Culture and Tribal Customs
Sla-Hal, Bone Game, or Stick Game are three ways to call a very popular game played amongst Northwestern Indian Tribes. Indian people of all ages have enjoyed gathering and participating in this exciting and traditional game for generations. Since time immemorial, some in the Pacific Northwest tribes say. And now there’s physical proof.
by Thomas Ivan Dahlheimer******** I am a 60 year old activist who is spearheading an international movement to revert the derogatory name of Minnesota’s “Rum River” back to its sacred Dakota Indian name Wakan, sometimes spelled Wahkon, and translated as (Great) Spirit. And I am also spearheading a movement to change 11 other MN geographic […]
By Thomas Ivan Dahlheimer
On a Mille Lacs Kathio State Park interpretive sign, Leonard E. Wabasha is quoted as saying: “My people are the Mdewakanton Oyate. Mdewakanton means the People of Spirit Lake. Today that lake is known as Mille Lacs. This landscape is sacred to the Mdewakanton Oyate because one Otokaheys Woyakapi (creation story) says we were
created here. It is especially pleasing for me to come here and walk these trails, because about 1718 the first Chief Wapahasa was born here, at the headwaters of the Spirit River. I am the eighth in this line of hereditary chiefs.” (reference 1.)
This is a historical timeline of the evolution of the native american stickball game into the modern game of LaCrosse.
WELLSTON, Mich. (AP) – As the setting sun cast long shadows over Pine Lake,
its surface rippled by a gentle breeze, Jimmie Mitchell dropped a pinch of
tobacco into the water – a gesture of gratitude for nature’s bounty.
Mitchell, chairman of the natural resources commission with the Little River
Band of Ottawa Indians, and tribal biologist Marty Holtgren have netted 11
yellow perch and two bluegill from the small lake in southern Manistee County.
Their mission is partly scientific – evaluating fish population dynamics in
area lakes. But the perch and bluegill will be frozen and eventually served
during a ceremony, perhaps a funeral or festival. To the Anishnaabe tribes of
northern Michigan, fish is more than just food. It’s a link with past
generations, a symbol of cultural identity.
And that makes mercury contamination a particularly touchy matter.
O’ Great Spirit, Whose voice I hear in the winds, And whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me! I am small and weak, I need your strength and wisdom.
The old-growth forest in Arlecho Creek is special to the Lummi tribe. It is a place of spiritual worship and a place to interact with Mother Nature.
The clear morning sun filters through the branches of the forest and droplets of dew rest on the surrounding fauna. Birds chirp in unison — a wake-up call for the other wildlife in the forest. This area of Arlecho Creek, located near Mount Baker, is home to cedar, fir and hemlock trees that are centuries old and home to the endangered murrelet bird.
Cherokee wedding customs dictated that relatives and friends follow as the couple entered the sacred council fire area. The bride wore a white dress and white moccasins, usually made from deer or elk skins. The groom wore a roe-colored ribbon shirt, black pants and moccasins.
The Sacred Fire Ceremony is symbolic of the separate lives of the couple and the union of One accomplished by this beautiful and exciting ceremony.
A fire circle is built with high sides made of stones. Seven types of wood are specially cut from specific types of trees by a priest or spiritual leader. The wood and fire circle are blessed with prayer and song ceremonies.
Here is an Apache Wedding Prayer.
Long before the Pilgrims sailed into Plymouth harbor, tribes living in what today is called Arizona developed a distinctive cuisine around corn, beans and squash. It was corn, believed to be the ultimate source of life, that dominated.
Thomas Huffaker, the Kaw Mission teacher, wrote the following account of a Kaw marriage:
Fall Intertribal Powwow (Dgwaget Nimediwen)
When: 2nd Saturday of every October
Where: Raymond Peltier Park, 1702 S Gordon Cooper Drive, Shawnee, OK 74801
The Annual Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Pow-wows were first started in 1972 to reinvigorate some sense of cultural identity among the Citizen Potawatomi people, and to encourage those who wanted to pow-wow dance to step out into the dance circle with pride.
This traditional recipe was originally made with gathered wild grapes called possum grapes. Today’s Indian cooks now often make it with Welch’s Grape Juice.
To celebrate the wedding ceremony indigenous people of the Southwest and Southeast used a pottery jar or pot with a handle on each side and two spouts, called a ‘wedding vase’. Usually a week or two before they are married by a priest, the future husband’s parents make the Wedding Vase.
A favorite of the Algonquin speaking tribes of the northeast was the wigwam.
Wickiups were a simpler form of a wigwam.
Wattle and Daub was a type of construction using a frame work of poles intertwined with branches and vines covered with mud.
A tipi is a frame work of poles covered with hides.
They were made from a frame of logs covered with adobe, a clay mixture which was allowed to dry in the sun.
Plank houses are square or rectangle shaped dwellings made by the Native Americans living on the Pacific Northwest coast.
Pithouses were used by most Plateau, some far north, as well as some California tribes.
Igloos are dome shaped dwellings that are made from packed snow cut into blocks with a large knife.
Hogans were made with a frame of logs and sticks and usually covered with mud.
Earth lodges are dome shaped dwellings similar to pithouses but generally much larger
Many Native Americans lived in homes that were long enough to house several families.
The long grass that grew on the Midwest and southern plains was used to make grass houses.
