Wild west

The American Way 09/04/13

From Old West to Contempory life « USA! USA! USA! »

AMERICAN IDENTITY

THE

LUCKY LUKE TELEGRAPH

Impact of the story of the Old West Small ads

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F O R SA L E

F O R SA L E

Mileage : 999 999 miles Condition : used but very good

Years : 1873 Condition : very used but authentic

Today, all Americans wore or wear hats like the pioneers in the Conquest of the West.

George Bush himself regularly wears a hat with a classic style in the United States.

However, the trace of this conquest is not really visible today in the big cities. The television westerns were able to recall that time with series like Lucky Luke. Many country houses are still pretty similar to the houses of that time. But other places quite iconic in the West like Los Angeles are absolutely no more like they were although it was built because of the conquest.

The region which currently recalls this time better is Texas, with its many farms and houses lost in the middle of nowhere with hard climatic condition that the pioneers had to cross on their journey to the West. It is there that have lots of westerns were filmed for the cinema.

ROUX-FOUILLET Marine PLASMANS Marie

The tradition All the indians smoked calumets Before the expeditions or to create harmony with the spiritual elements They were also protected by the animal totem.

In some tribes, to take the horse or the weapon of the enemy brought more glory than kill him.

Indian nation The indian nations were living in the midwest.

The most important tribes were the Cheyenne, the Sioux, the Crows and the Blackfoot. They all spoke different languages and it was difficult to communicate between them.

Tribes were themselves shared in clans.

The family The women got up the first to refresh the fire, to look for some water and prepare the morning meal. They ate twice a day. The women made clothes, The most skillful women were admitted in particular societies. These had a status mattering within the tribe.

In spite of days of intense work, the women knew how to remain pretty .When a child was born, the umbilical cord was dried then deposited in an amulet.

Men’s importance Men hunted buffalos and fished to feed the tribe. They were the protector of the village.

With the conquest, they needed to move a lot so their tepee were easy to dismount.

Men painted their honorable fights.

A calumet

The ground on which we stand is a holy ground.

This is the blood of our ancestors.

Chef Plenty Crops, Crow

Their history

The Native Americans

Nowadays

The conquest of the west

The Native Americans are the people who lived in America before the arrival of the pioneers in the 19th century. They were nomads who lived in tribes and they were led by a chief. They were warriors and very brave and courageous. Moreover, they hunted buffalo, but only for food and not for the hunt, and they never took more than they needed. It was a people closed to nature. In their philosophy, all animals had special powers that could be transmitted to humans. They believed in the « Great spirit » , the God who created all the nature and they were very respectful of him.

In the nineteenth century the settlers, coming from Europe, came to America and conquered the west to spread their territory. During this period they had to meet indians and had to kill hem. The culture of the Indians was misunderstood by the settlers, they thought they were just savages.

However, the pioneers were armed with guns, and the native americans couldn’t defend themselves. Therefore they started to escape west, until the extinction of their culture.

Native Americans are far from the image that we have of them. Now they have internet, they travel by car and they dress like Europeans. They are losing their culture but since a short time, some of them have been struggling to regain their territory. At the same time, young people in search of their lost traditions, their religion and their rituals feel they have to find their roots. Furthermore, the Native Americans’ philosophy is more and more respected by the society in this rapidly changing world climate…

The Old West today

F

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inally the battle against the Native Americans and disease explain today the low number of these people.The proximity between the Native Americans and the nature, stupid for the american of the XIXe century, is our future.

n the XIXth century, the American named Wild West the west of America. This west was the territory of Native Americans, and to ÂŤ civilize Âť this land, the Americans launched the conquest. What is the influence of this old West on today ?

The influence of the Old West is very impor-

T

he first influence is in the culture, and particularly in the films. The western come from this west. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly represents this kind of film.

The means of transportation are also concerned, for example the first transcontinental railway was built to answer to the wave of pioners who went to the west during the gold

tant, in a lot of areas like culture or psychology. But during the conquest of West, the Whites made some mistakes and today the Native Americans are asking for compensation.

M

oreover the conquest of the west in the past, and the economic or space conquest today reveal the conqueror spirit of the Americans.

In the past, to justify the conquest, a doctrine was created: Manifest destiny, which said that it was the role of the United states to spread democracy in the wild west. This idea continues today by the wishes of spreading democracy in Asia and Africa.

Native Americans or Indians were the first people to live in the New World. They had been living there long before the first Eur Europeans opeans arrived.

Indians of the south south--western part of America used sun sun--dried bricks to make houses.

Most Indians concentrated on the important things in life: getting food, making clothes and building houses.Indians ate many different kinds of food.

