Traditions of the Indians of South America. Moral traditions and customs of South America

Each country has its own unusual traditions, which may even shock us. In this article we will look at both general information on traditions and New Year’s ones. Some moments may surprise you, some may make you smile, and some may even make you laugh.

General traditions

Denmark

For example, in Denmark it is customary to hang a flag in the window. If you see a flag, it means a birthday is being celebrated in that house.

Thailand

In Thailand there is a festival called Song Kran. On this holiday, everyone pours water on each other. If you are doused with water on this day, it means they wish you good luck. Also in this same country they treat their heads with care, because... It is generally accepted that this is the repository of the human soul.

Advice

If you touch it, you will offend the person, so it is better not to do this.

Eskimo tribe

It is customary among Eskimo tribes to stand in a row to greet a stranger. Next, the first person comes forward a little, slaps the stranger on the head, and also waits for an answer from the stranger. So, they continue to spank each other until one of them falls to the ground.

South America

Another interesting greeting custom can be observed in South America. They spit on each other. Some African peoples greet each other by sticking out their tongues.

Korea

In Korea, if you want to show that the table is delicious and you really liked it, it is recommended to slurp very loudly. This is exactly what everyone does to please their owners.

Northern Kamchatka

In Northern Kamchatka, among a number of peoples, the host could be shown great honor and respect if the guest had sexual intercourse with his wife. The owner of the house will be incredibly honored by such an act. And the mistress of the house tried her best to make the guest want to have sexual intercourse with her. And it was considered the greatest happiness if a woman became pregnant and gave birth to a child after such a relationship. When a child was born, the whole village celebrated this event.

Philippines

You can’t ignore the island of Luzon (Philippines). This custom has existed since ancient times and continues to this day. Even before their death, the deceased carved out graves in logs, in which they were placed. After this, the deceased were taken to caves far into the mountains. So, some caves already contain a huge number of such unusual coffins. And some of them tear out their ancestors every few years and change their clothes.

New Year traditions

What New Year traditions can be observed in Bulgaria, and even so that they surprise us with their unusualness?

Before the last stroke of the night before midnight, the lights in the houses are turned off for a few minutes and they kiss.

Scotland

In Scotland there is a different tradition, a family one. It is customary here to light a fireplace before midnight, sit down with the whole family and look at its fire. It is believed that at this moment all sorrows and sorrows go away along with the past year. Everyone also makes secret wishes. When the clock begins to strike the last beats, the doors of the house are opened so that the old year can leave and the new year can come. After this ritual, everyone goes to the festive table and has fun.

There is another unusual and vibrant tradition in this country. On New Year's night, it is customary for them to take barrels of tar, set them on fire and roll them along the streets. In this way they burn the old year and celebrate the new year.

Ireland

And in Ireland it is customary to open the doors in all houses. If you want, you can go into any house and you will be the most valuable guest. You will be seated at the table, fed with festive dishes, and you will be part of the holiday of this family. The next day the celebration continues with family and friends.

France

If in the southern part of France the housewife is the first to draw water from a source in the New Year, then she must leave a bun from the festive table. And then, the woman who comes for her and takes the pie must leave the pie from her table. So the treats continue until the evening.

Germany

Germany also has an unusual New Year's tradition. In this country, when midnight comes, every person (both old and young) stands on a chair. It can also be a chair or table.

Advice

So, standing on a kind of hill, everyone begins to jump loudly and cheerfully, welcoming the New Year.

Italy

Italians also have unusual traditions and customs. So, it is customary for them to throw all unnecessary things and old things out of the windows. At the same time, success and luck in the New Year depend on the number of things that are thrown away. The bigger, the better. Argentina has a similar tradition, but in a simplified form. So, from offices you can see flying documents and bills.

Conclusion:

As can be seen from this article, there are unusual traditions not only in general terms - in terms of greetings and hospitality. Also, unusual traditions affected the New Year - the most celebrated holiday in the world. All these traditions are very unusual, funny and interesting. And in some customs you even want to take part yourself.

Most scientists are inclined to believe that the first man who appeared on the American mainland was approximately 26-29 thousand years ago.

