Gut Reaction to This Reading?

¶ … gut reaction to this reading?

This reading underlines the complex nature of the society of the Algonquin tribe, despite the fact that much of our knowledge of the tribe has been lost. The European colonists were not interested in recording the native religious beliefs and sociological practices, except in a judgmental fashion or to the degree which they impacted European designs upon the land. Although hardly 'perfect' or politically correct in its construction -- Native American tribes were just as gender-divided as the societies of conquering European nations -- the colonists did not perceive that native belief systems were just as intricate as their European intellectual culture, and that native customs were ultimately better-suited to living in harmony with the land of the New World.

Q2. Explain how the Algonquin Indians saw their relationship with the land, the crops they grew (especially corn) and the animals they consumed?

The Algonquin saw their relationship with the land was one of reciprocity. They treated it well, with sustainable agricultural practices and moderate hunting of game, in the hopes that it would give them food from season to season. Animals had divine significance, and thus over-hunting was not justified, given that the animal gave its life as a gift to the tribe. In contrast, the Europeans saw the land as something to be disciplined, tamed, and imposed upon. Civilization was synonymous with the Christian faith in the European mindset -- they believed they had to convert the natives, as part of their moral duty (although it was also economically advantageous to do so). The Indian religion saw nature as a living entity that must be respected. Corn was not seen as an animate object but it was seen as a gift that could be withdrawn, if the god that gave it to humans was not honored and the soil was not tended and respected (Salisbury35).

Q3. Explain the role of an Indian band leader (known as sachem or sagamore). How did he gain and keep his position? What were his duties and how did the value of reciprocity function in his relationship with the band? Explain who pnieses and powwows were.

The sagamore or sachem's primary duties were to mediate between clans and to engage in inter-tribal diplomacy. Anything that required greater coordination efforts beyond that of families or clans, such as large-scale hunting, was the sachem's responsibility. The European observers were often horrified that the sachem's position depended upon the collective will of the people, versus that of European monarchs, the latter of whom ruled by force and heredity, Some sagamores did claim to have shamanistic powers that caused them to be more "dreaded" (Salisbury 44). However, most sagamores depended upon counsels of pnieses and powwows, which were made up of other members of the tribe who had communicated with deities. This 'legislature' and the sagamore's reciprocal relationship with his advisors as well as the populace that supported him further dissipated the power held in the hands of the sagamore (Salisbury 43-44).