Those who lived on the plains of the Central United States ate the meat of buffalo. Those who lived in the south south--western part lived with corn, beans and squash. Indians in Alaska and Canada were fishers and hunted deer and other wild animals in the forests. Most Indians ate berries and collected nuts.Indians cooked their food in ovens that they made with hot stones.

They preserved meat by smoking or drying it in the sun.

Many Indians married at an early age, girls between 13 and 15, boys between 15 and 20. In some Indian tribes parents chose husbands and wives for their children. Some Indian tribes allowed men to have more than one wife.

In some parts of America, Indians built tepees that were covered with leaves. Some tribes built houses into the earth that they covered with leaves and grass. Indians in the Great Plains built tepees made of buffalo skin.

FAMBART Liam

WOLF Thibault

Indians built many different types of homes because they lived in different climates and didn’t have the same building materials.

Some groups built large houses with many rooms where many families could stay together, others had small houses in which only very few people lived.

After a man died his wife often lived with his brother’s family.Most Indian families were small because many children died at birth or at an early age.

When boys got older they were tested for their strength and bravery.

Many had to live alone in the wilderness for a long time.In many areas, Indians lived in big families called clans. These clans were a group of relatives who had one common ancestor.Many Indians made clothes from animal skins and furs.

Buffalo skin and rabbit fur were especially popular.

They also used bird feathers to decorate their heads.Indians of the tropical regions only wore simple skirts. Some tribes wore no clothes at all.

Live in harmony with the nature The philosophy of the indian is a source of wisdom based on the respect of the nature and the understanding of « the spirit which is in every thing ».

We know that the earth doesn’t belong to the men, it’s the men who belong to the earth, said the Indian Chief Suquamish. « Everybody have to find the good way. You can’t see it. It is why it is difficult to find it.

Nobody can show you this way. Everyone has to discover it by himself. » Charlie Knight

« My young people

never work. The men who work can’t dream. And wisdom comes to us from the dreams. » Smohalla Indian Chief



The old Lakota was a wise man. He knew that the heart of man far from nature becomes hard.

Native Americans Culture The teepee, totem pole, peace pipe, and moccasins are known being the symbols of Native Americans.

Everything from native plants and animals became a part of the culture in Indians life. The animals were seen as spirits, and although they were hunted and killed, their skins and hides were used as clothing and drums.

Their meat was never wasted, and their spirits lived on in the mind of the tribes. Plants were cultivated and collected, and used for various things such as paint. The rain and sun were considered to be Gods, giving a sign to the Indians as the seasons changed. Totem poles were an integral part of Native American culture. The Indians believed that each person was attributed to the spirit of a particular animal, and their spirit was absorbed into this animal when they died.. The totem pole was a large, tall wooden carving of various animals, each representing a family member of a loved one who died.

Smoke signals are another interesting aspect of Native Americans culture. They were used to communicate to others over a long distance and are an other symbol of the proud heritage of the Native American.

Native Americans Philosophy The cycle of life for the woman is the baby, girl, woman, and grandmother. These are the four directions of life. Her ability to reproduce life has been given by the natural laws. The most sacred of all things is life.

Therefore, all men should treat her with dignity and respect.

They never harmed her mentally or physically. Indian men were never abusers. They always treated the women with respect and understanding.

The Indians prepared their children as an eagle prepares its young to leave the nest. They used the culture to prepare them for life.

They spend time with them in order to learn from them and to listen to them.

They taught their children to pray and the importance of respect.

They believed they were caretakers of the children and children were Gods ones.

They were proud of their Native language so they taught it to the children.

They taught them the culture and encouraged sports.

Mostly, they were a model for them.

The creator gave to the Indians the family, which was the place where all teachings were passed from the grandparents, to the parents, and to the children.

The children's behavior was a mirror of the parents behavior. Knowing this, they realized the importance for each Indian man to build a strong and stable family.

The Indian man gave his priorities to rebuild his family.

He didn't give up and leave his family only to the mother (Mother Earth).

He fed his family's spiritual, cultural, and social health.

He showed trust, respect, honor and discipline.

In the community, the honor of one was the honor of all and the pain of one was the pain of all.

The Indians gave back to the community by giving their time and talents.

The Indians men made friendships with other Indian men for mutual support and strength.

They took care of their community so that the alcohol and drugs would vanish, and their communities would forever be free of violence.

If each of them could do all these things, then others would follow and they would be a proud community.

The Mother Earth is the origin of all life like plants, twolegged, four-legged, winged animals or human beings.

The Mother Earth is the greatest teacher, the Indians listened, observed and respected her.

When the Indians lived in harmony with the Mother Earth, they believed she recycled the used things and made them usable to their children. The Indians men had to teach their children how to take care of the Earth.

They treated the Earth, which they considered like their Mother, with honor and respect. They believed the Earth didn't belong to them, but they belonged to the Earth.

