American Indians: Myths and Reality. Interesting facts about the Indians

23 facts about Indians

1. Indians of the Tarahumara tribe believe that God created them from pure clay, and the devil created white people from a mixture of clay and ash, and therefore heaven for whites is hell for the Tarahumara.

2. Welsh prince Madog ap Owain Gwynedd, according to legend, sailed to the New World in 1170 and met with Indian tribes.

3. Among the ancestors of Johnny Depp, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Costner, Cameron Diaz, Tommy Lee Jones, Tori Amos and Chuck Norris were Cherokee Indians.

4. The pyramids-sanctuaries of Tukume are of natural origin.

5. Princess Angelina made a living washing clothes and weaving baskets.

6. At the end of each performance of the drama "Rabinal-achi", the Maya Indians killed one of the actors on the altar.

7. Catholic Seattle, in his famous speech, referred to the authority of the Indian gods.

8. The inhabitants of Taos Pueblo still live in multi-storey adobe fortresses, built about 1000 years ago.

9. A number of current decisions of the US Supreme Court assume that the right to land belongs to the government of the "discovered" country, and not to the local population.

10. The indigenous people of Patagonia often used the Welsh language in trade.

11. The guards, who were buried together with the ruler of Sipan who lived 1800 ago, were amputated in order not to escape from the grave.

12. An Indian who raised the US flag on Iwo Jima died of alcoholism.

13 Among the Kwakiutl people, a member of a tribe borrowing from another Indian can pledge his name. Until the debt is returned to the debtor, it is impossible to address by name.

14. The US Army paratroopers have a tradition of shouting the name of Geronimo (leader of the Apaches) at the time of the parachute jump.

15. German prince Maximilian and artist Karl Bodmer traveled up the Missouri in 1832-1834 and spent the summer with the Blackfoot tribe.

16. L. Morgan's studies of matriarchy among the Iroquois became an important link in the creation of the Marxist concept of evolutionism.

17. The Cherokee Indians were also slave owners (the largest among the Indians) and uprisings often took place on their territory, the largest of which occurred in 1842.

18. Pawnee Indians who served as scouts in the US Army often donned American uniforms and hats to provoke attacks on themselves by hostile Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho or some other Indians.

19. Since they preferred to avoid battles with the Pawn Scouts, who were armed with revolvers and repeaters, but were not afraid to attack the same number of American cavalrymen.

20. The Comanches had a tradition according to which, after each raid, they would dress up in trophy clothes. Often she found herself in women's corsets, bowler hats, tailcoats, top hats, etc., which contrasted strongly with the war paint and weapons of the Comanche warriors.

21. In some groups of “redskins”, the skin color may have a bluish tinge.

22. 99% of Indians have the first blood group (80% among the Indians of North America) and a positive Rh factor.

23. Some Indian peoples (Salish, Chinook, Cutanai in the West and Choctaw and Biloxi in the East) had a practice of flattening the head. The same practice existed in Ancient Egypt.

Hurons:
"... The name 'Hurons' was given to them by the French for their disheveled, hure-like hair."
"... The only domestic animal was a dog. Some of them were specially fattened by the Hurons and used to prepare ritual dishes. The same fate could await bears caught alive. In general, ritual and festive feasts were almost the only opportunity for the Hurons to eat meat."
"... It is noteworthy that the Hurons were one of the first tribal confederations by the form of government. The entire tribe was divided into clans, the relationship in which came from the mother-progenitor. By the way, it was the" elder mother "(the oldest and respected woman) who appointed council members the Huron confederation from their clan. "
"... The Hurons worshiped one supreme deity. A distinctive feature of this tribe was the" feast of the dead "ceremony held every ten years. a common grave. The Hurons believed that without this ceremony, the souls of the dead could not migrate to another world, and would be doomed to eternal wanderings on earth. "

