OCR Text |
Show iIisconceptions Concerning Indians Is Refuted (From the files of the Utah Writers' Project, WPA) The American Indian has been nuch praised and imiuah damned n the 300 odd years of White !xploitation o iNorth lAimerica, Hid many misconceptions coh lerning his true aspect have irisen. A general misconception lhas 3ee!.a to assume toat an Indian ''as an Indian, and consequently ust like any other Indian from :oast to coast; yet Indians in li'l.erent localities and lrom un-elaled un-elaled tribes, vary as much in J-stom and appearance as do tne aative Cacausian races of Europe. Eur-ope. 'lhe tall, straight, nature's ..ouleman of Ja.nes Fenni,more hooper's argosy was not a typi-.al typi-.al Indian. His type was some-Lnnes some-Lnnes -lound among the war-like .iOluois, o.i Cooper's legend, but un average Indian is a much t-Uorter ana uroader individual. '.oi't. slookiy Llnaracteristics are fiiua.iy noticeaaie among tne '.'ueblo and Navajo ot tine South- . ist, vvhi:e isoi ihwestern trioe. . .. c-s .0..'.. narri'o , iieaiis an., -j-u ..ias-ie uody nans. Culturally, ii.ie tribes dii.'ered ons.d-orauly, some ijvi..ig teden a.;-,,, agiiouiLuial lives, otiner t-.n-K nomadic ranters. Wea- . o.io a:so a.inered consideraoly .11 diftcremt localities, as did oth-ters.ls oth-ters.ls an pottery. Xvejiious a. ce.j vtP- "' vo aa.i-me i.iat au Indian.. orn;pped tne Great Spirit, . iiL-n as a ,mattei' ot -act Indian . g.on diners penhaps more 1 - . any oioer cnaracteristic. A .vcn In. e is much more likely 0 :..ave a dozen or so animistic Gods than a single Great Spirit. .ii k.n dances are as variable other customs, with some uues emphasizing the war and 1 o .'au dances, while other tribes have inone of these at all |