Where do the Indians live? The most modern American Indians In which English-speaking country do Indians live?
For us, May 9 is, of course, primarily the day of the Great Victory. But this is not the only holiday celebrated in the world on this day. For example, in the USA, May 9 is Indian Day. How do Indians live in modern America?
American Indians achieved great things by asserting their rights to land and a full role in society. But, due to the long extermination of Native Americans, the integrity of their culture suffered. Nowadays, Indians are trying their best to preserve and revive their traditions and language. The older generation is fighting for their children and grandchildren to be able to combine modern look life and cultural traditions of their people.
Indians are very aware of their spiritual connection with their ancestors and turn to them for help and support. For Indians there is no death of an individual: the ancestors live in them, and they will continue to live in their descendants.
(Total 19 photos)
1. One of the traditions of the Indians is the meeting of different tribes once a year at the Pow Wow holiday, during which representatives of each tribe sit in a circle and sing an intertribal song. Photo: Guys from St. Paul, Minnesota, during the annual Ki-Yo Pow-wow at one of the universities of Montana in Missoula, Montana.
2. While parents are busy with their affairs during the Crow tribe fair, young Indians have fun by diving into the Little Bighorn River, near which in 1876. A legendary battle took place between the Indians and US cavalrymen. The battle ended with the Indians destroying 5 companies of the American regiment that attacked them.
3. Even young people can easily handle horses. Photo: Young tribal members bathe horses in the Little Bighorn River during the Crow Fair in Crow Edgekensee, Montana.
4. The site of laying the foundation of one of the university buildings, which will study the culture of indigenous peoples of America, is illuminated in a local way and sprinkled with tobacco.
5. Shamanism and totheism remained only among tribes that live in inaccessible areas of the United States. Currently, Catholics, Mormons, Adventists and Pentecostals are more common among Indian believers. Photo: Janice Singer during a Pentecostal service on the Crow Tribe Reservation.
6. The total number of Native Americans, as of the beginning of the 21st century, exceeds 60 million people, which is not so small. But meeting fellow tribesmen on the road can still be considered a reason to stop and talk. Photo: Clinton Bird takes out a cigarette to treat her friend Courtney Stewart to discuss the new auto body repair center in their area.
7. The nature of the Indian reservations is very picturesque. It seems that the landscapes have remained the same as they were before the arrival of the white man. Photo: Tribal horses near the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
8. The art of making national clothes of the Indian people is passed on from generation to generation. Photo: Revonna Joy Alamo waits to be taken back to camp after the fair parade.
9. To preserve the language, some subjects at school can be taught to children in Indian. Photo: A student at a language immersion school during a class in Arlee, Montana.
10. Traditional dance competitions, costumes and various competitions at the fair during the Pow Wow holiday help preserve cultural heritage Indians Photo: Young dancers line up to wait for their dances to be judged during the Ki-Yo Pow-wow celebration.
12. And mothers are ready to try their best for their children. And in the costumes of little Indians there can be a lot of handwork. Photo: Bobby Sox, Sliding on the Ice, prepares her grandson for the parade.
13. Fair rodeo is an exciting spectacle, in which only real daredevils decide to participate. Photo: Bull threw Misio Flores off his back during a fairground rodeo as soon as he jumped out of the gate.
14. Festive table even among the Indians - the fate of the fair sex. While Indian and not-so-Indian dishes are being prepared, there is an opportunity to start a conversation with women.
15. The Indians are not at all going to give up everything new that can provide them modern society. Pictured: Six-year-old Mae Big Man listens to music and plays with a doll on her front porch while her sister learns cross stitch patterns in Nardin, Montana.
16. And their main advantage is the ability to maintain family and friendly ties, traditions and rituals in the modern bustling world. Photo: Families, friends and clan members of Scott Russell gathered for a celebration at the Crow Agency during the election of the chief representative of the tribe, Montana.
19. Endurance and inner strength and the ability to feel an internal connection with one’s family, which is brought up in young Indians from childhood, helps them to successfully perform not only in classical, but also in modern types sports Photo: Nicholas Barrera and Tim Lucero at a local skate park in Billings, Montana.
"Indian" questions and answers
1) Who are the Indians?
There are millions of people with Indian ancestry, but that does not make them Indians in the eyes of tribes or the federal government. Federal government
considers an Indian to be someone who belongs to a federally recognized tribe. Individual tribes have the exclusive right to determine their own membership. The tribal government sets certain criteria for registration. Some of which require a thorough study of the origin, and some of which simply require the provision of evidence.
As defined by the U.S. Department of the Interior, a Native American is generally defined as a person who has a certain percentage of Indian blood in his veins and who is recognized as an Indian by one of the tribes and/or the U.S. government. There is no single federal or tribal criterion for designation as an Indian. Government agencies use various criteria to determine a person's eligibility for programs and services. Different tribes also have different eligibility criteria. It is important to understand the difference between the ethnological and political-legal aspects of the meaning of the term “Indian”. The protections and services provided by the U.S. government to tribal members are not based on an individual's status as an American Indian in the ethnological sense, but on being a member of a tribe that is recognized by the U.S. and with which the U.S. maintains a special relationship of trust. These special fiduciary relationships come with certain enforceable obligations and duties.
2) What is the origin of the Indians?
Most anthropologists believe that Indians crossed from Asia to North America through the Bering Strait approximately 35,000 years ago. However, most tribes have their own history of origin based on the fact that the indigenous inhabitants of the continent have always lived in America.
3) Why are the indigenous people of America called Indians?
The indigenous population of the United States was first named Indians by Christopher Columbus, who mistakenly believed, when he set foot on the shores of the continent, that he had reached India. Nowadays, many Native Americans prefer to call themselves American Indians to avoid stereotypes associated with Indians.
4) Which is correct: Native American or American Indian?
Either term is acceptable, although there are preferences. The term "Native American" was first used in the 1960s. to define Indians and Alaska Natives. Over time, the term became widespread to include all indigenous peoples of the United States and its territories, including Aborigines, Chamorros (indigenous people of the Mariana Islands), and American Samoans (the 7 eastern islands of the Samoan archipelago) (Native Americans and American Indians are used interchangeably in this document).
