jjares reviewed Native American Tribes: The History and Culture of the Natchez on + 3270 more book reviews
The most fascinating thing about this book is the info that the Natchez tongue is an isolate, there are no languages similar to it. Another interesting tidbit is that they have some characteristics that are similar to the Mesoamerican cultures. The rituals of the Natchez closely emulate the kind of Mesoamerican rituals common to the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Toltec. When the Great Sun (ruler) died, his wives and attendants were required to follow him to the grave, along with a number of volunteer slaves.
In spite of being surrounded by so many other tribes, the Natchez managed to create their own distinctive culture. Archaeologists have been excavating their settlement, The Grand Village of the Natchez, which dates back about 1500 years.
The Natchez have roots that associate them with the Ancient Moundbuilders and eventually were part of the Five Civilized Tribes. They were called this because of the rapidity with which they adapted European customs. The Natchez culture was dominated by agriculture while hunting for game. However, they are probably a much older group of people (the Natchez are tied to the Watson Brake Mound Complex Culture in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, from as early as 3500 BCE).
The Natchez have familial ties to the Creek Nation. The Natchez, like the Creek, had a triad of religious cults based on warfare, fertility, and ancestor worship. Each Mississippian cult was separate and distinct. The photos of the mounds added much to my understanding of the text. The Natchez, however, based their culture on the worship of the sun and had a very clearly defined caste system.
In their first interaction (with the Spaniards, including Hernando de Soto), the Indians were decimated with illnesses and infections they could not combat. The French, when they met the Natchez, said they were a 'formerly great Nation.' The Natchez interacted with the Europeans early on and were decimated by the French by 1731. The French captured high-ranking Natchez and sold them into slavery. The remaining Natchez dispersed into other tribes and assimilated into other tribes. Because of this, the Natchez today do not constitute a Nation but a 'treaty tribe.'
In spite of being surrounded by so many other tribes, the Natchez managed to create their own distinctive culture. Archaeologists have been excavating their settlement, The Grand Village of the Natchez, which dates back about 1500 years.
The Natchez have roots that associate them with the Ancient Moundbuilders and eventually were part of the Five Civilized Tribes. They were called this because of the rapidity with which they adapted European customs. The Natchez culture was dominated by agriculture while hunting for game. However, they are probably a much older group of people (the Natchez are tied to the Watson Brake Mound Complex Culture in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, from as early as 3500 BCE).
The Natchez have familial ties to the Creek Nation. The Natchez, like the Creek, had a triad of religious cults based on warfare, fertility, and ancestor worship. Each Mississippian cult was separate and distinct. The photos of the mounds added much to my understanding of the text. The Natchez, however, based their culture on the worship of the sun and had a very clearly defined caste system.
In their first interaction (with the Spaniards, including Hernando de Soto), the Indians were decimated with illnesses and infections they could not combat. The French, when they met the Natchez, said they were a 'formerly great Nation.' The Natchez interacted with the Europeans early on and were decimated by the French by 1731. The French captured high-ranking Natchez and sold them into slavery. The remaining Natchez dispersed into other tribes and assimilated into other tribes. Because of this, the Natchez today do not constitute a Nation but a 'treaty tribe.'
