South-American Native Tribes
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A 10 page research paper discussing the history, culture, anthropology, and social evolution of three groups of Native Indians : The Yanomamo (regarded as one of the most violent societies on Earth !), the Zapotecs (known for architecture & urban development), and the Yucatecs (relevant to Mayans) Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Filename: Zapotec.rtf

The Developmental Trajectories Of The Basin Of Mexico & The Mayan Lowlands
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6 pages in length. The writer discusses similarities and differences as they relate to the developmental trajectories of the basin of Mexico and the Maya Lowlands, as well as addresses Copan involvement in the Mayan collapse. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: Meximay.wps

The Mayan and Their Interaction with the Franciscan Missionaries
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A 5 page discussion of the interactions of the Maya and the Franciscan Missionaries. Presents the view that the Franciscan goal revolved around two issues: conversion of the Maya to Christianity and the production of revenue for Spain. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: PPmayan.wps

Ethnohistory of Sitting Bull and the Lakota Sioux: A Book Review
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A 7 page overview and critique of “Sitting Bull and the Paradox of the Lakota Nationhood”, an ethnohistory written by Gary Clayton Anderson and published by Talman Company in 1996. Condenses the life of the Lakota Sioux during the time of Sitting Bull. Illuminates their relationship with the U.S. government as well as aspects of their culture such as the Ghost Dance and the importance of Sitting Bull in this culture. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPnaSitB.wps

Lakota Woman
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A 6 page paper summarizing the key points of the book of the same name, written in 1990 by Mary Crow Dog, a Lakota Indian. The book describes not only the challenges faced by Indians as a result of the intrusion of the federal government into Indian life, but specifically tells about the 1973 siege of the historic site of Wounded Knee. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Lakota.wps

Lakota Woman As Bildingsroman
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A 7 page paper looking at Mary Crow Dog's autobiography in terms of its function as a coming-of-age story, or bildingsroman. The paper shows how Crow Dog's story not only tells the story of her own life but serves as a metaphor for the emergence of the entire Indian nation. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: Lak3.wps

Lakota Man's Necklace: A Description of One of the Holdings of the Denver Art Museum
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A 5 page description and artistic analysis of a necklace created in the 1920s and held as a part of the Denver Art Museum's Native American collection. Provides a detailed description of the necklaces components, including quill work and otter fur as well as more commercial components such as mirrors and ribbons. Analyses the piece in terms of color, symmetry, repetition, and other aspects of composition. Bibliography lists one source.
Filename: PPnaNeck.wps

The Seventh Generation - The Religion Of The Native American
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A 6 page paper discussing important concepts in Indian spirituality / religion. The writer features quotes from a number of Native Americans and reliable sources. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Indian1.wps

Religion and Culture: A Comparison of Christianity and the Ancient Religion of the Inca
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5 page discussion of the importance of religion in culture. Discusses the separation of monotheism and polytheism and compares the belief structure of Christianity and the Inca. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: PPgods.wps

Popol Vuh / Converting Mexico's Indians To Christianity
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10 pages in length. The Popol Vuh is as critical to the history of the Native Americans as any book of recorded history would be to an entire circle of peoples. It is, indeed, what the Native Americans have looked upon as their holy book of the Quiche Indians of Guatemala. Translated, the words Popol Vuh represent the unification of people in God's name, which to them is a magic word; indeed, it stands for the Book of the Community. It also symbolizes all things good, such as the sun, light and fertility. Yet through this vast connection to its Mexican history, Popol Vuh also speaks of the reasons behind what ultimately lead the Indians of Mexico to find their faith in Christianity. The writer discusses the relevance of the Popol Vuh as it relates to the conversion of Mexico's Native Americans to Christianity. Bibliography lists 11 sources.
Filename: Popolvuh.wps

Colonial America and the Cherokee
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A 5 page discussion of the impacts on Native American culture during the Colonial period. Discusses the differing values of non-Indian and Indian and the cultural transition which many of the tribes made toward taking on European ways. Emphasizes the Cherokee culture and observes that despite their willingness to integrate with the Whites they were still viewed as inferiors and were eventually forced from their homelands both out of greed and out of perceived inferiority. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: PPnaColo.wps

Sam Houston: Factors Which Shaped His Successes and Failures
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A 5 page overview of how Houston’s interactions with the Cherokee Indians shaped both his political and personal life. Illuminates specific aspects of Cherokee culture which influenced him, specifically referencing “Sam Houston and the American Southwest” by Randolph B. Campbell. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPHousto.wps