5) What is the population of Indians and Alaska Natives?
According to the US Census, in 1997 there were 2.3 million people. This is approximately 1 percent of the total population. Before the arrival of Europeans in North America, there were, according to some rough estimates, more than 10 million indigenous people. By the time the colonists began keeping records, the populations had been greatly reduced due to war, famine, European disease, and forced labor. Approximate number of people who are American Indian and Alaska Native alone or American Indian and Alaska Native in combination with one or more other races: 4.4 million (as of July 1, 2003).
6) Do Indians have families?
Almost two-thirds of the total indigenous population are married, and 27% of families are headed by single women. The birth rate among Indians is much higher than in families living in America, and this is despite the fact that the average annual income of an Indian family is significantly lower than the average annual income of other Americans. Number of American Indian and Alaska Native households: 484,000.
7) Is the indigenous population declining?
The indigenous population is getting younger and growing steadily. Since July 1990, Indians and Alaska Natives have grown by 12 percent, while the white population has grown by only 3 percent.
8) What are the reasons for this growth?
Health care has been greatly improved and life expectancy has increased. In addition, many want to identify themselves as Indian or Alaska Native.
9) Why does the government define Alaska Natives as Alaska Natives rather than Indians?
The native inhabitants of Alaska are the Eskimos (Inupait and Yupik), Alaska Indians (Athabascan, Haida, Tlingit and Timshian) and Aleut. They have their own culture and prefer to call themselves Alaska Natives.
10) Are Native Hawaiians considered Indians?
No, the native Hawaiians, known as Kanaka Maoli, trace their ancestry and language to Polynesians, including Tahitians, Samoans and Maoris. Since 2000, the federal government has not recognized Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders as a distinct group. Native Hawaiians often align themselves with Native Americans in matters of self-government and self-determination.
11) What is a tribe?
Initially, tribes are a society of people connected by blood ties, family kinship and common language having their own religion and political system. When members of different tribes were forced to live together on reservations, some new tribal groups formed.
12) How many tribes are there in total?
According to Bureau of Indian Affairs data in 1998, there were 554 federally recognized tribes in the United States (562 in 2003) comprising 226 Alaska Native villages. Federal recognition of a tribe gives it government status and provides it with certain federal subsidies.
13) Do the Indian tribes belong to the same group?
Indian tribes are as different as, for example, the Irish and Italians. Tribes have their own culture, language and traditions. Some of them were once sworn enemies.
14) Which tribe is the most numerous?
In 1990, the Cherokee Nation numbered 308,132, the largest of the American tribes. The majority of the Cherokee live in Oklahoma and the North Carolina reservation (more than 5,000 people). The largest tribal group of Alaska Natives: the Eskimos, number 37,000 people.
15) Are the concepts of Indian people and Indian tribe identical?
Yes, federally recognized tribes are self-governing, and the federal government deals with political entities, not members of a particular race. The political status of the tribes is spelled out in the Constitution: “The Congress shall have power... to regulate commerce with foreign nations... and with the Indian tribes.”
16) How is a tribe recognized federally?
They are approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the US Department of the Interior. Many peoples were recognized as tribes federally through treaties in the 18th and 19th centuries, although several groups petition for recognition as such today.
17) What was the last tribe to be federally recognized?
In 1996, the Huron Potawatomi of Michigan were granted federal status as a Native American Nation. In 1998, 14 more tribes filed applications with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
18) What powers do tribes have as nations?
Possessing national status, they have all the powers of government, except those which are contrary to the fundamental provisions of Congress or overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States. Tribes have the right to form their own government, determine its composition, collect taxes, administer justice, and have the right to commercial activity. The Tribal Nation governs Indian land, its resources, and matters relating to the conduct of tribal members on Indian land.
19) How is tribal government formed?
Most tribal governments have a developed democratic system for electing government members, which was formed long before the arrival of European colonialists. Although similar in structure to the American government, tribal governments are much smaller and have much less power.
20) What is a tribal council?
The tribal council is typically the governing body of the tribe. The head of the council is the elected chairman, president, chief or governor, and is the recognized leader. The council carries out the legislative aspects of tribal government.
21) Are reservation governments and tribal governments the same thing?
No. Tribal governments existed long before reservations were established. However, the governing body on the reservation is the tribal council. In cases where different tribes are on the same reservation, the governments operate separately, such as the Shoshoni and Arapaho in Wyoming.
22) What is a reservation?
Indian reservations are areas of land held by the federal government as permanent tribal lands. The United States developed Indian reservation policies in 1787. Some reservations were created by treaties, while others were created by laws or government regulations. Today there are 314 reservations.
23) Why are they called reservations?
The term "reservation" has its origins in the federal government's acts of land set aside for federal purposes. There are two types of such lands in the United States: military and Indian.
24) Do all Indians live on reservations?
No. More than 60 percent live off reservations, according to census data. However, many people visit the reservations to visit relatives and participate in ceremonies.
25) How much land was allocated to the Indians?
About 56 million acres are on reservations and in trust. The Navajo Reservation is the largest, with 16 million acres spanning parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Most reservations own less than 1,000 acres.
26)What does “held in trust” mean?
Almost all trust lands are on reservations and belong to the United States. Their status is for the use and benefit of the Indian tribes. Tribes have the right to acquire this land, petition the federal government for trust management of it, and protect it from encroachment or seizure. Actions taken with respect to trust property, including sales, are subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.
27) Who owns the reservations?
The United States holds title to tribal lands, serving as trustee with the Department of the Interior. The tribe or landowner holds the land in trust. Non-Indians also own significant portions of reservation lands, although tribes may exercise jurisdiction over them.
28) What is the federal government's fiduciary duty to Indians?
