Indigenous Peoples and Early Interaction

Theme: There were complex societies and peoples with complex cultures, and these have been ignored by western history. These people have been viewed as barbaric, uncivilized, or "undeveloped", but these people were in fact quite complex and developed in many areas.

·All evidence leads us to the fact that these people were created by God

1.Western Hemisphere before 1500s

§Beringia

·There is a theory that the people got to North America from a land bridge

·Likely that the pursuit of large creatures (woolly mammoths, etc.) led people across ice/land bridge.

oTierra del Fuego

·By about 6000 BC, there are people all the way down at the bottom of Southern America (Tierra del Fuego)

·It is almost certain that boats were used by the Inuit from Siberia to get to America.

·Placed as being somewhere 800BC, to 200 AD.

oRise of sedentary cultures

·People set up Agricultural, stationary societies

·This is increasingly true further south, because there is an increase in available fruit

·By 1492, there were as many as 60-250 million people in North America (Zietsma suggests about 100 million).

§Mayan empire (200 BC-900BC)

·Network of 20-25 city states, 25-100 thousand people in each city state

·Sophisticated farming techniques and technologies

·Complex calendar system (dual, one that went by the seasons and one by the religious)

·Had a system of writing that relied on hieroglyphics

·This meant they were also very good at stonework, which they used to carve and record various things that happened, and religious ceremonies.

·Mayan city state of Tikal-the Great Plaza

·Huge city

§Inca Empire,( 1400-1500’s)

·Existed high in the mountains (1200 ft.), and it was in these mountains that they developed an extremely complicated farming service

·Complex, but very productive

·Gave us lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers

·Also developed a system of roads and suspension bridges which spanned vast gorges in the mountains. Some of these bridges are still able to be crossed now

·Had no written language; and yet ruled an empire of 12 million people

·Had a class of beurocrats. They would have a message and would run to the next person and pass the message on until the message reached the desired person

·Had numerous temples

·Beautiful architecture, almost always plated in pure gold, because there were many gold mines in the area

·The temple of the sun in Cozoko was entirely plated with gold, but of course when the Spaniards came they stripped it.

§Aztec Empire (1400-1520s)

·Warrior people that had been migrating down slowly from the states

·Their religion involved sacrifices, particularly human sacrifices.

·This meant that they were continually on the move

·Ended up building a capital city, because of how many enemies they had

oTenochtitlan

·Was built out on the lake, and the plants were grown through floating gardens

·At any one time, it was said that there were 250 000 people living in this city on the lake

·Had a complex system of symbols and a calendar

·Evidence of 14 000 victims in the period of 4 days at one point in the calendar

·Dominated Mexico area

·The Aztec’s enemies quickly aligned with the Spaniards in order to defeat the Aztecs when the Spaniards came.

§Urban Southwest Cultures

oHohokam peoples (300 BC-300 AD)

·Lived very efficiently as a result of the canal system which they developed

·They were also well-known for making clothe and red pottery.

oAnasazi (peaked at 1000 AD-1300 AD)

·located in New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and Northern Arizona

·Literally translated, meant the ancient one

·Extremely knowledgeable about the stars and the movement of such.

·More so then the Europeans at the time

·Were very much an urbanized culture

·Kibas

·Large round pits that were used for storing food, and other reasons that are not known to us.

·Very important religious sites and ceremonial sites, perhaps used in burials for tribal leaders

§Mound Builders

·Existed predominantly around the Ohio and Mississippi rivers

·Existed from around 2000 BC-500 AD

·They were semi-sedentary, but they would, at times, move on account of food

·They created extremely complex mounds that would create pictures that could be viewed from the air.

·Famous example; serpent mound, which is at least 400 ft. long, and beautiful!

oCahokia (900-1250)

·Near modern-day St. Louis, right on the Mississippi river.

·Emerged from the mound-building cultures, and became a permanent society, that had large control and influence on a complex trading system of the area.