The Cherokee: Family Relationships
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A 9 page overview of Cherokee familial relations. Discusses the role of women and men and provides details on the matrilineal descent practice, clans, how it was determined who could marry whom, who was responsible for child care, and other aspects of Cherokee family life. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Filename: PPNAcher.wps

The Contemporary Social Adjustment of a Seventy-Four Year Old Mixed Blood Cherokee/European Female
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A 9 page discussion of the factors which influence an individual’s relation with the rest of the society. Presents information obtained during an interview with a seventy-four year old single female of mixed Cherokee and European descent. Discusses the ability of this woman to adjust to society despite her numerous social shortcomings such as limited education and verbal communication skills. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: PPelder2.wps

The Oklahoma Land Run as witnessed by E.F. Boggess
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A 5 page overview of the Oklahoma Land run as witnessed by disciple of Christ preacher E.F. Boggess. Discusses the history of the land starting first with its allocation by the U.S. government to the Cherokee and continuing through its settlement by non-Indians. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: Oklaland.wps

The Trail Of Tears
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7 pages in length. Often referred to as the American Holocaust, the Trail of Tears represents a battle between the European settlers and the Cherokee Indians that ultimately brought down the Cherokee Nation. In retelling the tale time and time again, various and minute details have been modified throughout the decades; however, the primary factor remains clear: the Cherokee Indians were forced to fight with blood, sweat and tears in order to uphold their dignity as The Principal People. The event that took place in North Georgia, ultimately to be known as the Trail of Tears, sheds considerable light on how the Cherokee were treated with severe disrespect and manipulation by the Europeans, whose goal it was to settle upon the Indian's territory. The writer discusses the events leading up to the Trail of Tears. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: TLCtrail.rtf

The Trail of Tears: Disgrace of a Young Nation
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A 7 page discussion of the forced removal of the Cherokee Indian in 1838 from their eastern homelands in the United States. Written from the perspective of a foreign reporter who witnessed the event first hand. Provides details of the events which led up to the removal. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: PPtrailT.rtf

Western Expansion and the Trail of Tears
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6 pages in length. This paper examines the sad travesty of the Cherokee Trail of Tears march due to western expansion from 1815-1840. The historical treatment of the Cherokee is reviewed. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: JGAwstrn.wps

Black Elk Speaks
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A five page paper looking at John Neihardt’s interview of Black Elk, a Lakota Indian who survived the massacre at Wounded Knee. The paper explains the theme and importance of the work, and shows how it helped to change early twentieth-century stereotypes of the Indian. No additional sources.
Filename: KBelk.wps

Black Elk's Vision
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A 5 page paper on Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, edited and translated by John Neihardt. The paper shows that although Black Elk felt he did not fulfill his sacred mission of mending the broken hoop of Indian culture, the rise in public interest and awareness concerning Indians shows that he did. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Blckelk.wps

'Native Roots' by Jack Weatherford
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A 5 page paper that reviews Weatherford's book, focusing upon defining his thesis and demonstrating support for Weatherford's belief that major political, cultural, and social constructs in the Americas, including the economy, were based on the principles and techniques of Native American communities. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Nativer.wps

'Native Roots' by Jack Weatherford # 2
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A 5 page paper that considers the importance of Weatherford's historical account of the relationship between European settlers and Native American communities. This paper presents Weatherford's work in a critical perspective, noting that his focus on the importance of the interaction between Indians and European settlers almost negates the devastating impacts enacted against the Indians. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Nativer2.wps

'The Broken Spears': The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
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A 6 page overview of Miguel Leon Portilla's 'The Broken Spears : The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico'. Reveals that this book differs from typical accounts of the conquest of Mexico in that it is one of the few accounts which is presented from the aspect of the indigenous peoples who lived there rather than from the perspective of the European marauders who invaded their lands and killed their peoples. Examines the question of why the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztec. Suggests that this accomplishment is not just due to technological superiority but also to Spanish mindset. The Spanish conquered the Aztec by destroying their culture and exposing them to the ravages of disease. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPaztec.rtf

“A Narrative of the Captivity & Removal of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson”
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A 4 page review of this narrative first published in 1682 after the authors experience as a captive of the Narragansett, Native Americans residing in New England during the initial colonial intrusions there. The contention is presented that, while the trauma endured by Rowlandson was indeed horrific, the Native actions were in themselves the result of the colonial intrusions into their land and, in particular, the Puritan view of them as inferior beings. Bibliography lists two sources.
Filename: PPnaCptv.rtf

