Native Americans

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Native Americans

• Exposure
• Polygamy

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Contents

• Exposure - What is it?
• Exposure - Story
• Polygamy - What is it?
• Polygamy - Court case

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Native Americans - Exposure - What is it?

• Modern twenty first century people find
  the idea of exposure barbaric and savage. For
  Native American tribes it was the only way of
  life. Exposure is when the sick and elderly are
  abandoned and left to die. This sometimes had to
  include leaving young children or babies!

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However this act was imperative to Native
American survival as without it the whole tribe
could end up extinct. This is because the Native
Americans spent their life following buffalo as
they needed it to make everything they owned.
When the buffalo herd were on the move so were
the Native Americans.
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Native Americans - Exposure - Story

• In the Sioux tribe the word was spreading
  fast. Murmurs were being heard of a move on the
  way. A small pretty woman of the name Tishmia sat
  in her beautifully crafted tepee with the rest of
  the women in the family and her five children and
  sighed in dismay. This was not the news she had
  been hoping for.

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As she rocked the youngest baby in her tired
arms and watched her other four children happily
play on the hot spiky grass a small tear ran down
her smooth cheek. She whispered in her babys ear
Ill miss you. The tear dropped onto his soft
ear awakening him. He looked up happily smiling
at his mother gurgling, oblivious to the future
ahead of him. The move was confirmed and was
getting closer and closer. The tepee was packed
away and they were ready to go. Tishmia, trying
the best she could strapped one to the front of
her fragile body, one on her back and tried
desperately to hold the other three by the hands.
She took a deep breath and slowly trudged
forward, on with the tribe.
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Two days later a desperate Tishmia was exhausted
and becoming dangerously behind the rest of the
tribe. She frantically tried to persuade a
passing man on his horse to take on of her
precious babies. However the man, sorry as he was
had to refuse as his horse was already worn down
from the heavy bundle of belongings and almost
unbearable hot rays of sun. Tishmia burst into
floods of tears as she knew what had to come
next. As a last resort Tishmia struggled towards
Chief Ashmin to ask for his advice. Her saddened
face fell in dismay as the news sunk in. She knew
it was the only way and she was doing a brave an
noble thing to help save her and as many members
of her family possible to keep the tribe going.
This didnt make the painful truth any easier to
bear. She had to abandon some of her babies. The
Chief assured her she was doing the right thing
and there and then two of her babies were
suffocated by her own hands. The youngest two.
One at only one month old and the other at eleven
months.
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She trudged on with her water filled eyes trying
to keep her spirits up for her remaining children
by remembering that if she hadnt done what she
had done, her, and all her children may have died.
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Native Americans - Polygamy - What is it?
Polygamy is another Native American custom
frowned upon by twenty first century people.
Polygamy is when a man marries several women. is
seen in the western world as a sexist practice
against the rights of women but it the life of
Native American Indians made polygamy necessary
for the tribe. There were many good reasons for
the practice of polygamy.
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• One of the main reasons was the fact that the
  women of the family did everything except for
  hunting from cooking to building the tepees to
  making clothes. One woman alone could not cater
  for a family so several are needed. Another
  reason is that as buffalo hunting was performed
  by men and was very dangerous women were often
  left with no source of food if their husband
  died. If they were taken into another family it
  meant they and their family could survive. The
  widow simply became another wife to the man of
  the family.

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The final reason is the fact that women
outnumbered men by a large amount. This was also
because the buffalo hunt was a very dangerous
practice and many men were killed during it. If a
man only married one woman then many women would
be single all their lives meaning they could not
have children and they would probably die. This
would mean the population of the tribe would
deteriorate quickly and it would eventually die
out.
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Polygamy court case

• Accused - Chief Hashyeer of being savage and
  inhumane by committing polygamy.

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Judge All rise, this court is now in order. The
attack will be the first to speak. Attack Thank
you your Honor. I would like to call Gignar, the
first of Hashyeers wifes to the stand. Gignar
I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, so help me Great Spirits.
Attack Is it not true that this man Hashyeer,
if that is his real name. Defense I object! We
are not here to debate the name of Hashyeer your
Honor. Judge Over ruled, proceed.
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Attack Thank you your Honor, now as I was saying
is it not true that Hashyeer left you shortly
after getting you pregnant with your third child,
for another women! Gignar Yes. Jury
Gasp Attack And is it not true that you find
this savage and outrageous. Gignar Although
that is true many of my friends are in the same
situation maybe it is benefiting us as a
family. Attack NO! Gignar you were right
before. The actions of this man are inhuman.
Thank you, you may step down.
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Defense Wait see what else she has to
say. Attack No! Defense Yes! Youre not
listening to her. Judge Order, Order! Attack
As you see ladies and gentlemen of the Jury, this
mans actions were inhuman and Savage. His selfish
behavior means less food for Gignar and her
children as they will have to share the limited
food with Hashyeers new wife and probably her
children. This might mean starvation, sick and
ill or even death. This is no life for her or her
young family and she in no means deserves this.
All because of one man the whole tribe could
suffer. Thank you I rest my case.
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Judge Thank you attack now defense
proceed. Defense Thank you your honor. I would
like to once again call Gignar to the stand.
Gignar as you said before it will have its
advantages Hashyeer getting married again, could
you explain please. Attack Objection, your
Honor she did not if I remember correctly say
will have she said might have. Judge Over
ruled, proceed. Defense Go ahead Gignar.
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Gignar As I said it may have its advantages for
my family and our tribe. The women in our tribe
outnumber the men because of the injuries and
killings during buffalo hunting, so if the men
marry more than one women, there will be more
children. This will mean more men hunters and
that will mean more food. Also there will be more
women this will mean more blankets, clothes,
homes etc... Our tribe would grow and become
stronger. Defense Thank you Gignar that will be
all you may step down. You see ladies and
gentlemen of the Jury Polygamy is neither savage
nor inhuman it is simple the NATIVE AMERICAN WAY
OF LIFE. Thank you. Judge Court adjourned we
will resume in five minutes with the decision of
the Jury.
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• 5 minutes later.
• Judge The court is now in order. Jury your
  decision please.
• Jury We, the Jury found Hashyeer Guntajad NOT
  guilty of being savage and inhumane.