2.Indigenous peoples of "canada"

§Environmental adaptation

oThe native peoples tended to try to adapt to their environment rather than alter it, simply because of the harshness of the environment that they were in.

§Linguistic divisions

oDivided by the different language strains that were related to each other

·Algonquian

·Iroquoian

·Aleut (Inuit)

·Athapaskan

·Siouan

·Other: Beothuk, Kootenayan, Salish, Haidan

§Cultural divisions

oNortheastern Woodlands Peoples

·Would hunt during the winter, and would often resort to fishing during the summer

·Hunting, gathering, and some horticulture; maize, etc.

·Micmac (may have numbered 50 000 people)

·Beothuk

a.Located on Newfoundland

b.Were hunted by Europeans for sport

·Huron

a.Primarily located in South Central Ontario

b.Planted and harvested, particularly corn

c.Famous for their longhouses, in which they lived and had extremely complex social structures

·Iroquois

a.Large linguistic family, largely consisting of the 5 natives tribes confederacy;

i.Oneida

ii.Mohawk

iii.Onondoga

iv.Cayuga

v.Seneca

oSub-arctic

·Predominantly relied on hunting and fishing, almost no agriculture at all

·Small tribes only

·Many of these people spoke Algonquian, but others spoke Athapaskan

·Exp; western Cree, Dene, Northern Algonquians

oArctic

·Fishing, some hunting

·I.e. inuit

·Developed a complex, highly specialized means of survival

·Developed the only way to build homes (Igloos)

·Developed speedy Kayaks for pursuit of fast prey (seals, etc.)

·Developed means of transportation through domestication of dogs (dog sleds)

oPlains

·Comprising of different language groups, including Algonquian

·Relied primarily on Buffalo hunting

·Beginning around 3000 BC, there is significant evidence of buffalo hunting

·By 600 AD, stone-tipped arrows are being used for the hunt, and horses are not used until the mid-1700’s.

·Relied heavily on dogs to move their goods

·Used the tepee for housing because they were easily moved and taken down.

·I.e. Blackfoot, Assiniboine, and Sarcee

oPlateau

·Often located on rivers

·Predominantly relied on Salmon fishing, although they hunted as well

·Two most predominant groups were the Kootenay, and the Salish

·Two different languages that were completely unrelated as well.

oNorthwest Coast

·Relied almost exclusively on fishing and gathering

·Had a very hierarchical society

·People did not have to follow the food supply, so they were the most settled of all Canadian natives

·Built sturdy wooden houses out of logs,

·Had nobles, commoners, and even some slaves; mostly those captured from neighbouring groups

·Totem poles with religious purposes

·I.e. the Haida, and the Tlingit

§Commonalities

oPursuit of food

·This was a main cultural activity

oNurture of children

·They all had a similar way of nurturing their children

·Treated their children with affection, and were often cared for by the larger community, rather than just the parents

oDivision of Labour

·Men would often hunt and fight and talk, women did everything else; including the gathering of food, maintaining food sources, sometimes even making structured dwellings.

oSpiritual beliefs

·Believed in a spirit-world, were spirits lived in the objects of the world (particularly the animals and resources, etc.)

·Almost all believed in a legend of creation

·All had a religious figure; Shaman, medicine man, etc. who was "in tune" with the spiritual world.

3.Early Interaction

§Between the indigenous and white peoples

·Norse People

oScandinavian people that traveled all over Europe.

oFrom the 800s-1200 AD

oWent across the Atlantic, first to Iceland, to Greenland, then to Newfoundland.

oEric the Red

·Went to Iceland in search of lumber supplies

·Settled on Greenland (settlements lasted 400 years).

·Remained small, no more than 300 people, and would harvest resources and take back to Iceland

oLeif Eriksson

·Red’s son, sailed for more resources, and reached Baffin Island, discouvered Labrador; wooded settlement

·This encouraged further settlement, such as L’Anse aux Meadows

·Were chased away by natives!

·Named Newfoundland Vineland, for the grapes they found their.