“Assault on Paradise”: Cultural Lessons from the Fictional Novel By Tatiana Lobo
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A 5 page discussion of the parallels between the events which unfold in the fictional novel by Costa Rican author Tatiana Lobo and history. Recounts the impacts of the Spanish colonists on the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica, emphasizing that the Spanish greed and disregard for cultural uniqueness translated into the decimation of a culture and a people in Costa Rica just as it did across the Americas. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPnaPara.wps

“Body Indian” by Hanay Geiogamah
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A 4 page analysis of a quote from Hanay Geiogamah’s play “Body Indian.” No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAbdind.rtf

“Cherokee Women: Gender and Culture Change, 1700-1835”: A Review of the Book by Theda Perdue
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A 5 page overview of the key concepts presented in this 1999 publication. This paper contends that is a much needed treatise on gender issues which have been so frequently overlooked by the world’s predominantly white male anthropologists and historians. A particular emphasis is placed on examining a woman’s role in regard to the family, her husband, and her male relatives on her mother’s side of the family in regard to child rearing. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: PPnaChWm.rtf

“Ethnocentricity and Indigenous Nations”
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A seven page paper which looks at the way in which the ethnocentric perceptions of European colonisation mediated against the interests of indigenous native populations, and the effect which this has had up to the present day in terms of cultural assimilation and the marginalisation of native peoples. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: JL2ethnocentricity.wps

“Fort Chipewyan Homecoming, A Journey to Native Canada”: A Review of the Book by Morningstar Mercredi”
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A 5 page discussion of the content and curricular merit of this book illustrating the journey of twelve-year old Matthew Dunn’s trip back to his mother’s tribal homeland in northeastern Alberta. This paper contends that this book is a welcome change from many of the more stereotypical depictions of Native Americans. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPnaChpw.rtf

“Keeping Promises: What Is Sovereignty and Other Questions About Indian Country”
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A 4 page consideration of the question of “Who is a Native American?”. Using the book by Betty Reid, Ben Winton, and Gwendolen Gates, the author of this paper emphasizes the importance of land, language, sovereignty, and lineage in defining who is and who is not Native American. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPnaSovKeepingProm.rtf

“Major Problems in California History”
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A 6 page review of some of the early history of California as it relates to missionary interaction with Native Americans. This paper explores the work of Father Geronimo Boscana, Fr. Jayme, Fr. Serra, and Douglas Monroy. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: PPnaCalMission.rtf

“Native Indian Wedding Customs”
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A paper which looks at the way in which some Native Indian wedding customs have survived over the years, whereas other forms of marriage practices, such as polygamy, have been rendered illegal. The paper considers various elements of traditional weddings, and also the way in which these ceremonies are regarded both by Native people themselves and those outside Native communities. Bibliography lists 6 sources
Filename: JLnativewedding.wps

“Native Roots”: A Review of the Book by Jack Weatherford
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A 5 page discussion of the numerous lessons presented in this book on Native American history and the culture’s impacts on the Europeans who invaded Native lands. This book offers a provocative view of the manner in which mainstream America is indebted to its indigenous inhabitants the Native Americans. Despite the lack of recognition of the fact, many attributes of Native knowledge and culture became slowly and indelibly engraved into white culture. In “Native Roots” Weatherford presents a clear and logical argument that what developed even more slowly over the years which would follow was an interdependence of white and Native American culture. The author of this paper contends that the scenario which is related in “Native Roots” has a number of implications, particularly to the liberal arts classroom. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: PPnaRoot.rtf

“No Turning Back: A Hopi Indian Woman's Struggle to Live in Two Worlds”: A Review of the Book by Polingaysi Qoyawayma
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An 11 page review of Polingaysi Qoyawayma’s “No Turning Back: A Hopi Indian Woman's Struggle to Live in Two Worlds”. This paper investigates the life struggle of a Hopi woman who as a child was one of the first Hopi children ever to be educated in white schools and who as an adult had a difficult time balancing her Native commitment to the life she made in the white world. Ironically, she would later become the first Hopi teacher to teach within the same schools she had attended as a child. Her entire life, however, would be an apparent struggle between native and white lifeways. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: PPnaHopW.rtf

“Red, White, and Black: The Peoples of Early North America”: A Review of the Book by Gary Nash
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A 7 page overview of Nash’s views on the impacts inflicted on Native Americans and African Americans by European colonists. Notes that any culture’s objective is cultural survival and that it is not that unique to emphasize one’s own survival even if it means the decimation of another. No additional sources are provided.
Filename: PPnaNash.rtf

