American Indians

Fascinating Facts • American Indians did not become United States citizens until 1924.

• There were once hundreds of groups of California Indians in California who spoke more than one hundred languages.

• The word Indian, the name for the people who lived in the Americas, came from a mistake. In 1492 Christopher Columbus thought he had reached the East Indies, so he named the people “Indians.”

American Indian Lives and Traditions by maureen blaney flietner

Genre

Nonfiction

Text Features

• Glossary • Captions • Headings

Scott Foresman Social Studies

ISBN 0-328-17499-8

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In this book you will begin to learn about the first people of California. Though they are called California Indians, they are actually many different groups of people.

Each group has its own name. All have a special connection with the land and with their past. Today they work to keep their cultures alive and hope for a better future.

Vocabulary custom

reservation

tradition

government

ceremony

laws

climate

constitution

adapt

cooperate

weather

economy

folklore

interact

American Indian Write to It! Lives and Traditions

While many things have changed for American Indians, many things have also by maureen flietner remained the same. blaney Write one paragraph about the things that you think have not changed.

Write your paragraph on a separate sheet of paper.

Photographs Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the property of Scott Foresman, a division of Pearson Education.

Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd) ISBN: 0-328-17499-8 Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to: Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

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Opener: (T) ©Galen Rowell/Corbis, (B) ©Richard A. Cooke/Corbis Editorial Offices: Glenview, Illinois • Parsippany, New Jersey • New York, New York 2 ©Trevor Wood/Getty Images 3 ©Owen Franken/CorbisSales Offices: Needham, Massachusetts • Duluth, Georgia • Glenview, Illinois 5 ©Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott/Woodfin Camp & Associates Coppell, Texas • Sacramento, California • Mesa, Arizona 7 ©Eastcott-Momatiuk/The Image Works, Inc. 9 ©Richard A. Cooke/Corbis 10 ©Michael S. Lewis/Corbis 13 ©Alex Wong/Getty Images 14 ©George H. H. Huey/Corbis 15 ©A. Ramey/PhotoEdit

The First People There is a group of people who have a very special history with the state of California. They were the very first people to live here. Who are these people?

They are often called California Indians.

Actually, the California Indians have many names because they are from many different groups. Each group has its own name and its own language. Each has its own customs, or way of doing things. Each has its own traditions and ceremonies for special events.

Many California Indians still live in what we now call California.

American Indians are United States citizens.

California has more American Indians than any other state. Most Indians in California are from groups that originally lived here. Others are from groups across the country who have moved here.

American Indians are United States citizens.

Many have served in the United States military. To learn about todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Indians, we need to start by looking at their past.

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Understanding and Respect Long ago, American Indians had a keen understanding of the areas in which they lived.

Each group studied the climate of its area and learned to adapt to the weather. The group members learned how to wisely use the plants, the animals, the earth, and the water.

Even though each group had its own traditions, they honored and respected all living things. The American Indians showed respect by only using what they needed to survive. They did not waste the animals or plants.

American Indians taught what they learned or believed to others in the group through folklore.

They passed on lessons through songs, dances, customs, and pictures. Children learned as they grew up in the group. It was like being part of a large extended family.

The Mojave still live in the desert areas near where their people once lived. They celebrate their past through the singing of songs.

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Storytelling is an important part of American Indian culture.

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Broken Promises

Forgotten Languages

When European settlers came to American Indian lands, life changed for American Indians.

By exploring those changes, you may begin to gain an understanding of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Indians. For many years, they were not always treated fairly.

Promises to give them land and help were not kept.

American Indians were forced to move many times to other lands or cities.

Many American Indians were killed in battles protecting their land. The people who survived were sometimes not allowed to speak their own languages. They could not sing their songs or tell their stories. Many American Indians had to live among people they did not know. Many started to forget what it was like to be part of their groups.

Some California groups used to have thousands of members. Groups today might only have as many as three hundred members. There are groups that have no one left. Some American Indians today might belong to more than one group. Their parents or grandparents or great-grandparents may have married someone from another group.

Others married people who were not members of an American Indian group.

Some groups no longer have anyone who knows how to speak the tribeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s language. For example, the Wiyots speak only English today. The last person who knew how to speak the Wiyot language died in 1962. Some younger members, however, are trying to learn this language by listening to recordings of people from years ago.

Many American Indian tribe members work to learn their groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s language.

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Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Indians Today, American Indians are teachers, scientists, artists, and businesspeople. Richard Stephens is a member of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, who used to live in a region extending from the California coast to the mountains. In 2004 he earned an honor from an American Indian group for being a very good businessperson.

Naomi Lang is an ice dancer. She was born in California and is a member of the Karuk. She is the first American Indian woman to have competed in Winter Olympic Games. She and her partner have been United States champions in ice dancing many times.