They protected the Earth as they would protect their own mothers.

The Indians thought about what kind of person they wanted to be when they would be an Elder and started developing themselves to be this person. They examined themselves daily to see what they did good and what they needed to improve.

They examined their strength and weaknesses, and would ask to the Creator to guide them. Each day, they listened to the Creators voice in the wind. They walked with dignity, honor and humility, behaving themselves as warriors.

They kept the knowledge of culture, ceremonies, and songs, and so that they passed these to the future generations.

"there is no differences between humans, animals or vegetables. All these creatures came from earth. The Great Spirit has mysterious powers and his desires come true. We have just to express them".

Native Americans lived in the north of America. They hunted ,buffalos to survive. –they fought against other Indians to have more hunting territories. When white people arrived,, Indians were allied to fight against white people to defend their land and their way of life.

The native Americans were the first inhabitants of America. When the first settlers arrived in 1492, they started changing their way of life and philosophy. Before the XIX century, the Native Americans were free, they had their own tradition, they respected the nature. They killed buffalo to survive, they provided to their needs. But when the settlers came, they changed their way of life, for example they tried to civilize them. They also killed all the buffalo for fun, so the native Americans couldn’t survive. Today, there are only a few to exist with their original traditions.

« The fight will be long until wolves and Native Americans will find a place on their original land » « Be nice with the earth, it was not given by your parents, but it is lent by your children »

A few historical landmarks...

The Native Americans were the first population to live in North America.

When Christopher Colombus arrived on their continent in 1492, they were 1.5 millions. During Settlement, many native americans died because of new deseases and settler’s massacres.

Then, when the pioneers conquered the west, new tribes were discovered. These tribes will kill many pioneers. The first settlers called them « red skins » .

The native americans have a culture very different from ours!

Their way of life is particular. They live with the respect of the nature. The seasons and the weather manage their life and activities….

The Native American trust in a god, very important for them: « Manitou », Moreover, superior forces like, Wind, Earth, Love are the principal elements of the prayers. For

The population is very respectful about the Origin of America: the Native Americans!

The United States of America recognize today the Indian’s legacy.

An important museum, « National Museum of American Indians keeps the legacy, in Washington D.C. Indian culture has influenced the name of many states, like Ohio, Michigan, Idaho, Minnesota, Connecticut, Ontario, Illinois, Nebraska etc. but, also many rivers such as Mississippi.

4400 sites were listed. They were occupied between the sixth and fourteenth centuries by Indians like National Park of Mesa Verde, Colorado, West of America

In olden times and now The longhouses

The teepee The teepee (or tepee,tipi) is the most famous indian’s habitation. It is made of buffalo hide fastened around very long wooden poles, designed in a cone shape. The tipi is the property of the women. They build it and break it down for the transports. They are the chief inside of it. It’s a place of exchange.

The outside of the tipi is painted by the men.

They use it to show their achievements and use specific colors : yellow for twilight, blue for the North, red for the sunrise…

The longhouses are used by the Iroquois.

Contrary to the tipi, many families (8 to 10 most of the time) live in this kind of houses. They are huge houses : 200 feet long (61 meter) and 25 feet wide (7 meter). They are built with long poles of wood, tied wood and bark.

The hogans The hogan is the traditional house of the Navajo. It’s made of wooden pole, bark and mud. They are permanent structures. The hogan’s door is always facing East to welcome the sunrise. It’s used only for sleeping. Each family has two hogans : one in the desert and the other one in the mountains. They move seasonally.

Now, the Native American live in reservations which have bad reputations. It was created in 1851 and they are managed by the bureau of indians affairs. There are about 310 reservations for 500 indians tribes. They are the property of the USA. The living conditions are hard because there is a lot of alcoholism, the rate of unemployment is high (85%) and the life expectancy is of 48 years.

We can consider that many civilizations and persons have made America: . First, colonists who settled in America and became the “cowboys”. They drove the Indians away during the gold rush and they established some traditions. For example, the clothes, as we can see on the right. Colonists also built first cities in America and they brought a lot of new technologies from Europe. . Secondly, different presidents of the USA : We can quote five of the most emblematic presidents. Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery and put the end to the civil war, Georges Washington, who was the first USA’s president and who participated in the writing of the constitution .Franklin Roosevelt, who was famous for his “New Deal” (recovery plan response to the crisis). Harry Truman who showed that the United States was the guardians of the world by voting the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe at the end of the Second World War. Theodore Roosevelt, famous for his peacemaking, he avoided many conflicts with his diplomacy. . Finally, it’s not a person and not a civilization but the gold rush. During this gold rush (1848-1856), many Europeans came to settle in the USA to try to find gold and build new cities in the West. We can imagine that if there had not been a gold rush, America wouldn’t be what it is today.

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