There are about as many legends, myths and clichés in Native American culture as there are tribes on the North American continent. All “redskins” are either “noble savages” or “brutal animals” and they are all living in teepees. In war times the “war hatchet” gets dugged out and with “war painting” on their face and bow and arrows in their hands the enemy is pursued and attacked. When captured, the unfortunate foes end up on the stake, get their feet sprinkled with salt and have it licked off by goats and other domesticated animals. The list goes on and on.
One very persistent misconception is that each and every Indian has his faithful and reliable horse. It strayed to him from the nearly infinite vastness of the prairie and ever since he rides it through thick and thin, eventually even being able to do all kinds of flashy and fancy stuff like riding backwards, hanging down on one side to dodge opposing arrows and bullets or even riding at full speed while standing on the horses back. While it is true that experienced riders have learned those kind of tricks after years of strenous training, the cliché of Indian and horse belonging together like fist and glove is plain wrong. The truth is that for thousands of years Indian tribes had to manage without horses as they had died out a long time ago according to prehistoric findings.
As the living conditions are quite diverse in the United States in general and even the Great Plains, the area I am going to look at closer in particular, it is only normal that without a horse as mean of transportation, war and, yes, even source for food, the different tribes had to use different strategies and ways to fight their way through life. Some have been hunters, some simply took what nature offered them and the next even errected their own fields and grew fruits and vegetables on them. The bottom line is: Hunting for buffalo in great numbers, raiding other tribes or attacking white settlers has only been the Indian way of life for less than 200 years and additionally, there have been great differences between the tribes. In my paper I have chosen the Blackfoot, the Cheyenne and the Comanches as examples for tribes who have followed different paths once they acquired the services of the horse.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Overview
- 3.
- 3.1. Blackfoot
- 3.2. Cheyenne
- 3.3. Comanche
- 4. Result and Outlook
Objectives and Key Themes
The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate how the introduction of horses significantly impacted and altered the cultures of the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes. The paper explores the diverse ways these tribes acquired and utilized horses, highlighting the differences in their approaches despite their shared geographic location on the Great Plains.
- The impact of horses on Native American culture.
- The varied methods of horse acquisition by different tribes.
- The adaptation of hunting and warfare strategies due to the introduction of horses.
- The transformation of skills and knowledge within these tribes.
- The relatively short timeframe of the horse's influence on Native American warfare and raiding.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter dispels common misconceptions about Native American culture, particularly the romanticized image of every Native American possessing a horse. It emphasizes the diversity of Native American life on the Great Plains before the introduction of horses, highlighting the varied strategies for survival that existed among different tribes. The chapter sets the stage for examining the profound cultural shifts brought about by the arrival of horses, focusing specifically on the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes as case studies of diverse adaptations. The author challenges stereotypical portrayals of Native American warfare, arguing that widespread reliance on horses for warfare and raiding represents a relatively recent phenomenon in their history.
2. Overview: This chapter establishes a working definition of "culture," drawing upon Webster's dictionary and the Encyclopædia Britannica. It argues that the most significant impact of the horse on Native American culture was in the realm of "skills" and "knowledge." While the horse undoubtedly influenced language, customs, and art, the acquisition and utilization of the horse fundamentally transformed the practical skills and knowledge required for survival and warfare. The chapter further explores the introduction of horses to the Americas, tracing their arrival from Spain and their spread throughout the North American continent, emphasizing the role of Spanish colonization and the subsequent acquisition of horses by Native American tribes through various means, including theft and gifts offered as pacification measures.
Keywords
Native American culture, horses, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Comanche, Great Plains, cultural change, adaptation, warfare, hunting, skills, knowledge, Spanish colonization, horse acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview of Native American Cultural Change Due to the Introduction of Horses
What is the main objective of this paper?
The main objective is to demonstrate how the introduction of horses significantly impacted and altered the cultures of the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes, exploring their diverse acquisition and utilization of horses despite their shared geographic location on the Great Plains.
What are the key themes explored in this paper?
Key themes include the impact of horses on Native American culture; the varied methods of horse acquisition by different tribes; the adaptation of hunting and warfare strategies due to the introduction of horses; the transformation of skills and knowledge within these tribes; and the relatively short timeframe of the horse's influence on Native American warfare and raiding.
What is covered in the Introduction chapter?
The introduction dispels common misconceptions about Native American culture and the romanticized image of universal horse ownership. It highlights the diversity of pre-horse Great Plains life and sets the stage for examining the cultural shifts caused by the arrival of horses, focusing on the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and Comanche as case studies. It also challenges stereotypical portrayals of Native American warfare.
What is discussed in the Overview chapter?
This chapter defines "culture," arguing that the horse's most significant impact was on skills and knowledge. It traces the introduction of horses to the Americas from Spain and their spread, emphasizing Spanish colonization and Native American acquisition methods (theft, gifts).
Which tribes are the focus of this study?
The paper focuses specifically on the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes, examining their diverse adaptations to the introduction of horses.
What are the key takeaways regarding the impact of horses on Native American warfare?
The paper suggests that widespread reliance on horses for warfare and raiding is a relatively recent phenomenon in Native American history, challenging common assumptions.
What are the key words associated with this research?
Key words include: Native American culture, horses, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Comanche, Great Plains, cultural change, adaptation, warfare, hunting, skills, knowledge, Spanish colonization, horse acquisition.
What is included in the Table of Contents?
The table of contents includes an introduction, an overview, a section detailing the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes individually, and a conclusion covering results and outlook.
- Citation du texte
- Tim Leidecker (Auteur), 2003, Native American Horse Culture: Looking at the change in culture the horse brought to the Blackfoot, Cheyenne and Comanche tribes., Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/18083