As everyone knows, Americans have always been different from Russians and Ukrainians; they have always been more purposeful, more militant, energetic, resilient, and lived richer than us. The researchers highlight this with their long-running analyses. Speaking about the fact that those who settled on the American mainland were people like that. This is how it is today. America has always come first.

Rituals are added to the customs of the people of South America.

For example: A wedding must not only include an exchange of rings, signatures and stamps in the passport, but must also be consecrated in a church. They also invite a sorcerer to the wedding, who supposedly must save the young people from the evil eye.

I believe that it is not right for people to get married immediately and have to get married. Because anything can happen in our lives and I wouldn’t recommend taking such a step. What if a couple gets married, and a month later they start having disagreements or they stop loving each other or she or he falls in love with someone else. Who knows, anything can happen. This is too serious and this is a great responsibility before God.

We need to think about this. I have a life example. My childhood friend suddenly met her love (as she thought) and after dating for a week they decided not only to get married, but also to get married. No matter how much we stopped her, they still did it. Literally five months later, the couple began to have serious disagreements without any truce. That is why I think that if you decide to take such a step, then only in old age, when you have lived your entire life together. Then it will be correct and appropriate. There are exceptions, of course, but still very rare in my opinion. But to each their own. Each country has its own rules.

I liked the fact that Brazilians love carnivals. This is commendable, because people feel and splash out all their positive emotions. Almost all residents of South America participate in carnivals.

I liked the fact that the Brazilian people are respected and develop creative activities, especially musical ones. They have a large number of circles that teach them and tell them all about musical creativity. This is cool! After all, creativity is like a cure for a bad mood or depression. The best way to get rid of negative emotions is creativity, especially music.

In our activities, it is very important to involve children in creativity, because it helps such children, even if not for long, to leave their world and enjoy their own emotions, giving them to the people around them. For example, children with autism syndrome suffer from frequent aggression, restlessness, stereotypies, etc... and in order to somehow socialize them, a good way out of the situation could be creative activities, for example, modeling lessons, which can develop perseverance and attention in them, lessons , drawing lessons will help in the development of imagination, as well as in the development of thinking. Also in other patients with other syndromes, such as mental retardation, D.C.P. you can form all the same qualities.

They say that Argentines have a bright, Latin temperament, as they say it is inherent in both men and women. But at the same time, their attitude towards the people around them is sincerely polite and kind. For them, politeness is like a custom. And this is not at all feigned delicacy, but completely sincere. They are so used to this from their upbringing. If suddenly they see acquaintances on the street, then insanely large amounts of compliments and smiles pour from their lips. If you compare it with our Ukrainian people, then you can understand that our people are very different from them.

Unfortunately, we can rarely find polite saleswomen or polite cashiers, for example, most people are filled with aggression; unfortunately, who knows, maybe this won’t last forever, I’d like to think so. For Argentines, the opinions of others are very important, and when they meet, they kiss each other on the cheek, but strangers shake hands. The opinions of others are incredibly important to them, and I don’t agree with this.

Because if you worry too much about what others will think of you, you can miss important events in your life. Do not go through your life freely trying to achieve your single goal. Of course, you definitely need to listen to the opinions of others, but you need to go through life with your own purpose, because you shouldn’t live with the people who say something about you and criticize you, but you should live on, not them. Almost everyone around you doesn’t care what happens in your life; they are busy with something more important. Only your parents care, and this is not the case for everyone (with the exception of orphans).

Their favorite topics of conversation, which I was very impressed with, are conversations about politics and football, just like ours.

I was also impressed that in Venusuela the main traditions are various festivals with holidays and dances that fill the entire calendar. It’s great when people know how and love to party at a high and cultural level, I think they have something to be proud of.

Today, South America is a continent with a population of more than three hundred million people, whose population is constantly increasing. Due to the difficult circumstances of the history of the “conquest” of America, there is a complex and multinational ethnic composition in which racial characteristics are significantly mixed.

Tribes of ancient Indians came to the South American continent more than 20 thousand years ago from North America, gradually settling throughout the continent. Then, in the 16th century, the era of European colonialism began, first the Portuguese and Spaniards arrived here, and a little later immigrants from other European countries - Germans, English, French, etc. The indigenous population of the country - the South American Indian tribes - were brutally exterminated, their ancient culture was destroyed, ancient cities, temples and sanctuaries were destroyed. In subsequent years, after most of the Indian people were thoughtlessly destroyed, a large number of blacks were brought from the African continent as slaves. The result of such a rapid and rather bloody settlement of South America is the variegated ethnic composition of the continent.

Indigenous people in the pre-Columbian era

At the time when the Europeans “discovered” the New World for themselves, the indigenous populations of both continents were at different stages of development, and if in the north of America the tribes collected mushrooms and berries and lived in a primitive communal system, then in the territory of Central and South America, the Indian tribes have already created states and entire civilizations, built class relations and created unique monuments of culture, science and architecture, which later became real phenomena and mysteries for all the scientific minds of the world

The tribes that lived east of the Andes hunted and collected gifts of nature, were at a fairly low level of development, and practiced the basics of a primitive communal system.

(An ancient vanishing tribe)

Highly developed Indian tribes who lived in the mountainous regions of the Andes and on the Pacific coast (modern territory of Colombia, Peru, Chile), they created here the first states with developed agriculture and livestock breeding, crafts, various applied arts and scientific knowledge developed here. These are the ancient civilizations of the Incas, Mayans, Chavin, Mochica cultures, etc.

The inhabitants of the extreme southern part of the South American continent, who lived on the archipelago of the Tierra del Fuego islands (the modern province of Argentina and part of Chile) - Fuegians, these are the Ona, Alakaluf, Yagan tribes, by the time of European expansion they were at a low level of development, wore animal skins, had stone and bone weapons, hunted guanacos (the ancestor of the domestic llama) and fished in the ocean on fragile boats made of birch bark.

(Men of the Amazon Valley Tribe)

A step higher in development were the Indian tribes who lived in the valley of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in the center and north of the continent (tribes of the linguistic groups of the Arawaks, Caribs, Tupi-Guarani), who were engaged in hunting, weapons - bows and pipes with poisoned arrows (the famous poison curare), they grew corn, cassava, tobacco, cotton, a form of social organization - a clan community.

In the north of the Andes (modern Colombia) in the valley of the Bogota River, the Chibcha people organized the Indian state of the Chibcha-Muisca peoples with a fairly developed culture; within modern Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador there was a culture of the Quechua Indian tribe.

Culture and life of the ancient Indians

(Iroquois Tribe)

The most famous and studied in detail is the culture of the ancient Inca Empire or Tauntinsuyu (“four connected cardinal directions”), which was formed in the second century AD through wars of conquest, when one of the mountain tribes conquered vast neighboring lands, where tribes such as the Aymara and Keuar lived. , Huallacán, etc. and united them all into one powerful Inca state. In the 14th and 15th centuries, which marked the era of aggressive European colonization, the Inca Empire occupied vast territories of today's Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, parts of Argentina, Colombia and Chile. The specially built capital of the state is Cusco, the language is Quechua, the first ruler (Supreme Inca) is Manco Capac.

(Iroquois Warriors)

Like the Roman Empire, the main force of this power was the army; the entire people were engaged in providing it, regularly paying taxes to the treasury for its maintenance. Conquered peoples were allowed to believe in their own deities, but worship of the Inca's supreme sun god, Inti, was obligatory. The population lived in stone houses built from rocks such as limestone, basalt, diorite, etc. The houses of ordinary residents were simple and modest, but the houses of the nobility, priests and rulers were decorated with gold and silver plates. The architecture of the ancient Incas is distinguished by its severity and asceticism; palaces and temples are overwhelming with their power and grandeur; for their construction, huge monolithic blocks were used, tightly adjusted in size and not held together by any mortar. The ensemble of temples of Coricancha (“Golden Temple”) in the Inca capital of Cusco is the pinnacle of Inca architecture. It contained a golden altar and a golden disk of the sun god Inti; it was destroyed and plundered by the Spaniards. Nowadays the Cathedral of Santa Domingo is located on its ruins.

