Saturday, August 14, 2004
The West Direction Tribes are as follows:
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation - Carver: Snickerdoodle, Kent, WA
Nich-ich-tow-ya - Home of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people. These three peoples make up the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Our three bands were brought together on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, established by a treaty by the U.S. government in 1855.
Since time Immorial, we have lived on the Columbia River Plateau. Our homeland used to consist of 6.4 million acres in what is now northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. In 1855 the tribes and the United States government negotiated a treaty in which the tribes "ceded" or surrendered possession of much of the 6.4 million acres in exchange for a reservation homeland of 500,000 acres. After surveying and federal legislation in the late 1800s, this land was reduced to 172,000 acres. Our leaders adopted our Constitution and By-laws in 1949 and we were united as a single tribal government.
At this time we have over 2,446 tribal members. We are a small group of people who continue to care for and live on the land of our ancestors. We continue to practice our "Treaty reserved rights" which include the right to fish at "usual and accustomed" sites, and to hunt and gather traditional foods and medicines on public lands within the ceded areas.
Salish - Carver: Maiden1974, Gresham, OR
The Pacific Northwest Coast people believed that Salmon were actually humans with eternal life that lived in a large house far under the ocean. In the Spring, they put on their Salmon disguises and offered themselves to the villagers as food. The tribes believed that when entire fish skeletons were returned to the sea, the spirits would rise again and change into Salmon people. In this way, the cycle could begin again the following year. Since the villagers feared that the Salmon people would not be treated respectfully by White people who had no knowledge of the taboos and regulations, they did not want to sell Salmon to the first White men.
Blackfoot - Carver: Uneksia & Gollum, Hillsboro, NH
Butterfly: Dream Carrier, Bringer of Sleep, Bringer of News
Whenever the Blackfoot Indians incorporate a butterfly symbol on one of their lodges, it signifies that the design's signs and colors adorning that lodge are not those of the mortal indian who painted them, but were shown to him in a dream by the Great Spirit. The symbol of the butterfly is a cross, similar to a Maltese cross. The butterfly symbol is interpreted differently depending on where it is placed. If it appears embroidered on a piece of buckskin and tied in a baby's hair;it means dream or sleep bringer. If seen on a lodge; it signifies divine inspiration.
Butterfly is about transition and metamorphosis.
Hopi - Carver: Painterly, Tolland, CT
My first experience with "Kachina" dolls was at a YMCA camp many years ago. We were given soft wood and allowed to carve our own doll. After doing some research on the internet at the sites listed below, I found out about the Hopi Indians and the meaning of the Katsina doll.
The Hopi Indians reservation is located inside the Navajo reservation in the state of Arizona. The Hopi way is one of peace and all of daily life is part of their religion.
Small brightly painted wooden dolls are what come to mind when people hear the word Katsina. The dolls are carved of cottonwood. These dolls are actually called Tithu by the Hopi people. Katsina primarily refers to the supernatural beings who are believed to visit Hopi villagers during half of the year.Katsinas have the power to bring rain, exercise control over the weather, help in many of the everyday activities of the villagers, punish offenders of ceremonial or social laws, and, in general, to function as as messengers between the spiritual domain and mortals.
Katsinas are spiritual messengers. The tithu (dolls) are given to children and new brides to learn about the different Katsinas. Children learn lessons from the Katsinas. Katsinas and the dolls that represent them, or tithus, wear the clouds and the rain. Cloud and rain motifs are frequent designs on all Hopi arts. Rain clouds are regularly depicted as stylized terraced triangles, often with vertical stripes of rainshowering from them. You can see triangles and rain stripes on the Katsina doll stamp.
If you want to find out more about the Hopi, you can find more information at the following links:
This link has four tribes described, one for each direction
This link has a lot of information on the Hopi way.
Navajo - Carver: Laurette, West Kingston, RI
"May You Walk In Beauty" letterbox
"Dineh" is the Navajo word for "the people". Dineh-ta is the "land of the people." Navajo Nation sprawls through the four corners region in the southwestern part of the U.S.A. It is land of stark beauty marked by high mesas and beautiful canyons. Traditionally the Dineh are farmers and shepherds. The women are well known for their beautiful weavings of rugs. Silver work with turquoise and coral is another art in which the Navajo excel. The Dineh strive to live in "Horzo" (harmony) with all things, whence came the name for this box. May you walk in beauty.
Lakota Sioux - Carver: Warrior Woman, Saunderstown, RI
The largest of the Sioux bands, represented by the majority of the Sioux, the Lakota of the Pine Ridge Reservation, have one of the best known Indian tribal flags. This red flag bears a circle of eight teepees, representing the eight districts of the reservation. The flag of red symbolizes the blood shed by the Sioux in defense of their lands and the very idea of the "red men."
The flag is a very common sight at all Native American powwows, not just at Sioux gatherings. Since it's inception in 1961, the flag of the Lakota Sioux has taken on a larger role. More than any other, the flag of the Lakota Sioux could be considered the flag of the Native American peoples.
Two notable Lakota Sioux were Chief Red Cloud and Chief Crazy Horse.
The Lakota Sioux reservation in southwestern South Dakota is bordered by the state of Nebraska to the south; the Rosebud Sioux Reservation to the east and the Badlands National Park to the West.
