3 3 3 american indian lives and traditions

Though they are called California Indians, they are actually many different groups of people.. custom tradition ceremony climate adapt weather folklore reservation government laws consti

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Scott Foresman Social Studies

Nonfi ction • Glossary

• Captions

• Headings

ISBN 0-328-17499-8

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American Indian Lives and Traditions

by maureen blaney flietner

Fascinating Facts

• American Indians did not become United

States citizens until 1924

• There were once hundreds of groups of

California Indians in California who spoke

more than one hundred languages

• The word Indian, the name for the people

who lived in the Americas, came from a

mistake In 1492 Christopher Columbus

thought he had reached the East Indies,

so he named the people “Indians.”

Scott Foresman Social Studies

Nonfi ction • Glossary

• Captions

• Headings

ISBN 0-328-17499-8

ì<(sk$m)=bhejjh< +^-Ä-U-Ä-U

Fascinating Facts

• American Indians did not become United

States citizens until 1924

• There were once hundreds of groups of

California Indians in California who spoke

more than one hundred languages

• The word Indian, the name for the people

who lived in the Americas, came from a

mistake In 1492 Christopher Columbus

thought he had reached the East Indies,

so he named the people “Indians.”

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Write to It!

While many things have changed for American Indians, many things have also remained the same Write one paragraph about the things that you think have not changed

Write your paragraph on a separate sheet

of paper.

ISBN: 0-328-17499-8

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In this book you will begin to learn about

the first people of California Though they

are called California Indians, they are

actually many different groups of people

Each group has its own name All have a

special connection with the land and with

their past Today they work to keep their

cultures alive and hope for a better future

custom tradition ceremony climate adapt weather folklore

reservation government laws constitution cooperate economy interact

Vocabulary

Editorial Offices: Glenview, Illinois • Parsippany, New Jersey • New York, New York Sales Offices: Needham, Massachusetts • Duluth, Georgia • Glenview, Illinois Coppell, Texas • Sacramento, California • Mesa, Arizona

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The First People

There is a group of people who have a very special

history with the state of California They were the

very first people to live here Who are these people?

They are often called California Indians

Actually, the California Indians have many names

because they are from many different groups Each

group has its own name and its own language Each

has its own customs, or way of doing things Each

has its own traditions and ceremonies for special

events

Many California Indians still live in what we now

call California.

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California has more American Indians than any other state Most Indians in California are from groups that originally lived here Others are from groups across the country who have moved here

American Indians are United States citizens

Many have served in the United States military To learn about today’s American Indians, we need to start by looking at their past

American Indians are United States citizens.

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Understanding and Respect

Long ago, American Indians had a keen

understanding of the areas in which they lived

Each group studied the climate of its area and

learned to adapt to the weather The group members

learned how to wisely use the plants, the animals,

the earth, and the water

Even though each group had its own traditions,

they honored and respected all living things The

American Indians showed respect by only using

what they needed to survive They did not waste the

animals or plants

American Indians taught what they learned or

believed to others in the group through folklore

They passed on lessons through songs, dances,

customs, and pictures Children learned as they

grew up in the group It was like being part of a large

extended family

The Mojave still live in the desert areas near

where their people once lived They celebrate their

past through the singing of songs

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Storytelling is an important part of American Indian culture.

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Broken Promises

When European settlers came to American

Indian lands, life changed for American Indians

By exploring those changes, you may begin to gain

an understanding of today’s American Indians For

many years, they were not always treated fairly

Promises to give them land and help were not kept

American Indians were forced to move many times

to other lands or cities

Many American Indians were killed in battles

protecting their land The people who survived

were sometimes not allowed to speak their own

languages They could not sing their songs or tell

their stories Many American Indians had to live

among people they did not know Many started to

forget what it was like to be part of their groups

Many American Indian tribe members work to learn their group’s language.

Forgotten Languages

Some California groups used to have thousands

of members Groups today might only have as many as three hundred members There are groups that have no one left Some American Indians today might belong to more than one group Their parents or grandparents or great-grandparents may have married someone from another group

Others married people who were not members of

an American Indian group

Some groups no longer have anyone who knows how to speak the tribe’s language For example, the Wiyots speak only English today The last person who knew how to speak the Wiyot language died in

1962 Some younger members, however, are trying

to learn this language by listening to recordings of people from years ago

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Today’s American Indians

Today, American Indians are teachers, scientists,

artists, and businesspeople Richard Stephens is

a member of the Pala Band of Mission Indians,

who used to live in a region extending from the

California coast to the mountains In 2004 he

earned an honor from an American Indian group

for being a very good businessperson

Naomi Lang is an ice dancer She was born in

California and is a member of the Karuk She is the

first American Indian woman to have competed in

Winter Olympic Games She and her partner have

been United States champions in ice dancing many

times

Many American Indians live in large cities such as Los Angeles.

