Native Americans And African In U.S. History

IntroductionCulture, as a notion, is a sophisticated concept in the academic world today. It has several applications irreconcilable ways and definitions thus an area of trivial conflict between disciplines in academics that relate to the basic character of the social life of human beings and the way in which it should be studied. A few anthropologists claim that culture notion stereotypes and oversimplifies whole communities, by mistake treating them as neglected and homogeneous while underplaying personality and opinion diversity.

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc377020300 h 1Thesis Statement PAGEREF _Toc377020301 h 1Discussion and Analysis PAGEREF _Toc377020302 h 1Native Americans origin PAGEREF _Toc377020303 h 2Native Americans Culture PAGEREF _Toc377020304 h 3African Americans origin PAGEREF _Toc377020305 h 4African American Culture PAGEREF _Toc377020306 h 5Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc377020307 h 6References PAGEREF _Toc377020308 h 7

Thesis StatementThe major theme of this report is to evaluate the distinct persons and activities that contribute to the culture and society of United States of America. The discussion part shall be evaluating the notions of diversity plus inclusion within the United States together with the international society context. This paper shall be evaluating the cultures of Africans in the United States and the Native Americans history. Evaluation section shall factor in their contribution to United States development, origins and how the activities that they went through contributed to their inclusion or exclusion from the society of United States of America by early 1870s.

Discussion and Analysis

culture can simply be defined as customs, traditions, norms, values and opinions that are learned via common behavioral and patterns and practices of culture inherited down from previous generations. Culture is thus learned unconditionally; however, it is the basis of for meanings that we attach to out viewpoints and determines how we elucidate events. There exist various distinct cultures within the world, all of which have its own norms and values that are vital for that specific community of persons. Various types of culture contribute to the diversity aspect which has its own fundamental basis. A few individuals believe that diversity is harmful to the economy of the world; while some view diversity as a valuable feature to the world’s economy.

The United States of America culture was conceived from blending many cultures, in spite of the extreme leadership emanating from England the very first settlers reached United States East Coast due to the Puritans oppression after reinstatement: African Blacks, French, British, Germans, Spanish and Native Americans CITATION tea13 l 1033 (teamEBONY, 2013). Diversity of culture is currently evident in the United States since many Cultures exist.

Native Americans originDecades prior to the landing of Columbus Christopher in Bahamas, some other different kind of people discovered America, the roaming ancestors of present day Native Americans who used a land bridge which connected Asia to the present day Alaska, close to twelve thousand years back. As a matter of fact by the time European travelers reached Alaska in the fifteenth century, researchers approximate that over fifty million persons were already residing in America CITATION Law07 l 1033 (Lawrence, 2007). Among these, close to ten million resided in the vicinity that would be the United States today. As days went by, these immigrants together with their off springs travelled towards the east and south, acclimatizing as hey travelled. In a bid to recall such distinct groups, geographers together with anthropologist divided them into culture regions of neighboring persons sharing same characteristics and habitats the cultural areas were like Subarctic, the plains, Southwest, California, Plateau, Great Basin, Northwest Coast, Arctic and the Northeast.

Native Americans CultureIt is believed that no other group of persons had great and detailed culture like that of the Native Americans. They seem to have a history wealth in struggle, triumph and strife. Many areas of Americas present day life were derived from the ancient Indian cultures experienced decades ago. Most well known symbols that seem jokes were invented by Native Americans. The moccasins, peace pipe, teepee and totem pole are few highlights, but then each of the symbols were in fact integral parts of a bigger image that brought together the Native American lifestyle tapestry.

The whole lot from animals, native plants to residential places became part and parcel of the Indian life. Animals were taken back as spirits, and despite the fact that they were hunted and terminated, their hides and skins were worn as clothing and used in drums, their meat was also eaten and there was this believe that its spirits resided in the tribes minds. There was plant cultivation and harvesting, and used for several applications such as blankets and dyes CITATION Ind13 l 1033 (Indivisible). The sun and the rains were also believed to be gods, indicating a sign to the Indians as the seasons shifted.

The totem poles were to a part of Native American culture. There was believe by Indians that each individual was allocated the spirit of a specific animal, and that that spirit was engrossed into this animal this animal when it passed away. Totem pole was bigger, lofty wooden statute of several animals, each of which represented a member of a family of a cherished on who died. Many individuals perceive dream catchers lynching from individuals car mirrors, though a few understood their implication. Smoke features were other fascinating aspects of the Native American culture. Which helped them communicate to others in distant places; they were also a sign of Native American culture proud heritage.

