The American Indians

By My Ebook Publishing House

Who were the first real Americans? In this book you will be introduced to the American Indians, their society and their culture! You’ll learn amazing facts which you never would have guessed, from cuisine and sports to crafts, pottery, sculptures or even ships.
”The American Indians” will interest general readers as well as scholars and students in anthropology, history, literature, education, cultural studies, gender studies, American Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies. It is essential reading for those interested in the history of American Indians, what their life was like and what they stood for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: My Ebook Publishing House
• Release date: Apr 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311842961

My Ebook Publishing House

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Book preview

The American Indians

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Published by My Ebook Publishing House

Copyright 2014 My Ebook Publishing House

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of Contents:

I. Everyday life of American Indians

II. Attire and finery

III. A copious list of dishes

IV. How did the Indians get their names?

V. Games and sports competitions

VI. Secular dancing and Estrada theatre

VII. The calumet

VIII. Clever minds, dexterous hands

IX. Crafts and decorative artistry

X. Genuine pottery

XI. Totem poles and Tlingit sculpture

XII. Ships builders

I. Everyday life of American Indians

The unwritten law, but respected in any circumstances, of all Amerindian tribes, was the one of graciously entertaining guests and properly honoring them. At night or during storm, in frostiness or scorching heat, whenever, the unknown traveler that asked for hospitality would find a place of rest, fresh water for appeasing his thirst and edibles of all categories that the host had in his home. The one that violated this duty was regarded as being unworthy. For that matter, an expression of practices from the olden structure of the primitive community, in these communities there were no townsfolk members left foodless, whilst others had their bread buttered on both sides.

Even in times of affliction, when the venison was lean or the crops were poor, the stocks were divided amongst all the members of the tribe, until all the aliments were finished. Indians had a high sense of honor, justice and loyalty and they passionately fought for defending them. They despised the one that were indecisive or spineless, welcoming problems without fear, evincing the skillful craftsmanship of the battle with the enemies and the fight with all kinds of beasts. Straggling on an enormous territory of continental dimensions, the great majority of the tribes had –through tacit covenants or through treaties, also verbal- lands more or less delimited, where they would hunt or establish their housing.

The hunting terrains, of cultivation or fishing, of the tribes were generally marked off. The borders of the tribal territories could not be violated without the permission of the collectivity. If a stranger would permit to hunt or fish on this territory, he was susceptible of death penalty. Respecting the tribal territory had a force of law –a law that had to be respected fiercely. In case of misunderstandings, the chiefs with the council of the tribes would establish the situations and take decisions. Of these, some also reflect in toponymy. A few now today that, for instance, the name of the American state Massachusetts has its origin in a phrase said once by a chief of American Indians; the word meant in the idiom of Indians "on the left shore we fish,