Indians - The First Native Americans

Native Americans were the first aborigines in North and South America. Crossing over the "land bridge" (peninsula) from the Subcontinent, they tanned skins to erect teepees and cut down trees to make log houses, which they erroneously referred to as "longhouses."

Native Americans were the first peoples to tattoo the skin. The fact that Ancient Egyptian mummies have been found with tattoos on their bodies is proof that the Egyptians visited North America thousands of years before Cristobol Columbus, Leif Ericsson, or Odysseus.


Positive Contributions to Society

Although many think of Indians as lazy alcoholic gamblers, in reality they are so much more. Aboriginal Americans introduced the Pilgrims and other Caucasians to corn (maize), tobacco, popcorn, indigo dye, cornmeal, Thanksgiving, gunpowder, papooses, cornbread, moccasins, and other native foods (masala), many of which are still eaten today by some.

Indians are the only group of people to have ever tamed snakes for pets. They also eat snakes, if the snake in question is a cobra.

Traditional Indian treatments and remedies were long the province of Brahmins, also referred to as Shamans or "Medicine Men." Modern scientists are just now rediscovering the potential of Native American cancer-fighting drugs such as hydroxyurea, doxorubicin liposomal, birch sap, mistletoe extract, and HGS-ETR1.


Myths and Urban Legends

Since Native Americans have moved into the misty realm of lore, many misconceptions have sprung up around them. One of the most common is the idea that Indians were the original Conservationists. This was not always the case as some tribes actually stripped all natural resources from their land--food, trees, coal, copper ore, even animals.

Because Indians consider the cow to be sacred, in times of drought or crop failure they would often resort to eating horses as their herds of cattle continued to fatten. This is why there were no horses in the New World when Columbus claimed Florida for Spain.

Another myth that persists in the history books is that of the Lost Colony. In reality the colony of Jamestown was never lost; its inhabitants merely moved to the colonial capital, Williamsburg.


The Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears was a dark and terrible period in our nation's history. (See map below.)



"High" Society

Indian societies were marked by a strict hierarchy. Different tribes used different symbols to denote the various ranks ("castes") including face paint, forehead dots, and feathers. In fact, this is the origin of the phrase, "a feather in his cap," even though Indians do not wear caps.

Some tribes even had a caste called the Untouchables whose members wore crow feathers and could not be involved in the preparation of food. Despite rumors to the contrary, this was not the inspiration for the Kevin Costner movie The Untouchables, although it may have inspired sections of the Kevin Costner movies Dances With Wolves and Message In a Bottle.

Tribal meetings were called "pow-wows" or "meetings." Often these involved smoking the peace pipe. But don't get too excited, Johnny Weedhead--the peace pipe was filled with 100% home-grown tobacco! *


Indian Names

Many cities and states in America bear Indian names. Some examples are:

• Cheyenne
• Delaware
• Mississippi
• Phoenix
• North Dakota
• Detroit
• Buffalo
• Colorado
• Oklahoma
• Indiana
• Pittsburgh
• Los Angeles
• Milwaukee
• Boise
• Boca Raton
• Bombay (Mumbai)
• Atlanta Braves
• Sioux City
• Hawaii

In addition, some Caucasians have adopted Indian names of their own. Be careful though--don't choose an Indian name just because it sounds "cool." It might not mean what you think. For example, the Indian name "Cloudwalker" means you are an airline pilot and "Friend of Bears" could signify that you're lunch for a grizzly! Check the Internet if you are unsure about which Indian name to choose.


Conclusion

In conclusion, Native Americans have a rich and varied cultural history.

