Essays and Research Papers on Native Indian Studies

A 5 page discussion of the Shoshone, the indigenous inhabitants of the Great Basin region of the American West. Provides extensive details of their precontact subsistence patterns and ceremonial activity. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

An 8 page discussion of the impact of alcoholism to Native Americans. Recommends that the family therapist become acquainted with the unique coping mechanisms which are in place in Native American families and suggests both the literature and the contemporary movie "Smoke Signals" as starting points for this quest. Relates statistics regarding alcoholism ...

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.

A 6 page overview of the historic and contemporary issues confronting Native Americans. The author condenses these issues into three main categories: health, land and leadership. Background information is provided for each category and the reasons for its importance are emphasized in terms of statistics and historic and future applicability. Bibliography lists ...

This 7 page report discusses the struggle for identity among modern Native American characters in two separate novels. For a people who never questioned who they were or their role in the natural order of life and their place in the world, such an effort becomes one in which cultures clash and the primary characters are forced to determine who ...

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 ...

A 14 page discussion of the introduction of casino gambling to Native American reservations. Provides an overview of the issues and presents the thesis that casino gambling on Native American reservations supports the uniqueness of Native American culture rather than detracts from it. Presents examples to support that thesis. Bibliography lists 6 ...

An 11 page examination of the growing need for tourist activities which not only improve an area's economy but also serve to protect sensitive environmental areas and cultural sites. Presents statistics on U.S. tourism and dispels the societal misconceptions of ecotourism and Archaeotourism. Emphasizes these activities can have an immediate and lasting effect ...

This 5 page paper looks at the Culture of the native Americans and the way in which it has changed over the years as a result of increased immigration to the United States. From the days before Columbus to the current day the culture has evolved through force rather than natural progression, the paper considers ...

A 5 page discussion of the impact on Columbus' voyage in 1492 on the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas. Emphasizes that Columbus' motivation was money and fame not any real concern for the land or the peoples he would encounter. Concludes that Columbus' journey was the beginning of the end for pre-contact Native ...

This 5 page report discusses modern Native Americans in the United States and the unique health concerns with which they must deal. Certain diseases and conditions are known to affect the Native American population with more frequency and/or severity than other populations, notably diabetes, heart disease, and alcoholism. It is important for Native Americans to be informed and educated on these ...

A 2 page overview of the attempts by Europeans to completely annihilate Native Americans and their culture. Identifies racism as the reasons behind those attempts and concludes that while they were almost successful, some remnants of Native culture live on. Native Americans continue to be targets of racism, however, till this very day. ...

A 3 page paper tracing the rampant racism which continues to target Native American people and culture to the concept of a European "discovery" of this continent. Emphasizes that although this continent and its people were very much in existence at the time of the supposed European "discovery" the mindset which was behind that ...

A 6 page overview of the historic and contemporary issues confronting Native Americans. The author condenses these issues into three main categories: health, land and leadership. Background information is provided for each category and the reasons for its importance are emphasized in terms of statistics and historic and future applicability. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

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 ...

Blue Winds Dancing is an autobiographical account of a young man's journey into the world of cultural polarities. This 5 page paper argues that the value of the story can be found in the questioning of social orientation, the resolution of the conflict and the process that the young man takes in determining his own place within the cultural ...

(6 pp). One of greatest human fears is death. We superstitiously think that if we don't talk about it, we do not have to deal with it, but according to Purnell's Model for Cultural Competence, mourning, death and its attending rituals are commonalities which all humans share. This discussion will examine ...

5 pages in length. The Great Dying is historically known as a period of time two hundred and fifty-one million years ago where the earth suffered significant and overwhelming devastation. The most intriguing aspect about this mass extinction of plant and animal life is that scientists still have no concrete evidence why such ...

A 5 page paper which traces the life of Sitting Bull from his birth in Dakota to his death at Wounded Knee, including references to the Ghost Dance, his involvement in the battle of Little Big Horn and his time with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Bibliography cites 6 sources.

(6 pp) "As to the natives of this country, I find them entirely savage and wild, strangers to all decency, yea, uncivil and stupid as garden poles, proficient in all wickedness and godlessness; devilish men, who serve nobody but the Devil …" Reverend Jonas Michaelius in 1628. This attitude, generally expressed by the ...

5 pages in length. The 1992 movie version of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans" was directed by Michael Mann and starred Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Steven Waddington, Russell Means and Eric Schweig. As an epic about human conflict, the movie addresses all the necessary elements of social, political and spiritual concern ...

This 5 page paper looks at the book by John G. Neihardt entitled 'Black Elk Speaks'. It is the life story of one of the last great holy men of the Ogala Sioux and has many lesson and messages for the reader. The bibliography cites 1 source.

A 7 page discussion of the changes in rug making design and material which have occurred over time among the Navajo (Dine') people. Provides a brief cultural background of these people and traces the developments which led to the incorporation of new materials and designs in their rugs. Concludes that wool quality is ...

(8 pp) Rousseau was a mental explorer - not a very happy one, but like all good philosophers he did take a stand at trying to figure why certain things were as they were. He still looked for truth and beauty, but never seemed to be able to see it in himself. ...

A 5 page discussion of the changing roles and values in Native America. Distinguishes between the traditional roles of women, men, and children and the stereotypical views of these roles. Asserts that in many ways contemporary Native Americans are no different than "mainstream" America in terms of their roles and values. Bibliography ...