Iroquois:
"... It is known that the Iroquois had their own constitution," written down "with the help of shell beads. Due to their excellent ability for languages, the Iroquois traded both with other tribes and, later, with Europeans (while trying to bypass those who entered into an alliance with the Hurons.) In addition, the union of the Iroquois tribes included not only clans directly related by kinship, but also simply tribes who wished to accept the tribal charter of this confederation. at the very beginning of the colonial era) and the growth of the tribe. "
"... The most striking tradition of the Iroquois tribe can be called masks and coloring applied to the faces. Masters who made masks never allowed themselves to be repeated, the only element that was found in all products without exception was a hooked nose - a memory of the legendary giant who swore to protect people. It was believed that a person wearing such a mask has the ability to ward off diseases not only from himself, but also from the whole house. "

Mohicans:
"... The self-name of the tribe -" mojikuno "- literally meant" people of the great river "in memory of the almost sedentary way of life that they led on the banks of the Hudson River." Their name in the Algonquin language means "wolves", among the Dutch and English they were also known as "river Indians".
"... The Mohican tribe was divided into three localized matrilineal totemic clans - the bear (Machkuaukh), the wolf (Mechchauh) and the turtles (Tunpaukh). Ancestral leaders (sachems) inherited power through the maternal line, military leaders were elected. Calendar rituals, hunting cults, cult of family idol dolls ".

Comanches:
"... this tribe became the only one whom the colonialists could not evict from their land! The name" Comanches ", according to linguists, comes from the word" kohmahts "of the language of the Utah tribe and simply means" people. "As a separate ethnic group, the Comanches were noticed by the first ethnographers only in about 1700. Unlike other tribes, the Comanches never maintained an alliance either with other ethnic groups, or even with related tribes. About a dozen clans remained scattered groups, equally easily unleashing wars with each other and establishing The Comanches did not have a single leader who constantly held power over all the clans, unlike the Iroquois or Hurons. Instead, a certain number of leaders were elected who formed the council of the clan. The council was ruled by two people: the leader, who was elected during the war, and the leader of the peaceful The latter, as a rule, was an older and very experienced man of the tribe, young people were not elected to this position. every man who distinguished himself by his courage in previous battles could apply for the role of a "military leader". "
"... But in the matter of raising children, complete equality reigned. I must say that the younger generation was assessed in the tribe as a gift of the Great Spirit, and therefore babies were rarely punished for pranks. Almost all family members were involved in upbringing: older brothers and sisters, other relatives, and even special "male ghosts" who just had the greatest influence on the little fidgets, dressing up in bleached clothes and portraying spirits that frighten disobedient ones. "

Apaches:
"... I must say that the Apaches were a warlike nomadic settlement that did not settle on any specific territory. The main means of survival of the whole tribe was hunting for buffaloes. Since it was this animal that provided the Apaches with everything necessary for life, it was considered totemic. Due to their nomadic way of life, the Apaches quickly appreciated the advantage of the horses brought by the first settlers and soon they not only used them as a means of transportation, but also taught others a special kind of riding. "
"... The war with the Spaniards in the 1730s almost completely destroyed an already small tribe. True, the Spaniards also cost a lot of losses and sacrifices. The enmity ended only in 1743, when the leader of the Spanish settlers was forced to agree to the signing A few years later, at an official ceremony, the tribal leader publicly lowered his battle ax into a deep pit as a sign of reconciliation. By the way, from that moment on, the expression “bury the ax of war” became firmly established in all European languages. "
"... The Apaches themselves called themselves" Inde "or" Nide ", that is," people ", which was consonant with European names. Therefore, the Spanish and English name" Indian "was not abusive for the Apaches."
“... All ceremonies are called“ dances. ”Among them are the rain dance, puberty, harvest and spirit dance. The Apaches are religious to the core and pray on every occasion and in a variety of ways. Recreated in human form, the Apache spirits live in a country of peace and abundance, where there is no grief or death. To celebrate an event, a feast and dances are arranged. The warriors sing for the dance, accompanying themselves on esadadedne - "deerskin on a hoop." In these songs, there is often no words. Although there are songs with words. "
"... The Apaches treated coyotes, insects and birds as human beings - a human race, but following the path of those who were before."