Click the image above
to take you to the West Direction Clues
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation - Carver: Snickerdoodle, Kent, WA
Nich-ich-tow-ya - Home of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people. These three peoples make up the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Our three bands were brought together on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, established by a treaty by the U.S. government in 1855.
Since time Immorial, we have lived on the Columbia River Plateau. Our homeland used to consist of 6.4 million acres in what is now northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. In 1855 the tribes and the United States government negotiated a treaty in which the tribes "ceded" or surrendered possession of much of the 6.4 million acres in exchange for a reservation homeland of 500,000 acres. After surveying and federal legislation in the late 1800s, this land was reduced to 172,000 acres. Our leaders adopted our Constitution and By-laws in 1949 and we were united as a single tribal government.
At this time we have over 2,446 tribal members. We are a small group of people who continue to care for and live on the land of our ancestors. We continue to practice our "Treaty reserved rights" which include the right to fish at "usual and accustomed" sites, and to hunt and gather traditional foods and medicines on public lands within the ceded areas.
Salish - Carver: Maiden1974, Gresham, OR
The Pacific Northwest Coast people believed that Salmon were actually humans with eternal life that lived in a large house far under the ocean. In the Spring, they put on their Salmon disguises and offered themselves to the villagers as food. The tribes believed that when entire fish skeletons were returned to the sea, the spirits would rise again and change into Salmon people. In this way, the cycle could begin again the following year. Since the villagers feared that the Salmon people would not be treated respectfully by White people who had no knowledge of the taboos and regulations, they did not want to sell Salmon to the first White men.
Blackfoot - Carver: Uneksia & Gollum, Hillsboro, NH
Butterfly: Dream Carrier, Bringer of Sleep, Bringer of News
Whenever the Blackfoot Indians incorporate a butterfly symbol on one of their lodges, it signifies that the design's signs and colors adorning that lodge are not those of the mortal indian who painted them, but were shown to him in a dream by the Great Spirit. The symbol of the butterfly is a cross, similar to a Maltese cross. The butterfly symbol is interpreted differently depending on where it is placed. If it appears embroidered on a piece of buckskin and tied in a baby's hair;it means dream or sleep bringer. If seen on a lodge; it signifies divine inspiration.
Butterfly is about transition and metamorphosis.
Hopi - Carver: Painterly, Tolland, CT
My first experience with "Kachina" dolls was at a YMCA camp many years ago. We were given soft wood and allowed to carve our own doll. After doing some research on the internet at the sites listed below, I found out about the Hopi Indians and the meaning of the Katsina doll.
The Hopi Indians reservation is located inside the Navajo reservation in the state of Arizona. The Hopi way is one of peace and all of daily life is part of their religion.
Small brightly painted wooden dolls are what come to mind when people hear the word Katsina. The dolls are carved of cottonwood. These dolls are actually called Tithu by the Hopi people. Katsina primarily refers to the supernatural beings who are believed to visit Hopi villagers during half of the year.Katsinas have the power to bring rain, exercise control over the weather, help in many of the everyday activities of the villagers, punish offenders of ceremonial or social laws, and, in general, to function as as messengers between the spiritual domain and mortals.
Katsinas are spiritual messengers. The tithu (dolls) are given to children and new brides to learn about the different Katsinas. Children learn lessons from the Katsinas. Katsinas and the dolls that represent them, or tithus, wear the clouds and the rain. Cloud and rain motifs are frequent designs on all Hopi arts. Rain clouds are regularly depicted as stylized terraced triangles, often with vertical stripes of rainshowering from them. You can see triangles and rain stripes on the Katsina doll stamp.
If you want to find out more about the Hopi, you can find more information at the following links:
This link has four tribes described, one for each direction
This link has a lot of information on the Hopi way.
Navajo - Carver: Laurette, West Kingston, RI
"May You Walk In Beauty" letterbox
"Dineh" is the Navajo word for "the people". Dineh-ta is the "land of the people." Navajo Nation sprawls through the four corners region in the southwestern part of the U.S.A. It is land of stark beauty marked by high mesas and beautiful canyons. Traditionally the Dineh are farmers and shepherds. The women are well known for their beautiful weavings of rugs. Silver work with turquoise and coral is another art in which the Navajo excel. The Dineh strive to live in "Horzo" (harmony) with all things, whence came the name for this box. May you walk in beauty.
Lakota Sioux - Carver: Warrior Woman, Saunderstown, RI
The largest of the Sioux bands, represented by the majority of the Sioux, the Lakota of the Pine Ridge Reservation, have one of the best known Indian tribal flags. This red flag bears a circle of eight teepees, representing the eight districts of the reservation. The flag of red symbolizes the blood shed by the Sioux in defense of their lands and the very idea of the "red men."
The flag is a very common sight at all Native American powwows, not just at Sioux gatherings. Since it's inception in 1961, the flag of the Lakota Sioux has taken on a larger role. More than any other, the flag of the Lakota Sioux could be considered the flag of the Native American peoples.
Two notable Lakota Sioux were Chief Red Cloud and Chief Crazy Horse.
The Lakota Sioux reservation in southwestern South Dakota is bordered by the state of Nebraska to the south; the Rosebud Sioux Reservation to the east and the Badlands National Park to the West.
Click the image above
to take you to the West Direction Clues
# posted by Mark and Sue @ 3:55 PM 
