Essays and Research Papers on Native Indian Studies

5 pages in length. In traditional style, Native Americans have always been portrayed as having a war to wage with the white man. The world has come to expect westerns to depict the Indians in no other manner but that of arrow slinging, horse riding, bloodthirsty savages with little other depth to their heritage. ...

A 5 page analysis of scenes from the play. Kopit's play tells the plight of the American Indian in the nineteenth century through the eyes of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who -- although caught in the conventions of his day -- at least acknowledges the humanity of the Indians. The play is structured so that ...

A 7 page discussion of the manner in which mortuary practices of the Cherokee have changed over time. Compares and contrasts post-contact practices with those that existed prior to contact with European cultures, noting grave good associations, burial types, and gender differences. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 15 page discussion of the culture and social interaction which characterizes these Southeastern Native Americans. While the Creeks still maintain a distinctive culture today, their culture and social interactions (just as have those of all other Native American groups) have changed over time. This paper examines the Creeks as they were shortly after ...

A 4 page overview of the military campaign that ended in catastrophe at Little Big Horn. Custer's troops were not exclusively white. There were, in fact, thirty-three Crow Indians that served as scouts under Custer. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page description of the versatile and ingenious home of the Plains Indian. The author describes design, erection, and meaning. The tipi, of course, is just one element of the material culture of Plains lifeways. It is an element that is particularly interesting, however, due to its evolution over time and its ...

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.

5 pages in length. The writer discusses the following three themes in relation to Cabeza de Vaca's voyage: how the Spaniards and Indians viewed one another; Spaniard hatred and racism toward the Indians; and assimilating into Indian culture. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

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 ...

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.

This 6 page paper discusses historian Thomas A. Bailey's statement that the "only feasible solution to the white-red problem seemed to be the removal of the Eastern Indians, in a body, to the Great Plains West." Using the example of the Cherokees and their experience of the Trail of Tears, the paper argues that removal ...

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 ...

A 4 page essay that summarizes and discusses a chapter from Jerry Mander’s 1991 text In the Absence of the Sacred, which is entitled “Indians are different from Americans.” In this chapter, Mander argues that the worldview of the native or aboriginal peoples of the world—that is, the so-called “Indians,” which is basically a misnomer ...

4 pages on Paul Bernal-- a genuine Native Indian and historical figure presented in McCutchen & Gordon's '[The] Taos Indians and the Battle for Blue Lake.' The writer describes Bernal's heroic qualities, admirable leadership skills, and many accomplishments in helping his people to retain their sacred land which was threatened by the United States ...

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 ...

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 ...

This 5 page paper discusses the history of the Meeker War which involved the Ute Indians. Furthermore, this paper examines the issues surrounding this war such as the desire of Nathan Meeker and others to "reform" the Ute Indians into Christian farmers. Bibligraphy lists 4 sources.

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 ...

A 3 page paper which examines the Chumash Indian Revolt of 1824 as seen through Douglas Monroy's work "Thrown Among Strangers." No additional sources cited.

A 5 page overview of U.S. Indian policies between the years of 1865 and 1896. This paper asserts that while many of these policies were deleterious, none were more so than policies regarding Native American land. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

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 ...

A 5 page paper discussing change in historical perspective regarding the fate of Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Kalapuya. History, of course, quite often chose to ignore any follow-up to the many treaties that were signed throughout the 19th century. The facts may have ceased to exist on the white ...

This 6 page paper discusses the life and works of Sherman Alexie. Works specifically discussed include Indian Killer, Reservation Blues, and I would Steal Horses. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

This is a 6 page paper discussing form and content in works of N. Scott Momaday. N. Scott Momaday, a Native American writer who first won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969 has a unique presentation within his works. In “House Made of Dawn” (1968) Momaday relates the story of Abel, a young Jemez Pueblo Indian ...

A 3 page essay that discusses Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, which is a novel that draws its meaning from symbolism that is grounded in the Pueblo Indian tradition and the culture of these Native Americans. A deeply psychological novel, it can be addressed on a number of layers of meaning, but it basically concerns the ...