Lean To’s were temporary shelters made from brush, leaves and twigs covering sloping single pitched roofs.
Native American Homes Native Americans lived in a variety of homes depending on what area or region that they lived in. Many Native American groups also had more than one home. The Navajo for instance, who lived in the desert Southwest, were sheep herders and each family had several homes within their land to stay […]
The Sun Dance is a ceremony practiced differently by several North American Indian Nations, but many of the ceremonies have features in common, including dancing, singing and drumming, the experience of visions, fasting, and, in some cases, self-torture.
Earth Healing Ceremony prayer.
Earth Prayers for The Great Spirit–The Sacred Seven Prayer as told by Elder Noel Knockwood
A Lakota Sioux prayer dedicated to the dead from the Vietnam War.
Ever wonder how prehistoric man survived without coffee? Millions of Americans depend on a morning cup of coffee to jump-start their day. Florida’s own Timucua Indians had something just as good – the Black Drink. It came from a plant called Yaupon Holly, in Latin – Ilex vomitoria. How could a plant with a name like that rival modern coffee?
What does porcupine taste like? Generally, the flavor of porcupine meat will be influenced somewhat by whatever it’s been eating, but generally, Porcupine Pot Roast tastes similar to a pork roast.
Haudenosaunee thanks giving prayer….KEYWORDS: native american prayer thanksgiving prayer haudenosaunee prayer seneca prayer turtle clan prayer cornplanter tribe indian prayers prayer of thanks giving give thanks AUTHOR: Family members state that the following prayer, as translated into English, was confirmed as being accurate by a woman who, at the time, was the hereditary Grandmother of […]
Bearberry is widespread and common in forests throughout the northern United States. The brilliant red berries remain on the plant all winter and provide survival food for bears when they emerge from their long sleep.
A-ne-jo-di, or Stickball, is a very rough game played by not only the Cherokee, but many other Southeastern Woodland tribes including the Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, and others.
The game resembles the modern European game of LaCrosse, using ball sticks which are handmade from hickory.
Gathering and Using Medicinal Herbs in the Cherokee Tradition.. KEYWORDS: cherokee medicinal herbs gathering use preservation of medicinal herbs cherokee herbalists The Cherokee have been gifted by the Creator with an understanding of the gathering, use and preservation of medicinal herbs. The Cherokee believe that these plants were put on this earth to provide not […]
Greetings from the Great White North: Winter celebrations heat up chilly nights… KEYWORDS: cultural gathering Alaskan Native Heritage Center December 18 events storytelling dance games alaskan native crafts trapping language Kicaput Dancers Fireweed Dancers Yup’ik language Cup’ik people Alaska Native dance ANHC Cultural Education Program Haida language Dena’ina Athabascan language classes Eskimo Doll Ornaments Athabascan […]
Hopi kachinas or katsinas.. KEYWORDS: hopi kachina hopi katsina kachinas hopi ceremonial dolls hopi spirit dolls hopi religious dolls kachina dance hopi ceremonial dances Hopi kachinas (or katsinas as the Hopi people call them) are supernatural beings who live among the evergreens of the San Francisco Peaks south of the Hopi Mesas, and at the […]
At the end of their first year, the Puritans held a great feast following the harvest of food from their new farming efforts. The feast honored Squanto and their friends, the Wampanoags. The feast was followed by 3 days of “thanksgiving” celebrating their good fortune. This feast produced the image of the first Thanksgiving that we all grew up with as children. However, things were doomed to change.
Caribou Inuit live in the District of Keewatin in the communities of Chesterfield Inlet, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove, and Arviat.
Shawnee culture made many changes once they were introduced to european influence. Here is an overview of early Shawnee tribal customs and how they were changed by exposure to europeans.
The marriage dance was held in late evening, while onlookers took seats on the ground in a broad oval before a fire that had been built in the principal clearing of the village.
Valarian Root Indian Powder… KEYWORDS: valarian root indian powder indian herb herbs used by Indians infusion decoction extract tincture remedy for sleeping disorders natural remedy for nervous conditions
Valarian is used as an infusion, decoction, extract and tincture. The 1997 Commission E on Phytotherapy and Herbal Substances of the German Federal Institute for Drugs recommends Valerian root for ‘Restlessness, sleeping disorders based on nervous conditions.’
There are many symbols, practices and customs, some of which are well-known to many people and some which are known only to a few. The following is a list with brief explanations about each. To achieve full understanding of some of these symbols and practices, one must personally experience them or be led to enlightenment […]
Anishinabe prayer carrier.. KEYWORDS: anishinabe prayer carrier ojibwe ojibwa ojibway chippewa anishinabeg anishinaabe eagle power totem animals spiritural power of birds animals culture tradition religious beliefs The graceful bird of the skies, the eagle, is the prayer carrier and messenger of the Anishinabe people. As the eagle soars arose the skies, one knows he is […]
AUTHOR: Terrance H. Booth, Sr., Director Native Nations Sustainable Alliance A. David Lester, Executive Director, Council on Energy Resources Tribes (CERT) writes, “Indian business is not about money, it is about expressing our deeply held Indian Values in economic terms, to allow us to serve one another. Money is not the goal, money is a […]
Antelope meat is low in Sodium. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Iron, Phosphorus and Selenium, and a very good source of Riboflavin, but it is high in cholesteral. This mild flavored meat is delicious!