 African Americans originA bigger majority of African Americans emanated from slaves brought from the Caribbean and Africa. These people came from war prisoners held captive by African governments and sold to Arabs, Americans, Europeans and African slave traders. In Africa, slavery preexisted before and after the Europeans arrival. The slave population in America comprised of several ethnic groups from central and western Africa like Akan, Wolof, Mande, Bakongo, Igbo and Makau together with others. Despite the varying group’s customs, language and religious theology, what was similar was the mode of life that was distinct from that of the Europeans.

Though a bigger majority of these slaves emanated from these communities and villages, one deployed to America these African Americans parted with their tribal issues and forged a fresh history and culture that was a blending of their similar present and pasts CITATION Gen94 l 1033 (Genevieve & Robert, 1994). The Ndongo and Kongo Kingdom of Angola was where many African Americans traced their roots. The political arrangements were also in a monarchical manner same as that of Europeans.

African American CultureThis in America factors in several conventional traditions of African tribes. It is an integral part of the present day American Culture. Africans as persons having origins from any of the Black race African groups the culture of African Americans indigenous to the off springs in the United States of America of the Middle passage survivors. It is entrenched in African cultures.

Despite the fact that slavery hampered the Africans in America capabilities to freely express their cultures, beliefs and norms survived and over sometime they have inculcated aspects of European American culture. Many elements of African culture were given birth to or brought into light due to slavery. The outcome was a creative dynamic culture that has had significant effect on the whole American culture. They stemmed up to great cultures in art, music, food, ceremonies, religion among others. The greatest influence of African American culture exists in the southern parts of United States specifically in Carolinas and among the Louisiana Gullah people.

The culture of African Americans usually grew away from the American culture since African Americans wished to exercise their individual cultures as well as social exclusion in America. Since slavery many owners of slaves attempted to seek complete control over them by stripping them off their African cultures CITATION Bar06 l 1033 (Barbara, 2006). The segregation physically and marginalization of the African American community to some extent promoted the retention of huge amounts of the African American cultures in the world, and within the United States specifically. The slave bosses also knowingly attempted to repress their organization politically in a bid to handle the frequent rebellions by slaves in Haiti, Brazil and the United States.

The cultures of African Slaves, Cultures, Slave rebellions together with the civil rights engagements pre-shaped the culture of African Americans in terms of Religion, Political and economic organization and family settings. The impact of African American culture is witnessed in several ways such as economy, politics, music, language, fashion, dance together with the world’s perception and methods of preparing food. Within the United States, the laws that were legislated so as to strip off culture from African Americans and rebuff them education acted in a myriad ways to make it strong CITATION Pet03 l 1033 (Peter, 2003).

As a result, the African American culture over time has had an invasive, transformative influence on several aspects of the entire American Culture. These procedures of mutual inspired exchange was later termed as creolization over a long period of time the African American culture together with their off springs has been an ever present influence not only on the majority American Culture, but also on the cultures of the world as well.

ConclusionThough many African Americans believe that they have the blood of Indians down on their veins, the DNA test indicate otherwise that less than ten percent of the African Americans are of the ancestry of Native Americans. To be precise, five percent of the African Americans have approximately twelve percent Native American ancestry. It is thus a sophisticated history full of the good and the bad. The African slaves were understood to flee from plantations and found refuge amongst the Indian communities. The Native American participated so much in the construction of the Underground Railway while the Indian tribes gave a framework to freedom for the fleeing African Americans. They then participated in the battles against their tyrannical subjections and the incursion of the white man; they also intermarried and had off springs.

I can confidently say that though African Americans were socially excluded, they had immense impacts of the development of the present day United States both culturally and contribution to growth. Native Americans also had their better part in contribution to the development of the United States. The two distinct cultures have been blended to come up with a strong culture though some elements are still practiced by individual groups.

References BIBLIOGRAPHY Barbara, K. (2006). African Americans and Native Americans. Ann Arbor, Mich.: ProQuest Information and Learning.

Genevieve, F., & Robert, O. (1994). History and Memory in African-American Culture. New York : Oxford University Press.

Indivisible. (n.d.). African-Native Americans in the Americas. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from SITES: http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/indivisible_African_Native_Lives/index.htm

Lawrence, W. L. (2007). Black culture and Black consciousness : Afro-American folk thought from slavery to freedom. New York: Oxford University Press.

Peter, K. (2003). Conspiracy theories in American history : an encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.

teamEBONY. (2013, November 20). 5 Things to Know About Blacks and Native Americans. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from EBONY: http://www.ebony.com/life/5-things-to-know-about-blacks-and-native-americans-119#axzz2lImYNlh9