Indian Tribes within the US - Research Paper Example

Indians are among the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States. The major locations which they occupy are divided into seven regions, discussed below; 1) Great plains They occupy the hills and plains of North America. Major examples include the Sioux, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow and Comanche. They have an archaic culture just like other Indian tribes, due to resistance to domination by the United States and the governments of other countries. Great Plains Indians are divided into two major groups; the nomadic who practiced agriculture and kept animals and the aboriginal Indians, who are semi sedentary hence, lived in villages where they grew crops and traded with other neighboring communities.

They comprise of Hidatsa, Iowa, Omaha and Otoe. The main animals they hunted were the buffalo and antelopes, for their hide, bones and for food. They later learnt about horses from Spanish explorers in the early sixteenth century, which greatly enhanced how they lived their life for example made transport easier. The buffalo however remained the main source of game food. The great plain Indians had no particular religion. They however believed in spirits, which they believed controlled their health.

They also respected the sun as the source of life. Their housing was referred to as Teepees made of buffalo hides, which could move around when they were moving from one place to another, for those who were nomadic. For the sedentary ones, the preferred form of housing was game lodges. They wore moccasins in the feet, hence the shoes. Women adorned themselves with jewellery to enhance beauty .to preserve their food they used the sun. The great Plains Indians had impressive arts which they expressed through painting and carvings which was mainly done by men.

On the other hand women mainly engaged in beadwork, needle work and cloth design. 2) South West Indian tribes. They include Chea, Creek, Timucua and Lumbe. Mainly considered to be woodland Indians. Their main source of economic activity was hunting and gathering of wild fruits and animals, farming of crops such as rice and corn. They comprise of different languages and dialects within them. Just like other native communities they passed tradition from current and future generations orally, from elders to the young members of the community.

The tribes were divided into clans, and a person belonged to the mothers’ clan, hence it was matriarchal in nature. They were very religious in nature and hence believed in gods and deities. As a form of worship they put up occasions where they prayed through song and dance ceremonies. They inhabitated forested areas of the south western areas of the country. 3) Mid Atlantic/north East . They comprise among others Lenape, Iroquois, Pequot, Algonquin and Niponic. The houses they inhabitated were called longhouse and wig warms.

To protect them during cold periods, barks of trees and animal hides were used to cover their dwellings to provide warmth. They had leaders who were reffered to as Sadem which was a hereditary position. Chores were divided according to age and gender. Men did hunting and made weapons to be used in hunting and during war, while women were involved in cooking, farming and weaving baskets. Early Europeans who settled in this area introduced new infections which led to