How To Understand The Culture Of The Arapahos

By Toni Vang


In this civilized world, it is a pity that many people are not interested in learning about their past and the culture their fore fathers adopted. This is because many are quick to judge the ancient practices as being backward and inhumane. This misinterpretation has deprived many of their pride for their originality as many embrace civilization. Therefore, you should know the principles of the Arapahos.

The native Indians relied on meat for food and this they sourced from the wild animals. However, during the winter seasons, the weather could become extremely cold. Therefore, the natives also engaged in making heavy clothes from the hides of the animals to protect themselves from the cold. They also supplemented their meals with berries, roots and vegetable plants gathered by women.

When a couple are married, according to their culture, they are given time so that both families can see if the marriage is working. In this period, the families keep off from creating a bond that might bind them together. However, if the marriage succeed to pass the test of time, relationship between the two families commence and dowry is exchanged too.

Members of this community are social and this is characterized by the rules governing them via their cultures. In this scenario, the women were in charge of the children from infancy. This is because in the early stages of the children, they must stay with their mothers. Therefore, the women provide for the children and end up taking care of the girls as they grow up.

In every band that was segmented from the community, the people that fall under each band recognized the authority of the headman. The headman was given charge of maintaining order and solving the cases for the people. This position was not hereditary and it could circulate. However, the main function was to protect the band from any attacks by deploying young men to war if necessary.

The religious practices of the native Indians has been changing as time goes by. This transition gradually occurred as changes on their environment started to show. Some of the practices were lost once the white settlers started their suppression on the natives. When their conditions for living became severe, their traditional religious practices changed to fit their current state.

The ceremonies of the native Indians was based on the occasions that is in the community. However, some of them especially the religious ceremonies were carried out in specific seasons. Religious ceremonies were done to seek favors from their gods and sometimes to appease them. This are the best times for the native Indians to offer their sacrifices to the gods.

The native Indians also indulged themselves in artwork that included painting, beadwork, wood, artifacts and buffalo hides. This shows how creative and skilled this people were in coming up with different products from diverse materials. With these materials, they made ornaments, robes from the buffalo skin, and gifts for their families, cradleboard covers and pillows.




About the Author: