Native American Essay, Research Paper

The Native American s way of life was interesting and unique, describe to be savages, drunks and This paper will examine the Native American s character. During the 19th century, these peoples and their customs became well known, known as the stereotyped “Indian” customs the long feather headdress, the tepee (also spelled tipi), the stereotype ceremonial pipe, costumes, and dancing. Native Americans

Sweat lodges were a basic component of Native American life. The Native American completed a purification ceremony in sweat lodges. This ritual dealt with purifying the human body and soul. The practice of the purification ceremony, and the symbolism in each of these things are all part of Native American rituals. The Navaho used to call sweat lodges tq ache. This purification ceremony put the American Indians in a frame of mind to make important decisions. The layout, practice, and symbolism in the sweat lodges are a major part of Native American rituals.

Much of there religion and religious rituals consist of smoking marijuana, tobacco, tree bark and other forms of drugs out of a pipe that was referred to as the sacred pipe or as it is better known as the peace pipe. Not everybody in the tribe was permitted to smoke out of the pipe, only the chief or high religious leaders were aloud to smoke out of the pipe. Even then, they were only aloud to smoke out of it during religious practices and other rituals to celebrate holidays of their culture. Hands down the pipe was the single most important object in their religion and culture.

One thing that I didn’t realize about Native Americans is all the different types of substances they found a way to smoke. They would smoke everything and anything that they could fit in a pipe. They had all kinds of different names that they obviously gave to these drugs while they were using them, such as Hokshichankiya which was their name for marijuana. Most drugs however that were used in their religious practices were bitter tasting and had no real affect on the brain.2