The Myths of Being Native

[earthw7]

The Myths of Being Native
•   All Natives are alike
2.1 Million Natives in 511 culturally distinct Federal Recognized Tribes and 200 or more Unrecognized Tribes that live 286 United States Reservation in rural area and cities across America. Each with their own language, culture and way of life
•   Natives have special privileges in the United States.
The Native people are the original people of this continent, we were already Nations before the American came on the land. We had established cities, villages, territories, government, and economies. The United States title to tribes is ”Domestic Independent Nation” according to the Supreme court. The land we live on is our land not given by the United States.  The government took their land by signing treaties agreeing to give Native people educational and monetary advantages, we are simply fulfilling a legal contract in exchange for the cessation of their land. This “special treatment” is not, in fact, special treatment at all, but rather, part of an agreement that still stands today.
•   All Native live on reservations.
Actually, there are only 324 federally recognized reservations and as of 2010, only 22% of Native Americans live on them . Due to the Federal law Relocation many natives live in urban area.
•   Native were conquered by the United States
There is no battle that conquered the tribes in the United States, so there is no war where the United States won, most of Native people lost their lives due to disease and no immunities.
•   Natives arrived in this hemisphere by the Bering Strait theory
Native people know that they were always here in this hemisphere and have oral stories of their travels though out North and South American.
•   Natives all live in tipis
Cowboy movies during the 20th century portrayed the Plains people as living in tipis, wearing war bonnets or feathers in their hair, riding horses, brandishing war lances, and more. They readily adopted horses, introduced by the Spaniards, into their nomadic life and used them war as well as for travel. (Before horses, they used dogs to pull loads.) In the East, the people lived in longhouses, wigwams (wooden structures similar to log cabins), and (in the Southeast) thatched-roof houses. Out West, the desert people lived in structures made of adobe—mortared sand and water—which they shaped into bricks to make homes.
•   Native are lazy
The term “laziness” is difficult to define in U.S. culture, we tend to say people are lazy if they lack concrete goals, fail in their education, or lack what is known as “work ethic.” If we use this ethnocentric  definition of laziness in examining the Native population, we see that they are far from lazy. 77 percent have a high school degree , and although only 13 percent have a bachelor’s degree, this percentage has doubled within the last ten years. In addition, of those 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree, 78 percent are within the fields of science and engineering , traditionally higher-paying occupations.
•   Natives did not smoke a peace pipe
Sitting Bull once said that there is no such thing as a peace pipe because there has never been peace. The pipe is sacred to many people, and we treat it with much respect. It teaches us just as the Bible teaches Christians. We never put illegal narcotics into a pipe, so people can't get "high" from smoking one. We use blessed tobacco and often add other herbs, such as spearmint, red willow bark, and bearberry leaves, for a pleasant taste or aroma.
•   Natives did not whoop Whoop
We see this behavior of putting your hand in front of your mouth and making the "whoo whoo" noise. It is even funnier when we see boys and men doing it. The ululation was done by women when their husbands went to war, when they returned from a successful hunt or raid, or at the death of a loved one. The women made this sound with the tongue and the mouth slightly closed (no hands). So when we see men doing the "whoo whoo whoo" thing, we laugh because to us they sound like the women. Ior winte.
•   Native do not pound on a drum or "chant"
The drum is the heartbeat of our people. It unites us all in dance and fellowship at powwows or traditional events unique to each tribe. The songs we sing are old and new. Many span hundreds of years, having been passed down from generation to generation. The songs are not chants. We are not Gregorian monks; they are the ones who chant.
•   Natives do not have shamans
Thanks to the New Age craze that has spread around the world, there are many self-proclaimed "medicine men" and "shamans"—people who claim to follow our spiritual ways, having "learned" everything they know from books bought at the local book store. After the book Black Elk Speaks  was published, people thought they could become instant medicine men and women. Medicine Man—A medicine man is a person who is knowledgeable in herbs and cures for various ailments and ills. Healer—A healer uses prayers and ancient methods for curing and healing. Shaman—This is not a Native American word. "Shaman" is derived from Russian Siberia and is not used by us.
•   Natives do not worship nature
Everyone seems to think we worship the sun, trees, animals, and spirits. There is one Creator, and we call him/her by different names. The first priests who set foot on this land watched as Native people raised their hands to the sun and prayed. Since they were "civilized" rather than "savage" like us, they took this to be worship of the sun. If the priests had asked, we would have told them the prayers were for the force that created the sun, not the sun itself.  We believe they have a living spirit within them. We honor and respect them. But we do not worship them.  Observance and respect for nature was a learning process which ingrained itself in our ancestors' lives and continues to this day.
•   Natives do not all have spirit animals or funny "Indian names"
Another New Age misconception is that people can "choose" their "Indian names," "spirit animals," or "totems." Not all Native people have animal spirits as guardians or protectors; if they did, it is not something easily earned. And many of us are given names, but these names are not spoken out loud or used as a tool for self-aggrandizement. we do not get the names as a result of a dream, a feeling, or a natural affinity for a certain animal—and certainly not from some plastic shaman ceremony.
•   Native dress we do not what we refer to our dress as costums
Non-Native people call our regalia an Indian costume which is offensive to our people. Each item is made by a family member with love so we take great honor is our clothing.
•   Natives did not all wore feathers,
Each tribe has its own way of dress and what is important according their stories. The Eastern tribes wove their own cotton, some tribes wove cloth from natural material, many Plains tribes had worn buckskin from deer, buffalo each tribe was different in clothing styles it depended on the environment they lives in. 
•   Natives war bonnets were not worn east of the Mississippi River
The war bonnets or Eagle Feather Head dresses were not worn east of the Mississippi River, An Eagle feather headdress was only wore by certain Itancan or leaders is a plains Culture. Other tribes have different head dresses.
•   Natives also don't greet folks with "HOW" Or use the word “AHO”
We greet each other with a handshake and each tribe uses their own language to greet people. The Lakota word for greet by a male is Hou, and it is Han by a woman, The word Aho is Kiowa for greeting.  It is offense to use mix words from another culture.
•   Natives are all alcoholic.
According to a study published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism (NIAAA) , white people — specifically, white men — are more likely than any other demographic group to drink alcohol on a daily basis, start drinking at a younger age, and drive while under the influence of alcohol. Furthermore, this same study acknowledges that the alcoholism that does exist within Native American culture is linked to the culture’s history of economic disadvantages and racial discrimination. Native people who follow a traditional way of life are forbidden to use alcohol and drugs. We take oaths to follow our way of life. We have a problem just like any other race but it is a smaller population who abuse alcohol.
•   Native don’t get free money
The Native American across the country do not get a check each month from the government. There are some Native people who owe land and lease their land to rancher or farmer which they get a lease income from their land, or they have resources on their land like, forest, coal, gold, silver, minerals ect… and they get a share from these resources.  A few Tribes have established casino in which their tribal member get a share such as a corporation gives to its members. Most of the Casino with small tribal populations in urban areas do make money but the rural area tribes do not.. North Dakota and South Dakota to not allow Per cap or shares to the tribes in their Gaming compacts with tribes. 
•   Native get Free Education
They do not get free education, Native student apply for scholarship from their tribes which is according the their GPA average and they get student loans for their education, there are some school that give student tuition free if they are from a tribe mostly out in the east. The concept of free housing is a myth the Native people living in HUD housing must rent and those who own home must pay their own upkeep. 
•   Natives don’t pay taxes
Native do pay federal taxes and other taxes. The only two taxes that Native don’t pay is Land tax because their land is held in trust by the United States and the United States don’t tax its self. Tribes do not pay States Taxes because they state do not fund the tribes. The whole taxation without representation concept.
•   My Great Grandmother was an Indian princess
The Native nations of this country have never had a concept of Indian royalty. The Indian princess is strictly a European concept. We do not have kings, queens, or princesses. If someone in your family tells you his or her great-grandmother was a Cherokee princess you know it not true.
•   Natives don’t value or empower women
In the United States 85% of Native tribes are Matrilineal and Matriarchal with woman leaders, In major of the Native cultures the women own all the property, homes, lands and everything within the home.
 
•   Natives do not use these names
* Chief:  the head of a tribe
* Brave or Buck: an Indian man
* Princess: the daughter of a chief
* Squaw: all other Indian women
* Papoose: an Indian baby
* Savage: all Indians
* Renegade: Indians who refuse to be confined on a reservation and are at war with whites
* The Noble Savage: Indians who are close to Nature

Tamakawastewin

[earthw7]

I wanted to put down a little of the myths people say about my people

[milehighsalute]

here is another myth....ALIENS BUILT PUEBLO BONITA........right....because indians were too stupid?

[koyoteh]

another myth.

only u.s.a. BIA approved natives are natives.

another myth.
all native dances are sacred traditional ceremonial dances.

another myth
all natives like and use sage

another myth
Eagle feathers are the most sacred feathers for all tribes.

[Ingeborg]

I wanted to put down a little of the myths people say about my people

Thank you very much, earth - pila maya ye.

[koyoteh]

another myth

all tribes believe that tradition means the same thing.

another myth
all tribes believe that things must stay the same and nothing new can ever be created.

another myth
all tribes believe that their members should never share their culture with outsiders.

another myth
all tribal members of any tribe believe the same things, and everyone agrees with each other

another myth
all tribal elders agree with each other

[earthw7]

* each nation has their own medicines
so sage is used by some nations, cedar by others,
corn pollen, and many other herbs.