(Machu Picchu - ancient Inca city on top of a mountain overlooking the Urubamba River valley)

The ancient Incas were skilled artisans, they mined metal ores and knew how to process gold, bronze, and made amazingly beautiful jewelry, which was later melted down into gold bars and taken to Spain by the conquering conquistadors. The Incas did not have writing as such; it is believed that they transmitted and stored information using a special knotted letter “khipu”.

The entire population of the empire was divided into social classes and professions; the basis of the Inca social pyramid was the concept of aylyu, consisting of family clans that lived on the same land and cultivated it together, engaged in common livestock breeding and shared the harvest among everyone. The head of state was the One Inca - the supreme ruler and chief priest of the Sun god.

At the beginning of the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro came to the lands of the Empire, due to an acute internecine struggle for power, it was already on the verge of collapse, was quickly conquered and plundered, and the ancient Inca civilization ceased to exist. Today all that remains of it are the ruins of the ancient city of Machu Picchu in the mountains of Peru.

Also, the Mayan and Aztec cultures are considered the most ancient civilizations on the territory of modern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, states of Latin America.

(Ancient Maya)

The Maya are the clearest example of the Indian pre-Culomb civilization, which remains a mystery and a scientific phenomenon to everyone today. It began its existence at the beginning of our era, and by the time the conquistadors arrived it was already in deep decline. This unique people, existing in Stone Age conditions and not knowing how to mine and process metal, not having means of transportation and animals for transporting goods, developed a surprisingly accurate solar calendar, had complex hieroglyphic writing, predicted eclipses of the Moon and the Sun, and calculated the movements of the planets. It was the Mayans who created unique masterpieces of construction art, which are still known throughout the world (the Mayan pyramids in the ancient cities of Teotihuacan, Cholula and Chechen Itza). The Mayan civilization died in the 11th century, even before the arrival of the conquistadors, who found the remnants of their former power; why this happened is still unknown.

(Temple of the Inscriptions of the Ancient Mayan Civilization - visualization)

The Aztec civilization existed in what is now Mexico between the 14th and 16th centuries AD. The capital of the ancient Aztec state was Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco, which was a huge city located on several islands in the middle of lakes, connected by dams. Excellent stone roads were laid everywhere, its streets were intersected by canals, stone palaces and temples were located in green gardens. The Aztecs were excellent woodcarvers, sculptors, craftsmen and jewelers. Unfortunately, the legacy of this ancient civilization has practically not survived to this day; only a few masterpieces, which miraculously escaped destruction at the hands of the Spanish conquistadors, found their way to Europe and became public knowledge.

Traditions and customs

Customs and traditions played a huge role in the life of almost every Indian people who lived on the territory of the South American continent in ancient times.

(Life of the ancient Mayans)

For example, the Mayans believed that the birth of a child was a sign of the special favor of the gods, especially the moon goddess; the priests chose the name of the child, calculated his horoscope and predicted the future. Among the Mayans, cross-eyedness was a sign of beauty; in order for a child to become cross-eyed, a bead was attached to his forehead, hanging over his eyes, which the child should look at more often. Also, with the help of a plank tied in front, the forehead lengthened and the head became flatter, this was required by the Mayan canons of beauty, and also required a high position in society.

The ball game was very popular; it was of a religious nature, carried out with great ceremonies and careful preparation.

One of the terrible and bloody rituals of this people was the ritual of sacrifice, when a human sacrifice was made to please some god, tearing out the heart and throwing the body from a high pyramid.

(Warrior of the ancient Inca tribe)

In the Inca religion there was a whole pantheon of gods: the creator of the world and all living things, Kon Tisci Viracocha, after him came the sun god Inti, Ilyapa - the weather god, the moon goddess - Mama Quilla and others. The Incas performed a great variety of religious and ritual ceremonies, subject to the agricultural calendar or dates dedicated to the life of the ruling royal family. Holidays and celebrations were held in the central square of the city of Cusco, which was called Uyakapata (“Sacred Terrace”), where the ruler’s palace was also located; after his death, it turned into a sanctuary, where the embalmed mummy of the deceased was located. The new Supreme Inca lived in another palace, built personally for him.

Modern life of the peoples of the South American continent

(Puno city in Peru)

The current population of South America is 387.5 million people. It is characterized by the predominance of mixed ethnic groups: mestizo (the result of mixed barques of Europeans and Indians), mulattoes (marriage of Europeans with the Negroid race), Sambo (marriage of Indians with the Negroid race).

In Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador and Venezuela, mestizos predominate, descendants of mixed marriages between indigenous people (Indians) and Spanish settlers. In Peru and Bolivia the majority are Indians. In the states of central South America in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, the majority of citizens are of African descent, the minority are descendants of the inhabitants of the European continent. But most of them, especially those from Spain and Italy, live in Argentina and Uruguay. In Chile there are many immigrants from European countries such as Germany, England, France, Austria, Greece, Scandinavia, etc. The official language of most countries on the mainland is Spanish, in Brazil it is Portuguese, in Peru the Indian language Quechua is official along with Spanish.

It is impossible to describe the population of South America using only criteria of ethnic origin. It is too much of an oversimplification to describe Guyanese society as one of various racial groups. Terms such as Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese refer to ethnic identity. But significant physical and cultural differences exist between ethnic communities. This division may lead to the mistaken belief that there are two Guyanas with completely different origins, behavior and political and economic interests in the same country.

All immigrant groups adapted to the dominant British culture in the colony. In many ways, the descendants of different immigrant groups are more similar to each other than to their distant ancestors. In addition, the descendants of immigrants have moved beyond their previous social niches. Indo-Guyanese can be found not only in the sugarcane and rice plantations, but also in the cities, where some of them have become entrepreneurs, professionals or simply workers. Afro-Guyanese can also be found at all levels of Guyanese society.

All immigrants in Guyana share a common experience. They all worked on plantations. With the abolition of slavery, the nature of the labor force changed, but not the work itself. The Indians did the same work as the African slaves before them, and lived in the same housing as the former slaves. All immigrants were exposed to the dominant influence of the British value system and had nowhere to preserve their values.

Africans consider themselves to belong to different cultural groups, and Indian society has also been differentiated by religion and caste. For the English, however, race was the only characteristic, and all Indians were classified into one group and all Africans into another.

The greatest influence on assimilation was the use of language. English became the primary language of all Guyanese, with the exception of some old people and some Amerindians. The universal use of English has proven to be a powerful unifying cultural force.

The descendants of immigrant groups became increasingly anglicized. Cultural differences weakened. And even physical differences were blurred through intermarriage. Cultural differences retain their symbolic meaning. Many of these cultural differences were not inherited, but arose locally. For example, Guyanese Hinduism is closer to Islam and Christianity than in the homeland of Hinduism itself. Humanity tends to think in stereotypes. So the population of South America is divided into stereotypical groups by the population of South America itself.

Racial stereotypes developed in Guyana early in the founding of the colony. British planters characterized Africans as physically strong but lazy and irresponsible. Indians were characterized as hardworking, but clannish and greedy. To some extent, these stereotypes were recognized by the immigrants themselves, with positive stereotypes readily attributed to themselves and negative stereotypes to others.

In the process of the country's development, stereotypes explained the behavior of representatives of different nationalities. Africans were characterized as short-sighted when they refused to work for low wages on plantations or enter into long-term contracts with planters. Indians were called selfish when all efforts were directed towards maximizing the acquisition of capital.

In modern Guyana, ethnic characteristics are less susceptible to stereotypes. Other differences matter more now. There is a gradation into “metropolitan” manners and “coolie” manners. However, what is considered metropolitan manners in the provinces can at the same time be recognized as coolie manners in the capital itself.

Along with these stereotypes, the colonial attitude towards European countries also persists, when all British customs, morals and behavior were idealized. The British education system contributed to the preservation of Eurocentrism. The idea of ​​the superiority of British culture was recognized and accepted among slaves. In particular, former slaves still believe that adherence to Christianity is a sign of human civilization.

The middle class, which was formed from the end of the nineteenth century from among Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese, was also based mainly on British values, the idea of ​​which was the most progressive and civilized.

What connects children all over the world with Indians? Chocolate, popcorn, chewing gum and the ability to run freely with battle cries across any space! All of the listed delicacies were invented by the Indians: popcorn, having discovered the ability to “self-explode” in maize grains, chewing gum from the juice of Hevea (rubber), the word “chocolate” was first heard from the lips of the Mayan tribe, and was invented by the Aztecs. The Aztecs discovered that if you crushed cocoa beans into a paste and added spices, you got a drink that was served only to the leader, because it was worth its weight in gold.

