Lt Col Sergio A. PorresChief, Office of Defense Cooperation

The American Indians Then, and

Today

Background

• Who Are they?•Where did They Come From?• Southeast Asia/Southern Pacific

Background

• Name?– Red Skins– American Indians– Native Americans

Were they All The Same?

• Commonalities:– History = Story telling– Land Gatherers = Nomads– Crops = Villages– Hunters: Bison, Elk, etc• Meat for Food• Furs and Skin Clothing/Shelter• Stomach for liquids• Bones for weapons

One with Mother Nature

• Commonalities:– Spiritual:• Many Gods• Special Relationship with

Nature• Sun = Supreme God• Power of Dreams• Shaman

• Commonalities: – Roles of Men and Women

• Men: Traditional• Women: Important Skills, givers

of life• Medicine Women• Matrilineal

Cherokee

• Largest• Ani Chota not Cherokee• Hunters ------Farming• Complex Chiefdom• Least Resistance to White Man

European Encounter• Disease• Expansion• Cultural Differences• Religion• Civilizing

– Manifest Destiny– 1830--Indian Removal Act

Nations Within Nations• Multi membership (tribes, nations, bands)

• Treaty rights• 562 Tribal Governments• National congress of American Indians 1944

Famous Native Americans