*there is no one shoe fits all

*tradition is nothing more than your own world view of the world
each group has their own world view

*the census basic governments are only with some tribal nations

*the definition of a tribal elder is different from each group,
so a tribal elder can be a person who follows the traditional way of life (language,culture, spirituality, storytelling)
a person of elderly age is not a tribal elder

* there are only a few groups who don't sharing of stories and don't allow outsiders into ceremony

* Native Dance are the following- Wacipi/Pow-wow (a social Dance), Couple dances, fun dances (like the potato dance),
switch dances, and ceremony dances each are kept separate from social dances

* There are no human beings that agree with everyone

* Eagle feather are mostly plains tribes

* Native people each have their own culture, language, way of life, spirituality, dance clothing, homes, and belief system

 

[debbieredbear]

One myth I have encountered here (In the Pacific Northwest) is that if someone admires something a Native has, that Native has to give it to the admirer. Maybe some tribes believe this, I don't know because I haven't met anyone who says this is part of their beliefs. I know it is not true around here. I do have a friend who admired her friend's necklace and the friend told her she had to dance for it. And she meant it. They were at a tribal event (not a pow wow) that included traditional drumming and dancing and that person would have had to get up in front of everyone and dance for the necklace. But yet, I hear white people say, as if it were fact, "If you admire something an Indian has, they have to give it to you." I usually challenge it with "Oh? Which tribe are you speaking of?"

[earthw7]

I don't know where the concept came from.
But i was taught that if you really like something you
should give it to someone as a symbol of how much you care
for them, on the other hand i know that if you have something like
a necklace, a rings ect.... that was given to you from a family member
you keep that, non native have taken this to a different levels wanting what native people
have.

[geologyrocks]

debbieredbear thank you:  i was recently (3 weeks ago) at a multi-religious seminar in philadelphlia; and one of the teachers, who self identified as cherokee from grandparents and said that they were  raised as white,  said they  worked on the rosebud reservation in south dakota, with lakota, for 20 years.... ...and this person taught there, among other things,  that in their experience, if you say to a native person you like something, then they have to give it to you.  so if this is a myth it certainly is alive and well though they at least were specific that it was from lakota.  i have no knowledge of my own on this topic.  and do not know how reputable this is.

geologyrocks

[earthw7]

 i was taught that if you really like something you should give it to someone as a symbol of how much you care for them.
That is why we do that but we don't give everything just cause someone likes it. There are limits.
This ideal has spread where in the day non native people would walk in to our homes and take things off our walls
because they liked it  no balance those people

[Defend the Sacred]

I think there's something like that in Dances with Wolves. Probably in other bad movies and TV shows, too.

I guess if non-Natives convince themselves of this - that taking things from Natives isn't really stealing -  they are trying to absolve themselves of guilt for living on stolen land. It's an abusive mind game to try to excuse the crimes of their ancestors, and their crimes now.

[koyoteh]

One myth I have encountered here (In the Pacific Northwest) is that if someone admires something a Native has, that Native has to give it to the admirer. Maybe some tribes believe this, I don't know because I haven't met anyone who says this is part of their beliefs. I know it is not true around here. I do have a friend who admired her friend's necklace and the friend told her she had to dance for it. And she meant it. They were at a tribal event (not a pow wow) that included traditional drumming and dancing and that person would have had to get up in front of everyone and dance for the necklace. But yet, I hear white people say, as if it were fact, "If you admire something an Indian has, they have to give it to you." I usually challenge it with "Oh? Which tribe are you speaking of?"

i have met tribal members who have this tradition. I don't remember which tribes though. if it was just one or a few.
but i do remember one chumash bro of a bro who gave me his hat one time.
i had completely forgot that some people did this , and i said " nice hat " . he looked at me sideways, then took off his hat, looked at it, and handed it to me. lol.
that wasn't my intent but i accepted and gave him a rock. lol. Naw, i forgot what i gave him in return. Only seemed right that i give back.
Some one did tell me that that was a tradition of their tribe. but i swear i can't remmber the tribe.

all in all, even if its not real, its hella fun. but now i don't play that anymore. if we kept doing that we 'd all be without clothes. "hey i like those pants" eyyyy

[koyoteh]

for at least one tribe, age does signify eldership.
but i would note that this was a different time period where everyone was born and raised in their intact culture so their age really did make difference. NOt like today when someone who reaches that age may still be completely lost.

and please note when i give the following info, i am not promoting anything. no politics, not saying who is real or fake . I will just note a mexica codex. Again not promoting aztec anything,

in the old codex it is written, and so at least one tradition down south follows, that when a person reaches age 52 they are considered elders. WHether they be good, bad, wise, or stupid, is something else.

but thats just them. and for today, this old tradition may not work very well.

this 'tradition' might be hard to swallow at first, but the culture goes deep into numbers. numerals. where numbers have significance. Math. science, that sort of thing

its not so much that they are wise at 52, but at 52 they gain a new responsibility. THey are given a role of 'elder' and there are rules to be followed as an elder. Its more like a job to be carried out.
and get this , heres the doozy that is very much the opposite of many tribes......at age 52 they are allowed to get drink.

there are reasons for this. back then drinking was punishable by death. YEs there was alcohol in mesoamerica. Also, because of the warriors societies, many natives did not live very long , so 52 was pretty old for some people.

one elder explained it to me that it was like getting ready for death.

very different than most tribes up here yes?

[koyoteh]

myth : COyotes are always and only tricksters and clowns and bad people in all tribes and stories


not true. for some it is a symbol of a warrior, teacher, storyteller, loyalty, strategy, and more. sometimes good, sometimes bad.