The federal government's fiduciary duty to the Indians is a legal obligation under which the United States has "assumed the highest moral responsibility and trust" to Indian tribes (Seminole v. United States, 1942). It was first mentioned by Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court John Marshall in the case Cherokee v. Georgia (1831). Over the years, the fiduciary doctrine has become the cornerstone of many other Supreme Court cases. This is one of the most important principles set forth in the federal Indian Acts. The federal government's trust responsibility to Indians is the U.S. government's enforceable obligation to protect tribal lands, assets, resources, and treaty rights, and the duty to carry out the mandates of federal law with respect to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. In a number of cases concerning liability in relation to fiduciary relationships, the Supreme Court has used language which implies that it entails legal duties, moral obligations and fulfilling the agreements and expectations that emerged during contacts between the U.S. Government and the tribes.
29) Did the government try to take away tribal lands?
From the 1880s until the 1930s, Congress traded tribal lands, causing reservations to lose two-thirds of their lands. In 1950, the Eisenhower administration implemented a policy of closing reservations in an effort to assimilate Indians into white society.
30) Do tribal lands have mineral reserves?
The reservations contain 5 percent of the country's oil and gas reserves, 50 percent of its uranium, and 30 percent of its low-sulfur coal. Other mineral deposits include phosphates, crystalline quartz, gravel, sand, potassium and sodium. Even if tribes do not have mineral reserves, they can lease land with them.
31) What is Indian Territory?
"Indian Territory" is a legal term used in Title 18 of the United States Code. It broadly defines federal and tribal jurisdiction over crimes affecting Indians on reservations. But the term is also widely used, denoting reservations and areas with an Indian population.
32) What are the living conditions like in Indian Territory?
Despite improvements in health, education and the economy over the years, Native American communities still lag behind the rest of the country in all sectors. Their income level is significantly lower and their mortality rate is significantly higher than in the country as a whole. People on reservations die from accidents, alcoholism, diabetes, pneumonia, suicide, homicide, and tuberculosis.
33) What is tribal sovereignty?
Just like states, tribes have sovereignty in the management of territories and internal affairs. This tribal status is confirmed by a number of treaties, case law and the Constitution. Scientists believe that tribes are independent from the very beginning, i.e. their emergence predates the formation of the United States.
34) How does sovereignty work?
The doctrine of tribal sovereignty was affirmed by three Supreme Court rulings in the 1800s. They recognize the right to self-government and management of the internal affairs of the so-called “internal dependent nations,” which prevents government intervention but allows Congress to override Indian powers.
35) Is sovereignty largely symbolic today?
Nothing is more important to the Indian government and people than sovereignty, tribal leaders say. This is a fundamental principle of the US Constitution. IN Lately tribes are seeking to regain control of their economies and resources, asserting their rights as sovereign while often clashing with neighboring states.
36) What is sovereign immunity?
This is the ability of the government to determine the conditions under which a claim can be brought. Tribes use sovereign immunity in claims affecting their territories. Congress tried to limit sovereign immunity, however, these attempts did not bring the desired results.
37) Does US jurisdiction extend to Indian Territories?
The United States has neither civil nor criminal jurisdiction over Indian Territory. Since 1988, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, passed by Congress, requires tribes and states to enter into treaties or agreements before opening a gaming establishment on Indian Territory.
38) Should Indians obey the same laws as non-Indians?
Off reservations, Indians are subject to local, state, and federal laws. On reservations, they are subject only to federal and tribal laws. Under a federal law known as the Assimilative Crimes Act, any criminal offense is a federal crime.
39) Are Indians American citizens?
Indians have dual citizenship as tribal members and as American citizens. Congress gave American citizenship to Indians in 1924.
40) Do Indians pay state or federal taxes?
They pay the same taxes as everyone else, but there are exceptions: Native Americans living on reservations do not pay state income taxes. Indians living on trust lands do not pay local or state property taxes. No state sales taxes are collected if transactions occur on the reservation. Indians do not pay income tax on income received from trust lands for the right to grazing and drilling oil wells.
41) What is the relationship between tribal and state governments?
Because the Constitution gives the federal government authority over Indian relations, states generally do not have authority over tribal governments. Tribal governments retain the right to adopt and enforce laws and regulations that are more stringent or more lenient than those of neighboring state(s). However, although tribes have the right and authority to regulate activities on their lands independent of neighboring state governments, in practice they often cooperate and interact with states through treaties and other agreements. The relationship between tribes and states is also an intergovernmental relationship.
42) What are contracts?
From 1777 to 1871, treaties were concluded between the United States and Indian nations. These treaties or agreements between tribal governments and the United States formed the property rights and obligations of the parties. There are 371 treaties that give Indian tribes rights, mostly related to their land.
43) What is in these contracts or agreements?
The treaties promised Indians protection, property, services, self-government rights, and tribal territories in exchange for cooperation and land.
44) Why did the tribes agree to treaties?
Faced with land grabs, losses from war, disease, and a flood of settlers, Indians were forced to enter into treaties and viewed them as serious moral obligations.
45) Were the agreements fulfilled?
Inconsistent federal policies and court decisions have resulted in Indigenous peoples losing some of their civil rights and lands. An early example of this was the Trail of Tears, the march of 14,000 Cherokees from Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee to Oklahoma, although the treaty of 1791 had already designated their permanent lands. About 4,000 Cherokees—mostly children, elders, and children—perished from starvation, cold, and disease along the way.
46) What is fiduciary liability?
This is one of the most important principles in federal Indian law. Legally, it establishes fiduciary obligations on the part of the United States to protect tribal lands, assets, resources, and treaty rights. Supreme Court rulings indicate that fiduciary responsibility entails both legal and moral obligations.
47) Do treaties guarantee special rights to Indians today?
In the Pacific Northwest, tribes have the rights to hunt, fish and subsist as their ancestors did. On all reservations, tribes are entitled to free education and health care from the federal government.
48) Are treaties violated?
Such attempts were repeated several times. More recently, Congress has attempted to limit tribal self-government and expand government powers over tribes.
49)What is the American Indian Movement (AMI)?
