Native American Art

A lot of Ameri-Indian art is really things that have real practical purpose beyond what is aesthetically pleasing. Common examples of Indian Art is in the form of tomahawks (easily the most common), peace pipes, cradle boards, and dream catchers. The stories behind these things can be found here.

Native American art is spectacular in my opinion because of 2 things, the simplicity and practicality. The simple beauty of such things as a tomahawk or peace pipe, stunningly decorated by expert hands has a certain appeal to it. My personal favorite is and always shall be the dream catcher, not just for its beauty but for its story (found at the link above) where the matriarch of the tribe stopped a young man from killing a spider, and the spider in return gifted the people with the dream catcher, to catch bad dreams. It sends a beautiful message of the sacredness of all living things, and the reward of protecting and understanding the Earth.

Native American Language Preserved Through Art

It's no secret that Native American languages are dying. I've already written an article here that describes it. But there are people preserving the languages through art. Notably the Jim Jarmusch film Dead Man uses intentionally un-subtitled passages in both Cree and Blackfoot language. Films like this that are well researched a free of common stereotypes need to become more commonplace.

Blue Corn Comics is proposing the release of a graphic novel written entirely in Native American languages. They say that they propose this project because of the fact that very few literary works are actually written in Indian tongue, and those that are, are textbooks or childrens books. This is an attempt to keep teenagers and young adults from abandoning their native language.

Peyote Rituals and Native American Ceremonies

Peyote is a slow growing, spineless cactus containing the chemical mescaline, a psychoactive chemical. The psychoactive, mystical, properties of the Peyote cacti has been used for centuries by the Native Americans for ceremony. The Native American Church is the only place where one can legally participate in a peyote experience in the United States. The usage of the sacred medicine of the South Western tribes has become widespread, with many members of the Native American Church (now numbering above 250,000 members) all across the country have begun to participate in the peyote ritual, cleansing, dances, etc.

The reason I'm writing about Schedule II psychoactive drugs is for the reason that the ceremony involved is very intricate, the beliefs behind the trip, or quest vary between each church, between paganism, Christianity, and a number of other beliefs. I believe that the law needs to be a tad more solid with this. The law states that peyote is legal to use in any bona fide religious ceremony, but anyone outside to blood of a Native American can be thrown in prison for participating.

I believe that the usage of peyote along the lines of traditional ceremonies and genuine spiritual reasons should be allowed for everyone. I think the Native American Church should set out a specific guide line, people trained in safety and traditions to oversee all ceremonies and to oversee the cleansing rituals and to brief people on what all of this is about. It would be an education on the culture and customs of the Native American people and it would help keep these things alive in the culture of non-Native Americans. I think that Native American ceremonies, religious, cleansing, etc. need to be shared so that everyone may have the ability to participate and learn and become just as much a part of a culture as the original denizens.

Erowid Peyote Vault
History of Peyote
Native American Church Wiki
Native American Church
Native American Church Official

Native American History Month

Happy Native American History Month!
President Barack Obama made a good move when he proclaimed November American Indian History Month. The Native Americans have been lobbying for a History Month to call their own for a long time, and I must say out of everyone, they deserve one the most. The Native Americans were the first Americans, not only that but they've gone through just as much persecution and oppression as any other races have, if not more.

Released October, 30th in the Year of the Nine, this proclamation makes November officially the American Indian's History Month. This proclamation also allocates millions of dollars to the help and preservation of the Indian peoples.

17 million has been given to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the use of bettering America's Native Peoples, to be used for facilities and the betterment of lives.

Intro

This blog is a personal service project for school. My project is going to be on Native American cultural preservation. The preservation of the many cultures of the Native Americans is crucial for modern Americans to understand the roots of our country. To lose the culture and history of the Native Americans is to lose a piece of ourselves, as a singular American people we would lose a part of our heritage, not only the people of Indian descent. This is an issue that affects everyone.

I hope with this blog I can spread information and resources to meet the end of helping to preserve this vast and diverse culture.

The indigenous peoples of North America -- the First Americans -- have woven rich and diverse threads into the tapestry of our Nation's heritage. Throughout their long history on this great land, they have faced moments of profound triumph and tragedy alike. During National Native American Heritage Month, we recognize their many accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices, and we pay tribute to their participation in all aspects of American society.

- Presidential Proclamation; Barack Obama