Indian Life In West
Imagine living in a wonderful place that you have always called home. One day, you see ships come to your land, and foreigners step out. They then rob you of your land; you are discriminated against, and treated like savages. This is the daily life of a Native American from the west. There was always a tough job to be done, such as building a house to live in, with limited supplies, and finding the right amount of food to keep your family going strong. Not only would the father and mother help out, but also the children and the elders. Indians have always had it hard, but when Christopher Columbus came over, it worsened greatly. They tried hard for ages to fight back and regain their freedom and respect. They fought many wars, but their weapons were no match for the white men’s technology. These harsh battles just turned into horrific massacres. There were an unlimited amount of hard work and jobs to do every day. They had to find food to support the family. But to do even this, they had to work hard. The men usually were the hunters. To catch fish, the first needed to make a canoe. They cut down a cedar tree, with only their bare hands and teeth. Then they split the large log in half. Then they burned and scraped through the
Indians houses were much different from what they are today. The coastal Indians lived in Longhouses. The Longhouses were made of cedar planks that they made by hand. To get the cedar, they chopped down a cedar tree with only their bare hands and their teeth! It was a long, tedious task that had to be done. The Longhouses were huge in size. Some were about 100 feet long and 25 feet wide. There were only 2 holes in the house the opening to get in and the smoke hole. The tribe built the longhouse, but only a special section in the longhouse was yours. The chief assigned the living quarters. You also always lived w/ everyone in your family, such as the children, your wife or husband, and any grandparents. When someone in the family died, the children burned it to ground so the spirits wouldn’t haunt you in the future. Then the oldest child would rebuild the longhouse in another location. Woven mats were also a huge part of an Indian household. They were hung from the ceiling for a sense of privacy. They were also used as many other things such as cushions to sit on, tablecloths, bath towels, and bed sheets. They were made of cedar bark strips or cattails. The Native Americans also had furniture, somewhat similar o what we have today. They made bunk beds with open shelves above them, and deep holes in the ground underneath them to store food. The women made baskets, and mats for the interior of the house. The collected al th supplies needed, such as a variety of grasses, and then in the winter they made them . The women went and hiked the mountain, a very dangerous thing to do, just to get the right materials. Baskets were used for many things. Women made baskets to show off. There was a constant competition between them. Who ever used the nicest materials, and made the most creative design was envied. Some even had secret basket techniques that were handed down from mother to daughter. The baskets were also used for decoration, trade, and storing food. middle to begin the shaping process. This was long and tedious. Then they filled the hole with boiling water. They filled the hole with water and put hot coals. They did this by heating rocks from the fire. They dropped the scorching rocks
Some topics in this essay:
Native Americans,
Christopher Columbus,
Baskets Women,
Longhouses Longhouses,
Native American’s,
Native American,
,
cedar tree,
cedar bark,
native americans,
cut cedar tree,
tree bare hands,
bare hands teeth,
harsh battles,
filled hole,
hands teeth,
baskets women,
bare hands,
cedar tree bare,
cut cedar,
white men’s,
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Approximate Word count = 1491
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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