The Karankawa Indians lived along the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Their territory was from the west end of Galveston Island down the coast to where Corpus Christie is today. There were several bands, or maybe even several tribes. We are not sure, because much of the history of the Karankawa is lost. No one bothered to study them in any detail while they were still around to study. Making things worse, the Karankawa were favorite targets of many false myths and made up stories.
They were pretty good fighters and European settlers feared them. The Europeans also wanted the Karankawa's land. This may be why they made up so many bad myths about them. Many of the Karankawa warriors were over 6 feet tall. People were shorter back then and 6 foot tall Indians were really big. They had bows almost as tall as they were and shot long arrows made from slender shoots of cane. It is said they would suddenly show up in their canoes, seemingly out of no where, to attack. They would run away and retreat or escape the same way. They would go into the swamps and swampy woods were Europeans had a hard time following. There was a good reason why they were such good fighters and why they were so unfriendly to American settlers.
By the time American settlers came in contact with the Karankawa the Karankawa had already had some pretty bad experiences with Europeans. Early on, Spanish slave traders cruised along the coast of Texas and they would kidnap Karankawas by force or trickery and make slaves out of them. Later, the French, under the explorer LaSalle, were very unfriendly. The French stole two canoes without asking. They just took them. When the Karankawa asked that the canoes be given back the French refused and a shooting war between the French and Karankawa started. The French lost and LaSalle's small colony was destroyed by the Karankawas. From the Karankawa's point of view, every time the Europeans came around, the Europeans would try to steal from, kidnap, or kill the Karankawa. No wonder they were not very friendly. Seems like this happened to all the Indians in Texas and America. This was not always the case.
There's more here: http://www.texasindians.com/karank.htm
Friday, December 7, 2007
Two Dogs
Cherokee prophecy
There are two dogs (Alpha and Beta Canis Majori) who guard the path to the land of souls. To get past the dogs one should bring food. Be warned, if you give food to the first dog (Alpha) he will let you pass, but if you fail to save some food for the second dog (Beta) you will be trapped between them forever.
There are two dogs (Alpha and Beta Canis Majori) who guard the path to the land of souls. To get past the dogs one should bring food. Be warned, if you give food to the first dog (Alpha) he will let you pass, but if you fail to save some food for the second dog (Beta) you will be trapped between them forever.
Navajo couple hopes to inspire other American Indian artists with clothing designs
Associated Press
SHIPROCK The Navajo Nation operates much like an independent country, but when it comes to fashion and music it's as American as New York City.
That's the theory two young fashion designers bet on when they dropped out of college to start a line of edgy, graffiti-inspired clothing.
"Mainly we started to find extra money to pay bills, but it turned into this rapidly growing clothing company," said Tyson Powless, co-founder of the Shiprock-based UN3EK SY5TEM.
Powless, 28, grew up in Wisconsin, then moved to Tuba City, Ariz., for high school. He left Dixie College in St. George, Utah, a semester short of earning an associate's degree to try his hand at screen printing. His hand was well practiced; he began doodling Transformers and G.I. Joe figures at age 3.
The self-taught graffiti artist found a day job in Tempe, Ariz., and sold his original, screen-printed T-shirts by night at hip hop clubs. The designs feature a cross between the music culture and Powless's American Indian roots designs such as a Mohawk graphic and a white-on-black image of Chief Sitting Bull.
"I got to town with a portfolio of art," he said. "I was really hungry to get my stuff on T-shirts."
Read more here: http://www.lcsun-news.com/latest/ci_7660196
SHIPROCK The Navajo Nation operates much like an independent country, but when it comes to fashion and music it's as American as New York City.
That's the theory two young fashion designers bet on when they dropped out of college to start a line of edgy, graffiti-inspired clothing.
"Mainly we started to find extra money to pay bills, but it turned into this rapidly growing clothing company," said Tyson Powless, co-founder of the Shiprock-based UN3EK SY5TEM.
Powless, 28, grew up in Wisconsin, then moved to Tuba City, Ariz., for high school. He left Dixie College in St. George, Utah, a semester short of earning an associate's degree to try his hand at screen printing. His hand was well practiced; he began doodling Transformers and G.I. Joe figures at age 3.
The self-taught graffiti artist found a day job in Tempe, Ariz., and sold his original, screen-printed T-shirts by night at hip hop clubs. The designs feature a cross between the music culture and Powless's American Indian roots designs such as a Mohawk graphic and a white-on-black image of Chief Sitting Bull.
"I got to town with a portfolio of art," he said. "I was really hungry to get my stuff on T-shirts."
Read more here: http://www.lcsun-news.com/latest/ci_7660196
Family gets Sitting Bull artifacts
Associated Press
Mementos of Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull dating from 1890 were returned to his family yesterday at a ceremony in a quiet corner of the Smithsonian"s National Museum of Natural History.
"I appreciate from my heart what the Smithsonian has done," said Ernie LaPointe, Sitting Bull"s great-grandson.
"My great-grandfather stood for the freedom of the land, he stood for his people, and he was murdered for this," Mr. LaPointe said. "He stood his ground until the end."
Mr. LaPointe said he will hold a ceremony at his home in Lead, S.D., on Dec. 15 with a medicine man to help determine what should be done with the artifacts.
"These are not mine," he said. "They belong to my great-grandfather."
A leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux, Sitting Bull became famous as the leader who defeated Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
Sitting Bull was killed while being arrested by tribal police in 1890. A lock of hair and leggings were obtained, without permission, by an Army doctor, who later donated them to the museum.
Bill Billeck, director of the repatriation office at the museum, said officials didn"t discover the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the materials until 1999.
Mementos of Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull dating from 1890 were returned to his family yesterday at a ceremony in a quiet corner of the Smithsonian"s National Museum of Natural History.
"I appreciate from my heart what the Smithsonian has done," said Ernie LaPointe, Sitting Bull"s great-grandson.
"My great-grandfather stood for the freedom of the land, he stood for his people, and he was murdered for this," Mr. LaPointe said. "He stood his ground until the end."
Mr. LaPointe said he will hold a ceremony at his home in Lead, S.D., on Dec. 15 with a medicine man to help determine what should be done with the artifacts.
"These are not mine," he said. "They belong to my great-grandfather."
A leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux, Sitting Bull became famous as the leader who defeated Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
Sitting Bull was killed while being arrested by tribal police in 1890. A lock of hair and leggings were obtained, without permission, by an Army doctor, who later donated them to the museum.
Bill Billeck, director of the repatriation office at the museum, said officials didn"t discover the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the materials until 1999.
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