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What was the lifestyle like of the Indigenous Peoples? |
The Natives that lived in the land had their own set lifestyle. They had their own means of food, economy, leadership, education, family dynamics, clothing, traditions, language, and spiritual beliefs.
Natives were very self sufficient before the colonists came despite being depicted as savages once they arrived. The Natives were very acquainted with hunting, gathering, and farming and had their types of food that were not yet in Europe. This was their version of an economy at the time. Within each tribe each member had a different role to play. In each tribe there was a tribe leader, or a chief, and he protected the entire tribe and made decisions with the tribes best interest in mind. Each person played a vital role and often everyone in the tribe was seen as family. The Natives had set values that each person followed and family was a value very important to them. These were not taught at a school like core democratic values are taught today but rather through their everyday lifestyle. The Natives did not have a formal education as things were taught by word of mouth or by showing them how to do something. This does not mean the Natives were uneducated, the Natives had a less formal style of education that still proved to be effective. Alongside values, the Natives had their own set spiritual beliefs. These differed in every tribe. However, in every tribe there were also traditions and rituals that they followed. It is important to keep in mind that these traditions and rituals were done in each of the tribes native language. Natives did not know English until the colonists came to their land. |