AIM formed in 1968 as an Indian rights movement. AIM leaders staged sit-ins and other protests, and in 1972, AIM members from various states marched across the country on the Trail of Broken Treaties. Now DAI continues to be active.
50) What does the Bureau of Indian Affairs do?
The Bureau is the federal agency for tribal affairs. Its mission is to provide services and/or funds for services to the tribes. In the 1800s, the Bureau's primary purpose was to help tribes achieve self-determination. The Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior is responsible for managing 55.7 million acres (22,540,990.27 hectares) of lands held in trust by the United States Government for the benefit of American Indians, Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives.
51) Who can apply for BDI services?
Only persons belonging to federally recognized tribes.
52) What services does BDI provide?
The development of forest lands, the leasing of assets on these lands, the management of agricultural programs, the protection of water and land rights, the development and maintenance of infrastructure, and the promotion of economic development are all the responsibilities of the BDI. In addition, BDI provides educational services to 48,000 Indian schoolchildren. Across the 56 million acres of land held in trust by the U.S. Government, BIA manages more than 100,000 leases with individual Indians owning more than 10 million acres and with tribes owning nearly 45 million acres. In fiscal year 2003, the trust generated rental, permitting, sales and interest revenues of $195 million for 240,000 individual Indian accounts and $375 million for 1,400 tribal accounts. The Office of the American Indian Trust Representative (OSAR) manages $2.9 billion in tribal trust fund investments and $400 million in individual accounts. USDO staff meets with tribal representatives to determine investment goals, limitations, and preferences to achieve maximum returns.
53) Do other federal agencies work with tribes?
Almost all federal agencies work with Indian tribes. The Department of Health and Human Services, for example, works with the Indian Health Service, which provides health care on or near reservations. The Department of Justice works with the Office of Tribal Justice, which coordinates law enforcement in Indian Territory.
54) Can Indians hold elected office?
Indians have the same rights as all other US citizens. Charles Curtis, Crow, was Vice President under Herbert Hoover, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Republican from Colorado, Northern Cheyenne. Campbell also served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.
55) Do Indians serve in the US Army?
In the 20th century, five of the soldiers awarded the U.S. military's highest honor, the Medal of Honor, were Native American. Every fourth Indian is a military veteran. The heroism shown by Indians in World War I prompted the government to pass the Citizenship Act in 1924. During World War II, the Navajo Marines used their language as a code that their enemies could not decipher, no matter how hard they tried. Number of American Indians and Alaska Natives who are veterans of the U.S. military: 159,000.
56) Who regulates Indian casinos?
The National Indian Gaming Association, authorized by Congress, oversees bingo, casino and some other forms of gambling on tribal lands. It sets licensing rules, reviews annual audits and approves regulations that tribes develop to run gaming operations. The US Departments of the Treasury, Justice and Interior have their own influence on the gambling business. Indian tribes have their own gaming commissions, tribal police and judicial systems.
57) What is the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act?
A law passed in 1988 allowed tribes to open gambling establishments on reservations if the state on which the reservations were located had already legalized gambling. The law requires states to enter into agreements with tribal governments that plan to open casinos, including the installation of slot machines and blackjack. Treaties are approved by the Secretary General of Internal Affairs.
58) Does the gambling business bring in a lot of income?
In 1997, casinos generated a total of $6.4 billion in revenue. But not all tribes became rich. More than half of this income came from six tribes whose territories are located near large cities. (In 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, agreed with 10 Indian tribes to build new casinos on reservation territories. The Indians gave their consent and now 25% of the profits from these casinos go to the treasury of the state of California).
59) What place does the Indian gambling business occupy in the gambling industry?
The Indian gaming business is growing rapidly, but it accounts for only 8% of total US gambling profits. (Many casinos located in Indian Territories are a magnet for the criminal underworld and are controlled by the gambling mafia.)
60) Do all tribes have their own gambling business?
About a third of the 554 tribes are involved in gambling, and many of that third are limited to just bingo.
(The Masfi Wampanoang Indian tribe is doing everything possible and impossible to get the opportunity to build a casino in northeastern Massachusetts. Currently, the Indians do not have land for construction. The tribe managed to agree on the issue with local authorities, but the federal government denied the Indians the right to build an establishment.
In a desperate attempt to implement its project in Massachusetts, which recently legalized gambling resorts on its territory, the tribe turned to a 250-year-old treaty with English king George III, who granted the Indians freedom and the right to their land.
To build a casino, Indians must obtain land leases from federal authorities and then obtain approval from local authorities if they want a Native American casino in their region.
The complaint the Indians filed against the feds said the U.S. "has continually neglected its responsibility to protect the Masfi Wampanoang, leaving the tribe poor and landless."
61) Do tribes pay tax on their income?
No. As sovereign governments, they do not pay taxes on their income to the state or federal government, but casino workers wages pay income taxes like all Americans. States have the authority to levy fees on tribes for the costs of gambling regulation and administration. Some states, such as Michigan, Connecticut and Washington, have formal agreements with tribes to collect additional fees.
62) How many tribes have been helped by the gambling business to get rich?
The gambling business has helped tribes such as the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and the Chippewa, but the Indians are still one of the poorest segments of the population.
(Casinos built on Indian reservations bring a lot of income to some tribes, but do not bring significant profits to others. A popular casino like Mystic Lake feeds the entire Mdewakanton tribe, and the Seminole Indians became the owners of the popular Hard Rock cafe chain. American politicians' attitude towards Indian casinos is far from ambiguous, some have a negative attitude towards them, motivating their attitude by religion and the narrow specialization of young Indians, others propose to deprive Indians of all benefits in order to replenish the US treasury, and still others are in favor of maintaining the same situation. It is impossible to give an exact answer to how the gambling business will develop in the future on the territories of Indian reservations; only time will tell).
63) Did some Indians get rich?
The Indian Reservation Gaming Act requires tribal governments to spend revenue on social, economic and charitable causes. Only after this, with the permission of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the balances can be distributed among specific persons. Forty-seven tribes practice this.
64) Why are casinos popular among tribes?
