Riddle 1

Madison Riddle

English IV Honors

Mrs. Day

18 April 2017

Early Native American Culture Vs. Modern Culture: Environmental Conservation

Culture is a system of learned and shared meanings, ways of thinking, and relating people

to the universe. It is skills, language, religion, behavior, basically, ways of life, passed down

through the generations. In Native American culture, people, relationships, and nature are most

important. In todays modern society, the culture is held together by power, status, manipulation,

and change. These two cultures are vastly different. The biggest difference between the two is

that Early Native American Culture was more environmentally conservative than Modern

culture.

The Early Native American Culture is based off of living and supplying every need from

the natural environment, while todays modern society is based on monetary values. Early Native

Americans crafted, created, and found a purpose for everything in nature to meet their basic

needs. Native Americans also used a bartering system to trade supplies between tribes, and with

the British to obtain the things necessary. Todays society is based on convenience, stores, and

buying anything they need and want with money. Having to make and provide for themselves

like the early culture, makes them appreciate the things that they have more. This is what makes
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Early Native American culture more environmentally conservative than todays society, and a

better way of living in general.

I believe the shift from traditional to modern culture was one of mans greatest fall from

grace (Knick). Once the shift happened, not only did the population of the Native Americans go

down, but the land in which they had once completely occupied had been mostly taken from

them as well. There were multiple federal regulations put into order to assimilate Native

Americans into the American Culture. After all of these regulations were introduced, the land

was no longer the Native Americans, at least a big majority wasnt. According to the pie chart,

Americans own over half of the land now. Thats 62.4% of land that the Americans have built on,

manipulated and just tore up. Native Americans went from roaming freely around the earth, to

being strictly put into reservations. Now, some the natural resources that the Native Americans

cherished and saved for themselves have been used so much that they are nearly gone.
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Americans represent 5% of the worlds population, but generate 30% of the worlds

garbage based on a student study in Utah. Thats six times the waste of what the American

population is. Early Native Americans on the other hand, never wasted anything that they came

across. Everything in nature had a purpose. Whether it be healing, crafting, cooking, hunting, or

gathering, nothing was left untouched.

High out-of-pocket costs or deductibles resulted in 31 million people becoming

underinsured last year (King). Native Americans on the other hand used indigenous plants, such

as tree bark, plants, and herbs to treat or cure every illness that they came across. Native

American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian healers all have a long history of using

indigenous, or native, plants for a wide variety of medicinal purposes (Healing Plants:

Medicinal Ways). One of the most sacred of the plants was tobacco, which was used in healing

numerous conditions as well as in rituals and ceremonies (Native American Legends). The

Native American people had a deep wisdom of nature and its benefits through healing. This was

learned through trial and error, but they were so familiar with nature they eventually learned all

the medicinal benefits of each plant. There was a treatment or cure for every illness. Today, with

Americas manipulation of the Earth, many of these plants are very scarce or even extinct. This is

one example of how the Early Native Americans were more conservative than todays Society.

Many people today look at pottery as a nice decoration for their fancy new house, but that

wasnt always the case. The Native Americans used their pottery for a multitude of reasons.

Whether they were cooking, gathering food, or using the pottery as a means of carrying around

supplies, they always had a use for it. The pottery today is visually pleasing, decorated, colorful,

and crafted to perfection. Although, when the Native Americans crafted theirs, they were

unsymmetrical, and had limited decoration. The pottery in the ancient culture was made with the
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clay from the Earth, and crafted for practical reasons. While today, pots and pans are typically

made from metal or glass, and are quite expensive. They come in fancy, matching sets for the

newer generation to decorate their kitchens. This provides us with more evidence that the Native

American culture is more environmentally conservative than todays Modern culture.

The tools people use today are very advanced and expensive. They are made from hard

metal, strong wood, and are often put together by a machine. Lots of todays tools are electrical

or battery powered. The old tools made by Native Americans were created with things such as

stone, animal bones, wood, and clay. They made hooks, bow, and arrows, to hunt and fish. The

only difference is that hooks from Native Americans were made from fish bones and the bow and

arrows were handcrafted from wood. The arrowheads were hand chiselled for hunting out of

stone. This culture found a purpose for all things in nature to aid them with their day to day lives.

