Introduction
To examine the meaning of death in the American Indian society, it is neces-sary to know about the general facts of American Indians. First of all, it is not possible, to write about any topic concerning “ the American Indian society”, because there is not one single culture for all those different American Indian nations. The following paper uses examples and explanations from all Indian tribes and, even tough there is a huge diversity, the common endured history and today’s American Indian inner fights between past and tradition unite all North American Indians to some kind of “American Indian society.”
To approach the topic of death after common information, a focus on North American Indian statistics concerning death will follow. These statistics will show the differences in life expectations literally and metaphorically. Whereas some specific forms of American Indian death, like infanticide, disappeared through the centuries, others, well known likewise in “white” and “black” society, such as homicide and suicide, changed their causes, but consist within and outside the reservation boundaries.
As the causes of death altered since the colonization of America, death has also become a new face for the American Indians. Skirmishes between tribes changed to extinguishing wars between “new” Americans and “native” Americans. The surviving American Indians were forced to leave their homelands and move to special reservation areas. Thereby, the traditional death rites modified through a change of living conditions, surroundings, and environment.
To recall all the gathered aspects of “American Indian death ways”, the Na-vajo nation as today’s largest American Indian tribe, will serve as example to re-view and explain old rites, changes their gone through, and history’s effects on their present day appearance.
At the end of the journey through various aspects of the meaning of death for the American Indian society, examples from four American Indian authors shall highlight the importance of death as well in American Indian daily life, as in their history and their philosophy.
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
AMERICAN INDIANS – GENERAL FACTS
American Indian Statistics concerning Death
FORMS OF AMERICAN INDIAN DEATH
American Indian suicide
American Indian Homicide/Parricide
American Indian Infanticide
DEATH IN AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY
AMERICAN INDIAN DEATH RITES
Tradition
Present Day
EXAMPLE: THE NAVAJO NATION
DEATH IN AMERICAN INDIAN LITERATURE
Mythologies
Modern literature
ENDING
Objectives & Core Themes
This work examines the cultural, historical, and social significance of death within North American Indian societies. It aims to analyze how diverse tribal traditions, forced historical displacement, and contemporary socioeconomic struggles collectively shape the American Indian perception of death, survival, and identity.
- The impact of socioeconomic conditions on health and death statistics.
- Comparative analysis of traditional death rites versus modern challenges.
- The historical influence of colonization and forced assimilation on tribal rituals.
- The representation of death, trauma, and survival in traditional mythology and modern literature.
- A detailed case study of the Navajo Nation’s evolving cultural identity.
Excerpt from the Book
American Indian Infanticide
When a mother died during or short after childbirth, there was no one to nourish the child unless a “wet nurse” could be found. When this was not the case, the child was buried with its mother. If the father of a family with several children died, the mother might kill the new born to save the rest of the family. In American Indian society also existed the social stigma against an unmarried mother. To save the child and herself from social censure, the mother might put her child to death. Handicapped children were often killed, especially in nomadic tribes, where the child could never have been a supportive part of society. In times of starvation very young children were often killed, because their chances of survival were the slightest of all clan members. In most North American tribes, the parents had the right to decide over life and death of their baby, without consulting higher authorities. Some tribes limited this right to a certain age (Creeks: mother lost her power over the baby’s life after one month of it’s birth.)
Infanticide among the Inuit is a little different than in other American Indian tribes. Female babies were more often killed than male babies, because the man was the hunter therefore more “important” to survival than the woman. Its mortality as adult was about twice as high as of grown-up females, because males were killed in hunting or fights. When twins were born in these areas, and were of both sexes, the female part was often killed or freed for adoption. A healthy Inuit child inherited not only the name of a dead ancestor, but was also the reincarnation of the deceased. The ancestor lives in the child’s body and might depart with the child’s life, if treated badly. This is the reason, why Inuit refuse to slap their child -- they don’t want to insult their ancestor.
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: The introduction establishes the difficulty of generalizing "American Indian society" and outlines the paper's focus on death, ranging from historical statistics to contemporary literary expressions.
AMERICAN INDIANS – GENERAL FACTS: This chapter provides demographic context, discussing the challenge of classification and the harsh socioeconomic realities facing current reservation populations.
FORMS OF AMERICAN INDIAN DEATH: This section investigates specific causes of mortality, including high rates of suicide and homicide, often linked to economic hardship and alcoholism.
DEATH IN AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY: This chapter outlines the catastrophic impact of European colonization, forced removals, and the resulting trauma on tribal existence.
AMERICAN INDIAN DEATH RITES: This chapter contrasts traditional burial and mourning customs with current legal restrictions and the ongoing struggle to protect sacred lands.
EXAMPLE: THE NAVAJO NATION: This chapter serves as a deep dive into the Navajo experience, highlighting the tension between maintaining traditional beliefs and integrating into modern society.
DEATH IN AMERICAN INDIAN LITERATURE: This section explores how mythology and modern written works process trauma, identity, and the recurring theme of survival.
ENDING: The conclusion synthesizes the core findings, emphasizing that death remains an inescapable reality that defines the ongoing survival and resilience of American Indians.
Keywords
American Indians, Navajo Nation, Death Rites, Infanticide, Cultural Survival, Reservation Life, Colonization, Oral Tradition, Modern Literature, Trauma, Identity, Mythology, Socioeconomic conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the multifaceted meaning of death within American Indian society, covering cultural, historical, and sociological perspectives.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include the evolution of death rituals, the impact of government policy on tribes, socioeconomic disparities, and the manifestation of historical trauma in literature.
What is the primary research focus?
The work aims to understand how historical events, such as forced displacement, continue to influence the contemporary American Indian valuation of life and death.
Which methodologies are employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, synthesizing demographic statistics, anthropological accounts of tribal traditions, and literary criticism of American Indian authors.
What does the main body address?
It provides a comprehensive overview of mortality statistics, specific death causes like suicide, historical context, traditional burial practices, and an analysis of literature by authors like Scott Momaday and Leslie Marmon Silko.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Central keywords include American Indians, Navajo, death rites, colonization, historical trauma, and cultural survival.
How does the Navajo Nation serve as a specific case study?
The Navajo Nation is used to illustrate how a tribe attempts to preserve ancestral traditions while navigating the modern legal, social, and economic pressures of contemporary U.S. life.
How is the relationship between literature and trauma analyzed?
The author demonstrates how poems and novels function as tools for cultural survival, allowing indigenous writers to voice the "collective grief" and the struggle for identity after centuries of marginalization.
- Quote paper
- Claudia Casagrande (Author), 2000, American Deathways: The Meaning of Death in the American Indian Society, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/3435