Gambling is a generally accepted tradition that featured in celebrations and rituals long before the Europeans. For many reservations, gambling is one of the few sources of employment and income. (The majority of Indians are not addicted to gambling. More than 90% of casino income comes from white visitors).
(From the history of the appearance of casinos in Indian territories: “The Oneida people live in the state of New York. In the mid-70s of the 20th century, they lived very poorly. In order to somehow improve the financial situation of the tribe, one of its members opened a salon with bingo in the trailer. The Indian decided to raise the gambling rates above the level specified by law. The authorities became interested in this salon and wanted to close it. But the Indian graduated from Harvard and knew his rights very well. He said that these laws do not apply on the reservation territory. While the disputes were going on, a new Indian casino was opened in the state of Florida. It was owned by the Seminole tribe. Actively playing in this casino, mainly whites, the income of the tribe increased significantly.
The state district attorney has decided to close the Seminole gambling house. In response, the tribe sued the prosecutor, and the famous trial began, which the Indians won. Thanks to this lawsuit, all Indians living in the United States received the right to open casinos on their reservations. Moreover, the authorities passed a law according to which income from gambling on reservations was not subject to taxes.
So the gambling tycoons of Nevada and New Jersey have new competitors. Owners of luxury casinos began to lobby their interests in Congress, and already in 1988 an act was passed to regulate Indian gambling. According to this act, permission to open a new casino was issued to Indians by the state authorities. In some regions, Indians were prohibited from opening casinos, but after numerous trials, a compromise solution was found. It was agreed that the Indians should share their income with the state. Since then, Indians have been able to open casinos, but they must give significant profits from the business to the state treasury).
65) Do all Indians support casinos?
No. Some argue that the gambling business is undermining the foundations of culture and those tribes that already have their own casinos are moving away from the traditional way of life.
66) What are tribal schools?
Beginning in the early 1800s, the Bureau of Indian Affairs assumed responsibility for educating reservation children in Indian schools. Since 1978, the federal government has turned over the management of schools to the tribes, but retained control and funding. Today there are 187 tribal schools with 50,000 students.
67) How many Indian children attend off-reservation public schools?
Approximately 480,000 Native American children attend off-reservation public schools. In some states with large population, Indian schoolchildren are given time to study the Indian language and native culture.
(In January 2013, in the small American town of Shawano in the northeastern state of Wisconsin, 13-year-old 7th grade student Miranda Washinawatok, Menominee, dared to say three phrases in her native Indian language during a lesson at her school and then translate them into English for classmates... These words are “I love you”, “Hello” and “Thank you”... After this, the girl faced real repression...
When her mother Tanais began to ask the offended and upset girl what had happened, it turned out that the teacher Julia Gurta roughly grabbed both of her hands and, hitting them hard on the table, loudly said that she should not speak the Menominee language, that is, the native language of her tribe, and that doing so is very bad... At the next lesson, another teacher told the girl that she had acted badly, and, in addition, she was deprived of the opportunity to play basketball: Miranda sat on the bench the entire game. The mother's attempt to find out why her child was suspended from the game ended in nothing: the coach said that he knew nothing about this decision... Richie Plass, Miranda's great-uncle, knows well what racism is. He said: “This is ignorance and a form of national intolerance, this is closer to fascism...” Teacher Julia Gurta, who punished Miranda, assistant director of education Dr. Joseph Bound, assistant women's basketball coach Billie Joe Decoin and head Dan, it seems, even wrote a letter of apology, but... As Miranda's mother says, in this letter they did not apologize at all, but tried... to justify their actions! Thus, Julia Gurta argued that students have a responsibility to respect other students, and behavior that creates a sense of elitism “can increase racial and cultural tensions.” And Miranda’s punishment, according to the lady, was in response to the girl’s disrespectful comments and behavior throughout the day...)
68) How many Indians graduated from high school?
According to the 1990 US Census, 66% of Indians who were 25 years old had completed high school. Percentage of American Indians and Alaska Natives age 25 or older among those with at least a college diploma or diploma high school: 75 %.
69) How do tribes use their sovereignty?
In New Mexico, for example, pueblos require residents of the city of Albuquerque to comply with clean water standards that are more stringent and demanding than state ones. In the Pacific Northwest, tribes collaborate with states and the federal government on issues related to fisheries and salmon protection.
70) What are tribal colleges and how do they function?
More than 30 colleges have sprung up since the 1960s. They are located directly on or near reservation territories and provide a 2-year education. Some of them were built with money raised from the gambling business. Teaching at these types of colleges responds to the needs and demands of the indigenous population and is aimed at those students who then continue their education off reserves. The first college, which was completely controlled by tribal authorities, was created on the Navajo tribe in 1968. The reason for the creation of such a Native American college was the large number of Navajo students who did not complete their education at off-reservation educational institutions. That's why tribal authorities decided to establish their own two-year college, Navajo Community College. Among the advantages of this type of educational institute was that “students experienced fewer financial and psychological problems, and also studied the culture and system life values Navajo tribe." Other tribes followed the Navajo example. By 1990, there were already 24 Indian colleges in the United States where students could obtain an associate's degree. Two colleges, Oglala Lakota College and Sinte Gleszka College, provide undergraduate education. A modern Indian college is typically housed in several buildings that have been donated to the Indian community or leased by the tribe. Sometimes under educational establishments other rooms are adjusted. For example, Little Big Horn College is based in a former sports center, one of the premises of Fort Berthold College is a former post office, and Sinte Gleska College converted a bookstore into a classroom. And only a few Indian colleges have spacious buildings at their disposal. On the Navajo Reservation, students study at a college located in the very center of the reservation: a six-story administration building built in the national style and surrounded by other university departments (dormitory, gymnasium and student center).