Despite such funny inventions, the eyes of an Indian are always sad, they are a sad people, and even when looking through photos in search engines you will rarely find a smiling representative of the indigenous population of America. But incredible natural depth and an amazing desire to preserve their history - this can be found in any Indian.

Indians today

Indians are settled throughout South and North America, from Alaska to Argentina, some of them live on reservations (example: the Navajo tribe), some are full citizens of the country (Mayans, 80% of the population of Guatemala), and others are still They live in the Amazon jungle (Guarani) and have no connection with civilization. Therefore, everyone’s way of life is different, but the traditions of raising children and relationships with adults are surprisingly preserved.

The Indians of North America are mostly Catholics and Protestants, the Indians of Latin America are mostly Catholics. For most Indians in South and Central America, pre-Hispanic beliefs were inextricably fused with Christianity. Many Indians maintain traditional cults. Nowadays, as a rule, these are theatrical performances accompanied by dancing in masks, including during Catholic and Protestant holidays.

Each tribe has its own dialects, many speak two languages, their own and English, but some tribes do not even have their own written language, so the most respected adults and beloved children in the tribe are the elders. They teach wisdom, preserve and tell stories and legends, know the intricacies of any craft - weaving carpets, making dishes, fishing and hunting. They monitor the observance of all rituals, and in wild tribes even the daily routine.

Life traditions

The Indians have preserved the tradition of sitting down, forming a circle, and sharing with everyone what is in their hearts. Some tribes gather in a circle on certain days, while others daily share everything that happened during the day, ask for advice, tell stories and sing.

Since childhood, a song is like air for an Indian; they can talk to nature through songs, express their emotions and convey the history of an entire people. There are ritual songs, holiday songs, and everyone in the Cofan tribe has their own song.

The same “FigVam” that Sharik drew on the stove from the cartoon “Prostokvashino” and that we build when playing Indians is not actually a wigwam, but a portable tipi dwelling used by steppe nomads.

A wigwam is a hut on a frame, covered with straw. Visually, this dwelling looks like a large haystack and is traditional for the Indians of North America. The tribes of the Amazon live in such wigwams or houses on stilts, covered with straw or leaves. Indian peoples on US reservations, for example, the Navajo tribes, who are closer to civilization, live in houses similar to our ordinary Russian log cabins or mud huts.

Let me point out that wigwams are usually built by women and children. In wild tribes, almost all work in the village is considered feminine - cooking, sewing, raising children, all agricultural work, searching for firewood. The man's task is to hunt, to learn military skills every day in order to confidently use a spear, a bow and a pipe with poisonous arrows. Because the necklace of jaguar fangs is a document, the only document of the Indians living in the jungle, certifying his fearlessness. Only boys become shamans; the shaman teaches many in the village and passes on his knowledge, but after his death, one of his young patients becomes a shaman, and not a student, because it is believed that along with the healing energy, all the knowledge of the shaman is transferred to the patient.

The main food is what is obtained by hunting, and in families that engage in farming, the main dishes are potatoes, porridge, rice, chicken, turkey and, naturally, all types of legumes, favorite dishes are pumpkin and corn. Sweet maple syrups and dried wild berries occupy a special place in the Indian diet.

"All children are our children"

Attitudes towards strangers vary among tribes, but “whites” are definitely unwelcome guests for all Indians. As for inter-tribal and clan relations, for example, for the Kofans, the concept of their own and other people’s children does not exist at all. Kofan parents take the name of their firstborn and use it until their wedding. Then they take the name of the next children who are not yet married. Studying family relationships in this case becomes a rather difficult task.

Natural Indian Parenting

Even those Indian women who live in large cities adhere to the natural course of childbirth. More often they give birth at home, sometimes in the presence of an obstetrician or in a hospital, observing the basic principles of natural childbirth - without caesarean section, stimulants and anesthesia. Tribes where the standard of living does not allow giving birth with the help of an obstetrician, much less in a hospital, childbirth takes place in the sand or in water, often a woman gives birth alone. Indians feel great affection for children and take great care of them. According to people who have studied Indian morals and customs for a long time, “the best character traits of Indians are revealed in the attitude of parents towards children.”

