Journal #1

Native American Culture is very complex and complicated to understand. I do not comprehend very much of it at all, but what I do know is that they have many different ways that they believe that they are connected with animals. They have many different theories about how the world was formed, but they all involve nature, the sun and moon, or animals of some sort. They love storytelling, and they orally passed on their stories through many generations. They thought it was easier to remember them if they were passed on orally, so they had to tell the stories to each generation and make sure they had memorized them. They did this for hundreds and hundreds of years, because was they only way that they knew of that let them pass down their beliefs and culture for so long. They believed that one should only take what one needs from the earth, and to not kill or take from the planet any excess. They also thought that once one took something from the earth, they should use all of it and not waste anything. They used everything that they took, by making utensils from the bones, tents or clothing from the skins, and fires from the fat. Many of the Native Americans were nomadic, and they moved from place to place to follow the animals or to find grains and plants for food during the different seasons. They were a simple people, and while they played games and told many stories, they also worked incredibly hard for what they got. They were very giving, because they understood that when a person lends a hand to another person, they often will have that help returned when they need it. They were also trusting, because many of them had not met people that would play tricks on the Native Americans to get what they wanted. They were used to people that just asked for what they needed. The Native Americans were a very kind, trusting people, with a culture that is very complex and remains a mystery to many people to this day.