Research and Articles

Research & Articles: Learning About Our World - American Indians

Gretchen May
Extension Educator 4-H Youth and Family Development
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Cooperative Extension

Part of your role as a family day care provider is to help the children in your care learn about the people in our world. All people have the same basic needs - food, clothing, shelter, to be loved, feel needed and be respected. Of course, differences exist - biological ones, such as skin color, physical impairment, etc., and cultural ones such as religion, ethnicity, values, and beliefs. In this article, I hope to spark your interest in learning more about the native people of our United States and in sharing that interest with your children.

Since the time of prehistory, perhaps twelve million years ago or more, "The People" (Indians as Columbus misnamed them) have made their homes in North America. During the time before contact with the Europeans, it is estimated that there were about 2.5 million native people representing over 300 distinct tribes in what would become the United States. By 1890, only 250,000 of this population remained. The decrease was due mostly to disease, malnutrition, war, and murder. Currently, there are 512 federally recognized Native entities and an additional 365 state-recognized Indian tribes, totalling about 1.5 million people. This increase is partially due to better nutrition, a high birth rate and a greater acceptance of identifying yourself as an "American Indian" or an "Alaskan Native."

The term "Indian" needs further explanation. As was mentioned previously, Columbus called the people he met on the islands where he landed "Indians." He thought he was in India. The native people were actually Tainos. However, the name stuck and as Europeans reached North America they used "Indian" to describe any native they met. Now in the United States, the terms "Native American," "Indian," and "American Indian" are commonly used and have been considered interchangeable when referring to native people - American Indians, Eskimos, or Aleuts. However, "Native American" can also mean native of Hawaii and descendants of immigrants from other nations who have settled in the United States. So, "American Indians" and "Alaska Natives" are the preferred names to use because they are more precise in their reference.

There is great diversity among the large number of tribes in North America. Each as a unique set of social, religious, economic, and legal-political relationships with other tribes, other ethnic/racial groups and Euro-American societies. American Indians and Alaska Natives are very proud of their diversity and are concerned that identification with non-Indian culture is equivalent to the loss of one's native culture. There are hundreds of belief systems held by American Indians and Alaska Natives. Yet, most tribes seem to have the following beliefs and values in common.

1. There is a Supreme Creator, and there are lesser beings also.

2. Each human is a multidimensional being made up of a body, a mind, and
a spirit.

3. Plants and animals, like humans, are part of the spirit world. The
spirit world coexists and intermingles with the physical world.

4. The spirit existed before it came into a physical body and will exist
after the body dies. Illness affects the mind and spirit as well as the
body.

6. Wellness is harmony in body, mind, and spirit.

7. Unwellness is disharmony in body, mind, and spirit.

8. Natural unwellness is caused by the violation of a sacred or tribal
taboo.

9. Unnatural unwellness is caused by witchcraft.

10. Each of us is responsible for our own wellness.

11. Sharing and generosity are important.

12. Allegiance to one's family and community and respect for elders are
expected.

13. The present time is more important than the past or future.

14. Harmony with nature is strived for.

As you nurture the children in your care, you might want to include some books and activities which come from the American Indian or Alaska Native cultures. On your next trip to the library, look for books to increase your own awareness as well as that of the children; ask the librarian for help if you need it. Some books you might consider are:

"Buffalo Dance, a Blackfoot Legend" by Nancy Van Laan
"Children of the Earth and Sky" by Stephen Krensky
"Coyote Places the Stars" by Harriet Peck Taylor
"The Dancing Drum, a Cherokee Tale" by Terri Cohlene
"The Legend of the Cranberry" by Ellin Greene
"Pocahontas" by Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese

An activity found in *The Kids Multicultural Art Book* by Alexandra
Terzian which is fun and easy for children to make is the "Dream Catcher." Chippewa and Cherokee legends have it that the Dream Catcher catches, filters, and preserves cherished dreams. It is usually hung above the bed to sift the bad dreams. These will be caught in the web and destroyed by the morning light. The good dreams go to the ring and down the personal totem hung on the side of the dream catcher, to the dreamer. Dream catchers are believed to bless the sleeping one with pleasant dreams, good luck, and harmony. They are given to family and friends, especially to newborn babies.

DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. (1993). Learning about our world: American Indians. In M. Lopes (Ed.) CareGiver News (November, p. 3). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension.

Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved by the author.

COPYRIGHT PERMISSION ACCESS
Gretchen May
Draper Hall
Univeristy of Massachusetts
40 Campus Center Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9244
VOICE: 413-577-0332
FAX: 413-545-1002
E-MAIL: gmay@umext.umass.edu