8th Social Studies
Class Notes
21 December 1998
INDIANS BEFORE WHITE MAN ARRIVED AND CULTURAL TRAITS
Indians were:
1. Self-sufficient
Old growth forests assured their survival.
Native Americans lived in little villages on the coast.
Europeans came and started cutting down the white pine. This gave no shelter or food for the deer and they started to die off.
Indian managed their resources. They took from nature ONLY what they needed to survive.
3. They didn’t own land. They only used it.
4. Didn’t recognize land-ownership ("Mother Earth" for all people)
5. Discipline – No whipping
6. Women
Equal to men
Made community decisions
With held food from men when they were upset with the men.
Had a lot more power then the men.
Some were chiefs (Shaman)
7. Had a pure communal and were harmonious.
8. No class structure system (No classes)
9. No disease
INDIANS AFTER WHITE MAND ARRIVED AND CULTURAL TRAITS