Today American Indians live in large cities

Some live in small towns, or areas between small towns and cities Other American Indians live on

a reservation that may be home to one or more

groups These reservations were set up by the United States government Small reservations are called rancherias

San Diego County has more reservations than any other county in the United States Only a small number of the American Indians who live in that county live on these reservations

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Today, the United States government allows

some groups to run their own reservations For

the most part, each group can have its own tribal

government, make its own laws, and set up its

own constitution Each group can decide who can

belong and who can vote Before 1934 the groups

did not have written constitutions or laws

Each group now can run businesses on its

reservation Let’s look at some tribes and what they

are doing

The Bishop Paiute (PEYE-yoot) Reservation runs a

successful tourist business It has a doctor’s office,

a museum, and educational programs

Some groups earn money through businesses ventures.

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Fort Mojave Indians run a business They also make money by letting an energy company have its power plant on their land

The Washoe live in the mountains and valleys near Lake Tahoe as their people once did They practice forest management and have cattle on their land

Although much history is lost, the Washoe still remember many ceremonies and traditions For example, newborn babies still get a traditional Washoe blessing They also teach younger members about the land, the plants, animals and the water— just as members of their group did in the past

Today many California groups cooperate to improve the economy of all American Indians They

interact with federal, state, and local governments to

protect their special places Tribes work together to save their ways of life, art, folklore, and customs

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There Is Much to Learn

In 2004 the National Museum of the American

Indian opened in Washington, D.C It shows and

tells visitors about the many different American

Indian groups

Many California Indian artists have had their

work featured One artist was Kimberly Stevenot

of the Sierra Miwok, many of whom still live in

the Sierra Nevada foothills Kimberly, who lives in

the city, makes baskets using berries, shells, and

pine nuts just as the Miwok did long ago Baskets

made by members of her family can be seen at the

Phoebe Hearst Museum in Berkeley, California

The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., showcases American Indian culture.

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One exhibit at the new museum called “Our Universes,” looks at what eight American Indian groups think about the Earth and why they honor all living things One group chosen to be part of the exhibit is the Hupa

Another museum display called “Our Lives” shows how eight groups of American Indians live in today’s world A California group is included in this exhibit

It is the Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians who once lived from the coast to the mountains near San Diego, California Through the stories in the exhibit, people learn how each tribe tries to keep its traditions alive today

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American Indian groups of long ago were careful

about how they used the plants and animals of

their area They were able to keep California’s

plants and animals around for years and years

Today’s scientists want to learn what many groups

already know Scientists want to be better able to

conserve natural resources Scientists are talking to

American Indian elders to see what they remember

The tribes of long ago used to help plants grow

better by burning some areas The American Indians

use to break off parts of plants and bury them They

used to help spread the seeds of plants

The groups now work with the federal and state

governments in helping to restore plants, animals,

and water

Many American Indian groups knew how to care for

plants and animals.

Reaching Our Goals

Today American Indians cooperate in many ways

For example, basketmakers of many groups work together to help all people learn about American Indian art American Indians work to protect land that has been special to them for hundreds of years

They work for new laws to protect their traditions

American Indians interact with others so that everyone can learn about their culture Because many live in cities, many different groups might plan a ceremony for everyone to enjoy Sometimes American Indians visit a reservation to join in a powwow, or gathering At a powwow, everyone can enjoy dances, songs, stories, music, art, and food

The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians has had an annual powwow like that for many years

Today American Indians do not live the way they did long ago Their children, however, can once again learn about their culture’s folklore and traditions

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Glossary

adapt to change to fit new conditions

ceremony an important activity done for a

special reason

climate the weather an area usually has year

after year

constitution a written plan for a government

cooperate to work together

custom a way of doing things

economy how the resources of a country, region,

state or local area are managed

folklore the stories and customs of a group

of people

government the people who run a country or the

laws of a country

interact to talk to other people and work

with them

laws rules made by the government

reservation an area of land set aside by the United

States government for American Indians

tradition a special way a group of people does

something and passes on to others

weather the temperature and conditions of the

air outside at a certain place and time