What kind of torture did the Iroquois adore? Which tribe in North America was the most developed? How did the Apache partisan leader become a showman? Is it true that the ancestors of Obama and Johnny Depp are Cherokee Indians? We'll cover all of this and more.

Iroquois

The Iroquois themselves call themselves "Khodinonkhsoni", and the word "Iroquois" is taken from the language of the neighboring Alkgonquins and means "vipers." As you might guess, these tribes were at enmity and hated each other. The Iroquois are interesting because by the arrival of the Europeans they were the most developed tribe on the territory of the modern United States: they were engaged in simple slash-and-burn agriculture, knew different crafts and at the same time were not fools in terms of politics.

In a sense, the Iroquois created the prototype of the modern States: their confederation of five tribes had a complex, developed and at the same time democratic system of government. And the most interesting thing is that the Iroquois had matriarchy, and this is really unusual for the Indians. After the wedding, the man went to his wife's family and took her last name; women sat on the council of the confederation and, without any exaggeration, decided the fate of the tribe.

Modern grandfather-mohawk

At the same time, by the time the Europeans arrived, matriarchy was already experiencing a crisis: the warriors and the military elite were rapidly gaining strength and power. By the end of the 17th century, the Iroquois, who were not pacifists anyway and fought everyone in a row, launched a powerful offensive. They originally lived in the east of the Great Lakes, but after a series of successful campaigns, they occupied all the surrounding territories. The Iroquois wanted to become a monopolist in the fur trade and acted very tough.

Iroquois before the conquests (marked in pink) and after (marked in orange)

In the wars of conquest, they actively used genocide and simply killed everyone who occupied the neighboring lands. The favorite tactic of the Iroquois is to break into enemy territory during the harvest, start killing women, and ambush when the men of the tribe rush to help.

The Iroquois also became famous for actively using torture and "entertainment with prisoners." Their favorite execution game looked like this: the head of a still living person was tied to a tightly stretched branch, and then his throat was cut sharply. The branch worked like a sling and threw its head quite far away. If Olympic sports were invented by the Iroquois, it would be a crown discipline.

Interesting Facts:

The Iroquois did not wear the appropriate hairstyle - it was generic only for one tribe of the confederation, the Mohawks.

The name "Canada" comes from the language of the northern Iroquois and means "Village".

The Iroquois always bet on the wrong guys: their allies have always been the nation that was destined to lose the war. First the Dutch, then the French, and during the American Revolutionary War, the British. Being an ally of the Iroquois is a bad omen.

Hurons

The Hurons are the closest neighbors and relatives of the Iroquois and, as a result, are their main enemies. The Hurons did not lag behind the Iroquois: they had a confederation of tribes, and they also dreamed of becoming monopolists in the fur trade. The Hurons were not fools to fight, but compared to their enemies they looked like hippies: they were practically vegetarians, ate mostly maize and beans, and on holidays - the meat of ritually prepared dogs.

The Hurons relied on the French, and at first it gave them an advantage, but the result turned out to be a disaster. Firstly, the French were reluctant to give the Indians firearms, and secondly, in the course of active missionary activity, they brought diseases.

As a result, an epidemic of plague or smallpox claimed the lives of half of the Hurons, a total collapse and mass famine began. The Iroquois took advantage of this - they cut out the remains of their neighbors, occupying their lands. The Hurons practically disappeared from the face of the earth, the confederation of the once largest tribe was destroyed, and they were forced to flee some to Canada, some far to the south, on the prairie.

Engraving: Huron Fortified Village

Interesting fact:

The Hurons were famous as masters of defense, they built rather heavily fortified fortresses with towers and galleries and quickly realized the benefits of the arquebus in the defense of the fort.

Cherokee

War paint Cherokee

The Cherokee Indians belonged to the group of the so-called "five civilized tribes": they fought the Europeans for a very long time and stubbornly, but as a result they converted to Christianity, adopted their culture and succeeded in farming and crafts. Unfortunately, the US government, until recently loyal to this tribe, forcibly evicted them to barren lands.