From birth, children are present during any parental activity; the baby is carried in a scarf, a manta (a special sling for carrying not only children, but also food, any things), or in a portable crib made of wood or reed made by the father.

According to the researchers, some tribes did not allow children to drink colostrum and gave breastfeeding only when a steady flow of milk appeared. Children always have access to milk; at any time of the day or night they are not denied feeding and drink their mother’s milk until the milk runs out. Even if an Indian woman has given birth to several children over the course of several years, the older ones are not weaned.

Indian women rarely punish their children, but they introduce them to work early, believing that there is no better way to learn about life. From an early age, children are taught that being noisy and loud is very bad, and that they must respect their elders. Therefore, Indian children are not capricious, not loud and not whiny, very independent and friendly.

Nothing is forbidden to children, and adults are so confident in them that nothing happens to children. The relationship between parents and children is so close that they are truly one. The kids themselves know what they need, and Indian parents allow them to get it and taste life, to live in unity with nature and its laws.

Now Indian “natural parenthood” is a whole science that gained popularity in America and Europe in the 70s. Jean Ledloff, who made an expedition to Indian tribes, was so amazed by what she saw that she devoted her entire life to studying Indian “methods” of raising children, wrote the book “How to Raise a Happy Child” and became the founder of the so-called “natural parenting”.

Before Ledloff, Dr. Benjamin Spock reigned in the world of pedagogy, everyone read his works and “raised children according to Spock” ​​- they fed by the hour, talked about the lack of connection between the child’s health and the type of feeding, did not spoil him, followed a daily routine, prohibited and restricted the child from many things , believing that a child should have authorities. The new theory of Jean Ledloff has turned upside down the idea that one needs to be strict and restrained with a child, wean him early, not indulge his whims, and set his own, adult rules. Ledloff watched the Indians and saw that everything was the opposite for them, and there were no happier children.

Indian supporters of “natural parenthood” adhere to the following basic rules:

Natural childbirth;

During the so-called “manual period” until the child learns to crawl, he can be in his mother’s arms as much as he wants. For this, slings or other devices that make carrying easier are used;

Frequent breastfeeding, at the request of the child, and for at least two years;

The presence of the child in all the affairs of the mother, and later the father, is important so that the child gets used to and observes the activities, socializes faster;

The Indians believe that there is no need to take too much care of the baby. Overly caring mothers teach us to treat the world with fear, as if there are many dangers in it and only them;

Most Indian languages ​​do not have words for time. Until old age, Indians know only the concept of “now.” As, indeed, are all the children of the world. Therefore, you need to treat their requests with understanding, without postponing until tomorrow or some “later”;

Don't criticize or compare children. Moreover, in front of everyone, in private, you can then tell him that some action is wrong and what it can lead to;

It is important to always come to the child’s aid, to be nearby so that he feels protection and love. This will give him confidence for life;

Indians treat all children's desires and actions with respect, which is taken as the basis for the “natural parenting” method.

Both boys and girls up to the age of five participate in family life helping their mothers; after five years, sometimes a little later, fathers begin to teach boys. From this moment on, the separation of the upbringing of boys and girls begins. Girls are taught to respect men, take care of them, and even be afraid of them. In many tribes, initiation rites are performed (girls at 13, boys at 15) when a child becomes an adult. Now these are ordinary holidays with ritual dances and songs.

Favorite games of Indians

Ball game- this is both football and a game similar to volleyball, where the ball is hit with the palms, elbows, and hips;

Flying kites- the Indians even have a holiday of kites, it takes place simultaneously with All Saints Day (Halloween), this is a joyful holiday (!) in memory of dead children. Indians have a very positive attitude towards death; children even play with it, acting out scenes of death. Kites on this holiday have their own characteristics - they are round, reach up to 6.5 meters in diameter and soar in the air for up to two hours.

Chunky- previously a game with a disc and a spear. A stone disk was launched into the sky and the players had to hit it with a spear. Now it's a game of rings and a pole: you need to catch as many rings thrown up on the pole as possible.