However, despite the fact that in the second half of the twentieth century, Native Americans were able to establish their own educational institutions and place them on reservation lands, the number of students these colleges could accept was limited, primarily due to the fact that the colleges themselves were small. Distinctive feature tribal colleges is that, along with the general education program, they teach traditionally Indian subjects, which, in the opinion of the reservation population and teachers, will prepare students, on the one hand, for reservation life, and on the other, for communication with the non-reservation, external environment . Thus, three main characteristics of Indian colleges can be identified. Firstly, the curriculum in such colleges is always based on traditional Indian culture. Students study tribal language, art and philosophy not as additional subjects, but as core ones. Secondly, the main emphasis is on teaching those disciplines that are most in demand in the life of a particular reservation. As a result, most graduates do not have much difficulty finding work in a particular Indian community. Third, colleges often host research projects that meet community needs and are sponsored by tribal authorities. This results in Indian educational institutions combining the functions of a college and a research center.
An example is the already mentioned Navajo Community College. Its charter document states that the main task of the college is to improve the educational level of students based on Indian traditions. Among the most important disciplines are the study of tribal philosophy, language, history, culture, professional training that allows graduates to successfully exist in a multicultural and technological society, conducting scientific research that contributes to social and economic development reservation community.
71) How many Indians have higher education?
In 1960, only about 3.5 thousand Indians studied at universities and colleges in the United States; in 1970, more than 14.4 thousand Indians were enrolled in colleges. However, the share of Indian youth enrolled in higher education is still low: in 1970, only 12% of Indians aged 18 to 24 were enrolled in college in the country, compared with 15% of African Americans and 27% of white Americans. Between 1970 and 1980, the number of Indian students in various types of higher education institutions in the United States increased by only 12 thousand people. At present, there are a relatively large number of Indians who have even achieved academic degrees. By the mid-1980s, for example, at South Dakota State University, 200 Indians received master's degrees and 23 received doctorates. It is characteristic that they all specialized in the field of school pedagogy and methodology (problems of primary, secondary and higher education, features of adult education, specifics of work in the staff of school administration, etc.).
The need for Indians to diversify their activities was clearly expressed at a forum of Indian scientists that took place in the early 1970s by a Northern Cheyenne Indian, D. Wu-Denlegs. Condemning the fact that on many reservations, almost all positions, from nurses, doctors, teachers and school counselors to managers, BIA staff, etc., etc., were filled by non-Indians, he said: “ If a non-Indian can be taught how to manage and control Indian affairs, why should not an Indian manage himself and other Indians?” . Despite the fact that Native Americans enjoy significant benefits when entering higher education institutions, the level of education among Indians is extremely low. 28 percent of Americans have a college degree; for Indians, the figure is only 16 percent.% Number of American Indians and Alaska Natives age 25 or older who hold an advanced degree (Master's, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.): 50,500.
72) Do the Indians speak their native language?
The vast majority of Indians speak English as their primary language, although some speak their mother tongue. When Europeans first arrived on the American continent, there were 350 Indian languages.
73) What languages do the Indians speak?
The exact number has not been calculated, but approximately 200 languages are known to be spoken. Native American languages are classified geographically rather than linguistically because they do not belong to the same language family. Number of people aged 5 years and older who speak an indigenous language in North America: 381,000. The most widely spoken of all the indigenous languages of North America is the Navajo language, with 178,014 speakers.
74) Indian languages continue to die out and how are they preserved?
Yes. Mostly, only the elders speak their native languages. Communities care about introducing school programs teaching the native Indian language, books and teaching aids are published, some languages are taught at universities. Recently, researchers are increasingly talking about the revival of interest among Indian youth in the culture and languages of their ancestors.
75) Did the Indians have writing?
Before European colonization, Indian writing existed in the form of pictography.
76) Do Indians have a religion?
There is no single religion. Each nation has its own religion, its own traditional practices. Many Native Americans believe in a Great Spirit who manifests himself through nature and influences all life. Everyday life is filled with numerous spirits. In the 19th century, Native Americans lost many of their religious practices and were forced to convert to Christianity by colonists, sending their children to missionary schools and banning many practices.
77) How many Christians are there among Indians?
In the 1990s, more than two-thirds of Native Americans reported being Christian. Others combined Christian beliefs with their native religion. There are also Muslims among the Indians.
78) Are Indians now free to practice their religions?
Until the 1930s, the United States banned Native American religious practices, including the Spirit Dance, the Sun Dance, and the peyote cult. In 1978, Congress passed the Indian Religious Freedom Act. Its first section stated that it would henceforth be the policy of the United States to protect the traditional religions of the "American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiian people" in several areas, "including unrestricted access to places of worship, storage and use of sacred objects and freedom to pray through traditional ceremonies." Section two obliges the government to monitor its policies and practices, in consultation with Indian traditionalists, and to report annually to Congress how the act is being carried out.
79) Where do Indians pray?
Followers of Indian spirituality do not consider their practice a religion at all and they do not need any buildings to conduct their prayers, because prayers take various forms, including songs and dances, offerings of tobacco and cornmeal.
80)What is a pow-wow?
The word "powwow" comes from the Narragansett language. It is a celebration of honoring sacred Native American traditions through dancing, drumming, singing and gatherings. Powwows can be held in honor of individuals or for special occasions. More often than not, a powwow is a social event.
81) Can non-Indians attend powwows?
There are ceremonial powwows that are closed to others, but at public powwows non-Indians are welcome.
82) Where do the Indians get eagle feathers?
Eagles are federally protected, but feathers are available for Native American religious practices from eagles that die naturally or by accident.
Translation and additions: Alexander Caksi*Two Wolves*. Text editing: Kristina Makhova.
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Before the advent of European colonists, there were many different Indian tribes in North America, reports.
All of them were strikingly different from each other not only in appearance, but also in languages, culture, rituals and idols, as well as worldview.
Many people mistakenly believe that the Indians were savages who lived naked in the jungle. This is not true at all.
For example, some Native American peoples, such as the Pueblos of the southwestern United States, lived in multi-story buildings made of adobe bricks, growing corn, squash, and beans.
Their neighbors, the Apaches, lived in small groups. They hunted and farmed. After the Spanish colonists brought horses, the Apaches began to use them and raid their settled neighbors - whites and Indians - for the purpose of robbery.
