Indian Civilizations: Module 2

After reading the assigned reading for this module, it gave me a lot of perspective about Indian Civilizations that existed at that time. Though both Foner and Zinn focuses on the genocide and enslavement of Indians, I would like to take a closer look at the Indian Civilizations themselves. To further specify, I will be looking in the Indian Civilizations that were within the United States borders and how they lived their lives before European settlers destroyed them and their way of life.

The Indian Civilizations of North America were either hunter/gathering or settled agricultural groups. This means that some Indian tribes were nomadic and would roam a certain area of land following their food sources like buffalo and vegetation as the seasons changed. Other tribes were people with shelters that were built and they stayed in one area farming for their vegetation needs and hunting game that was close to their settlements. Indians that were settled close to large rivers or the ocean would do a lot of fishing and would harvest plenty of other food sources of the water.

Another fascinating aspect of the Indians was how they handled marriage, gender roles, and social norms. At this time in Europe, men were the head of the household and the wife and children answered to him. Women had no property rights or legal identity. In comparison, Indians had matrilineal lines and women were influential deciders in many important decisions of their tribe. It was considered indecent for a woman of that time to be working unless they were poor in Europe. Because of this, a man was considered a man by how much authority he had over his wife and children (an ideal that still plagues some societies today). In North America, an Indian man proved his machismo by being extremely successful at hunting and providing meat for his family or even his whole tribe. Marriage was not as structured in Indian cultures as it was in Europe. If two people wanted to wed it was approved by parents and the ceremony was performed. If the woman or the man wanted a divorce, it was done. Premarital relationships were also accepted in some Indian cultures at the time. Also, nakedness was not looked down upon but considered a norm of everyday life.

It is sad that such rich cultures have been lost because of violent conquest and time. I feel that we could have learned a lot from the Indian cultures that could have helped the Americas become a better place.

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Vol. 1. New York: Norton & Company, 2006. 2 vols. 19-24.

"Native Americans of North America," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2009 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2009 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United Staes: 1492-Present. New York: Peremmial Classics, 2003. 3-5.

My Intro: Module 1

My name is Christine Day and I am a regular student at San Diego State University. If you are thinking of transferring there, you should. Big school with small classes and the teachers give you a lot of one on one time. And if you like to party, you get that too. I am currently majoring in Environmental Sciences (no I am not a tree hugger) and I want to become a caterer. I know it is strange, but catering is a risky business. Environmental Sciences is there to make sure I have a job some time in the future. A nice cushion of sorts. This is my first summer enrolled at DVC and I am lost. I feel like I am a freshman all over again. But that is ok, I will figure it all out soon enough.