“Sitting Bull and the Paradox of the Lakota Nationhood”
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A 4 page review of the book by Gary Clayton Anderson. The author details the contradictions which are inherent in the historical pronouncement of the Lakota people as a "nation". Anderson's thesis is that the final recognition of the Lakota as a nation was indeed a paradox. Not only had the U.S. government never historically recognized the Lakota as a true nation and would fail to give that recognition even after they themselves had pronounced the Lakota a nation, they withheld the designation until a time when the Lakota were least capable of acting as a nation. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPnaStB2.rtf

“Sun Chief”: A Review of Hopi Culture and Belief
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A 5 page discussion of some of the central premises presented in this autobiography edited by Leo Simmons. The early life of Hopi Indian Talayesva illustrates that of one who is caught between two cultures, his traditional culture and mainstream American culture. This imbalance is actually one which is addressed by the traditional Hopi view of balance, a view which equally encompasses the balance between the modern world and traditions and the balance between the more primitive elements of life. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: PPnaSunC.rtf

“The American Indians”: A Critique of the Web Site
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A 4 page overview of this web site and its features. The author concludes that this is more of a commercial site than a site designed solely to provide a lesson in American history. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPnaWebSiteEval.rtf

“The Apache wars”
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A twelve page paper which looks at the origins and progress of the wars between the Apache Indians and the Americans during the nineteenth century, with reference to the different strategies which were employed by both sides, the role played by Apache leaders such as Geronimo, the importance of Apache scouts to the American troops and the eventual outcome of the conflict in terms of the cultural development of the Indian nations. Bibliography lists 13 sources.
Filename: JLApache.rtf

“The Film ‘Pocahontas’ and Native Culture”
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A six page paper which looks at the Disney film ‘Pocahontas’ and the way in which it contributes to misconceptions and inaccuracies about Native American history, culture and religious beliefs, as well as misrepresenting the life of the woman on whom the film is based. Bibliography lists five sources.
Filename: JLpocah.wps

“The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs": A Review of the Collection of Short Stories by Tony Hillerman
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A 10 page overview of the book by Tony Hillerman. Contrasts Hillerman’s style of objective journalism which is found in this book with that of his who-done-it mysteries with which we most often associate him. Weaving his unique blend of humor and objective reporting, in “The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs” Hillerman presents both the present and the past in the lives and land of one of the most interesting regions of Native America. This paper concentrates on the historical detail Hillerman provides in “The Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo”. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: PPhllrmn.wps

“The West”: An Intellectual Reaction to Burns and Ives Documentaries on the American West and the Native American Peoples who Inhabited that Region
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A 5 page discussion of the information presented in the PBS series by filmmaker Ken Burns and Director Stephen Ives. This series leaves an indelible impression of the historical and cultural changes which the West would undergo between the latter part of the nineteenth century and the first couple of decades in the twentieth century. Emphasizes the changes undergone by the Native American inhabitants of this area. No additional sources listed.
Filename: PPnaWest.wps

“Truth and Bright Water”: A Review of the Novel by Thomas King
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A 5 page overview of the novel by Thomas King. Outlines the novel’s theme and emphasizes that in reality it is characterized by a duality of theme. Suggests that the names of the towns themselves are suggestive of this duality as are the differences between the characters and even the differences between these characters innate Indianness and the commercial Indianness which they sometimes call into play.
Filename: PPbrghtW.wps

"A Spirited Resistance: The North American Indian Struggle for Unity, 1745-1815"
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A 5 page review of the Book by author Gregory Evans Dowd. The author of this paper emphasizes the point that while many Native American leaders had hope of effecting a final victory over the whites that had invaded their lands, the "militant nativist" message delivered by prophets like Neolin (mid-eighteenth Century Deleware) and Tenskwatwa (early nineteenth Century Shawnee, brother of Tecumseh) was rejected by many of the Native peoples. The Native people had suffered tremendously at the hands of the whites. That suffering was not easily forgotten. Even when they were given new hope by new leaders, many were reluctant to confront the whites in yet another battle. They had come to believe in their hearts that the white tide was unstoppable and that by trying to stop it they would only sacrifice more Native lives. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPnaResi.rtf

"Beyond the Convenant Chain, The Iroquois and Their Neighbors in Indian North America 1600-1800"
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A 4 page review of some of the major premises of this book. Compares the work to that of past and contemporary scholars and contends that this book is one of the few insights into the Iroquois people that is influenced more by fact than by the historical and personal factors confronting authors. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: PPnaIroq.rtf