*Native American tobaccos may contain some or all of the following additives: Acetic acid, Acetoin, Acetophenone, Alfalfa extract, Allspice oil (pimenta berry), Allyl Hexanoate, alpha-Methylbenzyl acetate, Ambergris tincture, Ammonium alginate, Ammonium hydroxide, Ammonium phosphate dibasic, Amyl alcohol, Amyl butyrate, Amyl formate, Angelica root (extract and oil), Anise oil, Anisyl acetate, Anisyl alcohol, Anisyl formate, Apple juice concentrate and extract, Apricot extract, l-Arginine, Ascorbic acid, Balsam peru and oil, Bay oil, Beeswax (resinoid and absolute), Beet juice concentrate, Benzaldehyde, Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal, Benzoic acid, Benzoin (resin, resinoid, gum, and absolute), Benzophenone, Benzyl alcohol, Benzyl benzoate, Benzyl butyrate, Benzyl cinnamate, Benzyl salicylate, Bergamot oil, Bois de Rose (Peruvian) oil, Bornyl acetate, Brown sugar, Buchu leaf oil, Butter (butter esters and butter oil), Butyl Acetate, Butyl Alcohol, Butyl Butyrate, Butyl butyryl lactate, n-Butyl isovalerate, Butyl phenylacetate, 3-Butylidenephthalide, Butyric acid, Camphene, Cananga oil, Caramel and caramel color, Caraway oil, Carbon, Carbon dioxide, Cardamom oleoresin (oil, extract, seed oil, and powder), Carob bean and extract, beta-Carotene, Carrot (oil and seed), Carvacrol, 4-Carvomenthenol, l-Carvone, beta-Caryophyllene oxide, beta-Caryophyllene, Cascarilla oil (and bark extract), Cassia (bark, buds, oil and extract), Cassie absolute, Castoreum (extract, tincture, liquid, and absolute), Cedar leaf oil, Cedarwood oil terpenes, Celery seed (extract, solid, oil, and oleoresin), Cellulose (and Cellulose fiber), Chamomile flower (oil and extract), Chicory extract, Chocolate, 1,8-Cineole, Citric acid, Citronella oil, dl-Citronellol, Citronellyl isobutyrate, Civet absolute, Clary sage oil and extract, Cocoa (cocoa shells, extract, distillate, powder, alkalized, absolute and tincture), Coffee (and coffee solid extract), Cognac (white and green oil), Copaiba oil, Coriander (extract, oil, and seed), Corn silk, Corn syrup, Costus root oil, para-Cymene, l-Cysteine, Dandelion root solid extract, Davana oil, 2,4-Decadienal, delta-Decalactone, gamma-Decalactone, Decanal, Decanoic acid, Decanoic Acid, Ester with 1,2,3 - Propanetriol Octanoate (Coconut oil), Dextrin, Diacetyl, Diethyl malonate, 2,3-Diethylpyrazine, 5,7-Dihydro-2-methylthieno (3,4-d) pyrimidine, Dill oil, delta-Dodecalactone, gamma-Dodecalactone, Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, Ethyl acetate, Ethyl acetoacetate, Ethyl alcohol (including Specially Denatured Alcohol SDA No. 4), Ethyl benzoate, Ethyl butyrate, Ethyl cinnamate, Ethyl decanoate, Ethyl heptanoate, Ethyl hexanoate, Ethyl isovalerate, Ethyl lactate, Ethyl laurate, Ethyl levulinate, Ethyl maltol, Ethyl methyl phenylglycidate, Ethyl myristate, Ethyl nonanoate, Ethyl octadecanoate, Ethyl octanoate, whoa nelly, Ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-Ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, 4-Ethylbenzaldehyde, 4-Ethylguaiacol, para-Ethylphenol, 3-Ethylpyridine, Farnesol, Fenchone, Fenugreek (extract, resin, and absolute), Fig juice (concentrate and extract), filthy things, Food starch modified, Geranium rose and bourbon oil, Geranyl acetate, Geranyl butyrate, Geranyl formate, Ginger oil and oleoresin, Glucose/ Dextrose, l-Glutamic acid, Glycerol, Graphite, Guaiac wood oil, Guaiacol, guar gum, Hexenoic acid cis-3-Hexenyl