushed onto the least fertile land in the country, tribes were divided up and individuals were given their own plots of land in order to become self-sufficient. Indian children were taken away from their parents to be educated about the civilized life and the white man’s' laws. This separation was another attempt, by the white man, to discourage the continuation of the heathen traditions. Unlike the European immigrants, the majority of the Native Americans did not care to assimilate, nor did they wish to participate in the American government. The Indians just wanted to continue with the tribal pluralism that they practiced in the time before the white man's arrival. The Native Americans wished to remain self-governing, independent nations.

As tragic as the story of Native Americans is, there is another story: that of African Americans (blacks), that some would consider even more tragic. While Indians were constantly being encouraged to assimilate against their will, black: who often believed in American ideals, were forced to live in a segregated society. Blacks were never believed to be equals of the white man. From the time the first twenty blacks were brought to the United States as indentured servants in the 1600's; until the 1970's, blacks were considered to be inferior to whites (some would argue that this belief still prevails). Many believed, as did our great leader: Thomas Jefferson that blacks were intellectually, spiritually, and physically inferior to whites. Accordingly, the majority of our nation's history is plagued with pluralism caste.

This pluralism has been accompanied by all the aspects of a caste system: social indignity, physical brutality, educational deprivation, and political exclusion. Unlike the Indians, however, the torment and exclusion of blacks only strengthened their belief in the ideals of the Constitution and the American myth. African-Americans and Native Americans were all affected by laws passed between 1865 and 1900. Some, like the child labor laws, were beneficial to these groups, but mostly the laws were unfair and unbeneficial. Whether they were federal, state, or local laws, they all had a big impact on the lives of these people.

Works Cited
Miljkovic-Gacic I, Ferrell RE, Patrick AL. Estimates of African, European and Native American ancestry in Afro-Caribbean men on the island of Tobago. ISSN: 0001-5652, 2005; Vol. 60 (3), pp. 129-33

About Brain Haley Courtesy: Flash Term Papers

Published At: www.Isnare.com

Native American

Authenticity Of Eskimo Inuit Art And Native American Art

2008-09-20T11:25:00.001-07:00

Both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art have gained international recognition as valuable art forms over the past few decades. However, the rising popularity of both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art has resulted in the increased proliferation of imitations and mass-produced reproductions of original Native arts. Some obvious fakes are made in Asia from molds where the finished pieces are forms of plastic, resin or ceramic.

Other fakes are actually made of cast stone simulating actual Inuit Eskimo art carvings and wood for imitation Native American carvings. These fakes, which are harder to distinguish from authentic artwork, are often hand carved reproductions of an original piece of artwork. Workshops have illegally reproduced hundreds of copies without the artisan’s permission. The counterfeiting companies would then attach some type of tag that claims the fake pieces were influenced by aboriginal artisans and even background information on the Native designs used in the artwork. Some even go as far as adding in Inuit syllabics on the bottom of the fake Inuit Eskimo art carvings.

These are very deceptive tactics on their part since they give the consumers the impression that the imitations are authentic and income producing for the aboriginal communities. Fakes and imitations have lowered the image of authentic Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art. Sales of genuine aboriginal artwork have declined which in turn have deprived aboriginal artisans of income. The argument against these claims is that not every consumer can afford to buy authentic Inuit Eskimo art or Native American art so the souvenir level reproductions legitimately meet this part of the market. The imitations, which are usually low priced, enable students visiting Canada for example, to bring home a Canadian souvenir without breaking their travel budget. This claim would have more support from Native communities if aboriginal artisans were paid a fair royalty as income for each imitation and reproduction piece sold. However, this is seldom the case since most of the time, no royalties are paid at all.
The obvious fakes can be spotted quite easily. An imitation of an Inuit Eskimo art carving spotted at a gift shop was not made of stone as it was not cold to the touch. It was very light in weight unlike a stone which has some mass to it. The detail and the bottom of the piece had the molded look to it. There was even a sticker on the bottom with the company name Wolf Originals. Side by side comparisons of similar pieces in the souvenir store revealed that they were all identical in every detail, which is impossible for original artwork.

A black totem pole had a very flat uniform back and bottom again giving away the fact that it came from a mold. Other totem poles made from wood or mixed wood with a claim that they were hand painted were among many similar pieces in the store. All of these examples were each priced less than $20 Canadian which was another indicator that they were not original artwork.
Imitations of Inuit Eskimo art sculptures were recently spotted for sale in shops located at major Canadian airports. From a distance, these Inuit Eskimo art sculptures of hunters, polar bears and Inuit women with children looked very authentic. However, each piece had several identical copies on the same shelf.

To avoid accidentally buying a fake or imitation, it is suggested that consumers buy Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art from only reputable galleries and dealers rather than from tourist souvenir shops. A piece of original, authentic Inuit Eskimo art or Native American art is one of a kind. There should be no other identical pieces on the shelves. In addition, original Inuit Eskimo art carvings should come with an Igloo tag (or sticker) which is a Canadian government registered trademark. Inuit Eskimo art carvings that are certified by the Canadian government to be handmade by Inuit artisans, come with Igloo tags.

About the Author
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.

Native American