In the east of the modern United States, the Iroquois lived in the forests. They hunted, fished, and farmed, growing 12 types of grains. Their oblong houses, covered with elm bark, accommodated up to 20 families. The Iroquois were quite warlike. They surrounded their villages with a wooden palisade to protect themselves from the attacks of their neighbors.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Europeans waged merciless war against the Indians. European settlers believed that they had every right to the lands on which Indians had lived for centuries. For the white colonist, the life of an Indian was worth absolutely nothing.
There were a lot of Indians on the territory of the modern United States, but all the tribes were separated by their own conflicts and strife. Taking advantage of this, the Europeans pitted these tribes against each other, and simply destroyed smaller tribes, realizing that they would not be able to provide serious resistance.
There was no difference - the French, Spaniards and British treated the Indians equally cruelly.
A lot of Indians died during the war for dominance in America between France and Great Britain. In fact, the colonists pitted local tribes against each other, although they themselves also took part in the hostilities.
Further, there were many casualties among Indians during the war for American independence from England. The people who suffered the most in this war were the Iroquois, who were actually divided into two camps in this massacre. Half of the Iroquois sided with the British, while the other half supported the Americans.
At the end of the 18th century, American colonists began to move west, cutting down the forests of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. The Indians fought bravely against these invaders from their hunting grounds. Encouraged by the French and British, who sought to maintain control of the lands west of the United States, Indians attacked frontier settlements. White settlers sometimes destroyed entire Indian villages as they advanced.
At first, the United States government tried to maintain peace with the Indians by discouraging white settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. But the settlers did not pay attention to this.
In the 19th century, US policymakers considered various ways solutions to the "Indian problem". They boiled down to the fact that the Indians needed to either be assimilated or moved even further to the West. In 1825, the US Supreme Court, in one of its decisions, formulated the “doctrine of discovery,” according to which the right to the lands of “open” lands belongs to the state, and the indigenous population retains the right of residence on them, but not the right of ownership of the land. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed, which required all Indians from the eastern United States to move to lands set aside for them west of the Mississippi River.
Many Indians were forcibly removed from their homes and forced to travel on foot to Indian Territory, which was located in what is now Oklahoma. This difficult journey, which later became known as the “Road of Tears,” lasted from three to five months and the Cherokees alone lost at least 4,000 people (a quarter of all Cherokees) dead.
Locally, bounties were sometimes paid for killed Indians. Thus, the authorities of Shasta City in California paid $5 per head of an Indian in 1855, a settlement near Marysville in 1859 paid a reward from funds donated by the population “for each scalp or other convincing evidence” that an Indian was killed. In 1861, there were plans in Tehama County to create a fund "to pay for Indian scalps" and two years later Honey Lake paid 25 cents per Indian scalp.
By 1871, the US authorities had decided that treaties with the Indians were no longer required and that no Indian nation or tribe should be considered an independent nation or state. The authorities forced the Indians to abandon their usual way of life and live only on reservations.
Attempts by American colonists to make slaves out of Indians were unsuccessful. The Indians refused to be slaves: some of them died, others escaped to freedom. As a result, the Americans decided to use Africans as slave labor, who were brought in thousands from Africa and who were more submissive than the Indians.
On reservations, Indians were prohibited from practicing their own religion, and children were taken from their parents and sent to special boarding schools. The authorities promised to supply the Indians on the reservations with food. But there were not enough of them, government officials were often dishonest and living conditions for Indians on the reservations were poor. They died from disease. In addition, Indian reservations provided cheap alcohol, which contributed to the rise of alcoholism among Indian men.
In 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act was passed, making Indians citizens of the United States. In 1928, US presidential candidate Herbert Hoover chose as his vice-presidential candidate Charles Curtis, who on his mother's side was a descendant of the chief of the Kanza Indian tribe.
About five million Indians currently live in the United States, representing approximately 1.6 percent of the country's population. According to 2009 data, the largest number of Indians is in the states of California (about 740 thousand), Oklahoma (415 thousand) and Arizona (366 thousand). Los Angeles is the city with the largest Indian population. The largest Indian nations are the Cherokees (about 310 thousand), Navajo (about 280 thousand), Sioux (115 thousand) and Chippewa (113 thousand).
Concept modern man There are fundamentally incorrect and erroneous things about the Indians, especially about where the Indians live. Many people believe that Indians are none other than the inhabitants of any country in Africa, America, Asia or Australia, who live in forests, have a primitively communal structure of society, wear bandages on their bare bodies, are necessarily black in color and speak an incomprehensible language.
However, we hasten to disappoint you. Indians are peoples and tribes that live only in the Americas, and when they talk about Indians from other continents, these opinions are erroneous. Let's talk about where the Indians live.
Where do the Indians live and who are they?
Who are the Indians?
In fact, the Indians are nothing more than the indigenous population of both Americas, and this name came about, let’s say, in the wrong way. And this mistake occurred thanks to the Spanish navigator and discoverer Christopher Columbus, who, by the way, did not plan to get to America. Columbus was heading to India and, accordingly, when he came to the shores of America, the people who lived there were called Indians, because they were believed to be the inhabitants of India.
Indians today number about 70 million people, and the population is constantly growing, thanks to various programs of international non-governmental organizations that are trying in every possible way to support this population.
Of course, the Indians had a rather difficult colonial past, which greatly undermined their population in the physical and moral senses. They were mocked by whoever could. They went through a period of slavery and a period of humiliation, a period of interference in their lives (see) and their way of life, but nevertheless, they managed to withstand all adversity and today, as we said earlier, their population is constantly increasing. The efforts of many UN bodies are aimed at this. Today, there are tribes and species of Indians that were exterminated forever in the course of bloody history.
For example, today there is not a single indigenous tribe left from Easter Island (Chile). The Indians of these regions were simply all exterminated by the bloodthirsty, at that time, Peruvians, who took them to their mainland for hard and backbreaking work. When the world community intervened in this problem at the end of the 18th century, it was already too late. Almost all the Indians were exterminated. And with them the secrets of their language (see), culture and traditions disappeared forever. The example with the Indians of Easter Island is far from the only one in the entire long history (see) of the existence of the indigenous inhabitants of both Americas. Now let's talk directly about where the Indians live.