Other crafts that Native Americans created were things like dolls, baskets, necklaces, and

dreamcatchers. Their crafts were important to their culture because they all had some

significance either in their spiritual life, or in their daily routine. Today, when dolls are made,

they typically consist of an assortment of different plastics, fake hair, and clothing. Childrens

toys are typically expensive and popular. According to Fashionista, the average Barbie Doll in

2016, cost $9.99. (Erdogan) These tend to get pricy with several children. Todays average

American family consists of 2.5 children per household. That is equivalent to $25 just to provide

one doll per child.

Native Americans, on the other hand, had very large tribes and clans, and lots of children.

They lived connected as a entire family. Family was vastly important to them, and they all lived

closely together in a village. During the early Native American days, the dolls were made of

natural things like corn husks, pine needles, large leaves, wood, rock, and fur. This provided the
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children with entertainment at no cost. This is another example of how Native American culture

is more environmentally conservative.

Everything in nature played a role in the Native Americans lives somehow. They never

wasted any part of their crop, animals, or berries. They all had a special meaning to whatever

tribe made them. Plants were cultivated and harvested, and used for various things such as dyes

for blankets (Native American Culture). Today, people can scarcely find the natural dyes

because of the fact that the land has been manipulated so much. This has lead to the use of

artificial dyes and chemicals in modern day. Not only is the early Native American culture more

environmentally conservative with this process, but organics are safer for human use.

Baskets were used in the Native Americans daily lives. They were hand woven using

things such as cane, White Oak, Hickory Bark, and Honeysuckle. These baskets were also dyed

with the natural dyes in certain ways to signify the designs importance to the Native Americans.

The baskets now are very similar, but dont have meanings like the ones from the Native

Americans. People cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by

46% since the beginning of human civilization (Worland). Native Americans used the fallen

trees or just cut pieces out of a standing tree. They conserved the trees for other uses, such as to

keep homes for animals. This shows that Native Americans respected and honored the

environment, unlike todays Modern culture.

To survive, the Native Americans had to harvest crops, fish, and hunt. They also traded

between tribes to obtain necessary items. On the other hand, todays society is based off of

convenience and the ability to purchase food immediately at stores. The cost of feeding a family

of four a healthy diet ranges between $146 to $249 a week (Hellmich). Native Americans grew

and killed their own food.

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Fishing, to Native Americans, was a way of survival, providing basic needs. These

Natives discovered clever ways of fishing. They would crush buckeye and walnuts and place in

the water for fish food. When the fish consumes the nut, it temporarily paralyze the fish so the

proper amount of fish can be gathered for the tribe. Natives only took what they could eat. Later

the paralysis would wear off and the fish remaining would be left in the creek for future use

(Riddle). In todays society fishing is an entertaining sport that people do either for money or

just for fun.

One major concern in the world today is the amount of waste. When people sit down to

eat, they dont really think about how much of the food theyre really eating. Yes, they eat some

of the meat, but where is the rest of the animal? Its all thrown away and wasted most of the time.

Native Americans are more environmentally conservative in this aspect. When they hunted, they

used every piece of the animal because animals were sacred to them. This means that their food

supply lasted longer and there werent as many animals dying, which saved them from being

endangered. They used every piece of the animal from hides for clothing to bones for tools.

A culture that lives in relative harmony with its environment has a greater likelihood of

sustaining itself than does a culture that destroys its environment. (Knick) In his words,

comparing it to early Natives and todays people, that quote is saying that the Natives were

environmentally sustainable and people today, who manipulate the earth, arent nearly as

sustainable. Since the environment has been changed so much, the natural resources are harder

to find, which causes it to be more difficult for people to live off the land. Today, most people

dont even know how to farm. Many agricultural jobs have faded out and been replaced with

modernized jobs. Native Americans lived off the land properly. Today, people do not have the
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wisdom and knowledge to live sustainably off the land, so they must rely on others to provide

their necessary food.

The Native Americans believed that everything happened naturally. They did not believe

in manipulating the land at all. Their whole life was based off the things that surrounded them.

Most Americans believe that manipulating the land is better for them, whether its to build a new

house or a new store. Somehow, it benefits them. They see it as a form of power over the land.

The more power they have, the better. On the other hand, if a tree fell on the path that the Native

Americans walked, they would just change their path. Modern society doesnt feel the need to

conserve the forests, theyd rather have new housing developments and malls. This leads to

animals being forced from their natural environment, homeless, and then they eventually die.

The list of endangered animals grows every year because people today dont consider the effects

of their actions when developing natural environments.

Thinking about transportation, today, people have cars, planes, trains, buses, subways,

bikes, etc. Early Native Americans on the other hand made canoes out of dug out trees to travel

down rivers or they just walked wherever they needed to be. People today have to buy gas to get

their vehicles around which not only limits the natural resources, but it also pollutes the air.

Native Americans never had that problem because they knew that the earth was sacred and they

took care of it the way they were supposed to. They didnt have to buy things like gas for

engines, they kept the natural resources almost completely intact.

These two cultures, the Traditional Native American and the Modern Day, are different in

many ways. The most apparent is in environmental conservation. Traditional Native American

culture tended to stay the same for a long period of time. It follows believes based on

relationships and the respect of nature. It is basically a conservation system. On the other hand,
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Modern day culture thrives on change, manipulation, and power. It is important to be self

sustainable and have the knowledge to live from nature and off the land. In the Native American

ways, they only depended on each other in the tribe and nature to provide the basic needs. In

todays culture, people rely on others to provide all the necessary essentials. The Native

American way of life is without a doubt the most environmentally conservative way to live.

Today, more and more people are interesting in learning the natural ways of producing their own

food, making their own products, and relying on the environment for their needs. The selfishness

of today's culture has destroyed the environment, developed the land to make it visually pleasing

to them, and hunting and fishing for fun. This dampers the natural environment, and depletes the

necessary resources to live off of the land efficiently.

The amount of waste, the lack of health coverage, the need for visually pleasing art, the

expensive, convenient ways of life, and the manipulation and development of the land, has taken

over the world. Todays society loves convenience and unfortunately this traditional culture has

lost a lot of itself through this process. The Native American culture is and will always be the

most environmentally conservative culture and the best way of life.

Work Cited

Erdogan, Melodi. "How Much Do The 2016 Barbies Cost?" Bustle. Bustle, 10 Aug. 2016.

Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <https://www.bustle.com/articles/138314-how-much-do-the-2016-

barbies-cost-these-diverse-dolls-are-worth-the-price-photos>.
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"Healing Plants - Medicine Ways: Traditional Healers and Healing - Healing Ways -

Exhibition - Native Voices." U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of

Health, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

<https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/exhibition/healing-ways/medicine-ways/healing-

plants.html>.

Hellmich, Nanci. "Cost of Feeding a Family of Four: $146 to $289 a Week." USA Today.

Gannett Satellite Information Network, 01 May 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

<https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/01/grocery-costs-for-

family/2104165/>.

"Native American Culture." Indians. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

<http://www.indians.org/articles/native-american-culture.html>.

"Native American Legends." Native American and Other Ancient Herbal Remedies. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-remedy.html>.

King, Robert. "31 Million People Can't Afford Healthcare." Washington Examiner. N.p.,

20 May 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. <http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/31-million-

people-cant-afford-healthcare/article/2564763>.

Knick, Ph.D. Stanley. "Traditional Culture and Modern Culture: Man's Fall from Grace."

The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 July 2010. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanley-knick/traditional-culture-and-m_b_655992.html

Riddle, Jenny. Personal Interview. Studied Native American History, 17, Apr. 2017.

Worland, Justin. "Here's How Many Trees Humans Cut Down Each Year." Time. Time,

n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. <http://time.com/4019277/trees-humans-deforestation/>.