During the migration, many Cherokee died, and upon arrival they found themselves in the wasteland with almost no means of subsistence. This story was called the "Road of Tears" from the Indians.

Modern Cherokee

The Cherokee created their own unique writing system, taking the idea from the Europeans. The Sequoia leader, who understood the power of the written word, but did not know the literacy, developed his own literally from scratch. Moreover, he campaigned to spread his writing, and already in his lifetime about 90% of all Cherokee adults could read and write.

Interesting Facts:

Most of the Sequoia records have not survived, as they were burned by his wife, sincerely convinced that her husband was possessed by evil spirits.

Famous people with Cherokee blood: Barack Obama, Johnny Depp, Quentin Tarantino, Elvis Presley and even Jimi Hendrix.

Pueblo

Modern pueblos are descendants of the ancient and decaying Anasazi people, which are especially interesting because they were quite civilized, unlike most North American Indians. Having begun a sedentary life in the VIII century, already by the X-XII centuries they are experiencing a cultural upsurge, building amazing fortresses and settlements in the rocks and showing themselves as excellent traders and farmers.

However, the golden age of the Anasazi passed, and it turned out that their culture arose at a very unfortunate time: behind the climatic peak, there was a sharp decline, and the area turned from blooming into desert. The ancient pueblos fell into decay, were attacked by nomadic tribes and were practically destroyed. Judging by the excavations, famine led to mass cannibalism, and there were so many dead that there was no one to bury them.

Interesting Facts:

Pueblos built well-defended stone towers. The Navajo Indians adopted this technique and began to erect such towers themselves, which are now called "pueblito". It is problematic to destroy them even with cannons, as the Spaniards were convinced of.

In the American Conquest strategy (from the creators of the "Cossacks"), the pueblos do not build separate buildings - instead, they have one five-story well-fortified city-fortress, which, in general, is historically accurate.

Apaches

Apaches are typical Indians of the Great Plains. With the advent of Europeans, they very quickly realized the advantages of horseback riding and actively used it to hunt bison. By the way, the irony is that horses originate precisely from America, but by the time a person came there in this part of the world, they had already disappeared. So the Europeans, without knowing it, brought the horses to their historical homeland.

The Apaches were irreconcilable fighters with the Europeans and spoiled a lot of blood for the colonialists. Suffice it to say that the Apache leader Geronimo became the symbol of all Indian resistance. Even after the resistance of the Indians was broken, he continued to wage a guerrilla war and did it for 25 long years. In the end, he had to surrender to the US authorities, but they did not execute him, but made him something of a brand. Geronimo was taken to exhibitions, he handed out his photographs, posed a lot for photographers and even had his own biographer.

Geronimo

Interesting fact:

In the late XIX - early XX centuries in France there was a criminal subculture, "Apaches", named after the Apaches. In addition to the standard robbery, hooliganism and brawls, they were distinguished by the fact that they created their own recognizable style. The Apaches wore special clothes - red belts, chewed shirts and yellow boots - they had their own gestures, special tattoos, and so on.

They also created their own signature weapon: brass knuckles combined with a knife and a revolver, which in fact turned out to be rare trash. Their other invention is their own dance, named after them. The Apache dance was distinguished by its riot and metaphorically depicted at the same time intercourse and a fight between a man and a woman.

Apaches Indians Apaches French Gopniks

Of course, we have not mentioned a lot of interesting tribes and stories. For example, I had to miss the whole of Central and South America, the Indian uprising led by Pontiac, as well as many facts about the religion and the current state of the Indians, and much, much more. The topic is too immense for one article, but we promise to return to it someday and tell no less amazing.

At the time of the arrival of the Europeans to the shores of America, the indigenous population lived there - the Indians. They spent the night in wigwams and hunted for food. It was a distinctive nation, but then they were visited by "white people" who were not allowed to die of hunger by the kind-hearted natives. Thanksgiving, the favorite holiday of Americans, is a memory of those old events. Then the Redskins greatly regretted their hospitality, but it was too late.
The history of the development of American Indian tribes is amazing. Thousands of years before colonization in the North and South of the continent, entire peoples were created and fell into decay. Some cities in Central America were highly developed. In terms of their level, they could compete with the largest Eastern empire at that time. But the day came when people from another world entered the land of the Redskins, and further relations did not develop according to a peaceful scenario.
Check out some little-known and highly interesting facts about the Native American people.