Where do the Indians live?
The habitat of the Indians can be divided into two geographical and ethnic areas. This:
- North America.
- Latin America.
The idea of what Latin America is is also erroneous. Generally, people assume that it is just another name for South America. However, it is not. Latin America includes the countries of South America plus Mexico. Each zone of each of the two Americas can also be divided into subzones in relation to the Indians. Let's talk about where Indians live in North and Latin America.
Where do Indians live in North America?
IN North America, which, by the way, is founded by Canada and the USA, Indians live (see) in the following regions and ethnic areas.
- Indians living in subarctic regions. Their main occupation is fishing and cultivating valuable fur.
- Indians living in the Northwest. mainly in coastal areas, which also feed them on fish and spearfishing.
- Indians also live in California. In their life and development, in addition to hunting, gathering is also observed due to the favorable Californian climate.
- Indians living in the Southeastern United States.
- And finally, the Indians, who live in the Great Plains. This is perhaps the largest group of all Indians, which includes a huge number of different tribes living in the same territory, but very different in their etymology, morals, character and way of life (see).
Where do Indians live in Latin America?
Another group of Indians lives throughout almost all of Latin America:
- The first category includes the Indians, whose civilization, at one time, reached simply extraordinary proportions in terms of its numbers and mental development. This happened even before the era of Columbus's discovery of America. These Indians, who bore the names Mayans, Aztecs and many others, lived in Central America and the Andes mountain system. These tribes reached such extraordinary proportions in their power that they created powerful cities and even states. And their knowledge was comparable to the knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, whose secrets have not yet been revealed by modern science.
- The Indians of the Amazon basin have completely different thinking and foundations of society that developed simultaneously with the Andean tribes.
- The Indians of Patagonia and the Pampes are considered a separate category of Indians.
- And finally, the Indians living on Tierra del Fuego, whose development was rather weak compared to their other brothers.
Now you know where the Indians live!
Also read: March 6, 2012, 14:13American Indians live on 199 reservations, which are scattered in small areas across 26 American states. Reservations arose in 1871, when the US government signed a treaty with representatives of the Indians, according to which 137 million acres of land were given to the Indians as “perpetual” collective ownership. The worst land was allocated for the Indians, to which the white colonialists had driven them before. And yet, when oil, coal and other natural resources were found in this barren land, under pressure from private capital, the American government in 1887 repealed the old law and issued a new one under which the land belonging to the Indians could be divided among members of the tribe and every Indian has the right to sell his land. Over the next 40 years alone, the Indians lost 63 percent of their land. The life of Indians on reservations is like the liquid smoke of a dying fire, slowly floating away through a hole in the roof of a wigwam. The average life expectancy here is 37 years. Tuberculosis among Indians is eight times more common than among other residents of the United States, and infant mortality is three times higher than the mortality rate of white people. Indians lag behind most Americans in health, wealth and education. In 1984, unemployment among Indians was 39 percent—five times the rate nationwide. About a quarter of all Indian families live below the poverty line. Diabetes, pneumonia, influenza and alcoholism claim twice as many Native American lives as other Americans. Now there are about one million Indians living in the United States, but once they owned the entire continent! People on earth are like a multi-colored rainbow. Some of its colors transform into one another, but still do not merge - otherwise there would be no rainbow. The Indians make up a certain stripe in this rainbow, and no one will be able to erase it. Humiliation gives rise to perseverance, torment gives rise to pride, injustice strikes the sparks of struggle! The US Indian reservations and the fate of their people are placed in the hands of the Department of the Interior. The reservation is a kind of American death camp. The Indian, the former master and ruler of his country, deprived of lands and forests, found himself in humiliating bondage. The free son of nature was turned into an eternal captive, forced to live under guard, in poverty and oppression. Having locked the Indians in reservations and almost deprived them of their livelihood, the whites suddenly “discovered” the Indians’ enormous ability to perform extremely dangerous, difficult and responsible work - welding metal structures of giant skyscrapers. For Indians, a slow death on a reservation is no better than a quick death by falling from scaffolding. Life is different on different reservations. The Navajo Nation's reservation, which includes parts of three states in the southwest, is the largest in the country. She is also the poorest. There are 160,000 Indians living on 16 million acres (6,667,000 hectares). Government-built homes coexist with mobile homes and hogans. These octagonal, one-room traditional Navajo homes are made of logs and have an earthen roof. Many homes on the reservation lack electricity and plumbing. There are few cities and few jobs on the reservation. In 1983, unemployment here was 80 percent.
By contrast, the nearby Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico is one of the richest in the country. It is located on 460,384 acres (186,390 hectares) among the highest mountains in this territory. The tribe owns and operates a timber company and a cattle ranch. Both are enterprises with multi-million dollar turnover. They recently built a $22 million luxury resort that offers everything from skiing to horseback riding. Three-quarters of the reservation's residents live in new, two-story homes built on large plots of land. Most of those who want to work work. Now white people help run some businesses. But the Apache's goal is independence; they hope to take control of all their endeavors. The reservations are now governed by a tribal council. Many reservations have their own police, schools and courts where minor cases are tried. Like the Apaches, most other Indian tribes aim to achieve economic independence. They are trying to attract business to the reservation. Others hope that Natural resources on their reservations will provide them with the income they need. For example, the Navajo tribe owns oil, coal and uranium deposits. Other reservations are rich in timber, gas, minerals and water. Today, most Indians hope to have the best of both worlds. Here's what Fred Kadazinn, the college-educated great-grandson of the famous Apache warrior, says: “My generation spent all its time learning the ways of the whites. We have learned them, but we have lost much of our Native American heritage. Now we are trying to restore what was lost." Updated 06/03/12 15:10:
Updated 06/03/12 15:22: Squaw: