Narrative Essay On Native American Culture

When people look at me, they would never categorize me as Native American. When I was a toddler I had long blond hair and a cute button nose. My nose is now a preposterous size and my hair is much darker, but still my looks don’t scream Native American. Though my outside does not reveal my cultural ties to America’s first people, my identity certainly does. I am one-eighth Iowa Indian on my mother’s side. That may seem like a small amount, but I grew up taking pride in my ancestry. I vividly remember stories my great uncles told about spending their summers on the reservation hunting and fishing. The Iowa tribe itself is a branch of the Sioux tribe, but is extremely small compared to other federally recognized tribes, such as the Navajo and the Hopi. Yet their place in history is no less important. Many of the early explorers had contact with my tribe. In fact, French Canadian fur trappers that served as early guides to these explorers intermarried with the Iowa tribe, and they are among my direct descendants. Further, my great great grandmother was a survivor of the Wounded Knee Massacre. I’d like to believe I got my perseverance and intuitive
Like many other Native American communities, my relatives struggled with alcoholism. As George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. This quote is important for me to remember because the struggles that my ancestors faced can be my struggles today as well. Yet I have opportunities they do not. For example, education, addiction support, and better housing are all readily available to me today. Further, my Christian faith is different than the faith of my ancestors. They believed in spirits, while I believe in one true Savior. It is my faith in my Savior that gives me the strength to avoid the pitfalls of their weaknesses. I am grateful for all the history of my people; I have learned from their strengths and their