Indigenous peoples of America are considered to be small Indian tribes. This name is due not only to the fact that they were the first to settle and develop this territory, but also to the fact that the American Indians were able to maintain their centuries-old traditions, passing them from generation to generation. And this is not just an expression of respect for one’s past, it is a true spiritual connection with the spirits of the ancestors and the great heritage of time.
The official opening date for the Americas is October 12, 1492. But only a century later, the British conquerors were able to subordinate local lands to their power, for almost a century they had to challenge their rights with the Spanish troops. The beginning of the active development of the territory and rapid colonization is considered to be the year 1620, when the famous ship called the May Flower docked to the shores. The next historical milestone is the struggle of the new state for independence.
Throughout all these stages, the attitude of the conquerors towards the Indians remained approximately the same. Legends are still said about the cruelty of the Spaniards, they say that many of them preferred to feed their dogs with the dead bodies of local residents, and the generally accepted fact was that during the life of one Spanish lord - he killed at least one hundred Indians. The famous Columbus introduced a truly titanic tax in gold, which was not within the scope of fulfillment; famine and disease came to local settlements.
The American Indians also suffered from the British. They were ruthless, they dealt with them, burning entire villages, often with living people, connected them to the struggle for independence, ruthlessly soldering and exchanging them in battles.
At the end of the 16th century, the struggle with the local population gained the greatest scope. People were forcibly baptized into the faith of others, resettled on undeveloped territories on a reservation, and exterminated the animals on which it was customary to hunt.
Such cruelty was noted only by the conquerors. The American Indians treated the first settlers with all possible breadth of their souls. No wonder their hospitality formed the basis of one of the most beloved holidays in the United States, namely Thanksgiving.
On the territory of two continents lived more than one tribe of American Indians. In total, there were more than two thousand nationalities who spoke more than five hundred different languages.
Their occupation was different depending on the geography of residence. The main occupations could include hunting, fishing and gathering. Primitive art also developed. A number of peoples were widely known for clay modeling, others were engaged in weaving and wood processing.
The Indians of South America are in many ways not similar to their northern counterparts.
The most famous are the Inca, Mayan and Aztec tribes. The Incas lived on the territory of modern Peru, Chile and Ecuador. At the heart of their culture was the cult of worship of the sun. Maya Indians are world famous for the legendary calendar that predicted the end of the world. Astrological cults and worship of celestial bodies also played a huge role in their culture. The Aztecs worshiped various planets, in particular the cult of Venus was developed.
American Indians today are still distinctive people. United States laws do not apply on reservation territory. They follow traditions and worship earthly elements. They sincerely believe that it is not the land that belongs to people, but that people belong to the earth. Unfortunately, not everything is as cloudless as it might seem; most Indians do not have permanent jobs, education and comfortable housing. The main sources of income are gambling and subsidies allocated by the state that are allowed on reservations.