Puluk- a board game with chips for points.

Today in America it is fashionable to be an Indian. Indian schools are opening, many communities are opening to preserve the culture and traditions of this “sad people,” radio, newspapers, television in several dialects. Those who go to live in big cities have an inextricable connection with the reservations, return there and try to change the difficult situation. The first task is the opportunity to educate Indian children. All “white” teachers working in Indian schools note their intelligence and special disposition to the exact sciences.

Indian wisdom

When the last tree is cut down, when the last river is poisoned, when the last bird is caught, only then will you understand that money cannot be eaten.

In the first year of marriage, the newlyweds looked at each other and wondered if they could be happy. If not, they said goodbye and looked for new spouses. If they were forced to live together in disagreement, we would be as stupid as the white man.

You can't wake up a person who's pretending to be asleep.

The Great Spirit is imperfect. He has a light side and a dark side. Sometimes the dark side gives us more knowledge than the light side.

Look at me. I'm poor and naked. But I am the leader of my people. We don't need riches. We just want to teach our children to be right. We want peace and love.

Even your silence can be part of prayer.

Knowledge is hidden in every thing. Once upon a time the world was a library.

We don't want churches because they will teach us to argue about God.

Why do you take by force what you cannot take by love?

What is a man without animals? If all animals are exterminated, man will die from great loneliness of spirit. Everything that happens to animals also happens to humans.

One “take” is better than two “I will give.”

Don't walk behind me - I may not lead you. Don't go ahead of me - I may not follow you. Walk side by side and we will be one.

Truth is what people believe.

Even a small mouse has the right to be angry.

Strive for wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is the past. Wisdom is the future.

It doesn't take many words to tell the truth.

Love the earth. It was not inherited by you from your parents, it was borrowed by you from your children.

Everything in the World has its own song

Reflections of Indian Elders

“Peace... comes to the souls of people when they realize their interconnection, their unity with the Universe and all its forces, and when they realize that Wakan-Tanka lives in the center of the universe, and that this center is actually located everywhere, inside everyone from U.S".
(Black Deer [Hehaka Sapa], Oglala Sioux)

“Many people hardly ever feel the real earth under their feet, see plants growing except in flower pots, or find themselves far enough from street lights to catch the charm of a star-studded night sky. When people live far from the places created by the Great Spirit, it is easy for them to forget His laws.”
(Tatanga Mani (Walking Buffalo), stoney)

“Training is for everyone, not just Indians... White people have never wanted to learn before. They considered us savages. Now their understanding has changed and they want to learn. We are all children of God. The tradition is open to anyone who wants to learn.”
(Don Jose Matusuwa, Huichol)

“As elders, we in turn must show respect to our young people in order to receive respect from them.”
(Grace Ezek, Nisga'a)

“We create evil among us. We create it; and then we try to call him the devil, Satan, evil. But it is created by man. There is no devil. Man creates the devil."

“We have a biological father and mother, but our real Father is Tunkashila (Creator) and our real Mother is the Earth.”
(Wallace Black Deer, Lakota)

“The spiritual power that I serve is much more beautiful and much greater. We call it wisdom, knowledge, power and gift, or love. These are the four parts of spiritual power. And I serve them. When you serve this power, it makes your mind and spirit beautiful. You are becoming beautiful. Everything that Tunkashila (the Creator) creates is beautiful.”
(Wallace Black Deer, Lakota)

“Silence is the absolute stability or balance of body, mind and spirit.”
(Charles Eastman (Ohayesa), Santee Sioux)

“If you believe in something and you believe in it long enough, it happens.”
(Rolling Thunder, Cherokee)

“We are responsible for the condition of the Earth. We are the ones who are responsible for it and who can change it. If we wake up, it will be possible to change the energy. It is possible to change everything."
(Unbatz Men, Maya)

“People need to be responsible for their thoughts in order to learn to control them. It may not be easy, but it is possible."
(Rolling Thunder, Cherokee)

“Race and language don’t matter. Barriers disappear when people unite on a higher spiritual level.”
(Rolling Thunder, Cherokee)

“In the end, nature will teach.”
(Tom Porter, Mohawk)