Animals In Native American Culture

The trophy room fills with the gazes of lifeless beady eyes watching intruders every move. Hundreds of furry, scaly creatures crowd the area each in their own position: the tiger poses next to the antelope, the snake curled up by the rat, and the dog stands guard by the door. Each of these animals has its own stories to tell. The giraffe tells the story of the money he made for the man with the gun, the housecat tells the story about a loving home, and the panther tells the story of his fading species. Although lifeless, the creatures still capture the interest of humankind, and people have been integrating animals and their depiction in art since the beginning of culture. Animals inspire humans to display creativity in various forms, such
As a result of dependence on the buffalo, Native Americans lost their primary source of meat and materials for clothing and shelter causing them to struggle for survival. Hence, it is no surprise that a culture of dance and song resorted to ceremonies and rituals to express their desperate cries for the return of the buffalo. According to Sonia Benson, author of "Native North Americans of the Great Plains,” the distraught Native Americans created the Ghost Dance, a ceremony of music and dance that, “expressed a vision of the end of the present world, in which all the dead Indian ancestors and the buffalo would return” (1091). While chanting and dancing, the Native Americans gathered in a circle to express the anger and sadness they felt. Sadly, no matter how many times they performed the Ghost Dance, they could not recover their beloved buffalos from near
Taxidermist’s careers thrive on dead animals, and there are plenty of customers who want to remember the hunting experience by bringing home a dead animal. Of course, the unique artists present the dead animal with fake eyes and replace the intestines with stuffing, so that the hunters may admire their truly well-deserved trophy. However, the need for trophies impact populations of species immensely. For example, according to Philippe Bouché, author of “Embargo on Lion Hunting,” the lion population of West Africa has noticeably decreased due to factors including trophy hunting. Generally, people who collect trophies want the prettiest and biggest ones they can get. Not surprisingly, the best trophies among lions are the males with sizeable manes. Although the male lions may look regal and powerful in one’s living room, it is upsetting the balance in the species population. For instance, by targeting males it decreases the ratio of male to female lions and “[t]he dynamics of lion populations may be particularly sensitive to the removal of pride males because of social disruption and potential infanticide by incoming males” (“Embargo on Lion Hunting”). In other words, if hunters continue to kill pride males, then other males move in who kill any cubs that do not belong to them. Plus, if this morbid cycle were to continue, then the chances of the young cubs reaching maturity