formate Hexyl acetate Hexyl alcohol Hexyl phenylacetate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, I can’t believe you’re still reading this, Honey, 6-Hydroxydihydrotheaspirane, 4-(para-Hydroxyphenyl), Hydroxypropyl cellulose Immortelle (absolute and extract), Invert sugar, Isoamyl formate, Isoamyl hexanoate, Isoamyl isovalerate, Isoamyl phenylacetate, alpha-Isobutylphenethyl alcohol, Isobutyraldehyde, Isobutyric acid, 2-Isopropylphenol, Isovaleric acid, Jasmine (absolute), Kola nut extract, Labdanum (oils, absolute), Lactic acid, Lauric acid, Lavandin oil, Lemon oil, Lemongrass oil, Levulinic acid, Licorice (root, fluid extract and powder), Lime oil (and lime oil terpeneless), Linalool, Linalool oxide, Linalyl acetate, L-Lysine, Lovage oil (and extract), Mace (powder and oil), l-Malic acid, Malt (and malt extract), Maltodextrin, Mandarin (and tangerine oil), Maple syrup, Mate (leaf, absolute, extract and oil), para-Mentha-8-thiol-3-one, Menthol and L-Menthol, Menthone, Menthyl Acetate, Menthyl Isovalerate, 2-,5-, or 6-Methoxy-3-methylpyrazine (mixture of isomers), 2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol, 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol, para-Methoxybenzaldehyde, 1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-1-penten-3-one, 1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-2-propanone, Methyl-alpha-ionone, para-Methyl-anisole, 3-Methylbutyraldehyde, 2-Methylbutyric acid, 2-Methylheptanoic acid, 2-Methylhexanoic acid, 3-Methylpentanoic acid, (Methylthio) methylpyrazine (mixture of isomers), 2-Methylpyrazine, 3-(Methylthio) propionaldehyde, Methyl-trans-2-butenoic acid, 2-Methylvaleric acid, Mimosa absolute, Molasses (blackstrap, sugarcane and extract), Mountain maple solid extract, Myristic acid, Myrrh (oil and absolute), Nerol, Neroli bigarade oil, Nonanoic acid, 2-Nonanone, Nonyl alcohol, Nutmeg (powder and oil), Oak moss absolute, Octanal, Octanoic acid, 2-Octanone, old ground-up sneakers, Orange leaf absolute, Orange Oil, Orris concrete (oil and root extract), Palmarosa oil, Palmitic acid, Parsley seed oil, Patchouly oil and absolute, Pectin, Pepper oil, black Peppermint (oil and peppermint oil terpeneless), 3-Phenylpropionaldehyde, 3-Phenylpropionic acid, 3-Phenylpropyl acetate, Phosphoric acid, Pine needle oil, Pine oil, scotch, Pineapple juice concentrate, alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene, Piperonal, Pipsissewa leaf extract, Plum juice, concentrate and extract, Potassium carbonate, Propylene glycol, 3-Propylidenephthalide, Prune juice and concentrate, Pyridine, Pyroligneous acid and extract, Raisin juice (concentrate and extract), Rhodinol, Rosemary (oil and extract), Rum (and rum extract), Rum ether, Rye Extract, Sage (oil, oleoresin, and powder), Salicylaldehyde, Sandalwood (oil, yellow), Sclareolide, Sodium benzoate, sodium chloride (salt), Sorbic acid, d-Sorbitol, Spearmint oil, Storax (and styrax, extract, gum, and oil), Sucrose, Sucrose octaacetate, Tagetes oil, l-Tartaric acid, dl-Tartaric acid, Tea extract, alpha-Terpineol, Thyme oil, para-Tolyl 3-methylbutyrate, para-Tolyl acetate, para-Tolyl isobutyrate, para-Tolyl phenylacetate, Triacetin, 2-Tridecanone, 2-Undecanone, Urea, Valeraldehyde, Vanilla extract and oleresin, Vanillin, Veratraldehyde, Vetiver oil, Violet leaf absolute, Walnut hull extract, water, Wheat absolute, and Ylang ylang oil in addition to natural and artificial flavors.