American Indian Studies 319 

What is the most appropriate name for north america's first peoples?

Thursday, September 7, 2017 

❖  Unsettling the dominant narrative 

➢ History & Myth 

■ Fact and fiction 

■ Research to figure out what’s happening in a specific place at a  specific time and writes about it

■ beliefs , attitude, prejudices come into play 

■ Not neutral, contested 

➢ Why stories matter 

■ Impact, stories cannot be unheard 

■ Transfer of knowledge 

■ Origins and beginnings 

■ Relational, connections 

■ People and places 

How did the american indians marshal resistance to the repression of tribal, religious and cultural practices?

➢ Puvungna 

■ The gathering place 

● Area of long beach 

■ Tongva­indigenous 

● Gabrieleno­spanish given 

■ Birthplace of religion­chinigchinich 

■ “Do you know where you stand?” 

➢ What is the most appropriate name for North America's first peoples? ■ Identity of humans and their connections to their location 

❖ Terminology and demographics 

■ American indian 

■ Native American 

■ Aboriginal­original 

Who is vine deloria jr?

■ First nations/first peoples 

■ Indigenous 

■ Tribally­specific name 

◆ Connotes locations, connection to place, and 

events in creation or emergence Don't forget about the age old question of What are the animal characteristics?
If you want to learn more check out How does a social psychologist do their research?
Don't forget about the age old question of What are the types of buying power?

● 566 federally­recognized tribal nations in the U.S. 

● Ca home to 110 federally­recognized tribes 

● 1.9 million american indians and alaska nativesIf you want to learn more check out What are the two examples of natural selection known to occur in nature?

● La county largest urban indian pop. in U.S. 

➢ Additional terms 

■ Colonization refers to both formal and informal methods that  maintain subjugation and exploitation of indigenous peoples,  lands and resources

■ Settler colonialism specific formation where foreign entities  move into an indigenous occupied region, displace and 

dispossess indigenous people from their aboriginal lands and  reproduce

➢ American indian identity Don't forget about the age old question of What does a bacterium have?

■ Degree of indian blood 

● Social construction of race 

● Legalization of race/racialization of american indian 

people

❖ Positive ethnocentrism 

■ Use of tribal terms of self­reference 

■ No monolithic definition of american indian tribes or people ● Diverse 

● Multiple cultural/tribal heritages and affiliations 

● Define own membership 

● Unique laws, systems of self­governance, distinct 

languages

Find racism in relation to naming American Indians (Treuer) 

❖ The Sacred 

➢ Belief and knowledge of the unseen powers or great mystery ➢ Knowledge of the universal dependence of things, relationality and  connectedness

➢ Worship is “individually orchestrated” (treuer) and reinforces bond  between individual, community and greta powers

➢ Morals and ethics are taught b people with knowledge of traditions  and the scared

➢ Tribal specialists pass down knowledge from one generation to the  next (oral tradition and intergenerational teaching)

➢ Humor is part of the sacred; human weakness can be addressed  through foolishness; clowns hold scared role/[ostion in all American  Indian communitiesWe also discuss several other topics like What is the function of critical thinking?

❖ Vine Deloria Jr.­AI resistance 

■ From God is Red, “Tribal, Religious and Contemporary 

American Culture”

➢ “Perhaps nearly as accurate would be the picture of settlement phrased as a continuous conflict of two mutually exclusive religious views of  the world,” (238).

➢ How did the american indians marshal resistance to the repression of  Tribal, Religious and Cultural Practices?

■ Performed ceremonies alongside Christians and federal ones ■ Cloaked tradition in the flag 

■ Practiced in hiding 

■ Apply sacred teachings and concepts to resistance and activism, AIM and Wounded Knee 2, Oceti Sakowin Camp, Sacred Stone Camp

■ Recovery and revitalization of tribal history/knowledge