Native American Heritage: Cultural Roots and Traditions

Basic History of Native Americans

Humans arrived in the Americas tens of thousands of years ago and may have done so in at least three significant waves of migration. Entering in through the Bering Strait land bridge over time these early peoples would have spread out throughout North America expanding to the east and to the south.

Some of those groups would have carried on south overtime into what we today know as Central and South America but those who settled into North America became the Native American cultures we know today.

Historically the Indigenous peoples of North America tended to be a semi-nomadic group of hunter-gatherers who had their established ranges. Their individual tribal origin stories were passed down over thousands of years verbally and often include stories of long migrations.

Unlike some of the South American indigenous civilizations the North American groups did not tend to create permanent architecture or settle in large numbers. They would gather the fruits and vegetables that they required and hunt for the meat they needed for survival.

Over time some plains groups started to realize they could affect the growth of the plants they needed. This included things like squash and beans. Around a thousand years ago however a newer crop arrived from the tropics, maize.

First cultivated in Mexico several thousand years ago over time the growing of maize would have been passed from tribe to tribe from Central America all the way to the Great Plains region.

The Arrival of Europeans

The Native tribes of North America lived alongside each other, sometimes cooperating, sometimes at war but there was a balance. This would all change in the years after Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas in 1492.

Spanish Explorers were the first to encounter the North American tribes making significant contact in Florida and along the Gulf Coast. The European mentality was one of “The Doctrine of Discovery.” Essentially as they explored and “discovered” new lands they could claim them.

Through the 16th to 19th centuries the Native American populations sharply declined due to epidemic diseases brought by European settlers and early conflicts between the indigenous groups and the new settlers.

There is much conjecture as to how many indigenous people were living in North America prior to the European contact but numbers are estimated between 720,000 to as high as 15 million. Around 1800 the Native population of what is the present-day United States had dropped to 600,000 and by the 1890s this had reached just 250,000.

Native American Culture

Historically Native American culture was extremely diverse due to their widespread range and regional conditions. Generally speaking most were nomadic or at least semi-nomadic, setting up villages seasonally as resources shifted in availability.

A connection to the natural world was a common theme with most of Indigenous America’s groups and nature often played a part in their belief systems. Change would however come rapidly with the arrival and settlement of Europeans.

There were advancements in farming options with the arrival of Europeans and also the horse was reintroduced to the America’s which had a significant influence on some Native American groups.

Language

The Indigenous Language Institute suggests that at one time there were more than 300 indigenous languages spoken in the region that became the United States. Today this has dropped drastically to around 175 distinct spoken languages with concerns that this may drop further.

Efforts to anglicize the native population are well documented and included some truly horrendous practices such as boarding schools that banned the use of native languages and only taught English. As such indigenous languages in the US are at risk and steps are being taken to reverse that.

Some modern day Native American groups are working to counteract the shift to English with the creation of language immersion schools. These schools teach all lessons using the relevant indigenous language. One such project lays out a 10 year-language preservation plan to increase the use of the Cherokee language.

Religion

Religion among Native American groups is quite varied with traditional beliefs having already been dependent on tribal practices and spiritualities. Some of the older beliefs are still respected and reflected in modern day faith and worship but several European denominations have become part of Indigenous worship.

Oral histories and beliefs are still common in indigenous societies with belief in ancient prophecies and the use of medicine still part of religious understanding. The Native American Church for example incorporates elements of Native spiritual practices and Christianity.

Depending on the original range of certain native groups the merging of traditional faiths with European transplanted religions creates some very original belief systems.

Gender Roles

This is an interesting aspect of Native American culture especially when it comes to traditional roles. It may vary from tribe to tribe but not all groups used a patriarchal system. There were some tribes that were matriarchal meaning that they had a clan mother system. Essentially the leaders of the tribe were women and it was through their female line that power would be passed.

Matrilineal groups respected the rights of the women of the tribe, ensuring their safety and making sure that in conflicts between couples the woman was protected. If the couple separated it was the women’s rights that took precedence and the father lost standing within his former partner's clan. He would return to his own family group.

Patriarchal tribes saw the male lines take control of the tribal unit with the power being passed to male successors. Some groups allowed polygamy with men being allowed several partners. At one time at least a few dozen groups practiced this rite.

In terms of historic tribal conflicts it was mainly the men that took part but among the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota young girls were taught to ride horses, hunt and fight. Although rare among these groups sometimes women would become involved in battles and more commonly as protectors of the home.

Modern gender roles among Native Americans are more in line with societal norms in the rest of the country.

Being Part of the Tribe

There are 573 federally recognized tribal governments spread over 326 Indian reservations in the United States. They have the right to form their own government, enforce their own laws and collect taxes as they deem fit.

Membership to one of these tribes is generally based on a person's family history requiring their parents or grandparents to have been documented tribal members. The rules regarding having heritage from multiple tribes state that a person can only be a sovereign city of one. This tribe would be their primary tribe and all others would be a connection by descent.

DNA Proof

A person may prove that they have significant DNA connections to Native Americans but unfortunately this in itself is not enough to establish citizenship to a specific tribal group. This is because it is not possible to attribute the DNA to a specific group. Only official tribal documentation is accepted to claim citizenship.

Final Thoughts

The modern day culture and heritage of Native Americans varies based on the history of their ancestors. There will be a mixture of early beliefs often merged with European religions. Traditional dress and celebrations may vary group to group.

A connection to the natural world is still significant in Native American culture and the stories passed orally still persist. Some groups may also be more traditional than others.

Neil Edwards

Genealogist and family-tree research specialist

Neil was born in Shropshire, England surrounded by centuries of living history. His interest in the past has been a lifelong passion leading to undergraduate degrees in both Economic History & Geography and History & Politics.

This interest in history quickly translated to family history when he moved to the U.S. in 2010. It was here that he began working on his own family tree as well as that of his American wife. That research allowed him to gain a wealth of experience working with both U.S. and European genealogical documents and studying their best uses in researching family history.

Following 9 years of honing his genealogical research skills, Neil was proud to have earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in late 2019. Neil also took part in the research process for a Duke University study into the families of 19th Century UK Members of Parliament.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!