·Beginning Movement

oThe Spanish came and conquered large parts of central america, and some of southern america

oEnglish came in on the coast of mid-America

oFrench landed upwards in Newfoundland area, and explored in

·Columbus

oCommissioned to find a path to Asia

oFound North America, and decided hey! More resources!

·John Cabot (French-English)

oWas originally French.

oEuropean monarchs wanted a piece of America

oJohn Cabot suggests he’ll go and bring back wealth, so he goes and lands in Newfoundland, finds lots of fish

·Goes back and says route to Asia is short, and very wealthy; this spreads throughout Europe

·Joao Fernandes (Portuguese)

oWealthy plantation owner, who in 1500 sailed to Newfoundland and sailed past it and landed on Labrador, which he claimed for the land-owners. (named it some funky thing that involved the word lavrador

·Gaspar Corte-Real (Portuguese)

oVery intrigued by Joao’s story, so sailed to Newfoundland, where he captured a number of Bayotuk natives (1501), which he viewed as savages and potential slaves for his plantation

·Sent 57 of these back to Europe for slave labour

·This was the attitude that Europeans had of these new lands; the people there were savages, and the resources were for the Europeans to take.

·Likely it was Gaspar that initiated the hunting Bayotuk’s for sport.

·Joao Fagundes (Portuguese)

oSailed to Cape Breton, not realizing that he was on Cape Breton; the mainland, and built a colony of about 200 people. This was the first colony created on mainland America since the Norse.

·Colony was destroyed very quickly, and the Portuguese never had any real success in creating colonies on the mainland after this

·France

oKing Francis I, 1515-1547

·Extremely driven by the desire for wealth and imperial competiion, and was looking for a way to establish supremacy

·Decided that one of the best ways to do so was to exploit the resources of America

·Jacques Cartier

oCommissioned by King Francis I to explore the new lands, and made his first voyage in 1534, where he met his first native

oLabeled the chief Donaconna, "Lord of Canada"

oIntrigued the King, who sent him back at 1535

·Sailed further down the St. Lawrence, where he encountered two significant Iroquoian settlements. He spent time in dialogue with them and they told him that there were kingdoms of gold to the west, and then told the king about this

oThe king pushed Cartier out of the way, because of the king’s fear that Cartier would claim some of the gold for himself

·Sieur de Roberval

oMade viceroy of the newly discovered land

oEstablished a colony; Charlesbourg-Royal, right between the two Iroquoian tribes

oThe mission was a complete failure

·Roberval was a protestant, and was as concerned about converting natives, as he was about conquering

·The colony is attacked by natives, and Cartier leaves, because he’s like "what the heck, why should I stick around and help these jerks!"

oRoberval is assassinated

·As a result of religious wars which creates a lapse in French movement

·Consequences of Contact

oTrade

·Europeans brought numerous goods, but four things in particular:

·Horses

·Guns

·Alcohol

·Metal

·All of these things did a lot to change native society significantly

·Natives traded furs to Europeans,

·Canoes, and local medicines (scurvy cures)

oHostility:

·War became much more destructive after European society. Before this, there was war, but it was not destructive

·With guns and horses, war became much more lethal

·As well, the idea of land-ownership came into prominence, which created much more conflict

·Pro-Europeans vs. Anti-Europeans as well

·Natives began to fight for the complete desolation of tribes

oDisease

·Ravaged native populations like nothing else, particularly the measles, but many others

oDeath; a lot of it for all the prior reasons mentioned!

·Death-rate of about 95-98% of the population

Conclusions

·A larger world full of complex societies

oThe natives of Canada were part of this larger world

oVery complicated societies

·Intellect, ability, knowledge

oThe natives had these! They were created beings, not savage, barbaric, less developed beings

·A broad phenomenon of European-Native contact

oThe contact in Canada is part of a broader phenomenon of contact among nations of the world, driven by a desire for wealth and resources

oOut of a perspective that viewed natives as savage and barbarian