Many American Indians live in large cities such as Los Angeles.

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Today American Indians live in large cities.

Some live in small towns, or areas between small towns and cities. Other American Indians live on a reservation that may be home to one or more groups. These reservations were set up by the United States government. Small reservations are called rancherias.

San Diego County has more reservations than any other county in the United States. Only a small number of the American Indians who live in that county live on these reservations.

Some groups earn money through businesses ventures.

Today, the United States government allows some groups to run their own reservations. For the most part, each group can have its own tribal government, make its own laws, and set up its own constitution. Each group can decide who can belong and who can vote. Before 1934 the groups did not have written constitutions or laws.

Each group now can run businesses on its reservation. Let’s look at some tribes and what they are doing.

The Bishop Paiute (PEYE-yoot) Reservation runs a successful tourist business. It has a doctor’s office, a museum, and educational programs.

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Fort Mojave Indians run a business. They also make money by letting an energy company have its power plant on their land.

The Washoe live in the mountains and valleys near Lake Tahoe as their people once did. They practice forest management and have cattle on their land.

Although much history is lost, the Washoe still remember many ceremonies and traditions. For example, newborn babies still get a traditional Washoe blessing. They also teach younger members about the land, the plants, animals and the water— just as members of their group did in the past.

Today many California groups cooperate to improve the economy of all American Indians. They interact with federal, state, and local governments to protect their special places. Tribes work together to save their ways of life, art, folklore, and customs.

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The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., showcases American Indian culture.

There Is Much to Learn In 2004 the National Museum of the American Indian opened in Washington, D.C. It shows and tells visitors about the many different American Indian groups.

Many California Indian artists have had their work featured. One artist was Kimberly Stevenot of the Sierra Miwok, many of whom still live in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Kimberly, who lives in the city, makes baskets using berries, shells, and pine nuts just as the Miwok did long ago. Baskets made by members of her family can be seen at the Phoebe Hearst Museum in Berkeley, California.

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One exhibit at the new museum called “Our Universes,” looks at what eight American Indian groups think about the Earth and why they honor all living things. One group chosen to be part of the exhibit is the Hupa.

Another museum display called “Our Lives” shows how eight groups of American Indians live in today’s world. A California group is included in this exhibit.

It is the Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians who once lived from the coast to the mountains near San Diego, California. Through the stories in the exhibit, people learn how each tribe tries to keep its traditions alive today.

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Reaching Our Goals

Many American Indian groups knew how to care for plants and animals.

American Indian groups of long ago were careful about how they used the plants and animals of their area. They were able to keep California’s plants and animals around for years and years.

Today’s scientists want to learn what many groups already know. Scientists want to be better able to conserve natural resources. Scientists are talking to American Indian elders to see what they remember.

The tribes of long ago used to help plants grow better by burning some areas. The American Indians use to break off parts of plants and bury them. They used to help spread the seeds of plants.

The groups now work with the federal and state governments in helping to restore plants, animals, and water.

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Today American Indians cooperate in many ways.

For example, basketmakers of many groups work together to help all people learn about American Indian art. American Indians work to protect land that has been special to them for hundreds of years.

They work for new laws to protect their traditions.

American Indians interact with others so that everyone can learn about their culture. Because many live in cities, many different groups might plan a ceremony for everyone to enjoy. Sometimes American Indians visit a reservation to join in a powwow, or gathering. At a powwow, everyone can enjoy dances, songs, stories, music, art, and food.

The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians has had an annual powwow like that for many years.

Today American Indians do not live the way they did long ago. Their children, however, can once again learn about their culture’s folklore and traditions.

In this book you will begin to learn about Glossary

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Write to It! While many things have changed for American Indians, many things have also remained the same. Write one paragraph about the things that you think have not changed.

Write your paragraph on a separate sheet of paper.

interact

laws rules made by the government reservation an area of land set aside by the United States government for American Indians tradition a special way a group of people does something and passes on to others ISBN: 0-328-17499-8

weather the temperature and conditions of the air outside at a certain place and time

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to: Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V0G1 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

Photographs Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the property of Scott Foresman, a division of Pearson Education.

Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd) Opener: (T) ©Galen Rowell/Corbis, (B) ©Richard A. Cooke/Corbis 2 ©Trevor Wood/Getty Images 3 ©Owen Franken/Corbis 5 ©Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott/Woodfin Camp & Associates 7 ©Eastcott-Momatiuk/The Image Works, Inc. 9 ©Richard A. Cooke/Corbis 10 ©Michael S. Lewis/Corbis 13 ©Alex Wong/Getty Images 14 ©George H. H. Huey/Corbis 15 ©A. Ramey/PhotoEdit