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What Do You Know About Native
Americans? |
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1. The proper name for Indian people in South Dakota is (DAKOTA) or (LAKOTA). 2. Indians are not full citizens of the United States. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 3. Because of poor educational opportunities, Indians have made no important achievements in our society. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 4. Indian people have been on this continent approximately 20,000 years. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 5. Indians were excellent horsemen even before the coming of the white man. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 6. Indians were great mathematicians and architects before their civilization was destroyed. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 7. Indians do not now pay taxes. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 8. Each enrolled Indian receives a monthly check from the government. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 9. Tribal society was communal. This makes the transition from their society into an economy that is competitive very difficult. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 10. The Indian population is decreasing rapidly. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 11. The sacred Black Hills were given to the white man through Treaty. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 12. The major Indian languages are unrelated, thus showing their great antiquity. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 13. Sitting Bull was a prayer leader--not a war leader. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 14. On most Reservations there are Christian churches and Christian Indians. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 15. If Indians could be prevailed on to go to work, they could easily get out of their poverty. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 16. Indians do not have the concepts of time, work or responsibility. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 17. Indians had no understanding of religion before the white man gave it to them. (TRUE) or (FALSE) 18. Indian society had strong identification in family, clan and nation (or people). (TRUE) or (FALSE) 19. The Indian system of education stressed, above all, wisdom. (TRUE) or (FALSE) ANSWERS TO QUESTIONNAIRE1. All communities (peoples) concretize their ideals in the names they call themselves. Like-wise, enemies denigrate their foes by the names they attach to the "hated ones". The Ojibwa Indians called the Dakota "Nadowessioux", meaning "little snakes". This word was shortened by the newly arrived French Traders to the term Sioux. But DAKOTA, truly, is the proper name. It means "allies" or "friends". Lakota is what the western Bands call themselves; it has the same meaning as Dakota. cf, Dictionary by Paul War Cloud, Sisseton, SD 572622. By joining a group (or government) a person voluntarily gives up some of his independence. No one should be forced to give up his independence. But in 1924, without requesting it, and without knowing of it, American Indians were "declared" citizens of the United States. To some this would seem a great glory. For Indians it is associated with a Trail of Tears. cf. A Century of Dishonor by Helen H. Jackson. 3. Indian men and women are in every profession. See : American Indian Historical Society, 1415 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94117 . The Association of American Indian Physicians, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73069. Institute for Development of Indian Law, 927 15th Street NW, Suite 612, Washington, DC 20005 . The National Indian Education Association, 2675 University Ave., St. Paul, MN 55114. 4. "Radio carbon dates are not always infallible, but enough have been accumulated, in conjunction with other archaeological and geological evidence, to place man unshakably in America well before 10,000 years ago, and probably before 20,000 years ago; a recent discovery near Pueblo, Mexico, may push back the horizon to well before 30,000 years ago." cf. American Heritage Book of Indians by Alvin Joseph. 5. Misinformation is often romanticized. The Red Man of the Plains, in the imagination of the non-Indian, has become THE American Indian. And he is always seen on horseback. In the ancient past, small horses did range the west, but these have long been extinct. The Conquistadors brought the present horse. To native people they seemed like invincible centaurs -- they were called "Wakan"., i.e. Holy. But soon the Indians of the Plains did become some of the greatest horsemen the world has ever seen. cf. They Sang for Horses, by LaVerne Harrell Clark. 6. It is not possible for 20th Century technologically-dependent people to grasp the achievements of early Indians. Indian architecture is unexcelled. Indians' perception of the relations of the stars created their extremely accurate calendar. They used the zero in mathematics before it was discovered by the Arabs. Six hundred years of recorded Peace gave the Aztec and Mayan peoples leisure for experimentation and communication of ideas. This all came to an end in the 16th century. cf. Catholic Encyclopedia. 7. Indian people pay every kind of tax that immigration brought to them -- personal property, income, sales, excise, etc... Although Indians have title to some land, they are not allowed to administer that land. On this land they do not pay tax. 8. This is a canard that seems impossible to correct. Tell your friends that it is not true. (If it were true, then the Postal Department is much slower in delivery than we had believed.) 9. Some people feel that sharing and being helpful to one's relatives is a kind of divine command. Others feel that competition for goods and inheritance, and accumulation of goods, is a divine command. Perhaps both groups have the right to think as they choose, but the difference in thinking does make it difficult for the Indian to move into non-Indian society. 10. The Indian population is the "youngest" on this Continent. (It is also the oldest, cf. no. 4) Over 60% of Indian people are under 19 years of age. Once it was said very pragmatically, "Every buffalo killed is an Indian gone". So the slaughter of buffalo went on. Between 1980 to 1990, the Indian population grew by 35 percent. cf. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Building, Aberdeen, SD. 11. When the Treaties were written, and lands were shared with the needy immigrants, the Sacred part of the land -- called the Black Hills -- was specifically excluded from occupation by non-Indians. But Gold was discovered. 12. "A greater variety of languages existed in North America than in all the Old World put together. The most conservative guesses put the number of mutually unintelligible languages at from 500 to 1,000. Whatever root, or roots, these languages might have had were totally lost during the passage of so many centuries." cf. Elijah Black Thunder, Dakota language teacher, Sisseton, SD 57262 13. Because he was a Prayer Leader, the Dakota man, Sitting Bull, stood over the field at the Little Big Horn and prayed during the battle . Sitting Bull was sharing his power with his people by his contact with Wakantanka. cf. Exodus 17:8. 14. Indians ask only that "You Christians live up to your stated Christian commitment". Some men and women have given good service and have been a buffer between Indians and the greed of other Christians. The kind of service that organizations have given deserves a re-examination and, perhaps, a reformation. 15. Self-sufficient people need an occasional "depression" or "recession" to under-cut their pride and assurance of greatness. It is necessary that the poor always be with us. The poor support the rich, and save them. "Of these is the kingdom of Heaven". Men who depend on WORK or WORKS to save themselves must be brought to Grace. 16. Isolated peoples (such as we Americans are) will not understand the world until they are rescued from their isolation. Indian thought can guide us to new understanding. For Native Americans "time" is a Presence, not a commodity to be sold. For Native Americans "work" is a Burden, not a consuming Way of Life. For Native Americans "responsibility" is a duty to family and community, not a debt to a paymaster. 17. For Indians "Religion was Life". They lived in the presence of the Holy. Unfortunately, through Science this awareness -- especially among the young who have been "educated" -- has to a great extent been destroyed. Lacking a compatible Religion, Indian young people, like so many others, often turn to dependence on chemicals and drugs. 18. For the people in the United States, whose ties to Family, Clan and Community are diminishing, it is difficult to understand the value that others see in these institutions. Non-Indians are a very nomadic people. Indians are stable. Non-Indians prefer to use the land; Indians identify with the land. Non-Indians are progressive (??) and break with the past; Indians are conservative and choose to remember the past. Non-Indians "leave home"; Indians prefer to "build home". 19. Since the non-Indian system of education is directed toward the manipulation of things, events and persons, SKILLS are important, and they are taught extensively in the various kinds of institutions. In the Indian system of education WISDOM is important -- the WHY of things and events and persons. Relationships are, therefore, very important. Unity is sought -- and Community. * * * * * * * * * * * * American Indian Culture Research Center
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