What's in a name?
Many states of America, for example, Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri, got their names after Indian names.

Tasty name
"BBQ" is an Arawak word that translates to "frame with chopsticks."

Words are echoes of the past
In general, in the English language many words are borrowed from the Indians, for example, "guacamole", "chocolate", "chili", "poncho".

Indians during the First World War
Almost 8,000 Native Americans fought on the fronts of the First World War, despite the fact that they were not officially recognized as US citizens.

The second finding of their homeland
The participation of the indigenous people of the continent in the First World War largely determined the signing of the law on Indian citizenship. Since then, they have officially become residents of the United States.

Association history
In the 1600s, five enemy Indian tribes united into one mighty Iroquois Confederation.

Iroquois League Board
The council of the Iroquois Confederation consisted of men who were elected to office for life. However, in the role of the eldest, along the maternal lineage, women acted - they could appoint and remove consuls - representatives of their kind, at any time.

Governance model borrowed by the US authorities
Benjamin Franklin believed: The Iroquois Confederation had a powerful model of government for the reason that the united colonies competed among themselves in development.

Country of the bald eagle
The bald eagle on the US coat of arms is actually a symbol of the Iroquois tribe.

Indian villages
The Choctaw, Sherroke, Criik, Chickasaw and Seminole tribes were similar to the European ones, since their social structure provided for the development of villages and farms.

A civilization built on blood
Both the United States and Canada sought to eradicate the indigenous people of the Indians through military action and brutal assimilation, that is, the absorption of ancient culture by civilization.

Natural product
The Native Americans used the spiky porcupine wool in a special way, namely, they made brushes from it.

A special belief
Women from the Iroquois tribe did not eat turtles in order to prevent their future children from becoming slow and awkward.

First mining
When a young Indian killed the first buffalo, he had to cut off the animal's tongue - the best part, and give it as a gift to his friends.

Ancestral totems
Native Indians living in the Northwest of the United States have the right to install special totems in the courtyards of their homes, which indicates the special status of their family.

Relentless statistics
About 22% of the 5.2 million Native Americans in the United States live on reservations.

Are the descendants of a brave people oppressed?
Nearly 30% of Native Americans live below the poverty line. Indians who have tried their luck off-reservations have great difficulties in paperwork, finding a job and paying taxes.

Life before colonization ...
When Christopher Columbus first visited America, there were as many as 18 million Native Americans.

… and after
By 1900, the number of Native American descendants had dropped to about 350,000.

American Indian tribes
Today there are 566 indigenous tribes officially recognized by the United States.

A path of 30 thousand years
Some historians believe that Native Americans have inhabited America for the past 30,000 years.

Navajo secret military code
You already know that Native Americans took part in the First World War. But during the Second World War, they already defended the country of which they were citizens. The Navajo language is one of the most difficult languages on earth. The Navajo Cryptographers were Indian soldiers who used their native language to send messages on the battlefield.

An ancient language used in combat
Despite the fact that the warriors who first used the Navajo code have long been retired, after the hostilities in Vietnam, this language is the only cipher used in battle.

Unusual theory
Scientists believe that the languages of the Indians are conditionally divided into 3 separate groups. This may indicate three separate migrations of settler tribes from Asia to North America.

The economic growth
Many Indian villages, which became forts and trading posts after colonization, are now major cities such as Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit and Pittsburgh.
The heyday of the civilization of the Redskins has receded into the distant past. Sometimes scientists ask themselves: why did this original people practically disappear from the face of the earth? Perhaps the whole point is that earlier the Indians inhumanely dealt with the captives, removing their scalp? And cruelty, as you know, attracts cruelty. Be that as it may, on the basis of the culture of the Indians and their model of tribal management, developed states arose and still exist today.